Episode Report Card Wing Chun: D | 6 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT Show Me Love
By Wing Chun | Season 3 | Episode 21 | Aired on 05.09.2000
I really like the "Show Us Your Can" ad. "Look at the back yard on this fella." Hee!
Pacey sees Kruddy off at the train station. Kruddy tells him not to give up on true love: "It always wins in the end." See? Because it's the name of his boat? Which lost? But the idea of true love is also the subject of this episode? And it's what we're to think Pacey has with Joey? Get it? Do you? Do you get it? Are you sure? Because they made it pretty subtle.
Grams comes into Jen's room carrying the yellow sundress Jen wore in the pilot and they use it as the Proustian madeleine to remember how innocent Jen was then, even though at the time we were supposed to think she was a big old ho. Anyway, Grams makes a bunch of gestures of reconciliation and Jen admits that she never slept with Henry, and Grams is tremendously relieved. She should have just said that in the first place, man. This plot was a non-starter.
As Mrs. Flash lights candles in the otherwise empty IHOF, the Flash bounces in and some quavery female trills, "Talked to an old flame." Er, more like an old flamer. Mrs. Flash admits that she would like to get back together. I engage Gallup to conduct a quick poll: Nope, no one cares.
Joey, in her paint-covered overalls, stands in front of her wall, which she still hasn't painted. Pacey comes up behind her and gently lays a hand on her shoulder. She turns and he says, "Hey," and she says "hey" back, looking surprised. He asks if she thought he was Dawson, and she starts to say she just didn't hear him, but he cuts her off to say, "Maybe the better question would be, 'Did you want me to be Dawson?'" She looks down, stung, and he immediately apologizes and takes it back. She indicates the wall and notes that the lease will be up soon. He says, "I'd renew it again if you wanted me to." She says, "I don't know, Pacey, I mean, I don't want to give it up, it's just...I don't really feel like I'm ready to..." "Paint?" he concludes for her. "Yeah," she says. Kim says, "I think they might also be talking about their relationship, but I'm not sure." I say, "Where do you get that? Quit reading into things! Just pay attention to the scene!"
Pacey exhales loudly and says, "I gotta be honest with you, Jo. I really thought after the way he behaved today, that you'd love him less, but you don't, do you? If anything, you just love him more." Joey shakes her head and begs, "Pacey, please don't make this harder than it is." Pacey says, "Okay. Okay. I just gotta ask one more question and then I'm gonna quit making this hard on both of us, I swear. If it weren't for Dawson, could you ever love me like that?" "Like what?" she asks. "Like a soulmate?" he asks. Joey starts shaking her head again, and implores him, "Pacey, please don't make me do this, don't make me choose! I really think the best thing is -- is just to take a couple steps back, and --" "Yeah," he says, and starts to walk off, but turns back to say, "I'll renew the lease on the wall first thing tomorrow morning." She nods gratefully, trying to maintain her composure. He adds, "And I understand. I do. I understand. There are no ultimatums here." Joey smiles nervously and he walks off with his hands deep in his pockets. See, Joey, what just happened there? And how it was the opposite of your exchange with Dawson, both in tone and in outcome? That's because Pacey loves you unselfishly, and because Dawson will never be able to do so. On the other hand, Pacey? Yeah, if Joey still hasn't ditched Dawson after his little stunt today, she never will, and you need to give up on her because of that. The girl has big problems, and I know you want to help her, but I think Andie was right last week: Ultimately, Joey will always choose Dawson over you. And that sucks for you, because you deserve better, and I even think she deserves better, but she still doesn't think she deserves better than Dawson, and for that reason, you need to bail.