Dawson's Creek (1998–2003): Season 3, Episode 13 - Northern Lights - full transcript

Dawson makes the radical move of dropping out of film class to spend some time re-evaluating his teenage years against Nikki's advice. Meanwhile, Joey is torn between attending Pacey's opening night and her date with A.J., who has come to Capeside for the day. Before opening night of the school play of 'Barefoot in the Park', Andie must take over as director when the faculty director, Mr. Broderick, becomes ill and she tries to persuade Pacey to act out his feelings when he gets stage fright. Also, Jen agrees to go out on a date with Henry by taking him out to see the play. But she throws him another block by bringing Grams with her.

Tomorrow night is your night.
We'll do whatever you want.

-Something wild, insane and crazy?
-l promise.

-Like what?
-Like l'll come home from work early...

...and we'll wallpaper each other.

No way. Sorry, we're done.

We can't stop now.
l don't know this stuff.

Sorry, but the next page consists solely
of cooing, tickling and lap-sitting...

...three things definitely
not in my range as an actress.

You'll be sorry tomorrow night
when l get up on-stage, panic...

...draw a complete blank and then start
ad-libbing obscenities to the crowd.

Actually, Pacey, l kind of
thought l'd go on Saturday.

-Saturday?
-Yeah.

No, you don't want to come
on Saturday.

Come on Friday. lt's opening night.

Much better chance you'll get to
witness some amusing disaster.

Like scenery falling on my head,
or my co-star hyperventilating...

...from one of my
intoxicating stage kisses.

Yeah, you're known for those.

So, what do you say?
Front row centre?

l can't. l kind of have this thing
l have to do on Friday night.

What thing?

lt's just this thing. This guy.

What guy?

-A.J.
-College guy?

He's coming to the Cape for a party,
and he invited me to go with him.

-You're going to a frat party?
-He's not that kind of a college guy.

Have you ever heard
of the aurora borealis?

The northern lights?
Yeah, l've heard of them.

l may not be lvy League material...

...but give me a road map
and a remote...

...l can find my way to
the Discovery Channel.

There are 1 0 nights out of the year
when you can actually see them...

...from this part of the world.
Tomorrow may be one.

-Factor in recent sunspot activity--
-Northern lights, my ass.

This guy is just trying to separate
you from the Potter pantalones.

Read a newspaper once in a while.
You cannot fake geomagnetic activity.

Yeah, you can. Sure you can.
You can fake anything.

Especially if you're some
lvy League egghead...

...and it's all part of some
astronomical make-out scam.

l'm talking as the voice
of reason here, okay?

The chances of the northern lights
appearing in the sky above Capeside...

...are as good as the chances of me...

...acquitting myself
with distinction on-stage.

Yeah, well, call me crazy,
but l'll take those odds any day.

So, what do you think?

-What do l think?
-Yeah.

l think you're going to be
pretty bored in study hall.

lt could be an interesting opportunity
to study some human behaviour.

At least until l figure out
what my next move is gonna be.

Just don't go joining the yearbook.

lt's bad enough that Pacey's
doing this play thing.

-Tonight's opening night, isn't it?
-Yeah....

You dropped film class?
Are you insane?

l can tell you guys
have a lot to discuss...

-...so see you later.
-Okay.

This doesn't have anything to do
with the film festival, does it?

No, it doesn't. l just need to
walk away for a little while.

Recharge my batteries.

Well, the least you could have done
was given me a heads-up.

We're partners, Dawson.

And in three days, we're supposed to
pitch a feature film to the entire class.

Mr. Jordan will be happy to give you
an extension and a new partner.

l don't want another partner.

l want you.

Are you kidding?
You're probably done already.

Well, yeah, but l was gonna
ask for your ideas.

lf you did, you would've realized
l don't have any.

-You don't have any ideas?
-No.

Dawson, you are the most
creative person in the class.

That's where you'd be wrong,
because, as of 8: 1 5...

...l'm now the most creative person
not in the class.

How are we supposed to go up tonight
if you keep forgetting your lines?

l know the lines, okay?
l got a bit of recall delay, that's all.

Where's Mr. Broderick?
Our play is falling apart at the seams!

Pacey, just take it from the top.

Sure thing, boss.
What's the top again?

-Your entrance.
-Entrance. Right.

-Hey.
-Not now, Jack.

We're trying to do this read-through...

...but Pacey has chosen
to leave his memory at home.

Well, about 30 minutes ago
in English class, Mr. Broderick--

-What?
-Just come with me. Come on.

The nurse thinks
it's a kidney stone.

My wife's picking me up
in five minutes.

No, no, no. The play's going up
in less than eight hours.

l'm sorry, Andie.
l'm not gonna make it there.

You're gonna have to
take my place.

No, you don't understand.

See, l have tickets to sell
and the after-party to set up.

l can't do everything by myself.

-l can do the tickets and after-party.
-There you go. Jack'll help you.

-But--
-l have faith in you, Andie.

l mean, who am l kidding?
lt's been your show all along.

This is your night.

Here.

-Your director's binder?
-lt's yours now.

And as the houselights fall over
that magic place we call the theatre...

...all l ask is that you give pause
for a fleeting moment...

...and think of me.

Henry!

Wait, wait, Parker!
Parker, wait up!

-Hi, Henry.
-Jen.

-Okay, why are you avoiding me?
-Why are you cancelling dinner?

What makes you think
that l'm cancelling?

Ever since you agreed to this little,
dare l call it ''date'' ...

...you don't even make eye contact
with me in the hallway.

lt's like you got this giant blind spot
in exactly my shape and size.

Aren't you being a little bit paranoid?

Are you or are you not
cancelling our date?

l'm not cancelling anything.

-You're not?
-No.

No, l'm just postponing.

Look, see, it's Pacey's opening night...

...and l figured that l should
be there to support him.

So that's all this is about, the play?

Yeah. Yeah, that's all this is about.

-Great.
-What do you mean, ''great''?

l'll go with you, to the play.

What time's curtain?

Seven.

Seven. All right, l'll be there.

l mean, if that's all right with you.

-Yeah. Yeah, it's fine.
-Okay.

Don't even think about coming near me
with that medieval torture device.

-That can't be him.
-Just relax.

Let Bodie get it.

Tell me how l'm not supposed to worry
about you going out with an older guy.

He's not that old, Bessie.
He's, like, 1 9.

Well, it's a boy.
Just not the one we expected.

Okay.

So l tanked. l did.
l completely tanked.

-Calm down, you're just nervous.
-Oh, no. This is way beyond nervous.

The read-through?
l couldn't remember one line.

Why are you psyching yourself out?
You know the play.

We went through it two nights ago.

l know it when l run it with you.
With actual human beings, nothing.

-l suck for not being there. l'm sorry.
-You do suck.

l'm giving you the opportunity
to get back in my good books.

There's still the after-party.

Don't say no too quickly.
You'll need a shoulder to cry on...

...after this northern-lights thing
doesn't work out.

Okay, l'll try.
But don't count on it, all right?

Current conditions are extremely
favourable for auroral activity.

Where did this scientific
mumbo jumbo come from?

l thought A.J. was a poetry geek.

He's interested in more than just that.
He's a Renaissance man.

Fantastic. He can bore you
in seven languages.

No, just three, actually.
English, French and Latin.

Latin? Who speaks Latin?

Spanish, now that's
the foreign language of the people.

But, Latin, that's a dead language.

-He's here.
-Okay, thank you.

lt's not too late to bail, okay?

-Believe me.
-Why would l want to do that?

Because this guy's an operator, okay?

l can tell. The first thing he'll do
when he comes through that door...

...is pay you some lame compliment
about how incredible you look tonight.

-Pacey.
-l'm looking out for you.

He'll try something cute...

...like negligible but not insignificant
physical contact.

Like helping you out with your coat.

lt's called being a gentleman.
l'm surprised you've heard of it.

l bet this party doesn't even exist.

lf it does, l will lay you money
that our boy seizes...

...the first opportunity
to get you alone.

Stay.

Hey.

Hi.

You look-- You look amazing.

l should get my coat.

Let me help you with that.

Hey. Thank you.

So who are all these people?

Well, the guy who owns the place
is a mathematician.

Once upon a time, he was my mentor.

-And everybody else?
-His grad students, mostly.

Some astrophysicists and other
left-leaning, impoverished academics.

-Can't you tell?
-And how would l tell?

Well, the cheap haircuts,
the unfortunate fashion sense.

The pretentious taste
in beverages. lt's mead.

lt's what Beowulf drank
before he slew Grendel.

You know, l wouldn't. lt's....

Can't l have some?
No, it's alcoholic.

l thought that's what
college guys lived for.

What?

Opportunities to get
high-school girls all liquored up.

Well, only ones
with very little imagination.

Alcohol isn't exactly the most
sophisticated way to seduce a girl.

l mean, there are better ways
to go about it.

Not that l'm--
l mean--

l wasn't--
Not planning on it.

Where's everyone going?

Oh, cloud cover.

Viewing conditions
aren't exactly clear.

Does that mean no lights?

No, not necessarily.
lt could clear up before midnight.

Midnight.

Yeah, for some unknown reason...

...astronomical midnight is the best
time for viewing auroral displays.

l guess that means we have
quite a wait in store for us.

You're not gonna turn into a pumpkin
if l keep you out that late, are you?

-No.
-Good.

But l might freeze to death...

...so maybe we should go inside
and mingle with those astrophysicists.

Let's take a walk first.
You want to?

Sure.

Oh, Dawson, there you are.
Where's Pacey?

As director, shouldn't you have
a better idea of that than l do?

What's going on?

lt's only 20 minutes till curtain call,
and my lead is nowhere to be found.

l swear l saw him come in earlier.

So he's gotta be around here
somewhere, right?

-l'll go look for him.
-Don't look, just find, please.

And tell him not to worry.
l'm not gonna kill him.

Till after the show.

-How'd you find me?
-l have the misfortune...

...of knowing how your brain works.

l seem to recall that the last time we
were on a basketball court together...

...l ended up getting my nose broken.

You've got a show to do.

Oh, just a couple more,
you know? lt helps.

lt's part of the whole acting process.

Why are you so nervous?
lt's not like you've never acted before.

Yeah. How many times did it take me
to get that sea-creature thing right?

-Good point.
-Yeah.

And at that point,
how many people were watching me?

And for that matter,
how many ex-girlfriends were there...

...counting on me to do a good job?

Let me ask you this.
Acting, do you like it? You having fun?

Well, l kind of got blackmailed
into the whole thing...

...but yeah,
l have to say, it's been fun.

Actually, it's been a blast.

So then go out on-stage tonight
and have a blast.

lt's all that matters, man.
Find what you love to do and do it.

This is coming from a guy who
gave up his life's passion...

...to hang out with the underachievers
in study hall, right?

l didn't give it up. l just decided
to spread it around a little bit.

When did you become all Zen?

l thought you'd be freaking out
bigtime right now.

-Why?
-l don't know.

Maybe because of Joey's big date
with college guy.

l really suck at this game.

All right. Come on, Olivier,
your public awaits.

What if this guy
is some big sex maniac?

Joey's a big girl.
She can take care of herself.

That's all you've got to say?

We're talking about
Josephine Potter...

...the girl whose destiny
is intrinsically linked to your own.

lt had to happen eventually.
You said that yourself.

Let's go.

Oh, please.
Oh, please. Oh, please.

Hey, Henry.

Hey, l thought we were
gonna meet out in front.

l thought that whoever got here first
was supposed to save seats, so l did.

Henry, l'd like you
to meet my Grams.

Your grandmother?

Yeah. Grams, this is Henry Parker.

Oh, well, what a pleasant surprise.

-l've heard so much about you.
-Nice to meet you.

Jennifer, why didn't you
tell me Henry was coming?

l would have gladly stayed at home
so that you two could be alone.

lt looks like the show's starting.
We should take our seats.

-How long have you been married?
-Six days.

He won't notice the place
is empty till June.

Well, El Dorado 581 91 ,
have a nice marriage.

Dawn, we've gotta get you buttoned.

Okay, you look great.
Don't be nervous.

-Andie.
-Pacey! How could you do this to me?

l sent your understudy
into makeup 1 5 minutes ago.

That's good. He should stay there,
because, Andie, l can't do this.

What? You can.
Come here.

l gave up on you knowing
this word for word a long time ago.

So you're just gonna get the general
gist of it, and you are gonna be fine.

Come on, let's go.
Let's go, you're up.

-l don't know.
-Come on, come on.

No, no, no. Suitcase.

Okay, go.

Oh, Paul, darling.

Well? Say something.

lt's six flights!

Did you know that it's six flights?

lt isn't, it's five.

You think you want to go
to an lvy League school?

l don't know.

l just know that if l don't try,
you know, l'll always wonder.

Wonder what?

lf l was good enough.

Smart enough to....

To do something
really important with my life.

You sound pretty driven.

Yeah. Driven by fear of failure.

You know, l think maybe
sometimes that happens to girls...

...who lose their mothers
when they're really young.

They're really driven to succeed.

Like Madonna?

Well, l was thinking more along
the lines of the Bront? sisters, but....

For a while...

...l thought l liked art.

But now you don't anymore?

No, it--

l do. lt's--
l don't know....

lt's like there's this person
that you want to be for other people...

...to make them happy
and to make them proud of you.

And then there's yourself.

Sometimes it's really hard to tell
where one ends and the other begins.

Does that make sense?

Yeah, completely.

You know, in medieval Europe,
they used to think the northern lights...

...were spirits of dead warriors.

And now?

Well, now we know that they're just
charged particles of the sun...

...interacting with the
Earth's upper atmosphere.

Charged particles.
Not too romantic.

Think about it from the particles'
point of view.

lnexplicably drawn to something.

Unable to resist.

l just remembered l'm supposed
to meet someone somewhere.

-Now?
-Yeah.

-Can we go?
-Yeah, sure.

Yeah.

l'll come down when
you've said it again, loud and clear.

What? Anything, Paul.

-Paul Bratter.
-Paul Bratter.

-Rising young attorney.
-Rising young attorney.

ls a lousy, stinking drunk.

ls a lousy, stinking drunk.
And l love him.

l love you too, Corie.

Even when l didn't like you,
l loved you.

Then please come down, darling.
Please.

-For you.
-You shouldn't have!

-lf you don't want them, that's okay.
-No, not so fast.

l cannot believe that you did this
in one afternoon, Jack.

-lt's amazing.
-You're the amazing one, sis.

And one word about how my people
excel at decorating, you're dead.

Okay.

-Hey, congratulations.
-Oh, thank you so much.

You know, if you guys want to grab
some punch or something...

...l'm just gonna be right back.

You know, you better watch out. l think
Grams is moving in on your date.

And l think that you better
stick to comedy that's scripted.

Fair enough.

Thanks for coming tonight.

Wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Opening night, packed house.

And not a Witter in attendance.
What a surprise.

-But Dawson's here.
-Yeah, l saw him.

-And Jack.
-That he is.

-And, of course, you.
-Yes, l am.

But you know who's not here?

The critic from the Capeside Clarion?

Joey.

Yeah, she couldn't make it.
Big date.

lt's too bad.
She missed a great show.

-And an incredible leading man.
-Well, thank you muchly.

Of course, you hardly noticed.

Hardly.

-Barely missed her.
-Missed who?

Nobody.

l come bearing crudit?s.

Well, thank you. l think.

You know, Dawson...

...l think you're taking this whole
precocious-teenager thing a bit too far.

l mean, people shouldn't
get disillusioned and give up the biz...

...until they're at least,
l don't know, 25.

lt's not that big a deal.
All l'm doing is dropping an elective.

Film. You dropped film.

-l thought that was who you are.
-lt's part of who l am.

Remember
when you said how there's...

...so many things
to be passionate about?

-Sure.
-Well, when l got home that day...

...l took all the movie posters
off my walls.

Every last one.

There's this image
that l keep on coming back to.

l'm 1 0, my parents take me
to see Jurassic Park.

l'm sitting there, fourth row centre...

...popcorn in lap,
flanked by Mom and Dad.

And these two teenagers walk in.
A guy and a girl, about our age.

They sit in front of us...

...and they proceed to make out
throughout the entire movie.

And l remember sitting there,
just being shocked...

...that anyone would rather kiss than
watch this fantasy unfold on-screen.

At one point, l actually tapped
the guy on the shoulder...

...and asked if he wouldn't mind
keeping it down.

And he looked at me like:

'' Look, one day, kid, you'll get it.''

And here l am, all these years later.

l'm still not the kid who goes
to the movies to make out.

l'm not the kid who sat
between his parents anymore.

l'm this third person who's so busy
analysing everything...

...that l can't enjoy anything.

l mean, the other two guys,
at least they were having fun.

l'm just not anymore.

And that's why l dropped film.

So...

...where are you gonna look for this joy
you once had but have now lost?

l have absolutely no idea.

Any suggestions?

Where were you
when you had it last?

So you're a huge hit.

See, l told you everything
would work out, Pacey.

What are you doing here?
Renaissance man bail on you?

No. lt was just that it was getting late,
and the clouds were moving in.

Once it's overcast,
there's no chance of seeing...

...the northern lights from this latitude.
Plus, it was cold, so we decided--

He kissed you, didn't he?

-What makes you say that?
-He'd have to be a moron not to.

And your lipstick is smeared
all over your face.

That's what l get for letting Bessie
talk me into Very Berry, l guess.

So are you gonna see
this guy again?

l don't know.

l mean, what's the point?
l mean, he's older than me.

He's smarter than me.

And he lives far away,
a very not-insignificant problem...

...seeing as how l can't even drive yet.

How could l ever feel about him
the way that l...?

Feel about Dawson.

No, l was actually going to say ''felt.''

Want to know something,
Miss Josephine Potter?

l think the world
may just surprise you yet.

You fall in love
and it doesn't work out...

...and you think it'll never
happen again, but it does.

Believe me, it does,
in the strangest of places.

What makes you
such an expert, Pacey?

Well, l'm an actor.

You know, a poor player,
strutting and fretting...

...and all the rest
of that Shakespearean stuff.

And as such,
it is my job to understand...

...the sophisticated inner workings
of the human heart.

l think l liked you better
when you were brooding and defeatist.

What?

l think your date may not be over
so soon after all.

Oh, go on. You know you want to.

Okay.

Thanks.

Jen!

Henry, what the hell?

-There's someone in the rafters.
-He's crazy.

-He could fall.
-Dude, he's in the rafters!

-Check it out!
-Jen.

-Henry, get down.
-No.

Look, l'm not kidding.
Get down from there.

l'll come down
when you say it loud and clear.

-What? Say what?
-l, Jen Lindley.

l, Jen Lindley.

Am embarrassed to be here
on a date with Henry Parker.

Am embarrassed to be here
on a date with Henry Parker.

-Now, get down.
-l've ignored him.

-l've ignored him.
-Taken him for granted.

Taken him for granted.

And spent the last five months
of my life making him miserable...

...all to disguise the horrifying fact
that l like him.

Get over it, man.

Henry, get down.

Could someone get a ladder?

What made you come back?

l never left.

Since l dropped you off,
l've been sitting in the parking lot...

...thinking about how when someone
says something you don't understand...

...you're suddenly faced with
this limited window of opportunity...

...in which you can ask
the person to explain...

...or spend the rest of your life
pretending you understood them.

l just thought l'd reopen the window.

Did l do something wrong?

No, A.J., l kind of panicked.

You know that thing called
grace under pressure?

Well, l don't really have it,
not even a smidge.

Joey, it was just a kiss. lt wasn't
the running of the bulls in Pamplona.

When you kissed me,
l suddenly realized...

...that l was standing there
with this person...

...who, you know, has skipped
about a zillion grades...

...and knows everything
about everything.

l knew the minute
you stopped kissing me...

...you would realize you'd made
a mistake, because--

Because why?

Most things that you talk about,
l don't even know what they are.

Things like literature
and science and history...

...just pour out of you like you're this
Good Will Hunting impersonator, and....

ls there anything
that you're not an authority on?

Girls.

Beautiful girls.

Their hopes, their dreams...

...what makes them tick.

l wish l knew
a little bit more about that.

Me too.

You might know more about that
than you think you do.

So l guess we
never got to see them...

...the northern lights.

No. Next time.

l've seen them before.

Will you tell me about them?

lt's like the sky you've known
your whole life...

...the one you've looked up at
every night as a kid.

Only, you look up at it...

...and it's like it's on fire.

Flooded with all
these brilliant colours.

Sounds kind of scary.

Yeah, it is.

But beautiful.

Not too glamorous, huh?

Stuck with cleanup duty
on your big night.

l don't mind.

l'm sorry Dad couldn't be here.

Oh, don't be sorry.

That actually kind of made it better.

Being around people
who don't know me so well...

...who believe
in the person l am today...

...that don't really know
everything that l used to be.

lt was great.
The whole night l felt like....

The belle of the ball?

No. More like me.
Like myself.

That is some of the best news
l've heard in a long time.

l had this mantra in the hospital.

-You want to hear it?
-Yeah.

Structure and purpose.

l know it's just a stupid little school
play, but that's what it was to me.

Structure and purpose.

l think when you have something
like that in your life...

...to hold on to
that's not another person...

...but it's more like a part of yourself,
you know, like a goal or a dream...

...the whole world falls apart
around you, you'll be okay.

And you are okay?

Yeah, l'm great.

You sure you're that great?

There's one way to find out.

Hey.

Hey.

You weren't exactly
the life of the party tonight.

No, l guess l got a lot
of stuff on my mind.

Yeah, it's too bad
your parents couldn't come.

As it turns out, there are a lot of people
who couldn't make it tonight...

-...so c'est la vie.
-Yeah, but l mean...

...too bad they couldn't see you
being a star and all tonight.

l think that you and l both know
who the real star of that production is.

The actors, all we do is come on at
the last moment and grab all the glory.

The people who work behind the
scenes make everything happen.

l mean, nobody ever knows
all the work that you guys do.

They know.

So it looks like you're gonna get
that guaranteed C in English.

You're disappointed, aren't you?

About my pathetic return to the depths
of academic mediocrity?

l'm not disappointed.

Girls have these idiotic,
misguided notions about guys.

We think we can spruce them up and
turn them into something they're not.

ln your defence, l wasn't exactly
what you'd call a luxury model.

l did have ''fixer-upper''
written all over me.

Yeah, you pretty much were
priced to sell, weren't you?

Yes, l was. Damaged goods.

But thing is, Pacey...

...l was wrong.

There was never anything
about you that needed fixing up.

And there never was,
and there never will be...

...because you're perfect as is.

You too, Andie.

-What?
-l'm trying.

So, what do you think
my next project should be?

lt definitely won't be involving you.

No. My people will certainly
not be calling your people.

l don't know, l was thinking
maybe an all-girl cast.

Or perhaps puppets.
Puppets are really good.

They're very directable, unlike myself.

l can't remember
when l felt this depressed.

Oh, yeah. Ten minutes ago.

You'll get no sympathy
from these quarters.

l know.

For a second there,
l thought l saw you smiling.

You are not like other boys.
Has anybody told you that before?

Yeah, you.

lt's just that you gotta stop it
with these grand gestures...

...these larger-than-life
public declarations. They're....

You're like the Christo
of teenage crushes.

Who's Christo?

Well, he's kind of like a sculptor.
He does these really large....

Never mind.

lt's just that you don't
have to try so hard.

l want to know you, Jen Lindley.

l want to be honest with you.

Totally and completely honest.

Nobody can ever
be completely honest, Henry.

No one over the age of 6, that is.

l can.

You know what?
You can, can't you?

l don't know what it is or how you
managed to keep it for so long...

...but you've definitely got
that thing that children have.

You have it too.

You've just forgotten about it.

No.

Henry, l don't think that l ever had it.

Then l can teach you.

Just say whatever is in your heart
right now, right at this instant.

Was that honest enough?

Almost.

l'd say about 7 0 percent.

Not so fast. A certain boy
we both know is waiting to see you.

Dawson?

Hey, l'm sorry to show up like this.
l know you just got back from your date.

-lf that's what this is about--
-No, it's not. lt's not.

l swear.

How did you know
about my date, anyway?

Pacey told me.

And you don't have to explain.

lf anybody has to explain,
it's me, showing up like this.

So why did you show up like this?

l needed to see you.

You know? l just--

l suddenly felt very lost.

How did you think you'd feel
after you took down all your posters...

...and suddenly decided
to drop film class?

Well, l didn't think. l just...

...did.

And now you're thinking...

...and you realize you don't know
who you are anymore?

Something like that, yeah.

l think you lost your true north.

That fixed point in the night sky
that you guide yourself by.

What about you?
What's your true north?

l don't think l have one.

What is that?

The aurora borealis.

The northern lights? Aren't we too
far south for that here in Capeside?

Apparently not.

lt's funny. l have been waiting
all night for this...

...and it happens now, with you.

ls that a bad thing?

No. lt's....

lt's just typical.

l thought they'd be bluer than this.