Dawson's Creek - Season 2, Episode 1

"Joey and I are delighted that you took it upon yourself to third-wheel it on our first date."

"The Kiss"
Original airdate: 10/7/1998

Episode summary: Dawson and Joey go on their first official date. Pacey meets Andie McPhee, a teenager new to Capeside. Mitch admits to Shaggy D.A. that he's contemplating divorce.

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Recap: Dawson and Joey gaze at each other in wonderment after their Season 1 finale smooch...and when Dawson asks, "What now?", Joey's eyes glaze over as she mutters, "I dunno." When Dawson asks her if she regrets the kiss, she bitchily retorts that she doesn't have a thought in her head right now - [insert joke about Joey's empty-headedness here] - and assumes the remark implies that he regrets kissing her. She suggests they sleep on it, in separate beds, but he tells her to not even think about climbing through his bedroom window, and puckers up for a follow-up smooch.

The next morning, Joey and Dawson wake up in their respective beds staring happily into space, while Mitch wakes up to find Shaggy D.A. staring at him...and, OMFG, her over-poofed disheveled rat's nest is looking shaggier than ever. When he's all, "Why are you staring at me?", she tells him she has time to spare for a little marital hanky panky 'cause she's not due at the news station until later...then proceeds to mount him. He quickly puts the brakes on her advances and says he has to get showered for an early meeting and leaves a poutish Shaggy D.A. staring despondently into space.

Bessie remarks to Joey that she's in a rare good mood and asks if it has anything to do with where she was last night. Joey gets all smiley and tells her about the kiss - at the same time Dawson is spilling the beans to Pacey while the two are getting their hair washed and cut. Bessie asks Joey if she's still going to Paris this summer - at the same time Pacey is gazing across the salon to ogle Kristy Livingstone (Capeside High's hottest blonde it girl) and says Dawson and Joey hooking up means that any hookup is possible, then decides he needs a new look and asks the hair stylist to frost his tips.

Sporting newly frosted tips, Pacey decides to trail after Kristy while driving his brother's police car when a teenage girl [who we soon learn is new girl in town, Andie McPhee] driving a convertible accidentally smashes into him. She leaps out of the car and is all, "OMG! I'm soooo sorry. Please don't revoke my license! I just got it", and Pacey tries to look as authoritative as possible and refers to her as "little miss" before asking to see her registration and license. He berates her about the severity of what she's just done, threatens to take her in and book her, but ultimately "allows" the incident to slide. He warns that if she causes anymore trouble in town "Officer Pacey's coming after you", and she profusely thanks him for his understanding and scampers back to her car.

"I'm so sorry I smashed into your car, Officer."

"That's Officer Pacey to you, little miss."

At school, Dawson greets Joey at her locker, and the two get all in each others' faces and beam happily close up. Joey announces that she made the dumb decision to turn down the opportunity to spend the summer in Paris, and Dawson woots happily, gives her a big hug, and calls himself a very lucky guy. Joey wonders aloud if they're making "a massive monumental mistake" by starting up this [ill-fated and obnoxious] romance, but Dawson breezily assures her it's all good, then suggests that tonight they go on a proper date to the Rialto, which is about to close permanently. Joey mulls the offer over - just as Jen lumbers by to inform them that Gramps finally slipped away, and that Grams is handling his death a lot better than she is. She then says she doesn't feel like staying at school any longer and is going home where she can mope in private.

Andie spots Pacey holding court in the hall and wanders over to sarcastically say hello to "Officer Pacey". As Pacey cackles at the earlier fun he had at her expense, Andie points out that it's illegal to impersonate an officer, then complains that she suffered major anxiety after believing she was in trouble with the law. Pacey reminds her that she did cause the accident - just as Kristy ambles by. As Pacey visibly salivates after the blonde hottie, Andie says she's become fast friends with Kristy and would be willing to set up an introduction between the two of them...and Pacey perks up and decides he definitely likes the sound of that.

Jen returns home and finds Grams packing up Gramps' clothing so she can donate it all to the local church charity drive. Jen scowls disapprovingly and asks if it isn't a little early to be cleaning out his closet, and Grams is like 'seriously?' and reminds her that Gramps was completely inert during the entirety of Season 1...and that by the time he finally took his last breath, she had had her fill of watching him waste away.

"Don't you think it's a little early to be cleaning out Gramps' closet?"

"No. In fact, I think it's an entire season overdue."

Shaggy D.A. rushes home and explains to Mitch that her afternoon meeting ran long, and that she hit a traffic jam while driving home and neeeeeeeds him to believe she's not carrying on an extramarital affair. Mitch assures her he buys that story, and for good measure says he heard all about the traffic jam on the radio. He then tells her he has a mystery appointment and promptly rushes off.

Pacey spots Andie chatting with Kristy...and a few seconds later, Andie wanders over to Pacey and says he should make his move. Pacey swaggers over to Kristy, tells her he'd like to get to know her better and decide if they could have a future together by taking her out to dinner and a movie tomorrow night, and she mulls that over for a few seconds and implausibly replies, "That sounds great."

Mitch's appointment turns out to be a meeting with a divorce lawyer. Ouch.

Jen is sitting on the swing in her backyard when Dawson wanders over with some food that Shaggy D.A. prepared for her and Grams. Jen remarks on him being all dressed up, so he explains that he's taking Joey to the movies for their first real date. Jen wryly asks him how that's working out...and when he shrugs and cryptically replies, "We'll always be Dawson and Joey. Whatever that means", Jen sadly asks, "What about Dawson and Jen?" Dawson says that clearly she could use a platonically supportive friend right now, and she nods in agreement and collapses against him in a hug. When the hug goes on for longer than what's reasonable, Dawson breaks away and says he has to get going, but urges Jen to stop moping and enjoy the rest of the lovely day. 

Bessie finds Joey sitting on the dock near their house as she stares contemplatively into space. She tells Bessie it's weird for her to suddenly be in a romance with Dawson...though, that said, the kiss felt totes right. Bessie points out that the true test of the romance will be the second kiss, 'cause it's always about something more than the more impulsive/passionate first kiss...then assures a worried looking Joey that kiss #2 with Dawson is bound to be super awesome.

Dawson is speed-boating to Casa Potter while Joey primps in the bathroom. A few seconds later, she emerges from the house just as he arrives...and he reaches down and picks a yellow flower for her and says it's in lieu of a fancier gift to mark the occasion. Joey leans in his direction, eager to get kiss #2 under her belt and makes a weird joke about how they should check into a motel and just go for it - but Dawson suggests they start with something simple, like holding hands.  

As the two are seated inside the Rialto, Dawson tells Joey he's dismayed that the legendary movie theater is being torn down...and he and Joey clasp hands as the lights dim and the film gets underway.

Pacey, meanwhile, is waiting for Kristy, who appears to be very late for their date. Shocker.

Jen rushes into the Rialto and sits next to Dawson, which prompts a predictable WTF? scowl from Joey. Jen explains that she really needed to get out of the house for awhile, then suggests they all grab a bite to eat after the movie...but when Joey responds by shooting her an extra squinty stink-eye, she correctly assumes she's not welcome to third-wheel it on their date and runs out to the lobby. Much to Joey's dismay, Dawson rushes out after her.

Jen bitterly asks Dawson if he had wished he were with Joey while the two of them were dating, and he's like, "Uh, no" and reminds her that they had oodles of fun when they were briefly boyfriend/girlfriend. Jen tells Dawson she regrets dumping him like yesterday's news and implores him to not jump in the sack with Joey too quickly on account of she frankly can't stand seeing them together - LOL - then snidely calls her life a joke, hints that she's contemplating ending it all, and storms out. 

"Please abstain from doinking Joey."

"And continue to keep my cherished virginity intact? Can do."

When Dawson returns to where he was sitting with Joey, he sees that Joey has left...and that she left the yellow flower he gave her behind. Ouch.

Kristy finally shows up for what ends up being her non-date with Pacey and tells him she can't stay long 'cause her boyfriend is waiting for her in the car. She applauds his courage in asking her out, then clucks sympathetically about the "heart stripe" with which he's afflicted that could kill him at any moment. She says she heard all about it from Andie, who also dished that he prefers to keep his "condition" a secret. She then bids him goodnight, calls him "quite a guy", and runs back to her boyfriend's car. Bwahaha! Nicely done, Andie.

After the movie, Grams is heading for the exit when she notices a miserable looking Jen sitting in a row by herself. Jen snidely asks Grams if she came out for the evening to "look for some action", then self-piteously whines about the shittiness that is her life after her negligent parents permanently dumped her in Capeside, where she has no friends except Grams. Grams hugs her, assures her she loves her even though they seem to bicker constantly, then reminisces about her first date with Gramps at the Rialto. She explains that she attended the theater's last screening to be with her beloved in spirit, and Jen sheepishly apologizes for the cunty remark she just made to her friggin' grandmother about looking for some action.

Pacey is out shopping, looking over various bottles of hair dye, when Andie enters the store. She wanders over to where he's standing and says that a boy in his condition should be in bed, then cackles about the "heart stripe" condition she made up for Kristy. Pacey explains that going on a date with Kristy represented the possibility of him overcoming his his status of being the town loser...and Andie's like, "Yeah, whatevs" and says she hates his frosted tips and advises him to dye his hair to a more natural shade.

Shaggy D.A. snappishly calls Mitch a liar, then holds up a business card from the divorce lawyer he just met with. Mitch admits that, yep, he did meet with the lawyer and explains that he isn't sure if he can stay married to someone he loves and hates in equal measure, and just wanted to know what his options are. Shaggy D.A. unhappily retorts that he has to either fully give her a second chance to be a non-cheating wife or move ahead with a divorce.

"I both love and hate you with the intensity of a thousand suns."

"I probably should sympathize more with your conundrum."

Dawson finds Joey moping by a downtown dock and assures her he's not still hung up on Jen. Joey tells him it's OK, then explains that she declined the chance to go to Paris this summer 'cause she considered the opportunity "the easy way out" and nonsensically decided that staying in Capeside would make her stronger. She says that their relationship is bound to be overly-complicated [given that she's in it], and Dawson agrees that, nope, it won't be simple, but nonetheless thinks they'll be super hot together. He then pretends that the creek they're standing next to is the Seine, and that Capeside is equally as exotic as Paris 'cause the town has French fries and French toast. The two wander over to a swing-set, where Dawson leans in to plant kiss #2 on Joey's lips...and as she marvels over its wondrousness, Dawson starts nattering about how the Rialto is being torn down so that a new movie theater can be built. Joey scrunches her face confusedly and says she doesn't get why something that works has to be changed, and Dawson shrugs and says that maybe it'll be an even better theater. He then tells her he's in the mood for kiss #3, and Joey looks all into it while the two cap off the episode with an intense looking lip-lock.

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