Dawson's Speak

As much as we loved season 3, season 4 is probably our favorite. Across the board, there were more consistently good episodes and more new characters we loved (even if we had to say goodbye to them, sigh). We aren't thrilled about the direction the Pacey/Joey ship went and we hate, hate, HATE  what happened to Andie, but the fact that season 4 gave us a main character we could genuinely root for was a nice change. If you've made it this far in our Dawson's Creek  journey – thank you!! We love you all and can't wait to embark on the college years together. From Traci:  "I'll be honest, the college years aren't super fresh in my mind, so a lot of the next two seasons will be like both Charles and I are both watching it for the first time." See you all next week for season 5!! Episode links: #NoSpoilersForCharles Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonsspeakpod@gmail.com , call us at 732-98-CREEK, ...

After last week's episode, this felt like a bit of a swerve, although saying goodbye to your friends is a pretty big part of leaving home... That being said, we have a confession to make: From Charles:  "A preview for the study hall next week: Season 4 has been the best season." From Traci:  "While editing, I think we were a little harder on this episode than we really felt about it – at least for me. Like I said, I think Dawson's Creek  does a really good job of capturing the feeling of what it's like to be a teenager, and they do this big goodbye stuff well, even though the pacing continues to feel a little off to me. Also, I didn't say this in the episode but...I'm glad the writers didn't take this in the direction of season 1 and just have Dawson stay behind in Capeside for Joey (or for anyone else, really). He's right: it's time to move forward and the USC summer program will be a great opportunity!" Also... we'r...

ANDIE IS BACK!! We're so happy! Even if it's only for just this one episode! Sigh. What a whirlwind of a season we've gone on, and even though it isn't over yet, this high school graduation episode is a great way to wrap up a lot of loose ends. The Leerys are happy and well-adjusted, Joey gave a wonderful speech, Pacey graduated, Jack is happy, and Andie is living her best life. What more could we want? (Aside from more Andie.) Side note: the episode/storyline we blanked on while talking about Mr. Kasdan was from 4x10 - Self-Reliance . Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonsspeakpod@gmail.com , call us at 732-98-CREEK, or find us at @dawsonsspeakpod on Twitter and Facebook .

We have a lot to say this week, beginning with: prom on a boat is a bad idea!! From Charles: "I’m going to leave all the serious stuff for the pod and go back to one of my most regular criticisms of this show: Why is the boy’s formal wear always so dour?? It’s prom, and they’re all wearing all black. No date matching at all! And Dawson’s clothes don’t even fit well. He looks like a chocolate bar." So generally every school dance we've seen on Dawson's Creek  hasn't gone well, but at least Jack and Tobey got a happy ending this time. What do you all think about the explosion of emotions all over senior prom? Did the Pacey stuff happen to abruptly? Do you wish we could've seen more of Jen dealing with the aftermath of New York? Do we deserve more development on the Jack/Tobey front? Also, if anyone has a link to the original clip of Jack and Tobey's kiss with Dido's "Take My Hand," let us know! Episode links: Dawson's Creek  mu...

We're back! And not a moment too... late . (Ha, ha, get it?) Has anyone ever done a "naming shower"? Is that really a thing? The only sense of a ritual we got was when Gram's did that "old school" sonogram thing with a piece of string to try and determine if the baby was a boy or a girl. From Traci:  "I've never heard of a 'naming shower,' but that seems like it could be fun. Although most people I know who've had babies keep their name selection process quiet because they don't want too many outside opinions ruining things. It's no fun to decide a name and then have your cousin or someone be like, 'Oh yeah, I knew someone with that name once and they were a terrible person.' For the purposes of this episode though, I would've brought the names Willow and Brian to the shower. I don't know why – I just like those names." We also have some new designs at our store ! Episode links: Songwriter Interv...

Happy Senior Ditch Day! We didn't experience Senior Ditch Day when we were in high school – does it really get this dramatic?? Oh, and someone tell us: did  Jen ever talk about Annie (the downstairs neighbor) before?? Charles is convinced this was part of Jen's storyline in the past, but Traci has no recollection of it. It would've been cool if the writers had been playing a long game with Jen's story, but seeing as how there were so many ups and downs between seasons 2 and 3, that might not be the case... Also, there are  more  sales at  our store  happening through the weekend! ( Find our store FAQ post here , in case you missed it.) Episode links: An open apology to Jen on ‘Dawson’s Creek’ (New York Post) Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonsspeakpod@gmail.com , call us at 732-98-CREEK, or find us at @dawsonsspeakpod on Twitter and Facebook .

We're back! Two weeks off was nice, but we missed you all – and oh boy, what an episode to come back to. Dawson gets into USC! Joey gets into Worthington! Jack and Jen get into literally every college ever! But because this is Capeside, nothing ever stays too happy for too long. Sigh. Episode links: Submit your questions: ask us anything (anonymously)! Mary Beth Peil on Katie Holmes, Tom Cruise, Chris Noth, and How Opera and Broadway Led to ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘The Good Wife’ (The Daily Beast) Also, there's a sale at  our store  this week! ( Find our store FAQ post here , in case you missed it.) Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonsspeakpod@gmail.com , call us at 732-98-CREEK, or find us at @dawsonsspeakpod on Twitter and Facebook .

How do you solve a problem like unresolved tension between Dawson/Joey/Pacey/Gretchen? We still don't know because they continue to...not communicate. Well! Gretchen tries and then it just all kind of backfires at her... From Traci:  "It really irks me that Dawson sees Joey losing her virginity as 'the final nail in the coffin' of his and Joey's relationship. I know we should be all, 'Never say never!' and you never know if things will work out someday, but Dawson's in a relationship! Joey's in a relationship! The idea of the two of them being in a relationship together shouldn't even be on the table! It's so unfair to the Witters." From Charles:  "I have had a history of liking bad men on this show, so take this with a grain of salt, but part of me hopes we saw Gretchen effect change on Dawson this episode? Earlier on, when she drinks his coffee, she complains that there’s never enough 'coffee in his coffee' (I assum...

We're coming off of a very long news week, and Dawson's Creek  is always a nice reprieve from "the real world" – so don't mistake our exasperation with the show writers as being annoyance. We still love it! We're just also anxious! From Traci:  "It has gotten a little more difficult to talk about the episode and the arc of the season when I know what's coming and Charles doesn't, but I'm also starting to realize there's quite a bit of the little details I've forgotten. So if I misspeak or if I say something that seems misleading to Charles, it's most likely not intentional! I just forgot!" So we're generally curious: do people like the format of "Four Stories"? There are definite pros and cons to it, as we discuss on the podcast, but overall we're not too  mad at it. We still lose some of the other characters in the same way, which could be bad (i.e. Jack) or good (i.e. Drue). From Charles:  "Lis...

First thing's first: sorry, we forgot the name of 3x17 - Cinderella Story. It's not Cinderella Tale . Second: please don't hate us for being frustrated with parts of this episode :( Third, from Charles:  "Re: Jen’s clumsiness on the ice – There’s no reason for her not to be able to walk on ice! As someone who’s lived in New York for three years, you get really good at walking on snow that’s melted and frozen over again. I once slipped on some stairs while carrying food and taught myself without spilling anything. Capeside’s made Jen soft." Episode links: "Ode to Billy Joe (cover)" - Paula Cole Paula Cole's tour announcement & "I Don't Wanna Wait" acoustic Instagram video Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonsspeakpod@gmail.com , call us at 732-98-CREEK, or find us at @dawsonsspeakpod on Twitter and Facebook .

We'll be honest with you: we didn't really like this episode. Except for a few touching and funny moments, it felt almost filler-y – and we say this being huge fans of Dawson/Gretchen! But there was just something missing from this storyline, we think... From Traci: "To be honest, I don't know what exactly could've been done to make this episode more compelling. Maybe set the Dawson/Gretchen/friends outing in a different time and place? I know the writers wanted to work in that tension of Dawson not being 21 by setting it at a club, but it feels like it could've been stronger if we got more of an arc or story with Kira and Jessica in Capeside. As is, I just didn't get much out of them being there." Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonsspeakpod@gmail.com , call us at 732-98-CREEK, or find us at @dawsonsspeakpod on Twitter and Facebook .

We didn't think Pacey's birthdays could get any worse after that disastrous 16th birthday, but then this episode happened. At least Dawson showed up for the party and didn't forget about his birthday this time! Also, one of The Five Things on Traci's #NoSpoilersForCharles spoilers list has been...spoiled. Sigh. Episode links: Everything Busy Philipps Says About ‘Dawson’s Creek’ in Her New Book Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonsspeakpod@gmail.com , call us at 732-98-CREEK, or find us at @dawsonsspeakpod on Twitter and Facebook .

It's 2001 and Dawson just keeps growing and maturing and also NOW SAVING YOU MONEY! Yes, you can use the code DAWSON this week (Oct. 15-22) at our store for 25% off your purchase! OK but seriously: back to the episode at hand... Dawson tells Pacey he has feelings for Gretchen, who's going back to college to get her car and close the door on her past with Nick. Also, there was a C storyline about Joey and Drue that we didn't really care for. From Charles:  "I'm glad we got such a Gretchen episode this week! I love her, but the show hadn't given her much character time, and I was worried she was going to end up full Manic Pixie Dream Girl (though, I guess she's not really manic or a pixie). I hear we get even MORE Witter family matters soon? Can't wait." From Traci:  "I would watch a full spin-off series about Gretchen in a heartbeat. She's such a compelling protagonist and I loved seeing her realize why she needed to say goodbye to...

If you missed the announcement... we have merch! RIP us loving Joey Potter. Sigh. From Charles: "I still can’t get over the fact that Mr. Kasdan let Joey retake her test! AP classes are normally averaged one point higher on the GPA scale, so it probably would not have hurt Joey that much, and as I’ve said on pod before, I believe in lessons through consequences. A lower grade probably wouldn’t have been a big deal anyway: They way college applications worked for me was you applied in the fall semester of your senior year, and the school makes a decision based on that information. As long as you didn’t fail any classes in the spring, you were fine. Though maybe Joey needs her rank for scholarships? I hope she learned her lesson." From Traci: "I keep forgetting this fact, but when we first met Joey in season 1, she was in love  with Dawson. Like, so much so that it kept her from being nice to Jen for nearly 2 and a half seasons! I feel like it's easy to forge...

"People are as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Dawson Leery via Abraham Lincoln , allegedly. From Charles:  "I went on a quest to figure out the provenance of 'kiss kiss bang bang,' and it was a lot more difficult than I was expecting! Most of the easily discoverable links now are about the 2005 film , but thanks to a Roger Ebert review (RIP), I learned that the phrase refers to the late film critic Pauline Kael, who was VERY influential, and whose second book (the one Mr. Brooks gives to Dawson) is titled Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  Those four words, she wrote (according to Ebert) , 'are perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic appeal of the movies. The appeal is what attracts us and ultimately makes us despair when we begin to understand how seldom movies are more than this.' Hopefully Dawson can finish the book before his essay is due." From Traci:  "We had an audio hiccup during a discussion about Mr. Brooks and Daws...

First thing's first: Here are four links to learn more about donating to Hurricane Florence relief. The first is to Google’s matching donation page , which will match money donated up to $1 million. The money will be donated to the Red Cross. The second is a long list of nonprofits handling Florence response, with charity ratings. The final two are local charities in the Carolinas: a housing-related one , and a food bank-related one.  Second: yes, we pretty much used the term "Googling" in this episode to mean general internet searching. We know it would've been more accurate to say "Ask Jeeves-ing" ha. OK so this is a very stylized episode – the kind we've gotten used to seeing sprinkled throughout Dawson's Creek . (Think season 1 "Detention" and season 3 "Indian Summer" ...) And, to be honest, this one is a fun one. We liked how it was laid out and how all three of the boys' stories still moved their characters ...

First thing's first: to all of our listeners and friends in the path of Hurricane Florence – give us a shout to let us know you're doing OK! Our friends, The Del Zorros – who currently live in the "Leery house" in Wilmington – shared with us a few days ago that they were safe, despite the storm. "This ol' house has survived everything #MotherNature could throw at her since 1880," they wrote to us on Twitter.   Their most recent update also shows the infamous Leery dock as the creek water rose. Keeping y'all in our thoughts! The somber mood continues for us this week on the podcast where we say goodbye to two McPhees... From Charles:  "I present, a eulogy for Mr. McPhee (I know he’s not dead in canon, but I can’t help it): Joseph McPhee was not the best dad in the world. As Traci has convinced me, he probably wasn’t even the best dad on Dawson’s Creek . But he was the one I loved the most, and he is one that I will miss. Joseph McPhee ...

This wasn't really a Very Special Episode, but it might as well have been a Very Special Episode. Basically, there's a rave and things go very, very bad. From Charles: “Do we ever see a good party in this show? That season one beach party ends with Pacey punching someone hitting on drunk Joey. Dawson’s birthday party in season two ends up with him way too drunk. Chris Wolfe’s parties are a mess. Season three is full of strippers, and now Andie’s going to the hospital? #DawsonsCreekTaughtMe never party.” There's certainly a lot of conflicts that pop up in this episode, and they won't be disappearing anytime soon. We guess the question now is: what will happen to Andie, and who will really be held responsible? One thing's for sure is that this puts Jen back in that challenging spot she seems find herself in a lot: part of the group, but never really  part of the group. From Traci:  "To me, Jen Lindley is one of the most relatable characters on this show....

This week was a pretty heavy episode and felt like a sudden shift in tone and direction for the season. We're not saying it was all bad – there's actually a fair amount we did enjoy! But we would've preferred a more gradual lead into it... As Charles noted, this episode was like...getting hit in the face with a bag of molasses...? From Charles: "Re: Getting hit in the face with a bag molasses. I think it’s a fitting metaphor for this episode! This seriousness comes out of nowhere, kind of like being slapped in the face. Everything is heavy and thick! Like.. molasses." From Traci:  "I think the 'molasses' metaphor Charles was trying to make was that watching this episode felt like trudging through a vat of molasses or something. It just felt very heavy and like...a lot. I don't know, is molasses even stored in bags? The imagery that came to my head was one of those burlap sacks used to take money out of Scrooge McDuck's vault filled with ...

Everyone is panicking over college application season, but no one is more worried for everyone else than Andie is. Good thing there's a fun party to keep everyone's minds off of it (kind of)! From Traci: "We kind of talked about this in recording, but I didn't get to say that the night before I took the SATs, I told my parents I was studying but I was really watching The Perfect Score . I mean... I got into college and graduated, so let's not talk about those poor test scores." It's nice to see a show set during high school getting us back into high school storylines – although bummer for Jack that his football season may have come to a quick end. Maybe he can get back into art...? Episode links: Paula Cole announces Amen 2 ! A critic's review of Amen  from back in the day... (Entertainment Weekly) Promo: Dawson's Creek  4x04 - Future Tense Got something to say? Leave it in the comments below, or you can email us at dawsonssp...