'Dawson's Creek' was initially refreshing when it first hit the screens- being much better than the silly 'Party of Five' and the closest thing to the cancelled classic 'My So Called Life'. I take it the creator, Kevin Williamson- whose intertextuality and post-modern practice is becoming tedious with the march of time- was thinking of 'Dawson's Landing' from Mark Twain's 'Puddn'head Wilson'?
The first series was a quite charming look at a teenage utopia- why teens in the late 1990's would be hung up on John Hughes films like 'The Breakfast Club' & '16 Candles' in the same way as Jay & Silent Bob is confusing. Or is it just the writers, no doubt in their late 20's/early 30's vicariously reliving their youth through this utopic vision? This might be why I liked it...The best episode in the 1st series was the one where Pacey secretly scoped Joey getting changed- setting groundwork for their liason to come...The second series was better- the darkness of Andie's mental disorder and the accidental death surrounding a crashing & burning Jen made this the grittiest thing since MSCL. We'll forget about the laboured refs to 'The Last Picture Show' & the utopia of Capeside. It got worse- the horrible episode where they applauded their 'framed' teacher. Kerr Smith's character being a diluted take of a homosexual- not as 'dangerous' as MSCL's Ricky. Dawson's parents split up, divorce & get back together. Dawson becomes the most unlikeable lead character since 'Caroline in the City'...Things improved with the charming love affair between Pacey and Joey- the programme's best assets; Michelle Williams is great- why not give her a storyline? (The 'Henry'-subplot thang was desperate). And why have the missing half-sister of Jen turn up, add a bit of sauce to proceedings and then vanish? In fact, the whole programme took a step back- as the teen characters spoke in words more suited to a Woody Allen film, to a backdrop of luxury with Western woes this became an increasingly tedious show. This clashed with the eight-year old approach to sex- obviously the shows makers didn't want to have the plug pulled on them a la MSCL. So we get a mix of Aryan utopians, who resemble a cross between 'Up with People' and 'True Love Waits'. Horrible. Though it is nice to note that cast members extra curricular filmwork is edgy- James Van Der Beek appearing in 'Jay & Silent Bob strike Back' & being cut from a homosexual story in 'Storytelling', while Michelle Williams is in 'Prozac Nation' and Katie Holmes did some wonderful European style acting in 'The Gift' & 'The Ice Storm' (on-screen nudity is a good thing!)...By the time we get to series four, the programme is dead- Joey & Pacey are together (though not having sex. Very likely!) and we get a tedious pro-life take on abortion. Plus the excerable 'E'-episode. Apparently Jen was really wild before she came to Capeside- when she was about 12 or 13 then? She did 'X'. Andie decides to take it up. The awful new resident supplies her. We cut to a rave- very unconvincing, unlike 'Go' or 'Clubbed to Death'. They play 'Block Rockin Beats' (from 1997) constantly. Andie whites out etc...This programme is like 'Just Say No'- the 'moral' lesson of each episode is nauseating- at least MSCL rang true. This is a wet dream of todays kids. Still, I suppose they'll grow out of it- like I did...Pity, cos American drama can be good- and it would be nice to see something that captures the truth about the teenage years. Heck, it makes John Hughes films seem like 'I Vitteloni'!
The first series was a quite charming look at a teenage utopia- why teens in the late 1990's would be hung up on John Hughes films like 'The Breakfast Club' & '16 Candles' in the same way as Jay & Silent Bob is confusing. Or is it just the writers, no doubt in their late 20's/early 30's vicariously reliving their youth through this utopic vision? This might be why I liked it...The best episode in the 1st series was the one where Pacey secretly scoped Joey getting changed- setting groundwork for their liason to come...The second series was better- the darkness of Andie's mental disorder and the accidental death surrounding a crashing & burning Jen made this the grittiest thing since MSCL. We'll forget about the laboured refs to 'The Last Picture Show' & the utopia of Capeside. It got worse- the horrible episode where they applauded their 'framed' teacher. Kerr Smith's character being a diluted take of a homosexual- not as 'dangerous' as MSCL's Ricky. Dawson's parents split up, divorce & get back together. Dawson becomes the most unlikeable lead character since 'Caroline in the City'...Things improved with the charming love affair between Pacey and Joey- the programme's best assets; Michelle Williams is great- why not give her a storyline? (The 'Henry'-subplot thang was desperate). And why have the missing half-sister of Jen turn up, add a bit of sauce to proceedings and then vanish? In fact, the whole programme took a step back- as the teen characters spoke in words more suited to a Woody Allen film, to a backdrop of luxury with Western woes this became an increasingly tedious show. This clashed with the eight-year old approach to sex- obviously the shows makers didn't want to have the plug pulled on them a la MSCL. So we get a mix of Aryan utopians, who resemble a cross between 'Up with People' and 'True Love Waits'. Horrible. Though it is nice to note that cast members extra curricular filmwork is edgy- James Van Der Beek appearing in 'Jay & Silent Bob strike Back' & being cut from a homosexual story in 'Storytelling', while Michelle Williams is in 'Prozac Nation' and Katie Holmes did some wonderful European style acting in 'The Gift' & 'The Ice Storm' (on-screen nudity is a good thing!)...By the time we get to series four, the programme is dead- Joey & Pacey are together (though not having sex. Very likely!) and we get a tedious pro-life take on abortion. Plus the excerable 'E'-episode. Apparently Jen was really wild before she came to Capeside- when she was about 12 or 13 then? She did 'X'. Andie decides to take it up. The awful new resident supplies her. We cut to a rave- very unconvincing, unlike 'Go' or 'Clubbed to Death'. They play 'Block Rockin Beats' (from 1997) constantly. Andie whites out etc...This programme is like 'Just Say No'- the 'moral' lesson of each episode is nauseating- at least MSCL rang true. This is a wet dream of todays kids. Still, I suppose they'll grow out of it- like I did...Pity, cos American drama can be good- and it would be nice to see something that captures the truth about the teenage years. Heck, it makes John Hughes films seem like 'I Vitteloni'!