Discovery (10 Feb. 1998)

Dawson turns to Jen for comfort after learning about his mom's affair with her co-anchor Bob, as well as Joey's knowledge of it. But he regrets doing so when Jen tells him some of her own ... See full summary »

Director:

Steve Miner

Writers:

Jon Harmon Feldman, Kevin Williamson (creator)

Stars:

James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson

Cast

Episode cast overview:
James Van Der Beek	...	Dawson Leery
Michelle Williams	...	Jen Lindley
Joshua Jackson	...	Pacey Witter
Katie Holmes	...	Joey Potter
Mary-Margaret Humes	...	Gail Leery
John Wesley Shipp	...	Mitch Leery
Mary Beth Peil	...	Evelyn 'Grams' Ryan
Nina Repeta	...	Bessie Potter (credit only)
Leann Hunley	...	Tamara Jacobs
Ed Grady	...	'Gramps' Ryan
Travis Stanberry	...	Carl
Mitchell Laurance	...	Benjamin Gold
Ric Reitz	...	Bob Collinsworth

Storyline

Dawson turns to Jen for comfort after learning about his mom's affair with her co-anchor Bob, as well as Joey's knowledge of it. But he regrets doing so when Jen tells him some of her own problems involving her promiscuity and the real reason why her parents forced her to move to Capeside. Meanwhile, Pacey and Tamera continue to temp fate with their sordid fling, which gets compromised when Dawson accidentally videotapes it.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 February 1998 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Full Of Grace"
by Sarah McLachlan

User Reviews

We're only humans and the birth of James Van Der Beek

Alone, devastated and confused. That's how Dawson felt at the end of this episode even if he's lucky enough to have Joey and Jen. The first mentioned social evolution in response to his fear of changes. We're biological creatures so it's logical that our body and mind evolve. During teenagehood the transformation can be overwhelming and impossible to control if you haven't been well prepared for it. To tell the truth I wasn't expecting him to find out about so many secrets at the same time. Learning who was Tamara's lover only stunned him but learning about Jen's troubled past right after discovering her mother had an affair was really too much for him to handle. That's why their conversations were quite enlightening and I liked the way the story focused on character development instead of the film project drama for example, even if it's entertaining. First Joey didn't really try to tell him about his mother so he was right to push her away. But in the end their friendship was apparently strong enough to survive. However he got the wake up call he needed and the Dawson of tomorrow should be an other person. It leads us to Pacey as his naughty adventure with teacher Tamara slightly changed the way his friend sees him. In the future thanks to her maturity he should feel more confident with girls but I'm still disappointed by the way their relationship is covered. I suppose we will have to wait for Dawson to react or probably Joey to find out about the tape. Keeping it was too predictable in my opinion. Of course destroying it wouldn't have been as intriguing but I wish the writers had come up with a more original idea. As for Jen I tend to agree with her grandmother because once you have made mistakes it's important to be reminded of them so you don't end up in a vicious circle. Moreover it's not like if she tried to forbid her of seeing her boyfriend. She just wants to protect her so it's definitely a declaration of love and in her own teenager twisted way, Jen knows it. That's probably why she asked Joey's help so I wonder how their connection will evolve. Friends or foes ? I suspect Dawson will get his heart broken and considering how she feels about him I suppose she'll hate Jen or something. In fact I don't think Joey's persona is subtle enough. Did she really have to talk to herself after leaving Dawson ? I almost regret the boy from Kiss is gone because involving more characters would blur the lines and make the story less predictable. I was also disappointed by Katie Holmes make-up because a more natural one, like the one Michelle Williams had, would better suit her. In fact considering how pretty she was back then it really jarred with her fresh beauty. Anyway they don't play in the same league as Leann Hunley and Miss Jacobs was just ravishing in her silky shiny top. As for Joshua Jackson I really hope they'll change his nerdy haircut now he has lost his virginity. Last but not least I can't imagine how James Van Der Beek sorrow acting crushed millions of hearts back then. From beginning to end his misery was palpable. That's the benefit of playing in TV shows. They allow you to sharpen your emotional palette and once you're skilled enough you can fly away and perform in controversial but interesting films like The Rules of Attraction.