Dawson's Creek: All the Right Moves (6.12)

It's interesting to wonder whether or not season six's slump is due to the show focusing so much energy on its ancillary characters. Has the show just reached a point where the original ensemble have become exhausted, with nowhere to go? Because it sure seems like it on-screen. Audrey's the benefactor of the season's sole showy storyline, while every other major character is being driven by the needs and desires of people that have only been introduced within the last twelve episodes. Even Pacey is being positioned at the center of other people's actions, adrift in a situation he seemingly has no control over. It's not a whole lot of fun, and only adds to the feeling that this season just isn't working.

I joked back in my review of The Song Remains the Same that the show would be doomed if they added yet another Twin Peaks alumni, following Pacey's horrible involvement with both Sherilyn Fenn last year and this season with Dana Ashbrook. I guess I should just go ahead and write off this show all-together now, considering this week saw Pacey walking right into an elaborate plot orchestrated by Mr. Leland Palmer himself, Ray Wise. This was another awful Pacey story, wherein he stupidly allowed himself to get set up as the fall guy for some illegal business scam and catching the attention of a mystery woman played by Sarah Shahi who is clearly some kind of fed. I don't think there's ever been a long-term storyline on this show that has felt more detached from anything else.

Audrey is still boozing, once again trying to win back her friends and staying sober for five minutes, only for it all to crash back down again soon after. I don't understand her drama, I'm sick of people cutting her slack, and I'm frustrated that Busy Philipps (as adorable she may be) is taking up so much screentime. Where's Jen? Or Jack? Hell, where's Dawson? This season is becoming unrecognizable.

Finally, I admit that there have been points over the last couple of weeks where I enjoyed Joey and Eddie together, while Harley continues to be sort of sweet. But the lengthy histrionics here all about Eddie's future and his defeatist outlook on life just dragged on and on. There's no sense of things being at stake here, either, Joey blindly supporting this guy who seems to do nothing but whine constantly. And while I have no problem with Oliver Hudson, I just don't care all that much about Eddie's potential as a writer or the creative writing program he could get into.

Dawson's Creek needs to get off this track, bring it back to the core regulars and swiftly resolve all these annoying subplots. It's hard to care about anything right now, everybody distracted by things that just aren't that interesting. D

Credits
Guest stars Oliver Hudson (Eddie Doling); Sarah Shahi (Sadia Shaw); Megan Gray (Emma Jones); Roger Howarth (Professor Greg Hetson); Dana Ashbrook (Rich Rinaldi); Mika Boorem (Harley Hetson); Ray Wise (Roger Stepavich)
Writer Maggie Friedman Director Arlene Sanford