Episode Report Card Wing Chun: D | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Beauty Contest
By Wing Chun | Season 1 | Episode 12 | Aired on 05.11.1998
After the break, the camera pans across a vista of contestants as Mrs. Windjammer prepares to announce the winner. Joey stands next to "Special-Needs Kids" Girl and shoots her a death look. Heh. The second runner-up, and winner of two tickets to the Rialto theatre for any Tuesday or Thursday matinee, is Hannah, who looks like she just got kicked in the gut. Joey claps feebly. Jen smirks. Hannah recovers her composure and claims her prize. The first runner-up, and winner of "a free day of beauty at Betty's Hair Barn" is Joey. Jen applauds, looking sort of disappointed. Joey accepts her prize diffidently. Dawson tells the crew to pack up, and takes off. The winner of the pageant is, duh, Roberta Crump, who, when the spotlight falls on her, clasps her hands and glances around incredulously, as if she must have misheard. Aw! She gets a little weepy as the old Miss Windjammer crowns her. The rest of the contestants file offstage. When Joey passes Dawson, she flaps her envelope as if to say, "I won the jerk-off prize," and then sort of leans to one side and smiles more warmly as if to say, "All is forgiven." This she does without saying a word -- a nice job by Miss Katie Holmes. Dawson looks relieved, and grins.
Later, Joey stands on a pier, still in her strappy gown. Dawson walks toward her with Mrs. Flash on his arm. She tells Joey that she was "truly spectacular tonight" and that she voted for Joey, and that Joey should be very proud of herself. Joey modestly thanks her. Mrs. Flash offers the kids a ride home, but Dawson says they can walk. Mrs. Flash kisses each of them and leaves. Dawson stares at her for a while. Then, instead of offering her his coat, he marvels, "For the first time in my life, you've left me speechless." Joey gives him an "oh, go on -- no, really, go on" smile. Dawson asks, "What's happening, Joey?" She asks, "You mean you don't know?" Jen appears at the top of the boardwalk in time to see Dawson take Joey's hand, and walks off with her arms crossed. FINALLY Dawson gives Joey his coat and they sit down.
Dawson says, "I looked at you tonight, and it was like you came completely out of your shell. There was this...a total newfound confidence that just seemed to burst from you, and I know what it must have taken for you to ger up there and do that tonight. It's like you transformed into this beautiful...Joey." Joey, staring at the ground, cautions him, "Dawson...." He throws back his head laughing and says, "I'm sitting here with my best friend in the world, and my palms are sweating. I've known you forever, but I feel like I'm seeing you for the first time tonight." Joey looks sad and happy at once, and then starts crying. He asks what's wrong, and she says, "There's something that's not right about this." He says he thought this was what she wanted, and she says, "It's my own stupid fault. I mean, dressing up, playing the princess -- you and I both know this isn't me." Dawson murmurs, "Of course it is." Joey says, "I thought this was what I wanted -- for you to see me as beautiful, for you to look at me the way that you look at Jen, but the truth is, I don't want that at all, Dawson. I want you to look at me and see the person you've always known and realize that what we have is so much more incredible than just some passing physical attraction, because, you know what, Dawson? [swiping at her mouth] It's just lipstick. [taking down her upsweep] And it's just hairspray. Tomorrow I'm going to wake up, and I'm going to be Joey. Just Joey, you know? The too-tall girl from the wrong side of the creek." Dawson protests, "Joey, this is all new to us, and we should talk about it, okay? No matter what happens, we can't go back to the way things were." Joey says, "Dawson, you've had your whole life to process your feelings for me. And I can't spend the rest of mine hoping that you might throw a general glance in my direction in between your tortured teen romances with whatever Jen Lindley rolls into your life next. I can't do it." She starts to go, but Dawson implores her, "Joey, don't walk away from this." She turns back mournfully and takes off his coat, saying, "I have to, Dawson." Joey, take off your stupid heels and RUN.