As he types, a voiceover (of Dawson's voice) replays his words. "Compare and contrast Humphrey Bogart's character arc in Casablanca to one in your own life. Use examples." Dawson stares at the screen, completely stumped and unmotivated. After a moment, he begins typing and the voiceover resumes. "Example one ... Ms. Kennedy. The character starts out as a sadistic film teacher / father's new girlfriend who maliciously conjures up a finals assignment for the sole purpose to slowly torturing her helpless nemesis, played by Dawson Leery, to death. An example of a purely evil character with absolutely no arc whatsoever."
Dawson sighs and deletes what he just wrote, then goes over to Joey. "Why are we so ridiculously intent on pleasing the people who dislike us the most?" he asks out loud, frowning. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this, Dawson," Joey replies. "I mean, this is your film final. It should be a no-brainer for you." "I know," he says gloomily. Joey has an idea. "Why don't you just ... I don't know ... interview somebody?"
Suddenly, he's inspired. "On camera! That's it! I'll present my film final on camera! I mean, I'm bound to get points for ingenuity if nothing else, right?" "There you go," Joey smiles. Dawson sits down on the bed, and holds his videocamera at Joey. (Again, where does a kid in the 10th Grade get his own videocamera?) "So," he grins eagerly at her. "Joey ... talk to me!"
She is suitably unimpressed. "Forget it, Dawson!" "Come on!" he begs. "You've gone through changes this year. You have a character arc!" "No," Joey insists. "You've already immortalized my character on screen -- without my signed consent, I might add. Find another sucker ... er, subject."
But he's as persistent as she is adamant. "Come on, just a few questions?" he coerces. "The camera loves you!" Finally, his efforts wear her down. "Okay, Dawson," she sighs. "Being the overly generous, kind, loving girlfriend that I am, I will say something ..." Joey stares into the camera lens up close, as Dawson ardently begins to record her words. " ... Good luck." With that, she jumps up from the bed and kisses Dawson quickly on the cheek. "See you tomorrow!" "Bye," he pouts, as Joey sails out the door.
The next morning, Andie enters the kitchen of her house to find an unexpected presence at the breakfast table -- her father. "Daddy?" she says, shocked. "Hello, Andie," Mr. McPhee replies grimly. Andie is stunned. "What are you doing here?" Her father explains he came to see her. Andie laughs scornfully. "Funny, um, see, I seem to remember that you're not welcome here."
"Andie, I know you and I have a lot of things to work out, and we will, but right now I'm here because I'm worried about you," he tells her calmly. "I know about Tim and everything else that's been going on with you." She's a little taken aback by this. "Well, you don't need to worry about me because, uh, I'm fine. Pacey and Jack were here and, uh, they helped me through my rough week so I don't really need you here."
Mr. McPhee looks at his daughter sternly. "Andie, this is serious." She returns the look and says evenly, "So why are you here?" Just then, Jack appears. "I called him," he says quietly. Andie's sense of betrayal is visible. "How could you do that to me?" she demands. "I'm sorry --" Jack begins, but his father interrupts. "Your brother was concerned, as am I. I had no idea your situation was this extreme."
"My situation?" Andie echoes disbelievingly. "What is that -- another vague description of events so you can deal with all this?" Mr. McPhee ignores her. "When we get home, we'll discuss all this. You should start packing." "Packing?" she shouts. Jack stares at his father in horror. "You didn't say anything about leaving!" Mr. McPhee is not in the mood for discussions. "It's a decision I've come to," he tells his children firmly.
By this point, Andie is livid. "I don't care about your decision! We have finals! We can't leave!" Mr. McPhee doesn't seem to think that's a legitimate excuse, though. "Jack will stay one more week. As for you, I'll call the school and arrange for make-ups."
"No!" Andie shouts. "No! You can't take me away! I'm not going to let you!" "You need perpetual supervision right now," Mr. McPhee says firmly. "Your mother does, too. I spoke to your current doctor about our options ... we'll get through this." "So, we have no choice?" Andie asks tearfully. "Andie, I'm not asking," her father tells her. She turns and casts an evil look at Jack before storming out the room. "I'm sorry! I'm ... I didn't know!" he calls after her apologetically before following her out.
Later that morning, Jen and Dawson are walking down the school corridors. "What in the world am I supposed to say?" she asks. "Talk about some of the changes you went through in the past year," Dawson suggests. "Oh, God," Jen groans. "What is this, America's Most Hideous Video Moments?" "Jen, come on!" Dawson pleads, exasperated. But Jen isn't through having fun with him just yet. "Let me guess, Candid Camera?" she teases.
"No," he sighs. "I'm serious!" "Oh, well, if you're serious then, by all means," Jen tells him sarcastically. "Let me reveal my deepest, darkest, most intimate secrets of the past year for your homework assignment." "No, this is all ..." Dawson's had enough. He sighs. "Just forget about it."
All of a sudden, Jen undergoes an emotional transformation. "No," she says quietly. "Actually, this is probably a good thing. I should actually talk about it, so ..." She gestures to him to roll the camera. "I mean, how am I supposed to forget when all this drama began to unfold?" Jen continues, her voice thick with emotion. "I, uh ... I don't know ... all of a sudden, I just ... I just ..." She stops, on the verge of tears.
Dawson is lapping it up. "You what?" he demands. Jen sighs. "... Cut it off." He pokes his head out from behind the camera. "Cut what off?" "My hair." Jen breaks into a broad grin as Dawson sighs dejectedly and switches off the camera. "Jen ..." "Oh, I'm serious, Dawson," she says, very matter-of-factly. "Making a major hairstyle change like that is a very traumatic event in a young girl's life."
With that, she leaves, and Dawson begins a frantic search for a new victim, er, subject, settling on none other than one Mr. Jack McPhee. Only, Jack doesn't wanna play that game. "Dawson, any day but today I'd be glad to tell you about my well-publicized life changes but, uh, today's kind of a disaster," he apologizes. Dawson sighs. "No problem."
Back to square one. Dawson approaches Joey in desperation, camera in tow. "No," she says pre-emptively, before he can even start. "Joey, I'm desperate!" he pleads. "No." "Why not?" he asks, frustrated. She stares at him flatly. "Stalking paparazzi is not a flattering occupation, Dawson. Give it up." After a small peck on the cheek, she leaves.
Desperate, Dawson tries Pacey. "I've been trying to figure out how people grow and change," Dawson begins. Pacey humours him. "Well, for only three easy payments of $29.95 a month, you, too, can go from town crier to fine upstanding citizen in just six months!"
Pacey peers into an empty class. "In here?" "Sure," Dawson agrees, happy to have finally skewered a subject. He sets up the camera and begins the interview. "Seriously, though ... how'd you do it?" Pacey blinks at him curiously. "I didn't do anything, Dawson. You and I both know that, left to my own devices, I would be repeating the tenth grade, at best. At worst, I'd probably be living somewhere under a highway right now."
Dawson doesn't buy that. "Pacey, give me a break. I mean, sure, you had some outside inspiration, but you're the one that grabbed your life by the balls and turned things around." But Pacey doesn't buy that. "Dawson my only inspiration this year was to find an inspiration like Andie. Everything else just stemmed from her."
Typically, Mr. Filmmaker boils it down into a one-line synopsis. "Classic hero who changes for the love of a woman." "Not exactly, bud," Pacey shakes his head. "Every day I wake up holding my breath, waiting for someone to expose my fraudulent act, you know? Lock me up for it ... figure out this whole thing was just a big lie."
That doesn't sound like the Pacey we all know and love, so Dawson abruptly switches off the camera. "We can do this later," he tells his best friend. "Are you all right? What's going on with you?" Pacey's eyes well up and a lump develops in his throat. "Ever since me and Andie ... well, literally collided, she mistook me for someone else. And she gave me somebody to be. And now that she needs my help, there's not a damn thing I can do for her. I'm failing her, Dawson," He's still shaken by the memory of Andie's freak-out in the bathroom the week prior. "So you're going to have to find yourself another hero."
With that, he exits the room, and spots none other than Andie herself down the hall, visibly upset. "Andie?" "Oh, Pacey ..." she cries. Now he's worried. "What happened? You weren't in class this morning." "Um, yeah," Andie sighs. "My dad came back into town and ... he's making us go home," she finishes hoarsely. Pacey's face falls. "What?" She nods mutely, close to tears. "He's taking us back to Providence."
"Okay ... come on," he soothes, putting an arm around her. They walk down the hall and into another empty classroom. "He wants me to get help," Andie's voice breaks, and the words come tumbling out. "He wants us to be a family again, but he's been absent for over a year, Pacey, and now that I've finally started to make a life for me here he just wrenches me away! God, I just ... he makes me so angry!"
"Okay," Pacey says calmly. "Andie, listen ... can't he just get you help here? You already have a therapist in town --" "No, Pacey!" she explodes. "He is the most stubborn man in the world. If he even thinks that I should go, I might as well start packing."
Pacey sighs. "Andie, what is it that you want to do?" "What is it that I want to do?" she echoes. "Pacey, I want to stay here ... get help here. I want to be with you. I mean, the thought of us not being able to be together is just ..." She trails off, unable to continue.
"So we fight him on this, okay?" Pacey insists. "This ain't over yet." Andie's voice is full of defeat. "He wants to leave tomorrow, Pacey." Pacey is crestfallen when he hears this. "Okay. That's fine," he remarks quietly, pacing around the room. "That's fine, Andie. It's fine. It's fine! Because when he hears what you and I have to say, he's not going to take you anywhere." She looks at him doubtfully.
At the Capeside docks, the other member of the McPhee clan is staring out at the sea when Jen approaches him. "Bite of my Subway for your troubles?" she offers. "My dad's back," Jack replies bluntly. "And believe it or not, I called. Andie's not doing well and I didn't know what else to do."
"You did the right thing," Jen says sympathetically. "But I didn't," he insists. "I thought he would stay and help, but instead he wants to take us back to Providence." Jen thinks this over a moment. "You know what, Jack? There's a bright side to this. Maybe Andie's going to get better? Maybe if you and your dad move back in, there's a chance for reconciliation."
Jack laughs derisively. "Yeah, right. Us and the Middle East." Eager to change the subject, he asks Jen if she's planning on staying at the Leerys' forever. "Ohhh, ouch!" she grins, then sighs. "I don't know. The situation's kind of dire." "What about your mom and dad?" Jack asks. "They made it pretty clear how they felt about me when they sent me here," Jen replies sadly.
"Well, you're different now," Jack insists. "You're not the same girl that they sent away." Jen's not so sure it's as easy as all that, though. "After what happened with Grams, they'll never believe that anything has changed." The eternal optimist, Jack wants to give Mr. and Mrs. Lindley the benefit of the doubt. "Give them a chance," he tells her. "Who knows? Maybe ... maybe you're not the only one who's changed."
Over at the Icehouse, Joey is busily serving customers when Dawson comes in and grabs her for a quick kiss. "Come here," she smiles, and leads him into a sectioned-off part of the restaurant. But it isn't what you think -- instead of pulling him away for a secluded smoochfest, Joey merely wants to show him the renovations the Icehouse is undergoing.
"Look at this place," Dawson marvels, clearly impressed. "It's the lounge," Joey explains. "Music nightly, featuring the East Coast's finest entertainers." "Am I going to need a tie to get in here now?" he teases. Joey's father, who has been working away in the background, overhears their conversation and grins. "You might have some pull with the owner," Mr. Potter remarks.
After he walks away, Joey turns to Dawson and smiles. "That is not my father. I mean, he's turned into this Mister-Saturday-Night-Sitcom, Father of the Year. The man I know was this grumbling, dejected mass of negativity." Dawson grins back. "You mean a relative of yours was grumbling and negative? That's just not possible." "I'm happy, so sue me!" Joey laughs. Dawson's happy too. "Trust me, I love this new happy-go-lucky Joey Potter." He closes in for a kiss.
Joey leaves then to go to work. A thought crosses Dawson's mind and he walks over to Mr. Potter, who is talking to another man whom he introduces as Pete. Dawson shakes Pete's hand. "We were just talking about our days in the Merchant Marines together," Mr. Potter reminisces. "Not exactly the good old days."
Pete walks away. Picking his moment, Dawson takes a deep breath. "I ... I have a question," he says to Mr. Potter. "What I need is a subject for one of my final projects. I need somebody in my life who's demonstrated a major character change." "If you mean me, I'm flattered, Dawson," Mr. Potter smiles. "You wouldn't mind if I interviewed you?" Dawson asks hopefully. "Not at all." "Great," Dawson says, mightily relieved. "Great!"
He isn't going to get his interview that easily, though. "In return though, I've got something for you to do," Mr. Potter tells him. "Okay," Dawson says with slight hesitation. Mr. Potter hands Dawson a carpenter's level. As Dawson turns it over and over in his hands, trying to figure out its purpose, Joey approaches from behind, amused. "What does this do?" Dawson asks, completely puzzled. Joey stifles a laugh and looks from her father to her boyfriend. Dawson blinks innocently. "What?" "Nothing," Joey can't control her giggling anymore. He blinks again. "What?"
At Casa McPhee, Jack opens the front door to a dejected Pacey. "From the look on your face, it looks like you've heard the bad news," Jack says. "Yeah," Pacey sighs. "What's the rush, Jack? Why now? Tomorrow morning?" "My family's flair for histrionics," Jack shrugs. "It wouldn't be a McPhee departure if we weren't doing it in the early dawn with, like, a few hours to prepare."
Pacey looks miserable. "Okay, how do we stop this?" "I don't think we can," Jack replies sadly. "My father's decisions, they're final. There's no point in arguing them." It's a situation Pacey is all too familiar with. "I know how that is," he sighs again. "Believe me, I do. But now's not the time to give up! There's too much at stake here, Jack!"
"Which is precisely why she's leaving now," a voice calls from the doorway. It's Mr. McPhee, who has been listening intently to the boys' conversation. Pacey approaches him. "Mr. McPhee, I'm Pacey Witter." Mr. McPhee is polite, but cool. "I know all about you, son, and I appreciate your sentiments regarding my daughter's situation, as I'm sure you appreciate my own concern."
"I do," Pacey answers quickly. "Absolutely. I'm just wondering why you're making her leave now ... like this." "Because her doctors in Providence suggested that we waste no time getting her the proper care," Mr. McPhee replies crisply. Pacey isn't about to give up, though. "Okay," he suggests, "So why not here?" "Because I'm not here," comes the response.
Pacey's still determined to plead his case. "But she has friends here, a whole support system!" "Are you suggesting friends are more important than family?" Mr. McPhee asks hotly. "No, sir," Pacey replies. "I'm just suggesting that Andie's built a family here, one that I'm a part of, and I can help her."
"She's my responsibility," Mr. McPhee insists. Pacey won't let up, though, and boldly decides to challenge Andie's father's claim. "Well, with all due respect, sir, you knew of Andie's condition when you left her and Jack here, so to take her home now because you suddenly developed some sort of guilty conscience is not fair."
Predictably, Mr. McPhee is outraged. "Is not fair to whom?" he thunders. "My daughter, or to you, because you're just too selfish to let her go?" "You're absolutely right." Pacey looks over at Jack. "I'm not just here on Andie's behalf, because if she left me ... I don't know what I'd do. So I guess I'm begging you for both of us, sir, please ... let her stay." It's an impassioned plea, but unfortunately, it falls on deaf ears. "I'm sorry," Mr. McPhee replies. "My mind's made up."
Another Capesider who may be leaving town is Jen. At the Leerys, she picks up the phone and dials a number. "Mom? ... Hey, it's Jennifer ... Yeah, I figured that she might have called ... I'm just ... I'm staying next door with the Leerys, they've been really great ... No, no, they don't seem to mind at all. Um actually, that's what I'm calling about ... I was wondering if that ... I mean, I know it's been a while since we've talked about this, but I was ... curious as to what the situation is with me coming home ... to stay ... with you and Dad ..."
At the Icehouse, Dawson's doing his best impersonation of a handyman, haplessly hammering away happily on a board, when his thumb gets in the way. "Owww!" he howls, then looks down at his handiwork and sighs, muttering, "God, I suck at this." Just then, Joey quietly approaches him from behind and envelopes him in a big hug. "Hey," she smiles. "Hey," he replies, and receives a kiss for his answer.
"You know," Joey grins, "I've decided that this whole new, macho, working-man thing? Definitely a turn-on." "Really?" Dawson grins back, and receives another kiss. "Mmm-hmm," she nods. "I was thinking, however, that maybe you need a makeover. The rebel look? Tight T-shirt, denim, leather jacket ... you know, grease the hair back?"
"Sure," Dawson agrees, "I could do that." Joey's father walks in on the lovebirds. "I'm ready," he announces to Dawson. "Oh, already?" Dawson says. "Okay, I'll finish that later and I'll go set things up." He leaves happily as Joey and Mr. Potter inspect his craftsmanship. Mr. Potter peers at the woodwork closely and exchanges a knowing look with his daughter. "That's not going to work." "I know," Joey smiles. "Don't say anything."
A few minutes later, Dawson is interviewing Mr. Potter on camera, with a visibly unhappy Joey in the background. "I guess everybody makes mistakes," Mr. Potter says. "Some of us are just better at it than others." "Yeah, but you were able to overcome your mistakes," Dawson notes.
Mr. Potter isn't so sure. "At first, I thought I would die of shame, literally," he continues. "I lost everything that I loved. And as much as I didn't want to think it, Dawson ... deep down, I was a weak man. And, even if I could turn things around, would my daughters ever forgive me? Could they ever forget what I did to their mother? How could --" At that point, Joey decides she's had enough, and walks out of the room as both Dawson and her father watch silently.
Jack, like Joey, doesn't like what his father has to say, either. "This will be good for your mother, and Andie, and you," Mr. McPhee tells his son at their house. "Put our family back together." Jack has an idea. "What if, um, what if you stayed ... here? With us."
It's not an option Mr. McPhee wants to entertain. "I can't leave my business." "Then start up a new one," Jack tells him coldly. "Or move it here. Or take day trips, I don't care. If you really loved us, you'd stay." "There's no one here to help Andie," Mr. McPhee insists. Jack doesn't see it that way, though. "No, there's Pacey. I mean, I have never seen two people with what they have together."
Again, Mr. McPhee is dismissive. "I can only offer what I've offered." Now it's Jack's turn to insist. "You haven't offered everything." "Yes, I have." "You haven't offered her a choice," Jack replies. "A ch -- I can't do that!" his father explodes. "It's best for all of us if we all leave. Jack, your mother and your sister need serious medical attention. And you're certainly not going to get the help you need here in Capeside."
"Help?" Jack repeats, not believing his ears. "Exactly what kind of help do I need?" "If you could talk to someone about your problem --" "Look, just don't even go there," Jack interrupts sharply, walking out of the room.
Mr. McPhee follows him out. "Look, just hear me out," he sighs. "I understand that you're confused with these gay ideas --" "The only problem I have is the fact that you have a problem with me being gay," Jack corrects him. "Look this isn't about me anyway, it's about Andie and what's best for her. God, Dad, let her make the choice. Let her make the decision. You know how damaging it would be to take her away now? Away from Pacey?"
"I hardly think a teen romance is a solution to a medical problem," Mr. McPhee scoffs. "Her solution will come from the people that love and care for her," says Jack, staring at his father coldly. "I know that's not your specialty, dad."
Upstairs, Andie and Pacey are in her bedroom, Andie playing silently with a stuffed animal while Pacey sits in a chair, thinking. The two of them are like a pair of death-row inmates, awaiting execution at dawn. "This is ridiculous, Andie," Pacey suddenly explodes. "For the two of us to be sitting here, passively waiting for our inevitable doom."
Ever the scholar, Andie suggests Pacey could use the time to start studying for finals. Pacey tells her to forget about finals, he has a much better idea. "You and I ... we have no idea what tomorrow brings. But tonight is ours, so ..." he trails off. "So what do you want to do?" Andie asks. "I'd like to get the hell out of here if we could," Pacey tells her. She asks where they are going.
"Well, Andie McPhee," Pacey grins, "I'd like to take you on a date. One where I can come over and pick you up, take you out to dinner, maybe a movie ... some moonlight, a little romance. Believe me, this is exactly what you and I need." "Pacey," she starts. "It's just that ... there's so much that needs to be done, and I ..."
She sighs, then notes the look of disappointment on his face. "You know what? You're right. A night out on the town, just the two of us, is exactly what we need." "Now you're talking," Pacey smiles at her. "We'll deal with tomorrow tomorrow. But tonight ... tonight will be magical." "Okay," Andie agrees. "Okay," Pacey echoes and kisses her on her forehead.
Back to the Icehouse, where Mr. Potter's interview is still in progress. "What drove you to your lowest point?" Dawson asks. Mr. Potter thinks a moment, then replies. "Joey's mom was getting worse, bills were mounting ... why else would someone else make the idiotic decision to risk everything for the almighty buck? I found myself in what seemed, at the time, to be an impossible situation, so I began trafficking marijuana."
At that point, Joey rushes into the room and stands between the camera and her father. "Dad, didn't you promise Bessie you'd bring her and Alexander dinner?" she demands pointedly. Mr. Potter nods and excuses himself. After his exit, Dawson looks at Joey strangely. "What's the matter?"
Joey sighs. "Look, this whole Dawson Leery, investigative reporter at large thing ... it's intrusive. Why are you making my father relive such an excruciatingly painful time in his life?" "Joey, that's the heart of the piece," Dawson tries to explain. "I'm trying to get a complete picture of a man who's changed his life so completely and so heroically."
"But don't you understand?" Joey says, exasperated. "I don't want to live in the past. We have worked so hard to close those doors and move on." He suddenly realizes the impact the interview is having on her. "Joey, I'm sorry --" "If you're so hell-bent on making this assignment about something real, then why are you doing it on another person?" she challenges. "Why don't you just do the obvious? Turn the camera on yourself."
Dawson looks down at the ground. "I can't," he mutters after a long moment of silence. Joey sighs. "Why not?" Another long stretch of silence follows. "Because." "Why not?" she repeats. Again, Dawson lapses into silence. "Because I'm afraid, okay?" he finally confesses. "I'm afraid I'm not enough for you and I never will be, and if I do this, you'll realize that you've grown way beyond me and ... I'm just going to lose you again."
Back to the McPhee residence, where Andie is getting ready for her date. Jack walks into her room. "I talked to Dad," she tells her brother happily. Jack looks confused. "Why are you smiling?" "Because," Andie replies, "He said if I wanted to stay, he'd try and work it out."
The relief in Jack's voice is obvious. "Wow! That's great news then, huh?" Andie, however, sounds less enthusiastic. "I guess." He blinks at her. "Andie, you can't tell me you're honestly thinking about leaving?" "I don't know." "Come on!" Jack practically shouts at her. "I think the decision here is pretty obvious!" "Is it?" "Yeah," Jack replies, agitated.
"Most days I feel fine, Jack. I do." Andie smiles sadly at him. "But I'm not fine. In fact, I'm getting worse. And I think the whole Tim thing is just a clear indication of that. And the ironic thing is, the more time I spend here with everybody, and with Pacey, the more I want to get better, you know? Cause I don't want to drag him down with my problems."
"I don't think Pacey feels burdened by you. I know I don't," Jack says. "But I do," Andie tells him. "I feel burdened with the knowledge of how hard it must be for you guys to take care of me, and that's why I've decided that if I leave, you should stay."
He won't hear of it. "No way. You're my family. If you go, I go." (Yet another slightly twisted Titanic reference (the third one this season!): "You jump, I jump" ring any bells?) Andie won't hear of Jack not hearing of it. "But I mean, what about what you want?" she demands. "I mean, you're always so selfless, Jack. Will you promise me that you'll think about yourself this time?" Jack looks at her, lost in thought.
Jen, meanwhile, has apparently struck out with her parents, and has decided to make an attempt at reconciling with Grams before she leaves Capeside for good by herself. She climbs Grams' porch steps, suitcase in hand, but stops short from knocking on the door. Instead, she sighs and heads back towards the Leerys' house, whispering a quiet "Bye, Grams" over her shoulder.
At the Icehouse, Dawson has made a little bit of progress in the carpentry department, and has learnt how to use the level properly. "That's it!" Mr. Potter congratulates him. "You're getting the hang of it. Good work, son." "Thank you," Dawson smiles, then his face turns serious. "I uh. Look, Mr. Potter, I ... I'm really sorry if I made you dredge up some painful memories today."
Fortunately, Mr. Potter is not as hard on Dawson as his daughter is. "Don't worry," he says with a sad smile. "It's not like it's something I don't think about every waking moment. But you asked me why I changed ... truth is, I'm not sure how much I've changed. But I keep trying, every day, to be a better person for my family. To put someone else's needs before your own, because you love them, it means everything." Joey enters just then and overhears this last part. Her father looks from Dawson to his daughter. Sensing that the two need to talk, Mr. Potter excuses himself.
h After he leaves, Dawson turns to Joey. "I probably shouldn't have laid it all out there like that. I'm a little embarrassed." She sighs. "Dawson, you have it all wrong. Can't you tell by looking at me? My life is perfect right now. I have just about everything I've ever dreamed of. I mean, my dad is back, my family is together again, business is good, but best of all, I have you in my life." Joey smiles. "A white picket fence in this little scenario, and the fairy tale would be complete."
"I just want to make you proud of me," Dawson says quietly. Joey looks at him for a long moment and smiles softly. "I love you. And I believe in you, and I am so proud of you, and not just proud of you ... but proud to be with you." She gives him a gentle kiss, and then grins at him cheekily. "Hey, and you could even be a great carpenter one day, who knows?" "Are you mocking me?" Dawson smiles through a pretend frown.
Cut to Jack, who walks in on his father doing paperwork at a desk at their home. "I'm staying," he announces purposefully. Mr. McPhee takes off his glasses and stares emotionlessly at his only son. "And your sister?" "I don't know her decision," Jack says. "Whatever it is, I'm not going." "So you want me to leave you alone here, at 17? I don't think so, Jack. I'm going to be selling the house," Mr. McPhee tells him flatly. "Dad, I don't care about the house," Jack replies. "I can't live with you. Not with the way things are."
This gives Mr. McPhee pause for thought. "With your mother's illness, sister's problems, even with Tim's death ... those, I could find reasons for them. But with you, I feel like I'm to blame." "But you aren't." "If I'd just been around more --" It's the closest thing to regret or an apology ever to come out of Mr. McPhee's mouth.
"It wouldn't have made a difference," Jack interrupts. "I'm gay for the same reason that Tim wasn't. It just happened that way." He shrugs. "But there are people who change," Mr. McPhee pleads. "They go back." His son shakes his head. "I'm hardly the encyclopedia of the gay experience, but I'd wager to say that their experience is skeptical."
"How do you know unless you try?" his father urges. Jack exhales deeply. "I don't want to try. Why do you want me to try?" "Because I cannot understand why anyone would choose that kind of life," Mr. McPhee states unhappily.
"I didn't choose it," Jack corrects. "The only thing I chose was to be happy. Look, I can't go back with you because, slowly but surely, I'd be going to sacrifice my happiness for yours. I want you to be proud of me, I do ... but not under your terms. It won't work. It just won't."
Jack turns to leave then, as Mr. McPhee looks miserably after his son. "Jack ..." But he can't find the words to express what he wants to say. Jack stands there, waiting. His father struggles with himself, then finally gives up and returns to his desk. Jack looks at him sadly.
The other member of the McPhee clan, Andie, is walking along the docks with Pacey at that exact moment. "Do you know where we are?" she whispers. "We're ... by the water?" he teases. Andie frowns, disappointed. "You don't remember." "Of course I remember," he smiles at her. "This is where we first danced."
"Where we had our first kiss," Andie adds. "I remember, my knees were shaking like crazy." "I know," Pacey looks at her tenderly. "My heart was like, boom boom, boom boom, boom boom, boom boom, boom boom." (okay, we get the point!!) "I was deliriously happy," Andie sighs. "I died and went to heaven that day," Pacey smiles, then his smile fades. "That was a long, long time ago." "It seems like yesterday," Andie replies wistfully.
Pacey's had enough of the melancholy and infinite sadness of their conversation, so he decides to play with her a bit. "What was I back then?" "A slacker," she grins. "That's what you thought, wasn't it?" he teases. "You thought I was a lazy brat." "You thought I was a spoiled princess," she counters. "And you didn't let me get away with anything back then," Pacey continues. "Yeah," Andie smiles, "And your favorite pastime was making me miserable."
"Oh boy, I hated you," Pacey grins. "I hated you more," she grins back. "Oh, Andie," he laughs, "I don't think that's possible." They both chuckle, then their laughter dissolves into a sad silence. "It's been a wild ride," Andie whispers. "It's only just begun," Pacey tells her softly. She nods.
Pacey bows in front of her. "May I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss McPhee?" Andie smiles at him. "Yes, Mr. Witter, you may." He holds her closely and they slowly dance around the dock in silent circles, when tears begin to roll down Andie's cheeks. "What's the matter? Why are you crying?" Pacey asks gently.
"I'm just so happy to be with you ... but, I'm just so sad, too ... I love you so much, Pacey ... and I can't hide from the truth anymore. I'm not getting any better. Also, because I'm going to leave tomorrow ... I have to." Andie looks down at the ground. "I know," Pacey replies, full of sadness. She looks up to meet his eyes. "No good-byes, okay?" "No good-byes," he agrees, almost on the verge of tears himself. They keep dancing for a bit, eventually winding down until they just stand on the spot, embracing each other in a tight hug and slightly swaying back and forth in the night, forehead to forehead.
The next morning, Joey wakes up to a visitor on her porch. "Hello, good morning!" "Dawson?" she stares at him, confused. "What are you doing here?" "I've been here all night," her boyfriend replies. "Shut your eyes!" "It's seven in the morning!" she wrinkles her nose at him. "Shut your eyes!" Dawson repeats. Joey protests. "I have my pajamas on!" "You look beautiful," he insists. "Come on!"
Dawson leads Joey, with her eyes shut, down the porch stairs and across her front lawn. "Walk with me," he instructs. "Keep your eyes shut ... stairs coming up." "Dawson --" she cautions. "I gotcha," Dawson guides her. "There. One ... two ... three. You're on the ground. Okay? Okay, stop ... Stop, stop. Okay, now open them."
Joey opens her eyes to find her very own white picket fence running alongside a tiny part of her lawn. "A white picket fence!" she marvels. "Yep," Dawson answers proudly. "When did you do this?" Joey laughs, absolutely delighted. "It took me all night," he replies. (What, he was banging away with a hammer all night long outside her window and she didn't hear a thing?) "It's a little crooked down at the end there, but you know ..." Dawson is silenced with a kiss. "Thank you."
"I think it will probably take the rest of the summer to finish it," he tells her. "What, you're hanging out in my front yard all summer?" Joey grins broadly at her boyfriend. "I think I could handle that." "Maybe I should start climbing through your window for a change, huh?" Dawson suggests. "Change can be good," Joey smiles and seals her pronouncement with another kiss.
At the Capeside bus depot, Jack is hurriedly trying to intervene in another sort of change -- Jen leaving town. He spies her amid the passengers waiting to board the bus and rushes over to her. (What is he, a superhero? How did he know she was gonna be there?) Jack smiles at Jen sadly. "You didn't think you were going to get away without a send-off, didja?" she returns the smile. "Oh, well, you missed the parade. It just left."
"Well," he sighs. "Looks like your parents said yes." "Not quite," Jen replies quietly. "I called my mom, and she casually informed me that now is not a very good time for me to re-enter her life, and my dad said he's still getting over my last stay with them. I told them I was different and that I wouldn't be a worry this time." Her voice breaks, "They asked if it was just a ploy to get more money every month."
Jack's disappointment is almost as deep as her own. "Jen, I'm sorry," he sighs, shaking his head. "I just figure, screw it, right?" Jen sniffs, trying to hold back tears. "I don't need them as my destination. If I'm going to leave Capeside, then what's holding me back?" "You don't have another place to go?" he asks softly. "Oh, I've got every place to go," Jen informs him. "There's just nobody there."
Just then, Jack pulls Jen out of the line. "Look, I often wonder how my mom would act if she was aware of what was going on, if she was capable of comprehending it. I don't think she'd have a problem with it, because my mom loves me for the best reason possible ... no reason at all. See, that's the way our parents should love us Jen. Unconditionally. But as much as it hurts, it's worse for them. It's worse to be incapable of loving than to not be loved."
He takes Jen's bags out of her hands. "Wh-? No, Jack --" She begins to protest, but he won't hear it. Jack crumples up her ticket. "I'm taking you back to my place. It's pretty empty and uh, I could use a roommate ... what do you say?" The other passengers have all boarded now, and the driver waits for Jen to decide whether she is coming aboard or not. "Yeah," she eventually replies quietly. "Yeah." Jack pulls her into a long hug and nods over her shoulder to the driver. The doors close then, and the bus slowly drives away as Jack and Jen hold hands and walk down the street.
"Mr. Potter!" Dawson shouts as he enters a quiet Icehouse. "Here's your tools!" When he gets no reply, he puts the tools down and follows the sound of the voices he hears towards the back of the restaurant. The door to the office in the back room is open ajar. Keeping a good distance away, Dawson sees Mr. Potter and Pete, his friend from the Merchant Marines inside the office. Pete is holding a vase and empties out the flowers it holds, then tips it upside-down. A small bag full of white powder falls out.
Dawson is stunned. As quietly as possible, he retraces his steps and enters the front of the restaurant again, where Joey sees him. "Hey!" she smiles, giving him a big kiss. Pale and shaken, Dawson doesn't say a word. Joey notices and pulls back. "What's wrong?" He begins to try to tell her, but stops short. "Nothing ... nothing's wrong." "Okay ..." Joey says, but she doesn't sound convinced. She gives him a hug, but over her shoulder, Dawson's face falls.
Andie's face falls, too, when the time comes for her to say good-bye to her brother. As her father loads things into the cars, Jack and Andie hug. "I'll see you soon. I love you," Jack tells her. "Uh-huh," she nods. Mr. McPhee comes round and holds out his hand to Jack, who shakes it after a moment's hesitation. "I'm not the best father, I know that," he tells his only son. "But I do want you to be happy." "Thank you," Jack replies gratefully.
(Okay, let me preface the next three paragraphs by saying that while I appreciate what the writers were trying to do, I don't think they quite nailed it. It was supposed to come across as incredibly poignant and romantic, but instead, it came across to me as incredibly cheesy and lame. But that's just MY opinion ...)
As Andie is about to get into the car, Pacey runs up to the McPhees in their driveway. "Andie! Andie!" She stops, and he throws his arms around her tightly. "We said no good-byes," Andie whispers, close to tears. "I don't want to say good-bye," Pacey whispers back, close to tears himself. "I just want to look at you. I wish I had some eloquent parting words for you, but all I can think of is this ... thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me, thank you for forcing me be the man you've made me, just ... thank you. I am so grateful to you, Andie."
"Oh, I don't want to let you go, Pacey!" Andie wails. "Just remember your promise, okay?" he says. "You and me, together again ... happy, healthy, and more in love than ever." "I'll remember," she smiles through her tears. "You get better, McPhee, then you hurry back to me," he tells her firmly.
Andie has a final request before she leaves. "Pacey, kiss me." He does. "My knees are shaking," Andie whispers when they pull apart. He smiles at her sadly. "My heart ... boom-boom, boom-boom." He gives her a long hug, and Andie cries openly in his arms. Eventually, she disentangles herself from his embrace and walks to the car with a heavy heart. The car slowly drives away as Pacey and Jack wave from the driveway.
Finally, we end where we began, with Dawson's voiceover dictating what he's written for his school film project. "We're taught to believe that, in the movies, a character goes through an arc and changes," it begins. "But what if that's not true? By the end of Casablanca, Bogart's the same lonely, tough guy that he always was." The camera cuts to Pacey walking alone by a fountain, the perfect Capeside complement to Dawson's description.
Dawson's voiceover continues, describing Bogey again. "His decisions didn't change him, nor did his actions." This time, the camera cuts to Jen and Jack, who are sitting on his bed, eating ice cream and watching TV. Again, a correlation can be drawn -- Jen and Jack's initial decisions to leave and their subsequent actions (or lack thereof) ultimately didn't change either of them, because both of them stayed instead.
The voiceover carries on. "It simply revealed what was already there -- a man who wanted to change, but feared he couldn't." Now the camera shows Mr. Potter, alone, at the Icehouse bar. The parallel here is pretty self-evident.
We then see the source of the actual voiceover. On the TV in Dawson's room, a video is playing which features none other than Dawson himself, talking about his final film project. "If Bogart really wanted to change, he wouldn't have sent his love away but held on to her for dear life. Because I think love is change ..."
The camera pans to the real Dawson in his bedroom, who is watching the videotaped Dawson on-screen. He looks over at Joey, who has fallen asleep studying on his bed. The voiceover concludes. "... Or, at least I hope so."
Fade to black ...
Send me your comments, criticisms & compliments ... please?
