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Study Hall #14 - Season 6 Recap



Here we are, nearing the end of the road... This Study Hall is a long one, but we think it's just because we're savoring these last few episodes of our podcast! This week, we recap the season that was and argue about our character rankings.

Charles' final series finale predictions:
  • There is a wedding (and it's Joey’s wedding to either Dawson or Pacey)
  • The other characters are all single (or at least not in a committed relationship)
  • Dawson will be a director 
  • Pacey is a restauranteur 
  • Joey will be in a Ph.D. program, studying Comparative Literature
  • Jen and Jack are working together in New York, possibly running a non-profit 
  • Audrey is a TV personality (and divorced from Todd)
  • Grams is alive! 
  • Lily, Alexander, Bessie, Bodie, and Gail will all be present for the wedding
Episode links:
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.

Comments

  1. "these last few episodes of our podcast" :sobs:

    I am so here for these long episodes! :D

    #nospoilersforcharles (although I saw from social media that you've already watched the finale by now) but I am loving his predictions! I cannot wait to listen to this episode.

    also cannot wait to hear what charles thinks of some specific things in the finale, and for you two to discuss it, hopefully for awhile. this series finale is one of my favorire finales ever. so sad you're ending, but I have loved listening to this pod for two years, and I know I'll be re-listening multiple times!

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  2. Grams' relationship with Clifton Smalls was so underdeveloped especially considering her attitude towards interracial relationships in season 1 - that was prime territory for exploring changes in attitudes, and they never even went there.

    Ms Mojo just released a new list of "Top 10 Unforgettable Dawson's Creek Moments" and it's actually pretty accurate. I am completely here for #1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_ftJLTeszY

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    1. Ooh can't wait to watch this! Completely agree about Clifton Smalls :(

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    2. That Ms Mojo list actually wasn't that bad! We kind of agree with it too :)

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  3. I loved the long study hall episode! Charles' ranking of the characters made me sad though, the comments about Pacey especially. Poor old Pacey - physically and verbally abused by his dad for many, many years, no wonder he went looking for alternative role models and was attracted to assholes. Given his background, I think him excelling in two prestigious careers so quickly is pretty good going! Yes he became not a great person in his stockbroker career but I can totally see how he got sucked in, after being told he was worthless for so many years, I'm not surprised he jumped on the praise and adulation so quickly.

    Dawson on the other hand, was constantly told he was the best man and filmmaker to ever walk the earth by everyone who loved him. No wonder he had the confidence and time to pursue his dreams. There were no real stakes if he didn't. Boo hoo that he had a setback and had to start from scratch again. Luckily AS ALWAYS all his friends, family and a Hollywood director rallied round to help him whilst kissing his ass and it all worked out fine for him. Pacey had to beg, borrow and barter just to get somewhere to sleep in Capeside.

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    1. Ah I'm going to miss this discussion of Dawson's Creek with such like-minded individuals! I completely agree with you about Pacey. There is such a deep undercurrent of sadness to his character that is so often glossed over (including by Pacey himself) but deep down he just wants desperately to be loved, and is constantly trying to earn approval from the people in his life, often twisting and changing his own personality to fit with what he thinks they want from/expect of him. I really don't like the stockbroker storyline and I wish they hadn't done it, especially because as Charles said, they had already touched on many of the same themes in the previous season when he was a chef.

      Dawson's friends only love him because the show requires it in order to keep him relevant to the plot (and even then, it struggles). He does next to nothing to earn or deserve their devoted friendship over the years, IMO. I'd have liked season 6 to show Dawson realising that he's distanced himself from his friends and having to earn back the friendship that he took for granted for so long and then completely squandered in favour of pursuing his own ambition. There are people in your life that you're super close to when you're young who gradually become the people that you used to know. Friendships need to be worked at and maintained. Some of my best friends are still people I went to high school with, and while we don't necessarily have a huge amount in common anymore, we've always made an effort over the years to be there for each other and support each other, despite 2/5 of the group now living overseas. While there's a certain amount of friendship that becomes habit, if you didn't get anything out of the relationship, you wouldn't keep working at it. Why Pacey continually tries to stay friends with Dawson is still a mystery to me, except that Pacey's self-esteem is damaged enough to still want Dawson's forgiveness and approval, despite the way Dawson has treated him for years. Another reason why Pacey is inherently a bigger and better person than D.

      Slight sidenote: I was listening to a Buffy podcast this morning and they were talking about one of her (many) toxic boyfriends. It was interesting because I liked the guy in question when I first watched the show, and sometimes I still find it a bit challenging to really read between the lines and recognise his behaviour for what it was, as I find myself caught between "I see what you're saying on this podcast" and my memories of having no issue with this character's behaviour (mostly because the show frames him so squarely as a 'good guy'). So I asked myself "What would Pacey have done in this situation?" and "Can I picture Pacey behaving this way, or is this Dawson-esque behaviour?" Because it was something I just couldn't fathom Pacey saying or doing, but completely recognised as absolutely the way Dawson would behave, I was able to click into "yes this guy does suck". Dawson and Pacey provide me with touchstones for toxic vs positive masculinity. (Buffy desperately needed a Pacey in her life. That show did a lot of things very well, but finding a healthy, positive romantic match for Buffy was never one of them.) Maybe THAT'S what Dawson's Creek taught me. How to recognise and call out the manipulative a-holes in my life, and to show me what good guys really look like. Not that Pacey was perfect, but he's a darn sight better than any of Buffy's boyfriends (or any of the guys in Gilmore Girls, which this pod was also lamenting.)

      Pacey Witter, friend to women. I miss him.

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    2. So much I agree with Kate! I will also miss discussing this show. I wish there was this much discussion of the earlier, better seasons!

      'and is constantly trying to earn approval from the people in his life, often twisting and changing his own personality to fit with what he thinks they want from/expect of him.'

      This is so so true.

      'Dawson's friends only love him because the show requires it in order to keep him relevant to the plot (and even then, it struggles). He does next to nothing to earn or deserve their devoted friendship over the years, IMO'

      Again, preeaaaachh!! I think this show does suffer a lot from being viewed from a) an adult lens and b) a 2020 lens. Teenage me, whilst being a hardcore P/J shipper, thought that Dawson had every right to be super angry and upset about Pacey and Joey running off together 'behind his back'. Adult, 2020 me realises that whilst he would no doubt be hurt, the behaviour he displays is misogynistic and controlling. Kind of going off topic there but it goes back to your point that he doesn't do much to warrant such loyalty amongst the group. Even in Season 2 when he is the 'reluctant hero' to Jen, he's basically just a glorified slut shamer.

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    3. Maybe Traci and Charles just need to start over again...LOL. There is a new podcast called Dawson's Critique that I'm really enjoying, and they literally talk about how they felt about characters and storylines in 1998 when it first aired, vs how they feel about them now. So adding that adult lens and 2020 lens to the show which is really interesting.

      I'm not sure how I felt about Dawson back in the day, I think having had some bad personal experiences with jealous boyfriend types even at that time, that my bullshit tolerance was always pretty low which is part of why I find Dawson so deeply off-putting. As you say, it's okay to be hurt and disappointed. But the way he behaves is deplorable and he never really gets over it. Grow up, Dawson.

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    4. I am loving Dawson's Critique! Dawson's Creeps is another wonderful one.

      I have loved falling back in love with this show thanks to Traci and Charles (now it's one of my favorites), and one of my favorite things is seeing how my views have changed. Like 10 years ago, all I really carded about was PJo. And now, I still do really love PJo, but I also really love Jack and Jen's friendship (and appreciate both of them in general a lot more than I already did, Michelle Williams is a queen).

      I was going back to past episodes from season 2 and it bums me out that we didn't have this much conversation all along. I think it really kicked up in season 3, and that's great and that's my fave season, but the first couple seasons are really good and make for great discussion too.

      Should we have a twitter/social media thread on the next episode?

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    5. We're so glad there are new DC podcasts to continue the discussion and conversation! We've chatted a bit with the Dawson's Critique folks and were hoping to do an LA meet-up, but it looks like outings need to be on hold for awhile...

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  4. I CAN NOT BELIEVE CHARLES MADE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE SERIES WITHOUT HITTING THE BIGGEST SPOILER OF THE SHOW!!! I mean how could he be spoiled about Mitch's death and not (!?!?!?!?!) Next week's podcast is going to hurt so good, I can't wait! Definitely doing a finale rewatch this weekend in preparation.

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    1. I know! It's seriously impressive. Way to go Charles!

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    2. right?!??! like, way to go charles. I cannot wait to listen and hear what he thinks. and I really love this finale, so can't wait to hear him and traci discuss in general.

      I'm also going to do a finale rewatch this weekend to prep! I just bought the same special edition dvd from amazon that traci has and it should get here well before the weekend and I cannot wait to watch. I think I've seen the cut scenes at some point, but not within the rest of the finale.

      like sara said, next week is going to hurt so good.

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    3. #JusticeForTheDeletedSeriesFinaleScenes

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