The Greatest Show on Earth pt. 2

I know, I know... you've been anxiously waiting for this all day right?

Well, wait no further; the exciting conclusion to my epic Dawson's Creek post is here. Let's get right to it:

--Capeside High must have the longest sophomore year on the planet. The core four were sophomores for two entire seasons...

--This show is constantly poking fun at itself with discussions of the ridiculousness of cliff-hangers, the false-seriousness of teen dramas and their vocabulary being too big for its own good.

--I think James van der Beek might have a pretty good singing voice. You have to listen close, but when you've seen these episodes as many times as I have, you've got time to do that.

--I think it's odd that the Eve-being-Jen's-long-lost-stepsister-she-never-knew-she-had storyline falls away in one episode and never returns again.

--I remain astounded at the fact that Meredith Monroe was thirty-two years old when she took on the role of innocent sixteen-year-old high school sophomore Andie McPhee.

--The older I grow, the more I "get" this show. When I was younger, the literary, artistic, film, and television references were all but lost on me (admittedly, they still occasionally baffle me), but now I appreciate the humor, the innuendos, and the double entendres, and my love for the creek is further enhanced.

--The letter from Joey's mother she read before graduation = sobfest.

--I think it's so amazing the way that these friends always let each other know how proud they are of each other and how much they mean to each other. Incredibly gooby, yes, but really amazing.

--There are some definite moments when Joey is a real downer, Pacey is a real ass, Jen is a real witch, and Dawson is a real snooze.

--As if Pacey is not physically and emotionally attractive enough, the fact that he sails adds so much to his character.

--The music on this show is always so great. They always take the most unknown, obscure artists and songs and seamlessly plug them into the perfect scenes.

--The cutest guys always go to Joey. Think about it: Pacey, Jack, Eddie, Elliott, Charlie, Professor Wilder--all fabulously foxy.

--The way that Pacey reacts to/handles Andie's family situation and personal neuroses is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.

--Dawson is funny sometimes, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't mean to be.

--Jack is also really funny sometimes, but he's more in tune with it, I think.

--As much of a fanatic as I am now, I actually missed the first few seasons when they first aired. Seeing as I was thirteen years old, my mom had a tiny issue with allowing me to watch a show where discussions of sex, marital indescretion, and blasphemy abounded. When I finally was able to creep out from under my mother's thumb a little bit, I still had to tape it, for my exceedingly full extracurricular schedule didn't really allow for a lot of tv time. I think my mother liked it that way...

--It shocks me that Dawson wasn't an honor graduate. His wardrobe alone was enough to propel him into the world of academic excellence.

--There is one episode in the fifth season where, everytime Audrey needs to talk to Joey, she spills food on herself or dumps her entire plate in her lap. This episode is hilarious and never fails to keep me in stitches.

--I love the -isms of the creek: "Cruella DeValentine," "sexiled," "deja-screw," etc...

--"My Grams is dating a sixty-year-old African American man whose name is Clifton Smalls."--Quite possibly one of the best quotes of the entire series.

--I love when Pacey and Jack live with Emma. I'm a big fan of the idea of a male roommate, especially a gay one.

--If there is one thing Pacey Whitter loves it is to throw the perfect punch.

--Without a doubt, the most fabulous aspect of this show is the relationship between Pacey and Joey. When their relationship takes priority in the storyline, I find myself speeding through these episodes with unbelievable fervor.

--Season two is supposedly the second half of sophomore year, yet it is football season and the gang attends Homecoming. Make sense? Not to me either.

--Do guys really exist that are anything like Pacey Whitter? I don't care that he wears Hawaiian shirts or that he humiliated Joey by chewing her out at the senior prom. It's the things like teaching her to drive, buying her a wall, the night spent in K-Mart and the fact that he sails that make Pacey the dreamboat that he is. Ah, swoon...

--When I finish one of my marathons, I find myself talking like Kevin Williamson [Dawson's Creek creator] has written the script for my life. I pretend to be embarrassed, but that's merely a facade.

--"Son or not, Dawson. You are one of my favorite people."--There are not enough Kleenex in the world to soak this one up.

--"Other Joey" is a lot more fun that the actual Joey.

--My favorite episode of the entire series has always been and will forever be the one entitled Castaways, in which Pacey and Joey spend the night locked inside K-Mart.

--Shortly followed by one of the last episodes of the sixth season, entitled Joey Potter and the Capeside Redemption.

--In the final episode of the series, Dawson, Joey and Pacey are in the car. Joey's phone rings, and it is her current boyfriend, Christopher. Dawson says, "And the triangle becomes a square." This could be my favorite line of the entire show.

--It would be hard for me to pinpoint which of the core four I identify with most. At first thought, I leaned toward Dawson, for I also allow myself to get wrapped up in absurd, far-fetched ideals about "the way things should be." However, I can't discount the heavy dose of sarcasm and humor that reside in me, and that brings in a little of Pacey's character. My egocentric, self-centeredness accounts for a little bit of Jen. And I've got a big dose of Joey, too, with my big dreams but sometimes too harsh realism as well as my sometimes less than chipper attitude. Therefore, maybe I'm an eclectic mix of them all. Perhaps that's what the creators were hoping for when they created these characters with strengths and insecurities that could resonate in all of us?