Well, we knew it was going to happen sooner or later ... most of us just hoped for later -- a lot later. The clanging chimes of doom sounded for Joey and Dawson's budding romance tonight, and methinks nothing will ever be the same around Capeside ever again. Poor Dawson, if he thoughtlast Saturday night was a personal nightmare from hell, I wonder what his assessment of this Saturday night is going to be? Get comfortable, folks, this is gonna be a long one ...
At least the episode opens on a happy note: In Dawson's bedroom, Andie is dancing around like a lunatic, much to the amazement of Joey, Dawson and Pacey, who are sitting on Dawson's bed, watching her, mouths agape. She's giving it her all to "Footloose", much to Pacey's amusement, who notes the gang is hanging out with Marcia Brady. Turns out, she's just warming up for the big homecoming dance, to which she expects they will all attend on Saturday night, right?
Wrong. Pacey tells her the three of them are just not the type of people who participate in any school sponsored events. Andie is disappointed at the trio's lack of enthusiasm. To illustrate his point further, Pacey asks Joey and Dawson how many pep rallies and football games they have been to. Shockingly (I'm being sarcastic here, guys, in case it alludes you), the answer is zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Horrified, Andie calls them cynics, and asks what kind of high school memories they are going to have if all they do is bitch and moan. Bitching memories, Joey notes. Moaning memories, Dawson adds, grinning. They're clearly winding Andie up, and she can't see it. Or can she?
She stands in front of the TV, blocking their view to Kevin Bacon's big-screen debut (and the very beginnings of '6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon,' no doubt), and asks yet again, just so she's sure, if they would really rather watch a movie than do things for themselves. They nod in agreement. Time for Andie to retaliate against their lack of motivation. What about sex, she asks. Confused, Dawson (those two words just seem to go together naturally, don't they?) asks her if she is equating dancing with sex. No, Andie replies, but why were the Bible thumpers in "Footloose" outlawing dancing in the first place? Because it was sinful, that's why. Grinning like an idiot, Pacey interjects that he likes the way Andie thinks. Well, then, now that that's settled, and Andie's found something to lure them with, who's going to come to the school dance with her now, she asks. It's cute the way she beats them at their own game here!
Bessie gives Joey a lift into school, and Joey's sulking. She confides in Bessie about Jack kissing her, which is met with cackles of laughter from her big sister. "Choreboy, down at the Icehouse kissed you?!" she hoots. The look on Joey's face says it all -- not helping. Joey tells her that nothing really happened, that it just happened and then it was over. Bessie doesn't understand the problem then. Dawson, Joey admits. She hasn't told him yet, adding that if they were just friends, she would have had no problem discussing this with him, but as he's her boyfriend now, it presents a whole different set of issues. Bessie asks her if there was anything behind the kiss, if it meant anything to Joey at all. Audiences around the planet let out a collective sigh of relief, I'm sure, when she answered no. Bessie reasons that if it was a one-way kiss and completely uninvited, that Joey didn't do anything wrong, and that she should just put it behind her and concentrate on Dawson like it didn't happen. Like what didn't happen Joey grins, and exits the truck.
Cut to Abby and Jen, who seem to have attempted a trial reconciliation. Abby is discussing the merits of head cheerleader Christie's boyfriend, Brett, a classic "himbo" (a term originally coined from Seinfeld, in case anyone's wondering!). Jen wrinkles her nose, Brett just isn't her type. "What, he's too much man and not enough touchy-feely film auteur for you?" Abby asks with her usual sensitivity. Focusing the conversation back on her favourite subject (herself), Abby confidently states that come Saturday night, Brett will be hers. Jen cannot believe that Abby is going to go to the homecoming dance just to break Brett and Christie up. "Well, my guidance counsellor is always telling me to set goals for myself ..." Abby offers as way of an explanation. Not good enough for Jen, who tells Abby she's on her own for Saturday. Fine, Abby pouts. Jen can just stay home, read Scripture with Grandma, and she and Brett will drop Jen a line from Vegas (after their quickie marriage, one presumes).
Inside the hallowed halls of Capeside High, the aforementioned Brett and Christie are having a spat in the corridor. Dawson (and everyone else within earshot) can't help but overhear them, and as he walks up to Joey at her locker, he asks her to promise that their relationship won't ever sink to that level (classic foreshadowing here), that he can't think of anything more embarrassing. Dawson questions again why they are going to the dance on Saturday, to which Joey replies because dancing, according to Andie, always ends in "tawdry smut action," a phrase which delights Dawson, although he's curious as to why this is the first mention of the s-e-x word the whole time they've been a couple (yeah, pal, your audience was kinda curious about that too ...). Joey suggests that it's because they wanted to ease into the subject (who, the writers or the characters?) and that it was a little confusing. Well, if the transition is confusing, Dawson suggests they think of a solution, which would be for Joey to put on her dancing shoes. He leans in for a kiss as Abby and Jen walk past, just in time for Abby to snidely mutter, "Wipe the drool, Dawson."
Joey stares after the pair of them and comments that she doesn't like them being so chummy, and that Abby is a bad influence on Jen. Dawson is surprised, nay, amazed at Joey's seemingly geniune concern for Jen, an amazement that multiplies tenfold when Joey suggests they invite Jen to the Homecoming dance. He tells Joey she's just scored "major humanity points," but wonders if it would be hard for Jen to see the two of them together. Perhaps, Joey shrugs, but she personally knows how it feels to have someone you love die on you and she just thought Jen could use a break. She gives Dawson a quick kiss and tells him the final decision rests with him. He leaves.
Immediately after his departure, Joey spots Jack walking in through a side door of the school. He doesn't see her, though, he's too busy blocking the flow of human traffic as he stops just inside the door to adjust something in his backpack (idiot, couldn't he have moved off to the side of the hallway? I hate people who do that ...). She turns and walks away, unseen.
Outside, Pacey and Andie discuss transportation arrangements for the dance, with Andie asking Pacey not to pick her up at her house. It's unsaid exactly why she wants him to do this, but it's obvious -- her mum. Pacey asks after her mother and tells Andie if she needs anything, just to let him know. She's grateful, but uncomfortable discussing it, so she changes the subject back to something safe -- dancing (which, if she equates with foreplay, isn't such a safe subject after all, but whatever ...). She asks "Witter" if his moves are polished and ready to go for Saturday so she can turn him into a dancing fool. No can do, he tells "McPhee," (I just love all this surname stuff, it's too cute) he doesn't dance. "What do you mean, you don't dance?" she asks incredulously. "It's simple, really," he replies. "I don't like it, I'm not really any good at it, and it's bad enough I'm even going, so don't even think of asking me to bust a move because it isn't going to happen." (Okay, that statement alone should tell Andie just how much he likes her, if he's that opposed to dancing but is going anyway.)
"You're beyond immature," Andie tells him, exasperated. "You're overbearing," he counters. "Boring!" "Hypersensitive!" "Vulgar!" The insults fly back and forth, until Pacey interjects with "Pick you up at seven?" "Great!" "Okay!" They grin at each other. Sigh ... they're just too cute. Dawson witnesses this last little exchange and asks if they're having a spat. No, just their usual passive-aggressive banter, Pacey replies with an arm around Andie's shoulder. Andie tells the guys she wants to invite Jack to the dance, as he's kind of a "loner." (wait, doesn't she mean "loser"?) Dawson agrees, suggesting they invite Jen as well, seeing as both Jack and Jen are single. No, Pacey interrupts. Bad idea, bad plan ... the only possible outcome could be a disaster. But Andie and Dawson won't be dissuaded, they both are pleased with their new roles as matchmakers and suggest that a love connection could work, despite Pacey's increasing protestations that it can only end badly. Andie saunters away happily, telling them she will set it up with her brother. "What, am I invisible?" Pacey growls after she leaves.
Dawson makes his way home to find his parents sitting, separately, on the porch. They have That Look on their faces, the one that signifies the beginning of a family discussion with serious and gravely negative overtones (I know it well, lately). They sit their son down for The Talk. Mitch begins, telling him that things the other night (last episode) got out of hand, and that after much talk and consideration, that he and Dawson's mother have decided .... His voice trails off, he can't find the words. Gale steps in. She tells Dawson that sometimes, when you focus so hard on finding a solution, it's only when you pull back does the real solution appear .... now it's her turn to trail off. Clearly, this isn't easy for either of them. Mitch continues, saying that as improbable as it seems, this is the only solution left, that he and Dawson's mother have decided to spend some time apart.
Dawson is stunned. He's struggling with a thousand different emotions, all of which play on his face (great acting by James here). "Well," he says bitterly. "You've given it quite a bit of thought, haven't you?" He angrily suggests they try more counselling ... more family outings ... more of a concerted effort to make it work. Mitch tells Dawson that while his opinion matters, and while they love him, they are not taking suggestions on the issue. Dawson hotly replies that he has concluded that their conclusion sucks.
Fast forward to Saturday, where Jack and Andie are waiting downtown Capeside for Pacey to pick them up. They discuss their mother, whom Jack doesn't think is getting any better. Andie tells him that she (Andie) just needs one night out, one single attempt at fun instead of staying home taking care of her mother constantly because she can't handle it anymore (I know how she feels). Jack tells her he hates dances and doesn't do well at them (is there anything he DOES do well at, besides making Origami animals?). Andie, ever the matchmaker, suggest it is high time Jack got out and met Capeside's eligible cuties -- that he might even meet the woman of his dreams tonight. He replies what if he already has, but before his sister can respond, Officer Pacey pulls up in a squad car. (Um, just what, exactly is Sheriff Witter driving around in if he's lent it to Pacey -- or maybe that's it, maybe Pacey's just "borrowed" it again, who knows?) "A squad car?" Jack asks in disbelief. "Um ... yeah," Andie replies. "It's his dad's. (no kidding!) He and his father have a very complex relationship." So! It looks like it wasn't just Andie who was spilling family secrets in the kitchen last week. Interesting ...
Okay, I would just like to say here, that for the record, I HATED this next scene. On accounts of certain events in my life lately, it just hit waaaay too close to home and made me cry, for the second time ever (the first was last week, same show! Go figure!), during a TV show. Let's just say I know exactly how Gale feels here, and it's a rotten, horrible, empty, hopeless feeling. Okay, back to the show. I didn't actually catch most of the dialogue here cause I was too upset, but anyway ... Mitch packs his bags into the trunk of his sport-ute, telling Gale that he should get going. She's silent, what can she say to that? Mitch states that it is only a trial separation and that it is only temporary. He's trying to comfort her (useless), and probably trying to convince himself as much as her. "Are there rules?" she asks, wanting to know if they can still talk to each other. Mitch replies of course, that Gale can call him whenever she needs to. (Notice he didn't say anything here about calling her?) She's silent, probably thinking just that. Finally, she just says one word: "Go." He tells her goodbye, and she walks off. She completely breaks down, while Dawson looks on from the window. As Mitch drives off, Gale sobs harder still.
Inside the Leerys' kitchen, Gale is crying while preparing dinner, her back to Dawson. He's worried and asks how she is. She insists it's just chopping onions that's making her voice shaky and sound like she's crying. Ever the gallant son, Dawson offers to stay home from the dance to be with her, but she insist's she's fine and that he should go pick up Joey so they aren't late. She won't turn around to face him, however, even when he asks, which I thought was clever direction. She can't face her own son, both literally and figuratively. After Dawson leaves, Gale falls apart all over again.
At the dance, Pacey and Andie, the world's worst pair of drivers, are arguing the finer points of running a red light. Pacey's wearing a reasonably nice grey suit with this shirt with these ... things, these lapels that just look like they were dusted off from the Saturday Night Fever movie wardrobe. I couldn't stop staring at them all night. Anyway, with Jack in tow, they bump into Dawson and Joey in the hallway. Everyone comments on how nice everyone looks, and along comes Jen. Clearly, whoever picked out Pacey's shirt also did Jen's hair ... it just looks horrible! It looks like she took it out of rollers but forgot to brush it out into a style! But her dress was nice, so at least that's something. Andie excitedly introduces Jen to her brother Jack, to whom Jen says "Hello, brother Jack," in a half-flirting manner. This, coupled with just seeing Jack in the first place is just too much for Joey. She turns to Dawson with a tight, "Shall we go?" and they walk off down the hall, Jack staring after them dopily.
In the gym, Dawson and Joey are fast-dancing to some stupid crappy wannabe ska song. Dawson's doing his best Travolta imitation, the two of them are doing all the classic movies -- dipping and twirling and spinning each other around ... I was just waiting for them to start doing the hustle. Dawson shouldn't quit his film aspirations to become a professional dancer, that's for sure. And since when were school dances just so damn ... perky? I mean, the gym was packed, wall-to-wall people bumping and grinding, everyone laughing and just having a grand old time ... no one groping each other in the corners, spiking the punch or throwing up in the bathroom ... but I digress. Andie, too, is dancing, doing a mean funky chicken, while Pacey watches, half-amused, half-terrified.
Abby sashays over to Jen, looking like a two-bit hooker and chewing gum like a cow does cud. Highly attractive. I can't even begin to describe her hairdo, can't do it proper justice, so I just won't go there. Pissed that Jen decided to attend with the old crowd instead of her, she snidely tells her, "So, I see you decided to slum it after all?" adding that she has the very same dress Jen is wearing ... in a smaller size.
While Dawson continues his audition for Dance Fever with Joey, he sends her spinning out of control, right into the arms of Jack himself. Oops. Just then a slow song comes on, and Andie drags Jen over to dance with her brother Jack. Jen tries the same tired "Hello, brother Jack" line on him again, (newsflash -- it didn't work then, it won't work now) but he's too stupid and deluded to recognize a blatant come-on when he hears it, and tells her to call him just plain Jack instead. (Well, he got that much right, he certainly is plain.) Jen asks him if he feels like they're being set up. "What makes you say that?" he asks dumbly. Oh, only Andie giving them the thumbs-up from the sidelines, perhaps? Andie is so pleased her efforts seem to be working. "He's cute, she's cute," she beams at Pacey. "They're complete opposites!" he counters. "It's going to get ugly in about 20 minutes!" (um ... more like 5, actually ...) "Uh-uh," Andie replies. "Uh-huh," Pacey tells her. I tell ya, this bickering of theirs is gonna be the physical equivalent of a volcanic eruption when they finally give in to it.
Dawson and Joey are slow-dancing, and he sadly tells her he wishes his parents would go back to their coffee-table sex acts, but that all he can do is just let them work it out on their own. He adds that there is one bright side to it all ... the coffee table is now available. She smiles. He looks over at Jen and Jack and tells Joey he thinks there just may be something developing between them, and that he's pleased his and Andie's little set-up seems to be working. Joey is not impressed with his matchmaking efforts. "Why would you do that?" she snaps. "Jack is this nice, sweet guy and Jen's a barracuda!" Dawson doesn't understand why she's freaking out. She lamely tells him she just has an opinion on the subject, that's all. He tells her he'll alert the media, and they kiss.
In my not-so-humble opinion (hey, this is my review, I can say whatever the heck I want!), the show's music editors finally get a clue here and play a good song ... "Special" by Garbage. Yay! Andie asks Pacey yet again to dance, and yet again, he declines. "I told you McPhee, I don't dance." He goes on to tell her it doesn't matter the speed, type or culture of the song that plays, he just doesn't do it, including fast dances, slow dances and whatever Patrick Swayze was doing in "Dirty Dancing." Andie tells him that if she didn't know better, she'd swear he was making a power move to keep control over their relationship. "What relationship?" he asks. (that wasn't very nice!) Fine, Andie's had enough, if Pacey's going to continue being stubborn, she's going to find someone else who will dance with her. She leaves, and Pacey, instead of watching her go, stares wistfully at Christie Livingstone and her boyfriend Brett, on the dance floor.
Another slow song. Andie interrupts Jen and Jack, telling them it is time to switch, and that she doesn't want to dance with her brother all night. Jen leaves, Andie grabs Dawson and tells Jack to sweep his boss (a.k.a. Joey) off her feet. It's showtime, people. The moment we have (not) all been waiting for, starts now ...
Jack tells Joey he knows she's been avoiding him, and that he takes full responsibility for the kiss, that he crossed the line. "Yeah, you did," Joey hotly replies, adding that she has a boyfriend and now she feels guilty every time she looks at him -- and it's over "absolutely nothing." (Guess that answers the questions of everyone who was wondering if Joey had feelings for Jack.) She storms out of the gym, Jack in pursuit, but not before Dawson notices something's amiss.
In the hall, Joey snaps at Jack, "Did I mention you weren't supposed to follow me?" He tells her he only wants to apologize, which she tells him she duly notes, fine, good-bye. But no, Jack can't leave it alone, he wants to know why she's so angry (here's a quarter, Jack, go buy a clue!). Incredulously, Joey tells him "You want to know why I am angry? Because you didn't respect me! Because what you did was so rude and inappropriate!" Dr. McPhee, hallway shrink, thinks that there's more to it than that, and that there's something else going on here. He suggests that all the anger she's expressing doesn't add up, and that she isn't mad at him for kissing her, she's mad at herself for kissing back. He turns to walk away and bumps straight into ... Dawson.
Game over. The look on Dawson's face says it all. He's shocked, stunned, confused, hurt, angry beyond belief ... the look on his face would break your heart. Joey stares at him, then runs into the girl's bathroom.
Abby is clinging on to Christie Livingstone's himbo, Brett, for dear life during a slow number. She purrs at him that one of the things she admires most about him is the fact that he works all of his muscle groups equally (except of course, for that big muscle between his ... ears. Minds out of the gutter, people!).
Jen tells Andie she's about ready to go home and that, to her own surprise, she had a great time. Andie's disappointed Jen wants to go and insists she stays -- she won't take no for answer, that is until Jack decides he wants to go too. Perfect, Andie tells them they can walk home together. But there's a slight change of plans ... Dawson comes along and asks Jack what the hell happened. Jack, in a classic display of his wimpishness, tells Dawson to go talk to Joey. Dawson tells Jack he's asking him. Jack lamely tells him it was a weird night, a full moon ... "You kissed her!" Dawson cries. In the most deplorable, smarmy, irritating and arrogant line ever to come out of a TV character's mouth, Jack replies, "I'm not going to apologize for kissing her, I'd do it again." (The pr*ck! By this point, I was screaming at my TV set, "Hit him! HIT HIM!!") Jack brashly suggests they not turn this little incident into a brawl because neither of them is the type -- too late! Dawson hauls off and slugs him (the only redeeming feature of their whole break up). Jen and Andie are mortified. "Dawson, what are you doing!" Jen asks. Abby has a less typical (well, more typical for her, I suppose) response: "Nice punch, champ! Who knew he had so much testosterone?" she marvels.
Cheerleader Christie, meanwhile, is in the hall and has missed all the excitement. Pacey exits the bathroom and sees the object of his fantasies leaning up against a wall of lockers, pouting. Being the sensitive, caring soul he is, he gingerly approaches her and asks what she's doing. "Thinking," (wow, that must have been a stretch ...) she replies. "What about?" Pacey prompts. Turns out, Christie's kinda down because Brett the himbo is oggling everything in a short skirt, and Christie lacks the self-esteem to stop him. Pacey responds that if she's in need of an ego boost, she's come to the right place, and that he personally knows of about 800 guys whol would line up to replace her boyfriend. She scoffs, but Pacey replies that while he may not hang out with the "beautiful people," he likes to think he has his finger on the pulse of the common man ... and that his pulse quickens when she walks by. She gets embarrassed, and he gets embarrassed that she gets embarrassed, so he leaves.
After Pacey walks a few feet away, Christie asks him if he's one of the quick pulses. He's flustered, but manages to get it together enough to stammer, "Uh, yeah ... of course I am ... I think you're incredible." (Um ... Pacey? What about Andie?) He's tongue-tied. Christie, in subtle deference to great high school dance scenes found in John Hughes movies (16 Candles readily comes to mind, but Pretty In Pink, too), tells Pacey that as lame as dances can be, there's always that one moment that makes it worthwhile, and asks if he will dance with her, right there in the hall. Thrilled, he does just that, holding her very, very close, breathing in her hair and kissing her shoulder. He's living a dream.
Over at the Capeside Inn, Mitch is alone in his motel room, pondering his decision. Gale is alone in the kitchen, eating Breyers straight out of the tub -- a sure sign of depression. Mitch finally gives in to his inner torture and calls home. Gale answers, but he doesn't respond right away. For a split second, he's having second thougts about his second thoughts, but he winds up talking to her, breaking the ice with a reference having the Home Shopping Channel 24 hours a day. It isn't really funny, but she laughs anyway, she's just so happy to hear his voice. He asks how she is, and she responds that they have a big house ... she never realized how big it really was before tonight (hoo-boy, I've had this conversation before ...). She asks if it is still "their" house, and he says yes. Gale tells Marc, I mean Mitch, (oops, Freudian slip there!) that she doesn't know if she can do this, and he replies that she has to. She wants to know why. "Because, no matter how big the house is, it's too small for the two of us," Mitch tells her. She reminds him the door is always open. They hang up. The music here (I don't know the song) is perfect: "He stood his ground ... she stood her distance ..." Very fitting.
Back at the dance, Jen and Jack are ready to leave, but not before Jack apologizes to Andie (ANDIE?! He should be apologizing to Dawson!) for ruining the night. He and Jen leave, and Andie turns to see Pacey and Christie dancing in the hall. She looks like a puppy that's been kicked in the face, I felt so sorry for her! She turns and runs away. The poor thing -- all she wanted was one night of escapism from her mum, and for everyone to have a good time and it all fell apart. Being the crew's social director is a thankless job.
Dawson, too, is ready to blow the pop stand, but as he leaves the school, Joey catches sight of him and runs over to him (by the way, MY GOD is Katie's slit in her skirt ever high! She looked like she was wearing an orange slip to the dance, it was so skimpy!). She begs Dawson to talk to her and wants to discuss the kiss, but he tells her he knows all about it and that there really isn't anything to know, except that she kissed someone else. Joey insists Jack kissed her, she just didn't ... as her voice trails off, Dawson finishes her sentence: "... you didn't stop it." Joey reiterates that it wasn't like that, that it was a poor error in judgement on her part but that Dawson shouldn't turn it into an earth-shattering scene of cinematic proportions. He gets angry (and rightly so) with her here, telling her not to turn it around and blame him, and that it's unfair of her to use who he is against him. In other words, he knows he's being dramatic, but he thinks it's justified.
Joey yells that she said she was sorry, she screwed up ... what more does he want? He's angry too, he can't believe that the girl who wanted him for 15 years suddenly kisses some other guy for no justifiable reason and then lies about it. She tells him she didn't lie about it (no, but she didn't tell the truth either, flip sides of the same coin) and that the kiss was not her doing. "What, did you metaphysically leave your body the minute your lips touched his?" Dawson shouts. Joey tells him not to punish her to make himelf feel better (What!?!). Enraged, Dawson tells her "Wait a second here, you cheat on me, and I'm the bad guy?" Yes, she replies, (huh?) then adds that it isn't about the kiss. "It's about us," Dawson states. "No, it's about me," she tells him. That's what I've been trying to tell you." He walks away and Joey is left with most of the population of the Homecoming dance gawking at her on the school lawn.
Meanwhile, Jen and Jack have reached the Ryans' home, where Jen notes Jack's eye is starting to swell. He notes that he probably deserved it (PROBABLY? Um, no, try DEFINITELY!), and that he should have left it alone. Jen observes that Jack must really like her, because not many guys would take a punch for a girl they didn't like. He shrugs and says he's a sucker for lost causes (he could have ended the sentence right after sucker, I think). Jen doesn't think that makes him a sucker, it makes him a romantic, and as we all know, Jen is impressed by the romantic type. Jack begs to differ, he thinks "romantic" is a nice word for loser. (subtle reference to Dawson, anyone?) Jen tells him she's going to go inside now, but that she had a really good time and she has him to thank (yeah, for setting Dawson free again, no doubt!). She says that while Jack was with her, he did a really good job of pretending he didn't want to be with someone else (she's 0 for 2 this season -- both the guys she likes like Joey! Ha ha!). Before she enters her house, Jen tells Jack to keep fighting for his lost causes, because he never knows when his luck might change (like she thinks hers did tonight, I bloody well hope not!). You can almost see the wheels turning in her mind here ...
As Jack walks down the driveway separating the Leerys' and Mrs. Ryan's homes, Mitch drives up in his sport-ute. Does he get out or doesn't he -- you can see by the expression on his face, he's wrestling with this. He isn't stalking Gale or anything, it's just inner turmoil, the result of living with the outcome of a very difficult decision. He sees Gale in the window. Torn apart, he decides to do nothing and just drives off into the night, alone.
Andie is also off in the night alone. She's at the same park Joey and Dawson wen to for their first date. Pacey sees her, pauses and hesitates, but then approaches her (was there ever any doubt he wouldn't?). She's so hurt, all she can manage to tell him is, "I thought you didn't dance." He babbles that he's been looking everywhere for her, and she repeats her first statement. "Did you see me out there? That wasn't dancing ..." he lamely concludes. She jumps in, telling him that they don't owe each other any explanations, after all, it isn't like they're in a relationship or anything, they're just sparring partners who don't mean anything to each other. He tells her that's not true, and that he had a wonderful time with her, he just got swept up in the moment with Christie. Andie mutters that it's too bad she can't sweep Pacey away like that. Pacey says that Andie doesn't understand, it's like Christie is some fantasy to him, and that surely, Andie can't say she doesn't know what it's like to want to act out a fantasy, even if it's the wrong thing to do. Andie replies that she's been trying to do that all night.
Pacey is blown away by this. "Why do you like me?" he asks, genuinely shocked that she does. "I'm a screw-up, I'm thoughtless, insecure . . . I can't for the life of me figure out why someone like you would bother to care about me." The saddest thing is, we know Pacey isn't just saying this to earn sympathy and pity points. He honestly, truly believes it. And really, how can Andie be angry with that? (I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and give him a giant hug!) She tells him she doesn't know why, just that he's funny, kind, he doesn't judge people, he makes her feel good about herself (huh? Run that one by me again? All they do is argue!) and that he spars better with her than anyone. He's sharp, witty, brilliant . . . but all of this is more praise than he deserves at the moment, so she stops short and walks away.
He follows her, apologizing for what he did earlier. He says the "moment" with Christie was supposed to make the whole night worthwhile, but that he was with the wrong person, and that he should have spent that moment with Andie, who states that the two of them are having one of those "moments" right now. Pacey smiles this completely heart-melting smile, and asks "Miss McPhee" to dance with him. She'd love to. They dance, and he kisses her shoulder while holding her closely, in a scene reminiscent of the Joey / Dawson make-up scene in the rain at Pacey's pier party. Not one to let sleeping dogs lie, Pacey teases her, asking if there's anything she'd like to add to that list of adjectives that describes him: "Sharp, witty, brilliant . . . anything else?" "If you think I find this charming, you're majorly deluded," she retorts. "You're a witless bore," he tells her. "You're a major cad," she replies. "Kiss me?" he suggests. "Thought you'd never ask," she answers, grinning. They stop dancing and share a very sweet, if not overly-passionate, first kiss.
But the closer Andie and Pacey get, the further apart Joey and Dawson get. Dawson comes home to find Joey sitting on his bed. He walks past her. She's been crying, and apologizes yet again. When he asks her what happened, she tells him that Jack kissed her, but that isn't what Dawson means. "What is going on with us?" he wants to know. "I don't know . . ." she answers. "Ever since we got together, you've been pulling away from me. I thought I was what you wanted?" he asks. "You are ..." Joey says, a little unconvincingly. "Am I?" Dawson questions her. "You're what I'm going to want," she replies, continuing: "For so long, all I thought of and dreamed of was you, and now that I got my dream I feel like I don't have anything else. You have your future perfectly planned -- you know what you want to do and what you want to accomplish . . . I don't even know who I am yet, let alone what I want to do and accomplish. I need to figure it all out and find my something."
It's a moving speech, and you can't fault her for it. "So, we'll find it," Dawson pleads. He's already gone through the destruction of one of the most important relationships in his life so far tonight, and he's going to fight a repeat of that situation with everything he's got. Joey tells him that her quest can't include him, that it has to be her own doing. "You make me so happy, but I have to make myself happy first. That's the one thing in the world you can't do for me." Dawson asks her what she's saying, what she really means, and in answer, she is silent and walks towards the window.
Dawson's desparate. In one fell swoop, he's lost practically everything that means anything to him in the span of a few short hours. So, he takes a big breath, swallows his pride and says the 3 little words everyone's been waiting to hear. "Joey, wait! . . . I love you." (okay, 5 little words) To be fair, there's no hesitancy here, he just comes out and says what we've known all along. But why is it he always saves these epic moments of true confession with Joey for when she's about to run through the window and from his life?
She comes back to him. "I love you, too." She leans in to kiss him -- almost -- then stops and pulls away. Almost in tears, she goes back to the window. Love, no matter how hard it was for them to admit to each other, simply isn't enough right now. In fact, all the love in the world can't help them at this point. The damage is done, Joey's chosen her path and nothing can alter that. But, understandably, Dawson cannot comprehend that. "How can it be over?" he splutters. "We can't just say 'I love you' for the first time and have it be over!" Though it breaks her heart, Joey knows what she must do, and it isn't only for herself, it's for her and Dawson, one day in the future. If they are to survive at some distant point, she has to do this now. Short-term pain for long-term gain . . . or something like that. What's that expression again? If you love something, set it free, if it comes back to you, it is yours, if it doesn't, it never was in the first place. Tape it to your mirror, Dawson.
Finally, Joey speaks, but she says the very words Dawson doesn't want to hear. "I have to go . . . Goodnight." And with that, she leaves, but she doesn't go far. She stands on the Leerys' roof, her face in her hands, and cries -- for herself, for Dawson, for everything.
Inside, Dawson throws a fit. It's all just been too much for him to handle and the only release for his anger is by hurling objects around the room and letting out all that pent-up aggression. (between this and his fight tonight, he's turning into quite the little macho man, isn't he?) He looks out the window just in time to see Joey run across his lawn into the darkness. (On a side note -- my compliments to Katie for climbing out a window and down a ladder in that dress and those heels! Still, you can tell she isn't used to wearing heels by the way she runs!) He stares after her, then climbs out the window and over to the ladder. Instead of climbing down it and chasing her, as we expect, he kicks it down, his eyes welling up with angry tears. He almost looks like he's pondering jumping off the roof after it. It's a very symbolic guesture, and one that will have multiple implications for weeks to come, no doubt.
Fade to black ...