Fan Forum - View Single Post - Discussion of the Month: Funniest Moments

***Jerry D*** · 05-17-2008, 12:04 PM

Great topic, because Season One of Dawson’s Creek is by far my favorite season of that show. To me, Season One was unique because it presented a view of teenage life that we could all relate to, with character driven story lines that were both compelling and simple, and each episode was very well written, and built upon the episodes that preceded it, and I can really only describe this season as magic, as it told the stories of first love, first heartbreak, and the struggles of growing up, and the “end of everything simple.” Most of all, though, it told the story of a very special friendship between a young man and a young woman, and how that friendship slowly blossomed into love. I’ve never had a television show affect me on an emotional level like the first season of Dawson’s Creek did, and I feel that the seasons that followed Season One simply paled in comparison to the wonderful vision that Kevin Williamson originally presented us with.

What do you remember from season 1?
I remember everything about it.

Who was your favorite when you first watched?
Dawson. I could definitely relate to his hopeful optimism and idealism, and I could also relate to how he went overboard pursuing the girl of his dreams.

What made the show stand out back then?
What made the show stand out was the way that it employed a cinematic theme in every episode, juxtaposing whatever transpired in the episode to whatever transpired in some movie that Dawson and Joey were watching in the “teaser” for the show. I thought that was a brilliant move on Kevin Williamson’s part, and it was also unique to see a cinematic theme resonate throughout episodes that focused on the ultimate cinema devotee, a young man who thought that life should play like a movie, and who thought that the ultimate romantic fantasy could be “storyboarded” as he ardently pursued the girl of his dreams.

I also thought that although the thematic elements in the show were rather clichéd, Williamson’s approach to these thematic elements, like the heartache of unrequited love, the agony and ecstasy of a first infatuation, and of teenagers venturing out of their sheltered world, where “everything was simple,” was unique and engaging, and I was immediately hooked by this show. I also thought that the storylines we saw that season, with the exception of the Pacey/Tamara affair, were storylines that all of us, young, and not so young, could relate to, and I thought of the show as a teen drama, where the episodes were character driven, and they had a definitive story arc where each episode built on the episode that preceded it, because the person in charge of the show had a vision for the show, and he cared about what he was doing, and the show reflected that, and that’s what distinguished it in my eyes from not only other teen oriented shows, but distinguished it from all the subsequent seasons of Dawson’s Creek itself.

What did you love?
The story of Dawson and Joey. Right from the very start of the first episode of Dawson’s Creek, it was very obvious that the childhood friends Dawson Leery and Joey Potter shared a special bond with one another that transcended a normal friendship, and was really something way beyond any friendship depicted on a television show about teenagers. To me, it set the show apart from anything I had ever seen before, and I was immediately enthralled by this wonderful couple. We got to witness how Dawson and his family had become a second family to Joey, who had endured terrible tragedy in her young life, and who had been shunned by virtually everyone in the provincial town of Capeside Massachusetts, except Dawson, with whom she often shared a bed, but more importantly, she shared her life. Dawson had accepted her unconditionally, and together, they lived in a special world, safe in Dawson’s room, as they centered themselves around his passionate interest in film, and they argued in a good natured way about the merits of whatever film they were watching. In that magical season, at the start of every episode, Dawson and Joey shared a “Movie Night” in his room, and in their banter filled discussions in these wonderful opening scenes, Dawson always showed himself to be a dreamy eyed idealist, and Joey always showed herself to be a cynical realist. These differences in their views of life obviously stemmed from the differences in what they had seen in their lives, but even as they argued passionately and vehemently, the affection between them was very obvious, and their discussions were a true delight to watch, and their scenes together simply sparkled with witty and intelligent repartee that showed the special connection that they had. These two characters would analyze and discuss everything under the sun, and each character tempered the extremes of the other character’s point of view in a way that showed the deep attachment that they had to one another. I had never really heard of the term soulmates before watching this show, but if any two characters were soulmates, it was Dawson and Joey. They truly could look into each other’s souls and make sense of everything that was happening to them. I also felt that they balanced each other out in a truly wonderful way, and that they had a spark between them that was sweet, endearing, and simply loaded with magical potential.

As Season One progressed, we got to see that Joey loved her best friend Dawson, and we all witnessed the anguish she felt as, unable to express herself, and afraid of the consequences of her feelings, she was forced to witness Dawson pursue, and, for a brief time, win, the “object of his infatuation,” Jen Lindley, but when the chips were down, and he needed someone to confide in and really talk to, it was always Joey that he went to, like when he found out that his mother was having an affair in “Carnal Knowledge.” We got to see that anguish in the episode known as “The Breakfast Club,” as a tearful Joey couldn’t admit that she loved Dawson, in one of the most poignant scenes that I have ever had the pleasure of watching on a television show. As this wonderful season continued, we also got to see Dawson slowly realize just what he had in Joey, and that he loved her too, and in Pretty Woman, when Dawson focused his camera on the newly transformed Joey, the look on his face conveyed the amazement of a young man seeing his best friend in a whole new light, and it was a moment filled with romance, with wonder, and with magic. We then got to see Dawson tell Joey’s father that Joey was his best friend, but, as it dawned on his face as he spoke the words, he realized that she was more than that to him, she was, as he so eloquently put it, everything to him. And Joey truly was everything to Dawson, and when he finally took action and kissed her in the most wonderful season finale ever, we all cried tears of joy as this couple was finally united. I’ve watched my tape of that moment countless times, as Joey’s initial expression of shock changes to one of sheer joy, and this magical season faded out with their two silhouettes passionately embracing.

There were so many sweet moments between these two characters in that magical season, and so many scenes that made them hold a special place in my heart to this very day. I can recall so many incredibly beautiful Dawson and Joey scenes from Season One, like the scene from “Carnal Knowledge,” when Dawson told Joey that “In some alternate universe, we must have been married, like, 50 years,” and the sweet subtext between them was absolutely breathtaking, as Joey ended their conversation by saying, “No matter how the wedding turned out, I'm pretty sure I had a wonderful time up until the end.” I also recall in “Escape From New York,” Dawson, talking to a sleeping Joey, and tenderly brushing the hair out of her eyes, told her: “This is probably the wrong time to tell you this but umm well, maybe it's the perfect time. I realize how incredibly confusing things are between us. I can't even begin to explain our relationship. You probably can't either. But umm, I just want you to know that umm, if you ever need me, I'll always be here for you. All you ever have to do is ask,” and waking momentarily, Joey kissed Dawson in a tender and beautiful way that touched my heart so much. I also recalled the first kiss that Dawson and Joey ever shared, the “Truth Or Dare” kiss, in “The Breakfast Club,” and I’ve never seen so much passion expressed in a simple kiss between two friends that were so much more than friends.

To me, the Dawson and Joey of Season One forever captured my heart, and I will always treasure the joy I felt seeing these two wonderful characters light up the screen with their charm and magic. Therefore, no matter what happened between these two characters in the later seasons, I will always love Dawson and Joey, and I’ll always remember the special magic that these two wonderful characters had. I’ll also always remember those two best friends that were so much more than friends, and I can honestly say that they touched my heart like no two other television characters ever have.