Season 5 & 6 Opinions
I’ve watched this show so many times and sometimes I love the college seasons, other times I get quite frustrated. Overall, I actually think they did the college seasons incredibly well and the shift into adulthood. However, there are definitely also a lot of things I couldn’t stand.
The Sets - one thing I love is Audrey and Joey’s college dorm, I think it’s so homely and I really think it captures a Yale like vibe. I enjoy scenes in that room I’ve noticed because I love that set. I also like Gram’s house in Boston, I think it keeps the same atmosphere but a little upgraded reflecting her growth and acceptance to Jen. I actually loved the restaurant set that Pacey worked at, and in Season 6 I loved the Hell’s Kitchen set and the apartment Jack and Pacey have with Emma.
Audrey - she’s genuinely so polarising. To begin with, I quite like her. I think she adds a funny, carefree element to the group that had been lost a little bit with all the drama concerning Pacey, Dawson and Joey the last couple seasons. It was also nice to see Joey having a proper female friendship (although I will never understand why she didn’t bond with Jen the same way because she tried so hard to.) Anyway, I liked her build up with Pacey but then in Season 6 it just seemed like he didn’t care at all. I felt really bad for her, including when she went on her alcoholic spiral. Then… it just becomes ridiculous. She starts having a go at Joey for not knowing her and Pacey broke up, no one told her?? That boiled my blood. Then she screams at Eddie for not giving her alcohol and she completely trashes the bar, then screams at Joey in the bathroom when she’s just given her sympathy even though she had just trashed her workplace? I’ve never turned on a character so quickly. At this point, I just hate her. Then the Christmas episode, god she drives me mad, shouting at Jen after sleeping with someone she liked is just cruel. Shouting at Joey and insulting her and talking about her past relationships in front of everyone when she’s been nice to her despite what she did, and to top it off she then drives a car into the house. I am usually sympathetic towards people going through a rough time, but her behaviour is just pathetic and selfish as fuck. Even if you’re struggling, you don’t talk to people like that who have only tried to help you. Then after being screamed at and being betrayed, Jen still helps her and then she’s horrible to her again. Genuinely the most unlikeable character ever. And her singing with Emma’s band is just terrible. Ditching them then promising to be better and fainting on stage. I just hate her and she ruins it for me.
Professor Wilder - just end me. He’s so boring. And weird. I can’t like him or get behind their ‘will they won’t they’ romance, it’s creepy and I don’t like it. It goes on and on and she doesn’t go to his house because she’s MUGGED and then he won’t even let her explain it to him and then ends with her. An insufferable character and he makes the pace of Season Five a little slow, which is annoying because on a whole I find it quite quick paced and a fun watch.
Charlie - so funny, his character is so unserious and because it’s Chad Michael Murray I find it adds a lot of entertainment. HOWEVER he is the epitome of the notion that is being pushed that Joey is the hottest woman in the world and that she changes every man and every man is just absolutely obsessed and in love with her. It’s so annoying. They make it so abundantly clear that he can’t get it right for Jen but oh for Joey he can magically just be absolutely in love with her and ready to commit. Jen is my favourite so watching her get the short end of the stick again isn’t very pleasant, and I don’t like how Joey gets mad at her when she just tries to warn her about Charlie.
The frat house - I can’t stand Jack when he’s in that frat, I find the storylines good actually and it was unexpected writing that drew me in. I just hate how his and Jen’s friendship falls apart for a bit at its expense since that’s such a core part of the show for me.
The restaurant - I love Paceys storylines at the restaurant, one of my favourite parts to watch. I think it was a realistic path for his character.
Dawson and Jen - another part of Season 5 I really loved, at this point they’re both incredibly mature and I honestly think they were the perfect match. However, I hate how they get ruined it’s like a guy in a band scares Jen about it being maybe boring and then she just can’t be with him anymore. I find that unrealistic, especially since Jen had really healed herself when it came to pushing people away and I think she was ready to be in a healthy relationship. I just wish this relationship lasted longer.
Oliver - I actually really liked Dawson and Oliver’s film and I enjoyed their scenes together, I think it’s a shame he left the show. He was a bit crazy, but I liked their dynamic.
Jack’s alcoholism - this kinda confused me, this storyline had actually a lot of depth and made so much sense. But then it was just never really discussed again? It’s like they just ditched it and made Audrey the alcoholic instead, but Jack had a dark angle there whereas Audrey’s alcoholism is almost laughable because they make her do the most outrageous things that just don’t even seem real. He had this awful tragic thing where he almost drowns in a pool and then no one ever really mentions it much again. Just weird in my opinion.
Joey and Dawson - I am so glad they kind of end for most of Season 5 and 6, I have always thought they are better off without each other in a romantic way. They both shine and mature so much, but the moment they are together romantically they just become children again. As friends, they help each other grow. As lovers, they seem to hold each other back. It’s upsetting and gruelling to watch and I think they show very well how hard it is to let a person go but they really shouldn’t be together, and I think Joey forced herself to love him sometimes whereas she naturally loved Pacey despite trying to force herself NOT to.
Emma - um, I don’t really care about her. I like her dynamic with Jack and Pacey at first when they get the apartment, then she just fades into the background for me. She had the potential to be a core part of the group considering she worked with Joey and lived with two of the boys, but she just never really did.
Pacey and Alex - god this storyline was so hilarious but so strange. I think it shows how little Pacey cared about Audrey, we all know he never would’ve acted this way around another woman when he was with Joey or Andie. He didn’t even defend himself, and when Audrey said go screw her he literally took her advice and tried to. It’s just laughable but it doesn’t make sense for his character, unless he just really didn’t like her. In Season 6, he obviously didn’t. But up until this point in Season 5 he seemed really into Audrey.
Pacey as a stockbroker - really enjoyed this storyline. It made a lot of sense for him to get this job and lose everything, I actually found it quite gripping and enjoyed these scenes. He needed those experiences, and it worked well for his character.
Eddie - I just didn’t care for him at all.
Jen and CJ - why on earth would he reject Jen put her in a cab and then walk over to Audrey and sleep with her? I can’t get past that point. Just no. Jen deserves someone who chased her as much as Henry did.
Professor Heston - I hate him. He’s such a jerk. Just can’t get past him. Why is he so horrible? I just don’t even have words for that to be honest.
Grams - one thing I hate about Season 6 is how she just fades into the background, I know they’re at college but Jen still lives with her and we barely see her. I miss scenes with her in.
Dawson and Natasha - I honestly couldn’t stand Natasha, they were built up to be this deep, connected couple after what happens with Joey and then she just tells him it’s all a fling and sleeps with someone else.
Todd - I actually love Todd and his scenes with Dawson, he is one of the better parts of the college seasons and he makes it really funny.
Pacey and Joey - I love the castaways episode so much, I just find it so odd how all of the college seasons they act as if they were never together. Joey doesn’t care at all about him being with Audrey, and Pacey seems to feel nothing about being around her ever. They talk and interact as if they never had any chemistry and I just find it really odd, it’s like they’ve forgotten about it or something and the only past relationship anyone ever brings up is Joey and Dawson, as if Pacey wasn’t like the love of her life at one point. It’s just so dumb, she definitely loved Pacey a million times more and yet it seems like neither of them care at all.
On that topic… once Jen and Dawson break up they do a similar thing for a while. They act as if nothing ever happened, just so strange and unrealistic. There would be tension, awkward gestures and looks there’d still be feelings or weirdness between these ex couples and they all act as if it’s nothing.
Anyway, rant over. What is everyone’s opinion of these seasons? I like a million things about it and I also hate a million things.