The Rewatch Podcast: RW375 - Dawson's Creek S01E01

In this weeks episode of The Rewatch Podcast, Cory and Tom meet with friends, new and old, as they discuss the series pilot episode of Dawson's Creek.

Pilot:

Written by: Kevin Williamson

Directed by: Steve Miner

Original airdate: January 20, 1998

Dawson Leery, aspiring Capeside 15 year old filmmaker, and best friends with Joey Potter since they were 7, has trouble understanding Joey's objections to spending the night like they've done since they were little, due to their maturing bodies and puberty having hit them hard, but eventually she relents and stays rather than leaving through her normal route of the bedroom window before rowing her boat home.

The next day, after attempting to shoot part of a movie scene with Joey and his other best friend Pacey Witter, the three are introduced to New York transplant Jen Lindley who has moved to town to help her grandmother, Grams, take care of an ailing grandfather while Joey's jealousy is on full display with no one noticing. Upon returning home, Dawson is clearly embarrassed by his parents making out on the coffee table before heading to work at the video rental store where he and Pacey are introduced to another newcomer to Capeside, a woman named Tamara who flirts openly with Pacey.

Later, Dawson and Jen bond while we learn of her issues with Grams and his passion for Steven Spielberg films. Joey waits until Jen leaves before coming in through the window and Dawson questions whether she thinks his mother could be having an affair based on her behavior on the evening news with her co-anchor.

Jen, prone to headaches since quitting smoking, ends up having a bit of an argument with Grams over her hanging out with Dawson and Joey whom she considers the wrong element but it's her being an atheist that really bothers her grandmother.

At school the next day, Jen is asked about partying by a fellow classmate but informs her she can have a good time without drugs and alcohol. Jen is later happy to find Joey is in one of her classes, much to Joey's chagrin, and after laying out her family situation Joey warns Jen about not hurting her best friend, before they head to lunch and she ends up watching annoyingly as Dawson and Jen bond and flirt. Meanwhile, Pacey learns that HIS flirt from the previous day is actually his new teacher, Ms. Jacob's, which doesn't put him off but rather emboldens him as he attempts to continue the flirtation in hopes of getting more, even learning of her plans to see a movie later that evening and making plans with Dawson, Joey, and Jen to go as well so he can get closer to his very own Mrs. Robinson.

While at the movies, Pacey attempts to sit with Ms. Jacobs but her actual date returns and an incident occurs where Pacey is punched by another moviegoer for spilling popcorn on him. Meanwhile, Joey's snarky comments throughout the walk to the theatre, as well as her attitude when she sees Dawson attempting to hold Jen's hand during the movie, causes him to pull her aside and the two have it out. She berates him for ignoring her and not seeing what's in front of him and then switches gears to accuse him of not appreciating his life. Later, as Dawson and Jen walk home they have a moment which is interrupted by Grams, but it's clear that Jen is interested in him.

Pacey ends up running into Ms. Jacobs where he calls her out on her flirtations and she ends up kissing him in a moment of passion but immediately regrets it and runs off, leaving the young man smugly satisfied.

Back home, Joey, waiting for Dawson in his room, apologizes for her behavior, and Dawson in return apologizes for not understanding her attraction for him and the two reaffirm their friendship while coming to the understanding that there are some things that they won't be able to share now that they're growing up. While Joey begins to row home, Dawson reconsiders a question Joey asked and shouts out his answer, trying to show her that he still wants to share his life with her like they used to, leaving her to laugh and smile before she turns and sees Dawson's mother being dropped off by a coworker, whom she then gives a long kiss goodbye.

Dawson's Trivia:

Kevin Williamson was coming off the success of Scream, Scream 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer, when he pitched the idea for Dawson’s Creek. The pitch was based on his own childhood experiences; rather than it being a story of kids growing up on the same street, it would be kids on the same creek. He stayed on as producer for the first 2 seasons and later returned to bring the series to an end. He also wrote the films The Faculty, Teaching Mrs. Tingle (which is his sole directing credit), Cursed and the upcoming Scream 5. He also wrote and produced the shows Wasteland, Glory Days, The Following and Vampire Diaries.

Paul Stupin was executive producer for the series. Dawson’s Creek is one of his earliest shows, having gotten his start on Fortune Hunters and Lawless. He’s currently the EP on Switched at Birth.

Steve Miner has had a very long and varied directorial career. He got his start directing Friday the 13th Part II and Part III. After that, he directed films like House, Warlock, Forever Young and Halloween H20, and episodes of Diagnosis Murder, The Practice, Felicity, Smallville, Psych, Eureka and Once Upon a Time.

Mitchell Laurence played Mr. Gold. Aside from small recurring stints on shows like Matlock and Santa Barbara, his biggest role was on Not Necessarily The News, an HBO comedy show that ran for 8 seasons (think The Soup meets SNL); The news anchors perform skits that are interspersed with scenes from actual news but overdubbed with their voices. From 1977-1980 he was an uncredited actor on SNL as well.

Ms. Jacobs was played by Leann Hunley. Her biggest non-Dawson’s role was as Anna DiMera on Days of Our Lives from 1982-1986. She left the show but returned in 2007, and has been part of the show on and off since then. She also spent a couple of years on Dynasty as Dana Waring Carrington, and The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo. She could also be caught as a background player in a few episodes of the original Battlestar Galactica. We saw her in Lois and Clark: Swear to God, This Time We're Not Kidding as Emily Channing, the girl who stole Myrtle Beech’s fiancee away from her.

Essential Playlist:

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