Azaiya

Pacey was always there for Drunk Joey! Every single time!

That was cute! He certainly did listen to her! One thing I noticed about Pacey as I'm re-watching this series is Pacey sees people. No matter what they may be saying to the contrary, he knows the truth about them, and that's because he listens to them and he also observes their actions. For instance, of course we all know that he knew about Dawson and Joey and their feelings for one another before Joey admitted it and before Dawson was aware of it. But another thing I noticed was why he broke up with Andie.

I'm (FINALLY!) up to season 3 and after Pacey founds out that Andie cheated on him, he told her that he could forgive her for cheating, but he couldn't forget that his 'love wasn't strong enough the first time around'. When I first watched it I was like, wow Pacey, insecure much? After all, he did criticize Dawson for abandoning Joey at 'the first sign of trouble'. However, though Pacey was in fact insecure, that was not the reason why he broke up with her. He broke up with her because his love wasn't enough. In Home Movies, when Andie thought she was going to get in trouble for cheating on the PSAT, she was rehearsing a speech in the mirror. In it, she said:

I always assumed she was talking about losing Pacey. But as I watched it this morning I thought, what if she meant Mark? She said "When I came home, I'd lost the guy." not "When I came home, I lost the guy". That implies that she had already lost the guy by the time she got home, not, after she got home she then lost the guy. When she was trying to explain to Pacey why she cheated on him, she told him that Mark understood her in a way that others couldn't because his fears were her fears too. I think that's what Pacey understood about Andie and Mark, and that's why Pacey couldn't take her back. He knew she really connected with someone else in a way that with him she could not. And he was afraid of not being that person for her in season 2; he tearfully expressed that exact fear to Jack in that episode where Andie was seeing her dead brother Tim and locked herself in the bathroom. That was yet another scene where it showed that Pacey knows people. When Andie was telling him through the door that Tim was saying she had to choose, and Pacey told her that she did in fact have to choose, Jack was like, "No! Don't tell her that!" I was saying the same thing too! Lol! But no, Pacey was absolutely right. She did have to make a choice, and he knew her well enough to know that he had to tell her to make a decision, and he knew that Andie was strong enough to choose him.

I think I previously mentioned that this same understanding of Pacey dawned when I re-watched Promicide. I realized why Pacey blew up on Joey when at first I thought he was being harsh. Pacey knew Joey wasn't putting him first, just like he knew that she was drifting away when they were getting closer to Capeside at the end of their summer voyage. And after seeing her constantly put Dawson's feelings before his, after finding out she lied to Dawson about sleeping with him, of course he would be angry because no matter what Joey said, her actions were saying something different. After all, she didn't even go away with him until Dawson told her to do so. I didn't see it because I had my rose-colored P/J glasses on, but he could see it because he knows her. I'm just glad they both got over their Dawson issues.

Speaking of which... Ugh... Is Coda really that bad?? I refused to watch Dawson's Creek after The Graduate, and I really was going to try to sit through it and the other episodes I missed. But after sitting through season 1 and 2 I dunno if I can make it. At least season 1 and 2 were enjoyable enough because Dawson and Joey were only together for like seven episodes in total and the other storylines were well-written and interesting. But Coda, season 5 and the majority of season 6... is it even worth torturing myself? Sitting through season 1 and 2 makes me appreciate season 3... will sitting through 5 and 6 make me appreciate more those 4 episodes in season 6? Or will it just piss me off because after sitting through that, we get teased with those four episodes in season 6 before TPTB snatch them away like "PSYCH!!"? I feel like maybe I should sit through it, like the rest of you who soldiered through it all. Will that make me a true-blue P/Jer? Should I earn my stripes or is the war already over? I'm conflicted...

allybubba

It was all they could think of to break up these two babies. (referring to the end of S4)

msstock87

I understand why Pacey blew up at Joey now at Promocide too, doesn't make it easier to watch though, which is why I usually skip over it,

allybubba

It's especially hard because Pacey saying that she makes him feel like nothing.. just that Pacey, again, thinks he's so useless.

THE PAIN.

posterity

I completely sympathized with Pacey when he blew up at Joey, but I am too humilated for him to rewatch the scene again. I almost dislike Joey for a great deal of season 4 because in my eyes she kept putting Dawson's feelings above Pacey's and for that reason they were not ready to be together until they both left the Dawson bubble behind.

A part of me wonders what would have happened if Pacey and Joey did not get together at the end of season 3. Instead what would have happened if they continued to have these unexplored feelings throughout season 4 and Joey was given time to get over her Dawson obsession. I think that might have almost been better than what we got in season 4.

msstock87

I think while they were still in Capeside it would always be hard to escape Dawson and his overbearing presence. I think when they moved away and got some distance then Joey was finally able to start to grow up. I think that is what made their relationship better after high school.

Anti-Soulmates

Yea I think getting out of Capeside really helped. The characters were able tp stay connected, but begin to explore a "new world". Joey did have a lot of Dawson issues and I wondered if she ever told Pacey she only ran to him after Dawson "set her free". Like as much as I fault Dawson for the way the end of season 3 went, Joeys was literally going to let her heart break and let PAcey sail away just to make Dawson happy.


Oh and Promicide is really painful to watch because its SO raw. Like I have to be in a certain mood to be able to sit through it because my PAcey feelings are kind of proud but my P/Jo feelings are so sad.

Azaiya

That's a good way to put it. On one hand it's like, "Yeah, tell her Pacey!" but on the other I cringe thinking, "No, NO, stop yelling! NO, why are you doing this HERE??"

Ugh, Promicide. I'm about to watch A Weekend in the Country; Promicide will be here soon enough.

Anyway so I thought of another Reason yesterday. I checked to see if it was already on the list but I didn't see it. Ready?

Because both of their last names end with "--TTER".

Yeah? Yeah? You like that right? *high-fives self*

When I looked to see if you guys had that down already I also looked for-- and didn't see--a reason that I gave way back in the day, which was:

"Because they 'DOO-DOO DOO DOO DOO-DOO' together", referring to their shoulder-to-shoulder shimmy down the pole move in the season 3 opening credits. It doesn't really apply now because I guess it would be 'Because they HEY YEH YEAH YEAH together', which I don't like simply because I don't like that song. Maybe it can just be "Because they shimmy down the pole together." I love that little scene because it's so cute. I can see her telling him, "C'mon, do this dance move with me!" She looks so happy and there's this cute, indulgent little smile playing about his lips when he does it with her like, "This is silly but what the hell, anything for my girl."

ChristinaL80

I just want to say that yes Dawson did "set her free" [I hate those words] but I don't think Dawson really believed that Joey would sail off into the sunset literally with Pacey. I think Joey's decision to go away with Pacey was really her alone. It was a spur of the moment decision for her because she didn't bring any clothes, etc.

I have watched most of season 4 already before my current rewatch, including Dawson and Joey scenes. And while I hate that she considered Dawson's feelings to an unhealthy extreme, I still think Pacey and Joey had a good relationship for the most part. Their relationship was more mature than Dawson and Joey in season 2, which I'm trying to get through. However, I agree, they needed to break up to grow up and get away from Dawson.

KaaBOOM

I'm half way through season 4 and I'm loving these two together. I hope they last.
Dawson is soo annoying.

PaceyJunkie

I feel like I need to warn you! STOP WATCHING AFTER WINTER'S TALE

Corrsfanre

What was annoying during season 4 was Dawson's hair!

I don't know why they did that to him

KaaBOOM

I literally just finished the episode after that "Four Stories" and she told Dawson that she didn't sleep with Pacey and typical selfish Dawson was all relieved.

posterity

The only season 4 episode after "A Winter's Tale" that I love is Separation Anxiety.

Freshgirlly908

I love that episode! From her asking to stay just to sleep to their conversation at the dock the next morning. The way she takes his hand between hers is one of my favorite things!