Episode Report Card Sars: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Dance
By Sars | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 01.26.1998
Dawson chases after Jen like a puppy and tells her that he's rented Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive, and Grease, and invites her to join him for a "John Travolta night of interpretive expression," because "that way, we can dance and our feet never have to move." In this scene, Dawson's hair has frizzed up into a square, proscenium-arch poof that makes him look like David Hasselhoff, and no, in point of fact, I do not intend that as a compliment. Anyhow. Jen has plans to go to the dance so she declines, apologizing, and Dawson pretends he doesn't care, and he hints around transparently to see if Jen has a date, which she does, with Cliff Elliott. She tells Dawson not to "look so down," because she doesn't think of it as a date; Cliff just asked her if she wanted to go, and she said yes. Dawson passive-aggressively says, "Okay, well, call me confused, but that's the definition of a date, Jen, isn't it?" Jen grabs Dawson by the collar and snarls, "Look, Forehead Man, if you wanted to go with me, you should have asked me -- and by the way, I don't owe you anything, so lose the 'tude!" Oh, no, my mistake -- she doesn't do that at all, although she bloody well should. She does squirm a bit and say that she wanted to go, and to meet new people, and she sort of implies that Dawson shouldn't begrudge her that, which he obviously shouldn't, but which, of course, he obviously does. Jen then very nicely invites him to drop by the dance, but Dawson says he has "a date with Travolta," and Jen sort of shrugs and says she'll see him later, and Dawson smiles and says, "See ya," and she goes in through her gate, and Dawson slumps.
Sanctum Dawsonorum. Dawson raving about Cliff and wondering what Jen sees in him. Joey referring to Cliff's "chest measurements," whatever that means. Dawson pacing, calling Cliff a bonehead, insulting Cliff's movie; Joey suspecting that his movie has nothing to do with why Jen went on a date with him. Dawson, of all people, accusing Jen of thoughtlessness for breezily mentioning her date with Cliff. Joey pretending to agree but secretly exulting. Dawson obsessing over the exact details of the slow dance he imagines Jen and Cliff sharing at that moment. Joey arching a worried eyebrow. Dawson's hair imitating a Sabrett-hot-dog-cart umbrella. Dawson wondering what Cliff did that he didn't do. Joey pointing out that Cliff asked Jen out. Dawson deciding to go to the dance. Joey discouraging him, since Jen is "in the arms of another man," after all, and "why torture yourself?" Dawson maintaining, "I'm an artist. Torture is a prerequisite." Sars plunging a freshly-sharpened pencil into her eye. Dawson asking Joey if she's coming with him or not; Joey still attempting to talk him out of it. Dawson saying he should kiss Jen, "not some J.Crew ad." Um -- oh, forget it. Joey describing Dawson's histrionics as "so pathetic," but agreeing to accompany him, if only to watch him embarrass himself. Dawson saying he has to check his hair. No, he actually said that, I swear to God.