Pacey Witter Has Ruined Me
Now that I am on to the fifth season of my Dawson's Creek rewatch, I have discovered, not that it was really all that much of a mystery, why I am likely to never be in a fully functional, healthy, romantic relationship. I will always measure guys against the likes of Pacey Witter, one of the best written characters to ever grace a television screen.
For those of you reading this who have never watched Dawson's Creek, I encourage you to do so if only you can stomach the self righteous, self centered dick that is Dawson Leery long enough to be able to get to the heart of the show. Because, let's be honest, if we're talking classic hero stories, this show is Pacey's story, full stop. He's this loveable screw up who first falls for his teacher, which forces him to grow up and realize he doesn't have to be a screw up. When that doesn't work out, he goes back to his practical joking and slacker ways, but he still finds it in his heart to let another high achieving woman into his life. Not only does he help save her from the throes of mental illness, but he also starts to understand that dreams and reality don't always work out. Then, comes the Pacey and Joey arc. The whole frenemies that become something more. The witty insults, caustic comebacks, but also friendly banter? It's perfection on the screen. It's that chemistry that I love, even if they end badly the first time around.
Pacey Witter is the one character I can point to with 100% confidence and say that he has a truly remarkable character arc, no matter what kind of television show you want to watch. And, as a writer, that's why I love him. He starts off in this place where you expect him to stay for the rest of his fictional life, but he claws his way up and makes something of himself, even though the world tells him it's impossible. As a girl, he was the first fictional character I had a crush on. He and Joey were the first pairing I ever "shipped," and I'm realizing that my taste in relationships stems from him.
And there's no one out there like Pacey Witter. I'm sorry. No matter how hard guys try, they just don't measure up. It's kind of sad.
That being said, Pacey also embodies the kinds of fictional characters I love to root for. Sam Puckett of iCarly is basically Pacey for the younger female set. My realization of this while writing some recent fanfic has only made me love her more. Sam is the underdog, the one you expect to be stuck in her station in life forever, the one who, no matter how talented and funny and smart she really is, has gotten the short end of the stick. It's probably also no accident that her romantic pairings have also gone the way of Pacey and Joey. It kind of makes me giggle that a children's comedy seems to have drawn some story telling cues from a teen soap, but it only reaffirms my belief that Pacey is the perfect character. Because Sam comes a close second. And if I was a twelve-year-old boy, I would probably have a crush on her too.
I'm sure I probably have more to say on this subject, but I have to get ready for work, and these thoughts are the first fully formed ones to make it onto the page.
For those of you reading this who have never watched Dawson's Creek, I encourage you to do so if only you can stomach the self righteous, self centered dick that is Dawson Leery long enough to be able to get to the heart of the show. Because, let's be honest, if we're talking classic hero stories, this show is Pacey's story, full stop. He's this loveable screw up who first falls for his teacher, which forces him to grow up and realize he doesn't have to be a screw up. When that doesn't work out, he goes back to his practical joking and slacker ways, but he still finds it in his heart to let another high achieving woman into his life. Not only does he help save her from the throes of mental illness, but he also starts to understand that dreams and reality don't always work out. Then, comes the Pacey and Joey arc. The whole frenemies that become something more. The witty insults, caustic comebacks, but also friendly banter? It's perfection on the screen. It's that chemistry that I love, even if they end badly the first time around.
Pacey Witter is the one character I can point to with 100% confidence and say that he has a truly remarkable character arc, no matter what kind of television show you want to watch. And, as a writer, that's why I love him. He starts off in this place where you expect him to stay for the rest of his fictional life, but he claws his way up and makes something of himself, even though the world tells him it's impossible. As a girl, he was the first fictional character I had a crush on. He and Joey were the first pairing I ever "shipped," and I'm realizing that my taste in relationships stems from him.
And there's no one out there like Pacey Witter. I'm sorry. No matter how hard guys try, they just don't measure up. It's kind of sad.
That being said, Pacey also embodies the kinds of fictional characters I love to root for. Sam Puckett of iCarly is basically Pacey for the younger female set. My realization of this while writing some recent fanfic has only made me love her more. Sam is the underdog, the one you expect to be stuck in her station in life forever, the one who, no matter how talented and funny and smart she really is, has gotten the short end of the stick. It's probably also no accident that her romantic pairings have also gone the way of Pacey and Joey. It kind of makes me giggle that a children's comedy seems to have drawn some story telling cues from a teen soap, but it only reaffirms my belief that Pacey is the perfect character. Because Sam comes a close second. And if I was a twelve-year-old boy, I would probably have a crush on her too.
I'm sure I probably have more to say on this subject, but I have to get ready for work, and these thoughts are the first fully formed ones to make it onto the page.