(no subject)

[helsinkibaby]

profshallowness and I were talking about the Dawson's Creek series finale in her LJ, and I wrote out a very long comment for it, which LJ is now not letting me post because it's too long. I therefore reproduce it here, in all it's geeky glory. And yes, I know, it's Dawson's Creek... since you're all going to mock me anyway, let me say it loudly and proudly... I bought the DVD in town on Saturday, watched it on Saturday night, and I feel no shame. I'll keep that for the day that I produce the Doug/Jack fic that's trying to fight its way through my head. But no, for I have too much other stuff to do.




From what I've heard of the extra footage of the finale, it does make more sense than what we got.

Where I really noticed it more so than anywhere else was in the Doug/Jack stuff. We got far more of an insight into their relationship, and there was a great scene between Pacey and Doug where Doug got to put forward his point of view on the whole thing, and it wasn't just Jack's viewpoint, which was what we got in the original cut.

I was sorely disappointed that we got no Andie, really.

Again, she's in the extended cut. Written wonderfully, played wonderfully, and I swear to God, if she had been written like that during her time on the show, I would have not have been dancing around my house singing "Ding dong, the bitch is gone" during her last episode. Really nice scene where she's talking about how much she loves medicine and she just seems so happy and content.

Yes, and I hated them for it, picking the best actress to carry their emotional manipulation and she really was excellent.

Yes, and it bears mentioning several times.

Totally agree with you about Doug/Jack. On a very basic level it was hard to care about a relationship we'd been so suddenly introduced to, even if it involved two longstanding characters.

Especially when it so radically changed our perception of one of the characters; which was my sister's big problem with it. Which is your big problem too, in that --

I'd never really thought Doug was a closeted gay (although Dylan McNeal did great stuff with what he was given.

That's my whole thing. This guy spent six years (six. long. years.) denying to the back teeth that he was gay. Aside from Pacey's relentless teasing of him, and the musical posters in his apartment and his taste in diva music (I'm pretty sure the former is canon; the latter may be from overdosing on fanfic) -- they were the only hints we got, and they were stereotypical at best. He chased Tamara pretty hard in the first season, and the only other hint that we had that he was anything other than straight was in the season three episode where Jack's ex-girlfriend came to visit and he arrested them all, and ended up having a heart-to-heart with Pacey in a jail cell... telling Pacey "There are worse things than a broken heart... like the love you don't explore." There's also the matter of the truly deep self-loathing that he demonstrated in the season six episode where their dad was sick and Pacey came back to Capeside and got him the hospital room and all that... that much self-hatred has to come from somewhere, but it doesn't necessarily have to mean that he's gay. If that makes any kind of sense.

HOW I wish we'd had more Bessie and Doug throughout. Both of them sassing their siblings and becoming 3-D would have been much more fun than Gale's YouAreSoTalented, MySon, YourIce-creamSnuffedDadWouldBeSoProud speeches.)

See, my problem is that I overdosed on fanfic (see above) and someone did a backstory fic where Doug and Bessie dated in high school and it ended up badly... it's a wonderfully done fic, but my main problem is that when I see the two of them, I'm just like "Oh! Canon!"

As you said, it sat weirdly with Pacey's behavious towards Doug. Actually, they dropped the ball on the whole Witter family interaction. I liked the Pacey-Doug-Gretchen dynamic in season 4, except it didn't really make sense in the wider context.

My main problem with that dynamic was that when, in season four, we saw the whole Witter family, it was very bad on poor Pacey and that Doug, who had been really nice and lovely in season three, suddenly reverted to this humungous ass in front of the rest of the family. Really bad characterisation on the part of the writers. Mind you, this is DC, so why should I be surprised?


But apparently Kevin Williamson wanted to, until he realised it was inorganic. (Duh.)

Good Jesus Christ on the cross... there is no way. There is just no way!

The way the writers forced their agendas on plots and characterisation was painful ESPECIALLY with regard to Dawson and their precious romantic geometric shapes.

Don't start me... seriously. I hated, with a fiery passion, the events that went with Joey and Pacey sleeping together for the first time. I never understood (aside from the obvious writers' reasons) why she lied to Dawson about it, without telling him to go jump in a lake. And I especially couldn't understand why she kept clinging onto him even when he was such a colossal ass in season three over her relationship with Pacey... it eludes me completely. Characterisation was something that they kept when it suited them and disregarded when it was convenient (see my comments above on Doug)

I'd have loved to see a genuine friendship developed and maintained between the girls.

You know, with Jen and Joey, I think we got it? And I certainly think we did with Joey and Audrey.

They'd rather tell us that Dawson and Joey were perfect, and soulmates,

Pause while I throw up.

that Jack was this brave gay activist (don't look into Kerr's eyes),

LOL! Did you hear that he had it written into his contract that he would only do one male/male kiss per season? How they got around that for the finale, I have no idea (bonus pay? you'll never have to do this again, I swear type of thing?)

that Pacey/Joey/Jen/Whoever's shiny new love toy/banter object was more important than these bonds that they tried to get back to emphasising in the finale.

I think that's because Williamson left and then came back to write the finale... he knew he had to do something to get back to where they'd started from, and he wrote the finale as such... that's why there was no Audrey, no mention of anyone that he hadn't originated as characters.

Yeah, there really should be a banning of "soulmates", because every time it's used romntically now, I tend to get argumentative.

Argumentative not so much. Just a rolling of the eyes and a general groaning from me. Hellmates is my term of choice.... and at the end, when little Alexander was putting the ladder up to the window? Was it just me, or were you too screaming "Run Alexander! Run as fast as you can!"

Oooh, and also for the DVD, they extended the montage at the end... taking in moments from the six seasons, some of the best bits... Pacey watching Joey sleep was one of them, as was the roadside kiss and them sailing off into the sunset...and Dawson's ugliest cry ever! It's actually worth a look if you can find it anywhere. Me, I just have no willpower, so...