Quick Thoughts: "Dawson's Creek Season One"

So, last week, I heard the theme song of "Dawson's Creek" on the radio, and the fact that I identified it as such is weird because I've never seen "Dawson's Creek" in my entire life. So, in a state of inebriated depression, I decided to watch the first season to see why it's so lodged in my brain.

Spoiler alert: it's not a positive review.

"Dawson's Creek" is a 1997-2003 television series created by Kevin Williamson (the writer of the first two Scream movies) about Dawson Leery, played by James Van Der Beek, an aspiring filmmaker who's torn between his long-time best friend Joey Potter, played by Katie Holmes, and the new kid on the block Jen Lindley, played by Michelle Williams. And somewhere along this love triangle, it's supposed to do three things: 1) Be an exploration of teen tropes in film and television, 2) Be subversive and self-aware in the application of these tropes, and 3) Still retain the teen audience that the WB/CW had at the time.

I'll be honest: this series is shit. The characters are drawn too thinly to really care about, meaning that, for example, Dawson never really transcends the unlikability of his wishy-washy, oblivious little shit of character; the dialogue is so self-satisfied about how clever and smart it all is that it's obnoxious to listen to; and the music feels so dated and on-the-nose that "Tubthumping" actually plays in the pilot, and "I'll Be" was used almost entirely for this one sequence that honestly doesn't match up to what the scene seemed to be aiming for.

(Watching "Dawson's Creek" also made me realize that I grew up with a lot of '90s music, because I've linked a lot of these songs with childhood memories--like, pre-YouTube memories--which makes this show nostalgic, I guess)

But it's my kind of shitty series, mostly because it's so rooted in the '90s. Personally, I have a soft spot for dated films and TV that could only make sense if you were there, or if you knew the culture of the time. That's why I like the '70s Bond films like "Live and Let Die" or "Moonraker," or why I find something like "Help!" so charming. Similarly, because it's so stuck in the quasi-ironic yet sappy sentimentality of the '90s, I can't help but like the show. It's a snapshot of an era of television, one that might be as embarrassing to witness as something like "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" will be to the next generation.

For example, every episode in the first seasons tends to start with Dawson and Joey talking about some film or trope that cheekily refers to either their relationship together, or to the plot of the episode (who am I kidding? That's literally the same thing). It's obnoxious to watch, but it's also interesting because it never feels like two film geek teens talking. Rather, it feels like the writer of Scream talking through these meat puppets, and quote-cleverly-unquote winking at the audience. So, at least in the first season, it never feels like a legitimate relationship from well-drawn-out characters: it's just banter for banter's sake.

And the plot of these episodes tend to be quote-risque-unquote, but they really just feel creepy and condescending, especially with Dawson Leery in the forefront, the most judgmental, wishy-washy little shit on TV since Ross Geller. It's like someone saw "FRIENDS," and wanted to make a show centered around a Ross-like character, but decided to play him straight instead of this exaggerated little caricature that Ross became right around the time "Dawson's Creek" was made. None of the fun of Ross, but all of the problematic elements.

Honestly, I don't see why Jen and Joey are fighting over Dawson. I really hate Dawson Leery, and James Van Der Beek--an actor whom I love, by the way--embodies the smug entitlement and wishy-washy nature of Dawson all too well.

If I cared enough, I would watch more of the series to see if it becomes a little more watchable after a certain point (I know that the show turns into a weirder but more rewarding love triangle between Dawson, Joey, and Pacey--played by Joshua Jackson), but there's very little to indicate that this show gets better. Its plot and stories try to subvert expectations, and yet it doesn't really work because it tries to retain the cheesier elements of a high school drama--basically trying to have its cake and eat it, too. It's too self-satisfied in its cleverness to be subversive, and too deep in the tropes of the genre to be transcendent.

You don't have to wait for our lives to be over. Sorry.