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The problem that many people have with Dawson's Creek is the quantity of disbelief that the show requires the viewer to suspend. The adolescent characters are played by actors who have obviously left puberty far behind. Said characters spout platitudes better suited to college psychology majors than to students entering tenth grade. If you are able to ignore these indulgences, however, a satisfying drama awaits you.
Actors & CharactersJames Van Der Beek plays the title character, Dawson Leery. Van Der Beek, however, is hardly the best actor in the ensemble, and the character he portrays is hardly the most interesting. Dawson tends to use his post-graduate vocabulary more to obfuscate the truth than to reveal it, and his tendency toward deception makes him a less-than-ideal choice for a hero. Van Der Beek's acting doesn't help the situation, as he fails to retain the audience's sympathy through his character's poor decisions.
Michelle Williams is better as Jen Lindley, the 'fast' girl from New York looking for the slow life in semi-rural Massachusetts. Williams is very proficient at looking sad, which the script calls her to do quite often, but her character is a bit too straight-forward to break out of the general stereotype of the slowed-down fast girl. To be fair, however, I see a great amount of potential for growth in future seasons.
Katie Holmes, who was veteran of only a vanishingly small part in one feature film before being cast in Dawson's Creek, is a revelation as Joey Potter. Given to a less capable actress, the role might have devolved into another stereotype, but Katie Holmes manages to make Joey endearing even in her most petulant moments, and downright adorable (Ed. note: True Dat!) when given good material, as during the final episode of the first season.
Joshua Jackson, playing Pacey Witter, almost walks away with the entire season, a surprising feat given that his prior experience included roles in Disney's 'The Mighty Ducks' and its sequels. Though his character is a predictable 'bad boy' in the early episodes, Pacey emerges as the most truthful and honorable (if not exactly moral) character by season's end.
The adult actors are also quite good. Mary-Margaret Humes and John Wesley Shipp, as Dawson's parents, are much more effective in their scattered minutes of screen time than Van Der Beek is in his 30+ minutes per episode. Dylan Neal is a riot as Pacey's partially unhinged and severely repressed older brother. Fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer can catch Eric Balfour, who played Xander's ill-fated best friend in the first two episodes of that series, in a comedic guest spot in episode 9.
Writing & PlotI have only a few complaints here: First, having lived in Massachusetts for the past three years, I can confirm that the school year is a good deal less temperate than the show portrays. Second, Dawson's art-house horror film subplot is abruptly dropped after the third episode, although this is probably for the best. Some of the plot situations are unbelievable, but these are redeemed by the consistency of this unbelievability. The surreal nature of Pacey's exploits early in the season, for example, support his later entry in the Miss Windjammer beauty competition.
Sound & MusicThe show's theme is Paula Cole's "I Don't Want To Wait," and at least two other songs are featured per episode. Most of these are forgettable punk impersonations, but there is the occasional gem. "Broken Road," an exercise in lyrical depth and melodic restraint, graces the final episode in the first season. The third episode re-introduced me to Toad the Wet Sproket, a favor for which I am eternally grateful. The rock music is sometimes a little too loud, but the presence of subtitles makes this a forgivable offense.
ExtrasSubtitles are available in a handful of languages, including Spanish and Korean. Kevin Williamson, who created the series and was very involved with it during the first two seasons, gives a commentary on the first and last episodes. Williamson and his colleague Paul Stupin also host a featurette detailing how the show came to be. Additionally, the four main cast members have their own featurette, recorded following the airing of the first few episodes, in which they discuss their characters.
Overall a 3.5
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