Michelle Williams clearly states it was James who helped her through her frustration of lack of screen time on Dawson's Creek:



I think what happened was James took his own advice he gave Michelle when he chose to already start parting ways with Dawson's Creek in the final season. He gave Michelle this advice so obviously he truly meant it. We know he hated season 3 with a passion when the triangle was introduced. He stated as much in so many words in interviews and there was speculation in general he really hated it. I think he started slowly checking out around season 4 but by the time that last season was in play, he took to heart his own advice he gave to Michelle and decided to give himself an opportunity before anyone else to start breaking the connection to Dawson's Creek for his future career. He probably literally wanted Joey to end up with Pacey so his character wouldn't be connected to that romantic ending which would have kept him firmly connected to the show as Dawson/Joey happily ever after. He didn't care that he was the lead and his advice to Michelle as Jen had nothing to do with honoring his lead character role of Dawson. He HAD to be directly involved with the ending but apparently he didn't care. He also didn't care about the fans who wanted the premise and those fated soulmates to end up together. Shame on you, James. Especially since it all backfired... you might have had a consistent career doing some guest spots on TV shows and movies that were anything but well known and elite. But you never made it big and had a career you might have pictured you could have.

You're so dead on about this Michelle. James Van Der Beek did a disservice to the show and to the fans of the show, and even now, he'll forever be known as Dawson and his career never took off, unlike Michelle Williams.

I don’t understand why he wouldn’t want to honor the character and fans. I think I read he never watched any episodes either. He embraced the initial fame Dawson’s Creek brought (I remember Courtney Love had a crush on James) and then disconnected due to the direction of the show and later, personal gain. Say what you want about Katie and Josh but they were dedicated to the show until the very end.

But I think if you're getting paid for the job; do it.

Very true.

I do think Michelle and James had reasons to check out . James because his character was made into a total tool.

Michelle, because she was pushed to the side and figured out TPTB wished she was gone.

The network exec's called her the chipmunk cheek c@@t. I'm sure she found out about it.

But I think if you're getting paid for the job; do it.

Precisely.

Those network execs calling her that are pigs. I wonder if they made fun of Katie’s distracting side smile. Oh wait, no because she was the IT girl.

I wonder if James ever talked to TPTB about his frustration.

I also wish Josh would have fought for Meredith and Pacey/Andie. We know about the pin but was Josh satisfied with TPTB cutting Meredith’s series finale scenes (and ultimately the PA potential reunion)? Not saying he personally could have helped with the ending but given Kevin basically hid in a corner allowing Stupin to get PJ maybe his influence would have helped.

According to Sasha Alexander in a couple of interviews, she stated Josh was quite upset on Meredith Monroe's last day on set. She also stated in an interview about Joshua Jackson, the only time she ever saw him sad, was Meredith's last day on set.

I am sure the guy who was thrown out of a Carolina Hurricanes game in Raleigh for being drunk and yelling all the way out; I'm Canadian, I'm allowed to get drunk at a hockey game. I'm sure he said something.

The fact that he wore Meredith's picture over his heart, was his way of tweaking the network exec's noses, Remember this happened quite a bit after Meredith left.

Good point about Jen. If one was to be technical, Jen was Dawson's first love. I have always thought the reason they broke up, Jen wasn't a virgin, was ridiculous. I know in my dating years my girlfriend being a virgin was a non issue. I never even thought about it and really did not care. It was more on how she conducted herself while she was with me. I know that sounds very controlling, but I did not mean it in a controlling sense. More or less how we got along.

Not at all, I totally understand what you mean. So true about the reason they broke up. It really was ridiculous. I always hated how the show inferred Jen was too wild and too sexual for Dawson. Of course we see Jen start messing around with Pacey too like she didn't deserve a decent relationship. Look at the rest of the bozos she dated. It was not a coincidence they paired her up with guys who would, in the end, make her look stupid and not worthy. They did the character of Jen so dirty and by extension, Michelle Williams, too. TPTB look like idiotic fools.

Like I said... noticing the difference in casts between OTH and DC ... night and day.

They retconned things later to imply that Gretchen was Dawson's first love, but actually Dawson and Jen breaking up the first time was due to Jen breaking up with him because she was afraid of being in a serious relationship, but Dawson had judged her harshly before that when it was revealed that she wasn't a virgin. Jen, and Michelle Williams really did get treated badly on the show, almost from the very beginning.