They Don't Wanna Wait: The Stars of Dawson's Creek

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THEY DONT'T

WANNA WAIT TheStarsofDAWSON'SCREEK

KATHETIBBS& BIFF L PETERSON

ICW PRESS

Copyright © EC W PRESS , 1999 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any process — electronic, mechanical , photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without the prio r written permission of ECW PRESS.

CANADIAN CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA

Tibbs, Kath e They don't wanna wait: the stars of Dawson's Cree k ISBN 1-55022-389-5 1. Dawson's Creek (Television program). 2 . Television actors and actresses — Unite d States — Biography. I . Peterson, Bif f L. II . Title. III . Title: They don't want to wait. PNI992.77.D36T521999 79i_45'7

2 099-931990-

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Cover design by Tania Craan Layout by Mary Bowness Printed by Printcrafter s

Distributed in Canada by General Distribution Services, 325 Humber Blvd., Etobicoke, Ontario uyw 70 3 Distributed in the United State s by LPC Group-InBook, 1436 West Randolph Street , Chicago, Illinois , USA 60607

Published b y EC W PRESS 2120 Queen Stree t East, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario , M4 E IE2 www.ecw.ca/press

The publication of They Don't Wanna Wait has been generously supported by The Canada Council , the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government o f Canad a through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program. Canada

TABLE OF CONTENT! Prologue 1 The Cas t of Dawson's Cree k James Van Der Bee k 5 Katie Holmes 1 Joshua Jackson 2 Michelle Williams 2 Meredith Monro e 3 Kerr Smith 3

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Kevin Williamson 4

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The Importanc e o f Being Earnest 8

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Episode Guid e 10 Season On e 10 Season Two 13

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Biff L. Peterson would lik e to exten d a tremendous thank s to Tracy Weaver fo r her researc h assistance . Thank s also t o Jack David and Jennife r Hal e at ECW Press , Joal Ryan , Marmoset Man, Dil i "Deal " Munky, an d everyon e a t En d o f th e Worl d Enterprises. Kathe Tibbs woul d lik e t o thank Rache l Jones, Jen Hale , Jack David, Mar y Bowness, Sall y Catto , Stefani e and Jolene Bond, Michael Holmes , Cha d Wallace , an d th e Laws : Marlyn , Derrick, and Sacha .

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PROLOGUE

Back in January 1998 , when 15-year-ol d blond bombshel l Jen Lindley pulle d u p i n fron t o f he r grandparents ' hous e an d strode out o f the ca r in that terrific slow-motio n shot , she di d far mor e tha n simpl y distrac t young Dawso n Leery's faithfu l eye fro m hi s bes t frien d an d laten t lov e interest, Joey Potter. She helped change th e way American teenagers watc h primetime television. Since th e daw n o f the televisio n age , the boo b tub e ha s attempted to portray the struggles of adolescence but, because of networ k standard s an d practices , socia l mores , an d th e overriding fac t tha t th e show s wer e writte n b y out-of-touch adults, i t usuall y faile d t o presen t anythin g beyon d mer e pablum. I n th e 1950 s and 60s , shows lik e Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, and My Three Sons showed teens turning to their strong , upstandin g parent s fo r help , overcomin g suc h coming-of-age obstacle s as bullies , firs t dates , and bad kid s who chea t o n thei r mat h tests . Th e 1970 s brough t wit h i t shows lik e Family Affair, Th e Brady Bunch, Th e Partridge Family, and Aaron Spelling's Family, in which issues like divorce, family dysfunction, and sibling rivalry were discussed but inevitabl y washe d over . An d the n cam e show s lik e

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Welcome Back, Kotter and 2 1 Jump Street, where inner-city kid s faced problem s suc h a s racism , drugs , an d violence , bu t a caring teache r o r co p usuall y ha d th e answers . Al l th e interesting stuff tha t happens i n real life — like sex, infidelity, drugs, suicide , rag e — wer e lef t t o th e ric h whit e folk s o n prime-time soap operas like Dallas and Dynasty. In th e earl y 1990s , th e then-fledglin g Fo x networ k changed th e cours e o f television histor y whe n i t introduce d Beverly Hills, 90210, whic h grafte d th e Knots Landing-type formula ont o the Clearasil-age landscape, substitutin g a group of slutty privileged high school students for those other shows' slutty privileged adults . Never before ha d audience s watched teen character s livin g thei r live s s o brazenl y — the y fel l i n love, ha d sex , dumpe d on e another , cheated , becam e alcoholics, passed out — it was magic. Then, a few years later, the Warne r Brothers Network premiered Party o f Five, a more subdued drama about fiv e angst-ridde n tee n siblings growin g into adulthoo d togethe r afte r thei r parents' death . The inspiratio n fo r Dawson's Creek lie s somewher e between the racy Beverly Hills, 90210 and the heart-heavy Party of Five — an d somewher e els e altogether . Wha t set s Creek apart fro m everythin g tha t precede d i t i s it s them e o f los t innocence an d it s recognitio n tha t today' s teen s ar e matur e enough t o handle it , eve n a t their semi-tende r age . A decade ago, it might hav e been risqu e fo r one o f those Generatio n X kids o n 9021 0 t o ge t a n earrin g o r — Go d forbid ! — a nos e ring, but fo r todays Generation Y crowd (or Generation Next, or any one of several other catch-phrases), body piercings are pedestrian unless complemente d b y ample tattoos. Today, th e Internet makes international news or necrophilic smu t equally accessible t o smal l kids , high-schooler s storr n ont o thei r campuses wit h AK-47' s an d blas t awa y thei r teacher s an d classmates, an d s o on . Dawson' s circl e o f friends , an d th e

situations the y fin d themselve s i n eac h week , ma y b e self absorbedand fatalistic at times, but their world in tiny Capeside, Massachusetts , i s a hyper-rea l microcos m o f th e actual reality in tee n America today. Young viewers who hav e made Dawson's Creek their number-one rated showA undoubtedly recogniz e this . The y als o identif y with Dawso n Leery, th e idealist , who' s alway s tryin g t o fatho m the change s swirling aroun d him . And , o f course , th e audienc e (particularly girls ) love s th e star s o f th e show , wh o ar e attractive, articulate , and , accordin g t o thei r publicists , stil l unhitched. This is the story of Damons Creek, the show whose debu t was th e flashpoin t o f a teen revolutio n i n television , movies , and othe r media an d helped ignit e a post-pubescent boo m in Hollywood — a boo m tha t ha s see n youn g actor s wit h relatively little professional experience, like Creek heartthrob James Va n De r Beek , suddenl y top-bille d i n majo r motio n pictures. It' s not just about the show itself, with its photogeni c characters, fran k dialogue , an d sexuall y charge d coming-of age drama , but als o a behind-the-scenes loo k a t th e marke t forces tha t create d th e moder n youth-centri c T V program phenomenon, th e thirtysomething writer who reinvented tee n TV an d movie s b y revisitin g hi s ow n past , an d th e talente d young actor s an d actresse s wh o brin g th e sho w t o lif e an d have becom e majo r star s virtuall y overnight . I t i s als o a n appreciation o f th e truth s tha t th e sho w reveal s eac h wee k about love, friendship, loss , and trus t — truth s tha t Dawson, Joey, Pacey , Jen, an d th e res t striv e t o understand , eve n i f it means losin g thei r alread y fast-fadin g innocence . Lik e th e song says, they don' t wanna wait.

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THE CAS T O F OAWSON'S CREE K

CREEK GO D

JAMES VA N DE R BEE K (DAWSON LEERY ) BIRTHDATE: Marc h 8, 197 7 BIRTHPLACE: Cheshire , Connecticu t EDUCATION: Dre w University (Madison, New Jersey; majoring in English, minoring in Sociology; studies suspended ) STATS: Height : 6'; Eyes: Brown; Hair: Brown When Kevin Williamson suggeste d to WB Network executives that they cast an absolute nobody named James Van Der Beek in th e lea d role of their new tee n drama , they balked a t first . "It's gott a b e thi s kid! " Williamso n reportedl y screamed , "Nobody know s th e characte r bette r tha n me , becaus e i t is me!" A s everyon e know s b y now , Dawso n i s Williamson' s alter-ego, and as portrayed by the forthright, handsome young actor fro m Connecticut , h e represent s no t wha t Williamso n was really like at 1 5 years old, but th e ideal kid h e wishes he could hav e been. It ma y b e nothin g mor e tha n th e publicit y machin e a t

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work, but it seems there are some spooky similarities betwee n Dawson and his counterpart Van Der Beek. Dawson adorns his walls with Steve n Spielberg movie posters; Van Der Beek says posters fo r Th e Fantasticks, Jesus Christ Superstar, an d othe r Broadway play s hun g o n hi s ow n bedroo m walls . Dawso n constantly searche s fo r meanin g an d rationalize s everything, but i t is his irrational hormones tha t make his life interesting ; in th e sam e vein , Va n Der Bee k say s h e think s kid s watc h Dawson's Creek because it portrays teens i n an intelligent light , not because it's filled with sexual tension an d open discussions about doing th e wild thang . "What I get is people comin g up t o me an d saying , 'yo u guys tal k th e wa y w e feel . I wis h I coul d proces s thes e emotions an d verbaliz e them th e way you guy s do,'" Van Der Beek said in an us magazine interview. "What's striking a chord with fan s o f the sho w i s tha t they'r e no t condescende d to. " Still, Van Der Beek acknowledges tha t sex is a viewer magnet , and he' s a littl e miffe d tha t i t ha s brough t a certai n leve l of disrepute t o th e sho w amon g th e olde r set . "There are critics who say , 'these kid s hav e to o muc h se x o n th e brain,' " h e added. "Bu t those peopl e ar e i n som e seriou s denial . The y better sit down and have a talk with their own kids. They don't think thei r kids are thinking abou t this stuff ? Tha t scares me." Described b y thos e wh o kno w hi m a s a n old-school , Jimmy Stewart-typ e gentlema n wh o addresse s peopl e wit h "sir" and "ma'am,i " James Van Der Beek became an actor at age o 13, while attending private Cheshire Academy High School on full scholarship , i n hi s hometow n o f Cheshire , Connecticut . After sufferin g a concussio n whil e tryin g t o catc h a pas s i n football, Va n Der Bee k wa s ordere d b y hi s docto r t o giv e u p the spor t fo r a year . Sideline d an d bored , h e turne d hi s attention fro m th e gridiron t o the stage and was cast as Danny Zuko i n a loca l productio n o f Grease. H e di d communit y ^/

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James Van Der Beek as a senior in high school.

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theater fo r three years , the n aske d hi s parents fo r permission to auditio n fo r professional acting gigs in Ne w York. Van Der Beek's mom , a forme r Broad-wa y dancer, joined hi m o n th e train ride to the Bi g Apple where, in just on e day, he foun d a manager and an agent; he was still a junior in high school . In 1994, his professional thespian career crawled out of the starting gate. He was cast as Fergus, a young idealist in an off-Broadway production of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee's Finding the Sun, before returning to Connecticut for a run of Shenandoah at the Goodspeed Opera House. I n 1995 , Va n Der Beek landed a bit rol e o n th e soa p opera A s the World Turns, an d h e worke d i n hi s firs t featur e film, Angus , playin g Rick Sanford, a bullying jock; the fil m i s the story of a nerdy, fat high school student who take s revenge on his classmates after the y elect him pro m king as a practical joke. Va n Der Beek' s rol e in th e fil m wa s substantial, bu t th e movie dive-bombe d a t the bo x offic e an d di d nothin g for his career. However, his shooting schedule required hi m to miss a lot o f school and h e was impeached fro m hi s recentl y elected position o f class vice-president a t Cheshire Academy. Van Der Beek appeare d i n anothe r movie , I Love You, I Love Yo u No t (1996, starrin g Jeann e Morea u an d Clair e Danes) , a wistfu l tale of love and Jewish persecution, playin g Tony — a role Van Der Beek describes a s a "neo-Nazi slimeball." Although he now had two features on his resume, instead of heading west for Hollywood, Van Der Beek enrolled at Drew University i n Ne w Jersey an d live d th e studen t lif e fo r tw o years, a s hi s actin g caree r seeme d t o hav e fizzled . Neve r having bee n a popular ki d i n hig h school , h e foun d himsel f making u p los t groun d an d "regressing " i n college , concentrating o n his socializin g an d partyin g rathe r than hi s studies. H e regretfull y admit s that , eve n thoug h hi s grade s were good, he was often snow-jobbin g hi s English professors ,

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James on the set of Varsity Blues.

faking hi s assignments . " I wrot e paper s o n book s I neve r read," he told Seventeen magazine in 1999. "How'd I get away with it ? Basically I'm just a really good bullshitter. I'v e found that peopl e wh o actuall y rea d th e [assigned ] boo k en d u p writing something that the professor has already read a million times. Someon e wh o hasn' t rea d th e boo k ha s t o ge t reall y creative an d tur n i n somethin g th e professo r has neve r seen , so yo u ge t a bette r grade. " Van De r Beek' s academi c faker y must have been legendary: according to some reports, he was placed o n the Dean's list at least once . But college studies were put o n hold when, in April 1997, Van Der Beek landed a n audition for Dawson's Creek. It wasn't exactly a slam-dunk o n th e youn g actor' s part. "H e [Va n Der Beek] wa s reall y nervous, an d i t showed, " Kevi n Williamso n told People i n 1998 . But , after a shaky firs t reading , "h e came back into the room and stunned us . We knew he was Dawson. He's ver y bright , bu t he' s als o ver y vulnerable . I lik e that ,

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because it keeps him 1 5 years old." Well, t o b e fair , almos t n o on e ou t ther e i n viewerlan d would believe that that this square-jawed, well-dressed, killerhaired, and well-spoken man is a 15-year-old high school student; after all , how many 15-year-olds hold such articulate, literate philosophy session s amongst themselves, lik e Dawson's gang, o n a regula r basis ? Va n De r Bee k attribute s hi s ow n affinity fo r (an d identificatio n with) th e Dawso n character with helpin g th e audienc e suspen d suc h disbelief : "Dawson and I were very impassioned at an early age. He's a burgeoning filmmaker whos e idealis m sometime s make s hi m oblivious . He's a bit o f an innocent, and i s frequently of f in his ow n little world, all of which I can definitel y relat e to," he tol d People. Age difference aside , Van Der Beek has become a classicstyle tee n idol , wit h thousand s o f girl s flockin g t o hi s rar e promotional appearance s i n hope s o f flingin g thei r under garments at him. His star is rising fast, more so than any other Dawson's Creek personality , and perhap s mor e s o tha n an y other mal e sta r o f hi s youn g generation . I n 1998 , Va n Der Beek was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, and his inevitable movie career was jump-started with the colleg e football dram a Varsity Blues (release d early 1999), which starred Jon Voight and Scott Caan (son of James). In the film, Va n De r Bee k play s Joh n "Mox " Moxon , a cerebra l second-string quarterback who reads literature while warming the benc h fo r th e Coyote s o f Wes t Canaan , Texas . I n thi s overblown, youth-versus-the-older-generatio n tale , Moxo n is at constant odd s with the tyrannical football coach Bud Kilmer (Voight), especially when the star quarterback goes down with an injur y an d Mo x become s th e mai n man . Durin g th e quintessential "bi g game," the coac h wigs out an d Mo x must lead th e tea m t o victor y — th e kid s symbolicall y leav e th e nest, no longer needing the oldies to mentor them.

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James holds up his MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance — Male.

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Despite tepid critical reviews, Varsity Blues was a moderate hit, making an impressive $32 million in its first two weeks o f release and maintainin g th e No . 1 spot a t th e bo x office durin g tha t period . Studi o official s attribute d thi s success partly to the fact that Van Der Beek received top billin g in the advertising campaign. "[Van Der Beek] has proven once and for all that he has the goods," Paul Schulman, an ad buyer for Paramount , which released the film , told USA Today. Fo r hi s part, Va n Der Bee k sai d h e hope d th e fil m woul d ope n u p other actin g possibilities fo r him, but h e expresse d n o desir e to do a David Caruso and leave Dawson's Creek at the height of its popularity. "Honestly, right now, being in a television sho w offers a tremendou s amoun t o f security, " he tol d US A Today. "Even if Varsity Blues was a flop, I was still going to have a job. I'm locked in on the show for three or four more years, and I'll stay as long as they'll keep me." By all accounts, James Van Der Beek is going to be a star for a while to come. Luckily, perhaps, his early acting struggles have fostered a deep appreciatio n fo r his immense, seemingl y immediate success . S o far, there's n o sig n it' s all gon e t o hi s head. "I mean, two years ago I was in colleg e and no w I have this job and everything's different," he told Seventeen magazine in 1999 . "It's hard t o try to wrap your mind aroun d it." JAMES VAN DER BEEK FILMOGRAPHY Films: Angus (1995 , Ric k Sanford) ; I Love You, I Love You No t (1996, Tony); Varsity Blues (1999, John "Mox" Moxon); Harvest (1999*); Castle in the Sky (1999 , voice o f Patzu); Texas Rangers (2000).

*Note: Harvest was reportedly filmed circ a 1996-97 , prio r to Dawson's Creek; Van Der Beek's subsequent popularity has generated interest in the film among distributors and it was reportedly t o be released i n 1999.

ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAI N GIRLFRIEND KATIE HOLME S (JOSEPHINE "JOEY " POTTER ) BIRTHDATE: Decembe r 18 , 197 8 BIRTHPLACE: Toledo , Ohio EDUCATION: Notr e Dame Academy (Toledo, Ohio); accepted to Columbi a Universit y (Ne w York, New York) STATS: Height : 5'8"; Eyes: Brown; Hair: Brown When Dawson's Creek premiere d i n Januar y 1998 , it s cas t members ha d varyin g degree s o f experienc e o n stag e an d screen. And Katie Noelle Holmes, cast as Dawson Leery's doeeyed, girl-next-doorish best friend/love interest, probably had the least experience o f them all. Just two years before, sh e was a normal tee n in Toledo, Ohio, a junior i n high school whos e acting wa s limite d t o th e schoo l stage . Bu t he r lac k o f realworld savv y ma y hav e bee n th e ver y trai t tha t th e Dawson's Creek creators were looking for when casting the role of Joey, a strong-willed , street-smart-on-the-surfac e (ye t inexperience d and naive underneath) youn g teen. "My original choice for the role of Joey was Selma (Cruel Intentions) Blair , bu t I fel t i t wa s m y dut y t o g o throug h th e videos othe r youn g actresse s ha d submitted, " Kevi n Williamson tol d th e Ottawa Su n newspaper i n 1999 . Amon g those videos was the same tape that had wo n Kati e Holmes an audition — and later a role — in Ang Lee's 1997 film The Ice Storm. The tape was recorded at her home, and her mother was reading another character's lines, "Here was this little girl in her family's rumpu s roo m starin g a t th e camer a wit h he r mo m reading th e boy's lines off-camera, " Williamso n said . "I n just a few second s sh e ha d m e mesmerized . I no t onl y kne w I' d found m y Joey but I knew I was seeing a star in the making."

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In just a little mor e tha n tw o years, Kati e Holme s wen t from bein g a total unknown fro m th e Midwes t to on e o f th e hottest youn g actresse s i n Hollywood ; from , a hig h schoo l drama student t o a major rol e in Go , one o f the hippest film s of 199 8 (mad e b y Swinger s directo r Dou g Liman); sh e wen t from conservativ e Catholi c schoolgir l t o rippin g of f most o f her clothes (sorry, though, no nudity) in Williamson's first fil m as director, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, in which she was top-billed ; and sh e ha s becom e on e o f Williamson' s closes t pals , frequently crashing at his home when she's in LA. — ensurin g that she'll be hot i n Hollywood as long as he is, if not longer . The story of Holmes' caree r so far is one o f those dream come-true fair y tale s tha t ar e har d t o believe ; i t i s als o exemplary o f how Williamso n an d th e othe r Dawson's Creek creators wer e willing t o ventur e int o unknow n territor y and seek ou t unfamilia r face s t o assemble thei r ideal ensemble . I t all began in th e summe r o f 1996, whe n Holme s was 17 , an d when sh e went to New York to attend a modeling convention. A Lo s Angeles talen t agen t spotte d he r an d convince d he r parents (he r father , Mart y Holmes , i s a lawyer ; he r mom , Kathleen, i s a homemaker ) t o le t hi m represen t her . He r Catholic father wasn' t ecstati c about the idea: "I think w e had all of Toledo convincing m y dad to let me go," she later told us magazine. Then Holmes and he r mo m fle w t o Los Angeles for what was supposed t o be a six-week-long stin t auditioning for television pilots ; thi s wa s cu t short , however , whe n Holme s nailed he r ver y first auditio n an d wo n a small role in Th e Ice Storm. Thi s criticall y acclaimed , ye t somewha t overlooke d film is a sort of Big Chill set in well-to-do New Canaan, Connecticut, durin g the early 1970s ; the story, which focuses on tw o familie s involve d i n wife-swapping , drugs, and othe r misguided travails , is a serious examinatio n o f love, sex, an d family issues in a world of decaying values. A 16-year-old prep

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Katie goofs around for her high school yearbook.

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school studen t (Tobe y Maguire ) come s hom e fo r Thanks giving, but the n escapes his parents' dysfunctiona l world and heads sout h t o Manhattan for a romantic evening with a rich coed he's obsessed with (played by Holmes); in a darkly funn y scene, Maguire plies Holmes with pills and booze to make her more receptive to his advances; instead, sh e passes out in the living room . Thi s aspec t o f the scrip t cause d som e strai n i n Holmes' conservativ e household : whe n he r mothe r rea d The Ice Storm's script, with its wife-swapping and pot smoking, she reportedly brok e int o tear s an d almos t wante d t o tak e he r daughter out o f the movie. Rather tha n sta y i n Lo s Angeles an d continu e workin g after completing The Ice Storm, Holmes returned to Toledo to finish her senior year at her all-girls Catholi c high school, bu t her agent in California kept sending out that videotape. More TV pilo t audition s wer e approaching , an d script s wer e forwarded t o Ohi o fo r he r t o read ; on e o f those script s sh e received was for a show called Dawson's Creek. After watching Holmes' audition tape, Kevin Williamson wanted her to fly to Hollywood so she coul d meet with him an d th e W B Network executives, but Holmes declined — she was starring as Lola in a local production o f Damn Yankees, an d th e pla y opened o n the day that Williamson wanted her to jump on a plane. "I said I couldn' t possibl y get to L.A . for a week," she recalle d in a n Ottawa Su n interview . " I needed t o complet e th e ru n o f th e play." Luckily, Williamson was able to convince the W B officials that Holmes was worth waiting for, and sh e got the part. Fans o f Dawson's Creek see m to hav e a love-hate affinit y for Joey Potter; they want her and Dawson to finally get it over with, get together and get it on; yet they're driven mad by her overly analytica l streak . The y appreciat e Joey's strengt h o f character bu t the y ge t frustrate d wit h he r naivete , suc h a s when she turns a blind's eye to all the incriminating evidence

suggesting her fathe r is involved with drugs . And they get sick of he r blamin g tha t hotti e Je n Lindle y fo r sweeping Dawso n away; afte r all , a man's a man, eve n i f he's onl y 1 5 years old. And, eve n thoug h she' s th e second-younges t o f th e si x principal Creek cas t members , Holme s note d i n a 199 9 interview wit h El Online tha t it' s n o cinc h t o captur e tha t adolescent confusio n whe n you'r e a 20-year-ol d actres s playing a pubescent kid . "It' s going t o b e har d t o g o back t o playing a 15-year-ol d . . . Joey tries to be olde r an d wise , bu t she's lacking in the experience department. " As for Joey's soapy on-off relationshi p wit h Dawson , Holme s note d tha t sometimes the fans take it too personally. "Any time I break up with Dawso n o r questio n him , viewer s tur n agains t me . 1 think we'l l probabl y mak e u p again , an d hopefull y they'l l understand," sh e said. Of the four principal Dawson's Creek players, Katie Holmes ha s use d th e show' s immens e popularit y a s a springboard to a film career to the greatest extent. She was the first t o cash in o n the show' s cache t wit h a co-starring rol e in Disturbing Behavior, whic h wa s release d i n th e summe r o f 1998, jus t a few months afte r Dawson' s Creek premiered . Th e film, directed by X-Files veteran David Nutter, was one of several teens-in-peril movies that came out after th e successfu l Scream movies an d attempte d t o mimic th e Williamsonesqu e formula, bu t faile d miserably . The fil m wa s describe d b y on e reviewer a s "Th e Stepford Teens wit h a touch o f Invasion o f the Body Snatchers, Heathers an d A Clockwork Orange" and , lik e Scream, it was supposed t o be both scar y and funny but in the end wa s neither. Fo r her rol e as Rachel Wagner, Holmes was given an image makeover that included piercing s and studs — quite a stretc h fro m th e girl-next-doo r typ e she' s usuall y known as , and onc e agai n her parent s cringed . "O h my God, it wa s terrible, " her fathe r tol d Rollin g Ston e magazine . "All I

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Katie's senior class photo.

was thinking abou t is, if the nuns saw her now , oh my gosh." Despite he r rol e i n Disturbing Behavior, Holme s ha s mostly avoide d th e typ e o f low-budget , big-box-offic e tee n horror movie s with which many of her peer s (Sara h Michelle Cellar, Jennife r Lov e Hewitt , Nev e Campbell ) hav e forge d their movie careers. Holmes' next film, in which she co-starred as par t o f a grea t ensembl e cast , was th e vastl y underrated dark comed y G o (release d Apri l 1999) . Directe d b y Dou g Liman, whos e Swinger s (1996 ) helpe d fue l th e retro-loung e music craze , thi s film , wit h it s adventure s i n undergroun d drug culture , swingin g sex , pyrami d schemes , toples s bars , and self-inflicte d wounds, surel y disturbe d Holmes ' parent s even more than The Ice Storm. And then , i n onl y her fourt h featur e fil m (no t countin g Muppetsfrom Space, i n which sh e made a cameo appearance), Holmes was thrust front-and-cente r as Leigh Ann, the wouldbe valedictorian who refuses to take a mediocre grade from her histor y teache r lying down, in Teaching Mrs. Tingle. In th e latter two films, Holme s began t o show real promise a s a bigscreen actress, although it must be noted tha t neither G o nor Teaching Mrs. Tingle appeare d t o ta p he r ful l rang e o f acting abilities; i n Tingle, fo r example , Holmes' characte r is mostl y dull compare d t o th e mor e wide-rangin g par t playe d b y Marisa Coughlin , wh o tend s t o upstag e Holme s wheneve r they're onscreen together . Still, the roles keep coming. Holme s next starre d i n Wonder Boys (1999 , base d o n th e nove l b y Michael Chabon) as Hannah Green, a college freshman wit h a crush o n a teacher (Michael Douglas), who's going through a mid-life crisi s an d doesn' t reciprocat e her feelings . Th e fil m also stars Holmes' Ice Storm buddy, Tobey Maguire. While Dawson's Creek i s filming, Holme s now live s alone in a Wilmington , Nort h Carolina , apartmen t an d hang s around wit h th e othe r cas t member s a t a restauran t calle d

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Vinnie's o r a t Va n Der Bee k an d Jackson's bachelor pad. Sh e was accepte d t o Columbi a Universit y bu t ha s deferre d he r enrollment unti l he r dutie s t o Dawson's Creek ar e fulfilled . And, then , sh e jus t migh t tak e a hiatu s fro m showbi z t o complete he r education . "I' m contractuall y obligate d an d emotionally attache d t o Dawson's" sh e tol d El Online. "It' s something I definitely want to continue doing. , But I also want to b e a well-educate d person . I think I deserv e that . [Education is] not somethin g I look upon lightly." KATIE HOLMES F I L M O G R A P H Y

The Ic e Storm (1997 , Libbet s Casey) ; Disturbing Behavior (1998, Rache l Wagner) ; G o (1999 , Clair e Montgomery) ; Muppets from Space (1999, herselQ; Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999, Leigh Ann Prescott) ; Wonder Boys (1999 , Hannah Green) .

HOT LOINS , SMARTAS S JOSHUA JACKSO N (PACEY WITTER )

BIRTHDATE: Jun e 11 , 197 8 BIRTHPLACE: Vancouver , British Columbi a EDUCATION: Kitsilan o High School (Vancouver, Britis h Columbia); University of British Columbia (deferred ) STATS: Height : 6'; Eyes: Green; Hair: Brown If Dawson Leery is the hero of Dawson's Creek, then his budd y Pacey Witter is the anti-hero. Dawso n is an idealist, strugglin g to be Mr. Perfect i n a n imperfect world ; Pacey is a realist who lives accordin g t o impulse s rathe r tha n rationa l thoughts . Dawson is in touch with his feelings and discusses them in the open (sometime s a littl e to o often) , bu t Pacey , wh o ofte n buries his true emotions under layers of sarcasm and cool, tells his friend , "I' m not curse d with self-awareness like you are." In an y othe r mora l universe, Pace y migh t see m lik e th e average sor t o f smart-aleck , braze n 15-year-ol d ki d who' s suffered th e ignominy of constant browbeating from a n asshole of a n olde r brothe r (Doug , a polic e deputy) , an d whos e strained relationshi p with his father i s complicated b y the fac t that Da d i s th e bigges t authorit y figur e i n town , th e polic e chief. But , standing nex t t o th e self-righteou s Dawson, Pacey has become the show' s resident "ba d boy," even though many of hi s so-calle d transgression s (lik e losin g hi s virginit y t o hi s English teacher, Tamara Jacobs) are merely the actions of a boy plunging headlong into manhood, embracing life to the fullest . That's why, for many female fan s o f the show , Pacey is the on e who's All That, while Dawson is just a pretender o f sorts. "Generally speaking , the y prefe r Dawson, " Pacey's alter ego, acto r Joshua Jackson, sai d o f the viewer s i n a May 199 8 Dallas Morning New s interview . "He' s mor e th e heartthrob .

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Pacey's a flawed character. Perhaps people relate to that more. You get to see the imperfections, the chink s i n his armor." Pacey's activitie s durin g th e firs t one-and-a-hal f season s of Dawson's Creek bear out Jackson's theory. During the first season, his torrid affair wit h his teacher began when he wooed her wit h a copy of the romanti c drama Summer of '42 fro m the local video-rental store (a pretty smooth move for a kid who' s always ha d troubl e wit h girls) ; it late r turne d int o th e tow n scandal, complet e wit h a schoo l boar d inquiry . Ms . Jacobs resigned and lef t the communit y in shame , but Pace y had to stay behind and suffe r small-tow n ridicule . In th e secon d season , Pacey' s poo r grade s an d othe r personal problem s erode d hi s alread y poor relationshi p wit h his father; a t one point, Pace y even decked him with a punc h in the mouth. Chastened by the crash-and-burn of his hot-forteacher romance , Pace y waited a whil e befor e goin g t o be d with his new girlfriend, Andie McPhee; shortly thereafter , the girl's own inner turmoil drov e her mad. Some fans feare d tha t Pacey was going soft in the second season , but Jackson tol d an interviewer fo r Y M magazine , jus t befor e th e sho w bega n filming it s 1999-200 0 seaso n episodes : "Don' t worry . We're going to make him bad again." When he joined th e Dawson's Creek cas t at age 19, Joshua Jackson wa s already an accomplishe d actor ; most notably he was a vetera n o f Disney' s thre e Mighty Ducks film s abou t a haphazard ic e hocke y team . Hi s actin g caree r bega n a t ag e nine when he asked his mother, a casting director who worked for T V and fil m productions i n the Vancouver area, to take him on a n audition . Jackso n wo n a rol e i n a T V commercial promoting touris m i n Britis h Columbia; the spo t aired across North America. Following this promising start, his mom took him t o audition s fo r severa l production s filme d i n th e Vancouver are a including th e T V serie s MacGyver an d a fil m

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Joshua doing the WB Winter Press Tour.

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called Crooked Hearts wit h Vincen t D'Onofrio , Noa h Wyle , and Juliette Lewis (he won both roles). He then went to Seattle and playe d Charli e in a stage version o f Willy Wonka an d the Chocolate Factory; an agent from the William Morris Agency was in the crowd and signed him up. Due to his busy schedul e and hi s genera l dislik e fo r forma l schooling , Jackso n eventually dropped out o f Kitsilano High School in Vancouver and too k the GED , a high school equivalenc y examination . In 1992, when he was just 14 , he got his first truly major break i n th e rol e o f Charli e Conwa y th e sensitive , intro spective child whose mother is courted by Emilio Estevez, in The Mighty Ducks. Jackson reprise d th e rol e in D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) , and in the fina l entr y in the hockey trilogy, D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), Jackson's character was moved to center stag e whil e Emili o Esteve z wa s relegate d t o th e background. Th e critic s too k notic e o f Jackson's emergence . "With Esteve z appearing i n a very supporting role , th e fil m truly rests on Jackson's shoulders," a reviewer for Variety wrote . "He graduates with grace from foi l to front man, demonstratin g a commanding , likabl e personality. " After tha t film , Jackso n had a small role opposite Ian McKellan and Brad Renfro i n the Neo-Nazi thrille r Ap t Pupil, whic h wa s base d o n a Stephe n King novel and directe d by Brya n (The Usual Suspects) Singer . But then, at age 17, he came to a crossroads in his young life . "I was like, 'You know what? It's time to get a real job an d pu t my feet back on the ground fo r awhile.'" So, he enrolled a t the University of British Columbia. But then came the Dawson's Creek audition , which foiled hi s educational plans . Jackson was in Los Angeles, working on a television sho w in whic h h e ha d a small gues t role, when th e Creek auditio n came t o hi s attention . "The y [th e producers] wer e desperat e because al l the othe r role s ha d bee n cast, " Jackson tol d th e Toronto Star in a March 1998 interview. "I got it very quickly

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Joshua at the 12th annual Boston Music Awards.

and th e da y I finished the othe r thing , the y put m e on an allnight fligh t t o Wilmington , Nort h Carolina , where the y ha d already starte d filming . I go t of f and directl y wen t t o th e se t and starte d acting. " Jackson's fil m caree r ha s als o benefite d from hi s associatio n with Kevi n Williamson, thoug h perhap s not th e way his co-stars' career s have. I n 1998 , Jackson mad e his requisit e appearanc e (a s al l Williamso n cadr e member s must do) in a teen horror picture, a small role in Urban Legend', then h e appeare d i n on e o f thos e "edgy " 1990 s tee n films , Cruel Intentions, a sort o f Dangerous Liaisons meet s Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Jackson' s appearanc e i n thi s fil m i s noteworthy fo r tw o reasons : first , h e dye d hi s hai r blon d t o give hi s character , Elain e Tuttle , a sor t o f neo-teen-hipste r

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look, and second, because Jackson's character was gay, and th e role require d a bedroo m scen e wit h acto r Eri c Mabiu s (of Welcome t o the Dollhouse fame) . " I looked a t hi m an d I was, like, Thi s gu y i s ripped,' " Jackson sai d i n th e Marc h 199 9 issue of the gay men's magazine, Out. "I'm a skinny little beanstalk. He was probably hitting the gym, and I looked lik e a slug . Tha t kille d me . Bu t the n w e ha d a coupl e o f goo d laughs, shook ou r asses at the crew and hopped int o bed." Off-camera, Jackson is known to his fellow Creek cast members as the comic relief; and also a boy with a brain. "Josh is th e clas s clown , o n th e sho w an d i n rea l life, " Meredit h Monroe (Andie McPhee) told Y M magazine. "Josh is one o f th e smartest people I've ever met. He'll be talking about a poet one minute an d som e country's government th e next . H e has th e most extensive information in his brain." Incidentally, th e good boy/bad boy comparison betwee n Dawson an d Pace y also hold s true , t o a certain extent , wit h the actor s wh o pla y them : James Va n Der Bee k prefer s th e earnest, easil y swallowe d alterna-po p musi c foun d o n th e Dawson's Creek soundtrack ; Joshua Jackson listens to Nirvana and hip-hop . JOSHUA JACKSON FILMOGRAPHY

Crooked Hearts (1991 , youn g Tom) ; Mighty Ducks (1992 , Charlie); Digger (1993 , Billy) ; Andre (1994 , Mar k Baker) ; D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994 , Charlie) ; Magic i n th e Water (1995 , Joshua Black); Robin of Locksley (1996, John Prince Jr.); D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996 , Charlie) ; O n th e Edge o f Innocence (1997, T V movie); Scream 2 (1997 , fil m student) ; Ap t Pupil (1998, Joey); Urban Legend (1998, Damon Brooks); Cruel Intentions (1999 , Elain e Tuttle) ; Muppets From Space (1999 , cameo as himself); Skulls (2000, Luke McNamara).

ALMOST A WOMAN , STIL L A KI D MICHELLE WILLIAM S (JENNIFER "JEN" LINDLEY)

BIRTHDATE: Septembe r 9, 198 0 BIRTHPLACE: Kalispell , Montana EDUCATION: Home-schoole d STATS: Height : 5'4"; Eyes: Green; Hair: Blond In th e greate r scheme o f things i t ma y no t b e th e mos t loft y debate topic , bu t man y Damon's Creek fan s ar e pron e t o discussing it : Jen versu s Joey. Who' s righ t fo r Dawson Leery ? Who's prettier ? Who's th e hottie an d who' s the geek ? Who's a bitch and who's not? Who's portraye d b y a better actress ? Who knows ? Bu t on e thin g i s certain : whe n Michell e Williams arrive d in tiny Capeside and Dawson's eye started to wander, a nation of adolescent viewer s became transfixe d by the been-around-the-block girl . It' s no t jus t tha t William s plays the role of femme fatale on the show, nor her sex y babydoll looks . It' s a self-assured , wise-beyond-her-year s qualit y that Williams bring s to the role. Although sh e is the youngest principal cas t member, Williams ha s a n impressive resum e of acting credits datin g back t o when she was just a single-digi t kid, an d he r year s o f work o n stag e an d i n fron t o f cameras lends a wonderful pois e to her actin g style. This same sense of worldliness i s als o eviden t i n he r personality ; i n publishe d interviews, Williams does not sh y away from question s abou t the theme s runnin g throug h Dawson's Creek — suc h a s sex, trust, o r identity — but rather , she ofte n philosophize s abou t them (tak e that , Shanne n Doherty) . An d she' s no t afrai d t o point ou t tha t man y peopl e ou t ther e i n TV-lan d jus t don' t "get" wher e her characte r is coming from . "For a lot o f people, sh e [Jen ] is th e firs t characte r tha t they judge," Williams sai d i n a 199 9 intervie w wit h th e Mr.

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Showbiz web site. "Th e show is written tha t way, because she' s sort o f 'the other woman,' taking Dawson away from Joey. So a lot o f girls think tha t she's a bit o f a bitch fo r that. But I just think that Jen is one of those girls who it's easy to make surface judgments about . I f yo u tak e th e opportunit y t o loo k pas t that, you'l l fin d tha t she' s somebod y who' s just a s vulnerabl e and comple x as all the res t of the characters. " Williams' rol e a s th e ne w gir l i n town , th e outsider , somewhat mirror s her ow n lif e story . Sh e was eight years old and livin g i n Montan a with he r famil y whe n she saw a local stage play and aske d her folk s fo r acting lessons. A year later, the famil y move d t o Sa n Diego , California , an d William s began working in communit y theater . At 14 , she appeared in her firs t featur e film , a remak e o f Lassie (1994) , an d th e following yea r sh e ha d smal l part s i n tw o science-fictio n movies: th e low-budge t Timemasters an d th e big-budge t Species. I n the latter, she played the young incarnation of Sil, a genetically engineere d alien-huma n interbree d tha t grow s u p to resemble th e beautiful Natasha Henstridge. Bu t being a kid from anothe r stat e an d a precociou s chil d actres s wh o wa s already appearin g i n movie s wasn' t easy . Sh e becam e withdrawn, and for a time she would only answer to the name "Harvey," a n imaginar y alter-ego . Th e othe r kid s weren' t always hip t o that kind o f stuff, s o Williams' parents took her out o f Santa Fe Christia n Hig h Schoo l afte r nint h grad e an d she finishe d her educatio n a t home, taught by her father . "It's tough. Whe n you'r e new , everyone' s lookin g a t you . Adult s appreciate vulnerability, but kid s pounce on it. So you have to put u p a good front. I tried to be stronger, better, tougher," she remembered i n a n interview with US A Weekend i n 1998 . Williams passe d th e hig h schoo l equivalenc y test and i n 1996, at age 16, she was legally emancipated fro m he r parents and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time (althoug h the partin g o f way s wa s difficult , William s reportedl y ha s

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Michelle on th e se t o f Lassie.

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mended he r relationshi p wit h he r parent s an d sometime s receives care packages of socks and underwear fro m he r mom, Carla). " I came to L.A . so wide-eyed, the pictur e of fresh-face d innocence — an d s o fuckin g excited, " sh e sai d i n a 199 9 interview with Paper magazine. "I just thought I would work! I just though t I would pla y cool parts." She played fil m an d TV parts, bu t the y weren' t alway s cool . I n 1996-97 , sh e playe d Michelle Pfeiffer' s daughter , Pamm y i n th e dram a A Thousand Acres (1997 ) an d landed many small parts on various teleseries (like Bay watch, Home Improvement) and TV movies (like My Son is Innocent an d Killing Mr . Griffin). Sh e als o wen t t o a lo t o f auditions and appeared in non-paying student an d low-budge t films t o beef up he r resume. Like he r Dawson's Creek cohorts , William s watche d he r star powe r soa r a s th e show' s popularit y grew . Directo r Stephen Miner, who had helmed several Dawson's Creek episodes, cas t William s a s Jos h Harnett' s girlfrien d i n Halloween: H20 (1998), but the film really gave her nothing much to sink her teet h into . But , the following year, William s showed grea t range an d comi c timin g i n th e Watergate spoof Dick (1999) , describe d b y on e criti c as "Clueless meets All the President's Men." In the movie, directed by Andrew Fleming, Williams play s Arlene , a high schoo l studen t livin g wit h he r single mo m (Ter i Garr) i n th e Watergat e apartment complex . One night, whil e sneaking ou t t o drop thei r entr y in a "win a date with Bobb y Sherman" contest into a mailbox, Arlene and her pa l Bets y (Kirste n Dunst ) unwittingl y bum p int o th e Watergate burglars. The girls have no idea what's going on, but President Nixon, Haldeman, Liddy an d th e various Watergate culprits thin k the kids are on to something, s o they try to win their silenc e by appointing th e girls "officia l Whit e Hous e dog walkers" an d givin g the m specia l acces s t o th e president . Arlene comicall y develop s a crush o n Trick y Dick, but whe n

she stumbles ont o one of his secret Oval Office tape s and hears him uttering four-letter words on it, her image of the presiden t is shattered. Soo n the girl s become th e famou s "Dee p Throat" source wh o allegedl y helpe d reporter s Woodwar d an d Bernstein bring down the Nixon administration. Williams an d Dunst ar e both excellen t a s th e ditz y teens , an d thi s fil m i s brilliantly hilarious , bu t i t faile d miserabl y a t th e bo x offic e when release d i n summe r 1999 , owin g mostl y t o studi o marketing blunder s (advertisement s place d William s an d Dunst i n prominen t vie w t o emphasiz e th e tee n appeal , bu t the subject matter was of more interest to the over-30 crowd). Also i n summe r 1999 , William s mad e he r off-Broadwa y debut in the play Killer Joe, replacing actress Fairuza Balk as Dottie, a girl proffered u p by her white-trash parent s as partial payment to a hit man fo r his services. The role required her to strip completel y nake d onstage , whic h isn't muc h o f a shoc k at first , considerin g Williams ' imag e a s a budding sex-bomb . At th e winte r 199 8 T V press tour , whe n th e W B Network introduced the Dawson's Creek stars to the media, journalists reportedly gasped when Williams showed up "wearin g stiletto heels s o hig h sh e wobbled , an d a dres s s o tigh t an d oh , s o Marilyn Monroe," wrote a reporter fo r Ultimately) and al l the magazine phot o layout s sh e di d i n 199 8 an d 199 9 feature d her i n androgynou s pose s o r castin g allurin g look s int o th e lens. Therefore , i t i s somethin g o f a surpris e t o lear n tha t Williams ha s wha t sh e call s "hug e bod y issues, " an d sh e doesn't rea d beaut y magazine s becaus e the y mak e he r depressed. Bu t this apparen t conflic t — uncomfortabl e wit h her physica l appearanc e yet willing to bare it all for her ar t — is part of the actress' s complex personality. While not filming the show in Wilmington, William s keep s an apartment in Sherman Oaks, California, but sh e hardly ever gets t o sta y there . Sh e is romanticall y unattached, an d a s sh e told Paper, she prefers men of the "renegade" variety, those wh o

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Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams, friends on screen and off.

fall somewher e betwee n th e Dawso n and Pace y varieties. And, as one critic observed: "Any fellow wh o fall s for her had better be prepared to appreciate her brain, as she has a definite philosophical bent , and is an avid reade r [of ] such highbro w author s a s Herman n Hesse , Fyodo r Dostoyevsky an d Kur t Vonnegut, Jr." MICHELLE WILLIAMS FILMOGRAPHY Lassie (1994 , April); Species (1995 , youn g Sil) ; Timemasters (1995 , Annie); My Son Is Innocent (1996 TV movie); Killing Mr. Griffin (1997 TV movie, Susan); Kangaroo Palace (1997 T V mini-series, Mrs . Lafont) ; A Thousand Acres (1997 , Pammy) ; Halloween: H2 0 (1998 , Molly) ; If These Walls Could Talk 2 (1999 TV movie); Dick (1999, Arlene Lorenzo); But I'm a Cheerleader (1999, Kimberly).

PASS TH E VALIU M

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MEREDITH MONRO E (ANDIE MCPHEE )

BIRTHDATE: Decembe r 30, 197 6 BIRTHPLACE: Houston , Texas EDUCATION: Hinsdal e Central High Schoo l (Hinsdale , Illinois ) STATS: Height : 5'6 1/2" ; Eyes : Brown; Hair: Blond There's plent y o f angs t an d identit y crise s t o g o aroun d i n Dawson's Creek, but no character is as seriously unhinged as Andie. When sh e and her then-closeted brother Jack moved to the tow n o f Capeside to escape their terribl e past, she shoul d have left her baggage at home. In the course of one abbreviate d television season , Andie' s itinerar y too k he r acros s th e histrionic spectrum : she charmed that badass Pacey and helped turn him into a nice guy; she came to the aid of her crazy mom; she defende d he r neo-homosexua l brothe r fro m th e town' s homophobes; sh e di d th e wil d than g wit h Pacey ; sh e swallowed lot s o f anti-depressants ; sh e wen t of f he r medication; an d the n (mos t interestingly ) sh e wen t insane , unraveled by th e deat h o f her frien d Abby . Sh e started seeing the ghost of her dead older brother, Tim, and scissored off most of he r blon d lock s an d dye d th e res t o f 'em brown. I n short , this chick is wacked. "What's goin g t o happen t o me? " Andie asked , cryin g i n Pacey's arms , i n th e las t episod e o f Dawson' s secon d season , before leaving Capeside in search of mental stability. As we wait to se e wha t happen s whe n Andie' s emotiona l rollercoaste r returns fo r another rid e in Seaso n Three, it is undeniable tha t the characte r helpe d len d anothe r leve l o f dram a t o th e otherwise sex-focused lives of the Creek gang, due largely to the performance o f Meredith Monroe, an ebullient youn g produc t

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model-turned-actress wit h som e o f th e mos t impressiv e dramatic skills amon g th e cast . What starte d out a s a bubbly, full-of-life tee n descende d int o th e depth s o f madnes s an d ended up a damaged soul, and Monroe captured both extremes of her characte r equally well. An only child whose parent s divorced whe n sh e was just two year s old , Monro e wa s bor n i n Housto n an d raise d i n Hinsdale, Illinoi s ( a well-to-d o Chicag o suburb ) b y he r mother, who worke d fo r Lucent Technologies; she als o spen t summers wit h he r father , a computer-compan y manager , i n Florida and Texas . After graduatin g from hig h school, Monroe moved t o Ne w Yor k t o begi n modeling ; b y 1995 , sh e wa s appearing steadil y i n T V commercials an d magazin e ad s fo r such items as KOreal hair-care products, Huffy bicycles, Mattel toys, Ford car s — heck, sh e was even i n one of those stupid but-fun Mento s "the freshmaker " commercials , and she' s ha d her pictur e on the box o f a hair-crimping iron. Eve n with he r work o n Damon's Creek, Monroe's modeling caree r continue s — in 1999 , sh e appeared i n a 7-Up soft drin k commercial . Monroe made th e transitio n t o actin g in 1996 , whe n sh e was cast as Tracy Dalken in three episodes toward the end of the 1996-97 season on the ABC series Dangerous Minds. Monro e was told sh e would retur n th e followin g season i n a recurring role , but the n th e sho w wa s canceled . N o matte r — he r wor k o n Dangerous Minds attracted enough attention to get her a series of television appearance s o n show s lik e Players, th e soa p oper a Sunset Beach (as a pregnant teen), Promised Land, and Night Man. Monroe credit s he r lov e o f Bujfy th e Vampire Slayer wit h preparing he r fo r th e par t o f Andie : whe n th e W B Network moved Buffy t o Tuesday nights t o segue into this new program called Dawson's Creek i n sprin g 1998 , Monro e kept glue d t o the tube and became a regular viewer; when the audition cam e up soo n thereafter , i n June 1998 , sh e was well attuned t o the

show's emotionall y heightene d vibe . "I t wa s grea t whe n I found ou t I had th e auditio n becaus e I alread y knew al l th e characters an d everythin g tha t ha d bee n goin g o n i n th e storyline," Monro e sai d i n a n intervie w poste d o n th e WB Television Networ k We b site . Monroe' s boyfriend, identified only a s "Steve," a massage therapist , accompanie d he r t o th e audition, a s he usually does; when it was over, she thought sh e had blown it. But, the following Tuesday, the good news came. "Andie wa s a n especiall y har d rol e t o cast, " Damon's Creek executive producer Paul Stupin told Soap Opera Digest in 1999. "Becaus e we were looking fo r a real sense o f quirkines s and intelligence and dynamism, couple d wit h what we hoped would b e a wonderful look. Man y an actress came, but non e that we really felt wa s the perfec t matc h o f the characte r wit h the person . The n Meredit h cam e in , an d afte r sh e lef t th e room, we all thought, 'there' s Andie.'" Dawsons Creek creator Kevin Williamson was equally impressed: " I met wit h he r t o ge t to know he r afte r I saw he r [audition] tape," Williamson told the Official Site of Meredith Monroe in February 1999. "It's inspiring when we're developing the character to see if [the portrayer] sparks something i n us to take th e characte r i n a freshe r direction . I walked awa y fro m that lunc h completel y inspire d i n term s o f where t o tak e th e character o f Andie." More recently, Monroe played Laura Ingalls Wilder, upo n whose life story the Little House on the Prairie teleseries was based, in the 1999 TV movie Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Sh e als o appeare d i n a featur e film , Mary Jane's Last Dance, to be release d in 2000 . But wha t he r fan s invariabl y wan t t o kno w i s this: Ho w close is that crazy-ass Andie to the real Meredith Monroe? "She is so much lik e me," she tol d Soap Opera Digest. "I can be very anal and uptight abou t things like school or bills . . . I'm always

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Meredith Monroe at the 1999 TV Guide Awards.

prepared; I'm always on time. I'm always the on e thinking of the consequences o f any action . But , on th e othe r hand , sometime s I'm just like the goofiest, mos t off-the-wal l perso n and I'l l say the weirdest thing . People are like, 'where are you from?' " MEREDITH MONROE FILMOGRAPHY Fallen Arches (1998, Karissa); Beyond the Prairie: The True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (199 9 T V movie, Laura Ingall s ).

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KERR SMIT H (JACK MCPHEE )

BIRTHDATE: Marc h 9, 197 2 BIRTHPLACE: Exton , Pennsylvania EDUCATION: Bachelor' s degree in financ e an d accounting , University o f Vermont, 199 4 What's more difficult fo r an actor: posing buck naked i n fron t of on e o f the mos t desirabl e tee n starlet s (and, by extension , in fron t o f a TV crew and th e T V teen nation) o r playin g a gay guy o n a TV show with a huge femal e following ? Given Kevi n Williamson's penchan t fo r blurring th e lin e between realit y an d fiction , acto r Ker r Smit h ma y en d u p receiving fewe r fa n letter s fro m girl s tha n hi s mal e co-stars , since that fateful episod e in February 199 9 when Jack McPhee proclaimed hi s homosexualit y t o th e prime-tim e world . But Smith doesn' t see m t o mind . Lik e Va n De r Beek , Jackson , Holmes, an d Williams , th e youn g acto r ha s bee n quickl y propelled t o th e forefron t o f America n po p cultur e b y th e success of Dawsons Creek and , even though h e is very much a supporting player , Jack has garnered more headlines than that of an y othe r Cree k character . As an actor , Smith says he accepte d Jack's coming-out a s a challeng e (i t must hav e been quit e a challenge t o convinc e audiences tha t Jack is gay , because h e showe d absolutel y no such leaning s beforehand). And a s a 20-something American citizen, h e accepte d i t a s a positiv e role-mode l fo r youn g people an d thei r attitude s towar d gays . "O n on e han d 1 felt really goo d abou t it , bu t o n th e othe r han d I fel t kin d o f scared," Smit h tol d Entertainment Weekly Online i n Marc h 1999, a few weeks after Jack's revelation. "A friend tol d me h e

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read o n the Internet about a kid who tol d his parents he was gay right after watching the show. I wasn't quite ready for that. It's a lot of responsibility, and , not knowing w e were going this way whe n I wa s cas t [Smit h wa s informe d o f Williamson' s decision t o mak e Jack gay in Octobe r 1998 , afte r th e seaso n was alread y in ful l swing] , I didn't as k for this responsibility . But I'v e accepte d i t an d we'r e goin g ahead . I would lik e t o think we'r e helping people." At first , Jack McPhee seemed lik e a typical, angst-ridde n character among the Dawson's Creek entourage, but things began gettin g difficul t fo r him i n th e week s o f early 1999 . A sadistic Englis h teache r (a s always , i n Kevin . Williamson' s universe, teacher s aren' t nice ) forced Jack to stand u p i n clas s and read a poem that sounded an awful lot as if it were written by a gay guy; soon thereafter , nasty rumor s abou t Jack were swirling around th e Capesid e community , an d a homophobic slur was scrawled o n his schoo l locker . Jack tried to reassure Joey, his then-girlfriend , that h e was straight as an arro w bu t finally h e cam e clea n abou t i t and tol d her yes, he's gay; Joey did the only thing a crushed girl can do: she ran weeping back into th e arm s o f Dawson, her ex . Jack als o had t o brea k th e news to his cold , uncaring father . Fan s o f the show, however , were mor e sympatheti c t o Jack' s plight . "I t wa s abou t a teenager strugglin g wit h hi s sexuality , rathe r tha n al l o f a sudden having a gay character in Dawson's Creek" Smith told Soap Opera Digest. "You'v e got t o tel l it like it reall y happens, and I thin k we'v e accomplishe d that . Th e respons e wa s unbelievable." Kerr Smith is the oldest member of the Dawson's Creek cast; h e wa s 2 5 whe n th e sho w premiered . Considerin g hi s back-ground a s a soa p oper a actor , it' s eas y t o assum e tha t "Kerr" is a soapy pseudonym, but it' s not: Smith got his funn y first name from hi s grandmother. H e grew up in the suburba n

Philadelphia area and, by all media accounts, he was a normal kid, a competitiv e athlete , an d Associate d Studen t Bod y President o f his hig h school . Smit h firs t flirte d wit h actin g in his sophomor e yea r o f high schoo l whe n h e enrolle d i n a drama class , an d soo n h e wa s i n a school productio n o f The King an d I. Bu t afte r hig h schoo l h e decide d t o follo w i n hi s father's footstep s an d h e went to the University of Vermont to study finance an d accounting. After completin g his degree, he moved bac k t o Pennsylvani a an d worke d a t hi s father' s marketing firm. Bu t his thespian yearnings still tugged at him. He began making trips to New York for open auditions; in th e process h e go t himsel f a n agent . Bu t commutin g back-and forth betwee n Phill y an d Ne w Yor k too k a lot ou t o f him, s o he soon sold his Ford Bronco and used the money to move to New Yor k an d pursu e hi s dream s ful l time . Ther e wa s a n audition fo r the long-runnin g soap oper a As The World Turns, and although he didn't get the part that he read for, Smith was cast a s Ryder Hughes . Hi s 1996-9 7 stint o n th e soa p earned Smith the Bes t Ne w Acto r award from Soap Opera Magazine. Not content to merely fill the mid-day lives of housewives and ol d ladie s wit h entertainment , Smit h se t ou t fo r bigge r acting conquests. In early 1998 he drove to Los Angeles (along with his girlfriend, Ali Hillis, wh o has appeared in small role s on Felicity an d othe r programs ) an d auditione d fo r th e TV series Party o f Five. H e didn' t ge t tha t part , but a to p castin g director a t th e W B Network took notice o f Smith and, several months later , when Dawson's Creek wa s being cast , Smit h got that Phon e Cal l That Change d Hi s Life . Sinc e then , he' s als o made a guest appearance on the classi c T-&-A series Baywatch and appeare d in a feature fil m calle d Flight 18 0 for Ne w Lin e Cinema that will be released in 2000; two other independen t films that he appeared in during his struggling New York days, titled Kiss & Tell (th e story of four couple s on a televised blind

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Kerr Smith

date) and Hi t and Runaway (i n which h e plays a gay man), may also be released in the future, perhaps as straight-to-video fare . So, what's mor e difficult , posin g i n th e buf f o r being th e gay guy ? I n on e o f Dawson's Creek's classi c second-seaso n moments, Jac k spille d a drink on Joey's drawing pad , ruining a sketc h o f a nud e mode l she' d don e i n he r ar t class . I n a tribute t o th e scen e i n Titanic wherei n Kat e Winsle t recline s nude o n a couch fo r Leonardo DiCaprio's pencil strokes , Jack agrees t o stri p dow n an d pos e s o Joey ca n red o he r schoo l assignment. Smit h say s that Jack's coming-out was tougher. "I don't reall y have a problem wit h bein g naked, " he tol d Soap Opera Digest. "Althoug h fo r 1 2 hour s i n fron t o f 4 0 peopl e who ar e not naked , it's not exactl y fun." KERR SMIT H FILMOGRAPH Y

Twelve Monkeys (1995, extra); Kiss & Tell (1999, Kelly); Hit and Runaway (1999, Joey); Flight 180 (2000, Carter).

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CHAPTER SOURCE S Baldwin, Kristen. "The Monroe doctrine." Entertainment Weekly. Ma y 21, 1999 . Bawden, Jim. "Dawson's Creek's Joshu a Jackso n can' t believ e i t cam e s o fast. " Toronto Star. March 12, 1998 . Bonin, Liane. "Jack's flash." Entertainment Weekly Online. Online. March 17,1999. "Celebrities; Star Bio: Katie Holmes" Mr. Showbiz. Online . "Celebrities; Star Bio: James Van Der Beek." Mr. Showbiz. Online . "Celebrities; Star Bio: Michelle Williams." ABC News Internet Ventures. Online . Cogshell, Tim . "Th e Mr . Showbiz interview : Michell e Williams. " Mr . Showbiz. Online. 1999 . Dunn, Jancee. "Katie Holmes, a girl on the verge." Rolling Stone. September 17, 1998. Epstein, Jeffrey. "Andie land." Soap Opera Digest. February 2, 1999. —. "Captain Kerr-ageous." Soap Opera Digest. April 19, 1999. Goldsmith, Sarah . "Backstage pass: Dawson' s peak." Seventeen. February 1999 . Hobson, Louis B. "Teaching Katie Holmes; Dawson's Creek star's career blossoming." Calgary Sun. August 15 , 1999 . Huff, Richard . "Dawson' s damse l i n demand. " Ne w York Daily News. Ma y 16 , 1999. Lipton, Michael A. and Paul a Yoo. "Creek god." People. April 1998 . McCarthy, Mandy "Ker r Smith." Ultimately News. Online. Novembe r 1 , 199 8 Mclntyre, Grant . "Profile : Joshua the n an d now. " Broadcast Week. Apri l 11-17 , 1998. Meeson, Andrew. "Teen actor shows hi s smarts." Globe and Mail. April 11, 1998 . Mendoza, N.E "Michelle Williams." Ultimately . Online. July 22, 1998 . "Modest Van Der Beek is a Varsity' team player." USA Today. January 28, 1999. Sarko, Anita. "Naked angel." Paper. July 1999 . Smith, Chri s an d Holly Sorensen. "Th e kids of Dawson's Creek" us . May 1998 . Vitrano, Alyssa. "Meredith rocks the creek. " Y M Magazine. June 1999 . Wolf, Jeanne. "Holmes Sweet Holmes." El Online. Online. 1999

The following Internet web sites were also consulted : Internet Movi e Database (www.imdb.com) Unofficial Ker r Smith Website (advicom.net/~e-media/kv/kerr.htm) The Officia l Sit e of Meredith Monroe (www.meredithmonroe.com )

KEVIN WILLIAMSO N PORTRAIT O F TH E ARTIS T AS A Y O U N G MA N

To understand the phenomenon that is Dawson's Creek, you must firs t understand the phenomenon and youth mogul who is Kevi n Williamson . I n jus t thre e years , Williamso n wen t from bein g a strugglin g scrib e livin g i n a low-ren t L.A . apartment an d attendin g screenwritin g course s a t UCLA' S extension school to the most high-profile writer in Hollywood (stealing tha t titl e awa y fro m it s previou s holder , Quenti n Tarantino). H e no w boast s a $20-millio n developmen t dea l from Mirama x Films, residences on both coasts (an apartment in Greenwich Village and an antique-filled house in the stately Hancock Par k section o f L.A.), an d a wide-ranging influence on the entertainment produced fo r the all-important teenageto-early-twenties demographic group . In short, between 199 6 and 1998 , Williamso n re-invented th e stale teen horror movie genre whe n hi s firs t produce d screenplay , th e horro r fil m Scream, blew Hollywood away by grossing $106 million in the U.S. an d mor e than $16 5 millio n internationall y (it cost just $12 million t o make, and i s now th e highest-grossing horro r movie o f al l time) . A serie s o f self-referentia l sequel s an d similar movies full o f Williamsonesque pop-culture references followed. Then , h e revitalize d the ever-popula r teen T V soa p opera wit h Dawson's Creek, an d h e helpe d mak e bon a fid e movie stars out of the attractive young actresses populating his work lik e Jennife r Lov e Hewitt , Sara h Michell e Cellar , an d

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Creek star s Michell e Williams an d Kati e Holmes . In just tw o years, Williamson has accrued more credits on his resume than many writers do in their entire careers, and he has been lauded by the media as the voice of a generation (not his own, but that of kids some 10 to 15 years younger than him). Today, if you're a playe r i n Hollywood , yo u wan t t o wor k wit h thi s man , because almos t everythin g h e touche s turn s t o gold . Bu t if you're an aspiring screenwriter toilin g away on an old SmithCorona, you hate his guts, because he makes it look so easy. In published interviews, Williamson is often described as shy an d self-effacing , a man wh o continue s t o embrac e an d revisit th e ideal s o f his formativ e year s well into hi s thirties , and perhaps a bit emotionally immature (during the publicity blitz fo r Teaching Mrs. Tingle i n summe r 1999 , Williamso n mentioned t o more than one interviewer that he was currently feuding wit h hi s boyfriend) . I t ha s bee n writte n mor e tha n once tha t th e ke y t o Williamson s succes s a s a writer i s hi s ability to address teen issues in frank term s that his audience can relate to, even if the dialogue spouted by his characters is more articulate than the "urns," "know what I'm savin's," and assorted profan e grunt s sputterin g ou t o f the averag e teen's mouth. He has earned credibility with his audience because of his ability to speak t o teenagers on their leve l without bein g perceived a s a n adul t who' s panderin g t o the m i n orde r t o cash in. Sarah Michelle Cellar, who co-starred in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream 2, once told the Boston Globe that Williamson "talks to our generation. These kids in Kevin's movies are smart. We, the audience, don't look down on them because Kevi n doesn' t loo k dow n o n us . Before , i t wa s th e bimbo running through the woods, or back up th e stairs of a dark house with no one else in the house and with the phone lines down . Now , maybe you'll stil l b e killed , bu t yo u figh t like hell. You may die, but you're fighting u p unti l th e end .

You're not th e helpless heroine anymore. " But, on the flipside, Williamson i s also a pragmatist — his keen awarenes s of the marketplac e is another majo r reaso n for his success, particularly in the early going. In 1997 , Williamso n told the Ne w York Times that, before he wrote Scream, "I looked around and asked myself: What's missing from the marketplace? The answe r wa s a scary movie populate d wit h youn g kids, s o the young audience will see it. ... I t was a calculated business move. I wa s hopin g i t woul d pa y off. " It di d pa y of f and , despite al l th e prais e heape d upo n hi m i n recen t years , Williamson keep s a clea r perspectiv e o n hi s work , freel y admitting tha t his material is a mass-market product , not art. "I'm no t a rea l writer ; I' m a screenwriter, " h e tol d Time Ou t New York magazine in 1999. " [Screenwriting is] not a real art form. It' s movies. We're not curin g cancer here . . . I just write the way I talk — that's why it's so grammatically incorrect." Williamson wa s bor n Marc h 14 , 1965 , i n Ne w Bern , North Carolina , an d raise d i n th e tin y fishin g villag e o f Oriental, North Carolina (so small it's not even on most maps), a plac e tha t actuall y had a little spo t calle d Dawson' s Creek , where th e teen s woul d g o to skinny-di p an d mak e ou t (th e sort o f plac e h e woul d late r incorporat e int o th e fictiona l backdrop o f Capeside, Massachusetts) . Hi s father , Wade , was a fisherma n who ra n a 105-foot-lon g trawle r wit h a cre w of five; durin g hi s father' s lon g absence s a t sea , Williamson' s mother, Faye , woul d entertai n littl e Kevi n an d hi s olde r brother, John, wit h stories. This , Williamso n says , is how hi s dreams o f becomin g a write r — moreover , a storytelle r — were formed . "M y dad ha s thi s dr y sens e o f humor, bu t h e never wante d m e o r m y brothe r t o becom e fishermen, " Wiliamson tol d th e Sa n Francisco Chronicle i n 1997 . "H e wanted us to go to college." His mother, Williamso n added, is "the storyteller who gav e me tha t gift, an d th e inspiration . . . .

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She could take any circumstance an d mak e a great tale out of it." Williamson ha s likene d th e environmen t o f his youn g lif e to tha t o f The Waltons, on e o f his favorit e TV series. "W e didn't have a lot of money, but we weren't white trash," he told The Advocate in 1999. "I had wonderful parents, and they always provided. I alway s go t wha t I wanted. " Year s later , whe n Williamson bega n recyclin g th e places, situations , an d peopl e from hi s childhoo d int o dramati c material, eve n hi s parent s were no t exempt : th e stalkin g fisherman-kille r fro m I Kno w What Yo u Did Last Summer was partl y inspire d b y hi s father' s occupation (fishing , no t killing ) an d i n Williamson' s 199 9 directorial debut film, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Leslie Ann Warren's character Fay e wa s name d afte r Williamson' s mom . Hi s southern upbringin g "le d m e t o wantin g t o b e a storyteller, " Williamson said, "because I always felt I was born in the wrong place, sleeping by the televisio n every night an d longing to be in New York. And so I went ther e in my imagination."

Kevin gets his face painted before a high school production, in which he played Jake the Snake.

During the 1970s, Williamson an d his family lived for a time in rural Aransas Pass, Texas, an d i t was there tha t h e became a youn g movi e buff . "My mom woul d drop me of f at Rialto, whic h wa s th e onl y theater in town," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1999 (incidentally, the Stab sequence inAA Scream 2 was filmed at the same-named Rialt o Theate r i n South Pasadena , California) . Jake the Snake "I'd ge t ther e i n tim e fo r th e first movi e and sta y until m y mom picke d m e up a t 9 p.m. I saw Jaws there, Airport 1975, Benji, and Star Wars. The kids stormed th e theate r fo r Jaws. I t wa s a mo b scene. " I n thos e pre-VGR days , Williamson onc e spen t a n entir e da y watchin g six consecutive showings o f Halloween. Those days at the local bijou becam e a ritua l an d wer e intertwine d wit h other , seemingly mor e importan t landmark s i n Williamson' s youn g life — fo r instance, h e remember s hi s mothe r explainin g th e facts o f life t o hi m o n on e o f those Sunday s in th e ca r o n th e way t o se e th e Rober t Redford sp y thrille r Thre e Day s o f the Condor, this sort of interplay between real-life dram a and pop culture entertainmen t n o doub t account s fo r the emotionall y charged, media-savv y live s tha t man y o f Williamson' s characters live. Those Sundays at the movies fueled dream s of one day becoming a filmmaker (Williamson ha s credite d Jaws with firs t inspirin g hi m t o mak e movies) . A t ag e 12 , Williamson convince d th e loca l libraria n t o subscrib e t o th e showbiz trad e pape r Variety s o h e coul d rea d abou t Hollywood goings-on , an d h e studie d th e craf t o f po p

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storytelling throug h readin g hi s parents ' novel s b y Loui s L'Amour, Cliv e Cussler , an d Arthu r Hailey ; he als o rea d Syd Field's famou s screenwritin g book s (whic h ar e like bible s t o any serious film scribe). By age 13, he was making Super 8m m movies in his backyard, editing them on one of those old tworeel film editor s purchased fro m a Sears Roebuck catalog. Despite th e multipl e fil m an d televisio n project s h e juggles today , writin g wasn' t eas y for Williamso n a t first . I n high school, a n English teache r continuall y deride d hi s lous y grammar, ba d sentenc e structure , an d poo r spelling , an d repeatedly told him tha t he would never make it, that he was a no-account , grammaticall y challenge d hick . Th e teacher' s words s o rattle d youn g Kevi n tha t h e perceive d himsel f a failure; i n fact , Williamso n continue d t o be s o obsesse d wit h his shortcoming s a s a writer that , many years later, whe n h e wrote his firs t screenplay, it was an attempt to exorcise some of those demons . Th e screenplay, Killing Mrs. Tingle, was inspired by that teacher who gave him his first terrible reviews — in the story, Williamso n take s figurativ e reveng e o n hi s tormento r through the actions of the characters, high school students who confront thei r teache r becaus e o f the poo r grade s she's give n them. " I really had tha t teacher, " Williamson tol d th e Toronto Sun i n 1998 , "an d sh e trie d t o kil l me . T o this day , I d o no t know wh y sh e chos e t o hat e m e s o much. " H e relate d hi s harrowing experience s wit h th e teache r thi s way : "I t wa s English and I was reading my short story about date rape to the class. Halfway through she stopped me, gave me an 'F and told me I ha d n o busines s writin g anything , an d tha t m y voic e should no t b e heard. I didn't writ e again for 1 0 years." Williamson was president o f his high schoo l drama club, before attendin g Eas t Carolin a Universit y o n a n actin g scholarship. He studied theater and film, and also took writin g courses, wherein th e instructors reportedl y agai n told him that

his talent s probabl y li e elsewhere . Afte r graduatin g fro m college, Williamso n wen t t o Ne w Yor k wit h aspiration s o f becoming an actor, appeared in several stage productions, an d landed a minor rol e as a character named "Dougie" on the NBC soap oper a Another World i n 1990 . Then , Williamson wen t t o Los Angeles , wher e h e continue d actin g (h e onc e playe d William Kennedy Smith opposite Jim Carrey in a skit on Fox's In Living Color) an d wa s an assistant to a music video-director (Williamson worke d o n L L Cool J's "Mam a Sai d Knoc k You Out" video , amon g others) . Bu t soo n h e wa s fire d fro m th e music-video job an d h e foun d himself drifting. H e worked as a waiter in a restaurant, as a word processo r for a temporary employment agency , an d h e walke d dog s fo r th e well-to-do . Although he wasn' t exactl y starving, it was a time o f struggle for th e youn g artist , who wa s stil l tryin g t o fin d hi s creative niche. "There' s s o muc h menta l anguis h ove r no t knowin g what you're going to do next, not having a direction. It's a very scary place not t o know where you're going with your life an d feeling tha t yo u trul y hav e n o reaso n t o wak e u p i n th e morning," h e late r tol d th e Minneapoli s Star Tribune. Williamson foun d hi s much-neede d directio n whe n a frien d loaned him mone y to take screenwriting classes at UCLA'S night school. But Williamson says his mother knew all along that he would on e da y be a scribe. " 1 called her an d sai d I was gonna try out this writing thing. And she said, 'So you finall y go t the hint from when I gave you the typewriter when you were 10,'" he tol d th e Chicago Tribune i n 1997 . Th e typewrite r wa s a Christmas present . "Sh e had i t gift-wrapped, and lef t i t in th e back sea t of the car, " but a holiday Grinc h brok e into th e ca r and stol e it ; hi s da d ha d t o borro w mone y t o replac e th e typewriter. "The y wer e you r basi c Souther n parents , they' d sacrifice anythin g for the kids. " A few years afte r h e enrolle d at UCLA , tha t ol d typewrite r would star t t o pa y of f and he' d

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Kevin's senior class photo.

repay hi s parent s fo r thei r suppor t b y buyin g the m a ne w house in their hometown of New Bern. Subsequently, in 1994 , he finishe d the afore-mentione d Killing Mrs. Tingle screenplay, landed a n agen t wh o soo n sol d th e script , ari d proceede d t o live of f his earning s fo r th e nex t year. "I was desperate , broke and dow n o n my luck in L.A. , and I took this [screenwriting ]

class a s a kin d o f exploration, " h e tol d th e Sa n Francisco Chronicle. "It made me settle into story-telling. I've been writing ever since. In fact, it just gushes out. " When he sold Killing Mrs. Tingle, Williamson surpassed th e first, mos t insurmountable hurdl e tha t any young screenwriter faces: getting your first script sold. And, like thousands o f other writers before him , he stoo d a great chance (i n all probability, the grea t likelihood ) tha t thi s migh t b e hi s onl y sal e — tha t Killing Mrs. Tingle woul d languis h i n th e fil e drawe r o f som e production executive , and neve r b e mad e (i n fact , th e scrip t languished i n limbo for several years, until Williamson gaine d enough clou t t o direct i t himself). Bu t inspiration cam e agai n and, a s wa s th e cas e with Killing Mrs. Tingle, i t woul d com e from a real-life incident. On e night i n 1995 , while Williamso n was house-sitting fo r a friend , h e wen t t o be d uneasil y afte r watching a new s progra m abou t th e real-lif e campu s seria l murders in Gainesville, Florida. Soon he was awakened in the wee hours by noises i n the dark . H e grabbed a butcher knif e and wen t t o investigate , an d whe n th e coas t wa s clea r h e telephoned a frien d fo r mora l support . Instead , th e frien d taunted him, whispering "kill , kill, kill " (fro m Friday th e 13th) into th e receiver . Their conversatio n eventually turned int o a debate ove r whethe r th e Hallowee n movie s o r th e Nightmare On Elm Street series is scarier. Such heady inspiration couldn' t have come at a better time, for the money Williamson earne d from sellin g Killing Mrs. Tingle wa s fas t runnin g out . "S o fo r three day s I wrot e nonsto p i n thi s frien d o f mine's plac e i n [Palm Springs , California] , wit h n o phon e o r television , jus t some scary soundtrack music I brought wit h me, " Williamson once tol d th e Bosto n Globe . " I literall y wrot e th e Scream screenplay i n thre e days , althoug h I had outline d i t ove r th e course of a week a couple of months before. " Williamson say s tha t th e real-lif e Mrs . Tingle , hi s ol d

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nemesis, di d not live long enough t o see him prove her wrong. "I kind o f look upon he r fondl y now tha t everything seems t o have turne d ou t OK, " h e tol d th e Minneapoli s Star Tribune i n 1997. Alas , Mrs . Tingle neve r ha d t o ea t cro w — sh e didn' t witness Williamson' s extraordinary , meteori c ris e to the forefront o f screenwriting ; sh e didn' t se e hi m becom e a celebrity (a n unusua l distinctio n fo r a screenwriter , excep t those fe w who attai n Tarantino-caliber recognition) , meetin g reporters fo r interview s a t th e Pol o Loung e i n Beverl y Hill s and appearin g on shows lik e Politically Incorrect; she didn't see the fuss tha t ensued when Son y Pictures wanted to boast in its advertising fo r I Know What Yo u Did Last Summer that the fil m was "from the creator of Scream" and Miramax Films objected, tryin g t o kee p Williamso n al l fo r itself ; sh e didn' t hear Miramax president Harve y Weinstein describe her forme r student as a "genius"; Mrs. Tingle didn't have to read in Variety that Williamson wa s now turning dow n lucrative projects that other screenwriter s woul d kil l fo r — lik e Th e Exorcist Part iv, and live-actio n version s o f Scooby Do o an d Speed Racer. B y 1998, Williamso n wa s a full-fledge d phenomeno n an d h e could affor d t o pic k an d choos e film s tha t fi t the identit y h e was trying to establish for himself. "One of the things I've tried to do as a writer is to develop a distinct voice," he told the Star Tribune. "I t may not b e good, but a t least it's different an d it'l l stand ou t a little more. I f it's not successfu l an d peopl e don' t like it, a t least it was mine."

SCREAM KING: THE FILMS OF KEVIN WILLIAMSON In 1999, the Los Angeles Times asked Kevin Williamson what his favorite movie was. "Jaws," he answered without hesitation. "I'd

love to see it again for the first time. It was the movie that made me wan t t o b e i n th e movi e business. " A t othe r times , Williamson ha s expresse d hi s love of John Carpenter' s origina l Halloween, and fo r the film s o f director John Hughes, the kin g of 1980 s tee n cinema . Element s o f al l thes e influence s ar e evident throughou t Williamson' s bod y o f work — th e jolting scares o f Jaws , th e mysteriou s maske d murdere r a l a Halloween's Michae l Myers, and update d versions o f the savvy , self-aware teen s an d Reagan-er a pop-culture reference s tha t were so muc h a part o f Hughes' film s lik e Ferris Bueller's Da y Off an d Th e Breakfast Club. Scream is Williamson's firs t an d mos t importan t film , fo r it immediately established hi m as a writer with a unique voice and an ability to deconstruct th e horror genre and put it back together, all in the cours e of a single screenplay. And o f all the films that have influenced Williamsons work, Halloween had the biggest impact on his approach to Scream — in fact , whe n he firs t se t abou t writin g a horror screenplay , he envisione d writing a moder n versio n o f th e sam e stor y bu t ultimatel y realized that today's audiences ar e too irony-stricken t o fal l for the same old horror-movie riffs. Williamson's solution? Instead of lettin g th e audienc e wai t fo r al l th e ol d scar y cliches , h e wrote a movie i n whic h th e character s openl y discus s thos e cliches (lik e the doomed , large-breasted heroines wh o always run righ t into the killer's trap), all the while being sucked int o their ow n we b o f murder , mayhem , an d terror . Yes , Williamson employ s mos t o f th e usua l tricks , bu t yo u can' t criticize him fo r it because his deconstructionist, media-savv y characters bea t you to the punch. As Williamson explained i n a 1997 Boston Globe interview, "The average 15-year-old girl who went to see the firs t Halloween movie back i n 197 8 i s by no mean s comin g fro m th e sam e plac e tha t th e averag e 15 year-old girl is who saw Scream. . . .Not only are teenagers a

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lot mor e self-awar e but no w there' s cabl e an d VCRS , an d kid s know these kinds of movies backwards and forwards. " In Halloween, John Carpente r took th e da y that Western cultures hav e designate d fo r purgin g fear s o f evi l spirits , monsters, an d othe r bugaboo s and turne d i t inside-out, wit h all thos e imaginar y fear s becomin g realitie s in th e for m o f a killer known a s "the shape," who inexplicabl y wears a rubber William Shatner mask. In Scream, Williamson di d virtually the same thing , turnin g th e fictiona l worl d o f horror film s int o reality fo r hi s characters . Lik e Dawso n Leery , wh o woul d follow i n thei r footstep s a year and a half later, the characters in Scream ar e steepe d i n movi e trivia . Knowin g tha t man y modern America n high schoo l kids gre w up watchin g horro r pictures like the Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street series , Williamso n gav e hi s character s a vas t knowledge o f slasher-movie rule s an d regulations . While th e teens i n Scream ar e discussin g th e ol d film s wherei n knife wielding slasher s chas e an d kil l unwary , sex y teens , the y themselves ar e being chased b y their ow n mad killer. I n this way, th e fil m carrie s o n a conversatio n wit h th e audienc e — the crowd finds itself reliving past horror film favorites (indeed , the fil m begin s wit h th e kille r callin g hi s victi m o n th e telephone an d asking, "what' s your favorite scary movie?") and trying to catch all the genre references tha t whiz by. And there are lot s o f them : A ki d call s anothe r ki d "Leatherface " ( a reference t o Th e Texas Chainsaw Massacre); Lind a Blai r (th e possessed chil d fro m Th e Exorcist) ha s a cameo; and ther e are direct an d indirec t reference s to Psycho, Carrie, Th e Howling, The Silence of the Lambs, The Evil Dead, Hellraiser, Terror Train, Prom Night, I Spit o n Your Grave, Candyman, an d man y othe r films. Thus , th e self-referentialit y o f the characters , and o f th e film itself , an d constan t us e o f po p reference s an d in-joke s (often dubbe d "postmodern " b y critic s wh o enjo y overusin g

that word) is a key element to the Williamson formula, and th e primary reaso n wh y Scream receive d favorabl e review s fro m Roger Ebert and many other well-regarded fil m pundits. At the same time , Williamson an d directo r Wes Craven balance th e knife-edge between terror and parody, and charge the film with real scares — which is undoubtedly wh y the fil m score d suc h a major hi t with teen audiences. The plot, while by no means revolutionary, also stretches the rules o f the usual teen cut-'em-u p movie, making i t more difficult t o gues s wher e th e nex t clu e lead s — fo r instance , Williamson use s tw o killer s t o derai l th e genre' s tradition of physically impossibl e deeds . I n a rif f reminiscen t o f Hitchcock's Psycho, a prominent actres s (Dre w Barrymore) is introduced durin g the firs t ree l and soo n killed off . The main character, Sidne y (Nev e Campbell), a high school student , i s left alon e for the weekend; her fathe r has gone out o f town o n the one-yea r anniversar y o f hi s wife/he r mother' s murder . Soon, rumor s ar e circulating a t school abou t cult murders i n which th e kille r wear s a Hallowee n costum e calle d Fathe r Death, wit h a n eeri e mas k reminiscen t o f Munch' s "Th e Scream" painting . Prett y soon , everyon e i n th e tow n o f Woodsboro, Californi a i s a suspect , includin g th e girl' s boyfriend an d he r father . Th e plot , essentially , i s abou t th e murders, but th e plot-within-the-plot is really about the kid s who realiz e the y ar e part o f an unfolding slasher-movie-styl e mystery. When Sidney rejects her boyfriend's sexua l advances, another characte r note s tha t virgin s (lik e Halloween' s Laurie Strode) ar e never murdere d i n horro r films ; meanwhile , th e characters discus s whic h actor s would pla y their role s in th e film versio n o f the event s unfolding. "1 see myself as a sort of young Me g Ryan , bu t wit h m y luck , I'l l probabl y ge t Tor i Spelling," one character laments. "Halloween dealt with simple, almost primal fears of being

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home alon e wit h a child an d someon e lookin g fro m outsid e and coming and getting you," Williamson said in an intervie w with the Londo n Daily Telegraph. "Bu t now th e audience have become so culture-driven and multimedia-savvy that I wanted to hav e fu n wit h that . Halloween i s a classi c urba n legend : you're watchin g a ki d an d a kille r come s an d get s you . Whereas Scream is the ninetie s versio n o f that urba n legend : the stor y o f the movi e abou t th e baby-sitte r . . . it's very self aware. W e give everyone th e rules , an d the n brea k them . So much ha s happened i n ou r movi e world tha t we can't shoc k the audience in the old ways. Horror movies have to exist now in the horror movie." One are a wher e Scream sticks t o th e usua l stabbe r flic k formula i s th e gor e — ther e i s lot s o f bloo d i n th e film , although muc h o f the violenc e i s diminished b y th e satirica l tone an d th e iron y wit h whic h deat h an d slicing-and-dicin g are presented. Surprisingly , Williamson say s he i s squeamish . "When I first saw Scream" he told the San Francisco Chronicle in 1997, " I complained t o [director ] We s [Craven] , 'Thi s thing' s so bloody and violent. ' He said, 'Kevin, get a grip, you wrote it.'" Certainly much o f the film' s succes s must be attributed to Craven, wh o previousl y had establishe d himsel f as one o f the greatest teen-horror film directors in history with his Nightmare on Elm Street series and othe r pictures like The Last House on the Left an d Th e Hills Have Eyes. In Scream, a doomed character pleads with the killer, "Oh no, Mr . Scary Ghos t Face , don' t kil l me , I want t o b e i n th e sequel." Williamso n say s tha t whe n h e firs t submitte d hi s treatment for Scream, it was the firs t fil m in a projected trilogy — a bold move for an unknown screenwriter. As it turned out, Williamson's horror trilogy would indeed become a reality, but in the meantime, the writer would begin honing hi s craf t o n I Know What Yo u Did Last Summer. This, Williamson's next film ,

was released just before Halloween 1997 and, while it was also phenomenally successfu l (i t cos t a skimp y $1 6 millio n an d made abou t $7 0 millio n domestically) , i t wa s almos t unanimously rake d ove r by th e critics , who foun d littl e ne w material, aside from th e slick production values and the likable young cast (featuring TV babes Jennifer Love Hewitt of Party of Five an d Sara h Michell e Cella r o f Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Whereas Williamso n brok e ne w groun d wit h Scream's self referential theme of horror film fandom gone awry, I Know What You Di d was a mostly typical kids-get-killed affair . Th e reason? Perhaps it was the fac t that, while Scream was Williamsons own personal inspiration , h e wrot e th e scrip t fo r I Kno w What You Did a s a hired gun. I Kno w What Yo u Did wa s helme d b y first-tim e directo r Jim Gillespie , a Scottish-born filmmake r who ha d previousl y directed television programs in the United Kingdom with titles like Cardiac Arrest an d Th e Ghostbusters o f East Finchley. Gillespie move d t o Hollywoo d i n th e earl y 1990 s wit h aspirations of directing feature films ; eventually he was offere d a picture called Big Bugs, which h e describe d a s "Jurassic Park with insects, " but h e ende d u p walkin g of f the projec t when the studi o bega n balkin g a t th e cos t o f specia l effects . Eventually h e wa s offere d anothe r chanc e wit h I Know What You Di d Last Summer, th e stor y o f fou r forme r hig h schoo l students fro m Nort h Carolin a who fac e th e consequence s o f keeping quie t abou t thei r involvemen t i n a hit-and-ru n accident. Th e stor y wa s base d o n a boo k o f th e sam e titl e written i n th e 1960 s b y Loi s Duncan , a n autho r o f several dozen tee n novel s an d book s (Duncan , whose daughte r was murdered i n 1989 , i s als o autho r o f Wh o Murdered M y Daughter? and ha s dedicate d herself in recen t years to solvin g her daughter' s murder). I Know What Yo u Did Last Summer (the book), whic h ha s bee n taugh t i n middl e an d junio r hig h

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school Englis h classe s fo r years , i s abou t resistin g pee r pressure and doing the right thing. I n interviews published a t the tim e the movie version was released, Duncan was quoted saying sh e wa s aghas t a t th e movie , du e t o al l th e change s made t o her stor y and th e amoun t o f violence and blood . I n the boo k version , ther e i s just on e deat h — a chil d o n a bicycle is hit by a car, and th e death is revealed in a flashback; the fou r teen s i n th e ca r flee the scen e without stopping . But in th e movie , th e teens , whil e drivin g hom e i n a somewha t inebriated stat e fro m a Fourt h o f July celebratio n (actually , they've just bee n sittin g aroun d drinkin g an d tellin g spook y stories), hit a n adult , a solitary pedestrian o n a country road. After a n endles s argumen t ove r whether th e cop s shoul d b e called o r not , th e kid s decid e t o cove r up th e crim e t o save their ow n asses . Believed dead, the man' s body is dumped i n a lake. But he's not reall y dead, just very stunned. The guilt y kids maintai n a conspirac y o f silence t o protec t themselves , but a year later threatening note s begi n arriving , warning, "I know what you di d las t summer," and the n th e killing starts. Two o f th e teen s ar e decapitate d wit h boa t hooks ; anothe r character (wh o doe s no t appea r i n th e book ) i s boiled alive . There's a scene where the heroine open s her ca r trunk t o fin d a dea d body with crab s crawlin g out o f its mouth. Th e killer is a not-quite-dead an d very angry longshoreman wh o wield s a deadl y fis h hoo k an d slink s aroun d tow n i n a rain slicker . The Gorton's fisherman he ain't. Shot in Southport , North Carolina, I Know What Yo u Did contains som e o f th e souther n setting s an d fishing-villag e aesthetics that would later become such a big part of Dawson's Creek. I n a n intervie w jus t befor e th e film , wa s released , Williamson tol d CN N Showbiz Today, "Scream wa s sor t o f m y childhood lov e of horror films , sor t o f — yo u know , where I got t o pa y tribut e an d homag e t o them . I Know What Yo u Did

Last Summer was . . . I lov e writin g abou t teenagers , I lov e writing abou t kids, you know , and i t sort o f takes me back to that time. . .. I got to bring my whole childhood t o life, i n the sense tha t 1 got t o creat e it aroun d m y home town . Growin g up o n the water, my dad was a fisherman, and a fish hook was a very common thing. " I Kno w What Yo u Di d Last Summer purport s t o b e a morality tale about how a grave secret can come back to haunt you — eve n kil l you . Th e cast , including Hewit t an d Gella r (plus Freddi e Prinz e Jr . an d Rya n Phillipe , wh o pla y thei r boyfriends), i s young, hip, an d gorgeous , and th e soundtrac k has a bunch of cool bands o n it. But even though Williamson' s protagonists ar e no t th e usua l cardboar d type s (instea d displaying vulnerabilit y t o al l th e weaknesses , fears , an d humiliations o f adolescence) , thi s fil m i s basicall y a straigh t rendition o f the traditiona l tee n horro r movie , devoi d o f th e unique genre-bendin g an d wi t o f Scream, an d completel y lacking th e pop-cultur e wink s an d MTV-generatio n irony tha t made that fil m s o successful . Instead , I Know What Yo u Did is a dul l retrea d rathe r tha n somethin g ne w Althoug h thi s was only hi s secon d produce d film , i t seeme d Williamso n ha d already lost his unique touch. But he would quickl y regain it. Sequels don' t hav e t o suck . Yo u don' t believ e it ? A s evidence to the contrary you might offe r th e following: Jaws 2, Godzilla Raids Again, Friday the 13th Part 3: 3-D, Son of Frankenstein, Speed 2 , Batman and Robin, Lethal Weapon 4 .. . OK, you'v e go t a point, bu t sequel s don' t have t o suck . Kevin Williamson prove d thi s wit h hi s nex t film , Scream 2, which , despite the fac t tha t it was written and produced very quickl y in orde r t o capitaliz e o n th e momentu m create d b y th e original Scream, successfull y rekindle s th e freshnes s o f it s predecessor without rehashing it to death, and adds a few new twists, turns , an d scare s o f it s own . I n wha t migh t b e

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construed a s eithe r th e ultimat e movi e concei t o r a brillian t plot device , Williamso n an d returnin g directo r We s Craven meet th e seque l jinx head-on , a s th e character s in Scream 2 openly discuss the sequels that they think are better than their source material. During one heady classroom discussion, th e kids note that Terminator 2, Aliens, and Godfather 2 are, in their minds, superio r t o th e film s tha t inspire d them . I n anothe r scene, Jami e Kenned y discusse s ho w t o mak e a successfu l horror sequel. He says, "The body count is always going to be bigger. Th e deat h scene s ar e alway s goin g t o b e mor e elaborate, and never assume the killer is dead, because he can always come back," and add s tha t th e las t rule o f a sequel is that a n actor must never accep t less money than he was paid for th e firs t film . "The firs t movi e wa s abou t hig h schoo l student s analyzing a horror film to catch a killer," Williamson said in an interview wit h th e Chicago Sun-Times i n Decembe r 1997 . "Now it's film student s analyzing horro r fil m sequel s to catc h a copyca t killer." I n othe r words, it's the sam e nifty gimmic k that infuse d Scream wit h a balanc e o f scar y gor e an d witt y personality: when i t comes to movies, these kids really know what they're talking about. The seque l take s plac e tw o year s afte r th e event s i n Scream, and open s o n a typical date night i n a n Ohi o college town. I n a notable Williamson/Cravenesqu e sequenc e tha t i s both hilarious and gruesome, a young couple (Jada Pinkett and Omar Epp s — a s with Dre w Barrymore i n th e firs t film , th e early sacrificia l lamb s ar e playe d b y familia r stars ) attend s a screening of the movie Stab, which is based on the Woodsboro murders and adapted fro m a nonfiction book by reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, reprising her role). In a promotional gimmick fo r Stab, th e audienc e member s wear freebie mask s and hoods identical to those of the killer in the movie (and the

movie-within-the-movie). I n a dead-o n parod y o f th e con troversy ove r violenc e i n horro r flicks , th e theater-goer s ar e worked int o a frenzy , durin g whic h Epp s an d Pinket t ar e brutally stabbed (h e in the men's room, she in the theater), but it's impossible t o identify th e killer because everyone's wearing the sam e scary outfit. Thi s sequence work s equally well as an incisive self-parody; Stab is a note-for-note replay of the event s in Scream, camped u p i n th e styl e of a routine slashe r pic ; i n one of film's greatest in-jokes, the Drew Barrymore character is played by Tori Spelling in Stab. Meanwhile, acros s town , th e kid s wh o survive d thos e horrifying event s i n Woodsboro , Californi a hav e graduate d from hig h schoo l an d no w atten d Windso r Colleg e in Ohio , hoping to escape the terribl e memories. The y include Sidne y Prescott (Campbell) , he r cynical , video-gee k frien d Rand y (Jamie Kennedy) , th e cornbal l forme r Woodsboro deput y Dewey Rile y (Davi d Arquette) , an d Cotto n Wear y (Lie v Schreiber, now playing a more prominent role) , whom Sidne y accused o f the murder s befor e th e du o o f real psycho killer s were foun d out a t the en d o f Scream. Sur e enough, a copycat killer shows up on campus and carves up students one by one, prompting tabloid-quee n newswoma n Weather s t o sho w u p for anothe r scoop . I n shor t orde r th e kille r o r killer s ar e carving up th e studen t body , striking a t a sorority house, fil m studios, camer a vans , theaters , an d s o on . Betwee n killings , the kille r phone s severa l target s an d taunt s the m wit h th e familiar refrain : "What' s you r favorit e scar y movie? " Befor e long ther e i s a n impressiv e lis t o f victims , an d th e movi e boasts a surprise ending. It's an understatement t o say that Scream and Scream 2 recast the mold for modern tee n horror picture s and raise d the bar fo r all future filmmaker s taking a stab (pu n intended ) a t the genre . A t th e tim e the y wer e released , thes e wer e th e

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smartest and mos t entertaining horror film s t o come along in a grea t while, bu t i n th e end , Scream 2 doesn' t hav e th e firs t film's raison d'etre an d its own identity. While Scream was the ultimate rif f o n moder n tee n horro r flicks , i t lef t littl e in th e way o f uncharte d territor y t o explor e i n futur e chapters . Audiences wer e mesmerize d b y Scream's blurrin g o f th e lin e between fictio n an d reality , an d moviegoer s were amuse d b y director Craven and screenwriter Williamson's teasing ways — confronting th e viewe r wit h savag e violenc e an d mayhem , then pulling back and revealing that, after all, it's only a movie. Scream 2 i s infuse d wit h th e sam e kin d o f tensio n betwee n reality and perception ; a few moments afte r a psychotic serial killer rips the guts out o f a sweet teenage girl, the audiences is in stitches, laughing at another gag. "We wer e mor e self-consciou s abou t thi s picture, " director Craven told th e Chicago Tribune i n 1997 . "Firs t of all, we didn't quite know what we had don e right in the first one . . . . [One ] thin g w e wante d t o b e acutel y aware of was tha t there never be a moment that says to the audience, 'Aren't we so clever? Here we are, making our sequel. ' Which was really tough because here you were, making jokes about sequels. But I was always looking fo r that point where there'd be one joke too much. Ther e was a lot of attempted exercise in restraint." Ultimately, however, Scream 2 isn't quite as engaging as the original, partl y becaus e i t tread s familia r territory , partl y because Williamson wa s force d t o write the screenpla y unde r pressure. I n sprin g 1997 , afte r Scream's incredibl e box-offic e success, Bo b Weinstein (hea d o f Mirama x Films' Dimensio n Pictures division) , decide d h e wante d a seque l fo r th e upcoming holida y season . Scream 2 wa s rushe d int o production a t a tim e whe n Williamso n wa s sprea d thi n between I Know What Yo u Did Last Summer and workin g on th e pilot for Dawson's Creek. Williamson was still working on script

revisions whil e th e fil m wa s being shot, writing in a trailer on location i n Atlanta . Plot details were kept top-secre t fro m th e press an d public , an d i n orde r t o enforc e thi s cod e o f silenc e (and, perhaps , becaus e i t simpl y wasn' t finishe d yet) , th e screenplay was doled out to the actors in chunks; the ending of the movie and the identity o f the killers was kept fro m th e cast until the day it was shot. With Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Scream 2 ignitin g a renaissanc e i n th e subgenr e know n a s slasher flicks , begettin g a numbe r o f smart-alec k horro r imitations (lik e Urban Legend, Idle Hands, an d Disturbing Behavior), i t wa s onl y natura l tha t Hollywoo d woul d win d back the clock and revive the franchise that started it all, John Carpenter's Halloween . Bu t the ga p between th e ne w bree d of horror film s wit h th e self-awar e humo r tha t Williamso n brought t o th e genre , an d th e relativel y old-school approac h taken b y Halloween an d th e cro p tha t followe d i t i n th e lat e 1970s an d earl y 80s, i s vast . Therefore , i t i s interestin g tha t Williamson's origina l stor y fo r Halloween: H20, th e sevent h entry an d 20th-anniversar y fil m i n th e Halloween series , is a surprisingly straightforward , irony-free horro r tale . An d th e film, directe d b y Stephe n Mine r (Friday th e 13th Part 3 : 3-D, House, M y Father th e Hero, Lake Placid), nobl y trie s t o brin g closure t o th e sag a o f "th e shape, " derange d kille r Michae l Myers, which had becom e entangle d i n a mess o f loose end s over th e cours e o f severa l ba d sequels . Williamson' s stor y wisely throw s al l th e inconsequentia l (an d ofte n boring ) events of Halloweens 4 through 6 by th e wayside and th e fil m is essentiall y a seque l t o Halloween 2 . Fo r th e uninitiated , Carpenter's Halloween i s the stor y of a homicidal mania c who, in 1963 , a t ag e six , murdere d on e o f hi s tw o sister s i n Haddonfield, Illinois , an d wa s the n committe d t o a sanitarium. Hi s parent s die d a fe w year s late r an d th e

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surviving sister, Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), was adopted by the Strode family . O n Hallowee n night , 1978 , Michae l Myer s broke ou t o f th e Smith' s Grov e Sanitariu m an d returne d t o Haddonfield, embarkin g o n a killin g spre e an d stalkin g hi s sister Laurie , who's making a few bucks babysitting som e kids on trick-or-treat night. The events of that fateful evenin g were concluded i n Halloween 2, which ende d wit h Michae l Myers, Laurie Strode , an d Dr . Loomi s ( a psychologis t studyin g Michael's menta l illness , portraye d b y Donal d Pleasence ) perishing in a hospital fire . Of course , thi s bein g a horror movie , where n o rule s of mortality apply , non e o f the m reall y died . I n Kevi n Williamson's revised Halloween universe, Laurie Strode became pregnan t aroun d 1980 , fake d he r deat h i n a ca r accident, too k th e phon y nam e Ker i Tate , ha d a son , an d became a dean a t a private schoo l i n tranqui l Summe r Glen , California. Dr . Loomi s als o survive d th e fir e bu t eventuall y died in 199 5 (however , ha d Donald Pleasence not really died , his characte r surely would hav e been resurrected , too). Most importantly, in spite o f the fac t tha t the las t time he was seen in Halloween 2 his body was engulfed in flames and he looke d dead a s a doornail, Michae l Myers is alive and well , and he' s apparently become on e hell o f a skip tracer . During a killin g spree i n Langdon , Illinoi s (siste r Laurie' s las t know n whereabouts), Michae l finds clues a s to hi s sister' s new digs , jumps in an old beat-up 1970 s clunker ca r and heads west, his old rubbe r Shatne r mas k no t impairin g hi s drivin g skill s th e least bit . Michae l arrives o n Halloween , just a s mos t o f th e kids and facult y of Laurie's school are departing o n a weekend trip, leavin g th e schoo l deserte d excep t fo r Laurie , her lov e interest ( a teacher played by Adam Arkin), her so n John (Jos h Hartnett) an d hi s girlfriend (Michell e Williams) , an d a fe w other kids . Afte r 2 0 years , Michael Myers has com e t o settl e

the scor e wit h hi s sister : hi s intende d victi m i s he r teenag e son. Bu t even thoug h there' s a likable teenag e ensemble an d Myers respectably sends severa l of its members t o grisly fates , this is really Kevin Williamson's firs t "adult " horror film , suc h as it is . At its cente r i s the 20-year-lon g war o f wills betwee n Laurie Strode and her mass-murderer brother, a sibling rivalry pitting good versus evil, and Laurie's failure to escape a demon from th e pas t tha t has swor n t o follo w he r t o th e end s o f the earth until she is eliminated. The greatest sequence o f the fil m is th e climacti c confrontatio n betwee n siste r an d slasher : instead o f a typical tee n murder-fest movi e ending , in which the haples s victi m i s backed int o a corne r an d mus t us e he r wits to somehow escap e alive, Laurie grabs an ax , stalks back onto the grounds o f the deserted campu s where the "shape" is holed up , an d shouts , "Michael! " int o th e dar k night , challenging her bogeyman brothe r t o a showdown. While Halloween: H2 0 didn' t brea k groun d th e wa y Scream did , i t nevertheles s represent s a milestone o f sorts i n horror movi e history , th e retur n o f Jamie Le e Curti s t o th e genre, and the very movie that put her on the Hollywood map of stars ' homes . Had it not bee n for Halloween, Curti s neve r would hav e becom e th e screa m quee n o f he r generation , starring in film s like Prom Night, Terror Train, and Th e Fog, nor likely would she have gone on to successes like Trading Places, A Fish Called Wanda, an d True Lies. It' s als o coo l tha t Williamson an d Mine r include d a came o rol e fo r Curtis' s mother, Janet Leigh of Hitchcock's Psycho fame . " 1 asked Kevin Williamson t o create a cameo for my mom tha t would give her the opportunit y t o ti p he r ha t t o Psycho an d t o acknowledg e that sh e an d I ar e horror icons, " Curti s tol d th e Ottawa Sun newspaper i n 1998 . Still , on e questio n remains . What' s wit h the "H20 " in th e title ? Yes, it's a 20th anniversar y movie , bu t "H20" seems t o indicate th e fil m take s place unde r water . In

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an appearance o n ABC' S Good Morning America in August 1998 , Williamson explained , "w e kep t saying , yo u know , 'Th e posters shoul d b e H-20. ' An d the n i t just sor t o f [became ] H2O, an d th e whol e ide a that , you know , Jamie Le e Curtis plays Laurie Strode, and they're brother and sister, her and the killer. An d it' s just sor t of , 'blood i s thicke r tha n water. ' She [Curtis] kin d o f liked tha t little tag line." After th e firs t thre e films he wrote grossed more than half a billion dollar s worldwide, Kevin Williamson bega n receiving special considerations. Th e Weinsteins and Miramax gave him a $20-millio n developmen t deal , lockin g u p hi s nex t fe w screenplays, an d the y gav e Williamson privat e flight s aboar d the Mirama x jet. So , when a screenwrite r i s a s successfu l a s Kevin Williamso n is , it' s onl y a matte r o f tim e befor e som e hotshot produce r offer s hi m a chanc e t o direc t a movie . It' s Hollywood's way of keeping the golden boy happy. And so, in 1998, Bo b Weinstei n dangle d Th e Faculty i n fron t o f Williamson's nose . Th e Faculty, a spoof of science-fiction films with a Scream-esque teenage ensemble , wa s Williamson's firs t departure fro m the slasher-movi e genre , but it was not, as it turned out , hi s firs t jo b i n th e director' s chair . "The y [Miramax] said , This is right up you r alley'" Williamson sai d in a January 199 9 intervie w wit h th e Chicago Sun-Times. "So I got involved . . . . Thi s wa s [Invasion o f the] Body Snatchers meets The Breakfast Club. I started writing a draft o f it, and th e more I wrote, the mor e I was discoverin g the whol e science fiction world , whic h I don' t kno w muc h about . I' m th e horror/slasher guy. " However, a s h e delve d deepe r i n t o th e story , whic h i s about alien s invadin g th e mind s o f the teacher s a t a n Ohi o high school , Williamso n kne w i t wa s goin g t o nee d lot s of special effect s i n order t o play out onscreen, an d so he begged off th e director' s job, stickin g t o hi s trust y lapto p instead . "I

realized I didn't hav e a clue how t o d o thi s movie. It became apparent tha t thi s wa s probabl y no t th e bes t projec t wit h which t o begi n m y directin g career. " Eventually, Williamson and others involved in the project decided they would pursu e Robert Rodriguez, the director of such artfully violent pictures as El Mariachi, Desperado, an d From Dusk 'Till Dawn, and on e of the coolest young filmmakers in Hollywood. Ove r lunch at Roscoe's Chicken an d Waffle , a soul-food joint in Hollywood, Williamson, Rodriguez , an d Bo b Weinstei n (joine d b y Rodriguez's pal Quenti n Tarantino) seale d th e deal . Recallin g the meeting , Rodrigue z tol d th e Sun-Times, "Bo b said, 'W e need a big Christma s movie . We need somethin g t o fil l ou r traditional Scream slot, an d thi s i s the las t Kevin script we've got. So you have to do it.'" The Faculty wa s the firs t production in a five-picture deal Rodriguez inked with Miramax. The Faculty coul d have been called My Teacher is an Alien. At Herringto n Hig h School , i n Ohio , th e teacher s succum b one b y on e t o a hostil e extraterrestria l invade r tha t drain s humans dry , literally , wit h eac h alien-infeste d teache r chugging bottle s o f water i n orde r t o survive . The epidemi c gradually spread s t o th e students , thei r families , an d th e police. Th e da y i s save d b y Zek e (J° sh Hartnett) , a n underachiever studen t (he' s repeatin g hi s senio r year) , who discovers that his homemade narcotic is deadly to the baddies. The Faculty feature s Williamson's by-now usual assortment of video-store references , and a n amusin g cas t (particularl y th e actors playin g teachers ) tha t include s Pipe r Laurie , Jo n Stewart, Beb e Neuwirth , and, in a cameo, the obes e Interne t movie-gossip guru Harry Knowles. But what's most interesting about this fil m is the lengths that Miramax went to promote it as a "Kevi n Williamso n movie, " spendin g $3 0 millio n t o market th e fil m a s such (b y contrast, the fil m itsel f cos t only $23 millio n t o make ) an d payin g $100,00 0 t o th e tw o

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screenwriters wh o penne d th e origina l scrip t s o the y woul d agree to forfei t thei r writin g credits . Thes e behind-the-scene s maneuverings sho w jus t ho w muc h box-offic e powe r Williamson ha d amasse d with only a few films unde r his belt. The origina l draf t o f The Faculty wa s writte n b y Davi d Wechter and Bruc e Kimmel, two Los Angeles low-budget fil m directors (Wechte r mad e Midnight Madness, a 198 0 fil m starring Michae l J . Fox ; Kimme l ha d directe d Spaceship, a 1981 fil m wit h Lesli e Nielsen) , wh o sol d i t t o Mirama x for $225,000. Bu t when Mirama x became inten t o n advertisin g the fil m as "From the director of Desperado" wit h a "Screenplay by th e write r o f Scream & Scream 2, " it became important t o convince Wechte r and Kimmel to surrender thei r story credit s so tha t Williamson' s nam e coul d stan d alone . "W e weren't trying to create something out of thin air," Mark Gill, president of Miramax Los Angeles, told the Lo s Angeles Times in January 1999. "Whe n yo u have the opportunit y t o say your movie is from Kevi n Williamson, it' s an awfull y poten t marketin g tool . Among under-25 moviegoers , th e billing 'the writer of Scream' is a valuable calling card." For thei r part, the origina l screen writers acknowledge d tha t Williamso n mad e significan t changes t o the scrip t an d the y did no t begrudg e Miramax for distorting th e trut h whe n i t implied i n advertisin g hyperbol e that Williamson ha d created the film. "H e kept the basic story," Wechter tol d th e Lo s Angeles Times, "bu t h e rewrot e al l th e dialogue, made the teenagers more hip and created several new characters. Ou r script ha d on e main hero, but hi s version ha s a group of kids, which give s it more of a Breakfast Club feel. " When Kevi n Williamson decline d t o direc t Th e Faculty, the Weinstein s an d Mirama x wer e eage r t o fin d anothe r project o n which h e coul d cu t hi s filmmaking teeth; soon a n agreement was made to resurrect his long-dormant screenplay Killing Mrs. Tingle, which ha d bee n languishin g sinc e h e sol d

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Kevin Williamson and Katie Holmes at the premiere of The Faculty.

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it three years before. Ultimately, it was a wise decision on both the studio' s an d Williamson' s par t t o launc h hi s directoria l career wit h a relativel y inexpensive , character-drive n fil m rather tha n a big-budget , FX-lade n affair , fo r Williamso n stumbled awkwardl y throug h hi s firs t picture , whic h wa s filmed i n 199 8 an d release d in August 199 9 wit h the revise d title Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Th e story , a s discusse d earlier , i s Williamson's autobiographica l tal e o f a sadisti c hig h schoo l teacher wh o i s hypercritical o f her students ' wor k an d revel s in watching the m fail . I n th e film , Kati e Holmes of Creek fam e plays Leig h Ann, a straight- A student an d th e daughte r o f a hard-working waitres s (Lesli e Ann Warren, who keep s fallin g asleep with burning cigarettes in her hand for some unknown reason), who' s strivin g t o becom e he r hig h school' s valedictorian so she can land a scholarship t o some unname d college. Standin g i n her way is the titular Mrs . Tingle, a hardass histor y teache r wh o openl y belittle s he r student s wit h sadistic glee . Leigh Ann take s grea t pains t o pas s her histor y final by re-creating the diary of a woman accused at the Salem witch trial s — not onl y does she write the huge memoir, bu t also bind s i t i n a leathe r sleev e an d age s th e pape r fo r authenticity! Still, it's not enoug h t o impress that bitch Tingle, who give s th e gir l a "C, " threatenin g t o derai l he r academi c future. Thing s get out o f hand when a hunky-but-stupid boy named Luk e (Barr y Watso n o f TV' S Seventh Heaven), who m Leigh an d he r bes t gal-pa l J o Lyn n (Maris a Coughla n o f Williamson's othe r T V series, Wasteland) bot h hav e thei r hormones se t on , steal s th e answer s t o Mrs . Tingle' s fina l exam; before th e righteous Leig h Ann can convince th e dufu s Luke t o retur n th e cheat-sheet , Mrs . Tingle catche s the thre e kids with th e answers an d plans t o report the incident t o the principal the following morning. Tha t night, the trio of friends visits Mrs . Tingle a t he r souther n gothi c hom e i n hope s o f

setting the record straight, but a scuffle ensue s and Mrs. Tingle is rendere d unconsciou s wit h a crossbo w (don' t ask) . Fro m this point forward , th e three kids do absolutely nothing right or realistic : the y tak e Mrs . Tingle hostag e i n he r ow n home , tying he r t o th e bed , hand-feedin g her fas t foo d ("yo u wan t ketchup o n your fries, Mrs . Tingle?" Luke asks — really), an d blackmailing he r wit h nast y photo s i n hope s she'l l dro p th e whole thin g an d giv e th e kid s goo d grades . Th e clima x i s equally as stupid a s the res t of the film . Forget al l o f Williamson' s pas t successes . Teaching Mrs. Tingle i s a stupefyin g movi e — stupefyin g because , a t it s center, th e stor y possesse s muc h potential , littl e o f which is ever realized . Wit h al l o f it s absur d situation s an d actions , Williamsons script beg s to be treated a s a comic satire, but as a director he seems unable to appreciate the dark humor in his own script! Thus, patentl y farcical situations (lik e Mrs . Tingle tied u p o n he r bed , he r arm s outstretche d an d tie d t o th e bedpost, i n a crucifixion-lik e image ) ar e playe d absolutel y straight; th e onl y successfu l attemp t a t humo r come s i n th e form o f another typica l Williamson riff , a writhing tribut e t o Linda Blair' s possessio n i n Th e Exorcist performe d b y Coughlin's character , a ditz y young actres s type. Meanwhile, the entir e fil m i s backed b y th e sam e sor t o f easily digestibl e alternative-music soundtrac k tha t i s fin e fo r th e soap-oper a goings-on o f a Dawson's Creek episode , bu t seem s completel y inappropriate fo r a film abou t three selfis h teen s who shame lessly brea k a serie s o f crimina l laws , an d lear n absolutel y nothing in the process except that the most important thing in life i s t o com e ou t o n top , n o matte r who m yo u mus t trea d over t o ge t there . Throughou t th e movie , ther e i s a runnin g dialogue betwee n Tingl e an d her students about th e meanin g of th e wor d "irony" ; i t seem s tha t Williamso n shoul d hav e looked i t u p i n Webster's , too . Teaching Mrs. Tingle i s no t a

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terrible film; i n fact , th e performance s of British actress Helen Mirren a s th e tormentin g educato r an d Maris a Coughli n (whose comic timing is excellent) are among the bright spots , and Williamso n make s a nic e win k t o hi s favorit e Joh n Hughes movie s b y castin g Moll y Ringwal d a s a dim-witte d office gir l moonlighting a s a substitute teacher. But the fil m i s terribly misguided , an d th e fac t tha t suc h a snid e piec e o f work coul d com e fro m a write r whos e previou s movie s tempered thei r smarmines s wit h a dos e o f humanit y i s something o f a letdown. As note d previously , th e origina l titl e o f thi s fil m wa s Killing Mrs. Tingle. I n Ma y 1999 , jus t on e mont h afte r tw o Columbine Hig h Schoo l students stage d a massacre on thei r Littleton, Colorado , campu s an d kille d 1 5 student s an d teachers, Mirama x Film s announce d tha t i t woul d redu b Williamson's then-forthcomin g fil m Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Miramax official s insiste d th e chang e had nothin g t o do wit h the recen t campu s killings , whic h wer e covere d b y new s media aroun d th e worl d an d shocke d th e nation . "Thes e students wil l d o everythin g the y ca n t o avoi d killin g Mrs . Tingle . . . nobody dies in th e movie, " a Miramax official said, "We have been looking fo r another titl e for a long time." Why the studi o fel t i t necessar y t o den y tha t th e titl e change ha d anything t o do with th e Columbin e traged y is unknown, bu t even Williamso n himsel f chime d in , claimin g tha t th e titl e change wa s hi s idea . "Whe n yo u hav e Kevi n Williamso n associated wit h a movi e wit h 'killing ' i n th e title , everyone' s gonna thin k it' s a horror movie, " he tol d Time Ou t New York magazine. "An d tha t bugge d me , becaus e thi s i s m y opportunity t o no t mak e a horro r movi e — t o mak e something different. " Whic h beg s the question: if the title is so inappropriate, wh y didn' t h e cal l it Teaching Mrs. Tingle fro m the start , whe n h e wrot e i t severa l year s earlier ? Th e nam e

change, an d Miramax' s attempt t o distanc e th e fil m fro m th e Columbine massacre, also prompted the usual questions fro m the medi a a s t o whethe r movi e violenc e trigger s real-lif e murder — a suggestio n tha t Williamso n ha s alway s flatl y refuted. Th e prio r year , whe n th e releas e o f Scream 2 wa s delayed i n Japa n du e t o a student' s grisl y decapitatio n a t a Kyoto school, Williamson tol d the Japan Times , "Movie s don' t create violence in any way, shape o r form . . . I can sit here till the cow s com e hom e an d tel l yo u tha t movie s don' t caus e violence, but you say that to the victim's family and you might get a different response. " Teaching Mrs. Tingle wa s a box-offic e flop ; withi n tw o weeks o f its releas e i n majo r U.S . cities i t ha d prett y muc h faded fro m th e loca l cinemas. Bu t it hardly spelled th e en d of Williamson's career . B y the tim e Tingl e wa s released , h e wa s already preparin g hi s nex t featur e film , He r Leading Ma n (written by Dawson' s Creek co-produce r Gre g Berlanti), whic h was du e t o b e release d i n 2000 , an d i n whic h Williamso n promised t o d o fo r the romanti c comed y what Scream did for teen horror . I n 199 8 h e tol d th e Orange County Register, "I'm really sic k o f th e romantic-comed y genre . I d o s o wan t t o attack tha t genr e t o se e i f there' s anythin g lef t t o tell. " He r Leading Man, h e late r tol d th e London Daily Telegraph, i s a n attempt "t o d o everythin g peopl e lov e abou t a romanti c comedy, an d no t mak e the m hat e themselve s fo r lovin g it. " But, a t th e sam e time , Williamso n bega n t o slo w hi s once hectic writin g pace . Jus t a s h e withdre w himsel f fro m th e responsibility o f writing Dawson s Creek i n th e show' s secon d season, Williamso n foun d i t necessar y fo r hi s healt h an d sanity to drop out of Scream 3. Although he had written a draft of th e story , h e aske d Miramax' s Bob Weinstei n i f h e coul d bow ou t o f the script-writin g assignment , an d Weinstei n wa s sympathetic. "I've got to slow down, or I'm never going to live

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to se e a long-ter m career, " Williamso n tol d Th e Advocate. Eventually, th e Scream 3 screenpla y wa s writte n b y Ehre n Kruger; th e stor y — whic h wa s onc e agai n kep t top-secre t during filmin g — reportedl y take s place o n th e se t o f Stab 2 (another movi e within a movie), where al l of the actor s start getting killed. Will Williamson retur n t o the slashe r genre ? It doesn't see m a s thoug h he' s eage r to . A s fa r bac k a s 1997 , when Scream 2 wa s released , h e tol d th e Sa n Francisco Chronicle tha t afte r finishin g Scream 3 (whic h h e wa s already committed t o write) he'd qui t th e genre. "Th e best part is that after Scream 3 I don't hav e to write any more horror movies," he said . "I think I'v e done horror movies, and I want to move on and not mak e another on e as long as I live."

AT THE ALTAR OF S P I E L B E R G Kevin Williamso n ha s cite d severa l ke y influence s o n hi s writing style , among them director s John Carpente r an d John Hughes. Bu t the artistic lens through whic h Williamso n view s his univers e i s modele d afte r th e viewfincie r o n Steve n Spielberg's Arriflex camera. More than anyone or anything, it is Spielberg an d hi s work tha t ha s shape d Williamson' s fantasy world view and informed his screenplays. "I' m in this busines s because o f him, Spielberg, " Williamson sai d i n a n intervie w with the Orange County Register in 1998 . "He' s answered wha t I'll spend th e rest of my life doing. Spielberg is quite simply th e greatest filmmake r o f my time . H e has mad e so many movies that ar e abou t abandonment , lik e E.T. , wher e E.T . wa s separated fro m hi s mother. It's very universal and ver y related to a young audience. And if you look at Spielberg's early career, basically Dawson is following it. He wants his life to be like the movies, which i s where his idealism come s from. "

Williamson ha s never attempted to emulate or imitate his idol; hi s screenplay s ar e relativel y small-scal e affair s i n comparison t o Spielberg' s bod y o f wor k (whic h include s American epic s like Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders o f th e Lost Ark, E.T. , Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and s o on). Th e characters an d th e dramati c terrai n covere d i n Williamson' s film an d T V work i s also decidedly more cynical , an d infuse d with tha t edgy , 1990 s self-awareness , wherea s Spielberg' s world ha s alway s bee n a somewha t naiv e place , wher e optimism an d hono r reig n an d sentimentalis m i s not taboo . Williamson ingeniousl y find s a middl e groun d betwee n th e contemporary kid s o f hi s media-savvy/movie-encyclopedic / sex-obsessed/modern univers e an d Spielberg' s idealis m i n Dawson's Creek b y instillin g Dawso n Leer y wit h a sens e o f Spielbergian purity Dawso n is 15 years going on middle age, an aspiring filmmake r wh o i s wis e beyon d hi s years , an d wh o decorates hi s roo m wit h Spielber g movi e posters , arrange d i n order o f eac h film' s box-offic e performance . Dawso n i s th e show's moral center, a young man struggling to find his identity in a small-town world where innocence i s lost faster an d faste r at a younger and younger age. In a sense, it's a terribly contrived device — in recent years, it has become fashionable among fil m critics t o discoun t th e importanc e o f Spielberg' s work , whic h has grown increasingly sappy ; not onl y that, the young people of toda y undoubtedl y relat e bette r t o young , hip , an d mor e hard-edged director s lik e Quenti n Tarantino , Kevi n Smit h (Clerks, Dogma), o r pretentiou s "indie " talent s lik e Harmon y Korine (Kids , Gummo) o r Tod d Solond z (Welcome t o th e Dollhouse, Happiness). Bu t perhaps the premise works because it lends Dawson a sense of chivalry; while his friend Pacey is living the ultimat e adolescen t fantas y — a sexual affai r wit h hi s 30 something teacher — or when he finds out his mother is having an affair, Dawso n puts his trust and fait h i n the go d Spielberg.

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"In Dawsoris Creek, when a girl and he r boyfrien d have a fight, sh e tell s him, 'Look , eve n Steve n Spielber g outgre w hi s Peter Pa n syndrome. ' Well , t o me , tha t ha s jus t a s muc h emotional resonanc e a s anything you' d hear i n Little House on the Prairie,'" Williamson explained to the Lo s Angeles Times. Th e world o f Dawson' s Creek, h e contends , i s a mirro r o f th e rea l world. "Whe n w e sit down a t th e tabl e at home, what d o we discuss? Movie s an d TV, " he adde d i n anothe r interview . "In other T V shows , w e ignor e tha t movie s an d T V exist . No t m y kids i n Dawson's. Whe n somethin g happens , I lov e thei r references becaus e the y hel p tel l th e story. " Jus t lik e th e characters in th e Scream movie s (and, incidentally, like on e of the guy s in Kevin Smith's Clerks, another movi e that serves as a postmodern , pop-cultur e referenc e guide) , Pace y an d Dawson wor k i n a vide o renta l store , whic h provide s th e backdrop fo r much of their film-speak. Unfashionable a s it might be, Williamson is unabashed in his prais e o f Spielberg . I n 1998 , a n interviewe r wh o visite d Williamson's office s i n Wes t Hollywoo d noted tha t th e onl y book ther e was on e o f two recen t Spielber g biographies, an d Williamson said he had the other one at home, by his bedside. To be fair , though , Spielberg isn't th e onl y inspiration fo r th e show. Williamso n relate s tha t hi s origina l ide a wa s t o d o a n updated versio n o f James at 15 , a n excellen t NB C drama tha t premiered i n 197 7 an d starre d Lanc e Kerwi n (The Loneliest Runner) a s James Hunter , a ki d wh o move d wit h hi s famil y from Orego n t o Bosto n an d ha d t o dea l wit h coming-of-ag e issues in a new, big-city setting . Ther e ar e several similaritie s between the tw o shows — fo r instance, while Dawson wants to mak e movies, James was a budding photographe r — an d both shows tackled provocative issues like sex, fidelity, drugs , and parenta l relationships , althoug h Dawson's Creek i s obviously muc h mor e fran k tha n James at 1 5 ever coul d be .

Williamson als o wa s inspire d b y M y So-Calle d Life , th e 1994-95 AB C dram a starrin g Clair e Danes as an introspectiv e teen. Bu t then , Williamso n i s a pop-cultur e sponge , takin g material fro m innumerabl e sources . "T o my generation , po p culture is everything. When I sit down t o write, I don't think , how man y po p cultur e reference s ca n I fit in? The character s are just like me, they relate life t o the movies," he said .

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OK, so it wasn't as if Brad Pitt or Richard Gere or the Backstreet Boys had com e out o f the closet ; screenwriters, after all , aren't commonly though t o f as heartthrobs by pubescent littl e girls. And, in the late 1990s, public proclamations of homosexuality by celebrities , whil e stil l somewha t infrequent , aren' t necessarily earth-shattering anymore (unless, of course, you're Brad Pitt , Richar d Gere , o r th e Backstree t Boys) . Bu t ther e undoubtedly were a few females ou t there who were dismayed when, i n February 1999, Kevin Williamson tol d the world he is gay. The big new s (ho-hum ) cam e out , not coincidentall y a t the sam e tim e tha t Jack McPhe e (Ker r Smith ) di d th e sam e thing o n Dawson's Creek , in an episode that aired February 17, 1999. I t wasn't th e firs t tim e a prime-time televisio n character had com e ou t o f the close t (Elle n DeGenere s famously brok e that taboo when her character did the same thing on the sitcom Hlen, durin g th e 1997-9 8 season) , bu t i t was the firs t tim e it happened o n a TV show specifically aime d at young audiences. Williamson, wh o ha s alway s sai d tha t Creek i s a n autobiographical sho w — wit h eac h o f it s character s representing som e face t o f his ow n lif e — wa s quic k t o add, however, tha t Jack's inner battle s with anxiet y an d confusio n

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over his sexual identity, and his outer battles with homophobi a in the Capeside community, are not taken from his own diaries. In fact , Williamso n tol d th e Ne w York Daily News , " I wa s welcomed with ope n arms by my parents" when he broke the news t o them . Williamso n claim s h e ha s alway s bee n ope n about hi s sexuality , but befor e Jac k bega n t o dea l with suc h issues o n th e show , n o on e ha d reall y bothere d t o as k hi m about i t (afte r all , ho w man y time s hav e interviewer s aske d Woody Allen or Joe Eszterhas or Shane Black or Robert Towne if the y were gay?) . A s to wh y h e neve r brough t i t u p before , Williamson tol d th e Daily News , " I don' t se e wher e I serv e myself, o r anyone else , t o screa m a t the to p o f my lungs tha t I'm gay." Williamson's publi c coming-out was soon followe d by a cover story about him i n th e ga y community's magazine, The Advocate, whic h calle d hi m "th e mos t successfu l openl y ga y hyphenate i n Hollywood. " A s t o wh y h e oute d himself , Williamson tol d the magazine, "I just reached a point where [I thought], I' m gay , I'v e tol d m y parents , al l m y friends , everybody I know know s I' m gay. " Williamson say s he kne w he wa s ga y sinc e hi s adolescenc e bu t kep t quie t abou t i t because o f his Bibl e Bel t surrounding s an d Souther n Baptis t upbringing. A s a youngster , h e endure d th e loca l preacher's Sunday fire-and-brimston e sermons , som e o f whic h condemned homosexual s t o th e sam e hellis h fat e a s rapist s and murderers , h e said . Fo r th e sak e o f appearances , Williamson date d a gir l name d Fannie , hi s bes t frien d throughout hig h schoo l an d college , befor e movin g t o Ne w York t o become a n actor . Then, afte r movin g t o Lo s Angeles, he finall y mad e peac e wit h himsel f an d accepte d hi s ow n sexuality. Bu t the toughes t par t wa s breaking th e news to his parents, who m h e tol d durin g a 199 2 tri p hom e t o Nort h Carolina. Both parents accepte d th e news , saying , '"It doesn' t

matter what you are or who you are,' " Williamson sai d i n th e Advocate interview . I n th e year s since, Williamson ha s grow n closer to his father, with whom he'd had a distant relationshi p prior t o coming out ; in fact, when Williamson wa s conductin g research for the I Know What You Did Last Summer script, his dad too k hi m ou t o n th e boa t an d acte d a s unofficia l "fisherman consultant. " Williamson eve n wanted t o name th e film's hook-hande d kille r afte r hi s po p (wh o approved) , bu t the studio heads wouldn't allo w it. It took a while for Williamson's sexuality to reveal itself in his work . There ar e no ga y characters in hi s firs t thre e films , Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream 2, but after som e proddin g b y Elle n DeGenere s (wh o wa s livin g across the stree t fro m hi m a t the time) , he became convince d he should us e his position in the entertainment busines s to set an example for gay youth. Thus came , in February 1998, Jack McPhee's startlin g revelatio n o n Dawson' s Creek, alon g wit h Williamson's real-lif e disclosure . Th e revelation made no great tremors on the social landscape, although the usual opponent s on both side s o f the gay-right s debat e voice d thei r opinions . "We lov e it, " Scot t Seomin , spokesma n fo r th e gay-right s group GLAA D (Ga y and Lesbia n Alliance Against Defamation), told th e Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper. "It' s importan t for a couple of reasons. This i s an ag e when peopl e can be s o confused abou t who they are sexually and, while we'r e seeing more ga y image s o n television , we'r e no t seein g peopl e struggle with it. " On th e othe r sid e o f the fence , Bren t Bozell in, chairma n o f th e conservativ e Parent s Televisio n Council , said, "There is very much a n agenda in Hollywood to advance the caus e o f homosexualit y a s norma l behavio r b y makin g those wh o thin k otherwis e th e deviants. " Referrin g to Tyson, Dawson Leery's fundamentalist Christian friend , wh o objected to Jack's coming-out an d wa s verball y thrashe d fo r it, Bozell

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said, " a character ca n put forwar d a n argument , but yo u ca n be sure it's a character who moonlights as a troglodyte." Williamson promised tha t in futur e episode s of Dawson's Creek, Jac k McPhe e woul d continu e t o struggl e wit h hi s sexuality in fron t o f prime-time viewers; in fact , Jack was t o begin dating guy s durin g th e show' s secon d season . An d Williamson has already shown a commitment t o finding roles for ga y character s i n hi s universe : th e T V drama Wasteland (which premiere d o n th e AB C networ k i n th e 1999-200 0 season) feature s acto r Da n Montgomer y as Russel l Bass , a soap opera actor living in the closet , and hi s film He r Leading Man (schedule d fo r releas e i n 2000 ) include s a ga y screenwriter a s a prominen t character . Williamso n ma y no t be th e loudes t voice for gay rights i n Hollywood , but i n hi s own, quie t wa y he hope s t o help giv e a voice to young gays and lesbian s in hi s work. " I don't thin k I' m the righ t perso n to be o n the soapbox," he told Th e Advocate, "but if I .. . ca n talk openl y abou t [hi s sexuality ] an d i t helps anybody , then my job i s done."

FOREVER YOUNG

Never trust anyon e ove r 30, th e old saying goes. But the kids of toda y trust Kevi n Williamson, eve n thoug h h e wa s 31 b y the tim e he had hi s firs t hi t with Scream. His secret? He takes that old "never trust anyone . . ." maxim and makes it his own: his character s are savvy teens with mor e common sense tha n their parents , teachers , an d othe r authorit y figures . It' s no t always realistic, but th e kids in Kevin's world have an elevated emotional maturit y and socia l conscience reminiscen t o f th e self-righteous teen s i n John Hughe s movies , but jade d wit h what Williamson terms the "earlier-than-eve r disappointmen t

factor." Everyon e remembers , h e says , th e firs t tim e tha t a parent o r authorit y figur e profoundl y disappointe d the m — catching mo m in bed with the milkman, da d stumbling hom e drunk, etc . "It' s the momen t whe n yo u firs t realiz e that you r parents ar e huma n beings , too, " Williamson tol d th e Boston Globe in 1997 . "Fo r me and my generation, th e age when that happened migh t have come in the mid-to-late teens. With th e kids today, it happened whe n they were seven or eight or nine. I don't think it's a coincidence that many of my teen character s talk i n thi s psychobabbl e language , tha t the y analyz e themselves an d th e situation s the y o r other s ar e in , a s i f they've bee n i n therap y themselve s fo r seve n years . An d I think th e kid s watchin g relat e to tha t o n a leve l mos t o f us don't fully appreciate." This theme of trust — in particular, the untrustworthiness o f the averag e adul t — i s a t th e cente r o f every episod e o f Dawson's Creek. Th e parents , teachers , an d other mentor figure s o f Dawson's are not portrayed in the most favorable ligh t — it' s a world wher e th e Eddi e Haskell s ar e always smarte r tha n th e Cleave r familie s and , i n thi s case , more upstanding , too . So , Dawso n Leer y counsel s hi s emotionally immatur e mom , forcin g he r t o admi t he r infidelity t o hi s dad . Dawson , no t th e show' s adults , i s th e barometer o f moral decenc y an d socia l decorum — when h e walks into a room and find s his parents heatedly getting it on, he's not gla d his folk s ar e still virile, but instead , i s disguste d at their vulga r display. Williamson als o connects t o teens o n another level: even though he' s wel l int o hi s thirties , h e stil l ca n remembe r th e emotional rollercoaste r tha t i s adolescence . Mos t adults , h e says, forge t wha t it' s like t o be 1 4 or 15 , and therei n lie s th e generation gap . "A s adults, we try to achieve a balance i n ou r lives," Williamso n tol d th e Boston Globe. "W e don' t usuall y have th e intens e high s an d lows . Bu t as a 15-year-old , it' s all

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about high s an d lows . Ther e i s n o balance , n o perspective , because that' s al l yo u know . S o you'r e lookin g fo r a n adrenaline rus h t o play into o r get those highs goin g for you. Kids need t o do something wit h thos e ragin g hormones, an d a horror movie is like a roller-coaster ride, and i t ca n d o that for you . I understand that ; I still think of myself as a kid." For some reason , Williamso n ha s a particula r insigh t int o th e hearts an d mind s o f teenag e girls , a s evidence d b y th e abundance o f strong, young femal e role s he ha s create d both for Dawson' s Creek an d hi s film s — role s which hav e helpe d surge th e caree r of several actresses no w know n a s bankable commodities, includin g no t onl y Kati e Holme s an d Michell e Williams bu t als o Sara h Michell e Cellar , Maris a Coughlan , Neve Campbell , an d Rebecc a Gayheart . An d thes e actresse s will vouch for his ability to write believable teens. "Kevin talks to teenager s a t thei r leve l instead o f talking dow n t o them, " Cellar told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel i n 1997 . "He' s like a teenager. He's a big kid. He' s a big smart kid." Dawson's Creek wa s patterne d afte r Kevi n Williamson' s southern-fried formativ e years . Although he has promised h e will "never be far " from th e show , fans will be watching to see how fa r i t strays , i n it s thir d season , fro m Williamson' s prototype. Why ? A s mentioned earlier , in 1999 , Williamso n relinquished all his duties as a writer an d executiv e produce r on th e sho w i n orde r t o concentrat e on.hi s ne w T V series, Wasteland, whic h i s inspire d b y hi s aimless , 20-something , post-college year s when h e live d i n Ne w York . Aroun d th e same time, he also dropped himself from th e Scream 3 project. After three years of overworking himself, and afte r a three-year romance crashe d and burned, Williamso n said he was feeling the stres s catc h u p t o hi m an d h e neede d t o cu t bac k hi s workload t o avoi d going insane. I t seems, afte r thre e years of non-stop tee n culture, Kevin Williamson was finally starting to

grow up — something he has always resisted. " I don't consider myself a n adul t yet , s o mayb e som e o f these answer s abou t these bigge r issue s wil l come, " h e tol d th e Toronto Su n i n summer 1998 . "I'l l reach an answer when I continue to evolve. I'm a work in progress."

KEVIN WILLIAMSON' S CREDIT S Films: Scream (screenwriter) , release d Decembe r 20 , 1996 ; I Know What Yo u Di d Last Summer (screenwriter) , release d October 17 , 1997 ; Scream 2 (screenwriter , executiv e producer), release d Decembe r 12 , 1997 ; Hallowee n H2 0 (original story , co-executiv e producer) , release d Augus t 5 , 1998; Th e Faculty (screenwriter) , released December 25, 1998 ; Teaching Mrs. Tingle (screenwriter , director) , release d Augus t 20, 1999 ; Scream 3 (origina l story , producer) , release d December 10 , 1999; Her Leading Man (director), t o be released in 2000. Television: Dawson' s Creek (creator , executive producer), premiered Januar y 20 , 1998 ; Wasteland (creator , executiv e producer), premiered Octobe r 7, 1999 .

CHAPTER SOURCE S "And one to grow on; the scaremeister who brought us Scream has turned his attention t o a ne w T V show abou t teenagers. " St . Loui s Post-Dispatch. January 20, 1998 . Chadwick, Alan. "Hollywood Hotshot." The London Sunday Times. November 23, 1997 . Chanko, Kenneth M. "He knows what scares us." Boston Globe. November 30, 1997. Covert, Colin. "Revenge is sweet for Scream writer." Minneapolis Star Tribune. December 14 , 1997 . Curtis, Quentin. " A Spielberg for the next generation; Kevin Williamson's way

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with tee n audience s ha s mad e hi m Hollywood' s hottes t writer. " London Daily Telegraph. Ma y 8, 1998 . Dudek, Duane . " A (scary ) teenage r a t heart. " Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. December 14 , 1997 . Emmanuel, Greg . "Revenge of the words. " Time Out New York. August 19-26 , 1999. Epstein, Jeffrey. "Kevi n Williamson unbound. " Th e Advocate. August 31, 1999 . Fretts, Bruce . "Hig h schoo l confidential : Dawson' s Creek. " Entertainment Weekly Online. Online. January 1998 . Goldstein, Patrick . "Screamwriter ; Kevi n Williamson, th e pie d pipe r o f th e video generation , ha s breathe d ne w lif e int o th e tee n horro r genre. " Los Angeles Times. October 27, 1997 . Goldstein, Patrick . " A creative spi n o n hardbal l P R game." Los Angeles Times. January 1 , 1999 . "Halloween scream-writer. " Good Morning America. August 4, 1998 . Hobson, Louis B. "Queen o f scream returns." The Ottawa Sun. August 2, 1998 . "Hormones rag e in Dawson' s Creek. " Denver Rocky Mountain News. January 18, 1998 . Houpt, Simon . " A screaming succes s wit h th e tee n crowd. " Globe an d Mail. August 14 , 1999 . Jicha, Tom . "Young WB has youn g pai r o f aces." Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel January 11 , 1999 . Lee, Yishane. "Writer takes a stab at deconstruction." The Japan Times. August 18, 1998 . Littlefield, Kinney . "Drama s creato r i s addicte d t o adolescence. " Orange County Register. January 18 , 1998 . Mooney Joshua. "Scream writer turns t o sci-fi." Chicago Sun-Times. January 1 , 1999. Murray, Steve. "Scream writer's secret weapon: ear for south." Chicago Tribune. December 21 , 1997 . Pearlman, Cindy . "Scream gem ; bu t who' s th e killer? " Chicago Sun-Times. December 7, 1997 . Stack, Peter . "Screenwriter' s slic e o f life. " Sa n Francisco Chronicle. Decembe r 13, 1997 . Strauss, Bob. "Scary thought: Wes Craven not makin g a horror picture? That's exactly what' s goin g t o happen. " Lo s Angeles Daily News. Decembe r 25 , 1997. "Teen tongues waggin g ove r Dawson' s Creek ; Screa m write r create s spic y WB series." The Atlanta Journal an d Constitution. January 12 , 1998 . Tucker, Ken , Wanda Wertheimer , Rober t Siegel , hosts. "Dawson' s Creek." Al l Things Considered. Nationa l Public Radio. January 20 , 1998 .

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TV T E E N S I N TH E 1990 S

In th e fina l year s o f th e 20t h centur y ther e wa s a n unprecedented yout h boom in American popular culture . It is hard to pinpoint exactly when it happened, but sometime in the mid-1990s, th e teenag e children o f the Bab y Boomers came of age — the ag e of mass-market consumption, tha t is — forming the largest audience of teens in American history, and wit h th e U.S. econom y i n goo d shape , thes e kid s had mone y t o burn . Those entertainment maven s in Hollywood who were quick to smell th e scen t o f young money cashe d i n b y creatin g a fres h new cro p o f teen idol s i n al l arenas o f pop media . Th e musi c industry ha d Fion a Apple , Hanson, Th e Backstree t Boys, an d Britney Spears; television gave us Neve Campbell, Jennifer Love Hewitt, an d Sara h Michelle Cellar ; an d th e movie s had , well, Neve Campbell , Jennife r Lov e Hewitt , an d Sara h Michell e Cellar. O f course , thi s wa s hardl y th e firs t suc h craz e i n Hollywood; teen entertainment, like everything else, is cyclical. What wa s different abou t 1990s-styl e teen pop fodder was the age o f th e audience . I n th e past , "young " T V viewers wer e described a s between age s 1 8 and 34 ; now i t was between th e adolescent years of 12 and 17 . Suddenly, on the television front , networks an d their advertisers wer e keen on reaching millions

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of kid s i n thi s hormonall y activ e ag e group , particularl y th e girls, who were said to watch any program with attractive actors who loo k like teens (note the ter m "look like"). As Puff Daddy said, "it' s al l abou t th e Benjamins. " I t wa s int o thi s market driven TV land that Damon's Creek was born in January 1998 . But first , rewin d bac k to the late 1980s. The Reagan Era. The "Me " Decade . Th e bloate d defens e industr y help s t o falsely inflat e th e nation' s economy , an d th e dividin g lin e between haves and have-nots becomes wider and wider. What a tim e t o b e a tee n — acros s th e suburba n wasteland , hig h school student s wit h engineer s fo r dad s ar e drivin g BMW S t o school an d wearing Lacoste and Polo; those with working-stiff parents ar e takin g th e bu s an d wearin g hand-me-downs . Director John Hughe s took teen class warfare an d other angstridden issues t o heart in film s lik e The Breakfast Club, Pretty i n Pink, and Some Kind of Wonderful — the movi.es usually cited as th e bes t representatio n o f wha t i t wa s lik e t o gro w int o adulthood durin g thi s ver y superficial , materialisti c decade . However, that distinction reall y goes to Amy Heckerling's Fast Times a t Ridgemont High, a fil m usuall y mistaken fo r a simpl e comedy becaus e o f Sea n Penn' s sill y rol e a s Jeff Spicoli , th e surfer-stoner. Thi s fil m i s a fran k portraya l o f tee n lif e i n middle America — dum b job s a t th e mall , firs t loves , losin g your virginity, teen pregnancy , abortion, masturbation , an d so on. Soun d familiar ? Dawson's Creek creato r Kevin Williamso n may pa y li p servic e t o John Hughes , an d ther e ar e definit e similarities betwee n th e angst-addled , parent-blamin g kid s stuck in after-schoo l detentio n i n Th e Breakfast Club and thei r counterparts stuc k i n Capeside , bu t Williamson' s teen s als o owe mor e tha n a passing glanc e t o Mar k "Rat " Ratner, Stacy, Brad, Mike Damone, and th e othe r kids in Fast Times. By th e earl y 1990s , Joh n Hughe s an d hi s idylli c tee n world (usuall y set in suburban Chicago ) were history. So were

most o f th e 1980 s tee n idols , lik e Anthon y Michae l Hall, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany. Then Nirvana's Nevermind album exploded int o a hug e hit , an d awakene d th e entertainmen t and advertisin g industries t o a whole new breed of youth, the downcast slacker ; prett y soon , everyon e was detunin g thei r guitars an d singin g off-key , an d Th e Ga p was sellin g flannel shirts. Th e kids born betwee n th e mid-1960 s an d th e mid 1970s were quickl y labele d "Generatio n X " (hey, it sounde d cool at the time) an d exploite d fo r a few years. The prevailin g image of teens on television, however, was quite different fro m the scruff y scrap s hanging ou t a t the recor d store at the time. In 1990 , th e upstar t Fox Television Network carved its ow n unique nich e i n th e broadcastin g marketplac e whe n i t launched Beverly Hills, 90210 , the legendar y prime-time soap about a group of teen friends living in a well-to-do Los Angeles suburb onc e hom e t o th e Clampetts . The show , create d b y Aaron Spellin g — th e produce r wh o brough t suc h entertainment milestone s a s Charlie's Angels t o th e worl d — gave Fo x it s ow n identit y a s th e "yout h network, " mad e sideburns fashionabl e agai n an d mad e star s ou t o f youn g actors like Jason Priestley , Luke Perry, Shanne n Dohert y an d Tori Spelling. Created in the pop-culture gap between the self absorbed 1980 s and th e self-aware 1990s, Beverly Hills, 90210 was th e firs t prime-tim e dram a t o depic t teen s confronting adult problem s without resortin g to authorit y figures fo r th e answers; i t bridge d th e ga p betwee n th e las t wave of Gen-X kids an d th e curren t wave of teens who ar e growing up i n a more fast-paced, digitall y deflowered world. Nevertheless, ther e i s a hug e differenc e betwee n th e 90210 phenomeno n an d th e tee n wav e tha t bego t Dawson' s Creek. While Jason Priestley et al. were bona fid e stars in thei r day, their popularit y was limited t o TV (and, in Doherty's case, her cat-fight s at the Roxbury night club); the fe w movies tha t

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starred th e 90210 kid s bombe d (ca n yo u nam e one?) . Bria n Austin Gree n made a rap albu m an d it , too , tanked. Bu t the Dawson's gan g ar e takin g thei r popularit y al l th e wa y t o th e Bank o f Hollywoo d — withi n a fe w months afte r th e sho w debuted, al l fou r principa l cas t member s wer e starrin g i n major motio n pictures , an d thei r compatriot s fro m th e othe r popular tee n show s o f th e day , lik e Party o f Five an d 7t h Heaven were doing th e same. So , what happened? Wh y is the late-90s teen boom a full-fledged, cash-co w industr y wherea s the early-90 s wave was merely a phenomenon? Two words: The Demographic. Somewhere alon g the way, a clever person in Hollywoo d must hav e rea d som e statistic s fro m th e U.S . Census Burea u and discovered that, as of the mid-1990s, there were some 3 7 million kid s betwee n th e age s of 1 0 and 19 ; looking further , they woul d hav e foun d tha t th e governmen t expecte d tha t number to increase t o 42 million by 2005. Studie s estimate d that thes e teen s wielded mor e tha n $8 0 million i n disposabl e income eac h year and — compare d t o thos e ol d fart s i n th e over-20 ag e grou p — thes e kid s wer e goin g t o th e movie s more, buying more CDS , renting mor e videos, watching more TV, spending more time on the Internet — in short, they were an untappe d goldmin e fo r th e entertainmen t mavens . Someone als o mus t hav e notice d tha t thes e kid s wer e a different bree d tha n th e mope y slacke r type s tha t th e medi a was paying so much attention to just a few years ago; the ne w teens ar e mor e communicativ e an d open-hearted , i f no t exactly optimistic abou t the future. The y are also a more savvy media-aware, ambitious, and pragmatic bunch — where their predecessors worke d a t burge r stands , thes e youth s wer e mastering th e Interne t an d gettin g read y t o launc h multimillion-dollar IPO S just a few years dow n th e road ; the y are mor e ap t t o dea l wit h problem s rathe r tha n jus t ignor e

them o r lash ou t irrationally , like when Christia n Slate r tried to blow up hi s school i n the movie Heathers. Fo r these teens , reality doesn' t bite , i t just sting s a little . An d so , whe n th e powers tha t be in television , film , an d th e music business set about confiscating the allowance s an d after-schoo l incomes of these new kids, they set about creating teen images of sincerity and self-awareness . Can somebody sa y "Hanson?" The youth boom didn' t happen al l at once, especially on the T V front. On e o f th e firs t show s t o exemplif y th e Ne w Earnestness o f th e 1990 s tee n wa s M y So-Called Life, whic h starred a young Claire Danes and ran for one low-rated season on AB C in 1994 . Undoubtedly , however , M y So-Called Life (which, jus t a fe w years later , was resurrecte d i n well-rate d reruns o n MTV ) pave d th e wa y fo r Fox' s Party o f Five, whic h followed on e yea r late r an d becam e a grea t success . Unlik e other recen t tee n show s lik e 9021 0 i n whic h tee n problem s were usuall y remedied o r a t leas t sorte d ou t b y th e en d o f a one-hour episode , Party o f Five (whic h depicte d th e ongoin g saga of the orphane d Salinge r siblings) wa s a quality drama in which struggle s o f lov e an d lif e wer e mor e realisticall y portrayed a s protracte d problems . Party o f Five fando m also reached unprecedented level s — it s stars not onl y were fete d on popula r televisio n tal k shows , bu t th e now-bloomin g Internet ag e gave rise t o dozen s o f fan Web site s laudin g th e show an d it s individua l stars , an d fan s gathere d i n Interne t chat room s t o che w th e fa t o n th e lates t episode . Th e sho w also se t a preceden t a s al l o f it s star s — Scot t Wolf , Nev e Campbell, Jennife r Lov e Hewitt , Matthe w Fox , an d Lace y Chabert — becam e tee n idols , an d man y o f them eventuall y crossed ove r into successfu l fil m career s (something tha t fe w TV tee n star s ha d manage d sinc e John Travolt a brok e ou t o f Welcome Back, Kotter fo r Saturday Night Fever nearl y 2 0 year s before). Aroun d th e sam e time , teen s wer e becomin g bi g

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business o n the big screen: in 1995 , Amy Heckerling's comedy Clueless grosse d $5 7 millio n an d mad e a star ou t o f 15-year old Alicia Silverstone; and a TV kid named Leonardo DiCaprio, who ha d appeare d o n th e sitco m Growing Pains i n th e earl y 1990s, was also forcing Hollywood t o take note o f the under20 set as he made girls swoon in movies like the hipper-thanthou William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, released in 1996 . Suddenly, th e deman d fo r tee n movie s an d televisio n shows seeme d t o explode ; amon g th e movie s tha t followe d were two neo-slasher pictures called Scream (1996) and I Know What Yo u Did Last Summer (1997), both of which starred Party of Five's residen t ingenue s (Nev e Campbell in Scream, Jennifer Love Hewitt in I Know . . .) and bot h o f which wer e written b y a ho t ne w screenwrite r name d Kevi n Williamson, wh o ha d a flair for puttin g catch y dialogue in th e mouth s o f babes. Afte r Scream grosse d mor e tha n $10 0 millio n fo r Mirama x Films , Williamson wa s bein g approache d b y numerou s Hollywoo d studios covetin g his pen, most of them offerin g hi m big bucks to write yet another scar y movie. But Williamson wa s already looking t o expan d hi s dramati c horizons; so , whil e man y T V writers longe d t o mak e th e transitio n t o big-scree n projects , Williamson di d exactl y th e opposit e an d wen t fro m writin g movies to creating a television show. He had a rough idea for a semi-autobiographical tee n dram a series , whic h h e pitched to several networks including Fox, where the idea men said it was too similar to th e then-strugglin g Party o f Five, and rejecte d it . Finally Williamso n presente d hi s concep t t o th e fledglin g Warner Bros . Televisio n Networ k (know n i n th e bi z b y th e moniker "th e WB"). "I was making it up a s I pitched it, " he later remembered. I n earl y 1997 , th e W B signe d Williamso n an d Columbia TriStar Television to develop Dawson's Creek, whic h the writer proudly boasted , "ha s no horror elemen t t o it at all. . . . It's Kids meet s Little House on the Prairie. It's both sweet bu t

very contemporary and provocative, since we're talking about teens today." Dawson's Creek fi t perfectl y int o th e WB' S youth-oriente d game plan . Th e W B mad e it s debu t o n America n airwaves i n January 199 5 and , fro m th e beginning , i t emulate d th e formulas tha t had enable d th e Fox Network to compet e wit h the bi g thre e of ABC, CBS , an d NB C beginning in th e lat e 1980s. It wa s n o coincidenc e — th e W B wa s ru n b y Jamie Kellner , who ha d formerl y bee n hea d o f Fox , an d it s chie f programming executive, Garth Ancier, had previously held th e same title at Fox (Ancie r left th e W B a few years later). Because of heate d competitio n wit h Paramount' s UPN Network, which made its broadcasting debut a t roughly the sam e time, the WB was force d t o carv e it s programmin g nich e quickly . Initially , both th e W B and UP N relied heavil y o n comedie s targetin g African-Americans an d urban audiences, like The Wayans Bros. and Th e Parent 'Hood] tha t formul a didn' t las t long, however, and soo n th e W B was retooling, adding programming fo r kids like Steve n Spielberg' s animate d Animaniacs and , mor e significantly, tee n programs , th e firs t o f which wa s Buffy th e Vampire Slayer, whic h debute d i n 199 7 a s a midseaso n replacement. Inspired b y a movie of the same name, which i n 1992 tanke d a t the box offic e an d the n becam e a cult fav e o n home video , Buffy star s tee n ex-soa p oper a actres s Sara h Michelle Cella r a s th e titula r undead-killer , wh o kick-boxe s vampires, witches, and gian t bugs, deliverin g witty one-liner s in the process. Described by Entertainment Weekly as "part X-Files, part Heathers, par t Xena," Buffy i s the brainchil d o f Joss Whedon who , lik e Kevi n Williamson, wa s firs t a successful screenwriter (h e wrot e th e movi e versio n o f Buffy, To y Story, and wa s a scrip t docto r o n Speed), an d wa s writin g tee n material well into his thirties. Buffy quickly became a major hit for th e W B and , accordin g t o som e reports , single-handedl y

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The cast of Dawson's Creek meets Sarah Michelle Cellar and Nicholas Brendon of Buffy fame.

saved the struggling network fro m oblivio n b y pulling in reallife rating s and a d revenues. Explaining th e show' s success , Whedo n tol d Entertainment Weekly, "Teenager s toda y hav e reall y kee n bullshi t detectors. They can smell a lie like a fart in a car." Buffy signale d to th e W B tha t cutting-edg e tee n programmin g — th e kin d with sex , attitude, and goo d looks to spare — was a niche t o be carved . So , whe n Williamso n becam e Hollywood' s teenmaterial writer of the moment, the WB rolled the dice and signed him up. Th e gamble paid off: in the two years following Dawson's Creek's Januar y 199 8 debut , Tinseltow n woul d become Teenseltow n a s th e yout h boo m mushroomed . " 1 thought al l thi s woul d kin d o f fizzle, " Williamso n tol d New York Times Magazine i n late 1999, "bu t there is a real audience out there . They don't want to see Bruce Willis o r Mel Gibson. They want their own stars like Leo."

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UP THE C R E E K : THE 'DAWSON'S' F O R M U L A For lack of a better word, it's gonna shock the shit out of people when I sleep with my English teacher. — Joshua Jackson (Pacey Witter), in Entertainment Weekly, Januar y 1998 .

Thanks t o moder n advance s i n hype , Dawson's Creek wa s causing a sti r eve n befor e it s broadcas t premiere . I n a n a d campaign that looked more like it was for a $200-million movie than a T V show, th e W B pulle d ou t al l th e stop s wit h artfu l Dawson's Creek billboards i n major cities , bus ads , TV spots, an d coming-attraction preview s i n movi e theaters . I n th e fal l o f 1997, th e littl e tow n o f Wilmington, Nort h Carolina , which stands i n fo r Capeside , Massachusetts , wa s infiltrate d b y reporters seekin g on-locatio n interview s wit h th e youn g Dawson's Creek cas t members. Eve n though th e public ha d no t seen th e sho w yet , th e Interne t wa s ful l o f Dawson's Creek chatter: a pol l o n th e UltimateTV We b sit e aske d potentia l viewers to grad e the sho w based o n th e involvemen t o f Kevin Williamson; thoug h the y hadn' t see n a singl e episode , 7 6 percent of respondents gave Dawson's Creek an A. The buz z wa s instigate d b y th e series ' pilo t episode , videotapes o f whic h wer e distribute d b y th e WB' S publicit y flacks to T V journalists fa r in advance of the show' s debut. Th e media bit the hook — by November 1997, th e Dawson's Creek kids had alread y done cove r stories or major interview s with Entertainment Weekly, T V Guide, YM , an d Seventeen magazines, and th e Access Hollywood T V show; the y di d a fashio n phot o shoot fo r J. Crew ; and the y were flow n t o New York to gues t at Seventeen magazine' s "Ho t Ne w Stars " party . " I hop e w e don't disappoint, " James Va n Der Bee k tol d th e Wilmingto n

Star-News bac k i n thos e earl y days . "W e start doin g lot s o f press, lot s o f phot o shoots , an d w e star t t o se e ho w man y people migh t watch . I t is seductive to think abou t it." Added his co-sta r Michell e Williams , "Yo u have to kind of immuniz e yourself fro m th e hype . Tha t ca n b e rea l destructive . Ultimately, that' s not wha t matters. " But the hyp e wa s not al l hot air . What the critics responded to , even in the early going, was th e intelligenc e o f the character s portrayed in th e show . And, not surprisingly , the y focuse d on Dawson s Creek's sexua l element — although many critics failed t o take note that most of the intercourse that takes place is of the verbal variety rather than th e bump-and-grind sort. The universe tha t Dawso n Leer y and hi s friend s inhabit was vividly establishe d i n th e pilo t episode . Insid e a wooded New Englan d house , Dawso n an d hi s platoni c bes t pa l Joey are watchin g Steve n Spielberg' s childhoo d fantas y E.T . It's a turning poin t i n bot h thei r lives ; althoug h thei r choic e o f movies implies they are still innocents, both are now 1 5 years old and thei r respective levels of testosterone and estroge n are rising. Joey , whos e mothe r i s dea d fro m cance r an d whos e father i s in jail fo r marijuana trafficking , ha s bee n turnin g t o Dawson fo r solace an d friendshi p ove r the cours e o f their 10 year relationship , ofte n sleepin g ove r a t his plac e without a n impure though t enterin g eithe r o f their heads . No w that' s all about to change. After th e movie, Joey says she can't stay over. "Why?" Dawso n wonder s aloud . Becaus e sh e ha s developed breasts and he' s now go t genitalia, she says. "I've always had genitalia, " he protests , but Joey reasons, "Now there's more o f it." How does she know this , Dawso n asks . "Long fingers," Joey says. The other principal players are introduced. Dawson' s best friend, Pace y (also 15) , i s a sarcastic video stor e cler k wh o i s

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soon playing Benjamin Braddock to his English teacher's Mrs. Robinson. Meanwhile, adolescent life in Capeside is upended by th e arriva l o f Jen , a 15-year-ol d Ne w Yorke r who' s ostensibly ther e t o hel p he r religiou s grandmothe r tak e care of her il l grandfather; what's unspoken (a t least at first) is that she's als o runnin g awa y fro m he r dar k pas t i n Manhattan, where she was a teen slut. Dawson soon attempts to plant his first smooc h o n th e spicy-ho t girl , bu t whe n h e does , sh e halts him in mid-pucker. "Repressing desire ca n only make it more powerful," Je n says. A s th e sexuall y well-heeled woma n (sh e soo n reveal s she's been sleeping around — since age 12! Better get a blood test, girl! ) t o Dawson' s virgina l man-boy , she' s street-smar t about these things . The show's frank discussion s abou t sex and masturbatio n set th e stag e fo r a serie s o f comple x relationship s an d happenings tha t playe d ou t ove r th e show' s first , abbreviate d season (consistin g o f 1 3 episodes ) an d it s secon d (an d firs t full-length) seaso n i n 1998-99 . Pace y slept wit h hi s teacher , then foun d ou t sh e wa s foolin g around wit h someon e else ; their affai r blew up into a huge scandal and she left town. Joey took up with the pretentious artiste-typ e Jack McPhee; he told her h e was gay and the n sh e ran back t o Dawson, Joey's dad got ou t o f jail bu t h e wa s soon unde r investigatio n fo r dru g trafficking again , but befor e the law could nail him he burne d down hi s taver n (whic h jus t happene d t o b e th e preferre d hangout o f Dawson an d hi s gang) . Joey's white-trash, trailer living siste r get s impregnated b y her blac k live-i n boyfriend ; Dawson wa s equall y repulse d b y hi s parents ' sexua l adventures (mo m calls dad "Mr . Man Meat," and Dawso n has to knoc k befor e enterin g an y roo m i n hi s hous e fo r fea r o f finding the m i n th e missionar y position ) an d thei r extramarital affairs . Abb y (Monica Keena), the residen t bitch ,

died i n a drunken accident ; Andie , Pacey' s new lov e interest , went mad ; an d throug h i t all , both starry-eye d Dawso n an d tomboy Joey managed t o remain virgin s — a seemingly majo r feat — and managed not to get together, even though everyon e except th e tw o o f them know s they'r e right fo r each other . At first glance , Dawson's Creek looks like merely a teenage version o f Peyton (o r Melrose) Place. I t owe s a no d o f appreciation t o Archie , th e perennia l tee n o f th e self-title d comic strip create d in 194 1 b y cartoonis t Bo b Montana. Like Dawson, Archi e wa s alway s searching fo r stability i n a worl d constantly changin g aroun d hi m — Archi e ha s survive d World Wa r n , th e Col d War , th e spac e race , th e sexua l revolution, th e fal l o f communism , an d s o on . And , lik e Dawson, Archie' s lif e ha s alway s bee n complicate d b y a lov e triangle: Bett y an d Veronic a are both attracte d t o Archie; Jen and Joey vie for Dawson's attention. The model has been use d time an d agai n i n tee n drama s — notably 90210 , which ha d Brenda and Kell y vying for Dylan's affections. Bu t there's mor e to Creek than a simple formula . Th e beauty of the show is that there's a characte r fo r everyon e t o identif y with . Th e show' s dramatic structur e i s a comple x an d appealin g we b o f ambiguous betrayal , twistin g irony , an d teenag e angst ; eac h episode offer s a new opportunit y t o gas p in disbelief , sigh i n relief, o r groa n i n disgust . It' s a warts-and-al l world , a s opposed t o th e air-brushe d perfectio n o f th e Beverly Hills, 90210 kids ; Dawso n Leer y wear s hi s awkwardnes s o n hi s sleeve, an d Pace y and th e others ' fault s ar e i n ful l view , too. More than anything, th e show i s probably best know n fo r the hip, media-kee n intelligenc e tha t th e character s possess, an d which i s a standard featur e o f all of Williamson's work . On th e brighter side , Williamson' s cross-referencin g o f po p cultur e and th e show' s realit y — fro m Dawson' s Spielber g fixatio n to the episod e originall y title d Th e Breakfast Club — allow s th e

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characters to drop a n entertaining pop-cultur e referenc e no w and then , addin g a das h o f levit y t o th e show' s seriou s treatment o f adolescen t turmoil . Thes e reference s als o len d themselves t o th e sharp , witt y dialogue , an d t o in-joke s lik e Pacey's declaratio n tha t "Mighty Ducks wa s a grea t flick " (Joshua Jackson, o f course, appeared in the film) . I n all, there were mor e tha n 4 0 movi e reference s i n th e pilo t episod e of Dawson's Creek. Therein lie s the rub. I f there is one knock tha t the critics have consistently registered wit h Dawson' s Creek, it's this: rea l teens don' t tal k tha t way . Williamson an d th e show' s othe r creators acknowledg e this , bu t the y don' t apologiz e fo r it . "[Williamson's] voice as it translates through teenager s is very intelligent," Jame s Va n De r Bee k sai d i n a Januar y 199 8 Chicago Tribune article. "Thes e character s proces s wha t they'r e feeling an d verbaliz e i t withou t risin g abov e it. " And co-sta r Joshua Jackso n adde d i n a T V Guide article , "W e ar e ver y elegant teenagers an d we have taken a sound beating for that. These kid s ma y spea k wit h th e intellec t an d th e languag e of 30-year-olds, but the y still have the emotional core of 15- and 16-year-olds, an d that' s why (olde r viewers) are watching th e show. An d that' s wh y 15-year-old s watc h th e sho w a s well, because they can relate on a one-to-one basis with what we're doing." And the n there' s th e sex . Lots of it — in th e dialogue , if not i n th e flesh . I n th e ver y first episode , afte r Jen arrive s in town wit h al l he r sex y vibes , Pace y turn s t o Dawso n an d queries, "So , you think she's a virgin? Wanna nail her?" While it's hardl y uncommo n fo r 15-year-old s t o hav e se x o n th e brain, thes e kids seldom see m to think abou t much else , and there is little evidence tha t the y are interested i n thei r schoo l work, sports , politics , jobs, etc. ; th e focu s o f lif e i s se x an d movies, especiall y for Dawson, who continuall y look s t o hi s

mentor Spielber g fo r a mora l cente r ami d th e sexua l chao s surrounding hi m — Spielberg, Dawson notes, has never had a sex scene in one of his movies. All this semi-trashy talk briefly excited th e folk s a t th e Mora l Majority , an d i n Jul y 1999 , Dawson's Creek wa s name d th e wors t televisio n progra m fo r families b y th e Parent s Televisio n Council , a conservativ e watchdog group. The council cited the February 1999 episod e in whic h Jack McPhe e cam e ou t o f the close t an d sai d th e show "feature s an almost obsessive focu s o n premarital sexua l activity." But what the conservatives, and even many television critics, overlook is that the show really isn't so much about sex as i t i s abou t sexua l coming-of-age . An d Kevi n Williamso n deserves credi t fo r givin g th e tee n character s the mora l hig h ground. Ther e i s se x i n th e show , t o giv e i t som e ratings grabbing controversy , but i n man y instance s i t i s th e adults who ar e th e perpetrators , lik e Dawson' s newscaste r mo m having an extramarital affair, whil e Dawson and friends are left to pic k u p th e pieces . " 1 don't thin k an y o f the episode s ar e about sex, " James Va n De r Bee k tol d th e Chicago Tribune i n 1998. "Bu t because i t i s suc h a hug e issue , i t pervade s th e show. I don't think it' s any more sexual than an y 15-year-old' s mind. It' s mild compare d to that." Within tw o month s o f its premiere , Dawson's Creek wa s the WB' S highest-ranking sho w in the weekly Nielsen ratings; it also helped boost the rating s of Bufjy th e Vampire Slayer, which was rescheduled in the 8 p.m. Tuesday slot, leading into Creek and providin g a two-hou r whamm y o f midriff-bearin g tee n programming. Although it hovered around 80 in the Nielsens — which would mak e it a n outright loser i f it were airing on one o f the fou r majo r network s — Creek wa s still considere d an incredibl e success , fo r i t wa s th e number-on e sho w watched by teens in The Demographic — specifically, teen-age girls. Furthermore, media surveys showed tha t Creek ha d th e

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fourth mos t affluen t viewershi p amon g all network televisio n shows. Th e W B became so confident of Creek's abilit y to stan d on its own legs that, at the beginning o f its sophomore season in 1998-99, the show was moved out of its Tuesday night spot with it s cush y Buffy lead-i n an d reschedule d o n Wednesday night t o compet e head-to-hea d wit h Fox' s now menopausa l but stil l popular Beverly Hills, 90210. Did Fo x fee l threatene d by this challenge? Probably — it brought 90210's original badboy Luk e Perr y bac k afte r a lon g absenc e an d i t reportedl y paid Laura Leighton, the sexy-naughty girl from Melrose Place, $100,000 pe r episod e t o guest-sta r si x time s o n 90210. "There's onl y on e wa y t o silenc e th e critics : becom e a n established hi t instea d o f what Dawso n is now — a flash-in the-pan sensation, " Joshua Jackson told Entertainment Weekly in September 1998. T o be fair , Dawson's Creek a t times seemed more like Melrose Place durin g its second seaso n — Dawson's drinking binge, hi s dad's chasing afte r a younger woman, etc . — these things did not always seem to fit the mold establishe d during th e firs t season . Bu t after th e show managed t o cemen t its plac e i n th e televisio n universe , W B official s promise d t o ease the show back to its less melodramatic roots in the thir d season. "I t will definitel y return t o a first-seaso n sensibility," WB Executiv e Vice-President Jordan Levi n told Entertainment Weekly in July 1999. "Dawson will have something to say instead o f the cas t reacting to bigger-than-life plots."

ANGST MUSIC Dawson's Creek migh t no t b e quit e th e sam e without it : Th e Song. Who knows, the show might not have become quite the phenomenon tha t i t is . " I Don't Want T o Wait," written an d performed b y Rockport , Massachusetts, native Paula Cole, is

an anthe m o f earnestnes s tha t perfectl y capture s th e show' s angsty themes . Th e son g wa s originall y release d o n Cole' s 1997 breakthroug h album , Thi s Fire, which also included he r other big alternative-radio hit, "Wher e Hav e All the Cowboy s Gone?" Thi s Fire received seven Gramm y Award nominations , of which Cole won one , the Best New Artist award. Cole, who studied musi c at Berklee College and formerl y played in Peter Gabriel's band, als o receive d a lo t o f media attentio n fo r he r unshaven armpits , especiall y whe n Entertainment Weekly magazine ra n a photo layou t o f her an d air-brushe d ou t th e offending hair . In Apri l 1999 , a collectio n o f sapp y alterna-po p tune s that serve as the background musi c on various Dawson's Creek episodes wer e release d a s a collectio n o n th e C D Song s Fro m Dawson's Creek. I n additio n t o Cole' s theme song , th e C D als o includes "Kis s Me " ( a son g firs t mad e popula r whe n i t wa s used i n th e Freddi e Prinz e Jr . fil m She' s Al l That) b y th e Christian ban d Sixpenc e Non e th e Richer , a likable grou p of youngsters wit h catch y melodi c hooks , an d wh o gleefull y boast tha t they'v e onl y bee n playin g thei r instrument s fo r a few years . Als o included ar e several prominen t femal e artist s like Sophi e B . Hawkin s an d Heathe r Nova , an d som e abhorrent cut s lik e "Life' s a Bitch " by Shoote r an d "Di d You Ever Lov e Somebody" by Jessica Simpson . Overall , th e C D i s anything but profound, but it' s darn hummable .

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SOURCES "Dawson's Creek cite d b y council." Associated Press. July 13 , 1999 . Fretts, Bruce . "90210 Luke s fo r it s ol d zip , bu t it' s Creeks ne w tri o wh o ar e really making a splash." Entertainment Weekly. Decembe r 4, 1998 . Goodale, Gloria . "Veteran TV producer still unstoppable." The Christian Science Monitor. Februar y 12 , 1999 . Hirschberg, Lynn . "Desperat e t o see m 16. " Ne w York Times Magazine. September 5 , 1999 . Houpt, Simon. "Heartthro b High." T V Guide. January 30 , 1998 . Jacobs, A. J. "Stakin g a claim." Entertainment Weekly. Marc h 6, 1998 . Kloer, Phil. "The Creek i s rising; on th e set with Dawso n an d friend s as their popularity soars among teenagers in Atlanta and nationally." Atlanta Constitution. October 7 , 199 8 Nashawaty, Chris . "Tee n steam ; sparke d b y a sex y ne w bra t pack , a youthquake i s blowin g th e li d of f Hollywood. " Entertainment WeeMy.November 14 , 1997 . Pennington, Gail . "An d on e t o gro w on ; th e scaremeiste r wh o brough t u s Scream ha s turne d hi s attentio n t o a ne w T V sho w abou t Teenagers. " St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 20 , 1998 . Roberts, Lee . "Everyone' s watching ; Dawson' s Creek." Sunday Star-News (Wilmington, NC) . November 2 , 1997 . Shaw, Jessica. "New s & notes; the hills ar e alive; with a n eighth set , can Fox's melodramatic chestnu t sta y fresh? " Entertainment Weekly. Februar y 7 , 1997. Snierson, Dan . "Th e sophomore ; kep t afloa t b y a se a o f teen fans , Dawson's Creek dives into its second seaso n — and tries to swim -wit h the big fish of Beverly Hills, 90210." Entertainment Weekly. Septembe r 11 , 1998 . Tucker, Ken . "Five Alive; After fiv e year s o f earnes t angstin g an d life-lesso n learning, thos e Salinge r sibling s ar e stil l goin g strong. " Entertainment Weekly. Apri l 30, 1999 .

F P lT ^vOJH F nViJTUI ID F JU lO UC UC

Starring: Jame s Va n Der Beek as Dawson Leery Katie Holmes a s Josephine "Joey " Potte r Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter Michelle Williams a s >~fJen Lindleyj Mary-Margaret Humes a s Gale Leery John Wesley Ship p as Mitchell Leer y Mary Beth Peil as Evelyn "Grams" Ryan Nina Repeta as Bessie Potter Meredith Monro e as Andie McPhee Kerr Smit h a s Jack McPhee Monica Keena as Abby Morgan

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100 — PILOT ( F O R M E R L Y E M O T I O N S IN M O T I O N ) * Written by Kevin Williamson

Directed by Steve Miner Originally aired January 20, 1998

G U I D E

Guest starring: Leann Hunley (Tamara Jacobs), Mitchell Laurance (Benjamin Gold), Ted King (Bob Collinsworth), Obi Ndefo (Bodie) The firs t episod e o f Dawson's Creek crackle s with adolescen t danger. Dawso n Leer y an d Joe y Potte r ar e a t a crossroads , where a lifelon g friendship i s suddenl y throw n int o strang e new pubescent territory. Dawson's best friend, th e self-esteemchallenged Pace y i s abou t t o fal l headlon g int o th e storm y world of illicit adult romance with his teacher. Jennifer Lindley a luscious blonde fro m Ne w York, ha s just landed a t Capeside, batting her eyelashe s an d poutin g her lips . She' s a mysterious outsider whose wide eyes may have seen enough to hurry half the teenag e male populatio n int o seriousl y advance d rite s of passage. Eve n Dawson' s parents , wh o rol l aroun d o n th e kitchen table as if the postman had rung twice, are on the verge of devastating revelations about the sourc e of their accelerated marital lust. Williamson ha s eac h o f hi s character s ridin g th e ri m of instabilities , an d i n perfec t shorthan d h e skip s lon g establishing material and throw s us smac k in th e middle o f a * W i l l i a m s o n o r i g i n a l l y u s e d m o v i e t i t l e s a s t h e t i t l e s o f t h e episodes in the first season, but when he ran into copyright problems he had to r e t i t l e t h e m .

world o n th e brin k o f breathtaking change . A s much a s th e characters arriv e full y drawn , Williamso n imbue s hi s firs t episode wit h a techniqu e tha t i s familia r t o fan s o f Scream: abundant referentiality . Th e worl d o f Capesid e is familia r i n the wa y tha t Beverly Hills, 90210 i s — thi s i s Archie. With a little switc h o f hai r color , Dawso n i s Archie , Joey i s Betty , Pacey i s Reggie , an d Je n i s Veronica . However , unlik e th e comic-book world o f Archie, where teenagers remain snug i n their sophomor e year for decades, the kid s o f Dawson' s Creek confront thes e types , bringin g the m bac k t o a rea l world . What i f Reggie really did ste p ove r the lin e sexually ? What if Archie an d Bett y wer e confronte d b y th e uncomfortabl e incestuous dimensio n of romantic pairings in Riverdale? What if i n he r ambitio n t o appea r worldly , Veronic a fell t o th e temptations o f a n underworld ? And wha t i f th e oddl y bad tempered adult s o f Riverdale became passionate, lustful, an d dishonest? The traumatic change s Williamso n set s u p ar e powerful because he has created believable character s to whom viewers can relate , bu t h e ha s als o droppe d a bom b i n middl e America's institutio n o f memory . This time , whe n Veronic a checks out Betty' s beachwear it's not becaus e they are wearing the same thing, it's to tell her tha t sh e has "nic e breasts." The two contradictor y level s tha t Williamso n build s o n her e — that thes e ar e more like teenager s than Archi e and hi s gang, but als o mor e lik e comic-boo k character s — put s anothe r fascinating an d strikin g ga p i n th e firs t episode . Wh o isn' t asking, by the time the hour's up: Do teenagers really talk like that? The sophisticated, analytica l dialogue will even split cast and creator s into two camps: the teenag e stars will say this is teenage verite, and Williamson will call it parody. Place i s als o introduce d a s a n emotiona l setting . Th e glittery sunli t rive r i s bot h th e oute r world' s wa y i n an d a

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constant reminder that there is a journey yet to be made out of Capeside. Th e bustlin g hallwa y o f th e hig h school , th e cliqued-off cafeteria , an d th e theate r of the classroo m will all become treacherous little settings a s the season unfolds. Then there's the ladder up t o Dawson's bedroom, whic h transform s the teenager' s entir e hous e int o a tre e tha t support s hi s childhood clubhouse . W e firs t witnes s Joe y usin g i t wit h tomboyish aplomb, but whe n sh e overhears Dawso n and Jen in intimate conversation , i s this youthful contraption abou t to undergo irreversibl e change ? Williamso n wil l focu s o n thi s ladder ove r an d ove r again , allowin g i t t o oscillat e between being a n innocen t piec e o f childhoo d apparatu s an d a Shakespearean trellis up, whic h star-crosse d lovers climb and where terrible misunderstandings gather .

101 — D A N C E (FORMERLY DIRTY D A N C I N G ) Written by Kevin Williamson Directed by Steve Miner Originally aired January 27, 1998

Guest starring: Scott Foley (Cliff Elliott), Leann Hunley (Tamara Jacobs), Mitchell Laurance (Benjamin Gold), Obi Ndefo (Bodie) If th e firs t episod e i s projecte d against Archie, th e secon d i s screen-in-screen, introducin g Williamson's other major theme . One o f th e way s the kid s brea k typ e i s t o cas t new ones : a t times, quit e literally . Dawson, th e youn g aspirin g filmmaker , will fulfi l man y o f Williamson's autobiographica l points. Th e camera here isn't just a recording device or a creative tool, it's a

mirror that will alter relationships. Th e horror film become s a teenage game of truth o r dare: Joey refuses t o kiss Pacey and is replaced by Jen a s Dawson's star. In a competing scenario, football jock Cliff ( a natural Moose) has managed to woo Jen ove r to his set, displacing Dawson , who is confused as to whether it is his creativ e life o r his romantic life that is falling flat . Jen is the wild card, having intimated to Dawson that her life i n Ne w York wa s regrettabl y fast , an d he r intention s ar e baffling an d exoti c to th e relativel y unworldly Capesid e Film Boy. Whe n sh e gravitate s towar d Cliff/Moose , th e arrogan t Dawson is triggered: I'm the complex, talented one, why him? (It's interestin g t o not e tha t despit e Dawson' s constan t mockery o f Cliff' s movie , Helmets o f Glory, Va n De r Bee k would en d up starrin g in a very similar film , Varsity Blues. ) He is, o f course , mistaking th e characte r of Jen fo r tha t o f Joey who know s Dawso n and , mor e importantl y know s ho w Dawson like s t o b e treated . Dawso n i s a fairl y self-servin g character who will frequently mistake his vanity for sensitivity. He cannot se e that Jen, wh o has been manipulate d b y males in the past, has chosen the director whom she can direct. This leads t o a classi c Dawso n Leer y outburs t when h e loutishl y tries t o cu t i n durin g a slo w danc e betwee n Je n an d Cliff . When th e sensitive artist bursts int o th e aren a of action, look out: he' s in world of his own. Joey o n the othe r hand, i s the show's voyeur. In the firs t episode, sh e overhear s Dawso n an d Je n talking . I n thi s episode sh e hear s Dawson' s mother talkin g t o th e ma n wit h whom she' s having a n affair . The doublin g o f events is one of Williamson's trademarks , as he make s repetition part o f how things becom e significant . Joe y perceive s a n infidelit y sh e cannot identif y i n the innocent conversation between Jen and Dawson. This infidelity is confirmed loud and clea r when sh e overhears Dawson's mother involve d i n a much les s innocen t

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James at the Emmy Awards.

conversation with a strange man. Joey steps in on this secon d situation and stop s Mrs . Leery dea d in her track s to confron t her. Ther e i s n o questio n tha t Mrs . Leer y i s wron g i n he r adultery, but th e uncomfortable feeling here is that she is also being punishe d fo r he r son' s perceive d romantic crimes . Because th e emotiona l relationship s o f thes e teenager s ar e changing wildl y an d fast , the y ar e ofte n mad e catastrophi c through misidentification. When Dawso n an d Joe y leav e th e danc e together , reverting a s the y wil l ofte n d o t o th e outmode d intimac y of pals, the y spo t Je n standin g o n th e dock . Thi s time , rathe r than giv e he r feeling s voice , Joe y step s asid e an d release s Dawson to Jen. I t is, afte r all , inevitable, an d i t allows Joey to escape the possibilit y tha t she was never th e romanti c lead to begin with . Joe y seem s t o fin d a sa d comfor t i n bein g th e betrayed an d sh e has cas t herself thi s way , not b y seizin g an y role, but b y observin g others . On e o f the ways Joey's see-andnot-be-seen characte r does becom e a romanti c subjec t i s th e short-lived fantas y identity she concocts for herself to get a rich outsider's attention i n the next episode . No t only is she takin g an emotiona l holiday , sh e cease s t o exis t a s Joey Potter . He r strategy is not as wrong-headed a s it sounds, though . Ther e are no guarantee s tha t actin g o n you r feeling s i s its ow n reward . Witness Dawson' s embarrassing debacl e a t the dance . H e may have Jen' s attentio n now , bu t ca n h e kee p it ? Doe s h e eve n know wher e thes e feeling s come from ? The real cautionary tal e is developing between Pace y and Ms. Jacobs. Pace y has taken hi s teacher's reckles s flirtation s at face value. To Pacey the look is hard romantic currenc y an d he aggressively trie s t o cas h i t in . Havin g ham-handedl y interfered o n a date his teacher is having at the movies, Pacey ignores everythin g bu t th e implie d attraction . Tha t th e relationship i s a foreshadowe d disaste r elude s him , an d h e

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persists. On e of the interesting feature s of Dawson's Creek is the overwhelming forc e o f passion s tha t ar e frequentl y destructive, an d whe n Tamar a submits, th e role s o f mentor and student are turned upside down . If there's one thing these kids ar e awar e of , it' s tha t the y al l si t a t th e wellsprin g o f powerful feelings.

102 — K I S S ( F O R M E R L Y A P R E L U D E TO A K I S S ) Written by Rob Thomas Directed by Michael Uno Originally aired February 3, 1998

Guest starring: Ian Bohen (Anderson Crawford), Scott Foley (Cliff Elliott), Leann Hunley (Tamara Jacobs), Mitchell Laurance (Benjamin Gold), Obi Ndefo (Bodie) In thi s episod e th e disaster s brewin g ar e not averted ; instea d they're give n th e ful l Dawson's Creek treatment . Th e lesson s that seeme d t o b e tidil y taugh t t o otherwi.s e responsibl e intelligent teenager s are recklessly unlearned in order to make way fo r th e wilde r experienc e o f findin g thing s ou t fo r yourself. Th e "lesson " i s playe d ou t quit e literall y in Pacey' s case. I t seem s th e youn g cut-u p i s failin g t o perfor m academically and is called in after clas s by Tamara. In a pretty sexy bit of dialogue, they work out a deal wherein th e teacher is going to giv e the studen t experienc e in exchang e for some right answers . It' s a very hot littl e set piece that distinguishe s Dawson's Creek a s a show fo r teenagers tha t doesn' t pul l bac k on its adult themes. When Pacey surprises Tamar a by coming

up with the right answers, the teacher decides to call his bluf f and become s aggressiv e an d coars e towar d th e teenager , ordering hi m t o strip . Whe n Pace y folds , revealin g hi s virginity, Tamara looks shocked and attempts to cut him loose. The interesting turn here is that despit e Pacey's virginity, it is Tamara who i s confronted by her inexperience ; sh e is gettin g in ove r he r head . I t i s Pacey' s abilit y t o b e direc t — emotionally an d psychologicall y — tha t wil l lea d thi s relationship, no t th e olde r woman' s knowledge . Thes e ar e more than references to The Graduate and Th e Summer of '42 — they ar e Capesid e re-writes, and a signa l t o th e viewer . Like Ibsen's law — which state s that if a gun appears in the firs t act it'll g o of f by th e en d o f the pla y — i f a fil m wher e a n olde r woman takes the virginity of a young boy is referenced i n th e first episode , it's no bluff . Th e sparks will fly . While Joe y i s working throug h he r Mysti c Pizza fantas y with Yacht Boy , Dawson is busy tryin g to scrip t his firs t kis s with Jen. I n Dawson' s inimitable style , he packs the momen t with mor e of his ow n self-servin g commentary tha n an y real romance, an d th e scen e i s written i n a patented Williamso n high concept . Dawson has actuall y set up a video camera to tape thei r firs t kiss ! Fo r Dawson , th e sentimenta l idealist , whose emotion s ar e trues t when he' s watchin g Fran k Capra films fo r th e fifteent h time , hi s firs t kis s won' t eve n b e rea l until he has a chance to watch it played back. This is perfectly presented whe n Dawson resolves a technical proble m o n his rival Cliff' s fil m set . Dawson improvises a tracking shot wit h the us e o f wheelchair , givin g a n emblemati c warnin g tha t Dawson's ingenuity ha s the capacity to cripple him. Ther e are some siniste r dimension s t o Dawson' s struggl e t o achiev e meaningful relationships , an d i n th e comple x atmosphere of Capeside th e mean s quickl y contaminat e th e ends . I f a s Dawson attempts to woo Jen fo r his camer a he i s committin g

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a crime of dispassion, the n he need onl y look a little deeper in the woods, for there is the real thing: the hot-for-teacher Pacey and th e "touche d fo r the very firs t time " Tamara ar e showin g the woodland creatures how it is really done. Though Jen an d Dawson can' t se e wh o th e coupl e are , th e camer a a t leas t knows a real love scene when i t sees it, an d th e stand-in s fo r Dawson's first kis s ar e unwittingly read y for their close-up .

103 — D I S C O V E R Y (FORMERLY CARNAL KNOWLEDGE) Written by Jon Harmon Feldman Directed by Steve Miner Originally aired February 10, 1998

Guest starring: Leann Hunley (Tamara Jacobs), Mitchell Laurance (Benjamin Gold), Ric Reitz (Bob Collinsworth) Now that enough potentia l disaster s hav e been set in motion , it's tim e t o le t a coupl e hi t th e fan . Pacey is discovere d o n videotape a s th e woodlan d love r an d confesse s t o Dawson . Dawson sees his ow n mother kissin g he r co-anchor , an d sh e becomes th e wif e who , betwee n th e accusin g innuendoe s o f Dawson and Joey, has a fair collectio n of scarlet letters to hid e from he r husband . Bu t if this storyline i s about the foible s of adults and the danger of protracted adolescence, it's also about the inflammabl e superiority o f children whe n confronte d b y their parents as real, flawed huma n beings. The haughty look on Dawson' s fac e an d hi s condemnator y ton e a s h e lord s morally an d falsel y poten t i n hi s parents ' hom e i s painful t o watch. The sympathy does not lie with him, though he seems

to assum e it should, an d th e guilt-stricke n fea r o f his mothe r and th e od d pupp y lov e he r husban d feel s fo r he r see m far more huma n tha n Dawson' s moon-face d hostilit y an d indignation. It is at times difficul t t o like Dawson : th e viewe r is challenged tim e and time again to be understanding toward a characte r i n way s h e himsel f seem s incapabl e o f doing . Dawson inflate s himsel f wit h th e scandal , an d somewha t grotesquely launche s a crusad e fo r honest y an d fidelity . H e revels in hi s superiority , soliciting Joey as his acolyte , only to be snagge d o n th e fac t tha t Joey had bee n keepin g th e secret of hi s mother' s affai r fro m hi m al l along. Dawso n i s fa r fro m understanding o f the complicate d positio n Joey ha s bee n i n and he abandons he r in disgust t o head fo r higher ground . Jen i s initially impressed b y Dawson's mission t o live in a world o f ful l disclosur e an d sh e decides , in thi s spirit , t o tel l Dawson abou t th e excesse s o f he r past . Well , Dawson , b e careful wha t yo u as k for . A s Dawso n respond s t o Jen' s confession in a callous and judgmental fashion, it's obvious that our "hero " is in grea t dange r o f living a life h e himsel f hasn' t examined. Th e cloud aroun d him — a cloud o f arrogance an d superiority — ha s mad e hi m blin d t o th e emotiona l live s of others, an d h e project s this failur e o f his ow n ont o wha t h e perceives ar e flaw s i n others . Th e them e o f thi s episod e i s central t o th e entir e season : th e alienatio n o f Dawson. What Williamson doe s her e i s thro w th e challeng e bac k t o u s b y ultimately alienatin g hi s protagonis t fro m th e audience' s sympathy. D o we lik e Dawson ? I f we do , it' s not becaus e h e impresses u s wit h hi s goodness . W e are forced t o respec t th e journey i n spit e o f th e perso n takin g it . W e want th e sam e respect. W e ar e al l trying , an d i f w e ca n b e patien t wit h Dawson, the n w e to o ar e learning a n importan t piec e i n ou r own journey.

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104 — H U R R I C A N E ( F O R M E R L Y B L O W N AWAY) Written by Kevin Williamson and Dana Baratta Directed by Lou Antonio Originally aired February 12, 1998 Guest starring: Leann Hunley (Tamara Jacobs), Ric Reitz (Bob Collinsworth), Dylan Neal (Deputy Doug Witter), Obi Ndefo (Bodie) As Hurricane Chris gathers strength, so does the firs t season of Dawson s Creek an d th e various plotlines all reach critical mass under som e prett y heav y weather . Thi s i s a tour d e force episode, where Williamson unite s time , place, and action in a single thunderclap , bruisin g hi s cas t i n a n atmospher e a s emotionally frightenin g as a Greek tragedy. The wind an d rai n whip Mrs . Leery around th e yar d as she trail s afte r he r ston y husband lik e a guilty thing surprised . I n a series of lightning flashes, Dawson ha s no t onl y confronte d hi s mother , h e ha s practically branded her wit h a scarlet letter, an d sh e is force d to throw herself at the mercy of her husband . Dawso n is now quivering with righteous indignation, an d his behavior seems almost manic, almost pathological agains t the backdrop o f the hurricane. Ther e is a real sense of danger in these scenes, tha t unforeseen force s ar e bein g unleashe d b y th e variou s hig h betrayals an d lo w passion s o f th e characters . Mr . Leer y becomes a different person : previously a playful an d obliviou s husband, h e turn s int o a dangerou s ciphe r o f wrath, baiting his adulterou s wif e wit h a sentimenta l tone , the n coldl y snapping her hopes t o bits. This scene , playe d ou t i n th e rain-lashe d famil y ca r parked i n the driveway, intensifies th e adult dimension of the

emotions tha t Dawso n ha s degrade d wit h hi s high-flow n principles. Mitch' s pai n i s profoun d an d frightening . Gale , who ha d bee n a woma n leadin g a doubl e life , collapses , making her a n abject figure. O f all the character s huddling in the storm , sh e i s th e on e wh o seem s t o b e th e hurricane' s plaything. The emotions ar e drawn so large and dangerou s in these scenes that they recall the atmosphere of a Bronte novel, with deadly , immovable passion s and human dram a touchin g on madness. As the storm passes, the husband an d wife finall y allow each other's company; however, this is more exhaustion than reconciliatio n an d ther e i s n o questio n tha t the y hav e changed. Mos t televisio n show s ar e abou t resolvin g complications i n orde r t o restor e balance . On e o f th e interesting thing s abou t Williamson' s character s i s tha t th e balance i s uncovered t o be it s ow n unresolved complication . There i s no questio n o f restoration, and character s are force d to experiment with new balances. While thi s drama is playing ou t in the Leery household , Pacey an d Tamar a ar e playin g ou t a comi c versio n o f thes e dangerous adult themes. During a harmless board game, Pacey observes Tamara flirting with his brother, Deputy Doug. Pacey slyly uses his own running gag that his brother i s gay to throw Tamara of f th e trail . Th e deceptio n i s humorou s an d formulated b y a n adolescen t wh o feel s a t th e margin s o f a grown-up exchang e du e t o hi s age . Whe n hi s rus e i s discovered, Doug pulls his handgun o n Pacey , forcin g him t o tell th e truth . Th e gun , a n adul t symbol , i s suddenl y a toy. Tamara would b e wis e t o tak e note o f the transformatio n — her ow n boy-toy might soo n himself becom e a smoking gun . The concludin g scene s o f thi s episod e are , i n keepin g with it s classica l atmosphere , drenche d i n a post-catharti c glow. The storm has changed the m all , and no one can say for certain if this is for the better, or if they have all become lesse r

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people. For now, they cope with exhaustion b y acting out saf e regression. Joey and Dawso n are suddenly forgetfu l o f all th e adult themes , fatigue d b y the m an d the y retrea t t o a n ag e before th e world went mad. They hide in the closet — literally closeting thei r feeling s for each othe r — an d ac t out a scen e from Jaws, reliving a time when th e mos t dangerou s thing i n their lives was a mechanical shar k name d Bruce .

105 — B A B Y ( F O R M E R L Y LOOK WHO'S T A L K I N G ) Written by Jon Harmon Feldman Directed by Steve Miner Originally aired February 24, 1998

Guest Starring: Leann Hurley (Tamara Jacobs), Obi Ndefo (Bodie), Ed Brady (Cramps Ryan) Tamara's little pistol now becomes, officially , th e smoking gun . Pacey an d Tamara' s illici t affai r i s sprea d b y a rumo r whos e source i s a n overhear d conversatio n betwee n Dawso n an d Pacey. A t first blus h i t would appea r to be th e produc t o f the teenager braggin g o n a conquest ; however , i t i s mor e o f a confession coerce d b y Dawson . Thi s confusio n wil l b e a defining poin t fo r th e compellin g characte r o f Pacey , whos e reckless swaggerin g ma y b e a dimensio n o f hi s a s ye t unrealized integrit y an d intelligence . (Dawson , on th e othe r hand, act s as if he was the most fastidiousl y principled ki d i n Capeside, while bluntl y missin g th e poin t lef t an d right. ) It's Pacey's loos e an d reckles s behavio r tha t open s hi m u p t o locating exactl y where th e hea d sit s o n th e nail , an d i n du e

course it' s Pacey who wil l hi t i t precisely . Tamar a is brough t before a n inquiring body t o answe r fo r her allege d affair . Sh e may resen t th e sourc e o f thes e allegations , bu t sh e i s face d with the fac t that she has been playing in a teenage world an d must now pay for her dallianc e in an adult one. Astonishingly, Pacey recognizes the stakes here and he interrupts the inquiry by tellin g th e board he has made the entir e thing up . I n thi s one act Pacey becomes a complex and appealing person. He is willing to obey type and t o fal l in line with his own history of attention seekin g i n orde r t o protec t a perso n h e ha s dee p feelings for . Hi s ac t i s remarkabl e i n tha t i t give s hi m n o advantage whatsoeve r an d i s a n entirel y selfles s ac t throug h which h e lose s fac e an d th e woma n h e clearl y loves. I n thi s episode, Pace y gets a t somethin g Dawso n misse s entirel y — that yo u ar e no t merel y ho w yo u ar e perceive d b y others . While Dawson watche s th e movi e scree n fo r a place t o gro w up, Pace y i s awar e tha t th e audienc e leaves . On e o f th e cautions implicit in Dawson's Creek, however, is that when one character appears to be th e correctio n of Dawson, there is no insurance against that character applying it to a fault. When he stands befor e Tamar a afterward, th e swagge r tha t h e ha d s o nobly avoide d come s out : he' s her e t o clai m hi s reward . Wrong. Tamar a not onl y refuses t o be th e prize , she's leaving Capeside altogether. As Pacey wanders away dejected, his only reward is to be alone with the powerful feeling s he too k such pains to honor. Th e inner lif e o f Pacey Whitter ha s now bee n tapped an d will become the show's most fascinating resource. The othe r them e developin g i s Jen's exil e fro m th e fas t lane to her Grams' restrictive Christian guardianship. Grams is another typ e wh o i s cas t poorl y a t first . Sh e appear s t o b e controlling an d pious, with very little to warm her; she' s eve n given the unforgivable trait of apparent racism . Jen's character, on the other hand, is an intelligent and liberal young woman .

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The consequence s o f he r excesse s ar e minimize d a s the y appear merely to be a n inevitable phase. These two types are in suc h characteristi c oppositio n tha t ascribin g qualitie s i s almost automatic : Je n i s good , Gram s i s bad . Th e firs t destabilizing o f this false opposition occur s when Grams must act as midwife a t the birth of a mixed-race baby. It is common knowledge tha t she disapprove s o f families o f mixed race , so she i s force d t o com e t o th e pregnan t woman' s ai d unde r a great dea l o f protes t fro m bot h mother-to-b e an d he r ow n granddaughter. However, it becomes apparent throughout the course of the birth that Grams isn't racist, but concerned abou t exposing the child to the prejudices of the world it will be born into: prejudicia l minds ironicall y like thos e tha t hav e abused her with knee-jerk assumptions about the type of woman she is. While we now seem to understand her lack of confidence in people, it is something so engendered in her religiousness that it contradicts , t o som e extent , he r faith . Thi s i s perhap s th e fault sh e exhibits , an d i t i s no t eas y fo r Jen t o reasses s he r Grams. Thi s youn g woman' s prejudic e involve s no t seein g Grams as a complex woman. Both of these characters are again misapplied corrective s t o each other , wh o will have to accept the difficul t possibilit y tha t they bear a powerful resemblanc e to one another.

106 — D E T E N T I O N

' 119

(FORMERLY TH E BREAKFAS T CLUB )

Written by Mike White Directed by Al Arkush Originally aired March 3, 199 8 Guest starring: Helen Baldwin (Mrs. Tingle), Barry Bell (coach), Mati Moralego (Grant Bodine) Like the hurricane episode, "Detention" is one built around an occasion. I t seems that fo r on e reason or another , all our fa b kids hav e suffere d fro m littl e bout s o f delinquency , landin g them i n a dreade d Saturda y detention . I f th e stor m wa s broadly referencin g atmospheres both moo r an d heath , the n the detention is a little more specific: welcome to The Breakfast Club. Thes e ar e th e do g day s o f adolescence , when simpl e debts ar e pai d fo r actin g ou t i n th e playground . Pace y has taunted Dawso n with th e childhoo d nam e "Oomp a loompa " and get s his nos e bashed fo r the pleasure . In fact , on e o f th e tying themes here is how embar-rassment s o f that proportio n make teenag e lif e see m suddenl y a n unbearabl e comedy . Picture Pacey : th e poo r fellow' s jus t bee n identifie d a s th e source o f the rumo r tha t h e slep t wit h a teacher . No w he' s stumbling int o Saturda y detention wit h a nos e lik e Krusty . Add to that the reason he's there in the first place: in a state of arousal the la d slippe d of f from th e gy m to , uh , . . . ahem . . . to relieve himself, only to be discovere d and sent — slapping a hair y pal m t o hi s forehea d — t o th e detentio n hall . T o survive thes e embarrassment s ou r youn g frien d i s goin g t o need a fairly dee p well of self-esteem. An interesting feature of the Breakfast Club reference is that i t is identified by the kids themselves: thi s isn't merely a

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situation derived from a movie, this is an occasion that existed before th e movie . This i s th e detentio n from , whic h th e fil m derived, no t th e othe r wa y around . Recognizin g th e connection, the kids act out the drama accordingly, playing its game of Truth or Dare in a way that reveals the postmodern t o be les s a strateg y fo r readin g tha n a n obviou s featur e o f teenage life in th e nineties. And in keeping with the film , thi s is a day to test the truth. Kisses are dared under watchful looks and game s of one-on-one sor t ou t th e mal e order. For al l its drama, muc h o f this i s playfu l experimentation . Whe n Joe y gives Pacey a soulful kiss , the kids are not discoverin g a latent romance between the two ; instead, they are in th e presence of an entirely new toy: eroticism. And with this explosive toy they are discovering that emotional meaningfulness i s not a simple flowing fort h o f unstoppere d desire . I t i s a complicate d minefield tha t require s a certai n responsibility : who m the y kiss will matter as much a s whom the y secretly want t o kiss. The heavy lessons of erotica, however, are only a momentary diversion before the y bounce off into a new game . It's time to pull dow n ou r pants, sit on the photocopier, and play Guess My Butt. There are a number o f ways to perpetuate the game of sizing each other up without actually having to do anything about it . I f responsibilit y an d truth-testin g ar e th e seriou s notes o f this episode , its othe r equally important part is that irresponsibility i s a necessary joy. Without it , th e dar e might destroy you, and the truth might just claim more than it really owns.

107 — B O Y F R I E N D

121

(FORMERLY ESCAP E FRO M NE W YORK )

Written b y Jon Harmo n Feldman and Dana Baratta Directed b y Charles Rosi n and Karen Rosin Originally aired March 10 , 199 8 Guest starring: Eion Bailey (Billy Konrad), Scott Foley (Cliff Elliott), Jeremy Moore (Tyler) Dawson Leer y i s in man y ways a n unlikel y heartthro b figure . Unlike say, 90210's Dylan, Dawson is neither mad nor bad. And he i s definitely not dangerou s t o know. He's self-absorbed an d self-righteous. Fo r al l hi s suppose d analytica l prowess , h e i s more ofte n tha n no t moralisti c an d insensitive . A s a n artist , Dawson Leer y has a hopelessly conservativ e imagination . O n the Byron scale Dawson Leery is as pale a shade of hunk as there ever was. Even Pacey cuts a dashing figur e besid e th e nebbish loverboy I n a word , Dawson , alon g wit h al l th e othe r characteristics tha t kee p u s fro m eve r full y sympathizin g wit h him, is just not cool . So when a leatherclad bit o f ex-boyfriend named Bill y show s u p i n Capesid e t o clai m Dawson's Jen, hi s already devalue d stoc k take s a nose dive . I t i s thi s crisi s tha t gives th e viewe r indirec t acces s t o feelin g for Dawson , a s th e indomitable coo l of Billy appears like a mythic figure, a Michael Fury, representin g a world utterly unlike Capeside . Dawson is forced t o fal l bac k o n hi s ow n rock y record an d tak e stock of exactly who he is. The central character here is Jen. O n either side of her are men who represent t o her almost entirely opposite worlds. Billy is bad, Dawso n is good. He r choic e isn' t clea r to he r an d he r attractions are confused by these two poles, forcing Jen to make the feminist choice; that is, a life without men. The decision she

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Michelle Williams and James Van Der Beek.

comes to is surprisingly harmonious with the restrictions Grams would impose on her wild granddaughter. One set of opposites, in Dawso n an d Billy , i s cemente d o n eithe r sid e o f Jen, an d through he r the y becom e th e same : me n wh o wan t al l he r attention. This gives rise to another set of opposites collapsing: that of the elderly Christian and the young recovering rebel. Jen, like Pace y ha s a n independen t personality , thereb y forcin g people aroun d he r t o loo k withi n an d examin e themselves . Dawson, o n th e othe r hand , ha s a habit o f seeking himsel f i n others, adding confusio n t o indecision. Joey , for instance, find s herself dissolvin g in Dawson's attention. I s she his love interest or just his most familia r friend ? O r some of both, an d mor e of one, dependin g on who's on th e fellow' s danc e card ? Enough. Joey also abandons th e strange male animal and plunges hersel f in studie s t o th e poin t wher e Pace y grow s alarme d a t he r shrinking world. He decides the best thing would be to take her to a party so that she can let loose a bit. Just as the Truth or Dare game revealed a potent and not alway s romantic devic e in th e kiss, th e teenag e ritua l o f drunken makeout session s at hous e parties proves to be an emotional nightmare in the making. Joey, of course , end s up bein g nearl y assaulte d b y a n availabl e Mr. Wrong, only to be rescued by Dawson, the Dudley Do-Right on the stairs. Well, is this the heroic narrative that will reveal true hearts t o on e an d all ? No t likely : whe n th e Princ e kisse s Sleeping Beauty, she doesn't quite awake from her deadl y sleep, because, unfortunately, she's had a few. The Prince is impressed, but wha t wit h th e booz e o n he r breath , wh o ca n tell ? Again Dawson is confused b y the blurring of Jen into Joey, so he run s off t o fin d th e former , almos t as if to confir m tha t his girl s are two differen t people . And differen t the y are . Dawson hits th e wall o f the rea l Jen's sobe r decisio n t o b e independent , an d the Prince finds himself cast in with all the other frogs who have been kissed by beautiful women .

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108 — R O A D T R I P ( F O R M E R L Y IN THE C O M P A N Y OF M E N ) Written by Rob Thomas Directed by Steve Robman Originally aired March 17, 1998

Guest starring: Eion Bailey (Billy Konrad), Eric Balfour (Warren Goering), Jeremy Moore (Tyler) This episod e i s a midsumme r night' s drea m o f deception , misdirected affection , an d pretense . Th e midnight is signaled by the moon: in one of several references to American Graffiti, Pacey squeezes his bare butt ou t a car window, to taunt some toughs. Ho w di d th e boy s — Pacey , Dawson , an d Bill y — become wild in Providence? Well, Billy managed to wiggle his way into Jen's be d bac k a t Capeside , onl y to be banished b y Grams, who turf s hi m s o far out o f the house he just doesn' t seem t o want t o stop running. Bu t just 'caus e ou r Ba d Boy is running doesn't mean he can't keep playing. So he dangles his flight i n fron t o f Pacey and Dawso n in th e for m o f a bondin g episode, tempting them with the wild regions that lie beyond Capeside and beyond their experience. While th e boy s ar e doin g a feasibilit y study fo r Toad's wild ride, Joey enacts her ow n little drama of deceit. It seems Warren Goering , a friendl y cha p really , give s Joey a rid e t o school. But it's not just any old ride, it's a bit o f a trip through a funhouse. The next thing she knows, the helpful Warren has helped himsel f t o bragging right s o n a night o f passion wit h his little brown-eyed hitch-hiker. Except (like it even needs to be said) Joey, the gir l voted "Least Likely To Give It Away For Anyone Soon," is still a demure virgin . Well, almost . Mayb e no t quit e demure . I n fact , th e

rumor inspires her t o a hot roun d o f hot ai r and before long, she has al l of Capeside believin g tha t she' s not onl y sleepin g with guy s to ge t a ride t o school , but , thi s particula r fello w has got her pregnant! However, something a t the center of the rumors (perhaps the secret source of the original rumor itself ) deflates everything . Literally . Warren, apparently , wa s neve r up t o the task in the firs t place. If th e hormon e wagon s of Capeside have circled aroun d a youn g man' s buddin g inadequacy , in Providenc e th e wil y Billy-boy is sowing the seed that may lead to Dawson starting to, well, sow seeds. By tempting him with strange women in a strange world , Bill y hopes Dawson wil l forge t abou t Jen and , maybe, Jen will forget abou t him. As the night progresses , the dream flir t turn s ou t t o hav e fee t o f clay and ou r boys , with wild stars still glittering in the heads, head home. As th e fil m Clueless wa s t o Jan e Austen s Emma, thi s episode i s t o Shakespeare' s Midsummer Night's Dream. Bot h pieces manag e t o rin g th e timeles s theme s withou t eve r leaving th e er a i n whic h the y ar e depicted . A s Joe y an d Dawson fal l aslee p o n Dawson' s bed, to o tire d t o shar e thei r adventures, the y conjur e th e spellboun d dreamer s i n Shakespeare's weird an d wonderful classic.

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109 — D O U B L E DATE (FORMERLY MODERN ROMANCE) Written by Jon Harmon Feldman Directed by David Semel Originally aired April 24, 1998

Guest starring: Scott Foley (Cliff Elliott), Meghan Perry (Mary Beth) One o f th e obviou s problem s wit h show s abou t teenag e romance i s th e limite d pairing s tha t ar e availabl e within th e cast. A kind o f dreariness sinks in as viewers begin to grow less credulous with each attempt to make the fortieth version o f the same infidelity seem fresh. But , the funny thing is, that's exactly what happens . Th e world isn' t populated b y the love children of Mr. and Mrs . Right. Nope, we are the offsprin g o f Mr. Right and Mrs . Right' s bes t friend . Lov e doesn' t becom e destin y across distant lands, it's only destiny if it places us side by side. And i f it's destiny tha t places us together , then it' s also destin y that ensures tha t when we fal l ou t o f love, it's because we were meant to fall in love with the roommate. The plot limitations of a show like 90210 are also ours. 90210 doesn't know it, but th e creators o f Dawson's Creek do , an d i n this episode, w e have lef t the worl d o f the Shakespearea n drea m an d hav e bee n thrus t into a harshe r Sophoclea n aren a wher e ou r kid s ar e th e playthings o f the gods . Specifically , the y ar e Pace y and Joey's remedial snails in science class. Pacey and Joey have to get a pair of snails to mate in order for the m to get badly needed extr a credit. These are our gods, of course , the Fate s who hav e placed potentia l lovers side b y side in a little experiment. What drive s the fate s t o bring love into th e world ? Depends . Pace y needs t o bring his mar k u p

from a 3 2 (thi s particula r go d i s neglectful) . Joe y want s t o bring her s u p fro m a 98 (thi s go d has bee n payin g so muc h attention t o thing s she' s a little of f her rocker) . The devic e is used t o grea t effect , underlyin g th e wa y tha t clos e proximity and arbitrar y events wil l attemp t to determin e th e cours e of romance. The lab experiment begins . Dawso n still can' t accept the loss o f Jen, who i s now datin g someone else and leavin g him out in the cold. What he needs t o get close to her is not t o do what her new date is doing, but what Jen herself is doing, and, importantly to do this is at the same time and the same place. Solution: th e doubl e date . Mak e th e environmen t symmetrical. Bac k at th e remedia l Lab , Pacey our neglectfu l god ha s skippe d thi s lesso n an d h e decide s t o scoo p u p a pretty-looking snai l an d tos s i t i n th e tan k t o sex y u p th e atmosphere. Proble m is , hi s casua l an d arbitrar y ac t — th e introduction o f a hot-looking singl e int o th e mi x — goe s i n and literally devour s th e slimy little paramours . Cut to the double-date experimen t a t the carnival. A little natural swappin g ha s occurre d an d Dawso n an d Je n ar e together fo r th e tim e being , carrie d alof t b y a hug e Ferri s wheel. Well, quicker than you can say "Pacey, you moron!" th e Ferris wheel , a hand y sig n o f fortun e i n play , come s t o a screeching halt. Has destiny conspired wit h Dawson' s desires? Does Jen hav e an y hop e o f resisting suc h impressiv e cosmi c machinery? Shor t answer: yes. There's more to lif e tha n slim e trails i n th e terrariu m and Jen trump s th e whol e experimen t with her independence : N o to Dawson. No to the stars. No to the gods. And no to the snails. One o f th e interestin g psychologica l motif s o f thi s episode i s th e wafflin g commitment . Dawso n ha s investe d elaborate design s t o mak e Jen' s decisio n inevitable , overlooking th e simpl e fac t o f her independen t desire . He is,

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perhaps, projectin g onto th e worl d hi s ow n indecisiveness . When Pacey' s thrown, lik e his snails , int o clos e proximity t o Joey, he , o f course , feel s th e compulsio n t o giv e he r a kiss . When h e ask s fo r Dawson' s approva l (an d get s a serie s o f mixed messages from him) and then does what, feels natural in the moment, Dawson is struck between the eyes by feelings he had no t allowed . Dawso n neve r wante d Pace y to kis s Joey. They kiss, or at least nearly do, pulling back, giving arbitrary circumstances thei r only real chance to determine a course for romance. Th e missin g facto r ha d bee n th e knowledg e o f strong feelings . An d her e th e episod e hangs , a hos t o f possibilities waiting to be shown. Wh o doe s Dawson want to be with ? H e ha d bette r hurry , because fat e wil l onl y repeat itself so many times.

110 — THE S C A R E ( F O R M E R L Y F R I D A Y T H E 13TH) Written by Mike White Directed by Rodman Flender Originally aired May 5, 1998

Guest starring: Scott Foky (Cliff Elliott), Jennifer McComb (Ursula), Mitchell Laurance (Benjamin Gold), Justin Smith (Eddie) Here it comes. Definitely one of the scariest hours ever put o n television. On e o f th e formula s uniqu e t o th e dram a o n Dawson's Creek i s t o hav e element s reinforc e eac h othe r i n direct an d powerfu l ways . A sho w lik e Party o f Five, fo r instance, wil l us e th e fugu e constructio n o f ensembl e

storylines to counterpoint emotions . On e storyline will have a tragic betrayal and th e next a joyful ne w beginning, creatin g a scope tha t contain s pocket s o f difference . I t i s effectiv e an d each pocke t agains t th e othe r convey s a n overal l sens e o f searching characters . Dawson's Creek i s constructed in a much bolder fashion . I f it's raining o n on e sid e of town, it's raining a little harde r o n th e othe r end . Thi s i s ofte n apparen t i n th e high-concept episodes, wher e th e Dawson' s Creek creator s ar e not afrai d t o hav e a littl e fu n lettin g a concei t contro l th e characters. This also allows for some unrelenting intensity you might no t hav e i f yo u alway s playe d th e dram a of f suppl e character situations . Remembe r th e might y storm ? No t th e subtlest backdrop to revelations of infidelity, but it sure was an emotionally breathtaking way to play it. This particula r episod e take s plac e o n Frida y th e thirteenth, so we know righ t of f the bat tha t al l hell's goin g to break loose. (Did anybody go to see the fil m Scream expectin g to rea d subtitles? ) S o let' s star t stuffin g fak e snake s i n handbags an d ghoulish head s in lockers, because it's all about setting the mood now. The interesting challenge in such an allencompassing them e i s ho w t o mov e th e romanti c tangle s along i n a tightl y woun d horro r plot . Th e devic e — use d correctly — mirrors the logic of a horror film: who's gonna get it and who's doing it? Good questions to ask in either a Scream or a Creek scenario . At firs t i t appear s tha t Jen i s being ignore d i n a series of practical jokes , situatin g he r clearl y outsid e th e group . Question numbe r one : is she the on e who's really going to get it? Number two: who's going to do it to her? And sure enough, the on e prank tha t seems genuinely threatening , a frightenin g crank call, has Jen asking herself whether Dawson was leaving her ou t o f his nightmar e onl y t o reserve her spo t cente r stage for a les s comfortabl e game ? Meanwhile , th e haples s Clif f i s

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having troubl e keepin g Jen' s attention , s o h e defer s t o th e supposed maste r o f ceremonies , Dawson , wh o send s hi m away t o concoc t hi s ow n devilishness . Th e calle r slowl y becomes anybody's guess and, in fact, the whole game is being breached lef t an d righ t b y very real dangers. A serial kille r i s afoot. Somewhere out there in the night is a sick predator who might, a t an y moment , rais e th e stake s i n Dawson' s fun t o terrible heights . And no w Pace y (the god who like s attractive and deadly snails) has introduced a n entirely new and unknown characte r into thi s episode' s "terrorium." Outside a convenience store, a damsel is in distress and she approaches Pacey , who is waiting for th e other s i n a car . Sh e i s seekin g protectio n fro m he r violent boyfriend, Eddie . Big mistake. Once they have her back at the house to resume thei r scar y parlor games, the Capesid e players realiz e the y hav e picke d u p a gir l wit h a decidedl y dangerous edge . Sh e and th e creep y Eddie are of a piece an d pretty soon he's snatching a t everybody through broke n glass . The contrast s use d i n thi s episod e t o creat e fea r ar e ver y effective. Dawson' s games have a limited scar e factor. The y are of th e cat-bursting-through-a-windo w variet y an d ar e th e cheap thril l foun d i n an y devised horro r film , bu t the y aren' t the only horror film in town. At mid-level on the scare meter is the whole Scream franchis e tha t cuts through th e group like a thin garrot e i n th e for m o f a n unidentifie d phon e call . No t knowing who' s doin g i t i s enoug h t o mak e Dawson' s tactics seem pedestrian . The horro r al l begins t o g o up b y notches . What's worse than not knowing who's playing the game? Well, maybe innocently inviting someone in who change s th e rules to a much darker code. When Ursula and Eddie start releasing their violent energy on our gang, the group is confronted wit h all that the y keep a t bay, namely, real anger, rea l danger , an d real destruction .

These plot s ar e brought t o resolutions tha t confor m in a satisfying wa y with thei r horror fil m roots . Eddie the monste r is stoppe d b y Joe y th e virgin , drive n ou t b y tha t powe r invested in virgins in all proper horror fil m endings . I s that it then? Well , asid e fro m Clif f fessin g u p t o makin g th e call , thereby adding naivete to the pile of horror scenarios, we have arrived, i n spit e o f a scar e curv e tha t fel t increasingl y mor e real, at a bunch of movie cliches. But hang on. Buried in there was a tiny scene that seemed at th e tim e ther e merel y t o suppl y cree p effect . A talkative stranger wh o approache d Joey early on appear s on th e new s program Dawso n an d Joe y ar e watchin g a t th e en d o f th e episode. He is the seria l killer. Now that's scary.

111 — B E A U T Y C O N T E S T (FORMERLY PRETT Y WOMAN )

Written b y Dana Baratta Directed b y Arvin Brown Originally aire d Ma y 12, 199 8 Guest starring: Lori Rom (Hannah Von Wedding), Cara Stoner (Roberta Crump) OK kids, here' s th e question : ar e we born with the instinc t t o fall in love, or is it constructed for us by the cultur e in which we grow up? Heavy questions, but enquiring Creeker s want to know. Dawso n think s i t ha s t o b e innate : w e fal l i n lov e because we are designed t o have strong and beautifu l feeling s for anothe r person . Joe y think s lov e i s somethin g w e ar e trained t o experience , a fiction tha t facilitate s the desire s o f a

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greater community . I n othe r words , w e ar e tol d tha t lov e is grand and ask blindly, "Where do I sign?" These kids are never going t o ge t togethe r a t thi s rate . I s i t merel y a gende r difference? Wel l if it is, let's mix some gender in a blender an d see what it looks like. Pacey, is that you? Our snail-boy rebel is back with a plan. This time , a s Capesid e i s preparin g fo r th e Windjamme r Beauty Contest, Pacey decides not onl y to introduce a prettier mollusk into the environment , but t o be it. Pacey decides he's going to run fo r beauty queen and forc e the issue of exclusivity at it s source . Ar e woman force d t o confor m to standard s o f beauty dictate d by a gazing male, o r doe s sh e arriv e so eyecatching tha t h e can' t hel p bu t look ? Don' t loo k now , bu t Pacey's about to raise the beauty bar. Considering that the prize of $5,000 represents liberty to a number of Capeside residents, it's no surprise that some other unlikely contestants are coming forward, namel y the glamourshy Joey Potter. Both have financial reason s — Joey is looking at higher educatio n and Pacey wants to move out o f the house — but the y each become caught up i n more political themes. Pacey i s offende d tha t me n ar e exclude d fro m th e even t bu t slips i n throug h th e technicalit y tha t ther e i s no rul e statin g contestants mus t be women. And Joey soon realize s that ther e is an underlying class prejudice to the event, and find s herself suffering alon g the way in tha t she is poorer and plaine r than the queen bitches for whom all pageants are designed . Dawson, meanwhile , i s stumblin g around , casuall y insulting the self-estee m of all the girl s he's loved befor e i n a sort o f anti-pageant protest, until he hears Joey sing, "On My Own." A t tha t poin t h e sluggishl y realize s tha t burie d somewhere i n the girl he likes a s a sister i s the woman o f his dreams. It' s a somewhat spurious revelation, and Joey knows it, so when Dawso n is about to bend a knee in her beautified

presence, Joey pulls him up by pointing ou t that he has falle n for a fiction: sh e will go back t o being Joey Potter tomorrow . The initia l questio n abou t th e natur e an d nurtur e o f love i s played out, but th e answer is ambiguous. Yes, Dawson falls for Joey most when sh e cultivates the pose of desirability, but w e already know he loves her. Did the pose merely draw out what was there ? D o natur e an d nurtur e consor t wit h th e rule s o f attraction? No t thi s time , becaus e Joe y ace s th e whol e dea l with anothe r ver y differen t romanti c tradition : she just play s hard t o get. When Jen approache s Dawson in th e fina l scen e wantin g him back , sh e i s walkin g int o a spac e tha t Joe y lef t behind , leaving Dawso n pinin g perfectl y fo r th e on e wh o go t away . Comb your hair back into that patented Potte r do, Joey, tonigh t you're the objec t o f desire. The remainin g questio n is , i s Dawso n a playe r o r a plaything?

112 — D E C I S I O N S ( F O R M E R L Y B R E A K I N G AWAY )

Written by Dana Baratt a an d Mike White Directed by David Seme l Originally aire d Ma y 21, 199 8 Guest starring: Gareth Williams (Mike Potter), Dylan Neal (Deputy Doug Witter) How do adults figure i n dramas about teenagers? In the Archie comics, they are either perfectly bland o r sputtering dupes; on 90210, they tend to be marginal copies of their children, eithe r

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embarrassing o r ineffectual ; an d o n Party o f Five the y ar e simply dead , leaving the next generation t o assume their roles. On Dawsoris Creek, the parents are full, comple x characters, for the mos t part , i f slightl y les s articulat e than thei r son s an d daughters. A s w e hav e see n wit h Dawson' s parents , i t i s possible tha t th e passio n o f adolescence survives int o adult hood; however , i f responsibilit y doesn' t develop , then alon g with passion continue the disasters of puberty. And the effect of parents on their children's lives is profound. In "Decisions " w e se e th e painfu l sourc e o f Pacey' s damaged self-esteem. His father ha s built his own disappoint ment dee p int o hi s relationshi p wit h hi s son . I n wha t ar e painfully drawn pictures, Pacey undergoes relentless emotional lacerations a s his father puts his son down in ways that are so subtle they would barely register with anybody watching. And Dawson i s watching , slowl y gainin g insigh t int o wha t goe s into making a young man as troubled an d intelligent a s Pacey. If Pacey is his father' s biggest disappointment, then Joey's father, whose release from prison is imminent, is hers. Dawson takes Joey to confron t he r father , bu t afte r th e lon g tri p the y arrive minutes after visiting hours, underlining another theme connecting parents and children in this episode: that there are only so many chances we ar e given to salvage these relationships. And in Jen's case, with her grandfather dying , time itself will ru n ou t soo n enough , eve n fo r th e mos t loving . I n thi s scenario, as the grandfathe r revive s long enough to say goodbye, Jen an d her Gram s are thrust togethe r in their grief with the fres h awarenes s tha t sometime s it' s more importan t that differences dissolve . As they come together to pray in church , their philosophica l antagonis m i s temporarily swep t aside . It is possible to lose those you love long before the y have to go. It's a powerfu l messag e tha t the y share , an d fo r a tim e the y understand tha t howeve r differen t thei r mean s fo r reachin g

out, the end ca n be the same: to come together. Meanwhile, Joey and Pacey , who hav e been o n opposit e sides o f a parenta l blam e game , als o com e together . Joey' s desire t o confron t her fathe r mus t b e answered , an d Pace y is willing to abscond with his father's car in order to get her there and, perhap s t o prov e hi s uselessnes s t o hi s father . I t i s interesting an d tellin g tha t eve n whe n Pace y i s baitin g th e world with his recklessness, h e doe s so in support o f a higher order o f responsibility. The encounte r i n th e priso n i s a fascinating one , wher e emotions ar e discovere d indirectly . Dawso n i s left wit h Joey's rejected father , wh o ask s hi m t o describ e th e daughte r he' s lost. In doing this man a service, Dawson discovers, even as he says it, that Joey is a person for whom he has always felt a deep love, an d thi s lov e tha t h e communicate s t o he r fathe r i s a revelation o f tru e feelings . I n th e previous episode , Dawso n had been abl e to access his feelings fo r Joey and cam e close to expressing them , bu t the y were triggered by the imag e of her as a talented beaut y contestant. A similar jeopardy exists here , even i f the emotio n seem s mor e grounded . Hav e his feeling s been shape d b y th e moment , b y th e metapho r o f the jailed man, an d projecte d onto the longings o f the father ? When Joey's fathe r reveal s Dawson's love to her, he doe s so i n th e contex t o f himself an d th e lov e he ha s fo r his ow n wife, Joey's mother. There is a strong mix o f feelings i n th e ai r here: joy, love, forgiveness , and sorrow . The problem fo r Joey and Dawso n i s tha t thi s i s ultimatel y th e emotiona l atmosphere o f a daughte r an d fathe r reconciling , no t tha t of two confused youn g lovers. There i s on e mor e piec e o f bad timin g yet . Whe n th e grieving Jen climbs up throug h th e Dawson's window an d the two fal l aslee p together , they wil l o f course be discovere d b y Joey. Dawso n ha s learne d somethin g i n thi s episode : event s

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don't confor m t o emotions . Thing s ge t i n th e way , opportunities com e and go , and peopl e who lov e each other have to come together throug h a series o f adverse conditions , or not a t all. Ever. Dawson finishes the season as a compelling romantic, sweepin g Capesid e lookin g fo r hi s on e tru e love. Dawson seizes the moment, knowing it's now or never and he — finally — kisses Joey Potter. It is a very satisfying moment, and on e that has been a long tim e coming , bu t th e questio n hangs for next season: when will we know if this is true love?

SEASON TW O

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201 — TH E KIS S

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Written by Jon Harmon Feldma n Directed by David Semel Originally aire d Octobe r 7 , 199 8 Guest starring: All Larter (Kristy) The season opene r finds us right where we left off , bu t a s Joey and Dawson' s lip s unloc k thei r relationshi p come s a littl e unhinged. It' s prett y much wha t you expec t fro m television' s most apprehensiv e coupl e an d i n th e aftermat h o f the grea t first kis s ou r craz y kids experienc e the sam e old doubts . But this i s a somewha t mor e progressiv e Dawso n we'r e dealin g with and befor e the y sink back into denyin g their feeling s for each other, he suggests that they sleep on it and see what they think i n th e morning . On e o f the curiou s motifs o f Dawson's Creek i s the clarifyin g powe r of a good night's sleep, and sur e enough, a toss an d a turn later, Joey and Dawso n affir m tha t they are indeed o n th e threshol d o f a . . . relationship. After beginnin g wit h thi s sligh t hesitation , th e seaso n is then thrown hopefull y forward, triggering Pace y to scout th e halls of high school for his ow n true love. And seeing as he's a man wh o ha s taste d forbidden love and feel s tha t experienc e should give him the upper hand — or at least the cream of the crop — he choose s true love in th e for m o f Kristy the knock out. Pacey heads out looking for this hottie in his dad's police cruiser, onl y t o stumbl e o n a funn y littl e bi t o f sunshin e named Andie . Andi e i s ne w t o tow n an d Pace y use s th e opportunity to sucker her b y posing as a cop.

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The theme o f this episode is the pursuit o f true love and it's onl y fittin g tha t Dawson' s mother , Gale , see k ou t he r husband wit h th e heartfel t desire t o reconcile . Sh e attempts this b y stokin g th e flame s o f their onc e libidinou s romance , but find s tha t Mitch has gon e cold . Col d enough , i n fact , t o have filed papers of divorce. It's an interesting backdrop to th e teenagers' evolving relationships, and , to put a finer poin t o n the theme , w e ar e seein g relationship s tha t ar e tryin g t o survive by either going backward or forward . Speaking o f forward, what d o you d o with th e awkward space after th e firs t kiss ? Why, you'd better kiss again, and d o it fast . Jus t a s Dawso n an d Joe y ar e abou t t o fal l int o eac h other's arm s an d d o jus t that , i n come s th e keenin g Jen , threatening to throw everything into a sudden reverse . She is still strugglin g wit h th e los s o f he r grandfather , an d he r emotional condition triggers Dawson's primal confusion about the unhappiness o f others. He pulls himself out o f the arms of Joey an d situate s himsel f righ t smac k i n th e middl e o f Jen's grief. It's a classic portrait of someone who simply doesn't have enough experienc e t o kno w whe n he' s addin g undu e complications to an already delicate new relationship. There is no questionin g hi s motive s — Je n i s i n rea l grie f — bu t Dawson doesn' t see m t o se e th e paralle l story here: h e ha s responded t o the needs o f his ex-girlfrien d over his new one. And that ex will inevitably need more than friendship . When Dawson ha s t o shu n th e vulnerabl e advance s sh e make s toward him , h e hurt s he r further , an d leave s he r feelin g rejected an d alone. Threesomes are getting much lighter treatment in Pacey's case. Pacey gets his date with the cheerleader only to have her show u p wit h a boyfriend . I t seem s sh e i s ful l o f sympathy, however, fo r Pacey's heart conditio n an d h e quickl y twigs to the fact that he has become the object of Andie's payback joke.

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It's a comical inversion of the more serious events occurring in the main plot. When h e meets up wit h Andie later, they may not be fas t friends , bu t Pace y sure has a sexy sparring partne r in this intriguing gir l who's much more than meets the eye. Joey an d Dawso n put themselve s back o n trac k with a first dat e tha t ha s the m onl y hol d eac h other' s hand , bu t tempting each other to take things a step further. The y end up at th e Rialt o o n th e ev e of its destruction , just i n tim e t o b e interrupted again by a distraught Jen. This time when Dawson runs of f to consol e Jen, h e wil l retur n t o a n understandin g Joey. Regardles s of the ongoin g distraction, Jen is , afte r all , a friend i n need. There is a maturing process going on between our two heroes and as a payoff they eventually get their second kiss. And it's a keeper.

202 — C R O S S R O A D S Written by Dana Baratta Directed by Dennis Gordon Originally aired October 14, 1998 Guest starring: All Larter (Kristy)

The central theme o f this episode is how t o makes one's own theme centra l whe n everybod y else's is s o dar n compelling . The Leerys , wh o hav e bee n fairl y absorbe d i n thei r ow n separateness, stumbl e upo n Joey an d Dawso n entwined i n a way th e Leery s haven' t bee n fo r som e time . The y recove r clumsily, being a little ou t o f practice as parents, and fumbl e rather endearingly as lecturers on th e importanc e of safe sex . It is a healing moment, to be put back together as parents, and

they experience, in a tender way, the fact that on this level they will always be together. Joey an d Dawso n ar e experiencin g a simila r sensation , one tha t ma y be simila r t o timeles s love , but there' s nothin g like feelin g invulnerabl e — especiall y wher e Dawson' s concerned — to make a person do the most wanton things. It's almost as if Dawson has a devil whispering i n his ear , because he certainly can't hear us yelling "No!" from th e sidelines a s he picks u p Joey's diar y I s it vanit y he' s seeking to satisf y a s he opens the pages? What h e finds ther e are Joey's scathing notes about hi s ambition s a s a filmmaker . These note s ar e old , o f course, writte n whe n Joe y wa s feelin g scorne d b y Dawson , and whe n Dawso n confront s Joey, h e gain s n o insight , bu t Joey hotly an d deservedl y takes a strip of f him. Dawson decides to take his central problem t o Pacey and discovers hi s miffe d frien d i s no t abou t t o giv e hi m an y ai r time. While Dawso n had been celebratin g his happy relation ship b y nearl y destroyin g it , Pace y has bee n celebratin g th e birthday tha t hi s best frien d forgo t b y failin g hi s driver' s test. It seems nobody's happy and nobody's paying much attentio n to anybod y else . S o Pace y decide s he'l l mak e a mov e tha t nobody ca n ignore and h e throws hi s own birthday party. He only manages to get the attentio n o f Andie, and tha t relation ship ha s ye t t o graduat e fro m dee p antagonis m t o th e hig h attraction for whic h it' s bound . Pace y discovers , muc h lik e Dawson, that you can' t reach in and forc e peopl e t o like you. There i s indeed a devil loos e in thi s episod e an d it' s th e catty figur e o f newcome r Abb y (wh o appeare d i n onl y on e episode las t season) , wh o pick s u p ou r neglecte d Je n an d helps he r drin k her way right bac k t o the party-girl solution . The drun k Jen the n jump s Dawso n and slide s eve n furthe r down a dangerou s slope , a slop e simila r t o th e on e Pace y is traveling down , a s he seal s ou t Dawso n i n mid-apolog y an d

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turns his back on the entire world of Capeside. But if there are new devil s afoot , the n ther e i s als o a ne w angel . Andie' s brother Jack ha s latel y come t o wor k a t th e dine r wit h Joey, and he soothes her with his quiet and sane advice, sending her off wit h a hear t ful l o f forgivenes s t o fin d Dawson . The y eventually com e t o a lover' s understanding , bu t the y d o s o under th e storm y watc h o f the humiliate d Je n an d he r ne w nasty sidekick. Abby i s a dangerou s perso n her e becaus e sh e doesn' t appear to have a theme she can make central; rather, she feeds off other's . Following this my-story-versus-your-story concept, Mitch comes up with a not-so-bright solution . He proposes to his wife that their marriage might be better if it just opened u p a bit. In other words , instead o f making this abou t us, whic h is just to o dam n painful , let' s mak e i t abou t anybod y wh o wants it. Bad idea, Mitch. There ar e moves mad e t o heal an d ne w direction s hav e been take n b y th e en d o f th e episode . A real frien d reveal s herself to Pacey as Andie surprises him wit h a birthday gift . A good deal of forgiveness is getting spread aroun d an d Dawso n finds himsel f bac k o n Pacey' s danc e car d an d bac k i n Joey's arms. Unfortunately , h e ha s becom e th e pre y o f th e increasingly unstabl e Jen an d Abby, her nasty new partner.

203 — A L T E R N A T I V E L I F E S T Y L E S

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Written b y Mike White Directed b y David Seme l Originally aired October 21, 199 8

T H E Y

Guest starring: Colin Fickes (Kenny Reiling)

D O N' T

This is the Yo u Can't Alway s Get Want You Want episode , i n which ou r Capesid e lovelie s lear n wit h varyin g degree s o f success tha t you onl y ge t what yo u need . Wha t Mitc h needs, for instance , i s a sex life . Al l he get s at hom e i s th e vicariou s thrill o f his son' s burgeoning lov e life , an d eve n the n h e ca n only suggest way s to cool it down. Hi s wife however , remain s a very hot topic , and a s jealousy flares u p agai n the unhapp y marriage is declared officiall y open . Thi s strateg y is obviously way off-base. Ar e they looking to spice up thei r lives or salvage what ha d onc e bee n a thrivin g monogamy ? Eithe r way , it's never going to work, and pretty soon it's clear that the bottom line to this progressive approac h is engendering more jealousy. And speakin g o f thing s tha t ar e neve r goin g t o work , Abby is still playing Doctor Frankenstein t o Jen's monster. I n another cas e o f unwholesome guardianship , Je n i s becomin g Abby's proxy stalker and Dawson can run, but he cannot hide. In fact , fat e i s bubbling with tricker y in thi s episod e as a hat is filled with names to be pulled in order to assign partners in a classroom project that has pairs budgeting their imaginar y households. Ther e are , o f course , man y combination s t o choose fro m a s w e hav e seen . A s i t turn s out , w e hav e a delicious variety of the very best an d th e very worst pairings: Pacey and Andie (Yay!) , Dawson an d Jen (O h No!) , and poo r little Joey Potter is our single-parent household . Meanwhile Mitc h an d Gal e hav e dippe d int o thei r ow n

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version o f a ha t ful l o f names , an d ar e ou t fo r thei r firs t mutually exclusive night o n the town. It turns ou t to be quit e miserable, which is no surprise and, really, of no consequence, because what they want out o f the evening comes much later. Both tr y t o stru t thei r datin g prowess i n fron t o f each other, affecting a casua l atmosphere, whil e hopin g agains t hope t o catch a glint of green in each other's eyes. It's an unhappy way to be and their relationship has become a hunt fo r lost love in the for m o f inflicte d pain . The y communicat e no w throug h the signal s of depression. Joey's love lif e i s showing signs of activity as she watche s Jen's flirtin g wit h Dawso n g o into overdrive . Befor e long , Je n grows desperate , bargin g betwee n th e pai r dresse d a s Flopsi e the She-Wolf , and becoming bolde r an d bolder i n her bid for Dawson's attention . I t i s definitel y the Abb y School o f Subtle Insinuation, bu t th e dange r fo r Jen i s he r ow n pas t a s sh e begins t o reviv e a par t o f he r tha t onc e ha d deadl y conse quences. Dawson does his level best to set Jen straight, but Ms. Hotsie gets in the last word: never say never, Loverboy While Joe y an d Dawso n clin g togethe r battlin g outsid e forces, th e househol d o f Pace y an d Andi e i s wagin g wa r within. Thei r mildl y antagonisti c patte r take s a tur n fo r th e worse as Pacey calls Andie a spoiled brat. Too far, young man, and i t seems i n thi s nastie r climat e there ar e things yo u ma y not b e abl e to take back. As we will discover, however, these two ma y b e jus t doin g som e health y testin g o f a livel y relationship's natural boundaries . It is the angel Jack who takes Pacey aside, revealing som e of the tempestuous lif e that Andie has grown up with, provin g that Pacey' s characterizatio n o f his feist y partne r couldn' t b e more wrong . Pacey , a ma n o f secre t an d substantia l honor , goes t o Andi e wit h bot h a n apolog y an d a complete d assignment. A n aura of future romanc e brightens aroun d th e

two, bu t i n thi s episod e n o goo d coupl e goe s unnoticed . Tamara ha s com e bac k an d she' s clockin g thes e lovebird s pretty closely.

204 — TAMARA' S R E T U R N

Written b y Mike Whit e Directed b y Jesus Trevino Originally aired October 28, 1998

Guest starring: Leann Hunky (Tamara Jacobs), Joe Flanigan (Vince) Dawson an d Joe y hav e a relationshi p cemente d i n dee p familiarity an d persona l history. They know exactl y what the y love about each other and share this with a natural friendship. Sounds perfect , doesn' t it ? Try introducing change, difference , and independenc e an d se e what happens . Ther e i s n o suc h thing as a completed person; in fact , a human lif e is knowable only i n term s o f growth, shift , an d change . Teenag e lif e i s a n especially explosive period o f discovery and learning , s o no w that Joey and Dawson are together their relationship i s bound for trouble . Especially Dawson, who seems happ y t o have Joey as his very ow n postscript, an d thoug h h e ma y not b e consciou s of this, he i s completely taking for granted tha t Joey's entire lif e began an d wil l en d wit h him . Bi g mistake . Whe n Joe y discovers her abilit y to draw, an ability that she inherited fro m her dea d mother , it' s very clear that somethin g vita l in he r i s emerging. It is an important and latent part of her identity that requires sensitivit y an d support . Unfortunately , Dawson i s at

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his least likable here. Loutish and condescending, he seems at best to be unwilling t o value Joey's desire to learn more about herself; a t worst h e i s outright threatened . Whe n the y atten d an art lecture together , Joey is utterly engaged b y the subject, whereas Dawso n i s borderlin e boorish . I t i s a stunnin g difference i n the two and on e that quickly switches thei r roles as serious artist and doting admirer. One also secretly suspects that Joey's earlier diar y entry wher e sh e ha d judged Dawso n harshly a s a filmmaker might have been as much a part of her being creativel y kee n a s scorned . Whateve r th e underlyin g cracks ma y b e psychologically , th e relationshi p i s definitel y not on e tha t ca n absor b surprises . S o Joe y i s lef t t o contemplate he r arts y isolatio n a t wor k i n th e less-than articulate compan y o f Andie's brother Jack, th e dishwasher . Little doe s she know , Jack is about as a surprising a fellow a s ever strode th e banks o f Dawson's fair creek. If Joey and Dawso n can't ge t thei r relationshi p ou t o f th e muck, Pace y an d Andi e jus t can' t sto p th e good-spirite d squabbling. I t is a form o f attraction that they both understand , though it is something o f a carry-over from a public school boygirl animosity. More in keeping with the high school form, Andie goes running to Dawson and trie s as subtly as she can to wiggle out informatio n regardin g Pacey' s rea l feeling s towar d her . Dawson, fo r his part , is happ y t o giv e Andie a gree n light fo r love. The irony here is that Dawson cannot move forward in his own relationship becaus e it is strangled by inertia and nostalgia, and Pace y i s experiencin g hi s firs t matur e closur e o n a pas t relationship. Tamara i s bac k i n town , and , whe n spotte d fro m a distance, Pace y is compelle d t o leav e Andie's side t o pursu e her. Our firs t reaction is possibly that this is Pacey caving in to a temptation , but whe n h e encounter s Tamara , a very adul t and passionat e Pace y recognize s tha t thi s i s a relationshi p

where bot h peopl e hav e move d on . An d mov e o n h e does , returning to Andie as an unburdened man who now has access to a wider rang e o f feelings — feeling s tha t he communicate s to this lovely young woman, delighting her and us. Meanwhile, the Dawson-Joey ground is also shifting, bu t rather tha n gaining , thes e tw o ar e losin g eac h other . Joe y decides tha t she values both her new artistic side and the part of her tha t will always love Dawson, bu t recognize s tha t the y are at odds. She explains t o Dawson that the struggle is going on inside he r an d not between them , so she requires space. The questio n is , who needs t o grow: Joey, o r Dawson?

205 — F U L L M O O N R I S I N G Written b y Dana Baratta Directed by David Seme l Originally aired November 4 , 199 8 Guest starring: Joe Flanigan (Vince), Leann Hunley (Tamara Jacobs) The Moon . Luna . Th e roo t o f lunatic . I n thi s particula r episode, th e moo n in questio n is very full , meanin g most, if not all , of our Capesid e courtesans are probably going to lose track of some marbles along the way. Pacey begins promisingl y enough, temperin g himsel f appropriately , i n orde r t o as k Andie out for a date. He plays the adult well, informing Andie that he will be around t o pick her up at her place. Suddenly, a dark clou d crosse s he r face . A mysterious reaction . Ther e i s something tha t Andie is hiding a t home. Somethin g big. Dating i s th e happ y pastim e tha t hitche s itsel f t o dar k

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rides thi s night, s o when Jen and Vincent, an older fisherman with whom sh e has been flirting, hoo k up , ther e is no doub t that Abby, the little devil who had been pointedl y overlooke d in th e ver y sam e flirtin g process , wil l b e lookin g fo r unwelcome way s t o mak e he r presenc e known . Whe n Je n mistakes Abb y for a friend , a s sh e ha s bee n doin g fo r som e time now , the y bot h erup t int o a hurtfu l sessio n o f nam e calling. Abby knows all too well how to push Jen's buttons an d when sh e wickedly taunt s he r wit h he r pas t embarrassment , Jen defend s he r ow n hono r b y deliverin g a soun d sla p t o Abby's cheek. O h well, when you lie down with the devil and all that . Th e tw o spli t u p an d hea d of f to hav e competin g disasters. Jen ha s Vincen t ove r t o he r hous e fo r a littl e harmles s passion i n he r roo m an d Abb y crawl s u p th e well-travele d ladder t o Dawson' s bedroo m fo r a perfec t vie w o f th e smooching couple . While Abb y is stewing in he r voyeuristi c juices, th e Leery s ar e downstair s doin g wha t the y d o best : trying not t o figh t i n fron t o f Dawson, then, well , fighting i n front o f Dawson. Dawson races off to the safety of his bedroom only t o fin d i t ha s bee n penetrate d b y a ver y bizarrel y behaving Abby . Wit h bot h eye s gleamin g i n th e ful l moon , Abby recklessly throws herself at Dawson. It is a strange an d fascinating impulse , inspired , a s al l thing s ar e i n Dawson' s room, by Abby having watched the couple through the screen as if on a film, an d now , like Dawson , she's going to direc t a hot one . The blonde on e resists, however, and expels the sheelement from hi s room. Through his window an d across the way, Jen isn' t havin g this problem, in fact, quit e the opposite. It seems her little bit of fun i s going the way of a date rape. It's an unsettling scene, as sh e struggle s agains t th e aggressiv e Vincent . He r savio r turns ou t t o b e th e avengin g Grams , who, afte r shooin g th e

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dockside Lothario out, sets herself o n Jen, confrontin g her on her wanto n lac k o f self-respect . The y ar e hars h words , containing mor e trut h tha n understanding , an d Je n i s sen t reeling from her Grams ' presence. Just a s all the respective homes in Capeside appea r to be teetering o n the edge, Pacey shows up a t Andie's and i s let in by a pleasant brother int o a n even mor e pleasant household. The illusion is shattered suddenly when a frantic Andie shows up an d trie s t o extricat e Pace y fro m th e place . Thi s trigger s Pacey's comple x self-imag e an d whe n h e begin s t o fee l tha t Andie's tryin g t o protec t he r famil y fro m him , h e learn s th e truth. Andie tells Pacey a terrible story about her family' s past. It seem s he r brothe r ha d died , leavin g he r mothe r s o grief stricken tha t she now harbors th e delusion tha t her dea d so n is still alive . Pacey attempts to console her , findin g himself i n the middl e o f such profoun d distres s tha t he mus t summon , for th e firs t time , and no t th e last by a long shot, a deepenin g well of compassion fo r a situation beyond his experience . Dawson, too , is sitting in th e middle, a s Mitch and Gal e continue t o play Jump Dow n The Spouse' s Throat in fron t of their onl y son . Dawso n soo n twig s t o th e open-marriag e disaster that' s collapsing al l around him ; thrus t i n a parental role, Dawson rise s to anger wit h grea t gusto. We've seen this righteous sid e o f Dawson before : i t wasn't prett y the n an d i t ain't prett y now . Soo n h e reduce s hi s fathe r t o tears , an d realizes in th e genuin e despai r o f the ma n tha t adult s can be as confuse d an d i n a s muc h pai n a s teenagers . An d i n th e Leery household, possibl y more. Dawso n i s humbled b y hi s father's emotio n and responds instinctivel y with respect . Little doe s h e kno w tha t th e ful l moo n i s workin g o n everybody tonight , and that includes his girlfriend Joey and her new friend i n all things artistic, the handsome, broodin g Jack. On impuls e the y kis s afte r work , bu t Joe y run s off , back t o

Dawson with her hea d an d hear t full o f unsettled sensations . It's a very troubled population that lies awake in Capeside tonight. Pain , self-doubt, guilt, an d sorro w have visited them without, as far this episod e goes, any easy solutions.

206 — TH E D A N C E

Written b y Jon Harmon Feldma n Directed by Lou Antonio Originally aired November 11 , 199 8

Guest starring: Joe Flanigan (Vince), Leann Hunley (Tamara Jacobs) One of the key ways in which Dawsoris Creek conveys its realism i s t o hamme r hom e las t week' s messag e b y havin g everybody repea t thei r mistakes . D o the y eve r ge t i t right ? And, mor e importantly , if they neve r do , wh y d o the y kee p trying? This episode is organized around that perilous teenage ritual know n a s th e Hig h Schoo l Dance. It i s apparen t righ t away that our gang is simply not the type to attend predictable catastrophes like thi s one . The y ar e too hip , to o smart , have seen fa r to o man y movies , an d hav e logge d i n fa r to o man y hours i n fron t o f the televisio n t o ge t suckered in . It' s a step beyond the "bee n there , done that " variety, more like a "won't be there, won't do that" T-shirt. It takes the irrepressible Andie and her baffling schoo l spirit to drag the sullen brainiacs off to the Hop. The last time we saw the kids officiall y paire d up, i t was sorted ou t b y pullin g name s ou t o f a hat . Thi s tim e it' s th e slightly les s arbitrar y process o f askin g someon e ou t a date.

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Some couple s ar e obvious : Dawso n will o f cours e tak e Joey, Andie will snar e Pace y — th e anti-danc e poste r bo y — and , well, becaus e it' s a schoo l dance , footbal l sta r Bret t wil l b e showcased snarling at the bombshell Krist y No surprises there; however, event s ove r th e las t fe w episode s hav e lef t a fe w people dangerously single. This is a perfect opportunit y to pu t all these wild cards out of business, and the first to go has to be the recentl y desperat e Jen. S o Jen, who is stalking Dawson , is soon paired with Jack, who has taken to kissing Joey. It al l look s goo d o n paper , bu t wh o pay s attention.t o dance card s anymore ? On e o f th e problem s wit h al l thi s symmetry i s that Pace y simpl y wil l no t dance , which mean s anybody could end up with anybody. Jack dances with Andie. Now he dances with Jen. Now Andie dances with Dawson. Uh oh, tha t mean s Jac k ha s t o danc e wit h Joey . Whil e Pace y watches coolly from th e sideline s he force s th e situation back to nothing mor e than a pile o f names trappe d i n a hat. Soo n Dawson picks up on the fact that his date is experiencing some friction wit h Jack , an d th e pai r walt z righ t ou t o f th e gym ! Dawson catche s up , jus t i n tim e t o ge t th e gis t o f thei r dalliance, an d the n th e gan g reel s bac k int o th e gym , wher e Dawson cold-cocks Jack in the high style of all macho boys. In fact, ther e are twin gender cliches afoot a t this particular sock hop: defian t machismo , bu t als o a fai r bi t o f goo d old fashioned feminin e connivance goin g on. Poor Brett , th e jock doesn' t kno w it , but th e liber-bitch, Abby ha s him i n her sights . Add her t o the roug h patch he's experiencing wit h Kristy , an d prett y soo n th e evi l on e i s supporting th e athlet e quit e happil y ou t o n th e danc e floor . While Abb y exploits thi s littl e piec e o f depressed rea l estate, Pacey is about t o ac t ou t hi s ow n bit o f gender stereotyping . After establishing himself as too male to dance, it's an easy and complimentary shif t ove r to the guy who's sensitive enoug h t o

dance with th e poo r rebuffe d Kristy . Unfortunately , it' s a little tricky explainin g this to Andie, especially since sh e took on e look an d dashe d fo r th e door . Luckily , i t is , afte r all , cliche s that make the world g o 'round, s o when Pace y catches up t o Andie an d win s he r over , sh e knows tha t it's all man sh e has wrapped aroun d her . Sensitive , strong , an d intelligen t — a new Pacey' s surfacing (but we knew that, didn't we?) . The Leerys aren't working out so well, however. Dawson, having messe d u p al l the goo d mal e qualitie s hi s frien d ha s exhibited, find s himsel f suddenl y ou t o f a relationship. Joey needs . . . space . H e messe d u p hi s sensitivit y opportunit y with th e whol e artisti c issue, an d a s far as dignity in strengt h goes, he prett y much ble w i t when h e tagge d Jack. Ca n they be just friends again ? Can two people go back when they're so committed t o goin g forward ? Thi s storylin e i s give n a sa d treatment i n th e previou s generatio n o f Leerys. I t seem s th e separation is answering nobody' s needs. The future look s very painful fo r Mitch and Gale . What the y both wan t t o d o i s go back i n time ; unfortunately , a s the y sorrowfull y watc h eac h other from a distance, they are facing an adult relationship tha t has turne d suddenly , an d irretrievably , int o a n adul t abyss . Dawson's fina l ac t i s resonan t wit h th e entir e family' s predicament; by tossing the ladder back from hi s window, he symbolically banishe s a part o f his pas t tha t ha s brough t hi s present s o much pain .

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207 — THE A L L - N I G H T E R

E P I S O D E

Written by Greg Berlanti Directed by David Semel Originally aired November 18, 1998

G U I D E

Guest starring: Jason Behr (Chris Wolfe), Brighton Hertford (Dina Wolfe) One o f the mos t imaginative features o f Dawsan's Creek, as we have see n tim e an d tim e again , i s th e weekl y devic e fo r gathering al l ou r trouble d kid s together . Storms , dances , detentions, schoo l projects , bedrooms, classrooms , an d fil m sets hav e al l worke d thei r specifi c orde r o f thing s int o th e disordered emotiona l lif e i n Capeside . I n thi s episod e it' s th e sudden appearanc e o f a po p qui z tha t bring s everybod y together fo r a n all-nigh t stud y session . Schoolmat e Chri s invites the whole gang, and even the very off Dawson and Joey get tricke d int o sharin g th e evenin g together . Andie , th e overcompensating keener, sets herself up a s the grand dame of tutelage, bu t find s hersel f strugglin g t o kee p th e group' s wandering attention . Soo n enough , Chri s pull s ou t a ver y different kin d o f qui z fro m a magazin e tha t focuse s o n th e romantic habits of young people; it just so happens tha t he's in a room ful l o f young people who ar e just dyin g t o hear about each other s romantic habits. I t turns ou t thi s i s a quiz wher e math become s a particularl y interestin g elemen t whe n th e answers are given. For instance, "Hav e you ever had se x with someone twice your age?" Well, not many have, of course, and seeing as Pacey in a sort of reverse swagger , has been playin g complimentary virgi n bo y to the demur e Andie , imagin e he r surprise when i t comes out that he's had some fairl y advance d sex education. Th e number tw o come s u p agai n whe n Joey

admits to having fallen in love twice before, much to Dawson's surprise, who has been findin g solace in the fac t tha t he's the only man she's ever loved in their short lives. Chris, meanwhile, is a sort of backhanded success story in the conquest department. While everyone is treading lightly around eac h other' s reputation , Chri s spread s himsel f ou t i n the ho t tu b an d brag s t o a horrified Dawson tha t whe n th e bedroom light goe s out, Jen an d he will be changing som e of their answers to the se x quiz in a pretty direct way. If the firs t part of the evening is spent playing shell games with confessions , the secon d hal f i s a n attemp t t o confron t each othe r wit h wha t ha s com e out . Dawso n warns Jen tha t their host is a sexual predator with her on his radar, only to be shocked tha t Jen intend s t o make sure tha t whe n Chri s get s closer she' s goin g t o ge t closer . Pace y manage s t o wor k hi s magic on Andie again, explaining that he slept with his teacher for baldly sexual reasons and that he is being honest about this in order to truly let Andie get access to him. What a guy. What a catch . I f onl y Dawson had somethin g t o humble him , the n maybe he wouldn't b e venting hi s righteous ange r o n Chris' s poor littl e sister . Ther e ar e moment s whe n yo u hav e t o wonder, ho w man y time s d o w e hav e t o le t Dawso n be a n obnoxious foo l befor e w e completel y lose ou r patience ? It' s one o f the interestin g benefits o f watching Dawson's Creek: th e tolerance an d patienc e tha t yo u summo n i n orde r t o accep t these peopl e wee k afte r week . 1 often wonde r i f viewers ar e willing to be so understanding wit h their own relationships. I t certainly i s th e underlyin g challeng e tha t Dawson' s Creek throws a t us . Televisio n is ofte n vilifie d fo r exposin g u s t o violence, depravity , an d mindlessness , whil e bein g largel y ignored fo r th e innumerabl e programs , Dawson' s Creek included, tha t mak e a genuin e effor t t o fin d fo r us th e bes t human qualities .

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And it is the difficult tas k of being human that guides ou r Capeside crew at times. It isn't grante d to them easily, nor ar e its benefit s immediat e o r obvious . Whe n Joe y explain s t o Dawson tha t i t i s hi m who m sh e fel l i n lov e wit h twice , i t doesn't mean that he has control over her. It means he is, in the greatest cliche that ever gave young love hope, to let her go.

208 — THE R E L U C T A N T H E R O

Written by Shelley Meals and Darin Goldberg Directed by Joe Napolitano Originally aired November 25, 1998 Guest starring: Jason Behr (Chris Wolfe), Todd Sheder (Tod Bloom) Good news in hard times can do one of two things to a person: it can brighten your dark days and provide a hope that thing s can be turne d around , o r it can sit in painful contrast t o th e bad luc k tha t seem s t o b e a permanen t fixtur e i n one' s life . Dawson's current situation , as it has been evolving this season , is no w fa r fro m rosy . Th e ope n marriag e o f his parent s i s a failed experiment , an d Dawson' s father i s now askin g his so n to help him pac k up an d mov e out o f the famil y home. It is a difficult twis t fo r the youn g man , wh o impulsivel y perceive s the trouble s of those near him a s somehow betrayals directed at hi m personally . Whe n Mitc h trie s hi s bes t t o recas t hi s relationship wit h his so n a s an evolving one, Dawson cannot see it as anything bu t abandonment . A s they fumbl e throug h these difficul t changes , both ar e trying to adjus t t o new roles that neithe r o f them reall y want. Jen i s also fumblin g in thi s

episode, an d he r increasingl y unstabl e behavio r aroun d Dawson i s abou t t o reac h a terribl e low . Joey i s wanderin g around outside the relationship she put on hold with Dawson, and has decided maybe it's not space she needs but a date with Jack. A s these thing s darke n Dawson' s world h e receive s th e aforementioned goo d news. It seems his first film has won him an award that sends $2,50 0 in his directio n an d he ask s Joey to produce his second film . I t is a great boost to Dawson and, while Joe y decline s t o produc e it , h e see s thi s a s a n opportunity t o make fo r the world a love story with a happy ending. It is, of course, the happy ending he wants for himself, in spit e o f the odd s bein g currentl y against him. On e o f this episode's theme s — perhap s th e entir e season' s theme — i s how d o you fulfi l you r dreams when yo u have to play by th e cold rules o f realism? Pacey must also contend wit h a bit o f realism when he is told point blank by a guidance counselor that he is facing a life of wasted potential if he doesn't pul l up his socks. With Andie as hi s brigh t angel , Pace y decide s t o tur n thing s around , proving not onl y to his girlfriend, but t o the viewers who have been consistentl y impresse d b y hi s integrity , tha t a focuse d Pacey i s a formidabl e forc e o f good . However , ther e ar e profound periphera l problem s t o conten d wit h i n thi s brav e new world, a s Andie's mother ha s a heartbreaking relaps e into mad grief , drawing Pacey close to the center of the complicated burdens th e McPhee s face . Brothe r Jac k i s spendin g a contemplative dat e with Joey, a s they watc h far-of f lightning , not knowin g tha t thi s ominou s sig n i s comin g close r an d nothing fo r them is what it seems. With Jack preoccupied with the mysteries of dating, Pacey finds himself fully entrenched i n the strang e battle for the sanit y of Andie's mother. If ther e ar e storms brewing a t the McPhees' , then for Jen they are raging. She invites Dawso n to a wild drinkin g party ,

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Michelle Williams at Rock & Jock Baseball '98.

resulting i n the young Frank Capr a of happy ending s playin g anthropologist t o a hous e ful l o f ba d actor s an d drunke n disasters. Dawso n i s growin g mor e an d mor e intensel y concerned for the out-of-control Jen, and when he goes to fin d her, h e discover s he r abou t t o indulg e i n fairl y shockin g menage a troi s wit h th e creep y du o o f Chri s an d Todd . Dawson break s u p th e shenanigans , bu t Jen , fa r from bein g grateful, i s bitte r tha t sh e hasn' t bee n allowe d t o tast e th e humiliation sh e believe s sh e deserves . I t i s a n interestin g playing-out of the realism theme. Jen has been acting out what she believes is a truly realistic auto-biography, grim and gritty , full o f hard truth s an d self-fulfillment . Dawson , on th e othe r hand, ha s been floating above his disastrous romanti c lif e and dark domesti c situation , seekin g t o attac h a bright , hopefu l ending to a film he wishes t o base on all this. He may seem illequipped t o deal with the way the chips are falling, but whe n he extracts Jen fro m th e situation, there is no doub t tha t he is the on e wh o know s th e significanc e o f wha t h e sees . I t i s Dawson who has seen th e dismal fictio n tha t ca n result whe n one becomes addicted to certain ideas about realism. When h e brings Jen to his father's apartment, Dawson bestows a default validity t o a situatio n h e couldn' t accept . I t i s Dawso n experiencing — and not resisting — that his life provides hi m with wha t he needs, no t necessarily wha t he wants . The figur e o f Mrs . McPhe e i s certainl y a powerfu l cautionary warnin g abou t ho w poten t th e struggl e betwee n fantasy an d realit y can become. When sh e breaks dow n i n a store an d Andi e i s summone d t o sor t i t out , i t prove s to o much for the young girl. As Pacey steps in and elegantly lead s the distraugh t woma n fro m th e store , i t i s Andie a s much a s Pacey who evolves in this scene. It is obvious that included i n Pacey's emergin g gift s ar e a surprisin g gentlenes s an d instinctive sensitivity , bu t Andi e to o i s learnin g tha t par t of

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responsibility is a willingness to reach out and accept the help of others . The episode ends with Joey returning to Dawson's empty room, an d it' s th e pictur e o f a los t youn g woma n an d a reminder tha t whil e th e dauntin g landscap e o f adulthood is opening up , som e wil l nee d t o retur n fro m tim e t o tim e t o quiet place s o f childhood. Sometimes , growin g up just seem s like a bad idea .

209 — THE E L E C T I O N Written by Shelley Meals and Darin Goldberg Directed by Patrick Norris Originally aired December 16, 1998 Guest starring: Jason Behr (Chris Wolfe), Colin Fickes (Kenny Railing ) Now that we have stuffed th e closets of Capeside with a ghostly cast o f skeletons, i t migh t b e a whole lo t o f fun t o se e what would happen if they were all paraded out at once. In America, there's one way of guaranteeing that this will happen: politics. It's electio n time at Capesid e High! The firs t tea m is ou r ver y own Andie , Joey, an d Pacey ; the secon d wil l hav e t o b e th e unscrupulous Abb y and her wind-up runnin g mate, Chris. It is a grea t Capra-esque story , wit h on e sid e havin g al l th e goo d intentions whil e sittin g o n al l th e problems , an d opponent s who care only for themselves and want to ensure that the good people ar e judged unfairly . Afte r all , we hav e on e mentall y ill mother, on e jailed father , an d severa l se x encounter s wit h a teacher just waiting to be exploited by the evil team.

While good people with dark secrets are trying to change the world , Dawso n has enliste d Je n i n a ques t t o ear n a few stripes o n th e wron g sid e o f th e tracks . Dawson ha s bee n convinced b y Jen tha t th e fla w i n hi s ar t i s his ow n lac k of experience wit h wildnes s an d adversity . It' s a comica l approach, on e tha t overlooks the fac t tha t he just pulled on e ex-girlfriend ou t o f a drunke n orgy , whil e th e othe r i s grappling wit h a sad shadow of a disturbed boyfriend. No t t o mention tha t h e ha s jus t witnesse d hi s recentl y separate d father an d mothe r buffin g th e furnitur e wit h eac h othe r lik e sex machines. I t seems unlikely that getting Dawson to steal a candy ba r i s goin g t o gai n hi m an y usefu l credibilit y o n th e dark side o f human nature . It is telling that Jen's foray s int o a criminal worl d ar e frivolou s an d ligh t compared t o wha t presents itsel f naturall y to people every day. The dar k side is, perhaps, what Jen i s seeking t o avoid. It is fun tha t she seeks really, mindless fun, which isn't in and o f itself a bad thing, so when Dawso n attempts to kiss her , she stops him, reminde d of wha t it is she wants t o avoid : real adult contact . There are many way s t o ge t t o th e huma n contac t yo u crave , bu t o n Dawson's Creek ther e are very few that you wil l accept. Meanwhile, th e electio n i s rocketin g forward , an d o f course, with Abby at the mike, it's only a matter of time before our candidat e an d he r tea m ar e drumme d ou t o f business , shamed by the wagging tongue of the she-devil. Bu t our team has a trick o r two up it s sleeve, an d if secrets ar e coming out , then, a s Pace y get s th e unsuspectin g Abb y t o revea l ove r a mike sh e doesn't kno w i s on, s o should secre t motives. Abby reveals her cynical mandate, her general hatred fo r the student body and , i n a classi c pull-back-the-curtain-on-the-wizar d move, Pacey gets the front-runnin g witch bounced ou t o f the Emerald forest . I f that tric k worked once , then why not ge t it to work again, this tim e revealing the gold-hearte d angel that is Andie for who sh e reall y is. It doesn't ge t her electe d — so

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foul has the process been that the only survivor ca n be a third — and Kenn y the Clea n walks away with a victory. The episod e close s wit h everyon e stil l sittin g o n tim e bombs. Mitch and Gal e are going ahead with a divorce despite their obviou s passion fo r eac h other . Dawsor i i s ben t ou t o f shape wonderin g i f he shoul d b e a n emotiona l being o r a n intellectual one. And Andie is struggling with a medication to keep th e specte r o f her mothe r fro m compromisin g he r ow n sanity. Many, many things ca n go wrong now. Think they will?

210 — H I G H - R I S K B E H A V I O R Written by Jenny Bicks Directed by James Whitmore Jr. Originally aired January 13, 1999 Guest starring: Jason Behr (Chris Wolfe), John Bennes (Pharmacist)

Since so much o f the seaso n has bee n draw n alon g a conflic t between fantas y and realism, it's about time we took a look at how thes e tw o concept s ge t hardwired . Tha t is , ho w muc h does the lif e w e lead owe to the ar t we make, and vic e versa? Dawson has his new script ready, but Jen complains that kids just don' t spea k the way Dawson writes them., wit h mouth s crammed ful l o f syllable s an d head s stuffe d wit h socio philosophical constructs . It's a humorous and tongue-in-chee k observation, give n tha t th e creator s o f Dawson's Creek hav e suffered th e sam e criticism . Th e other problem , accordin g t o Jen, i s tha t th e lover s i n th e movi e neve r ge t t o hav e sex .

However, the couple portrayed are based on Joey and Dawson, and it's possible tha t Dawson wishes t o write the innocence of that relationship a s a kind o f unexpected idea l abou t teenage romance. I t is either hi s lack o f experience tha t limit s hi m o r a desir e t o pain t hi s incomplet e relationshi p wit h Joe y a s somehow perfect . Pacey, meanwhile , i s attemptin g t o cas h i n som e o f hi s new stoc k a s a responsibl e youn g adul t t o ge t a bran d ne w sexual relationshi p brewin g wit h hi m an d Andie . It' s no t a relapse, however, as Pacey continues t o play the responsibility card, gettin g a n HI V test an d layin g th e groundwor k fo r meaningful contexts that might just naturally and romantically evolve into steamy heat. It is, in a sense, a kind o f scriptwriting that Pacey is doing, casting himself as Mr. Right, but in the end it's obviou s tha t Andie , whil e charme d b y hi s project , i s a starlet whom Pace y doesn't wan t to rush. I t seems Pacey can't help but gro w up faste r than he wants. Joey is playing out her romantic reality in the stark world of life-drawing. When sh e shows Jake a drawing she has don e of a nude mal e model , th e appreciativ e Jack promptl y spill s his coffe e al l over th e well-rendere d form . I n a bid t o mak e amends, Jack winds u p full y peele d an d sprawle d acros s the couch while Joey shyly draws him. It is a moment that they are playing maturely , as artist and model , caugh t i n th e timeles s act o f drawing the nude . T o break the tension , Jack describe s his firs t sexua l encounter , bu t a s h e spin s hi s tale , a n increasingly excite d piec e o f realism pops up i n the middle of this auster e scene an d take s them bot h b y surprise . I t seem s that anothe r timeles s traditio n is about to be played out , and it i s somewhat les s recorde d i n ar t histor y classes . Soon, th e reclothed Jack an d tremblin g Joey ar e dee p i n embrac e an d passionate li p lock. Th e platonic relationshi p betwee n mode l and artis t are but a prelude to teenage lust. While mos t couple s in thi s episod e ar e including heav y

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doses o f self-examinatio n with thei r headlon g desires , it' s Dawson who has somehow extracted himself from the process in order to purify experimentation . Th e next thing you know he's leap t into bed with Jen. I s this really what you should b e doing, my boy?

211 — S E X , SHE W R O T E Written by Mike White and Greg Berlanti Directed by Nick Marck Originally aired January 20, 1999

Guest starring: Jason Behr (Chris Wolfe), Edmund Kearney (Mr. Peterson) There ar e lot s o f juic y question s tha t hav e bee n lef t unanswered whe n thi s episode begins. The scene is set when the teacher , Mr . Peterson , havin g just give n Dawso n a to p grade fo r a mystery video project , falls upo n th e delinquen t Abby informing her tha t her assignmen t i s due by the end of the wee k o r sh e wil l fail . Th e episode' s questio n an d th e answer to Abby's dilemma come s in th e for m o f a mash note Chris find s o n th e classroo m floor , wherei n someon e i n th e class ha s writte n quit e breathlessl y abou t a recen t carna l experience. It's going to be Abby's video mystery to solve and of course, it will serve us nicely to get at the truth. The episode is thus set up a s an intriguing Agatha Christie kind o f mystery. Our suspect s are: Joey and Jack, Dawson and Jen, Andie and Pacey. Afte r doin g som e investigating, Abby uses trickery to get handwriting samples from eac h of the suspects, and whe n she ha s satisfie d hersel f tha t sh e know s wh o ha s don e th e

deed, sh e call s the m al l to a mysterious meeting a t night, i n Mr. Peterson's classroom. There is a great deal of resistance to Abby whe n i t become s apparen t tha t sh e ha s bee n manipulating the m al l to such despicable ends . Bu t there is so much ridin g o n th e outcom e o f th e myster y tha t th e participants can't help but exploi t Abby's little performance to their own advantage. Dawson has seen Joey's nude drawing of Jack, so he thinks now is a perfect opportunity to ask her if she is sleeping with him. And it also gives Joey the opportunity to ask Dawso n i f h e ha s bee n sleepin g wit h Jen. T o ou r grea t surprise the y both admit t o having th e se x that th e othe r has accused the m of . As it turn s out , you an d 1 aren't th e mos t surprised. No t b y a lon g shot . I t seem s thi s i s als o new s t o their allege d paramours, and Jack and Jen step in to deny the act. Abb y is evilly pleased t o announce tha t sh e does, i n fact , know exactl y who wrot e the not e an d sh e reveals Pacey and Andie t o be th e lover s in question . Thi s i s surprising, an d i n the ensuin g argumen t tha t Pace y and Andi e have , it' s almos t possible t o overloo k the scene' s real question: wh y were Joey and Dawso n lying? Andie an d Pace y hav e a grea t dea l t o sor t ou t i n th e aftermath, includin g the grade that Pacey is keeping from her. It turns out that the y have been feelin g much the same thing: fear i n th e fac e o f profound feelings. Pacey has bee n terrifie d that he will let her down, and Andie has been worried that she will scare him off . The grade that Pacey finally reveals — an A — is a sign that together they are a very good thing. Joey and Dawson, meanwhile, take their lying to be a sign that the y ar e still mor e important t o eac h othe r tha n anyon e else in their lives. Without plunging into anything, they decide mutually that their friendship i s just too valuable to give up to impulses. Dear Abby : The whol e vide o thing , howeve r clever , is a

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clear sign that you are a bitch. This is the moment when Abby is officially indoctrinate d into the Complicated. Teen Club: she takes th e fai l rathe r tha n embarras s he r "friends. " Much lik e Pacey, Joey, Jen, an d Dawson have done in the past, Abby has let her intelligenc e rac e ahead of her conscienc e and , like th e others, she now suffer s i n orde r t o do the right thing . I t is an important side of Abby that will allow us a more complex view of this interesting character . And as it turns out, once everyon e has calmed down, Joey and Dawso n obviously still have each other foremos t o n their minds .

212 — U N C H A R T E D W A T E R S

Written by Dana Baratta and Mike White Directed by Scott Paulin Originally aired January 27, 1999 Guest starring: John Finn (Sheriff John Witter)

Time t o chec k i n o n al l things parental , just t o ge t a furthe r glimpse into the formative influences on our heroes. A fishing trip i s th e perfec t opportunit y fo r jus t suc h a displa y a s Dawson, Mitch, Pacey, and his father John walk the gangplan k to board the boat of patriarchal verities. We have been expose d to much of Dawson and Mitch' s conflict, so it comes as a bit of a surpris e whe n the y ar e overshadowe d b y th e strikin g dysfunctional father-so n tea m o f Pace y an d John . Pacey' s father compulsivel y degrade s hi s son , whil e shinin g largel y unwanted approva l ont o Dawson' s shoulders. I t is a dreadfu l portrait o f a ma n s o consume d b y bitternes s an d persona l disappointment tha t he systematically engenders his son with

self-loathing. Tha t Jac k ha s als o bee n invite d o n thi s trip , much t o Dawson' s dismay , i s hardl y enoug h antagonis m t o matter beside th e colossa l disaste r tha t i s the captai n and hi s increasingly sullen firs t mate . I t is one o f those episode s tha t telegraphs explicitly that all problems ar e not create d equal. At home , Gal e has gathere d the girl s for a work project involving th e lifestyle s o f youn g wome n wh o ar e tryin g t o overcome a serie s o f generationa l obstacles . Meanwhile , th e girls hav e foun d a secre t tap e i n Dawson' s roo m tha t prett y much put s t o res t an y ide a tha t ol e blu e eye s isn' t trudgin g through th e rand y year s with th e sam e burden a s everybody else. Gal e interrupts th e porno an d find s hersel f the objec t of one o f Abby's patented ugly moments; before long , the brat is summarily evicte d from girls ' night. The smaller grou p creates an opportunity fo r Jen and Joey to interrogate each other o n the ongoin g impossibility o f their friendship, resultin g i n Joe y confessin g he r dee p jealousie s toward Jen. I t i s possible that , even agains t th e mos t advers e of backdrops, th e kids might b e doing i t for themselves . Take th e fishin g buddies , fo r instance . Whe n Dawso n can't understan d Pacey' s attitud e towar d him , it' s Jack wh o makes clea r tha t i t has everythin g t o d o wit h Pacey' s father' s pointedly favorabl e attitud e towar d Dawson . Whe n Pace y catches th e prize fish , an d i t appear s that hi s fathe r wil l have to appreciate his son, he does , congratulating him fo r the on e thing — th e onl y thing , i t seem s — h e wil l eve r d o tha t counts. It' s a blo w s o explici t an d graphi c tha t i t no t onl y crushes Pacey , bu t prett y muc h knock s th e win d ou t o f Dawson as well. Dawson understands full y now , and feel s fo r his friend , assuring him tha t hi s fathe r isn't th e las t wor d o n the wort h o f Pacey . I t i s a desolat e pictur e w e ar e lef t wit h regarding this crushed so n and callous father, a s a drunk Joh n passes ou t on the beach t o sound of his son's sobbing.

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Equally poignant i s the sigh t o f Abby alone, unable t o go home, spendin g th e entir e nigh t o n the Leer y porch. Ther e is no questio n tha t sh e i s a difficul t perso n t o like , bu t a s sh e offers Andie a ride home with the family that alienates her wit h its perfection , it i s clea r tha t w e ar e bein g challenge d t o se e Abby, too, as a complete person .

213 — HIS L E A D I N G LADY Written by Shelley Meals and Darin Goldberg Directed by David Semel Originally aired February 3, 1999 Guest starring: Rachel Leigh Cook (Devon), Jason Behr (Chris Wolfe), Eddie Mills (Ty Hicks) We've see n i t her e before : it' s calle d puttin g ou t fir e wit h gasoline. No w that Dawson has Joey back in his orbit and th e two ar e experimentin g wit h th e delicat e balanc e o f thei r friendship, Dawso n decide s wha t wil l really hel p i s going ou t to get another Joey. It's time to cast his film, an d with produce r Jen a t his side , Dawso n ha s opene d u p audition s lookin g for that elusive actor who ca n correctly play the elusive Joey. As it turns out, many are called but fe w are chosen. I n a scene tha t is constructed ou t o f a visual pun, Dawso n stumbles ont o th e woman who m h e think s will mak e th e perfec t Joey when h e interrupts Joey' s life-drawin g clas s an d get s a n eyefu l o f th e female nude model. Devon turns ou t to be perfect fo r the role: edgy enough t o make criticisms an d diligen t enough t o follo w Joey around an d ape the poor girl's every move. Soon we have everybody involved, includin g Pace y who learns th e specifics

of a n increasingl y unstabl e Andie' s anti-depressan t medication. Pace y responds wit h a flurr y o f concern fo r hi s girlfriend, bu t h e i s gettin g i t al l wrong. Andi e ha s recentl y discarded he r medicatio n an d a s he r menta l stat e become s more and more chaotic, Pacey's concern becomes the element she can cope with the least. Joey, meanwhile , i s attempting t o hold up perfectl y well in the bizarre presence of Devon the Doppelganger, but whe n the actor s questio n som e o f th e emotion s tha t Dawso n ha s downplayed in his script, Devon takes method acting to a new level. Sh e makes explici t tha t th e dallianc e describe d i n th e script is Joey's own, and gets a good deal of real anger to work with fro m he r real-lif e counterpart . As Joey goes ballistic, th e thespians g o "A-ha!" While norma l emotion s ar e bein g examine d i n fron t o f the camera, one of the less happy managers is about to display a fairl y exoti c range of feeling. Andi e is having trouble with a missing prop and , shakin g i n a manic fury , sh e target s Pacey as the source of all of her problems. Devon and Chris , who ar e playing Dawso n and Joey , benefi t fro m the rea l emotion s they've tapped, allowing them t o perform wit h a tremendous edge. I t i s a n edg e tha t als o allow s Dawso n an d Joe y t o confront thei r rea l feelings . They ar e both still very much i n the spell of romantic feelin g for each other, not knowing what to do , bu t a t leas t the y no w kno w wher e the y stand . "Hi s Leading Lady " i s a creative episode tha t reverse s many ideas about how feeling s ar e accessed. It has occurre d elsewhere i n the series, but neve r more explicitly a s here, tha t tru e feelings are foun d b y experimentin g wit h them , an d the y ar e sometimes no more real than when they are acted out. It is not a statement against the authenticity of human emotions , but a delicate look at the levels at which they become known. Ofte n the mos t instinctive feeling s ar e there t o compensate for ones

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which ar e no t understood . I n orde r t o acces s the m i n ourselves, sometime s it' s better to see them reflected in others .

214 — TO BE OR NOT TO BE ...

Written by Greg Berlanti Directed by Sandy Smolan Originally aired February 10, 1999 AND

215 — ... THAT IS THE QUESTION Written by Kevin Williamson and Greg Berlanti Directed by Greg Prange Originally aired February 17, 1999

Guest starring: Edmund Kearney (Mr. Peterson), Eddie Mills (Ty Hicks), Irene Ziegler (Jane Markley), David Dukes (Mr. McPhee) This two-par t episode has to be one of the most riveting of the season. Mr . Peterson is a nasty composite of every monstrous high-school teache r who ever took his private frustrations out on a class. He catches Pacey whispering t o Jack and force s th e latter to stand in front of the class and read his poem. As if that weren't ba d enough , i t turn s ou t tha t th e poe m i s a painful series of dream impressions Jack has had o f another man. This is obviousl y a n intimat e poe m (an d no t th e kindes t o f environments) an d t o mak e matter s worse, Jack spins ou t of the clas s with tear s in hi s eyes . Hig h schoo l i s a tough plac e for just abou t everybody, but a kid who cries while readin g a n

ambiguous poe m abou t a n imaginar y bo y i s goin g t o prett y much mono-polize both the gauntlet and the rumor mill for a good long while. Which i s precisely what happens . Speculation, muc h o f i t cruel , abou t Jack' s sexualit y spreads quickly through the halls, much to the dismay of Joey, who feel s th e rumor s plac e he r i n awkwar d position . A s it turns out , eve n Dawso n feel s ther e ar e som e question s unanswered, but whe n he suggest s Joe y ask them , the troubled gir l shut s hi m out , accusin g hi m o f th e sam e nastiness a s th e homophobes i n th e hallway . Dawso n ha s made a point, however, and both th e poem and Jack linger as mysteries. Homophobia i s always ugly, but lik e al l prejudicial fears, it ca n com e fro m surprisin g quarters . Jen ha s bee n seein g a boy name d Ty , who i s a n interestin g an d comple x figure . Though a practicin g Christian , h e i s als o a ful l believe r i n satisfying natural curiosities and being open to as wide a range of experience s a s he can . It is a shock t o Jen therefore , whe n he chime s i n o n a discussion wit h a hateful anti-ga y rant. It's perhaps les s o f a surpris e tha t Gram s doesn' t disagre e wit h him, but the disappointment Je n feels in these two people tha t she cares about is palpable. Meanwhile, th e situation aroun d Jack at school i s getting predictably wors e a s he find s hi s poe m plastere d al l over. I n class Mr . Peterson continue s hi s abus e o f Jack b y tryin g t o force hi m t o finis h th e poem . Pacey , wh o ha s privatel y assumed guil t for the whole affair , rise s to the challenge. H e is perhaps misguide d an d rescuin g a frien d whos e proble m h e doesn't quit e understand, bu t whe n Pace y hauls of f and spit s into Mr. Peterson's face, w e fee l a strange mixture of revulsion and pride toward the purity of Pacey's sense of duty. Of course, this i s an ol d pattern fo r Pacey, an d i t throw s hi m righ t back into the delinquent bin , a bin he has just left .

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Pacey is asked t o apologiz e t o Mr . Peterson a s the issu e becomes mor e and mor e loaded. As both Pacey and Jack fee l responsible fo r eac h other' s predicament , thei r relationshi p begins teetering on the edg e of angry resentment. In a n impulsiv e gestur e Joey move s i n o n Jack, kissin g him wildl y i n fron t o f his vandalize d locke r an d th e entir e student body . It' s not clea r whom she's proving what t o here, whether it' s she , Jack , o r th e studen t bod y tha t ha s t o b e convinced of her boyfriend s heterosexuality . Suddenly, in th e middle o f this confusion , whe n nobod y i s certai n where th e other stands, Andie and Jack's absent father returns for a visit. They have an uncomfortable dinner, particularly uncomfortable for Jack , wh o sit s silently , bu t i t i s oddl y painfu l t o watc h Andie babble on nervously about anything that comes into her head. Whe n the y ge t home , th e issu e o f Jack' s sexualit y surfaces, an d a s if to draw the matte r to an acute antagonism, Jack taunt s hi s callou s fathe r wit h th e fac t that , yes, afte r all , he i s gay. Andie i s somewha t take n aback , bu t sh e seem s completely capabl e of rallying t o his defense . And when Joey is told, she too, is quietly shocked. Th e episode ends with Joey sobbing on Dawson's chest. There are many complex issues in the ai r a t thi s point . Whil e T y and Gram s ar e portraye d a s religious an d homophobi c i t i s unpleasant, ye t a t leas t their position i s clear . Tha t Jac k comin g ou t t o hi s friend s an d family is something of a crisis reveals much about the isolation young gay s fee l a t th e hand s o f thos e who m the y lov e th e most. It is a moving portrayal, and one that is not afrai d t o rid the roo m o f heroes. Excep t Pace y of course, whos e heroism , while endearing , is about as welcome as a pop qui z from Mr. Peterson himself.

216 — B E C A R E F U L WHA T YO U W I S H FO R

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Written by Heidi Ferrer Directed by David Semel Originally aired Marc h 3, 199 9

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Guest starring: Eddie Mills (Ty Hicks), Emilie Jacobs (Kelly), Gina Stewart (waitress) Of all the "Just Say No" and anti-drinking campaign s launched every yea r against teenagers to dete r the m fro m puttin g ba d things in their body, nothing compares to the sight of Dawson Leery afte r a fe w drinks. Thi s i s Dawson's sixteenth birthda y and ther e are plans afoo t t o throw him a surprise party. In the tradition of all surprises, Andie, Pacey an d Joey take him ou t as a distraction to a blues bar that Jen's Ty happens t o frequent . Once there , Andie, who i s experimenting with les s obsessiv e behavior, gets a waitress to spike the gang's drinks. Before long the loosened-up Andie has Dawson onstag e t o do what teenagers rarely get to do (but it seems have a natural understanding for) an d tha t i s singin g th e blues . Thi s i s th e cut e stag e of teenage drinking ; it' s late r tha t w e ge t th e inevitabl e horro r story. While this group is teething on the scenery, preparing for the chewing they will do later, all the party people ar e getting ready ove r a t th e Leer y household . Ty , the coo l Christia n homo-phobe, i s frustrating Jen b y keeping the m bot h i n th e shallow en d o f forepla y an d Abb y i s upstair s treatin g th e freshly oute d Jack like a fascinating specimen. She attempts to put hi m i n he r sexua l universe b y statin g tha t everyon e has varying degrees of bisexuality. It is cunning ploy that get s her closer to the young man by finding his vulnerability. Abby has described a world , a fals e world , wher e homosexualit y i s a

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kind o f fictio n mad e ou t o f natura l bisexuality . I t i s a n attractive construc t t o Jack at thi s poin t — h e ha s ye t t o fee l an enthusias m abou t hi s sexualit y — an d i t present s th e possibility tha t heterosexualit y ca n b e restore d b y simpl y calling it by another name . Meanwhile th e teenag e Dea n Martin s ar e bac k an d stinking u p th e joint wit h som e fairl y flammabl e breath . I t is obvious t o everybod y tha t ther e ha s bee n som e indulgenc e thrown int o th e effor t o f keepin g Dawso n awa y fro m th e house. Joey steers Dawso n u p t o thi s room , onl y t o stumbl e upon Abby's experiment wit h Jack. Muc h to Joey's shock an d dismay, her ga y ex is smooching with none othe r tha n Abby the Blair Witch herself. Joey flees, o f course, and Dawson, who is a little blind a t this point, starts laughing his head off . Soon he's bac k downstair s an d hi s moo d i s abou t t o tur n a very drunken shad e o f ugly. N o on e i s spare d i n Dawson' s room wide vitriol, as he lines up th e people in his life, an d gives his most brutal , self-servin g assessmen t o f their worth . I f it i s a scene through which the creators wish to convey the problems of teenage drinking, it' s a very effective one . Typically in thes e campaigns, teenager s are depicte d gettin g int o lega l trouble, going too far, and acting wild, but when you get right down t o it, doesn't tha t pretty much sum up an ideal adolescence? No, this scene is an effective deterrent , because we know that what puts Dawso n i n peri l wit h himsel f i s t o los e contro l emotionally: a deep embarrassment tha t i s a matter of public record. I t i s definitel y on e o f the leas t attractive portrayals of underage drunkennes s ever conceived . As i f in counterpoin t t o Dawson' s excess, T y explain s t o his ga l that his restrain t ha s t o d o with a fear o f being sullie d by Jen , whos e reputatio n unnerve s him . H e trie s t o b e understanding, bu t reveal s himsel f a s a condescendin g an d judgmental person , someon e who m Jen i s soon ri d of . Abby,

on th e othe r hand , i s quit e excite d tha t she' s corrupte d Capeside's onl y ga y teenager, an d Go d onl y know s how sh e expects t o ge t approva l fo r this , bu t sh e certainl y get s attention: all of it negative. Jack has som e explaining t o do t o Joey, and he manages t o do so because o f the intense honest y that has marked their shor t relationship . As Dawson cools his hea d o n th e porcelai n o f the toile t for th e fina l stag e of his sweet sixteen, there's not much left bu t the cleaning up. Joey assures him that people will forgive him , and tha t he is loved. And of course, that they love each other. A long journey is over, many variations on the theme of excess and corruptio n hav e been played out , and th e deepe r you go into this night, th e closer you get to the morning .

217 — P S Y C H I C F R I E N D S

Written b y Dana Baratta Directed b y Patrick Norri s Originally aired March 10 , 199 9 Guest starring: Mddchen Amick (Nicole Kennedy), Rachel Leigh Cook (Devon), Nick Stabile (Colin Manchester) One o f the way s we've seen teenager s work throug h difficul t feelings o n Dawsoris Creek ha s bee n b y reflection . In art , i n acting, an d i n scripte d moments , ou r heroe s hav e foun d themselves abl e to get closer to their strong emotions without feeling i n danger . I n thi s episode , reflectio n i s give n a ne w realm i n th e mysterie s o f th e unconscious . I t starts , appropriately, i n a fairl y conventiona l drea m o f Dawson's , where he is replaced both romantically an d artistically by Jack.

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It isn't a very likely scenario , bu t i t allows Dawso n to se e his fears without the m comin g true . He emerges mor e convince d than eve r tha t wha t reall y matter s t o him i s his identit y a s a filmmaker. As luck would have it, the new teacher at school is a filmmake r herself , and , Dawso n believes , th e rea l thing , someone whom he was meant to contact. Dreams and fortune are i n th e ai r a t Capeside , a s Joey display s he r photograph s much t o the interest of a very sexy professional photographer, who is particularly take n by Ms. Potter's physical charms. Thi s magical atmospher e i s grounded i n th e fair , wher e a psychic , Madame Zenovich , ha s opene d he r ten t t o al l who wis h t o know thei r futures . Joey , fo r instance , ha s discovere d tha t a tall, dark stranger is in her future , addin g to the mystery of the attractive photographer . Madam e Zenovich i s a n ambiguou s force here, appearing every bit th e sham, but capabl e of easily hitting th e nail o n the head. Andie, for instance, i s given a dark and disturbing pictur e of her future, which prompt s Pace y to confront the seer on her craft. Pacey , who i s nobody's foo l bu t hi s own , wonders wh y Zenovich, wh o provide s a n entertainment , woul d wan t t o instill fea r i n a susceptibl e person . Jus t a s Pace y has abou t crushed he r credibility , the psychi c respond s b y giving Pacey an eeril y accurate picture o f his ow n situation . The thril l o f this episod e i s hel d b y it s ow n unwillingnes s t o clarif y th e abilities o f Madame Zenovich. I t i s th e worl d o f weird tales , where sh e is both a con artist and a strange woman possesse d by the beyond. In hi s relationshi p wit h Mrs . Kennedy , Dawso n ha s perhaps conne d himself , but h e i s about to discove r tha t th e world o f a filmmaker , fa r fro m bein g a world wher e dream s come true , ca n actuall y b e a coldl y critica l place . Whe n Dawson ask s Mrs. Kennedy to give him feedbac k on his film , she spare s n o punches , perhap s goin g a little to o fa r in he r

criticism, mor e a s a lesso n abou t th e realit y o f th e fil m industry tha n a n informa l session o f constructiv e feedback . The two locations — the psychic ten t and the screening roo m — ar e playe d of f each other , an d the y cleverl y rhyme eac h other's themes. Joey discovers that her photographe r hun k is more interested in Jack; the man whom sh e had thought was her tall , dar k strange r i s mean t fo r someon e else . Similarly, the person whom Dawso n had believed wa s fated t o give him great opportunit y an d fortun e turn s ou t t o b e th e mos t deflating personalit y h e ha s eve r encountered. And , to make matters worse, as she hops into Mitch's car, it seems Dawson's father wa s th e ultimat e tall , dar k strange r al l along . Thi s episode cleverl y conveys a mysterious sens e tha t someho w a force o f coincidence s an d chanc e i s governin g events , an d that i f yo u wer e give n acces s t o th e secre t cod e o f events , prophesy woul d indee d b e possible . Bu t acces s i s no t possible, s o when Joey exploits he r discover y tha t Colin , the photographer, i s attracte d to Jack, sh e believe s hersel f t o b e an agen t o f fortun e whe n sh e set s the m u p together . O f course, one o f the countervailin g forces i n an y fortune teller' s deck i s th e presenc e o f a wil d card . Jac k i s simpl y no t interested o r ready t o begin dating . As th e episod e draw s t o a close, predictability is give n a fairly rough ride, an interesting elemen t t o engender in a genre of televisio n tha t ofte n sell s itsel f o n predictabl e moc k twists . Things wil l hav e t o mov e forwar d withou t magi c wands , o r idealized scripts , o r snapp y lov e quizzes , o r spin-the-bottl e solutions. Bu t wait a second! Who i s that figur e tha t Joey sees through th e mis t a s she float s dow n th e river ? He's dark. He' s tall. Coul d i t be tha t Madam e Zenovich was the one , afte r all , who hel d al l th e cards ? I s h e handsome ? Joey' s hear t i s pounding as she positions herself to get a closer look. Suddenly the real world stabs her, as it always does, and she hovers at the

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end o f the episode near a man who will not tak e her away , bu t will inevitably lead her bac k to herself. The tall, dar k stranger is her father .

218 — A P E R F E C T W E D D I N G

Written by Mike White Directed by Greg Prange Originally aired April 28, 1999

Guest starring: Gareth Williams (Mike Potter), Madchen Amick (Nicole Kennedy) There i s a question commo n t o th e theme s o f Dawson's Creek, to the conflicts and vicissitudes of its characters, and it is, what is it that we do so wrong tha t it makes us s o unhappy? I t is a valuable questio n an d on e wher e th e answe r i s very elusive. But more than this, it is perhaps an irrational question, even an arrogant one, for how certain can anyone be — outside of their own desir e — tha t happines s i s something fo r which w e ar e responsible? I t is a n equatio n tha t w e se e fal l apar t tim e an d time agai n in th e struggle s of Dawson an d hi s friend s a s they experiment wit h thei r ow n behavior — be more like yourself , be less like yourself — with on e goal in mind: t o enjoy bein g yourself. Ar e thes e thing s controllable ? Predictable? Or doe s the chao s o f unpredictable influence s contribut e t o ho w w e feel? Mor e importantly, are we unhappy because we are doin g something wrong? The answer, accordin g t o thi s episode , i s plural — mos t defiantly yes , an d mos t certainl y no. O r i n th e word s o f Lou Reed, "Had a funny cal l today — someon e die d an d someon e

married." The wedding i n question is not on e of our own, and as th e elit e o f Capesid e prepar e t o celebrat e it, Dawso n an d crew position themselves in service position. The most startling position is defiantly Joey's, whose father, Mike, has been sprun g from th e Big House just in time to pull the Potters out o f debt with a catering gig. This has Joey deeply torn, and her feeling s of shame toward her fathe r ar e stirred to a fever pitch . Bu t the kids rally , a s the y ofte n d o i n thes e situations , an d soo n w e have Pace y an d Andi e garbin g th e weddin g cak e itself whil e they debat e th e relation-shi p o f thi s ceremon y t o th e possibility o f true love . Andie, it seems, i s immovably cynica l and Pace y soon recognizes that any opinion tha t hard and fas t is probably a sign that she has buried some stronger opposin g feelings. Pace y will discover, much to his delight, that Andie is, in fact , deepl y sentimenta l abou t ritualize d vows , whit e dresses, an d tosse d bouquets . I n th e cours e o f this discover y they do , however , manage t o knoc k th e to p of f the weddin g cake, as the ceremony lurches alon g in little disasters . One o f th e interestin g effect s o f ritual s base d i n gran d feeling is that they are threatened by the smaller emotions that snap throughou t th e day . Th e brid e i s i n th e bathroo m weeping. I t seems tha t her feeling s for the groo m may not b e as grand a s they shoul d be . Dawso n is outside th e bathroo m door, and he helps her t o reconcile that one of life's important lessons involve s acceptin g the discrepanc y betwee n how you feel and how you ar e supposed t o feel. It' s an admirable, i f not ironic, openin g fo r a her o wh o i s burdene d wit h hi s ow n disappointment i n the people whom he loves. His father, afte r all, ha s brough t th e dreade d fil m teache r a s hi s dat e t o a n event where Dawson's mother has confided in her son that she is determined t o ge t back togethe r with he r husband . Mean while, Joe y i s convince d tha t he r fathe r i s th e caus e o f th e wedding's undercurren t o f disaster , an d i n a speec h tha t h e

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overhears, reveals her feelings are based thoroughly in a shame that is all her own . True to the form of weddings, these conflicts are all sorted out o n th e danc e floor , a s couple s recombin e i n a ritua l o f reconciliation. Dawso n dances with his mother, and Joey with her father . As they pass each other, Joey inevitably finds herself in Dawson' s arms an d a s the y kiss , w e ma y kno w tha t thei r unresolved feeling s ar e onl y temporaril y a t bay , but t o th e swooning weddin g guest s who look on , this wedding is what it should be : destiny. And now for the bad news . Remember the funny cal l Lou Reed got ? Well, someone ha s yet t o die . I n th e shockin g an d truly tragi c conclusio n t o thi s episode , weddin g crasher s Je n and Abby have absconded with a bottle of champagne to toast their twiste d alliance . Th e questio n tha t get s deraile d i n thi s scene is , what pric e will thes e tw o have t o pa y fo r the thing s they are doing wrong? Will they ever be liked? Will they ever find love ? Will the y become teenage alcoholics? The answer is breathtaking: second s afte r Je n ha s ridicule d he r fo r he r clumsiness, Abby falls into the water and drowns . I t is a cruel and swif t fat e that snatches her, and on e that feels at its core to be wrong, to have misunderstood her; however, it is a final one. As the body bag is zipped up , a shaken Jen ha s been cas t out of the world where people find eac h other out on a dance floor and int o a world wher e peopl e ceas e to be. Th e differenc e i s absolute.

219 — R E S T I N P E A C E

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Written by Mike White Directed b y David Seme l Originally aire d May 5, 199 9

T H E Y

Guest starring: Gareth Williams (Mike Potter), Michelle Scarabelli (Mrs. Morgan), Steve Boles (Minister)

D O N' T

Death has visited Capeside and it creates a complex whirlwin d of responses . Ther e ar e tw o profoun d reaction s to deat h tha t are perhaps universal: One is the need to define a relationship with th e person wh o has passed, an d th e othe r i s to rekindl e a relationship wit h other s who hav e died. In th e firs t orde r of business, Abby presents a difficul t problem . Sh e was not th e most popular figure in Capeside, and when feeling s o f sadness begin t o pou r out , i t i s Jen, soakin g i n represse d feeling s o f guilt, who angril y blows th e whistle o n Andie, who ha s bee n asked by Abby's mother t o delive r a eulogy. There i s a grea t dea l o f confusio n here , a s Jen cope s i n darkening ways, drinking and reeling with the resentment that she inherited fro m he r dea d friend . Andie , on the other hand, has been thrus t int o a position tha t is, perhaps, on e in whic h she i s not bes t suited ; however , sh e i s determine d t o d o th e right thing . Bu t what i s the righ t thing ? Shoul d th e dea d gir l be remembered honestly , as a person motivate d by her hatred of others , o r shoul d he r memor y be softene d by forgiveness, revised b y people wh o ma y really just be tryin g to fee l bette r about themselves ? A s Jen deteriorate s into self-abus e maske d as a repulsion wit h others , Andie confront s th e responsibilit y with whic h sh e ha s bee n challenged . Thei r response s ar e so clearly in opposition: Jen is dark, indulgent, an d wrong. Andie is honest, self-sacrificing , an d morally noble. The theme is not

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necessarily a s cut-and-dr y a s this , however , an d rest s mor e importantly with us. It is finally to Jen that our hearts must go out, th e perso n t o whom w e exten d ou r compassion , a s she drunkenly mouth s he r rag e in church , an d suffer s exil e fro m her home. We must not se t Andie and Jen i n oppositio n but , as both fin d themselve s movin g throug h th e strang e shado w world o f human grief , w e lear n tha t people ar e never simpl y wrong o r right : the y ar e alway s i n a kin d o f pai n tha t resembles our own. And even if we do not like that Grams has thrown Jen out, we have learned fro m her that judgment is not ours, that what we do not contro l humbles us . In the second order of reactions, we have the return of the dead throug h Andie' s distressing memor y of her brother, an d Joey's discovery of her dea d mother reflected in herself. It is an episode tha t present s powerfu l feeling s i n uneas y ways , s o when Dawson peers ove r at Joey trying to detec t her feeling s for him , i t is a relief that she kisses him, not so much because they are confirmed, but because we don't have to be subjected to Dawson's insecurities unti l they are absolutely, thematically necessary. Like, say, next week.

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Written by Greg Berlanti Directed b y Melanie Mayron Originally aired May 12, 199 9

T H E Y

Guest starring: Mddchen Amick (Nicole Kennedy), Scott Denny (Ghost of Tim McPhee)

D O N' T

Well, th e dea d ar e buried , an d it' s tim e t o ge t bac k t o th e matchmaking an d othe r shenanigans . On e o f th e difficultie s with the prime-time teen dramas and, as we've pointed out , the rest of the world, is that romantic combinations ar e limited b y cast size , s o tha t th e sam e peopl e brea k u p onl y t o ge t back together again with the same people. This is handily deal t with at th e beginnin g o f the episod e a s the entir e cas t o f Capesid e kids accuses itself of becoming as mired in repetition as the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 , resultin g i n a pillo w figh t tha t signal s our character s wil l hav e t o succumb , lik e th e rea l world , t o being more like a television show tha n the y want to be. First up i s Brandon-Archie-Dawson and Kelly-Betty-Joe y who believ e th e tim e ha s com e fo r a little bi t o f spontaneit y in the romance department . Dawson decides t o take Joey out to a fancy restauran t to sweep he r of f her feet . Thi s may be a fine idea , despite no t necessaril y takin g u s outsid e th e real m of possibilitie s presente d i n a n averag e Archie doubl e issue , but th e results , whil e resonan t wit h a 90210 scenario , definitely bear th e stam p o f Capeside's ow n peculiar brand of small-world inevitabilities . Dawson reasonably make s a reservation a t the restauran t using hi s nam e Leery , no t realizin g tha t "his " tabl e has been taken alread y b y anothe r Leer y — hi s father , Mitch . Coincidence? Mos t definitely . Soo n Dawso n an d Joe y ar e

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sharing thei r romanti c evening with Mitc h and Nicole . Thi s may have been a passable contrivance in a 90210 episode, but here o n Daw son's Creek, wher e th e rea l worl d jus t keep s getting realer , wh o shoul d wal k i n fo r a girls' night ou t bu t Jen an d Gale . Destiny or opportunity? Yes. If thi s cre w i s experiencin g som e awkwardnes s dealin g with th e coincidence of each other's arrival at the same place, Pacey ha s take n discomfor t t o a ne w leve l a s h e trie s t o comprehend th e arriva l of someone i n Andie' s life wh o isn' t even alive . Th e deat h o f Abb y an d a variet y o f tensions , including the good relationship she has with Pacey, has caused Andie t o relaps e int o th e sam e menta l illness tha t grip s he r mother. It is a dramatic portrayal of a person slipping close to the edg e o f madness, a s sh e hallucinate s tha t he r brothe r i s alive an d tha t h e i s a saf e refug e fo r her . Th e delusio n manifests Andie' s inability t o accep t her brother' s deat h an d apprehensiveness abou t trustin g he r feeling s fo r Pacey . Th e psychological dram a is played out as a stark choice that Andie must make , whil e locke d i n a bathroom . Wit h he r i s th e brother sh e lost, seemingly alive and capabl e of soothing her. On th e othe r sid e o f the doo r is Pacey, aliv e but distant , an d dangerously rea l t o he r fragile , retreatin g sanity . Sh e doe s ultimately decide to follow Pacey's voice and she comes to him with love in a scene that , while not particularl y believable, is theatrically impressive . Pace y has now become a truly heroi c person, almos t magically so, abl e t o stee r a poo r youn g gir l from th e brink o f madness and dra w her t o him. The forces o f darknes s an d light , madnes s an d sanit y underscore Andie' s struggle , whil e les s consequentia l force s manipulate th e Leer y party of six. As the evenin g progresses Jen manages to get Gale and Mitch together on the dance floor. It seem s tha t Gal e ma y sta y i n Capesid e afte r all , an d th e possibility that husband and wife may be reunited hangs over

the evening . Thi s romanti c directio n soo n ha s Dawso n an d Joey wonderin g whethe r the y migh t jus t consummat e thei r own relationship, and while their exchange is excited with th e possibility, Joey gently reminds Dawson tha t though i t may be OK t o discus s this , th e tim e ha s no t ye t com e t o d o anythin g about it. One questio n remains : Wh y can' t thes e peopl e eve r d o what w e know look s right ? Can' t the y be trusted ? O f course, Mitch ends th e episod e in th e arm s o f Nicole, under th e gaz e of Gale . What ar e you doing , Mitch? Mitch? I thought w e ha d all this worked out ? Are you eve n listening?

221 — CH . . . C H . . . CH . . . C H A N G E S

Written b y Dana Baratta Directed b y Lou Antonio Originally aired May 19, 199 9

Guest starring: David Dukes (Mr. McPhee) If the problem wit h postmodernity i s that everybod y is actin g like they're o n T V while pretendin g they'r e not, then maybe if you stick a camera in their face s they won't be able to avoid it any longer; they'll have to star t just being themselves . This is precisely wha t Dawso n doe s fo r a fil m clas s assignment , bu t finds tha t everyone is declining. Joey certainly isn't intereste d and whe n h e doe s manag e t o ge t Pace y t o ope n up , th e personal natur e o f his confessio n force s Dawso n t o shu t th e camera off . Where exactl y doe s th e camer a belon g i n thes e people's lives? What kin d o f story does a camera want t o tell ? A good story probably, a tale of goodness. An d Dawso n find s

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Katie at a party for her Mademoiselle cover.

just this sort of story in a man's transformation from jailbird to nest builder : th e heartwarmin g confessio n o f Joey' s ow n homecoming father . A s Dawso n record s thi s upliftin g chronicle, he i s forced t o deal with th e fac t tha t it affect s Joey, that i t ha s rea l consequences . I n a differen t versio n o f storytelling, Joe y confide s tha t he r feeling s fo r Dawso n ar e deep an d abidin g and , sh e adds , strangely , tha t al l tha t i s missing i n he r drea m i s th e whit e picke t fence . Thi s detai l seems out o f place, because, while her feeling s seem rooted in real things , th e on e thin g sh e identifie s as missing seem s t o transform everythin g she desires into a vaguely unreal dream. The crossroad s o f realit y an d unrealit y tha t hav e s o profoundly galvanize d Pace y an d Andie' s feeling s fo r eac h other i s now facin g the m wit h separation . Andie's father ha s returned t o take his children away , believing tha t his absenc e is responsibl e fo r both Andie' s precarious mental healt h an d Jack's homosexuality . Pace y is understandabl y outraged , but he underestimates th e depth o f Andie's fears, and the degree to which the y stand between not onl y her an d him, bu t he r an d all o f Capeside . He r decisio n t o leav e wit h he r fathe r i s mysterious to Pacey, but he loves her enough to believe that she is doin g what sh e ha s to . A s they kiss goodby e on th e sit e of their firs t kiss , i t i s a deeply poignant moment , ou t o f which Pacey emerges as a young man in the ful l experienc e o f what it means to be in love. Dawson, o n th e othe r hand, i s looking, literally now, for a whit e picke t fence . An d sinc e h e see s mor e o f th e worl d through his camera than he does with his heart, he inevitably is draw n t o Mr . Potter s world o f home repair , a par t o f hi s current fil m project , for the objec t he seeks . Wha t h e find s is a startlin g contradictio n t o th e stor y he' s bee n telling , and , perhaps, t o th e on e he' s bee n living . H e discover s tha t hi s subject, the redeemed man , the father o f his one true love, has

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been lying to the camera. He has lapsed int o old ways, and is probably dealing drugs again.

222 — PARENTAL D I S C R E T I O N A D V I S E D

Written by Greg Berlanti Directed by Greg Prange Originally aired May 26, 1999 Guest starring: Gareth Williams (Mike Potter), John Finn (Sheriff John Witter) Well, th e seaso n i s endin g an d i n spit e o f al l o f th e mor e interesting goings-on , th e rea l questio n is : will Dawso n an d Joey endur e a s a couple ? Thei r relationshi p i s certainl y th e backbone of the show, but a s a problematic situation that must be solved i t is more complicated tha n most . Televisio n shows often hav e relationshi p tension s tha t pla y of f ou r feelin g o f inevitability Howeve r unstead y th e couple s see m t o eac h other, a s viewers we usually fee l tha t the y belong togethe r or we simply lose interest. Dawso n and Joey are different becaus e their relationship was presented, fro m th e very beginning, no t as something they would evolve into, but rathe r as something they woul d gro w ou t of . I n episode s wher e the y ar e mos t together, thei r growt h seem s t o be suspended, and a fantastic emotion tha t i s strong an d unrea l take s over. Whe n the y are either fightin g o r separated , the y see m t o b e acceptin g th e challenge of growing up. I t is almost as if their relationship i s like Andie's dead brother whisperin g t o her tha t everythin g is safer i n a world of make-believe . The final episod e will hang us in the place where people

either retur n t o thei r ol d selve s o r gro w into ne w ones , an d present the terrifyin g stake s of both directions . Joey's father is, as i t turn s out , dealin g drugs , an d wit h thi s knowledge , Dawson ha s t o tel l Joey . Wha t ensue s i s a n apocalyps e of consequences, a s the Ic e House is firebombed b y Mr . Potter's drug-dealing colleagues . I n th e middl e o f th e fire , Je n recognizes her ow n all-consuming self-loathing and sh e waits to di e i n it , acceptin g th e fir e cause d b y anothe r person' s recklessness a s he r ow n fate . I t i s Dawso n wh o position s himself a s th e avengin g voice , accusin g Mr . Potte r o f destroying hi s ow n famil y and , whil e h e i s right , thi s represents a relapse fo r Dawson, who, unlike Pacey doe s no t recognize when it is time for him t o stand aside and let others claim thei r responsibilities . Th e serie s o f characte r relapses, much lik e the chai n o f events that bring abou t the fire , resul t in sweepin g resolution s fro m Joey , wh o i s th e season' s fina l emotional core . An d onc e she' s mad e he r decision , ther e should b e no on e lef t standing : least of all, Dawson.

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PHOTO CREDITS

Front cover : Doroth y Low/Shooting Sta r Back cover: Henry McGee/Globe Color section (in order o f appearance) : Dorothy Low/Shootin g Star ; Lis a Rose/Glob e Photos ; Cle o Sullivan/Outline; Rober t Hepler/Everet t Collection ; Gre g Weiner/Shooting Star; Chris Delmas/Zuma Press; Jim Cooper / AP Photo ; Ji m Cooper/A P Photo ; Sa m Jones/Outline ; Pau l Fenton/Shooting Star; Dorothy Low/Shooting Star; Terry Lilly/ Zuma Press; Dorothy Low/Shooting Star; O. Medias/Shootin g Star; Barry King/Shooting Star; Lisa Rose/Globe Photo s Black and white photos i n text: 7 Set h Poppel Yearbook Archives 9 Bil l F Smith/Globe Photo s 11 Mar k Terrill/AP Photo 15 Set h Poppel Yearbook Archives 18 Set h Poppe l Yearboo k Archives 23 Fitzro y Barrett/Globe Photos 25 Willia m Plowman/A P Photo 29 Bo b Greene/Everett Collectio n 32 Be n Mark Holzberg/Shooting Star 36 Pau l Fenton/Shooting Star 40 Gre g Weiner/Shooting Star 46 Set h Poppel Yearbook Archives 47 Set h Poppel Yearbook Archives 50 Set h Poppel Yearbook Archives 69 To m Rodriguez/Globe Photos 92 Lis a Rose/Globe Photo s

108 Nin a Prommer/Globe Photo s 122 Sea n Roberts/Everett Collectio n 139 Pau l Fenton/Shooting Star 149 Suzann e Plunkett/AP Photo 158 Mila n Ryba/Globe 186 Sea n Roberts/Everett Collection

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