"Dirty Dancing"


"I'm not suggesting leather whips and crisco, just a kiss!"..... "Ezplain to me the crisco?" Joey Potter & Dawson Leary, "Dirty Dancing"

Episode 2: "Dirty Dancing"

(aired January 27)


Dawson is filming a scene of his movie where Joey has to kiss Pacey. Joey is completely grossed out by the idea and ruins the shot. They begin to argue about the necessity of the kiss in the movie until somehow the conversation turns to Dawson kissing Jen. Joey reminds Dawson that Jen is from New York, where things move faster and that he shouldn't wait too long. Dawson maintains that Jen is a beautiful intelligent woman in charge of her own body. He tells her Jen and he will kiss and that she shouldn't worry. Dawson brings the subject of kissing Pacey up again by telling her that it's too bad she won't kiss Pacey in the movie, because she really has kissable lips. He then turns and faces the model of her head that he was working on for his movie and tells her that she can always pretend it's someone else she's kissing. Joey sinks into the pillow and smiles (undoubtedly thinking of Dawson's lips on hers).

At school, Dawson once again tries to convince the film teacher at school to allow him to join his class (because he's a sophmore, and the upper-classmen get in first). The teacher agrees to let him sit in during the class as long as he is only a silent student who observes. Dawson is grateful and thanks the teacher. Meanwhile Pacey confronts Miss Jacobs who denies the kiss and tries to get him to leave her alone. Pacey leaves upset that she isn't being fair by denying that the kiss ever happened. Later at lunch, Dawson has an idea of how Joey can get out of the kiss with Pacey. He suggests that they kill her off sooner and enter Jen as a new character, her beautiful young cousin from New York. Joey, likes the idea especially since Jen would then have to kiss Pacey (we're sure she's thinking -- instead of Dawson...).

After film class, Dawson complains to Joey about how stupid the movie the class is making for the Boston Film Festival (the same festival he's entering his movie in). Cliff, a football player, is writing, starring and directing the film which is all about the heroic acts of a football player at a vital game. She sympathizes, knowing that Dawson dislikes football players and the whole 'in' crowd. As Joey is pointing out that l ife couldn't get any crueler for Dawson, they turn in time to see Cliff introducing himself to Jen and offering to take her out and show her around sometime. She tells him she'll think about it and walks off with a smile on her face, passing Dawson and Joey by without a notice. Joey takes the opportunity to remind Dawson again that they do move faster in New York.

At home, Dawson asks his dad what makes a good kiss and what techniques he should know about. His dad tells them that there is no technique, it just happens...and he starts to tell Dawson about his own first kiss with Dawson's mother. As they are talking, Joey climbs in through the window (how she's always entered his house) and walks into the upstairs hall and overhears what Dawson and his father are talking about below. She decides not to interrupt and eavesdrops. Just then Dawson's dad suggest that Dawson try his kiss out on the model of Joeys head. Joey watches intently as his dad gives him some pointers. As Dawson pulls the face towards him and closes his eyes, Joey closes hers too...feeling the kiss from where she stood, unbeknownst to them. Just then Joey stumbles upon Dawson's mother hiding in the closet with the telephone, talking to her lover. His mother walks out and bumps into Joey. Nervously, she tries to make small talk and Joey responds as if she doesn't know what's going on. But as she's leaving, she turns to Dawson's mother and tells her that she knows about the affair.

They finally film Joey's death in the movie and Joey seems relieved that it's all over with. She goes to clean up the fake blood and Jen follows to help her out. Jen compliments Joey on her figure and then puts down her own appearance. Joey reassures her that she isn't at all like she thinks and seems surprised that Jen feels that way about herself. Jen comments on how that was the nicest thing Joey has said to her since coming to Capeside, and then adds that she's determined to make Joey like her. She leaves heading off to film the next scene of the movie with Pacey. In this scene, she has to kiss Pacey and when they do, Pacey takes advantage of the kiss and delves in a little longer and deeper than Dawson can handle. He gets upset, claims the kiss is totally irrevelant and strikes it completely from the script. Jen and Joey laugh at Dawson's overreacting as Dawson gives his excuse on how it's not right, seeing as his girlfriend (Joey's character) had just died.

As Dawson walks Jen home, he starts talking to her about the movies he's rented for the in honor of the dance that evening, since he assumed that they weren't going and that Jen would be spending the evening with him. Jen informs him that she's going to the dance and with Cliff. Dawson is upset, but he plays it off. Later that evening, he's complaining again to Joey about Cliff and why Jen would want to even go with him. He starts obsessing about them being together at the dance as Joey gives him a look and a lecture(about his over dramatic imagination). He decides to go to the dance to watch over Cliff and Jen and whisk her away from Cliff and get his kiss. As he dresses, Joey walks downstairs and confronts Mrs. Leary about the afair. She reminds her of how her own father cheated on her mother and how much it destroyed her family. Mrs. Leary inquires if Dawson knows just as he's walking down and overhears. Joey plays it off as something else and they leave for the dance, with Dawson still completely clueless about his mothers affair.

At the dance, Dawson sees Jen and Cliff dancing and it drives him insane. He gets Joey to dance with him in order to get closer to where Jen and Cliff are dancing. As they start dancing, a slow song comes on and they get uncomfortable, but Dawson puts his arm around her and draws her close. Instead of paying attention to dancing with Joey, he starts looking for Jen and Cliff. He stresses over the fact that he can't see where she went to and in the process twirls Joey this way and that and then back into his arms. Suddenly he stops and looks at Joey, suddenly aware of her, how we would never find out because just then Jen spots them and calls out to them breaking the 'spell' overcoming them and upseting Joey. Dawson, obvioulsy uncomfortable, leaves after the required small talk with Cliff and Jen. They sit down and Dawson tells Joey how he feels about Jen. He claims that his that what he and Jen have is something primal, and attraction he can't ignore. He even equates the feelings to being like what he has with Joey, only that it's Jen, not his best friend. Joey, upset at how Dawson is treating her and acting, leaves. Dawson decides to dismiss Cliff from the date and tries to make up Jen's mind about who she is goint to be with that evening. Cliff and Dawson start arguing about who needs to leave when Jen decides that she needs to go and leaves them both there open-mouthed and in shock.

Dawson catches up with Joey and Pacey walking home and starts pining about how horrible the evening had been. Pacey bails and walks away towards his house. As he walks towards the pier, who else but Miss Jacobs is there waiting for him. She tries to explain how crazy everything is and how it's wrong and illegal, what happened and how she needs to apologize. Pacey insists that he was just as involved as she was and that he doesn't regret what had happened. As she tells him how it can't happen again Pacey disagrees, letting her know how hard this is for him (the town loser getting dumped again). As she turns to leave, he grabs her arm and pulls her to him, and they kiss all over again.

Dawson and Joey continue their conversation as they walk home. Just then they see Jen standing alone on the pier and he leaves Joey to go talk to Jen. Joey wishes him luck, even going as far as wishing that he gets his desired first kiss with Jen. Jen lets Dawson know how mad she is and how she doesn't understand what's going on between them. He tells her how scared he is that he's becoming the friend, when he wants to be more. Jen replies by asking why he can't be both. Dawson claims that at 15, it's not possible and asks for a kiss. He closes his eyes, praying or trying not to show the evident dissapointment if she says no. Jen goes into an explanation of why she can't kiss him, but she offers to dance and they begin to dance slowly on the pier. From afar Joey watches sadly as she sees Dawson slipping away from her...



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