To Green, With Love

S03E16

Thanks to Miss Alli, Wing Chun, and the gang on the DC forums.

Previously on Dawson's Creek: Pacey busts on Joey for going to a frat party; Joey and A.J. kiss; Grams pontificates on true love and Pacey watches Joey sleep; Joey asks Pacey his opinion of her mural, and he doesn't think much of it; Joey's mural gets improved -- uh, I mean, "defaced"; Pacey and Matt Caufield get in a fight; Principal Green expels Caufield, and Caufield threatens Principal Green with his father's mighty wrath, and Principal Green politely tells him to stow it.

Fade up on the members of the Capeside PTA, arguing and milling around and muttering "rhubarb, rhubarb." Joey "Andy Bore-hol" Potter, Pacey "Fight Club" Witter, and Dawson "Lock, Stock, And Two Flaring Nostrils" Leery sit stunned amid the chaos. "This isn't going well, is it?" Dawson mutters, and Pacey mutters back that it depends on who you ask, and Joey observes that "if you're an enraged parent with a misguided agenda, it's going great." A father bellows in the superintendent's direction that he doesn't recall the Board of Ed passing anything "that allowed a lunatic to start handing out death sentences just because one of our kids acted like a kid!" Cries of approval greet the guy's outburst. The superintendent, Dr. Fielding, tries to calm everyone down by saying that he's urged Principal Green to reconsider his decision, but that Green controls all disciplinary matters at Capeside High, period. Matt Caufield's father gets up and asks Dr. Fielding if he considers himself a member of the Capeside community. When Dr. Fielding says yes, Mr. Caufield wants to know if Dr. Fielding plans to let "the personal prejudices of an outsider" ruin Matt's future; cut to a shot of Matt, attired in his nattiest stoner-at-a-court-appearance suit and smiling vaguely. Joey hisses at Pacey that she has to say something, stands up, and calls out, "This is ridiculous, this whole thing has been blown out of proportion!" Dr. Fielding says sourly that "this is a PTA meeting, young lady, not a pep rally," and tells her to sit down. Cut to a nubile blonde, accompanied by a camera crew, surveying the room from the back and taking notes; cut back to Joey, who asks if anybody is going to defend Principal Green. Mr. Caufield says that Matt tells him Joey is the one "whose mural was destroyed." Joey says impatiently that "this has nothing to do with" her, and Mr. Caufield says she's exactly right: "What it has to do with is the scare tactics of a man whose extremism and notions of justice are better suited for urban war zones than our civilized community." Joey stares at him in disbelief before growling, "You did not just say what I think you said," and Dawson looks at Mr. Caufield disgustedly as Mr. C goes on to say that, if Principal Green did his job, "none of us would have to be here tonight." A woman on the Board reads my mind by noting that "if you were doing your job as a parent, Mr. Caufield, maybe your son would still be in school right now," and as Dawson and Pacey clap for this sentiment, the woman continues that Matt has a file in the guidance office "over an inch thick." Joey raises her brows in a "ha!" way in Mr. C's direction and says that Principal Green is a fair man. "I'm sure he seems that way to you, dear," Mr. C says, his voice dripping with condescension, "and to some of the other students whose families don't embr --" "Don't what?" Joey interrupts him with a sneer. Mr. C finishes, over groans from Pacey and others in the crowd, "Don't embrace the values that we as a community --" Dawson, to his credit, leaps to his feet and shouts at Mr. C that he doesn't know anything about Joey's family, and Dr. Fielding bangs his gavel and calls for order. In the ensuing silence, he stands to face the crowd and announces that, as of Friday at three o'clock, if Principal Green hasn't reduced Matt's expulsion "to a more reasonable sentence," he will ask Green to tender his resignation. Cheers erupt. Dawson looks stunned; Joey flops into her seat and says again, "This is ridiculous," and Pacey asks if what he thinks just happened actually happened -- if Green is getting railroaded into changing his ruling. "Either that or out of town," Dawson mutters, and Joey says, "Let's go."

Cat and hair dryer falling into bathtub at same time.

Gail "Jobless Hussy" Leery makes to leave the meeting, but stops when she sees the blonde journalist, Sherry Eisler, wrapping the PTA story on-camera for WKWB. Sherry finishes with a station ID, then uses the camera lens as a mirror to fiddle with her lipstick; on the monitor, we see Gail approach her. Gail says hello and congratulates her on "making field reporter," noting that Sherry's come a long way "from the shy intern that I hired." Sherry makes a bunch of insincere, young-whippersnapper-ish noise about owing it all to Gail, new generation of women in journalism, "veteran trailblazers like yourself," blah blah blah postfeminism-cakes. Gail looks annoyed by Sherry's use of the word "veteran." They discuss the story; Gail disses the parents as "out of control," but Sherry thinks Principal Green "sounds like a real wacko" for expelling Matt for the whole year. She excuses herself to Gail, saying she has a deadline to make and adding patronizingly, "You remember those days." Gail smiles tightly, but her eyes look sad.

Joey and Pacey walk along the water. Joey calls what they just witnessed "so unjust" and "personally demoralizing," and Pacey cynically observes that that's just the way things work -- convicts, the mentally ill, and people under eighteen don't get to participate in decisions that affect them. Joey complains about the squeaky wheel always getting the grease; Pacey doesn't disagree. Joey goes on to say that teenagers "have to be coaxed and prodded before they'd actually set down their Playstations, turn off TRL, and do something about something." "You said it, sister!" Pacey says, and asks her "who's going to rally the troops," and Joey shrugs, "Obviously nobody." Pacey points out, "You could." Joey snorts, "Yeah -- Joey Potter against the system. What am I gonna do, paint another mural? That'll help."

Fade to Joey on the phone with A.J. "The World's Most Pretentious Hamster" Moller, bitching that she doesn't know why she bothered going to the meeting, because hardly any other students showed up and she got shouted down almost immediately. A.J. tells her, as though speaking to a particularly stupid child, that she can't just expect people to rally around "a cause that doesn't exist." A.J. adds that people "need leadership," and Joey looks surprised and tells him that Pacey said the same thing. "Pacey?" A.J. repeats with a sneer. "What kind of name is Pacey?" Shut up, Ass J. Just then, Bessie "The South Will Rise Again" Potter interrupts to say that Joey will "want to see this." "I'm on the phone!" Joey snaps, but Bessie insists, so Joey tells A.J. to hold on and follows Bessie into the den. On TV, Sherry gives the background of the expulsion uproar, saying it started when Joey painted a mural intended to foster unity and it got defaced. Joey watches with a furrowed brow as they show the ruined mural; in the background, Bessie and "Where In The World Is" Bodie "Sandiego" (yay!) watch also. The camera zooms in towards the screen . . .

. . . then out again in the Sanctum Dawsonorum, where Dawson watches grimly, then back in . . .

. . . then out again at Casa Verde, where Nikki "Heroine Chick" Green scowls at the TV. Behind her, her father sips tea and shakes his head. On the screen, we see a shot of Matt Caufield's gooberrific yearbook picture as Sherry drones on about Green's possible resignation and the fight that broke out between Matt and Pacey . . .

. . . and then we zoom out again on Pacey, presumably still staying at the House Of Dougin' and looking bleak . . .

. . . and a wall fade to an equally bleak-looking Gail, unwrapping wine glasses at her new Hussy-enda and glaring at Sherry's collagened lips a-flapping . . .

. . . and back to the Potter B&B, as Sherry notes in a voice-over that Joey summed the situation up best with her "blown out of proportion" comment. The footage rolls of Joey's protest at the meeting. Joey shakes her head and says, half into the phone and half to Bessie and Bodie, that she never said that -- well, she did, but not in that context. Bessie says that she and Bodie believe her, and they leave the room as Joey fumes into the receiver that nobody will ever give her the chance to say everything she wants to say. "You're right, they won't," A.J. tells her, "not unless you stand up and demand to be heard, show them you won't be ignored." Oh, god -- doesn't A.J. have a plastic wheel he could go run in instead of, say, talking? Joey joins me in making a "whatever" face and asks, "What are you suggesting?"

Cut to the hallway of Capeside High the day, where Joey pastes up flyers for a "Save Principal Green" rally and looks pleased with herself. Pacey comes up to her and says by way of greeting, "Well, Norma Rae, looks like you took my advice after all." "And what advice was that?" Joey asks. Pacey refers to his "rallying the troops" suggestion of the night before and calls this a big step for Joey; he then goes on to refer to himself as the designated Capeside crusader, "breaking down sexual stereotypes, eradicating rogue teachers," and to Joey as "the rebel without the [sic] cause." Joey tolerates this love-struck blathering with a patient smile, but when Pacey tells her not to hesitate to ask for help, "seeing as this whole thing was my idea in the first place," she sets him straight: "You were encouraging, yes, Pacey, but this meeting was hardly your idea." Pacey teases her about trying to steal the credit for "devising" the rally, and Joey says all embarrassed, "I didn't!" just as A.J. appears in the hall and tells her he's "all out" of flyers. "Me too," Joey says shyly. Pacey clears his throat pointedly, and Joey catches her snap and introduces them. A.J. recognizes the word "Pacey" and says, in front of Pacey, "Right, the one with the peculiar name." I guess they don't do a very good job teaching manners at the pet store. Also, shut up, A.J. A.J. says dorkily, "How ya doin'?" and Pacey smiles the smallest smile in smile history and doesn't answer, all the while looking like he can't believe a dweeb as big as A.J. even exists, and I can relate. Joey says that A.J. came down to help rally the troops, and I would make a snide comment about the fact that A.J., if he does go to Harvard, or a school based on Harvard, and not to Rodent Wesleyan University...oh, forget it. And believe it or not, it gets worse. A.J. says in his heartiest big-hamster-on-campus voice, "Yeah, give Capeside a small taste of some tried-and-true college protest action." Oh, for the love of Pete. Joey couldn't have decided to hold a rally on her own? What freakin' year do we live in, again? And where exactly did you get your college-protest experience, A.J. -- Woodshaving-stock? The Million Gerbil March? An administration burrow-in? Hamsters don't talk, A.J.! Shut up! If Pacey could hear this, he'd probably say, "Word," but he can't, so he just tries valiantly not to roll his eyes.

Just then, a blonde extra comes up and tells them that Principal Green's coming in and that they have "got to see this." The three of them trail the blonde out the front door, and Joey adopts a stunned mien at seeing a news crew and a band of protesters waving signs and chanting, "Green, Green, Too Extreme!" I can't believe the DC writers couldn't come up with a better slogan than -- oh, never mind. Principal Green, lips pressed in a stern line, cuts through the crowd and heads up the steps. Joey looks remorseful. Green stops in front of her and says gently, "Joey, after you." She hunches her shoulders miserably, and Pacey holds the door as she and Green and A.J. file inside, and as Pacey follows them in, the news crew records the whole thing.

Did I mention that "Green" and "extreme" don't even rhyme? Non-English speakers could come up with better chants than that. My cat could come up with better chants than that. Okay, I'll drop it.

Exterior shot of a building trimmed with white lights and an "Opening Soon!" sign. Inside, Sherry files yet another trite report on TV, and Gail thanks Dawson for helping her out at the restaurant. "Don't thank me, thank Dad," Dawson grumbles. "He's the one who indentured me to this servitude." Um, no, Dawson, you indentured yourself by getting thrown in the clink for underage drinking, so try settling the blame on your own massive head where it belongs. Prat. ["Word -- it's not like there isn't room." -- Wing Chun] Gail observes that the restaurant is a lot more work than she expected, and Dawson apologizes for not getting there sooner, which prompts Gail to ask what happened at the meeting at Joey's earlier. Dawson, whose hair resembles a moldy conch shell in shape, smiles non-winsomely and says, "You shoulda seen her -- totally confident, totally inspired." "You're proud of her," Gail says, and Dawson says, "Yeah. How could I not be? I mean, she's finally standing up for herself and fighting back the way I always knew she could. I can't help but feel a part of that." Not to take the credit away from you for shaping her, Professor, but before she fell in love with your sorry top-heavy ass, our Eliza Doo-not-tle did those things just fine on her own. Also, shut up. Dawson goes on to say that Joey's "organizing an action" the day in front of Dr. Fielding's office; Gail responds that Joey has a tough road ahead, "especially with that spokesmodel-turned-journalist misrepresenting her story." Meow! Dawson clicks the TV off as Gail kvetches about Sherry's crap reporting skills, and he notes that Gail misses the reporting life. Gail shrugs that yes, she'd "be lying" if she said she didn't, but she has the restaurant now and it's time to move on. Dawson asks what would happen if Gail tried to tell "the real story." Gail asks, "Relive my glory days as a field reporter?" and Dawson says she only needs a camera, and he volunteers to serve as her crew. Gail looks tempted for a minute, then snaps out of it and says that they don't know whether the station would run it even if they did do a story, and Dawson tells her that "we aren't doing it for the station. We're doing it for you, and for Principal Green, and for Joey."

Cut to the day, at a protest outside Dr. Fielding's office. Joey is modelling yet another of her seven hundred knit hats and snarking that they don't even have enough people "to field a softball team, let alone change the world." Gail, standing to her, says nothing, but unfortunately her son jumps into the breech: "Rome wasn't built in a day, Joey." Thank you, Augustus Cereal. I know I've said on the forums recently that the writers have made Dawson more tolerable, but I still despise him and I'd like to stuff him head-down in a hole. Elsewhere at the rallyette, A.J. slurps coffee, which he thanks Pacey for bringing, adding that it's "great for morale." Pacey manages to refrain from pulling an Ally McBeal and dumping a cup of joe over A.J.'s lumpy little hamster head, asking instead where Joey's gotten to, and A.J. gestures with his cup and says, "She's getting ready for her close-up." We see Joey smiling sweetly at someone as A.J. blabbers, "She's great, isn't she? A born leader." Pacey agrees, and hastily slurps his own coffee, probably to avoid telling A.J. to go suck on his water bottle.

Back over to Joey. Gail goes over what questions she'll ask Joey ahead of time, but before she can finish, Sherry barges up and asks, "Gail, what's this?" Gail tells her evenly that she's doing a story on the Green situation, and Sherry asks, "For cable?" Gail says no, she's considering submitting it to the producer at the station. Sherry does her Christy Masterson imitation and simpers, "Mmm. Good luck with that," before turning to Joey to ask for a follow-up interview. "In your frosted-blonde dreams, Barbie," Joey says, giving her a toothy smile. Snerk. Sherry smiles tightly and flounces away. Joey sarcastically asks Dawson, "You don't think I was too hard on her?" and Dawson grins that it sounded "about right" to him. They smile at each other. Upstairs, Dr. Fielding peeks through the blinds at the marchers below.

Cut to Joey walking up to Pacey and A.J. to ask, "What is it?" Pacey tells her that Fielding wants to see her. "Me?" Joey asks. "First signs of resistance falling," A.J. intones. Whatever, George Stepha-not-poulos. Stop watching The War Room on cable. And shut up. Joey asks why she doesn't get that feeling, and Pacey says it's because Fielding is "an unscrupulous, ineffectual jerk" -- unlike, say, every other school superintendent in the US -- who only wants to keep his job and doesn't really care about the particulars of the situation. "He's only gonna threaten you, Jo," Pacey says, and adds that he doesn't think she should go in there. God forbid Joey should make up her own mind, because she turns to A.J. and asks what he thinks, and he sort of nods at her, and she nods back, smiles, and heads inside.

Fielding's office. A shot of a mounted elk head, I imagine as shorthand for The Craven Evil Of Authority -- or maybe the props department just had it lying around. Anyway, Joey enters Fielding's office, and Fielding identifies her by name and asks her to sit before asking if she knows who he is. "The man who shows up at football games and graduation," Joey says acerbically. Fielding says he appreciates a sense of humor but likes to think of himself as more involved; then he asks if he has Joey to blame for the "dissonant clamoring" outside. She says yes, adding defensively that if parents can picket the school, students can picket the superintendent's office. Fielding cedes the point and asks what she wants out of it, and Joey says she and her fellow protesters feel that Matt Caufield deserved to get booted, and that Green shouldn't have to change his ruling, but Fielding interrupts to say that Green doesn't "have to" do anything and describes his call for Green's resignation as "a direct request."

Joey stands up: "As a representative of the student body, I'm telling you, what is happening to Principal Green is wrong." Fielding snorts that, as far as he knows, Joey only represents the handful of students outside. Joey has to think fast, and she sputters that "there's more of us" and mentions a student-signed petition with three hundred signatures, as well as a rally planned for the night. Fielding doesn't buy it. Joey talks the talk some more; Fielding verbally pats her on the head and tells her to run along back to school before she gets busted for ditching. "Who's cutting class?" Joey smiles slyly. "I'm out sick with a cold." How this serves as a devastating comeback, I don't quite see, but Fielding looks taken aback as Joey walks the walk on out of there.

Gail and Dawson ring Principal Green's doorbell. Green asks why they've come, and Dawson tells him they're there to interview him; Gail explains the story she's working on, and as Nikki appears in the background, Dawson tells Green he cleared it with Nikki earlier that day. Green turns to his daughter, who says she wanted him to have an opportunity to let everyone know his side of the story. Green tells her he knows his side of the story and "that's all that matters." He turns back to the Leerys: "I'm sorry, but my daughter misinformed you." Dawson tries once more to convince him, but Green says that it isn't his job to prove to people "that [he's] a fair and decent man," and that if they don't know that by now, "some sound bite on a television show isn't gonna help." Nikki reminds her father what he taught her: "When you see a good fight, get in it." "Dr. King's words, your lesson to me," she adds pointedly. Green says that this isn't a good fight, and that the more he tries to prove himself, "the more I empower this insane notion that I'm an enraged man on a bigoted tirade." On a usage-error binge, more like, but whatever. Green says again that he won't grant an interview and shuts the door on Dawson's giant face.

At L'il Nader HQ, Andie "Friend Of The Perking Class" McPhee walks by, chattering into the phone, as Pacey gives Joey guff for inventing a petition with three hundred names, remarking that he doesn't think the school even has three hundred students. A.J. tells Pacey that "she had to bluff -- how else was she gonna get the guy's respect?" First of all, she didn't get his respect; Fielding practically laughed in her face. Second of all, A.J. absolutely must quit it with the political-rainmaker routine or I will light one of those dorky flyers on fire and stuff it up his -- oh, forget it. Any old how, Joey agrees testily with A.J., but Pacey points out that they can fake a petition Heathers-style by telling the kids they're campaigning for more chocolate-milk days at the caf, but for a rally, they'll need "actual bodies." "Those are problems -- we need solutions," A.J. says bossily. Just then, Jen "And The King" Lindley comes up and says that Jack has put a notice up on the Web and Andie is beating the bushes over the phone. Jen drags Pacey away to help her with something, and we hear Andie threatening not to help with yearbook if the person on the other end doesn't come to the rally. She hangs up, and then the phone rings, and Andie hands it off to Bessie. They don't have a separate line for the B&B? Jack "The Vanishing" McPhee comes over to show Joey a new flyer design, which she approves -- fortunately, since Jack already ordered five hundred copies, and when Joey wants to know how they'll pay for it, Jack says with a grin that Pacey talked "a civil-minded [sic] copy shop owner" into running them for free. The word is "civic-minded," people. Anyway, Joey asks incredulously, "He did?" and Jen appears and says pointedly, "Yes, he did." Then Joey gets everyone's attention and gives a non-rousing un-speech to keep everyone motivated, and everyone claps, including Pacey, who goggles at Joey as she and A.J. walk into the kitchen area together. Joey tells A.J. she can't believe she's doing this, and A.J. tells her to believe it "'cause it's happening," and Joey burbles, "Thanks to you," and makes more "couldn't have done it without you" noises, and a set dresser happens by and spray-paints "WELCOME" on her back, thus completing her transformation into a spineless, gutless doormat who can't accomplish anything without a boy helping her. Doormat and hamster kiss. Pacey winces. Sars hurls. Jen asks Pacey, "You okay?" Pacey covers, saying he's going to go hang up flyers, and Jen watches him go, looking concerned.

Bessie interrupts the interspecies canoodling by telling Joey that she just got a phone call from a "concerned citizen," who told her that using the B&B as protest headquarters "isn't the best way to keep [her] business afloat." Joey tries to blow her off with, "I don't get it." "You don't, do you?" Bessie snorts. "You never do." Bessie is so my girlfriend. She pushes past the young lovers. Joey gets embarrassed that her sister bitched her out in front of her boyfriend and she makes this snotty little "uch" sound, and then we go to commercial, thank god.

Dire Straits on a Bell Atlantic commercial -- does Mark Knopfler's kid need braces or something?

In the kitchen of the B&B, Joey cops a 'tude with Bessie, saying the call was probably a prank and blaming Matt Caufield, while Bodie more nicely tells Bessie not to worry. Bessie points out that she can't afford "to antagonize the people who hold the mortgage on this house -- or at least Bodie and I can't, we'll still be living here when you go to college." Joey asks rudely if Bessie expects her just to sit and wait until she can get out of that town, and not to criticize it or try to "change it in any way," and Bessie sulkily says that she didn't say that, and Joey tells her that she can't stop now: "Is that what you want me to do?" Well, Joey, if she did want you to put away the lip and stop stirring up trouble with a protest "movement" you only started BECAUSE A BOY TOLD YOU THAT YOU SHOULD, then maybe you should listen to her, because Bessie puts a roof over your head and keeps you supplied with twee little hoodies, and A.J. lives in a wire cage and reads Brecht for fun. Dear writers: where I come from, teenagers who talk in this fashion to their parents and/or guardians get the faces slapped straight off their heads, and they deserve it. Signed, Sars. Co-signed, every other person on earth, living or dead, and a few sympathetic members of the plant kingdom. ANYHOW. So Bodie tries to turn a hose on the catfight by telling Joey that Bessie doesn't want her to stop, just to "be realistic about the situation," and Joey sputters, "I am being realistic!" Bessie reminds Joey that she's defending a man who won't even defend himself, and Joey snarls that Principal Green shouldn't have to defend himself because he didn't do anything wrong. Bessie asks if Joey is so sure about that, and Joey says yes, adding that Capeside High "is a better place" without Matt Caufield and everyone knows it, students and teachers both. Bessie wonders why all the parents have gotten so upset, then, and Joey says that Bessie didn't hear what Mr. Caufield said at the meeting; the parents have their own agenda, and she doesn't just mean saving Matt's butt. "What do you mean?" Bessie says, about to cry, and Bodie interrupts, "She means all these 'concerned' citizens wouldn't be fighting this decision so hard if Principal Green were white." Joey looks down. Bessie tries to say that the parents would still be upset, and Bodie says yes, they would, "but not like this," so Bessie says she gives up: "Joey, you want to change the world from our living room, fine, whatever." She storms out, brushing past A.J., who looks a little queasy.

All right. Sidebar. Frankly, I think the whole dust-up has a lot less to do with Principal Green's skin color than it does with the color of money, and with the fact that certain parents would rather eat glass than let their child face the consequences of his or her bratty actions, because it might jeopardize their child's chances of getting into whatever sniffy college is the fashion this year, thus shaming the family forever. I don't want to get off on a rant here (tm Dennis Miller), but I saw it happen enough times growing up to know that these parents couldn't give a good goddamn about the principal's race, as long as they get to slap a Georgetown sticker on the back windshield of the Lexus instead of dealing with the fact that they raised themselves up a drunk-driving, date-raping, fag-joke-telling jerkwad who sincerely believes that rules do not apply to him. I don't wish to minimize the impact of race in these situations, because god knows people exist who don't like black folks telling them what to do, but really, we all know a Matt Caufield, and we all know that he and his brothers and his friends and his dad think they should have the world with a side of fries just for showing up with a tucked-in shirt, and it pisses me off. time, I will tell you how I really feel about all of this, but now, back to your regularly-scheduled recap already in progress.

Okay, so anyway, Bodie goes after Bessie, and A.J. looks uneasy and says, "Sorry." Joey smiles uncomfortably and tells him not to worry about it, and she makes a crack about "too bad you're not a paying guest" because that would make the moment even more "hideously awkward," and A.J. says that it probably isn't the best time to tell her this, but -- he trails off. "You're leaving?" Joey says. A.J. remarks wryly that now that he's alienated her from Bessie and "undermined the financial viability" of the B&B, "my work here is done." Snort. Okay, that was funny. Joey tells him he can't leave, they just got started, and she offers to give him another room, "one without nautical wallpaper," but A.J. says he has to go; he has papers to write, "actually, papers to grade." I almost didn't hate you for a minute there, A.J., and you ruined it. A.J. goes on to say that Joey thinks she needs him, but she doesn't -- o Lord in Heaven, word to that -- and she's surrounded by "good people, smart people" who believe in her and in the cause, and he even throws Pacey a grudging compliment. Then he lays out an array of Carr's crackers to hold the cheese, remarking that he's an "excellent judge of character -- I found you, didn't I?" Oh, beeyarf.

Pacey, accompanied by Jen, puts up flyers for the rally, stapling rather violently until Jen points out that he's probably "got that one covered." She suggests that he talk with her about whatever's bothering him, and initially he resists, but after a moment he confesses that he does have a problem, and Jen says she noticed. Pacey is not happy that it's "that obvious," and then they have a strange interchange about pretending to have a conversation, and then Pacey confesses -- but only theoretically -- that he has feelings for Joey, "the worst possible person that I could ever fall for." He asks Jen's advice. Jen says he should do something about it. Pacey thinks Joey will laugh in his face: "I've got Duckie written all over me." Yeah, except that Duckie set off the gaydar from here to Peoria, Pacey. Anyway, Jen sweetly reminds Pacey of all of Duckie's good points; Pacey reminds Jen that Duckie got shafted at the end of the movie. Jen asks if Pacey will stand by Joey in "a very Duckie-like fashion" or let "hurt feelings and pride" get in the way of acting like a good friend. "I guess it just hurts, that's all," Pacey mumbles.

Outside shots of snow falling. Cut to Fielding's office, where Dawson wants to know why they're interviewing Fielding if Green won't even talk. "Because there's two sides to every story," Gail tells him, and I promptly get the Etta James song of the same name stuck in my head for two days. Thanks a lot, Gail. Anyhow, Gail delivers a PSA on Good Journalism, and then she endures a bit of double-talk from Fielding before getting him to admit that his contract stipulates that he protect the well-being of the students, at which point Fielding ends the interview. Not exactly the Watergate tapes, but Leery mère and fils smile smugly at one another. Whatever.

Casa Verde. Nikki heads down the stairs, but before she can get out the door, her father stops her: "Can a concerned father ask where his daughter's going in a such a hurry?" Nikki allows that he can, but that he won't like the answer. "Joey's rally," Green says flatly, and Nikki says that he could go with her, but Green says she knows his position on that. Nikki says she think she knows his position on anything anymore, and tells him that he spends a lot of energy trying to avoid coming off "as some angry man." "I am angry," he interrupts her, "and why shouldn't I be?" He slaps his book closed and comes over to her, saying that it hurts to know that he did, and is still doing, the right thing, "but because of someone's deep-seated fears, it's not working." Green adds that he doesn't want to leave these kids, or Capeside, and he doesn't want to put Nikki through this either, so yes, he's angry, but if he shows it, Mr. Caufield and his ilk will use it against him. Nikki says, "The people tonight aren't like that. They're on your side, they support you, they're fighting for you, for us, and they need to know that win or lose, you support them." Green turns away without a word and sits back down. Nikki heads for the door.

Cut to Dawson, recording in the auditorium. He sees Nikki through his viewfinder and lowers the camera.

On stage, Jen pointedly observes to Joey what an impressive job Pacey did "getting the word out" to people. Joey nods, then says that she hasn't seen or heard from Pacey all day. Behind her, Pacey materializes wearing a huge hockey jersey and does the "testing, testing" routine on the mic before introducing Joey. Joey approaches the mic with trepidation; a shot of Dawson, taping, and Nikki to him, clapping, before we cut back to Joey. Pacey whispers in her ear, "Think I warmed them up for you?" and Joey smirks over her shoulder at him before tucking her hair behind her ears and giving a speech about Why She's Doing This. She's not doing it because Matt Caufield trashed her mural; she's doing it because people mistakenly think that Principal Green doesn't know what's best for them and for the school. She goes on to say that Green isn't an outsider, that he's gotten to know them, that he's fostered their talents. As she speaks, Pacey watches her fondly, and Andie and Jen listen intently. Katie Holmes must have really gotten lost in this speech, because her flat Ohio accent leaks in a couple of times. Nothing wrong with that -- I'm just saying. So Joey praises Green some more before suggesting that they talk "about how Principal Green has made our lives a lot better." Nobody comes forward right away, so Joey cracks a joke about Mr. Peterson's English class, which gets a laugh.

Andie stands up with her manta ray hairstyle and kicks off the reminiscing. A couple other kids talk about Green. Nikki gets up and says she doesn't know many of the other students, but she knows what her father says about them, because "that's all he talks about." Her father comes in behind her as she's talking, and she turns to him, and as Joey smiles at him from the podium, Green walks past Nikki and up to the front, and everyone watches him admiringly, including Bodie, who has come out for the rally. Bodie! A mournful song plays on the soundtrack as Green takes the stage and admits that he had mixed feelings about coming that night, but he thought about what Nikki said and realized that he had to come. He thanks them for their support, and goes on to say that, since neither he nor Dr. Fielding will "budge" on the issue, "it looks like I'll be leaving." The kids in the audience look stricken. Green compliments them all on harnessing their "inner power" and believing in a cause, and he thanks them again. Silence. Andie and Jen try not to weep. Pacey shoots Joey a look, and she looks down sadly as the soundtrack soughs, "Wish I knew how to make it last." Yep, we get it. No, really. We do. Thanks, though.

Thanks to Miss Alli, Wing Chun, and the gang on the DC forums.

Cat and hair dryer falling into bathtub at same time.

After the rally. Jen praises Pacey for sticking by Joey, and asks how he feels. He feels "like dogmeat," as it turns out, because -- to the surprise of exactly no one -- Joey "didn't even thank" him. "She will, one day," Jen says, and Pacey asks how she knows. "'Cause every duck has its day," she teases him. "Just ask Henry." Henry's still on the show? Crap. Jen claps him on the shoulder and heads out, and Pacey looks at Joey, surrounded by well-wishers.

Joey comes up to Bodie and he asks if she's ready to go. Bodie is cute. Just noting that for the record. "Think she'll let us in the house?" Joey asks, and Bodie says that if not, they can sleep in the car, and offers to let Joey drive. Joey says no thanks -- she doesn't want to deal with the stick shift -- but before she can explain, she trails off at the sight of Bessie and Alexander at the back of the auditorium. Bessie says something all mock-sternly about Joey not backing down from challenges, at least not the Joey she saw in front of all those people before. "You saw?" Joey asks, and Bessie says that Alexander insisted on coming, and how proud Alexander is of "his Aunt Joey," and how, when she's not around, Alexander "goes on and on about how talented you are, and how smart, and how brave." Aw. More Bessie, please. The sisters smile at each other; predictably, Joey changes her mind about driving home.

Sunset. Snowiness. Principal Green packs up his office. Joey knocks at the door and comes in, and Green says he hopes she hasn't gotten herself "in trouble." Joey says he still has a few minutes, he could still change his mind, and he asks if that's what she wants. "No," she scoffs, and then, "maybe, I mean -- I don't know." "Why is that?" he asks gently. Joey says she knows he's doing the right thing, but she feels like she failed him, because they couldn't stop what happened: "We weren't loud enough, or strong enough. And I'm really sorry." Green looks sad. Joey begins to cry. Green tells her he's never felt more successful than he does right now. He thanks her for fighting for him. She smiles a little: "You're welcome." "I guess it's time to go home," he says. "After you," Joey tells him, and they walk out of his office together and wish each other goodbye, and as he rounds the corner, he sees the hallway lined with students applauding him respectfully. An inspirational song plays as the writers of Lucas file for copyright infringement, and the Greens meet up about halfway down the hall and exit the school to the sound of clapping. All right, I confess: I got played by that scene. I misted up. I'm not made of stone, folks. Anyway, thus endeth the Greens, which does make me sad, because I liked both of their characters.

More snowfall. Gail is on the phone, and Dawson says that it "sounds like distinctly good news." Gail tells him the station is going to run their story that night, and also, one of the producers asked Gail if she'd like to do other special reports for them in the future. Dawson laughs happily and asks what she told them. "I told them I'd get back to them -- in about twenty years, if and when I'm retired from the restaurant business," Gail says, looking sheepish. "You're kidding," Dawson says, and he seems to think she really is kidding at first: "I thought this is what you wanted." Gail says she really just wanted the chance to say no and leave on her own terms, "and start fresh, with no regrets." She then thanks him for inspiring her, calling him the "quiet hero" and showering him with a bunch of other undeserved compliments in the same vein, none of which I plan to dignify by repeating. Dawson good-naturedly accuses his mother of "editorializing." Yeah, try "lying."

Pacey drags Joey across a street in town and announces, "Perfect, we're here." Joey laughs that she doesn't know where Pacey thinks "here" is, "but it seems to me we're nowhere." Pacey reminds her of where "this whole thing" got started, with "a girl, a wall, and a paintbrush," and punctuates it by whipping a paintbrush out of his pocket. "You bought me a paintbrush," Joey says. "No, you lame-o, I stole this from your permanent collection," Pacey says, and points over his shoulder with the brush at a peeling wall behind him. "You bought me a wall?" Joey asks. Pacey says he actually rented it, for a hundred bucks. Aw. "You bought me a wall?" Joey repeats, but she's smiling. Pacey says that she said that already, and tells her, "It's a limited-time offer, so you should get cracking." Joey, giggling, asks if Pacey noticed "the size of this thing," and Pacey says he thought her "endeavor" should be bigger and better than her last one. Then he picks up a can of paint, saying that it might not cover the whole wall, but that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; Joey says she'll need Pacey's help on this one. Pacey hands her can and brush and says, "Nope, not this time. You're on your own, sister." He makes to leave, but before he can go, Joey tells him that he's unbelievable, and that just when she thinks she has him figured out, he does something outrageous that "completely challenges" her, that nobody else would ever think of, and -- she stops herself, smiling, and adds, "In case I don't say it enough -- thank you." Pacey looks at her tenderly, but settles for saying, "It's about time, Potter. It's about time." Word. As the James Taylor song starts up again, Pacey heads off, and Joey turns back to look at the wall, and the camera pans back to show her looking up at the blank canvas of the brick and seeming very small in front of it. Nice shot by the DP.

Strangely, the captioning has a voice-over by Dawson as he narrates his mother's news story, but since we don't hear it on the soundtrack, I won't bother with it. On the Dawson's Creek, Joey gets in some sort of trouble, and Pacey kisses her. Speaking of "it's about time."