Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Barefoot At Capefest
By Wing Chun | Season 3 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.11.2000
At the Seat of the Single Father (formerly Estrangement Estates), Dawson and Joey enter with Dawson mimicking Nikki: "'Filmmaking's not fast food, Dawson.'" Dude, that sounds nothing like her. Joey reminds him that Nikki is entitled to the equipment too. Dawson whines, "Look, you check out a camera, you return the camera in a timely fashion. That's all I'm asking." Because she knows that Dawson is not, in the slightest, upset that Nikki is breaking the camera-use rules, but that in fact he's annoyed that she beat him to it, Joey just chuckles to herself. They arrive at the French doors separating the kitchen and the family room, and Dawson says, "Uh, Mom? What's going on?" The camera pulls back to reveal the room picked nearly clean of its furniture, and Gail "Poodle-Head" Leery, looking guilty. She mumbles something about taking some furniture over to her place. Dawson says, "Oh. Okay." She says she's only taking the contents of the family room and the guest room, and that it's part of the settlement. She adds, "I asked your dad not to say anything because I wanted to explain myself." What's to explain? Criminy! While Joey stands behind him looking wicked uncomfortable, Dawson says pretty much what I just did, and Gail tells him that she needs him to keep being "positive about this," because it'll make things easy on everyone. Dawson says, "I aim to please." Uh, you need to re-align those sights, because you're missing me by, like, a mile. Gail hugs him and thanks him for understanding. The agitated strings of foreboding pulse on the soundtrack while Joey asks Dawson if he wants to talk. He says, "What's there to say?" "About what you're feeling?" Joey prods. Dawson says he's thinking that his parents are finally divorced and he's glad it's over. You and me both, little man. Joey looks skeptical and says, "I said 'what you're feeling.'" He says, "I'm still working on that one," and stomps off. Joey looks distressed. Whatever.
Outside among some trees, Jack is going on about how great Capefest is going to be: "Sleeping out under the stars, fresh breeze off of that ocean, the call of the wild..." Jen says she's more concerned about the call of nature. I'm more concerned about the fact that they're sleeping in a nylon tent. Outside. On Cape Cod. IN JANUARY. They stop, apparently randomly, and Jack suggests they set up camp. Jen says, "I thought I'd go to extreme measures to get in some guy's pants." Jack takes umbrage at the notion that he's trying to get in Ethan's pants. Word; he'd have to machete those eyebrows for three or four days before he could even see Ethan's pants. He adds that Ethan is the first gay guy he's ever even "conversed with," and that all he wants is to get to know him. Gently, Jen says that she knows, but reminds him that he's about to take a big emotional leap, and that before he takes it, he should be able to admit to himself that he is, in fact, taking it. (I must add here that her hair looks very pretty -- not over-styled, and not crispy with product, but soft and curly.) Jack insists that he just wants to get to know Ethan, and Jen says he should still take heed of her advice, and let Ethan come to him. Jack says he's going to go see if he can find Ethan. Way to take heed. Jen watches him go, looking resigned.