Dawson's Creek, S1 E8: Boyfriends and Breakups

Jen's NY boyfriend shows up and Dawson is NOT having it. We're here for the drama on Episode 8 of Season 1 of Dawson's Creek.

Tune in as Katie and Dani assign smiley and sad faces (and hearts and Xes) to the next episode of this teen classic.

Want to watch with us? We're rewatching it on Amazon Prime. 

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Transcript

Dani Combs: 0:01

Hi everyone. Welcome back to our nostalgic and problematic series where we are rewatching Dawson's Creek. We have made it to Episode Eight of season one titled boyfriend. Ooh, yeah. Here's a quick little summary of this episode, Jen's old boyfriend arrives unexpectedly, and Dawson's parents struggle with their relationship.

Katie Parsons: 0:28

Yep, that that sums it up. That's pretty much it. That's pretty much it. So for those who are tuning in for the first time or need a little refresher, Danny and I are re watching season one on Amazon Prime, and we have a scoring system, so essentially, we literally watch it. And if we really like something, if Dani likes something, she gives it a smiley face. I give it a heart. If we really wish something wasn't in the show or rubs us the wrong way, Danny gives it a frowny face, and I give it an X. And we've had some guests the last couple weeks, but it's just us today, just us so it whatever little scoring system you have at home let us know we'd be interested to hear so, oh, I guess let's jump right into it. My first thing usually, and we always do the things we like first, that opening scene where Dawson's clicking through the channels, and that's that scrambled adult, yes, that was so funny. So funny. I mean, the whole thing was like a time capsule. He's like, living at all, changing channels on the TV. And then it had, like the scrambled, I know. I mean, you could hear the noise going on. Yeah. I just that made me laugh. I really like that. I did too. I laughed too, because I kind of missed the days of, like, what was on TV, was it right? Like, you didn't have like, I feel like, right? I feel like we just have too many options, yeah, like, especially for somebody like me, who hardly, I don't watch TV much. Like, I don't sit down and, like, go through Netflix. I just don't that. When I do, I spend half an hour trying to figure out, what am I gonna watch? And then I'm like, Well, I guess I'm going to bed, because now it's 1030 done, or trying to find it, like, I'll, know, watch something. And then I'm like, wait, oh, it's not on this platform. And I go the next platform and log in, and I'm like, Are you prepared? It's not on this one, you know, and, like, it's just our we have this Smart TV in our room, and it has a remote where you can push the little, like, little audio button, and, oh, yeah. So I'll just be like, find Dawson's Creek, or find Blue Bloods, or whatever. My kids are like, Wow. You're, well, you're a lot. I'm like, Well, I don't want to type in Oh, it takes forever. It takes too long. So my first happy face, other than I didn't write down the TV thing, but when you said that, I was like, oh yeah. Was when they're in school in the beginning, and Jen goes to Dawson, I love your vest. And he's wearing like this striped, oversized, of course, sweater vest. He's got a denim shirt, a long sleeve denim shirt on under it, plus another shirt under that. Yes, and it made me happy, because I was like, oh yeah. Layers with, like, menswear were the thing, oh yeah. In the late 90s, it was like, layer upon layer upon layer. And it was just funny. She's like, Oh, I like your vest. And I'm like, it's literally hideous. How do you like that? Jen, come on. It was so funny, I know. And we should all go to J Crew and buy one. Well, I think by this time it was or maybe it was the second season they had American eagle or something. Okay, maybe it's still J Crew, and I think it's true for season one, but, yeah, but same kind of thing. My second thing that I liked was when Dawson is like, saying how, you know, why can't like the people we depict are the people we like be like these people in these old movies, like a Gary Cooper, sensitive guy. And I got and, like, basically every adjective he's saying is describing himself, yeah? And he's like, why doesn't that guy ever get the girl or whatever? He was, like, bemoaning that, like, the fall of, like, that type of guy. And then he was like, Really, just talking about himself, yeah? And I was just like, wow. Okay, all right, I see what Danny saying about the whininess. I'm seeing it. See it happened. Did you see the other stuffed et? I can't remember now I, like, wrote it down. I was so excited. I was like, Oh, another stuffed et. But now I remember it is, I know later when spoiler the boyfriends in the room, heat. Oh, that's what it was. It was a different one. But it was a different one because this one was hilarious. Well, this one was furry and the one from last week was not furry. It was like fake leathery looking. I don't know what that's made of, but neither. Why do I remember that? I don't know. Doesn't matter. It wasn't furry last week. But while I bought that the. So for real quick I The second thing I wrote that et was three. I skipped ahead, but the second thing I wrote was I really thought that the writers with Dawson's mom and dad, I feel like they really have portrayed them like their journey very well, like they're trying to recover and heal from this affair and trying to decide, are we going to make this work? Are we not going to make this work? And I just thought that they wrote that well, because they're, like, getting frustrated, but they're trying to still do, like, work it out, but he's still really pissed and hurt and, like, she kind of can't understand why they can't just move on. And, yeah, I felt like it was done well. Sometimes I do it well, and I felt like, what do you think about that? I did think that actually one of my hearts, my next Heart, was Dawson's dad is back. Exclamation point, because I knew you were gonna be excited. Yeah. I like, I like how they've written it too, because it's, it's not stereotypical, really. It's nuanced. I feel like, like, when she says, How long are you going to keep punishing me? But then he doesn't really have an answer, because he's like, Oh, it's almost like, you see the self awareness, like, oh, shoot, I am doing that, but I don't know how to not to right now, something like when it stops hurting, or something like that. Yeah, right. So, I mean, yeah, I agree. I thought that was really, really good, okay, oh, I can't wait. So when the boyfriend rolls into town, it was like 35 well, so before I realized who it was, I wrote down cool, new teacher. Oh, just kidding, he's supposed to be a teenager. And then I said, Billy, why is he so old? Why is he I have that as a frowny face? Yeah, I mean, I put in his heart just because I was laughing to myself, and not to be fair, he doesn't look that like all of it like his the way he was dressed, and he just, like, drove in from New York, and I was like, oh, you know, Pacey is, like, interacting with this guy in a bad way, and he's gonna go, and it's gonna be his teacher, right? But no, he was the teenage boyfriend of Jen. And also, speaking of old people they're casting to be young people, Scott Foley was in this Scott, I've got him too. I said Scott as a happy I said, Scott Foley also his sweater. He had a good sweater. We had his sweaters and sweater vests. Yes, episode by the plentiful, so many, so many. Oh my god, see. And I had that as a frowny face that he was back along with the old ass dude they cast as a teenager. I was like, why? And in capital letters, why are we casting 30 year olds as high school students? Are there? Literally, no, don't get it. Or, like, young looking 20 year old facts. I mean, I don't know. It's wild, whatever. I mean, it's I and I do think that's problematic. I think that's problematic. I don't care their logic. It's stupid. So yeah, like, yeah. And then I this is a heart, but also, like, a, hmm, when I like that a heart, yet, maybe I need hearts, x's and, yeah, that's not bad. Maybe coming for episode nine. How he just walks into the school, right? But, I mean, but that's how it used to be. It used to be that way. I mean, I can remember, like, just leaving school. So I when I was a senior in high school, you could have, like, short day, right? So I would go to work at like, one o'clock. I'd go to school until, like, because I had, like, I didn't have any more credits, so I had to take some people were like, super action, like, took other classes, but we didn't have the whole, like, you get college credit thing, and there was no online college or, right, there wasn't.

Dani Combs: 8:49

So you either stayed there and took classes for no point, yeah, or you left. And so I was like, Well, I can go make some money. So anyways, but I had a friend who did not have short day because she was behind on a credit, and she would just leave with me, and then I'd bring her back, like, we'd go eat lunch, and then I'd bring her back on my way to work. Nobody knew, like, because she had a teacher who didn't care, and she would just leave campus, like, walk out the door. Yeah, you cannot do that now. No. And like, the fact that a, he just got into the building. Oh yeah.

Katie Parsons: 9:22

And B, this guy No one's ever seen before is just chilling in the hall. Stand him by the locker, standing by the locker. And I was like, I mean, it's a little bit of a suspension of belief, even for the time, but I mean that used to be, I mean, even my kids elementary school, it's like, we're, you know, in Florida, so it's an Outdoor School, right, like so when you open your classroom door, you're outside, right? And you walk to art class, and you go outside, and then you come out and you're outside again. And it had no fencing when my kids first started going there, I would literally walk onto campus and just stand outside the kindergarten door or first grade door or second grade door and sew in. Everybody, yeah, and even during the school day, you could there any direction you could just walk onto campus. So of course, when they right, had to put a fencing, people were like, all up in arms about it. But as soon as the fencing went up, I was like, Yeah, especially since it's an Outdoor School for real, you got kids walking around out on this campus all day long. And there's, like, literally anyone can walk on campus at any time. Yeah, and so it's but it kind of, I put it as a heart just because I was like, man, remember that? Right? Like, literally just walk in. I know I had another one where I thought it was cringy, but it was good writing, when Dawson is confronting Jen about who is this guy or whatever, and he's and she's like, It's Billy. And he's like, who's Billy? And she's like, I already told you about Billy, oh yes. And then his face is like, like, ah shit. Oh, we're gonna have to change the rating of our podcast. Oh shit. Look, we can do individual episodes and mark them as not clean. It doesn't have to be the sorry, no, but he did. He was like, Oh. He was like, like, the realization washes over him, and it was like, really uncomfortable, yeah, okay. I had a happy I just love the video store job, right? You know, Pacey working at the video store. It just every time I see that, it makes me remember how amazing video rental stores were. They were, I can smell them, I know like, and it was such a great job for teenagers. So good. Oh my gosh, I never worked at one, but I had friends that did, like, it was great. They got free. They got the new releases before they were released to the public. Yeah, the hours were great. Your friends would always come in there, like, yeah, it was such a great it's fair enough. You know that blockbuster documentary, did you watch it the last blockbuster? It's very depressing, because it's like the end of an era. Like, yeah, we'll never, we'll never be able to go back again, right? And it was like a cultural touch point, which we talked about in our Bratz episode. Yeah, everyone like that was a thing you did on Friday night or whatever. You go to the video store, what's the latest release? Try to get it if it wasn't gone yet. And that cultural touch point that is so fragmented now totally that nobody is literally the last blockbuster that from that scene, I had a line that I like, oh, what Joey says? Pacey said something about bowling. Oh, we're doing this lame thing about bowling. And she says bowling is bowling always sounds lame. Do you remember that part? No, I miss it completely. I'm trying to remember the lead up to it. But she's like, Yeah, no offense. But like, bullying always sounds like, bowling. I'm terrible at it, absolutely terrible. Well, sometimes I'm very inconsistent, really. Sometimes I'm quite good, and other times I'm horrendous. I am very consistent at being bad. Okay, okay, consistency. I am that's why you that's what you teach in your personal training consistency. And then there's me. There's me that's like, you know we should make for a patrons friendship bracelets? I'll do them. And you're like, with one time also, do you know how to make bracelets? Are you going to we've had a day, you guys realistic. It is six o'clock and we were together a long time ago or a long time today. What time did you get here? Noon? Yeah, noon. Six hours. It's okay, guys, it's all right. We're fine. We haven't been recording that whole time. No, don't worry. Don't that ridiculous. Oh, oh, another funny, funny, not funny, but happy moment. Did you hear the can hardly wait. I did. Circle back and I was like, what's the name of that song, damn it. This is gross. Totally got on my phone to remember the name good for you. Yeah, that was so fun. It was the beach party they went to. Yes, yeah. Her the dinner, yes, which, by the way, everyone, they're making a Broadway musical, apparently. Wait, I think we said that already, we did, but we're gonna say we're very excited. And if anyone associated with that listens to this, or is listening, we would like to come see it. Thank you. Thank you Thank you for buying it. Okay, oh, another heart that I had was Jen's floral cardigan set one the cardigan camisole and the cardigan cardigan match. I said I had, like, three or four of those. I had, like, white with blue flowers and purple with black flowers and sun flat. Like I had all of that. I think I did too, because, like, I went through multiple, like, dressing well, I still do that. Like, some I like, decide I like, would have eras of clothes, yeah. And I think that's when I was in my cardigan era, cardigan era, which is funny, because Taylor Swift has a song called cardigan Oh yeah, she Yeah, my cardigan. Not Taylor Swift cardigan era, by the way, just normal clothing cardiac. I had like, you know, like a preppy era. I like a goth era, yeah, have a slight goth era, short amount of time. Oh, I did have a grunge era. Oh, man, who knows, who knows, go back. All right. What else the video store scene. Also when he said, Be Kind Rewind. Yes, she was walking out, which we've talked about, but it's so fun, still fun. And then I had when Bessie kicks Joey out of the restaurant to go to the party, yes, and she just like, takes her apron and takes the plate she's carrying. She's like, goodbye, which would never happen because they were hella busy, and she has baby at home. But it was so like, yay. It was a good vibe. Like, like, she she wanted her to go be a teenager for a while. And while we're talking about that party, I am not for toxic masculinity, but I am all about Pacey punching that guy in the face that was trying to take advantage of drunk. Joey, yeah, yeah. Oh, totally about that, yeah. I mean, yeah. I was like, yes. Pacey, yeah. And this, I remember, was the first time I was like, Oh, I wonder if Pacey and Joey are ever gonna have a thing. This was the episode where I wondered it when, I mean, I know the answer right now. But, like, spoiler alert, watching it today, or watching it not today. But when I watched this, I was like, this was it? Oh, this is where the seeds are. Like being being planted more heavily, because now we've got at least two or three scenes with the two of them interacting. Well, yeah, because there was the video store, and then the restaurant, the restaurant, and then the party a couple times, interacting, yeah. Well, he was one who brought her to the party, right, right? Because Dawson was going with Jen. Well, Jen, well, no, he told her Dawson was going to be alone, right? You're right, and that's the only reason she went. But then, but then? Jen, yeah. Well, I also thought when they him and Dawson brought drunk Joey home, which, by the way, how come in shows like this. There's nobody ever like waiting up for these drunk teenagers, and then right? Also, I mean, they don't show her the next day, but they're always like, just fine. And it's like, you would feel so sick, yes, like after if you don't, like, you're 15, yeah, you're not. Your body is not used to having that in it. No, as well as you can't process it, right? General, you'd be so sick and you'd be in so much trouble. Yeah, no way. Her sister was like, Yeah, I agree. And it's almost, I mean to be a 42 year old mom in this moment. It's kind of irresponsible presentation of it. I know that you can feel like this one day, and you're just gonna wake up the next day and be totally fine. Didn't get arrested, didn't get weren't sick, weren't sick, just like nothing, yeah, yeah. So I didn't have that as a frowny, but I had now that you're thinking about it now. But anyway, my whole point was, when they brought her home, Pacey, like her little newborn nephew, Joey's was like, crying, and he's like, just telling him the whole plot of the English, patient. Patient, yes, to get him to go to sleep is so funny. I love I never did. I have never seen it either. Well, don't think we're missing much. Oh my gosh, that was so funny. Um, what else did you have for happy? I only have one more for hearts. I guess I have. I have three quick ones from the end, I said, obviously Joey and Dawson kiss Avi. That was a hard she's all drunk. And then I said, it's sweet how Dawson's parents are trying. So it's kind of what you said earlier. It

Dani Combs: 18:31

is, but it's torturous to watch, yeah? And I think it's, that's why I think it's written well, yeah, is because if you are married, or maybe you've lived through something like that where you're trying so hard and it's miserable, and it's like, yeah, trying. There it was. This the episode where they danced at the end, yes, that made me so sad. And then my final one was Pacey and Dawson in the rowboat, discussing, discussing the issues of their heart. I loved that. Why did I not write that down? I don't know. I loved it too. I mean, it was so not believable, I know, like, let's go in a robot, just the two of us in the dark, and let's, let's chat. It was giving very like kiss the girl vibes too. Like I was like, I'm feeling some sort of weird way about but it was, but I but, like, what the things they were saying. It was nice because it was like, okay, like, because they've been having a rough time, they, you know, he broke his nose, or Dawson broke Pace's nose, or at least messed him up last episode. And so it was nice that they were kind of reconnecting. Yeah, yay. So my last happy, oh, my computer's about to die too. So that's good. My last happy was the closing song during Dawson and Jen's breakup. It was Ben Folds Five who was saying the song brick, for those of y'all that don't remember, yeah. Yes, I just was like, Oh, I forgot how much I really liked them. Yeah, me too. It was a great song for that moment. It was so good. That was my last and really, I only had two frowny faces. I only have a couple. So hooray. No more teacher thing to talk about. Yes, that was the biggest problematic thing. I mean, the problem there was so much the problem, I think I said, was the 30 year olds as high school kids. And then, I don't know if this was problematic or just stupid. Yeah, was Billy staying at Dawson's house. And I said, Jen wanting Billy to stay. That was just bad writing like that would never happen, no. And wouldn't she want him out of there as fast as possible? And also he's gonna be like, okay, yeah, this random stranger from New York can stay at our house for three days. What that that was just so not stupid it. And then when I didn't like, when Pacey said to Joey at the video store so you can get your hooks into Dawson, yeah, where he was just like, basically saying, like, I know you're just trying to get it basically, like, manipulate them into liking you. And I don't know, I just thought that that was, like, gross, yeah, I agree. And then they just put in big letters, don't take a drink from a stranger. Joey. And this was before so was she was the premise that she was roofied, or was she just drunk? She was just drunk. He just okay. He was encouraging her to drink. She was not roofied, okay. Now it was she because she had a drink on her own accord. Yeah, she was drinking on her own. He was just encouraging her. He gave it to her. He she had one herself, uh huh, and then he kept bringing them to her, okay, but she was willingly drinking. But also, you never take a drink from a stranger. Never, never, never even adults out there. Don't do it. Yeah, and I hated when the Billy Dawson beach moment when the argument, it was just too much. Oh, and then, and then Dawson says, Yeah, you and everyone else talking to Billy about who Jen had, like, slept with or something. I was like, I forgot to write that too, like Dawson. Let me tell you what I already Dawson gives him on herbs, but him and this whole sex thing with Jen, it's too much. It's all the time like either get over it that you are not gonna be her first or ever wait, or either get over it or go away. Choice. Just quit making her feel like crap about it. Yeah, she makes herself feel bad enough, yes, and trusts you. And I was like, what she's doing to you about right? And you turn it around on her all the freaking you're not a safe person, exactly. Oh, and then just to pile on to Dawson, my final thing, he has this line where he's talking about, essentially, like, what he's like, what he's like, trying to apologize to Jen or whatever. And he goes, you know, for being a nice, good guy. I sure do apologize a lot. I miss so much during this episode. Was I half awake, probably, and I put gross, ew, Dawson, come on. Like, oh, I'm just so great, and somehow I'm always the one apologize. Look, Katie is leaving the Dawson train as this episode, really, I was like, he better read back around. He better come on playing some more basketball next episode. Or that's it worse. He's moving to the bottom of my list. Or Scott Foley and another sweater. Okay, I'm back. I'm here. Oh my gosh. But yeah, I just, I was just like, I get what I and I think what bothers me about like, lines like that is, do the writers really think that right, like, oh, the nice white kids who are good in school and smart are always the ones that are getting picked on, or is it like, you're supposed to be annoyed with Dawson. I think it's probably the second which worked, which worked, but maybe not, but sometimes I don't know, and it was like, we're like, literally hearing it pouring down outside, like, and I totally have 600 things put back in my car. Oh, I'll help you. It's okay. We'll just let's see if it's Florida. It should be done in about five minutes. Yeah, yeah. So anything else? No, I think that's it for episode eight. We'll see what happens in episode nine. Will there's only a few more left. I think there are like 12 or 13 episodes. That's it. Yeah, okay, I think we're almost done with it. Oh, dang. Okay. So then we'll have to do, like, a whole series recap and or Season One recap, and see what do we think as a whole, nostalgia, yeah, problematic. And then I think we're gonna pivot to um, when we won't say what yet um, something else for a little bit. Yeah, but nostalgic or problematic will continue, because I don't, I mean, there were six seasons of Dawson's Creek. We don't. We can do is come back if we want. Yeah, they go nowhere if we want. I have a feeling like it's. Going to be very similar vibes in the other seasons. Maybe it'll evolve Well, well, if we, if we don't decide, if we don't decide to keep going with it, then I'll just have to tell you all the things, okay, all right. We'll see how we feel, okay. And listeners let us know too. Yes, if you're like, No, no, no, you got to keep going in season two. Well, I know Candy's watching it, right? Candy says she was watching it. We made Carlos and Jen watch. Yes, at least one. Have you heard from anybody else that's watching? No, but see our download numbers and people are listening to the episodes. So I mean, and some people just listen to the Dawson's, like Jen said she hadn't watched it, but she listens. Yeah, that's true. Patrick said he listens to Dawson's, yeah. So there you go. Well, either way, so maybe you don't want to watch it and you would like to just hear us continue to recap. Also fine. I mean, also working for that. We're here for all that. So yes, well, thank you for listening to our Dawson's episodes as well as our novel episodes, and we will see you back in our feed soon. See you soon. Bye, everybody. You.