Pace & Jo

It's prom season and Capeside High is awaiting the event with giddy trepidation. When Dawson asks Joey to be his date, she reluctantly agrees despite their awkward state of "affairs." Jack is forced to face a tyrannically homophobic prom coordinator who refuses to allow him to attend with Ethan. In response to this act of injustice (and in fear that Joey might boycott the prom altogether) Dawson organizes an alternative prom at Leery's Fresh Fish. The evening turns out to be a parade of misfits and malcontents, and all of the prom pressure further alienates Capeside's most notorious love-triangle.

Meanwhile, Jen dangles prom-night nookie in front of Henry, and Mitch and Gale show Dawson that love does sometimes get a second chance.

COOLCAT200

The opening was OK because I was glad D/J were talking and being civil and the look on Dawson's face when he sees his mom and dad kissing cracks me up. I felt so bad for Jack when that girl would not sell him a ticket and even if he had his own motives I thought it was a good idea of Dawson about the Anti Prom and I felt bad for Jack as he still was not ready to kiss Ethan. Poor Andie she was still not over Pacey and my heart broke for her when she watched Joey and Pacey dance and even outside with her talk with Pacey I could see deep down she was sad. I actually liked the scene where Dawson and Joey talked outside I could just see Dawson's hurt from seeing Joey dance with Pacey and he brought up a good point she had to of known that dancing with Pacey would have hurt him and deep down I do feel she knew he wanted more than friendship. I liked when he told Joey she would be missing everything and I liked he kissed her and I just saw the chemistry they still had no matter what was going on. I also enjoyed the end scene with D/J I loved how she admitted to Dawson when he kissed her she felt something and it was something that would always be there. I loved the Mitch and Gale scene with D/J watching it was a great way to end the episode. I have to give Henry a break in this one somewhat I mean sure he was an idiot to just out of nowhere tell En about Football camp but I did feel she overacted.Â* One finale note I feel MM is very pretty but they really overdid her make up in this one she does not need all that to look good she is naturally pretty

Sugz

I could see, from the viewpoint of a Dawson and Joey fan, liking the fact that Dawson kissed her and told her what she'd be missing and things of that nature but I still dont understand the lack of concern for Joeys feelings. Joey explicitly told Dawson she wanted friendship and people actually feel BAD for Dawson when his manipulative plan backfires and Joeys true feelings for Pacey still stand out? I say it serves Dawson right and in the same vein Joey was literally trying to make things better by asking Pacey to dance. IN her mind things were getting back to normal with Dawson, they were talking and she thought she was gaining his friendship back so why was it such a crime to try to have that with Pacey too. I just think its a warped way of thinking.

Anyway, I think this episode really shows that no matter what happens the hearts going to gravitate to where it wants. Things I loved were the Joey/Jack conversation where Jack gives Joey advice and it sends her towards Pacey, funny enough, the same thing happened in A Winters Tale. I also liked Andie in this episode, I think she was sweet and hopeful but she was also very gracious when she knew she had to be. I felt bad for Joey, she really had no one in this stretch, when all she wanted was friendship. I loved Dawsons tempet tantrum in the street, classic. I also felt bad for Jack but at this point was a little tired of the gay issues, I so wanted a normal storyline for him.

COOLCAT200

I do feel bad for Joey because she was trying her best but I feel deep deep down she knew Dawson wanted more although it was not her fault about that of course Dawson was wrong. I know he was just fowling his heart but he was also still at this point trying to deny to himself the seriousness of P/J and I think watching them dance once again scared him and he still was not ready to let go at this point.

TrueLovePJer

I love the "Anti-Prom"! Mainly because it has the most beautiful scene EVER in tv history! The "I remember eveything" line makes my knees weak just thinking about it Everything about that scene was amazing and so powerful and the audience could just tell how much they needed each other. Dawson, as per usual, acted like a jerk and ruined the moment. Again, his selfishness was on overload in this episode when he really could care less about Jack and his dilemma with "Barbara Johns"...sidenote: how is this girl even cool?! She looks like a loser to me....and Dawson's only concern was that him and Joey could go to the dance together (MAJOR CALCULATING IN THIS EPISODE ON DAWSON'S PART!) so he could "remind her" of what is was like to be with him. And if I were Joey, it would only remind me of how creepy he was, especially with that speech at the end. But yeah, normal Dawson mannerism is this episode. I felt bad for Andie when she saw Pacey and Joey dancing. Very sad But I like how she said "You have to tell her that you love her. And you have to try to get her back. Because if you don't, I promise you, you will regret it". Yeahhh Andie! Way to be the bigger person! And Mitch and Gale were so cute at the end! I loved it! It was nice to see them back together again. As for the rest of the drama, Jen definitely overreacted and I felt bad for Jack cuz he couldn't kiss the "wise gay sage".

COOLCAT200

Another thing I wanted to say even if I get slammed for it is I think Joey was totally naive into thinking things could just go back to the way they were peoples romantic feelings could just be put away like that even if she needed a friend and Dawson tried to do it you can't expect romantic feelings or love to just go away and I can understand where Dawson was coming from even if he was wrong. Dawson was 100% right though when he said you can't pop in E.T and have it be the same and dance with Pacey and expect Dawson not to be hurt. Joey saw the looks Dawson was given Pacey as she pointed out so what did she expect Dawson to do clap at seeing her and Pacey dance? Of course it's gonna hurt him. I am not saying she should not have danced with him but to think Dawson would not be hurt by it was totally naive especially after the looks she even commented on Dawson giving Pacey. I don't think Joey was trying to hurt Dawson or anything as she can't control her heart as she was being swept away when she danced with Pacey.

TrueLoveBeliever346

This episode is another one of my favorite episodes. So much angst, so lovley.

I just love angsty Pacey. JJ just pulls it off so beautifully. You can feel his sorrow and see his heart breaking each time he sees or thinks about Joey and his broken friendship with Dawson. I felt bad for Andie. It must have been hard for her to deal with her feelings for Pacey. I thought it was nice of Pacey to take Andie to the Prom, even if his intentions were a bit misguided.

The dance between P/J is just amazing, it's like you can feel all the things they are feeling at that moment. I love the look on Pacey's face when Joey asks him to dance, he looks so hopeful and so scared. The talk they share about Joey's bracelet is beautiful."Simple, elegant, beautiful" was just amazing. You can hear all the emotion in Pacey's voice, like at any minute his heart may collapse from feeling so strongly about Joey. I don't think I will ever forget the way Pacey said those now infamous words "I remember everything". It seemed like when P/J danced every other person in the room faded away and the only thing that they felt were each other. My heart broke when Joey looked up and saw Dawson's face staring at them. My heart broke for Pacey when Joey (again) ran after Dawson instead of staying with Pacey.

I hate the D/J talk outside. I hate how manipulative Dawson was trying to be, and I hate how spineless Joey was.

This is probably the episode where I forgave Andie for her reaction to P/J. It seems that after watching them(P/J) together she finally saw how they truly felt for each other, and she seemed to understand what Pacey was going through.

All in all it set up for the perfect season finale.

TrueLovePJer

TrueLove B I LOVED how you explained the PJ dance sequence! You explained it perfectly

TrueLoveBeliever346

Thank you muchly, TruelovePJer.

Sugz

You're totally right, JOey was naive to believe that. I dont even really think she did believe that I think she was just hoping because she felt like it was her fault that such a mess was made. At the same time though Dawson did act like his feelings were all that mattered, he accuses Joey of not looking out for his feelings yet he didnt exactly take into consideration her feelings and he CERTAINLY give a crap about Paceys feeling or how hurt he would be when he saw that JOey was his date, so he's also a bit of a hypocrite to throw such a tantrum.

I think the point isnt that Dawson was upset, obviously he was and obviously the situation that occurred would hurt him, but a lot of people cannot relate to him given the stress and hurt he himself put others through.

*Shannon*

I have great fondness for this episode, mainly for the fact that Pacey and Joey were truly, truly amazing. Josh and Katie, especially Josh, acted their arses off. I loved Pacey's line, "I remember everything". It's apparent that Dawson and Joey have a great history, but I tend to forget that Pacey was friends with Dawson and Joey at an early age, too, and even though it's not quite as hyped up, he remembers things about Joey too.

I also really loved Andie in this episode. I felt so sorry for her, because even though she's been separated from Pacey for awhile, the idea of his loving someone else must hurt, no doubt. I really liked the advice she gave him, and even though she loved him still, she was big enough to move past her feelings and set him free.

When I first saw this episode five years ago (wow, long time), I hated Dawson with a passion of seven seas. Looking back, seeing how the rest of the show played out, as well as looking back over my DVDs and the episodes, I can see that Dawson wasn't a bad guy. I disliked how the writers tried to make him seem that way, but even now I look back and see through it all, and I feel bad for him. He had some desperate, scatterbrained schemes, but at the end of the day, even he knew it wouldn't work with he and Joey.

And as for Joey, yes, she was extremely naive to believe and even hope that things could go back to the way they were. I don't think she or Dawson were wrong. They just got caught in a situation in which both wanted different outcomes, and neither got them.

~AnastasiaGrey~

I really enjoyed this episode, simply ebcause of pacey's line " i remember everything" aww that was such a great line to me. I loved the dance that they shared , pacey talking about joey's earrings and how that isnt her an that the bracelet is really her. i really liked it.

COOLCAT200

I agree he really had such an anger toward Pacey ever since TLD.

jopace1970

Andie was perfect in this episode. She was still clinging to hope but was still concerened about Pacey hurting. I felt so bad for her when she watched PJ dance. I could feel her heart breaking and yet she was still there for Pacey. I also really liked her advice to Pacey.

I agree.

Josh's delivery on that line was perfect. I still turn to mush when I hear it.

FinallyPJ

Like most of the latter episodes of Season 3, I really enjoyed this one. Not just because of the elaborate emotion in Joey and Pacey's dance, not because of Pacey's whispered response of "I remember everything" to Joey before their dance becomes nothing but pure emotion. This episode was just another shining example of good old fashioned angst.

I know that there's talk of Dawson's manipulation of the entire Anti-Prom just in hopes to get Joey back. And the talk of Andie's lingering feelings for Pacey, even towards the end of the season. But that's what good angst is about. It's all about life's obstacles and how they present themselves in one another's lives.

First we have Dawson and Joey's relationship. In the beginning we see the usual. Dawson and Joey walking up to his house, in normal fashion trying to get their friendship back on track. But the whole balance of their universe has shifted (as mentioned by Jen in "Neverland"). Joey's hopes of returning to what happened before she and Pacey "took action" with their relationship is clouding her judgement of the reality of the situation. There's no way to forget what happened (this isn't Season 5 ). When Dawson asks Joey to the prom, she accepts his offer, but the hesitation she has after the acceptance (i.e. her conversation with Bessie) shows that her judgement isn't as clouded as in the beginning of the episode. Bessie even mentions that her acceptance of Dawson's offer to go to the prom would be nothing but a contiuation of the tug-of-war between he and Pacey.

Andie and her hopes that Pacey would ask her to the prom was just another way for her to try and hold on to what they had in the past, going back to how they were prior to he and Joey. But...the whole universe that has shifted has an affect on Andie as well. Her actions in prior episodes really showed her feelings for Pacey were still strong, but the one thing that I love in this episode is her speech to Pacey after the prom. Telling him that he needs to tell Joey he loves her and that he needs to try and get her back. That was a major step for Andie, the mature step in trying to let somebody you love go. After she sees Pacey and Joey dance, the look of heartache on her face is so sad. But, her actions afterwards really shows that Andie just wants Pacey to be happy.

Poor Jack, not being able to get the prom tickets from Barbara Johns. Having the Anti-Prom in regards to his situation was a good idea that Dawson had. But the implications for having the prom, making the situation all about him and Joey and how to get her back rather than the real reason was ... there's not a word to describe that that hasn't been said already. Yes, I felt sorry for Dawson because his feelings for Joey still lingered, but he has to see the full picture, not just what he wants to see. He has to see that Pacey and Joey do truly care for one another (a positive) not that Pacey and Joey, his two best friends, "stabbed" him in the back because they developed feelings for one another and didn't ask for his permission to act on those feelings.

Jen and Henry. I was getting a little tired of Henry so I was just not all that interested in their storyline.

Finally we have Pacey and Joey...all I can say is that the words Jack told Joey, about her being the bigger person, was what she really needed to hear. Her dance with Pacey, although it hurt Dawson, was something that had to be done. Seeing how Pacey is the one who knows Joey better in this season, seeing how much he has paid attention to her life even before their friendship turned into more, just really makes your heart melt. Josh Jackson and Katie Holmes did an excellent job during this scene. Everytime I watch this dance scene, see how close they are after those three simple words...it's like you're there in the scene with them, but your just a quiet bystander. It's that powerful.

Okay, I've prattled on long enough.