Everything Put Together Falls Apart:
Written by: Maggie Friedman
Directed by: Kerr Smith
Original airdate: November 20, 2002
Synopsis:
Dawson and Todd finish up a rehearsal while discussing the upcoming cameo from rising star Max Winter. Natasha is very excited about getting to work with him, and when Max wants to run lines with her he asks Dawson to leave her dressing room as he prefers privacy. Later, as Natasha finishes up a scene with Max, he asks her about her boyfriend getting jealous to which she replies that she has no boyfriend, something that Dawson overhears. Todd talks with Dawson about the situation and encourages him to forget about it, saying the sex with Natasha won’t continue if he mentions it. Natasha tells Dawson that Max asked her to grab a drink after the day’s filming is done, and he reluctantly gives her the go ahead. When Dawson returns to his room later, he sees Max leaving Natasha with a friendly kiss. Dawson is confused about what to do when Natasha knocks on his door and invites herself in, tempting Dawson with another hookup to which he acquiesces.
Elsewhere, Pacey tries to convince Emma to go to a work party with him. She doesn’t agree until Pacey offers to wash the dishes and clean the bathroom for the next two months. He also buys her a $300 dress, but when she shows up to the party she has modified it to be more punk rock style. This amuses Rich and his date, as well as the other women at the party, and as Rich tries to cut her down to size, Emma retorts with her own comebacks. Pacey and Emma enjoy themselves, but when she heads to the bathroom she finds out that the party is actually a contest in which the hottest woman there will win $1000 for her date. Pacey spars with Rich when he tries to insult him but Rich cuts back, reminding Pacey that he is his boss and shouldn’t be talking that way to him because his future is in his hands. Pacey returns home after seeing that Emma left, and she explains that she knew about the contest. He apologizes, saying that he really thought she could win because she was by far the most beautiful woman in the room, and that for him to be there with her was worth more than any prize he could have won. The two suddenly start kissing, but are interrupted when Jack noisily returns home and plops himself down on the couch between them, scarfing down a sandwich and turning on the TV.
Meanwhile, Joey is logically trying to study at Hell’s Kitchen because the library is full, the dorm has become party central, and there isn’t any other place on the whole of the campus in which she could possibly study quietly. Eddie offers her to use his apartment, and she accepts. However, after getting there she falls asleep. Eddie returns home after his shift and sleeps on the floor beside the bed. When they awaken, he gives her some coffee and the two begin flirting, eventually deciding to shake the sheets with their amorous congress. After the corn dog gets battered they fall asleep, causing Joey to wake up 2 hours late for her final exam for Hetson’s class. She rushes off after blaming Eddie for her trouble, and makes it to class with just a half hour left for the exam. When all is done and graded, her final grade for the class is a D, which risks her scholarship. She tries appealing to Hetson but he refuses to let her take a makeup exam. Joey complains to Eddie, who doesn’t get as worked up as she is, and it causes them to fight. Eddie tries to err on the side of romance, saying he didn’t want her to regret what they did. Hetson later shows up at Hell’s Kitchen and Joey starts in on him, but he cuts her down as usual. Eddie tries to talk some sense of manners into Hetson, but he continues his normal tirade until Eddie hauls off and punches him, resulting in him getting fired. Joey reasons she sees a new side of Eddie that she likes, as the two rekindle their budding romance while ice skating, letting her into his world just a little bit more.
Dawson’s Trivia:
Mick Foster Walker played the test proctor. He’s had a small number of guest spots, one of which is in Surface as Librarian. He did appear in the Dawson’s Creek episode “High Anxiety” also as Proctor, but was uncredited.
One of the dancers was Brett Claywell. He had a run on One Life To Live for 98 episodes, playing Kyle Lewis. He was also in 33 episodes of One Tree Hill as Tim Smith. He’s been in a number of movies with higher up supporting cast credits, such as Haylie Duff’s Legacy (when a geeky, overweight rushee is found dead at the hottest sorority on the campus, the three most popular girls of the house are prime suspects), Sean Astin’s The Final Season (Kent Stock disrupts his life to become coach of the Norway High School baseball team and try to lead them to victory), and 20 Funerals (after a fellow officer's funeral, 4 Cops decide that the only way to get rid of the criminal element is to stop arresting the criminals, and start burying them).
2 of the actresses (one with a small handful of roles and then the other with none) were playing characters named Thelma and Louise.
Eddie Cahill played Max Winter. He was a higher up supporting lead in movies such as Kurt Russell’s Miracle (Coach Herb Brooks leads 1980 US Olympics Hockey Team against USSR), and The Narrows (19-year-old Brooklyn boy Mike tries to balance a scholarship to NYU and his sophisticated Italian neighborhood roots, as well as an eager-to-marry girlfriend, a proud father and a less lawful transport job. Based on Tim McLoughlin's novel). He was also in Glory Days (the author of a tell-all book gets writer's block and decides to return home for inspiration only to find that the town locals aren't too happy with his last book), and Hayley Atwell’s Conviction (a brilliant attorney and former First Daughter is blackmailed to heading a unit that investigates cases of wrongful conviction). He played Sam in the previously mentioned series Under The Dome, but lately he does guest appearances on shows such as Fantasy Island, NCIS: New Orleans and Hawaii 5-0. His main bread and butter are tv series. He was a lead playing Don Flack in 197 episodes of CSI: NY.
The show takes place in Massachusetts where the closest arena to the gang is the Fleet Center. However, when Eddie takes Joey skating, they skate right over the (really big) logo of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Merry Mayhem:
Written by: Tom Kapinos
Directed by: David Petrarca
Original airdate: December 11, 2002 (3 week break)
Synopsis:
As Joey gives another overly dramatic voiceover lamenting her past relationships, she asks Eddie to come home with her for the holidays to meet the family. Eddie however feels it’s too early in their relationship to do that but she manages to convince him. Later she cautions Audrey about her drinking and partying but also works her magic on her by getting her to come along home to Capeside as well, though Audrey is even less enthused than Eddie as she takes several sips from a tequila bottle in her purse.
Pacey arrives home to Capeside and is greeted by Deputy Doug who comments on his new more mature car, his new look, and the gifts he brought, wondering how legit his new job is.
Inside Gail’s house, after grilling Natasha for a while, Gail asks Dawson about her with him saying it’s an undefined relationship right now and he’s fine with that. The rest of the day shows a montage of Jen and Grams at church, the Potters hanging out together with Mr. Potter himself, reunited with his family once again, and the Leery’s with Todd and Natasha hanging out chatting by a fireplace as Audrey sits alone by a window.
The next morning Eddie shows up and meets Mr. Potter who takes a dislike to him right away and later asks Audrey about him, who answers in slightly slurred speech about being a blue collar guy with a chip on his shoulder. He talks with Eddie later and learns about his lack of a job and not attending college, and silently judges him.
Natasha tries to come on to Dawson in his bedroom but he finally confronts her about Max Winter and she defends herself, calling their relationship “just having fun” before she walks out, slamming the door.
As Eddie and Joey head to Dawson’s, he mentions that his dad will be less intimidating than hers. Joey presses him for what he meant but he shrugs it off.
Pacey gives Doug a watch for a present, privately away from everyone else, and Doug asks him if his job is legit, and legal, causing Pacey to feel that once again his family doesn’t believe in him or feel proud of him. Doug responds by saying he doesn’t know why he is asking this, but reasons that he just might be worried for him.
As everyone sits down for Christmas dinner, Audrey, now completely drunk and high in pain pills she found in the medicine cabinet, asks where Jack is, to which Jen explains he is in Europe with his Dad and Andie. Todd says grace which goes off the rails immediately as he also is drunk and veers off from a proper prayer into various ramblings.
As dinner starts, Mr. Potter makes a comment about Dawson’s job and how far he’s come, even suggesting that maybe he has a job for Eddie on set. Joey tries to intercept the conversation but Audrey interjects to ask him yet another question about prison, except in this case, she asks him why he thinks Eddie isn’t good enough for Joey. Joey tries to stop her, as well as Pacey but drunken and high Audrey goes off on an epic rant, skewering Jen, Gale, Pacey, and Dawson, before leaving the table and storming out. The clearly drunk and high underage girl then picks up Pacey’s car keys without anyone noticing while in full view of the dinner table and walks outside, getting in Pacey’s car and starts to drive off. Deputy Doug uses his skills of deduction to determine the sound of the car outside is Pacey's car as Audrey smashes through the front of Dawson’s house.
Later, Pacey asks Doug to help make this all go away, offering to take the blame for the accident. Doug admonishes him for always wanting the quick fix, offering that her getting in trouble might help her take care of her problem she has, but he eventually agrees to take care of it. Pacey says he will pay for whatever needs to be done, and Doug takes issue with him just wanting to throw money at the problem, before telling him that when he was a chef last year, he actually did feel proud of him, admiring him for his honest, almost noble job, but realizing that it must not have suited him.
Inside, Jen tries to talk with Audrey, but she resists saying that no one noticed how messed up she has been until tonight and pushes her away.
Natasha meanwhile tries to sneak out but Dawson catches her and they talk about what happened, with Natasha admitting she slept with Max. She then admits that she never loved him and just thought what she and Dawson had was a fling, something that was just happening during the movie. She tells him that he isn’t made for this type of relationship and that’s why she is leaving now before she really breaks his heart and turns him into a bitter cynic.
Eddie and Joey talk outside and he comments on what happened with her father, saying she probably shouldn’t come to meet his family because it really was too soon, that he shouldn’t be dealing with the ghosts of past relationships, but instead should be in the here and now. He reasons that if his family did meet her, they would likely be thinking what is a girl like her doing with just Eddie. He leaves as Joey notices Dawson alone in the pier and heads over to talk with him. They discuss what happened between them and she comments that despite everything that has gone on, she knows he will always be there for her, but wonders why they keep hurting each other. He tells her to be in the here and now and they decide to just enjoy the moment and go back to hating each other in the morning.
Dawson’s Trivia:
Centerville is one of the seven villages in the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. Located on the South Side of Barnstable, Centerville is primarily residential, includes a small business district, and notable beaches.
Essential Playlist:
Classic Creek Critiques:
There was a post about wanting Joey and Pacey back together, but no responses.
There was a comment about how Katie Holmes will never be a Bond girl with some discussion of other actresses who have played Bond girls but no real reason given why someone would even bring this up.
Someone was asking for spoilers from tachyon but the only thing that came up was that there was a rumor that something would happen to Joey during the Christmas episode that would bring everyone back together and that the title was originally called Black Christmas.
David asks: Why does Pacey thin his brother is gay?
tachyon says: it's a long running joke, dougie likes streisand (sp?). i call my brother gay as well. doesn't mean that he is...
Kreisleriana1838 (Paul) says: got the impression he was just kidding him about the sweater. Accusing someone of being gay is a way for one straight guy to insult (if only jokingly) the other. Obviously Pacey isn't homophobic, but even a number of gay-friendly straights do use the word or the stereotypes associated with it to put down someone else, even if there's no real malice intended. (Calling me gay isn't insulting; it's simply accurate!)
Alberich says: If Pacey's brother is gay...that would be the one for Jack then. I'm suspecting this news about Pacey's brother will get Joey's attention
James Wesley says: What news about Doug would get Joey's attention? That Pacey thinks he's
gay? It's been a running joke for as long as Doug's been on the show. Joey knows all about it as does the rest of the gang.
