Props to prufrock, Emgrrl, Niccolo, sTARBABY, Fox1013, Kisle, bstewart, and Sars.
I'm hoping this tape won't make a critical comment on the quality of the show by essentially committing suicide, as happened to me last time. I know you probably think that it's easier to just listen to the show without having to watch it, but for the purpose of doing a recap, it actually isn't. No, trust me.
Okay, according to Pacey we've found ourselves in the middle of the WB's Week of Weeks (or, if you prefer, the Week of Freaks (tm Kisle), which means that "some will fulfill their own desires" (we're given to believe this will be Dawson and Joey), "one will balance on the edge of sanity" (telegraphed by Andie's dyeing her hair greasy brown). Just for me, the producers show the scene of La Filmette eviscerating Dawson's movie one more time, which still succeeds in drawing girlish giggles from me. Blah blah blah fishcakes, and we open in the Sanctum Dawsonorum, where the entire gang is gathered on and around Dawson's bed watching a movie. Dawson "Ape Nuts" Leery calls for a "movie break" and, after fetching himself refreshment of some sort, he comments on the absurdity of the fact that all six of them are in the same room together at the same time. Jack " ¡Solamente Yack!" McPhee agrees that it's notable, considering the way they all started out the school year, that they've "actually all managed to come out [no comment] as friends." Andie "Kiss Me Goodbye" McPhee adds, "Like St. Elmo's." "St. Elmo's from hell," Joey "Lowered Expectations" Potter corrects her. "That would be a negative spin," Dawson remarks. Joey says, "I just think it's important in times of maudlin reflection to incorporate a little honesty." Jen "Foundling" Lindley agrees with Joey: "I mean, sure, we've all grown to tolerate each other, but I still think that we're a long shot off [sic] from -land of best friends forever." Pacey "Superman" Witter agrees with Andie that there has been a lot of hanging out lately. Jack says, "Like when?" Pacey says, "Like right now, for instance" and refrains from adding, "Duh." He tells the group that they've come together out of a need to "cohabitate [sic] in, dare I say it, a clique." This elicits expressions of disgust from Jen, Joey, and Andie, and then Dawson says he invited Pacey to hang out, and then he invited Andie, who in turn invited Jack. Joey says, "I better not need an invitation," and Jen says, "And I live here now," as if she had just realized it herself. Pacey says, "Let's face it, guys; we are thisfar away from the Peach Pit." The rest of the assemblage stares at him in stony silence for a moment, and then a not-at-all hackneyed and not-too-long pillow fight ensues. Except for the "not" part.
Paula Cole ululates.
How thoughtful of the producers of Notting Hill to incorporate the words "not" and "ill" right in the title of the movie! Oh, who am I kidding, I'll see it anyway. I rented Stepmom last night. And I cried at the end even though I knew it sucked. P.S. Bring me the head of Tom Green. It doesn't necessarily have to be in recognizable shape.
Over at Capeside High, a newly stringy-haired brunette Andie, followed by an oddly cowering Jack, approaches Pacey and says, "Hey." He replies, "Hey," and then, noticing her hair, adds, "Wow." "'He said with zero enthusiasm,'" says Andie, purposefully striding onward with none of her usual perky bounce, as the other two trail behind her. Pacey says, "You got a new do!" While Jack gesticulates in Pacey's direction, Andie says, "You don't like it." Pacey says, "I didn't say that, actually." "He didn't say that," Jack insists. Andie says, "No. New hairstyles are judged by immediate response. Yours was lacklustre." Pacey says, "I think you look fantastic, sweetheart! You just don't look like...you." Andie says, "Ha! Keep digging; you're approaching China." Pacey and Jack break into a chorus of "I love it"s but Andie is having none of it: "Liars, both of you," she says, not sounding like she particularly cares. Pacey suggests that they go out that night, but Andie says she has to study for finals, "Not to mention [looking pointedly at Jack] take care of Mom." "Andie, it's Friday night," Pacey says, reminding her that she'll have plenty of time to study over the weekend: "What do you say we take the night off?" Looking at Jack instead of Pacey, Andie says: "You know? Good idea. You should. I mean, you should take the night off. I would love it, but I'm gonna study." At this, she marches away with a frustrated expression. Pacey asks Jack: "Do I deserve this?" Andie looks at the book in her hand and starts making excessively angry noises because it's the wrong one. Pacey says that maybe the right one is in her locker. Through gritted teeth, Andie says, "Yeah, well, it better be. I'll see ya later," and stomps off. Pacey looks to Jack for an explanation, who offers, "It's the hair! She's extra-sensitive; she did it herself." At least someone in the family is somewhat sensitive, jerkwad. Ruefully, Pacey says, "Well, ain't love grand."
Inside the school, Andie opens her locker and continues making similar tense motions with her arms. She glances across the hall and sees a guy with dark, curly hair standing there watching her and smiling. She instantly and visibly relaxes, pulls what is presumably the right book out of her locker and sort of shows it to him. He smiles. She smiles, hugging her book to her chest, and goes on her way.
Outside, Joey grabs Dawson from behind and asks what's on for tonight. He at first says he thought they'd rent a movie. She makes disappointed noises since that's what they've done the last four Fridays in a row. To cut to the fishcakes, he's actually made reservations at a fancy restaurant to celebrate their "one-month anniversary [sic]." Whatever. The only notable things that happen in this scene are: first, Dawson pronounces that they "are boring, trite people." Well, you're half right. The other is that Dawson says the dinner was going to be a surprise, but then Joey got all "persnickety" on him. No, actually, she didn't get persnickety, but thanks for carrying on the proud Dawson's Creek tradition of using multisyllabic words incorrectly.
Night falls on the Leery Home for Wayward Piglets, Poodles, and Post Cereal (formerly the No-Fault Hacienda) where Jen sits on the porch gazing mournfully in the direction of Grams's house. Mrs. Flash comes on the scene, follows Jen's line of vision, and remarks, "You could call her." "Who?" asks Jen unconvincingly, looking at her feet, then says that she doesn't think they have much to say to each other. Mrs. Flash doubts that. Jen says, "It's not that I don't want to talk to her, but where would it lead? Maybe I'd move back in, a few weeks of mild reconciliation, and then the inevitable ideology clash." Maybe, except for the fact that Grams is the only one with an ideology; what you have is a petulant and not terribly original teenage affectation. Anyway: "I've just accepted that there are certain people who weren't meant to fit in your life, no matter how much you want them to be [sic]." Mrs. Flash says, "I am intimately acquainted with that predicament." Jen looks stricken and quickly says, "Oh. I am so sorry! I didn't mean to imply...." Mrs. Flash says it's okay, and suggests that they "have a night of good food, good music, good conversation, and just put the past on the back burner for a few hours." Jen says, "I'd have to say that's the best offer I've gotten in quite a while." Mrs. Flash affectionately puts her arm around Jen, who squeezes in close. Aw. I mean, I agree with sTARBABY that it's sort of sad for Mrs. Flash to be seeking this kind of communion with a sixteen-year-old instead of someone her own age, but it was still touching to see Jen get a little uncomplicated love from someone in loco parentis for a change.
In town, the Flash and La Filmette are walking down the sidewalk wearing matching gray and black outfits. The Flash wonders what "entre nous" means in French. La Filmette says it means "just between us." The Flash says, "Like a secret." They kiss. Then they discuss the kiss for a little while. I enter a fugue state until the end of the scene, at which time they reach the restaurant and exchange a couple more conventional French phrases in a not-especially-cute manner.
Moments later, Joey and Dawson arrive hand-in-hand in front of the same restaurant. Joey protests that Entre Nous is too expensive. Dawson scoffs and says: "Joey, we have been together for a month. I want to take you to a meal in an establishment worthy of your beauty." Joey gives him a skeptical look, at which Dawson adds: "Okay, I do admit that was a prepared statement." Joey thought so. They kiss. Whatever.
As the Barenaked Ladies croon, "This is where it ends," the maitre d' studies the book. Dawson says he made reservations two weeks ago. The maitre d' says he didn't realize there were two Leery parties. Dawsons says, "Two?" and the maitre d' motions in the direction of the Flash, who interrupts his witty, urbane chatter to La Filmette upon seeing "Dawson!" "Dad. Great," Dawson replies. Ruh roh!
In her therapist's office, Andie is told that it's possible she may be experiencing symptoms of complicated grief, to which Andie would be susceptible, given her medical history, following the death of a loved one. Andie says, "This doesn't have anything to do with my brother." The therapist, who obviously doesn't pay very close attention to things Andie says, explains: "I'm talking about Abby Morgan. Her death seems to have upset you a great deal, which ultimately may have triggered unresolved issues with your brother's passing." She asks whether Andie has ever seen Abby again, since the episode she talked about "a month ago." Andie says she hasn't, and then laughs casually and says, "Now that I think about it, I may not have seen her at all." The therapist says it's okay if she did. Andie says, "No. I don't think it is." The therapist gives Andie her home phone number, and tells her to call her if she feels her anxiety increasing. She adds that she wants to see Andie "early week" at which time they'll talk about whether Andie needs to go on any medication. Andie snaps to at this, and says, "But you said I wouldn't have to go back on --" The therapist tells her it's different now: "What's going on inside you, Andie, may not be healing itself properly. The sooner we confront this, the better." If that's true, why not put her on meds now, as Sars and Fox1013 observed? As Andie's entire body stiffens while she contemplates this, the Barenaked Ladies return to the soundtrack, chirping, "I have faith in medication / I believe in the Prozac Nation." Good choice, music supervisors. Not.
Andie walks out to her car and lets herself in. The guy from the hall at school is sitting in the passenger seat, and says, "I like your hair." She thanks him. He asks, "Did you tell her about me?" Andie says, "I couldn't." The guy says, "That's good. What we have is a secret." Andie's voice breaks as she says, "Not for long. They're going to find out, Brown, and then we're going to have to leave each other." Brown says, "I'm not going anywhere." Andie starts racing: "Promise me? Because I can't lose you. I don't have this with anyone else. I mean, no one listens like you do." Brown says, "I know," and starts stroking her hair. Andie starts crying in earnest and says, "I'm so scared." He says nothing. She turns away and starts pounding the steering wheel, yelling, "Why is this happening to me? WHY? WHY?" and then falls into his lap. Okay, I'm sorry, but if anyone hasn't figured out by now that the guy is her dead brother Tim, they haven't watched enough crappy TV and movies.
I'd really like to say some shit about the KFC/Pizza Hut/Taco Bell ad cryptically touting their tie-in Phantom Menace merchandise. Unfortunately, words fail me.
Jen takes wood to the fireplace and asks Mrs. Flash what kind of hope she holds out for a Flash reunion. Mrs. Flash says she'd be lying if she said she didn't think about it every day. Jen asks if she's tried to get him back. Mrs. Flash says she's made "a few pathetic attempts here and there," but that it's pointless: "You can't connive or entice love; by definition, it has to find its way to you." Jen asks if she's going to take the job in Philadelphia. Mrs. Flash says she's waiting for a sign. Jen says, "Smoke!" Mrs. Flash says, "I think that sign's a little extreme." Jen says no, she smells smoke. The smoke detector goes off, since Mrs. Flash has burned the pot roast. D'oh!
Back at Entre Nous, Leery père et fils and their dates are all crowded around a table, with Dawson fortuitously wedged in beside La Filmette. The Flash comments that they're lucky the restaurant was able to fit them all in (after screwing up their reservations) on a night when they're so full. "I'll say. Lucky," Dawson agrees without much conviction, as a waiter squeezes past him and nudges his chair. Everyone looks uncomfortable. The Flash tells Dawson that he and La Filmette were just discussing Dawson's summer plans. La Filmette volunteers: "Yes, your father mentioned the possibility of you [sic] interning in Hollywood. You know, I have plenty of contacts there. I'm sure I could set you up with a summer job at an agency or a production company." She beams at him magnanimously. Dawson tightly replies, "Isn't that the city you said would, and I quote, 'eat me for breakfast?" Hey, yeah, that's right -- "breakfast"! That was funny! Joey whips around to see the Flash's reaction, but he just looks at his plate. La Filmette huffs, "Look, I'm sorry if I was hasty in my analysis." Dawson says, "Apology not accepted." Joey's head whips back just as quickly and she glares at Dawson. The Flash says, "Dawson, you don't mean that." Dawson says, "Yes I do. I spent months working on the film that you gave two seconds of thought to before annihilating, after which you proceeded to steer me away from the business as much as possible. But now that you're dating my father, all of a sudden I'm worthy of an internship in Los Angeles?" Instead of answering, "Pretty much," La Filmette says, "You asked me to be truthful, Dawson. Now, I may not be a fan of your work, but I am certainly a fan of your enthusiasm. I mean, there are plenty of other opportunities in the film business, not just creatively speaking." Dawson spreads it on thick: "Ahhhh, so I'm not creative enough." La Filmette spits, "No, you're misunderstanding me." "I don't think I am," Dawson snaps. Joey and the Flash both look as if they'd like to crawl under the table. A waiter asks if they're ready to order. The Flash starts to say they are, but Joey tells them to go ahead and grabs Dawson. At the bar, she asks if this is his idea of a romantic evening. Dawson flips his mood switch to "indignant": "Joey, that woman trashed my movie, came thisclose to crushing every single one of my career hopes, and now she's stealing my father. What am I supposed to do, just talk about the weather?" Asked and answered, your honour! Joey, that's your cue to run before the gravitational pull of Dawson's ego sucks you in too far for you to get out. Instead, Joey says, "Dawson, I know. I realize this. But by letting her get the better of you, you're putting a petty little battle before us and our night. It's pathetic!" Dawson apologizes, without much conviction. Joey she starts to go back to the table when he stops her by putting a hand to her face and says, "For the sake of our evening, I'll rise above it," as if he's doing her a favour, then kisses her. She seems placated, then looks at the door and says, "Oh no." Oh yes, Jen and Mrs. Flash have just strutted in, clad in all their semi-slutty finery. "French restaurant or French farce?" Dawson asks, as if he knew what a French farce was.
Andie and Pacey lie on their stomachs on her bed, watching TV. Andie looks distracted; Pacey looks morose. Andie says she's going to go get a drink.
When she gets there, Tim's in the kitchen. Andie snaps, "You're late. I thought you'd come earlier." Tim asks if she's okay. Andie says they can't talk now since Pacey's upstairs and she doesn't want him to find out about Tim. Tim says he doesn't care about Pacey: "I care about you, and I hate seeing you like this." Andie says it's too hard having them both there at the same time.
In her room, Pacey changes position and grabs the pillow Andie was laying on from the foot of the bed. Underneath it is a photo album, which he opens. Then he takes it downstairs with him and leaves it on a table in the front hall. As he gets closer to the kitchen he can hear her voice: "It's not like that, Brown. I can't just tell him. It's not that easy. I mean, there are too many repercussions that I'm not ready to deal with. Besides, why do I have to tell him in the first place? Would you understand if you were him?" Tim replies (though, of course, Pacey can't hear him), "No, I guess I wouldn't." Andie says, "Then there's nothing I can do." Tim says, "There is...something. You can choose." Andie says, "I won't do that, Brown." At this, Pacey barrels into the kitchen and looks around. Andie says nothing.
At Entre Nous, Jen drinks a Coke at the bar. Joey comes up to her and Jen expresses surprise to see her there. Joey fills her in on the situation. Jen says that's not good, then, hatching a plan, changes her mind and says maybe it's not so bad. Joey doesn't know what she's up to.
Dawson plops down at the table and asks where La Filmette went. The Flash says she's in the bathroom. Dawson starts to break the news that Mrs. Flash is there, but the Flash has already seen her. Dawson is surprised that the Flash isn't stressed. The Flash doesn't see any reason to be stressed, since Mrs. Flash has seen him with La Filmette before. Dawson says that, whether the Flash chooses to see it or not, Mrs. Flash is moments away from deciding whether or not to take the job in Philadelphia. The Flash says that decision has nothing to do with him. Dawson says it does, since she's not just leaving for a great job; she's running away from the Flash and all their unfinished business. The Flash says that their unfinished business is only a matter of paperwork and signatures at this point. Dawson insists that the Flash doesn't believe that, and that Dawson himself doesn't, and furthermore that if there's even the smallest chance that the Flashes could reconcile, the Flash shouldn't let her leave, for both their sakes. The Flash stares at Dawson, dumbstruck. Or maybe not "struck."
In the Ladies' Room, both Mrs. Flash and La Filmette come out of their respective stalls at the same time. As Mrs. Flash washes her hands, demonstrating good hygiene, La Filmette skips the wash altogether -- ick -- and applies lipstick, at the same time saying, "Hello, Gale." Mrs. Flash says, "Actually, I was contemplating ignoring you." "I'm sure you were," La Filmette sniffs. Mrs. Flash says, "You wouldn't, by any chance, be here with...." La Filmette nods smugly, "Yes, I am." Mrs. Flash, God bless her, says, "Well, that just sucks, doesn't it?" La Filmette finally washes her hands and says, "I'm sorry?" Mrs. Flash says, "Well, I just got here. Maybe I should call it a night." La Filmette agrees: "Maybe. I mean, it would only be fair to Mitch." Mrs. Flash, one foot out the door already, sweeps back in and says, "On second thought, I think I'll let Mitch decide what's fair to Mitch. Enjoy your meal." They both stride out. Come on, ladies! Is a big circuit queen (tm bstewart) really worth all this verbal hair-pulling and eye-scratching?
At Meds Mansion, Andie is yelling, "You were listening to me!" Pacey yells right back, "Damn right I was listening to you, Andie! What's going on here?" Andie: "I don't know what you're talking about." Pacey: "Don't pull that with me, okay. Who were you on the phone with?" Andie: "I wasn't on the phone!" Pacey pauses to consider this, then says, "Were you talking to another guy?" Andie: "I don't want to talk about this, okay? Will you just please leave?" Pacey: "Tell me! Are you seeing someone else?" Andie: "No!" Pacey (pretty much screaming at this point): "Then WHO WERE YOU TALKING TO?" Andie: "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! Can you please just leave me alone?" Pacey says: "No, I am not leaving!" Andie: "I mean it this time, Pacey!" Mrs. McPhee somehow does not hear this screaming fight, or at least doesn't acknowledge it. Andie stalks out of the kitchen and into the front hall. Pacey follows, saying: "Andie, ever since Abby died, your moods have been completely unpredictable. Look at me, okay? I mean, one minute you're all over me [I don't recall that phase], and the you don't even want to see me. So if it doesn't have anything to do with somebody else, I can't help but [sic] think --" Andie: "What? What? Say it!" Pacey [wearily and reluctantly]: "I'm just wondering if it's maybe some kind of medical situation." Immediately he looks as if he wishes he could take it back. Andie grits her teeth and says, "You had to go there." Pacey says, "Well, it's the logical place to go, Andie." Andie says, "You know what? If you don't like having a wacko for a girlfriend, then why don't you do us both a favour and just break up with me." Pacey says, "I just want to help you, Andie." Andie: "No, you don't want to help me, Pacey. You want explanations for things I can't give you explanations for." Pacey [picking up the photo album]: "Okay. Well. Can you at least explain these?" Andie sarcastically says, "It's a photo album." Pacey says, "No, it's pictures of you and your family I've never seen before, all right? You had them out and you're going through them. Why?" Andie: "It's none of your business." Pacey: "Andie, you changed your hair back to look like it does in these photos of you and your brothers." Andie: "And?" Pacey: "And, coming on the heels of a month when you have been acting anything but normal, I just find it a little odd that you would all of a sudden revert back to a hairstyle you had three years ago!" Andie scoffs: "Okay, so that's what this is all about? You're freaking out because I went back to an old hairstyle. Okay, which one of us has the problem here?" Pacey says, "Just tell me that your hair has nothing to do with these pictures." Andie says, with a threat in her voice, "Give me back the book." Pacey desperately begs, "Why are you acting like this?!" Andie yells, "Give me back the book!" and wrenches it from his hands with enough force that she lurches backwards and accidentally smashes it into a table lamp, breaking the lamp into many small pieces.
Andie and Pacey look at each other, apparently unsure of what they should do . After a moment, Andie breaks the silence in a quavering voice: "You know what, you can stay here if you want, but I'm really tired and I'm going to bed." Pacey gazes at the photo album on the floor as she goes upstairs, then bends and picks up a snapshot of the three McPhee kids, Andie looking quite a bit younger and very, very happy. Okay, that was a tough scene and I give both players their props for making it convincing.
Is it really necessary to see not one but two promos for Ricky Martin's new album? Probably not, but I'm not complaining.
At Entre Nous, Mrs. Flash thanks the maitre d' for squeezing them in at the last minute. He pours her a glass of wine, "compliments of the house," since she is "officially Entre Nous's favourite anchorwoman." She thanks him, then rolls her eyes as soon as he walks away, saying, "Look at all those happy people. I never thought romance could be so disgusting." Okay, I'll cop to it: Hee hee! Jen also chuckles, and says, "Once a romantic, always a romantic." Mrs. Flash says, "Oh, you think so." Jen says she knows so, and bets that if the band played a song that struck a chord with Mrs. Flash, her eyes would well up. Well, but...isn't that the definition of "striking a chord," at least an emotional one? Mrs. Flash allows that there are certain songs that have extra meaning. Jen asks if she and "Mitch" have a song, and when Mrs. Flash regards her silently, casually adds, "Just out of curiosity." Mrs. Flash doesn't answer, and their appetizer arrives.
At the All Awkward, All The Time table, another bottle of wine is being delivered with the compliments of "another table who wishes to remain nameless [sic]." Before the maitre d' has finished delivering his line, La Filmette evidently resumes her pontification about the business: "I just feel that the quality in films these days, you know, it's...the story is lacking." The Flash gazes longingly at his Bride. La Filmette turns her big smile on Dawson and concludes, "Promise me when you're a big Hollywood bigwig, you won't spend your time trying to make big money pictures!" She laughs a phony, silvery laugh. Dawson smiles tightly. Joey says, "Well, you don't really mean that, Miss Kennedy." "Excuse me?" snorts La Filmette. Joey says, "Well, since you already made it perfectly clear that Dawson shouldn't have anything to do with film, it's a little persnickety of you to imply that he may someday be a Hollywood bigwig, isn't it?" No, it's a little disingenuous of La Filmette to make that implication, and, Joey, I know you know the word because you used it in episode 212. Anyway, Dawson looks confused at Joey's outburst. The Flash coughs. "'Persnickety'?" asks La Filmette, reaching for her drink. Joey shrugs innocently.
Back at Meds Mansion, Pacey is cleaning up the broken lamp. Jack comes in from work and asks what happens. Pacey says that he and Andie got in a fight. Jack sighs loudly. Pacey says that he thinks something is badly wrong. Jack says that last night he caught her talking to herself: "She said she wasn't, but I heard her." Pacey says he did too, and that he'd thought she was talking on the phone. Jack asks, "Talking to who?" Pacey says he didn't hear the whole conversation, but that it sounded like she was talking to someone named "Brown." Jack looks aghast. Pacey says, "You know who that is." Before Jack can answer, Andie appears on the stairs and says, "My name for Tim. When I was little I couldn't pronounce 'Timothy,' so I called him by my favourite colour, Brown." Jack and Pacey regard her silently, so she brokenly insists, "You think I'm crazy but I'm not." Jack goes to the foot of the stairs and says, "Nobody said that." Very distressed now, Andie says, "I know what you're thinking, and I'm not; I'm not crazy, I'm not like Mom. I see Tim, and he is here!" Pacey, who by now has joined Jack at the foot of the stairs, says, "We know, Andie." This freaks her out even more, so she runs (it must be said, pretty slowly) past them and locks herself in the bathroom before they can stop her, and then call to her to open the door. Joshua Jackson pounds on it a little too hard, demonstrating how easy it should be for either of those big strong dudes to bust it down. But that would destroy the tension of the scene, I guess.
At Entre Nous, the Flash is killing the bottle of wine while La Filmette continues to talk about the movies as they relate to her: "I wanted to have the commerciality of a When Harry Met Sally... but with the drier, more ironic tone of a, you know, Nichols and May." Joey, still playing the gadfly, says, "Miss Kennedy, just out of curiosity, what exactly was the most lacking thing about Dawson's film?" Dawson regards Joey with horror as La Filmette groans, "Oh, God. Do we have to go through this again?" Dawson quickly says, "Uh, no, we don't." Joey insists, "I think we should." The Flash cautions, "Joey..." and she protests, "I'm sorry, Mr. Leery, but there's obviously a serious undercurrent of tension between Dawson and Miss Kennedy, and it seems to me that the only way they can have peace is to confront the issue that Miss Kennedy finds your son to be completely and totally without talent or ability in any way, shape or form." I know Joey is supposed to be acting, but talking shit about Dawson seems to come very easily to her. La Filmette quickly answers, "No, no, no, I didn't say that." Joey asks, "What was it that you did say?" Dawson, apparently getting it, echoes, "Yeah, what exactly did you say?" La Filmette glares at Dawson in frustration, then looks at the Flash, who expectantly awaits her answer. She sighs, then says, "Look, I believe that the key to success is not only having a dream, but having the right dream. There are plenty of people who aspire to be writers and directors, but very few actually have the potential." Dawson spits, "Who are you to be judging anybody's potential? You spent a couple of years in Hollywood before disappearing to some small east coast town to teach high school. Whatever success you had in Hollywood, it couldn't have been much," he concludes smugly. It seems to me the Flash should cut in here, but he doesn't.
La Filmette dismissively replies, "Well then it really shouldn't matter what I think of your ability, should it?" Dawson starts to answer, but says nothing. The Flash says, "Well, he's a kid with a dream, Nicole! I mean, isn't your job as a teacher to encourage him to follow it?" La Filmette totally goes off the rails here and sneers, "That's a really cozy fantasy, Mitch. But life has a meaner bite than that." Joey says, "You know, there's a name for individuals who focus on life's meaner bites." Let me guess: is it "persnickety"? Evidently not; Joey delivers the punchline: "They're called bitter." La Filmette looks around the table for someone to come to her defense. Predictably, no one does, so with forced cheer, she excuses herself. Joey looks pleased with herself. Even the Flash smirks a little. Dawson asks to speak with her, and they leave the Flash alone at the table, shaking his head ruefully. The maitre d' asks him if everything's all right. The Flash chuckles shortly, then aggressively hands him the empty wine bottle.
At the bar, Dawson asks Joey what she's doing, since "not ten minutes ago" she was telling him to behave. Jen joins them and says that "Operation 'Reunited' " is underway, and that Dawson will see in a minute what it's about. The maitre d' appears and says that he saw they got the wine they asked for. Joey says thanks. Wing Chun asks how Jen and Joey were able to order a bottle of wine in a restaurant. Dawson expresses irritation that the maitre d' knows what's going on, and he doesn't.
The band starts playing "Reunited." Wing Chun calls for Gravol. The Flash sits down to his Bride and remarks, "Familiar song." She replies, "Not familiar enough." To cut to the fishcakes, he asks her for a Flashdance, they get close, Mrs. Flash takes credit for the wine, and it looks to everyone involved like they've rekindled some kind of spark. "Operation 'Reunited'" is an apparent success.
Back at Meds Mansion, Andie is still locked in the bathroom. She leans back against the door and then sees Tim in the mirror. He tells her to stop crying. She rushes up to the mirror and growls, "Go away!" On the other side of the door, Pacey says, "I'm not going anywhere." Andie says she was talking to Tim. Pacey asks if Tim is in there with her now. Andie ignores him and yells at Tim, "I said go away. You're NOT REAL!" She picks something up off a countertop and throws it at the mirror, shattering it. Panicking, Pacey asks what broke and whether she's okay. Jack yells at her to open the door and tries to jimmy the knob with a screwdriver. Andie presses her cheek to the door and sinks to the floor. She looks up and sees Tim, who says, "They don't believe you, Andie. They think you're crazy, but you're not." "Yes I am," she sobs. "I am crazy." Pacey asks, "Who said you're crazy, Andie? I don't think you're crazy, and Jack doesn't think you're crazy either, okay?" Andie sobs, "Yes you do." Pacey insists, "No, we don't. I believe you, Andie, okay? I believe that you're seeing Tim right now, and that he's there and you're talking to him." Tim gets close to Andie's face and starts stroking her hair. Pacey says, "But you know what? It's not fair that Tim can see me and I can't see him. So I need you to do me a favour. I need you to tell me what he's saying." Silently, Andie nods. Tim says, "I'll take care of you." Pacey says, "Okay?" Tim says, "You can't trust anyone else. They don't understand." Andie says, "He says you don't understand." Pacey says, "Tell Tim that he's wrong. I may not understand everything that's going on with you right now, Andie, but I understand you. You hear me? You tell Tim that." Tim says, "You have to choose, Andie. Let me take care of you. I'll make you better." Andie shakes her head rapidly and says, "I can't. I can't choose." Hearing this, Pacey rears back, then leans forward and says, "No, Tim's right, Andie. You do. You have to choose."
Jack asks what he's doing. Pacey holds up a finger to keep him quiet. You're a good man in a crisis, Jack. Not. Andie chokes, "No, I don't want to. I can't." Pacey says, "You have to, Andie. You have to choose." His voice breaking, he says, "Now, I'm begging you from the bottom of my heart, please, choose me." Andie looks back and forth between Tim and the doorknob. Pacey says, "Open this door, come out here, and choose me, please. You are so special, and you give so much to everybody around you. And you know what, Andie? I need you more than Tim does. So does Jack." Andie says, "That's not true!" Pacey says, "Yes, it is. My life began when I met you, Andie. You never gave up on me, so I'm not going to give up on you. So please, Andie, for the love of God, please come out here and choose me. Please." Andie stares at Tim, crying harder, then pulls herself up using the doorknob and comes out. Pacey gathers her in his arms. Jack says nothing but looks exhausted after his ordeal of sitting there not doing anything at all. Andie cries some more, and Pacey cradles her, crooning into her hair.
I am not, nor will I ever be an Un.
Jack and Pacey slouch down the stairs. Jack says, "She's down for the count." Pacey asks what they do now. Jack says he has to call his dad. Pacey tries to stop him, and Jack says he's not any happier about the idea than Pacey is, but that his father has to know. Pacey says, "Your father wasn't there for your mother; what makes you think he's going to be there for Andie, huh?" Well, who do you propose should take care of her, then? Geez! Jack says...basically that. Pacey says that time might heal Andie. Jack says that time makes it worse, and that this was how their mother's illness started out, and that before anyone wanted to deal with it, she was too far gone. According to her doctors, Mrs. McPhee had repressed her grief so thoroughly that she had to create someone to experience it with. Jack says that hearing that made him feel very small, and that he'd wanted to believe that there was something he could do, but there wasn't. Pacey tells him to call Mr. McPhee.
Mrs. Flash strolls out of Entre Nous with Jen and thanks her for her sign. She says that while the shenanigans were rather transparent, the sign came through and she's going to stay in Capeside even through she'd never thought she would. During the Flashdance, "I realized that I could move ten thousand miles away, and I'd never let Mitch go. He felt it too. I'm as sure of that as I am of anything." Jen beams, and Mrs. Flash glances down the street. Apparently her speech triggered the dramatic irony alarm, because she's just in time to see the Flash and La Filmette canoodling on the boardwalk. She looks stricken, then trots off, with Jen behind her crying "wee, wee, wee!" all the way home.
Speaking of canoodling, there's Joey and Dawson are in a rowboat. To touch on the lowlights, they both had a crappy night. Dawson had sort of thought that if he shelled out for the Entre Nous meal, Joey would come across. Joey scoffs, but Dawson gets her to admit that she'd given serious thought to their eventual mutual deflowering. Before I lose control of my digestive tract, let's hold up one little word to the nearest unbroken mirror: revetahW.
At Meds Mansion, a sleeping Andie rolls over in bed and opens her eyes to see Pacey sitting at her bedside. She says, "I'm so sorry, Pacey." He says, "You know, you're supposed to still be asleep." Andie starts crying and asks, "What's going to happen to me?" Pacey looks like he's about to cry himself, but he holds it together and bravely answers, "Well, you'll go see some more doctors, you'll get the right medications, and then you'll be fine, Andie." She asks, "But what if I'm not?" Pacey says, "Sorry, pal. That's just not in the cards." She sits up and sobs, "I'm so scared, Pacey." He says, "I know you are, Andie. I am too, okay?" Andie says, "I don't want to lose you." He says, "You're not going to lose me. Not now, and not ever." She says, "I love you so much." He says, "I love you too." She puts her head on his shoulder and he strokes her back. [snif!]