Pace & Jo

It's Valentine's Day and Capeside High is bracing itself for the party of the year - a Bacchanalian anti-Valentine's bash hosted by bad boy Matt Caufield. Pacey convinces Dawson that they must be there, while Joey insists that the whole vibe just isn't her style. Also at the party is Jack's one-time girlfriend Kate, who is visiting Capeside in hopes of recovering from the blow of her recent break-up - her boyfriend announced that he was gay. Jack wrestles with his conscience over whether to tell her about his own homosexuality, while Dawson puts his conscience on ice in order to hook up with the needy Kate.

Meanwhile, Henry scrapes up cash for his big date with Jen by persuading the blood bank to accept yet another pint - only 48 hours after his last visit. Jen, who has been hoping for a storybook evening, has to contend with a dating disaster when Henry's vein drain catches up with him.

TrueLoveBeliever346

This is a cute episode. I like the beginning when Dawson's trying to teach Joey how to drive but he can't. I love Pacey talking Dawson into going to the party and Joey saying how she's going to "make it a blockbuster night", I love when Pacey says, "You know, that sounds like a great idea, Jo. Who are you gonna get to drive ya?" lol. I dunno if it's the way JJ says it or what, but everytime I watch that it makes me laugh. I love what Pacey says to D/J in the jail. So true. I think Joey's starting to realize she may have feelings for Pacey, from the convo she has with Andie in the golf-cart. I think we also get to see Pacey just fall deeper, and I love the butterfly talk he has with Doug. Jen and Henry bore me a little. Dawson doesn't bother me so much, but Joey does. It's so adorable how Pacey goes to Joey's house and is about to tell her how he feels but he freezes and instead teaches her how to drive, so cute.

Juli236

I simply LOVEEEEEE this episode, i love it with all my hart. It´s perfect in every way. Pacey´s drunked speach is hilarious, and show how in love he is with Joey. For me this is the first episode to show that Joey HAS indeed feeling for Pacey, not matter if she even doesn´t know. They are so fllirting with each other in the last sceane. And i love how Joey remember in "A Winter´s Tale" that he teach her to drive...
I like that Dawson is traying to be a little more fun (it´s a pitty that Joey makes him feel bad about it), and I like Jen/Henry just too much.
I love this episode, one of the best from season 3!!!!

COOLCAT200

Ok episode. I liked the opening scene with Joey learning how to drive. Dawson did have a point in Jail when he told Joey she has to let him make some mistakes. I agree this was for me the episode were I felt Joey had feelings for Pacey. The Jen/Henry stuff was just too over the top for me.

Jerry D

Here's my very dated episode commentary from when the episode first aired. Boy, was I wrong when I said "I honestly don’t think that Joey has any romantic feelings for Pacey!"

I found myself to have very mixed feelings about this episode, as the Pacey and Joey “tease” drags on in its maddeningly ambiguous way, and Dawson seems to be completely rudderless and indifferent to everything right now. Like Dawson, I felt rather indifferent to this lackluster episode, although, as always, there were a few good moments that managed to salvage something worthwhile out of the hour.

I thought that Pacey’s bravado at the beginning of the show has started to wear thin, and I think that he has some obvious ulterior motives in trying to “corrupt” Dawson, which I find disheartening, as once again, the show has failed abysmally at portraying any friendship on the show without involving some kind of hidden romantic or competitive subtext. It was obvious that Pacey was “pushing” Dawson into “hooking up” with Kate to make Dawson look bad in Joey’s eyes, but I also felt that Pacey was dead on in his comments about the “Ballad of Dawson and Joey,” though. The writers have dragged out this protracted melodrama far too long, and Pacey perfectly expressed the frustration that so many of us feel with their situation. I also thought that Pacey was right that Joey’s concern for Dawson tends to border on the pathological, and they both need to either get back together, or move on from each other, because the present situation between them has become quite repetitive and uninspiring. I liked the fact that we finally got to see Pacey and Doug relate as brothers, because the constant hostility between them had become so one dimensional. I thought that Pacey sounded more like Dawson though, when he described what might happen if he acted on his feelings for Joey, but Doug was right when he said that you don’t come across many people who can give you “butterflies.” Ah youth! I thought the final scene between Pacey and Joey was sweet and endearing, although I truly didn’t think Pacey really owed her any sort of apology, and it was obvious that he was simply trying to salvage his friendship with her after speaking too frankly to her and Dawson. I thought it was sweet that Joey expressed concern for Pacey “between the banter,” but I honestly don’t think that she has any romantic feelings for him, as she looked clearly worried when it seemed like Pacey was going to express the true nature of his feelings for her, and she seemed very relieved when he couldn’t go through with it and he talked about her method of driving instead. I thought that the writers seemed to be hitting us over the head with the “tease” of a possible “hookup” between Pacey and Joey when they had Andie remark that Joey sounded just like she did just before she started dating Pacey. Once again, I guess it remains to be seen where this all might lead, but at this point, I feel rather apathetic about the writer’s feeble attempt to create a love triangle that’s a pale echo of the Season One love triangle between Dawson, Joey, and Jen.

I thought that the subplot of Henry and Jen to be sweet, but his selling blood to be able to buy her a present was over the top, and I could see from a mile away that Henry was going to end up getting sick. I think that the writers need to do what Henry and Jen agreed to do at the end of the episode, and lighten up. I also think that Henry and Jen don’t have a plausible chance unless they can start relating to each other as equals, because the routine of star struck naïve boy in love with a world weary and jaded girl has gotten stale already. I did like the scene between them in the hospital room, though, and it offered some hope for the future, and Jen proved once again what a warm and sweet person she is. I love Jen! I also liked the interaction between Jen and Grams, and I thought that Grams gave Jen some good advice about Henry, and she undoubtedly inspired Jen to go visit Henry in the hospital room and give him another chance.

I thought that Kate was even more annoying than Andie, and the idea that both of her ex boyfriends were gay really stretched the limits of credibility. I did find it humorous that Kate laughed at Dawson’s halfhearted attempt to “take advantage of her situation,” and that she told him to stop whining and take action.

As always, Jack came across as the best in this episode, and I thought it was hilarious when he broke the news to her that he was gay, and when Kate told Jack that they had “been together” and that “he was good”, the expression on Andie’s face was priceless. I also liked the final scene between Kate and “Jackers,” and his concern for her was very endearing. Like Kate said, gay or straight, Jack is a world class human being, and Jack and Jen are now by far my favorite characters on the show.

I was glad to see Mitch finally put his foot down with Dawson, and Dawson needs to learn that reckless and irresponsible actions have consequences. Dawson seemed virtually invisible in this episode, and I hope they give him a better story line soon.

Overall, I considered this episode to be a let down from the last few previous excellent episodes, but I still love the show, and I just try to enjoy it as much as I can, while continuing to share my honest opinion about what I feel is good, and bad, about the show with all of you.

TrueLovePJer

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with this comment Jerry D. I don't think Pacey was at all trying to make Dawson look bad in a selfish attempt to make himself look good in front of Joey. I think Pacey's intent was honestly to get Dawson a little action before he died. I mean, we have to remember that these kids are in high school, even though they talk like worldly scholars, and that's just what boys in high school do sometimes. I know Capeside was a magical place, but kids in high school drink and hook up and I think the writers were probably just trying to put a little realism into the show.

I love how your commentaries are all from when they first aired because they are honest and unbiast and I'm sure lots of people felt the same way at that time. But I specifically liked this part because it ended up that the love triangle between Pacey, Joey, and Dawson, in my opinion, is what saved Dawson's Creek from that disaster called Eve and ended up being the most popular and most controversial storyline until the series finale.

COOLCAT200

But it's sad for me when look what happened to poor Andie because if it. She was cast aside and castoff.

hshapir2

word. Also, don't forget that Joey wasn't even there when Pacey takes Dawson aside and talks about Kate. Joey said she wasn't coming and she doesn't show up until after. It had nothing to do with Joey. That argument doesn't even work Jerry

Jerry D

It's not an argument, it's what I felt at the time. I don't have the time or the desire to re-watch these old episodes and post new comments about them, and I only have Season 1 on DVD, so I'm posting my old comments. In hindsight, my views have changed quite a bit, but I was a die-hard D/Jer back then, so a lot of my views were definitely influenced by that.

TrueLovePJer

Yeah, even though I'm a PJer, I think if Andie had stayed on the creek, the writers could have thought up some interesting plot lines for her in Season 5. I'd actually would have preferred Pacey hooking up with Andie during the college years than Audrey.

TrueLovePJer

Ahhh again so sorry for the double post, but thank you hshapir for agreeing and I thought the same thing about Joey not even being there when Pacey and Dawson had the conversation about Kate.

COOLCAT200

That's ok Jerry I enjoy seeing what you thought back when this stuff was airing.

jopace1970

I like the fact that Pacey hooked up with someone new. Audrey brought some much needed fresh air to the show, imo.



I love this episode soo much. Pacey and Jackers were definitely my favorite in this one. Oh, and I love the Dougie and Pacey bonding scene. Hee.


He did, didn't he?

Faye4Josh

I have mixed feelings about this episode. I love the PJ Scene at the end, and the Pacey and Doug scene in the cell. However, Joey is so annoying in this episode when she's like "You kissed her??? Dawson, what were you thinking???" I just think leave him alone!!! It seems like her sudden extreme protection has just come out of nowhere. All he is doing is kissing a girl, thats what teenagers do at parties. I found Kate kind of annoying at times but I did like hers and Jack's scene at the end. I thought the Henry and Jen stuff was quite sweet, especially their end scene.
Love it when Pacey finds Doug to find out where the party is and Doug is listening to that music in the car and he says "Is that not the voice of a diva???" Also love it when Jack finds out the password and he goes "I know Kung Fu" then he does that nod thing, I find it really great

Pace & Jo

I love reading your old commentaries Jerry. Although your opinion has changed, it's still nice to read what you thought when the episode first aired.

I liked this episode, it isn't one of my favorites, but definitely worth watching. The opening scene with Joey, Dawson, and Pacey was cute. I thought that it was funny that Pacey insulted Joeys college bo for not taking her out on Valentine's Day, then slyly asked her to join them for the evening. Joey declining and wanting to make it a "Blockbluster" night, without being able to drive was humorous. I never quite understood why Bessie couldn't have taken her to Blockbuster.

I liked how they incorporated Star Wars and Wayne's World all in one scene. "I know Kung-Fu" was quite humorous. I can understand why Pacey, Dawson, and Jack would want to go to an anti-Vday party. Pacey has fallen in love with a girl that he can never be with, Dawson hasn't had any play for who knows how long, and Jack's sexual preference doesn't really leave him many choices, residing in Capeside especially.

What really got on my nerves was Joey tagging along just to keep an eye out for Dawson. People need to experience new things to be able to grow as a person. Her wanting to keep him just the way he is forever just isn't healthy and I believe that she always wanted him to be that 15 year old Speilberg obsesed boy next door.

Kate was way too needy. Just because her gay boyfriend dumped her doesn't mean that she should be able to tag along and ruin everyone elses night.

I loved the scene when Pacey was doing a keg stand and Deputy Doug strolls up to him with the look of "what the hell are you doing" on his face.

The whole gang being locked up in jail was great. Paceys rant in jail was right on target. I know that I was tired of watching the D/J drama and I felt sorry for Pacey being stuck in the middle. Especially since he was getting "butterflies" from Joey.

Jen and Henry... not so great. Henry... annoying... Jen... deserved a better Valentine's Day. I did like the "Jello" scene though.

The ending scene between Pacey and Joey was, of course, my favorite. Joey being worried about Pacey and telling him to read between the banter made my heart do flips. I thought that it was very symbolic that Pacey was able to teach Joey how to drive and Dawson wasn't. To me, that was simply stating that Joey related to Pacey more and really payed attention when he spoke.