Synopsis of Great Xpectations
Written by Tamara Jaron
This episode begins in the school library. Andie is trying to help Jen out with her college applications. Andie suggests narrowing the search to New York since Jen is so familiar with the territory, but Jen expresses little interest for going back to the Big Apple.
"Has Drue been whispering in your ear?" asks Jen.
"Actually," says Andie, "we did have a little confab at the yacht club last week. He was telling me all about you and your social set, and how you used to spend all of your time at The Haunt, dancing and drinking until the wee hours of the morning. According to him, it was a nonstop ball of fun."
"Hmm, well 'according to him' would be the key phrase. He's the dark prince of revisionist history."
At this moment, Jack rushes in out of breath and carrying a letter. He tells Andie that it's from Harvard, and she nervously tears it open. She's been accepted early decision. How convenient. In the real world, an acceptance letter from Harvard would require more than a thirty-two cent stamp.
Gretchen and Dawson are in a record store checking out CDs. Gretchen grabs a CD and says, "If you're looking for something new and different, may I suggest Morcheba? They're a little Herbie Hancock, a little Biz Markie, and just a touch of Poe tossed in for good measure." Please.
A passing youth offers them an invite to a rave. "A rave in Capeside," says Dawson, "well, I guess even suburban, rhythm impaired youths need an outlet, right?"
Gretchen apparently has a thing for raves. "Sure," she says, "hey it does the body good to just let loose once in a while. Raves aren't just an outlet for dancing, they're sort of a declaration of independence."
"Yeah, right up there with the Boston Tea Party."
"Hey, every generation has its rebel subculture experience, and this is ours. You know, our attempt to define who we are and how we're going to live our lives."
Dawson isn't buying it, "And our statement is that we can keep tedium at bay by wearing glitter and jumping around at technopop?"
"It's called fun," pokes Gretchen, "and I think you need to come with me." She offers to "intro" him to the rave scene, but Dawson takes a raincheck. How could he turn down an invite for a night of fun with her? He accuses himself of being terribly uncool and Gretchen responds by saying, "At worst, you're just mildly uncool. They head off to listen to some music.
Pacey and Joey are walking down the street, bored out of their minds.
"This town is sorely lacking in post-meridian activities," complains Pacey.
"We could always do a Bonnie and Clyde," suggests Joey.
"What, like hit a bank and go on the lam?
"Well, it's a practical solution to two of our biggest problems -- money and boredom." Just then, Joey sees Dawson and Gretchen together in the record store. She is surprised, but doesn't tell Pacey what she's just seen.
At the McPhee house, Andie's dad is enthusiastically congratulating her on her admission to Harvard. Turns out that he's an alumnus. He gives her his school sweater saying, "This is the greatest moment of your life, Andie. I've never been more proud of you than I am now." Too bad Andie doesn't feel like it's a great moment. Dad goes off to phone all his Harvard buddies, and Andie admits to Jack that she is not feeling happy.
"I should feel amazing or happy or something," says Andie.
"You're telling me you don't feel anything?"
"No, one big fat empty." She explains that it's probably the drugs she's on and that she'll feel better soon. He invites her to the rave to cheer her up and to celebrate.
Jen is searching the Internet for colleges in New York when she gets AOL mail from Drue. Drue is inviting her to the rave. Jen tells him to leave her alone, but he is pushy.
"You were the uber raver," he says to her. "The Jen I once knew thrived on that reputation. She personified fun. That Jen is MIA."
Jen is not pleased with him. "I remember why my skin crawls when I'm around you," she says. I know what she means, every time I see Drue my skin crawls too.
Drue brings up the Xstasy that he gave her and accuses her of keeping it for herself. Jen denies the accusation and appears uncomfortable with the suggestion. She claims that her X days are over. Drue won't buy that answer.
"You're afraid," he says, "that if you admit to yourself how much you love feeling good, you're going to want to feel that good again." He reminds her about the rave again and departs.
Dawson walks in on his parents dancing in the kitchen. They are celebrating something. His dad breaks the news that they have decided to keep the baby. Dawson is ecstatic, but declines his mom's invitation to join them for dinner. He's decided to go to the rave.
Mitch says, "You know what I love about that kid?"
"Everything," replies Gail.
"Well yah, that -- and he can totally take a hint."
At Gretchen and Pacey's house, the preparations for the rave have begun. Joey and Pacey do not look too excited and Gretchen is trying to psych them up.
"Aren't raves just like high school dances, but ten times longer?" asks Pacey.
As they continue to get ready, Dawson arrives. There is a moment of discomfort between the four of them, and then they head off in what Dawson calls the "Mitch-mobile."
At Jen's house, Jen is looking for directions to the rave map point. Andie steps out for a moment and Jen pulls out the Xstasy. She appears to be remembering old times. Andie walks in and sees the pills.
Joey, Pacey, Gretchen, and Dawson are all in the car headed to the map point. They all appear very uncomfortable, but Gretchen tries to warm things up with conversation about their younger years.
Jen and Andie are waiting for Jack to get out of a soccer meeting. Andie is curious about the Xstasy and Jen is sharing her wealth of knowledge.
"Xstasy, wow. So have you done a lot of it?" asks Jen.
"Yah, in New York. I never went to a rave without it -- and I went to a lot of raves."
"So you must have liked what it did for you -- otherwise you wouldn't have kept taking it."
"Yah, the first few times it's amazing. It's hard not to love the X-effect."
Andie continues to probe. "Which is what exactly."
Jen takes notice of her interest in the subject, but continues anyway. "You get this feeling of loving everybody and everything and that everybody loves you. That can be really powerful. X just made me happy."
"So X makes you happy?" asks Andie.
"All kinds of wonderful."
"That doesn't sound so bad," says Andie. WARNING! WARNING! Jen is doing a pretty good job of talking up the drug.
"Can I see it," asks Andie. Jen is hesitant, but lets her look at the pills anyway.
"Andie, you're way too interested," she says.
"I'm just interested in feeling happy." She explains to Jen that her acceptance to Harvard had no effect on her. Jen is growing more concerned and asks for the X back. Just then, Jack shows up and Andie hides the drugs in her pocket. Jen tries to get them back, but Andie will not relinquish the pills. She promises to give them back later. Fat chance.
The "Mitch-mobile" arrives at the map point and Gretchen and Dawson get out to investigate. Joey and Pacey are left to wonder when this sudden friendship between Dawson and Gretchen developed.
"When did they become going out buddies?" asks Pacey.
"I believe this is the inaugural event," replies Joey.
"So then of all the guys in Capeside that want to befriend her, she picks Dawson -- that doesn't bother you at all?" It apparently bothers Pacey.
"Pacey, he's the only person her age working at the restaurant. It makes perfect sense."
"No," says Pacey, "I asked if it bothered you."
"No, it doesn't bother me," says Joey.
"It bothers you," insists Pacey.
"No, it doesn't bother me. It bothers you."
"So then what's bothering you?" asks Pacey.
"You," jokes Joey, trying to get him to lighten up.
Meanwhile, as Gretchen and Dawson are walking to get the map to the rave, Dawson tells her about his parents' decision. She is happy for him.
Andie, Jen, and Jack arrive at the rave and Jen pulls Andie aside to ask for the Xstasy.
"Uh Jen, don't be mad, but I sorta took one," is Andie's reply. Jen is not pleased, but Andie makes her promise not to tell Jack. The rest of the gang arrives and Andie is already starting to feel the effects. Everything is suddenly very beautiful. They go to the door and run into Drue, who is pleased to see them all.
Once they get inside the building, Jen gets more nervous about keeping an eye on Andie. Andie begins petting Joey, and Jen pulls her aside saying, "Andie, petting Joey -- not a good way to maintain a low profile. I want you to enjoy this, but you're going to have to maintain. Especially around the people you're going to see come Monday morning." Sounds like a tall order to me.
Andie is already way out there. "You're the best Jen," she says. "Oh, I never knew your hair was so soft..."
Andie goes to dance with Drue and Jen convinces Jack to keep an eye on her. Isn't that Jen's job?
Gretchen is apologizing to Joey for bringing Dawson to the rave. Joey insists that she's fine with it, but then confronts Gretchen about whether she's having a relationship with Dawson. Gretchen is very defensive and insists that the only person Dawson wants to have a relationship with is Joey. Touché.
Drue and Andie are dancing, and Drue can't help but notice how wasted Andie is. He convinces Andie to let him take care of her. "I am a far, far better guide through the looking glass than Jen Lindley," he says. And they're off.
Joey finds Pacey sitting outside. Apparently he is not enjoying the rave.
"I would have stayed in there, but I was intimidated by all the intricate steps necessary to enjoy the most tuneless music known to man," he explains.
"I too felt a little out of place," admits Joey. "You know, not having dressed in what can only be called an homage to Japanese animation."
"Why are we here?" asks Pacey.
"We're trying something new."
"Yeah, which only services to let me know how much I enjoyed the old."
"Me too," says Joey. "But I am glad we came. I mean if nothing else, to witness the wasted youth of America first hand."
"And it ain't pretty. But you Madame most certainly are." Pacey is always the romantic.
Joey senses that something is bothering him. "Remember how we used to play barnacle for your thoughts?" she asks. "Well, I don't exactly have a barnacle, but I could offer you this lovely glow necklace." She crowns him with the necklace.
"Which I would gladly accept."
"Gives you that whole Caesar look again," she jokes. She then reminds him that he must share his feelings with her.
After a moment he says, "I miss True Love, Joe...I miss True Love something fierce."
"I miss her too, Pacey."
Back inside the rave, Gretchen confronts Dawson about being interested in her romantically. Dawson is not defensive, but he sincerely denies any special interest.
"I think there is something happening between us," he says, "it's called friendship."
He then goes on to tell her that he doesn't expect anything from her except to continue to develop that friendship. They go off to bounce on the bouncy castle.
Andie and Drue run into Joey and Pacey outside. Andie is even worse than before. She begins to open her feelings to them while Drue just giggles off to the side.
"You guys are so good together," she says. "And Joey, you are so nice. Well, except for the time when you dumped Dawson for Pacey. That was pretty cold."
She continues, "I pretend not to care, Pacey, but I have to admit -- you are the love of my life and I am so not over you." Joey and Pacey are incredulous and Pacey suspects that something is up with her. Andie insists that she is okay and goes off to bounce.
On the bouncy castle, Dawson and Gretchen are having a ball. Dawson falls on Gretchen and it takes him just a moment too long to get off of her. Andie and Drue join them to bounce, but Andie starts to have trouble. She passes out on the castle just as a frantic Jen and Jack show up looking for her.
Jack carries Andie out to the medic tent outside the rave. Everyone is extremely worried for her and the medics determine that the Xstasy is interacting with the Nardol that she takes for her depression. They whisk her off to the hospital, and as Jack is climbing into the ambulance, Jen offers her help.
"I think you've done enough for the night," snaps Jack. "You gave my sister drugs. It should be you in this ambulance."
Jen is upset and decides not to go to the hospital with the rest of the gang. Instead, she lets Drue take her home.
When Jen and Drue arrive at Jen's house, Drue tells her that she is not to blame. He tries to convince her that her friends are going to turn on her and blame her for the incident, but she does not want to hear it from him. She sends him on his way.
At the hospital Jack is upset. It looks like Andie is going to be okay, but he came really close to losing his sister. He sends everyone home, but Pacey insists on staying. Apparently, he blames himself for not keeping an eye on Andie earlier.
"I should have known that something was wrong," he says. "I mean I knew, I just didn't know how bad it was." He decides to spend the night at the hospital and Joey comforts him before she leaves with Dawson and Gretchen.
Dawson takes Gretchen home and they have a moment at her door.
"I'm glad I went," he says. Dawson then goes back to the car to take Joey home, but they end up going out to eat instead.
Back at the hospital, Jack and Mr. McPhee are sitting at Andie's bedside. Mr. McPhee is glad that she is alright, but Jack is still upset that she was so stupid.
"The three of us we need each other," he says. "You can't do stupid things like this, you just can't. I mean, think of what our family's been through already."
"I wanted to feel something, anything," says Andie. Mr. McPhee makes Andie promise to come to them with her problems, and Andie promises to be more responsible.
Pacey walks in with coffee for the guys and Andie is surprised to see that he stayed. He takes her hand and tells her he's glad that she's alright.
It's now morning and Joey and Dawson are on the dock at the creek.
"It's scary how real everything's been this year," says Joey. Dawson agrees.
"A little less than a year, Dawson, and we'll be out of here."
Dawson then shares the news about his mother's pregnancy. Joey is happy for him, but continues to ruminate on the future.
"Wherever we go next," she says, "it's hard to imagine life without you..."
"You did pretty well for three months," retorts Dawson.
"I think you know what I mean," she replies.
"Yeah," he answers, "yeah I do."
THE END
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