- Andie, you're rich. Rich people don't end up on the street. They end up in Florida
- —Pacey
Alternative Lifestyles is the 3rd episode of Season 2 of Dawson's Creek.
Synopsis[]
THE LAST SEDUCTION – A class project pairing with Dawson (James Van Der Beek) provides Jen (Michelle Williams) with the perfect opportunity to use her powers of seduction to draw him away from Joey (Katie Holmes); while Pacey's teaming with Andie (Meredith Monroe) finds them at each other's throats. Meanwhile, Mitch (John Wesley Shipp) is doing his best to repress his anger towards Gale (Mary-Margaret Humes) for her affair, but in desperation decides that an open marriage is the only way to get back what they've lost.[1]
Summary[]
Dawson has actually come to enjoy Mitch's nervous sex lectures concerning Dawson's relationship with Joey. When Mitch tries to ban their unsupervised time together, Dawson turns it into a game and a challenge. However, Mitch's preoccupation with Dawson's sex life might only be the result of his flickering one with Gale. Still stinging over his suggestion of an open marriage, Gale tries again to make-up. It works, but only temporarily.
Jen continues to bond with Abby, whose friendship still proves to be a poor influence. She challenges Jen to "make it happen" with Dawson, and in Economics class, Jen sees her chance. In a class assignment, the teacher teams up students to work out imaginary budgets for imaginary households. Jen lucks out when Dawson draws her name for partners. The pessimistic Pacey is not surprised when Andie picks his name, and Joey ends up handling her own budget as a "single mom". Dawson tries to take the assignment in stride, but Joey is not thrilled and a little worried about the overzealous Jen.
Joey also finds herself caught between obligations of school and work. At the Ice House, Bessie is in over her head trying to prepare for an upcoming inspection by the health department. Bessie offers to help Joey on her school project pulling from her own life experience, but Joey feels Bessie isn't the right example that she wants. Bessie is hurt by this, and takes it personal when Joey looks for help from a young, successful interior designer instead.
Pacey and Andie have a hard time working together on their schoolwork without compromising and their conversations resort to their typical argument. When Pacey finally unloads and calls her a spoiled brat, it is all Andie can take. She leaves him in a huff, and Pacey feels a tinge of guilt over pushing her too far.
Meanwhile, Jen is doing everything she can to get Dawson's attention and try to rekindle any flame he might have for her. Unfortunately for her, the flame has long since burnt out. Jen interrupts a make-out session yet again between Joey and Dawson looking too good for Joey not to notice. She refuses to leave Dawson's room after they finish their project, and when she asks if she can stay the night, Dawson doesn't bite. He tries to call her on it, and Jen tries to reverse it on him before finally coming clean. She makes it quite clear to Dawson - she is an option for him.
At the Leery household, tension has returned. Mitch again grows angry and jealous when Gale gets a ride from a co-worker and decides that the open marriage option is the way it shall be. He turns down a nice dinner by Gale to go out on the town and try his luck forcing Gale to retaliate by doing the same. They each experience a lonely evening, but claim to have fun when they return. It is a lie for each of them, although Gale does the better job of hiding it.
At the Ice House, Joey starts offering advice she learned from her school assignment. This causes Bessie to lash out hiding her true feelings of fear and failure. Joey storms out, contemplating Bessie's suggestion of moving out and going back home. The next morning, they both have had time to cool down and do some thinking. Bessie wants to fire Joey knowing it is for her own good. Joey won't accept that and promises Bessie she is staying. Bessie should have no fears of how Joey feels about her. Joey could not be more proud or more appreciative of all the things that Bessie has done.
Pacey had talked to Andie's brother and discovered his accusations of her being spoiled might have been presumptuous. He makes it up to her by showing up to class with their entire assignment finished. Pacey apologizes and Andie is shocked and surprised. Their serious argument returns to playful bickering, or in other words, back to normal.
As Andie and Pacey walk off, a pair of eyes watches them go. Sitting unnoticed in her car is Tamara, the teacher fired by the school board for having an affair with Pacey. She watches him intently, her intentions hidden behind her icy stare...[2]Starring[]
|
|
Quotes[]
- Dawson, you can psychologically deconstruct me all you want, but here's the deal: parent; me – child; you
- —Tarzan Mitch
- I have three words for you: Make. It. Happen.
- —Abby to Jen, about Dawson
- But you get behind by one day, and then you're always struggling to catch up. And then you just get more and more confused, and then the next thing you know, you're out on the streets drunk and dirty wheeling a shopping cart
- —Andie
- You think I'm working here for kicks?
- —Jack to Pacey
Locations[]
- Dawson's House
- Capeside High School
- Mollye's Market
- Jen's House
- Westin Associates
- The Icehouse
- Joey's House
Trivia[]
- Mitch takes down the ladder to Dawson's room.
- Jack and Pacey meet.
- Producer and writer of this episode, Mike White, makes a cameo appearance as a man writing in the café Gale visits.
- In an "alternative lifestyles" assignment for Economics class, the following teams are drawn from a hat, given new identities and must prepare an annual budget for their fictional households:
- Andie and Pacey
- Abby and Kenny
- Dawson and Jen
- Jeff and Trey
- Joey
BROADCAST
- The episode was watched by 7.75 million people upon its original airing on the WB.[3]
Music[]
- anything you say | CHICKENPOX
- abby + jen talk boys
- flagpole sitta | HARVEY DANGER[4]
- home ec partnering up
- mary be merry | SAY-SO
- pacey and andie in the café
- four eyes | SOZZI[5]
- jen + abby at the café
- swan song | BRUCE HORNSBY[6]
- jen and dawson in dawson's room
- the party's over | CATIE CURTIS[7]
- jen leaves dawson's
- woohoo | NEWSBOYS[8]
- joey + dawson kiss; pacey and andie chat after school
Photos[]
stills[]
screenshots[]
Notes and References[]
- ↑ "Alternative Lifestyles" official synopsis archived from The WB on dawsons-creek.com
- ↑ Alternative Lifestyles — Official Summary
- ↑ Ratings Ryan — Dawson's Creek (WB): Ratings Recap
- ↑ Replaced on DVD and streaming with "Rock N Roll" by Bleach
- ↑ Replaced on DVD and streaming with "Bizarre" by Melissa Ritter
- ↑ Replaced on DVD and streaming with "Give You More" by Reed Foehl
- ↑ Replaced on DVD and streaming with "Without" by Five Days Straight
- ↑ Replaced on DVD and streaming with "Break Of Dawn" by Plankeye