The All-Nighter:
Written by: Greg Berlanti
Directed by: David Semel
Original airdate: November 18, 1998
Synopsis:
With the threat of mid term exams looming, the crew at Capeside, Dawson, Pacey, Joey, Jen, Andie, and now Chris, begin getting nervous and decide to attend their teacher’s study session. Unfortunately, said teacher is sick and cannot make it and cancels the session, leaving Chris to suggest going to his house to pull an all night study session.
After studying for some time, interspersed with moments of joking and messing around, Chris suggests a break by taking a magazine’s “purity test.” After they count up the totals they find that Chris and Jen are the least pure, while Dawson and Joey are at 85, with Andie at a 92. Andie realizes that Pacey’s score is missing which leads to him being outed as the student that slept with a teacher which causes Andie great heartache as she runs out of the room.
Jen makes an attempt to talk with Joey but her usual snarky remarks rear their head. Pacey seeks out Andie and they talk about how she feels now that she learned about his past, leaving him to explain he can’t change it, hoping she can accept it.
Dawson attempts to warn Jen about Chris but she states she can handle herself just fine. Chris’s little sister Dina tries to blackmail Dawson into giving her a kiss in exchange for the purity test results, but instead she reveals that while Dawson answered a question saying he had been in love once, Joey said on her test she had been in love twice.
Dawson ends up confronting Joey, who is angry he saw the test answers, asks why they can’t go back to the way they were before, as friends, causing Dawson to storm off, saying that if she doesn’t know why they can’t do that, then she really doesn’t get him.
Dawson, distraught because of the incident and also because he finds out Jen has decided to sleep with Chris, lashes out at Dina about how kissing is not everything she may think it is, explaining forcibly that friendships get ruined, and hearts get broken, all in that one kiss. Dina, upset at Dawson’s explosion, gets comfort from Joey, who gives it to her straight, that growing up does suck, but that there are many moments that make it okay.
Andie wakes up and realizes that they all fell asleep at one point and now they’ve only got a few hours before the test, panicking. Pacey takes over and introduces them to his method of cramming which ends up helping them all memorize the info they need for the exam.
Meanwhile, Andie and Pacey have a reconciliation about keeping secrets and rekindle their relationship, while Joey finds Dawson and explains that the two people she fell in love with were both Dawson: the time when she fell for him as a friend, and the second time when he kissed her, as Dawson vows to give Joey the space she needs to find herself.
With minutes left, the crew rushes to the school to find out the teacher is still sick, and has now canceled the exam as well, leaving them all to take a nap in the middle of the football field.
Dawson's Trivia:
The writer of this episode was Greg Berlanti. Dawson’s is his first gig at the age of 26, and he rises from staff writer to executive producer, and when Kevin Williamson steps away from the show he becomes showrunner. He’s also been a writer and producer on a tonne of DC adaptations, including the animated shows Arrow: Year One, Constantine: City of Demons and Deathstroke: Knights and Dragons, along with the CW Arrow-verse slate of shows. He also has many more television credits. In the 2017-18 television season, he tied Jerry Bruckheimer’s 2005-06 record for having 10 live-action series airing on various networks and digital platforms, then broke that record with 14 in the 2018-19 season, and increased the record to 18 for the 2019-20 season. In film, he wrote and produced Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds, and his new film Free Guy. He also wrote and directed several films, including The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (which starred Dean Cain and feature Kerr Smith), Love, Simon (starring Nick Robinson and Jennifer Garner), and is currently in pre production on the new version of The Little Shop of Horrors.
Brighton Hertford was Chris’ little sister, Dina Wolfe. She’s had 30-some titles including Yo Gabba Gabba, Return To HalloweenTown, The Work and the Glory 2: American Zion, Everwood, The Ellen Show, Master of Disguise (a Dana Carvey vehicle), 7th Heaven, and The Parent Trap, all further down on the cast list.
The Reluctant Hero:
Written by: Shelley Meals & Darin Goldberg
Directed by: Joe Napolitano
Original airdate: November 25, 1998
Synopsis:
Dawson and Pacey hang out in his room and chat when suddenly Jen shows up through his window, drunk, and passes out as Dawson explains this has been happening a lot lately.
The next day, having received word that he and Joey’s film has actually won the film competition, Dawson delivers the good news, along with the prize of $2500 to her. While happy for him, Joey steps back out of her role as producer, indicating she just won’t have time due to her getting involved in art classes now, leaving Dawson upset.
Pacey, having been told that his future seems to be in the fast food industry by his guidance counselor, citing his grades and aptitude test results, ends up with Andie convincing him to try and make a change. Jack shows up and let’s them know that he got a date for later that evening with Joey, asking Andie to take over watching their mom.
Dawson goes to Joey’s later in the day and gives her half of the prize money, reasoning that she earned it, and she accepts it reluctantly. Unfortunately Jack shows up then and Dawson gives him the stare down as he walks away before heading over to Jen’s to ask if he could come along to a party she had talked about earlier, thrown by Chris and his friend, Todd, to which she readily agrees, as long as he remembers he is on the rebound and that she is not interested in that.
Jack and Joey enjoy some quality time together on a picnic, watching the lightning in the distance, and ending their date with a kiss and the promise for more, while Dawson wanders the party grounds and Jen indulges in her usual drinking and carousing with Chris and now Todd as well. Eventually Dawson sees the three of them escaping to another part of the house and follows them, rushing in and seeing Jen in a state of undress, grabs her and gets her out of there before the two boys can make their moves on her. Jen is incensed that Dawson did that but ends up throwing up and calms down, with Dawson taking her to his dad's apartment to recover.
Meanwhile, Andie begins to help Pacey but receives a call that her mother needs help, having wandered off to a nearby store. Pacey steps up and manages to convince Mrs. McPhee comes back to the house, something that impresses Andie and allows her to show Pacey that he can make a change and be better.
At Mitch’s place, he and Dawson reconcile after a fight the two had earlier, with Dawson coming around and trying to understand the reasons why his father had to leave, recovering their relationship. Jen wakes up and she and Dawson chat a moment about his next script, which he says is a love story. As she falls back to sleep she tells him to not make it a happy ending because there are no happy endings in real life.
Dawson's Trivia:
We’ve seen director Joe Napolitano before, he directed the Seaquest season 1 episode “Games” and 12 episodes of Quantum Leap.
Todd was played by Todd Sheeler. Only a handful of credits, a bunch of shorts and one episode guest spots in things like The Cape and Mystery Files of Shelby Woo.
The Guidance Counselor, Mr. Milo, was played by Richard K. Olsen. He has a lot of guest spots in movies including The Birds 2: Land's End.
Rasool J'Han played the store manager. She was recently in Swamp Thing as a nurse. She was also a doctor in an episode or two of One Tree Hill, as well as a therapist/realtor in the movie Pornography: A Thriller. Previously she had appeared as Deb in I Know What You Did Last Summer. She was most recently in a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Essential Playlist:
Classic Creek Critiques:
Eileen G Ryan: Okay, beginning of the show...in school, Dawson is leaving Joey alone, and Joey freaks because she didn't realize they couldn't talk after they
broke up. At Chris' house, Joey can't make it clear enough that she doesn't want to talk to Dawson, and that she needs space? She sounds manic.
NEXNET1996 (Mark): No just confused. She does not want to lose him but she does not want to be with him until she can figure out what makes her happy. It is typical love.
DC-Fan: So what now she runs to Jack, I suppose in order to find herself she has to get involved with Jack now right? If she can't find herself with Dawson, what makes her think she can find herself going out with Jack? makes NO SENSE at all. I thought the writers sucked with this one
NEXNET1996 (Mark) Responds: Jack shares the same interest in art and brings out a side of her that noone has brung out. who else had the balls to ask her point blank why she is so angry all the time (see Full Moon Episode) I think Jack will help her bring out some feelings she has not felt and help her learn what makes her happy but nothing will come of it romantically. Jack
knows she loves Dawson and I think in time he will accept it and move on but it will be alot of tension between Joey,Dawson, and Jack in the meantime
Tiffanie Ing: I don't think he's [Jack] a villain. I think he's pretty cool. He's just trying to
get what he wants...like Jen last season. I mean, i love Dawson and Joey together, but I have to admit that it was REALLY cool when he said that to Dawson. I mean, how many people do you know who would have the guts to do that?? Wow. And I personally like Jen...she creates a side of adolescence that we all get from time to time...she personifies loneliness, mystery, pain, depression, and mistakes. She's not bad because she's those things. She's just a part of being a teenager. Abby....well, I don't think she was
intended to be a villainess...she was just there to support Jen....somewhat of a backdrop for her. And while that might not seem to be much, it is when you think of how much love and nurturing Jen really needs.
JZeba: I seriously think that Jack is going to end up being gay. There is a lot of talk about introducing a gay character to the show and even though he kissed
Joey there are still rumors that it's him.
Tank Commander responds: I hope that my friend doesn't get too mad at me for this but Jack is gay/ bi-sexual. The whole reason he came between Dawson/ Joey was because he likes Dawson and in a future episode, he'll let him know. BTW, I don't know if anyone else noticed this or not but they hinted at it in the scene at the "Dance", when Jack told Dawson about him kissing Joey and then he said "Let's not turn this into some High School romp, alright because neither of us is the type."
Mike Taylor: I can sort of relate to Joey wanting to find something that she loves as much as she loves Dawson. I my ex girlfriend and I were once best friends and then we too made the jump to a romantic relationship and everything got messed up.
I discovered that I loved this person so much that I didn't know what I woud do if I lost her and so I to had to go and find something I loved as much as
I loved this girl, I did and when we broke up it was as devestating on me as it would have been if I had let my world revolve around this one person. My point is well some of the story lines suck this one with Dawson/Joey at least are hitting close to home with me.
LipGloss2 responds: When someone/something becomes your reason for living or your whole life, its
time to let go even if just temporarily. And then theres that other saying about having to love yourself before you can love anyone else....
MosaicZ: i'm torn. half of me wants to feel sorry for jen and the other half says she gets what she deserves.
she didn't deserve to be treated the way she was by chris that following morning but on the other hand, being 15, she had no reason to be sleeping with him anyhow. and then the scene from next week. what's up with that? about to be gang-banged? she needs to get off the alcohol. that's the problem. i don't really think she'd be doing this if she was sober.
Jamieat16: Frankly, i was a little surprised that pacey so readily admitted this [affair with Tamara] in front of everyone. i know dawson knew. i was a little unsure about joey or jen, but the affair wasn't that long ago. i would have thought he would have wanted toi keep it under wraps a little longer, at least for tamara's sake. i think it was a little tacky that he had such loose lips.
Most responded that he told the truth, so good on him.
Whit116 (Whitney): Pacey and Andie ROCK! They are soooo sweet, and soooo cute and soooo perfect for each other. It was so sweet of her to care about his grades and he was such a doll when it came to her mother. Hes such a sweetie :) Seriously, I wanted to cry. And, then, when they were talking in the hall and how she said "Im proud of you!". Ahhhhh. Sooo perfect! Shes JUST what he needs, and hes just what she needs. =)
EternalBliss responds: I love the way Pacey handled the situation on that show. It was so mature and all. I love how he just managed to get her out and he acted like really nothing was happening. It was the cutest thing. I agree with the fact that Andie does bring out the best in Pacey. And they work really well together,
because he really cares about her and she needs him. She needs to hold on to him for like..ever. Cos he's one of a kind.
Anaapilar: How long can this poor woman, and the whole McPhee family go on this way?? Pretty soon shouldn't they consider a brief mental hospital/institution stint? Allow Mr. McPhee to take over the child rearing and come to Capeside, meet his daughter's beau?) Also, I thought that guidance guy was so cruel to Pace--Andie was right, what kind of counselor advises this way? Her speech in the cafeteria was right on the money-Pacey does need to be rescued rather than ridiculed, and Andie may be just the person to do it.
Concerning other DC stuff: I really liked Jack in this episode, very charming, not so dufus-like. I hope Joey gives him a decent chance before she runs back to Dawson. Speaking of Mr. Filmmaker, I really thought he was a nice "big brother" figure to Jen in this episode, I hope she took to heart what he said. Well, gotta go. BTW-Was Andie hinting toward fooling around, or at least something less than "scholarly" when she and Pacey were talking at the bottom of the steps? I couldn't tell if she was just teasing him that he was "suggesting" something more, or if she was hinting to him that that was what she'd rather do . . . Any opinions??
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