Dawson's Creek

Dawson's Creek is by no means a realistic portrayal of teenage angst. I'll admit this. The power of the series and what, in my view, makes it far and away the best thing to happen to TV in a long, long time, is that is it a realistic portrayal of teenage emotions...

The characters in Dawson's Creek may only be 16, yet as Eve said to Dawson (early Season 3) they are all 'old souls'. The emotions in the series are real, the emotions felt by the characters are real, yet, the fact that Kevin Williamson has allowed the characters a vocal outlet for these emotions is the genius of the show. My So Called Life was a brave attempt to do this, but fell short through its pretensions of grandeur. Dawson's Creek embraces the fact that the vocabulary spoken is fake and because of this, is entirely forgiven. This is why we watch television, to feel and see emotions that we cannot or do not feel in our own lives.

As Dawson once said, "Movies (And TV) by definition are escapism, if you want reality look out of the window." Dawson's Creek knows what it is. A fictional television show about high school kids and the emotions they deal with. By admitting its falseness, yet retaining its warmth, humanity and heart, we are able to witness characters that we know aren't real, that we know in real life wouldn't have the vocabulary that these kids possess, but who we believe in and we root for.

Not only emotionally is Dawson's Creek superb, but technically, the series is faultless. Musically, artists like Sarah Mclachlan and Jewel fit snugly into the feel of the series, while artists like New Radicals and Semisonic serve to enhance emotions. The choice of song in Dawson's Creek is rarely wrong and often perfect. The music does not lead the scene into the direction of the song, but serves to reinforce and enhance the emotion that the scene portrays and requires.

Visually, the gorgeous backdrop of Wilmington, North Carolina is fitting as the small American village that is Capeside. The scenic beauty of the Creek, the coast, the woodland, the foliage. Everything visually about the show is in keeping with the emotional context of the show.

Camera work is also faultless. When presented with a difficult emotional scene, we usually pull away from the action at the end of the scene, not judging the characters for their mistakes and allowing them the right to deal with it on their own, without our interference. Only rarely do we judge the characters and when we do, the characters themselves have already beat us to it. (Dawson and Andie getting drunk)

I'd like to thank Kevin Williamson for allowing me the chance to fall in love with the town, the people and the life. These emotions are real. The vocabulary, is just a way of allowing the emotions to have a voice.

Dawsons Creek was revolutionary as it was a show that really cared about its characters, the story lines and the audience. The characters in the show were very likable, honest people who the audience grew to love. The thing that puts this show above most of the other teenage shows is the strength of the acting, the character depth, the realism of the show and the way the show is written.

Dawsons Creek follows the trials and tribulations of a group of very close teenage friends who are growing up in the fictional seaside town of Capeside. James Van Der Beek plays the main character in the show, the honest, romantic and genuinely good-guy Dawson Leery. Katie Holmes soul mate Joey Potter and Joshua Jackson was the plays his life-long best friend and funny, naughty and charming other best friend Pacey Whitter. Kerr Smith and Michelle Williams does a good job as Jen Lindley and Jack McPhee who were the other main cast in the show and who were also friends with the other three characters.

The show is mainly about these teenagers growing up through their adolescent years and it shows all the problems that they encounter, and by having each other the characters so close to each other it means they all have people they can turn too when things go wrong. This show dealt with a massive amount of issues and themes whether it be: sexual encounters, affairs, deaths, gay characters, love triangles, fights, mental problems etc and at the heart of the show is the problems they all have with growing up into adults.

Many people complain about the way that these characters spoke in sophisticated vocabulary that was unrealistic to how teenagers would really speak and that may be true to a point that was one of the good things about the show. It did not stick by the conventional teenage drama mould that has been copied many times by other shows.

All the characters in the show are very complex and because they are all there from day one the viewer learns to love each character because we come to respect and understand them. The viewer can also learn to see things they like in each of the characters and because the show stays true to itself, the characters do not change they just evolve.

The writing in this show is generally of a very good standard, and particularly in the first three seasons the music score is also great. The best episode of the show is probably "The Longest Day" as this is just superbly directed and put together and will probably rank among the best for many fans of the show.

A big strength of this show is that it appeals to a large amount of people in the teenage age group and unlike most teenage shows, it appeals to both men and women. I think this is due to the fact that the characters are not just two-dimension Hollywood cutouts and they all have deep personalities. The audience can identify with the characters because they paint a realistic portrayal of teenage life.

I personally think the show went on for too long and it should have finished after the fourth season. This is due to the fact that in Season 5 most of the characters moved away to different parts of the country and the closeness of the characters we had become to love simply vanished. The new characters that were cast into the show did not really add much to the already established show.

Go and see this show 9/10

I never watched the show while it was on TV, and the only reason why I bought the first season was because it was on sale for $13.00. And then I found myself buying the second season... third season... and now, fourth season. I am currently waiting for seasons 5 & 6 to go on sale (lol, sadly I can't afford them at the price they're at now) Anyways, back to the show. A lot of reviews on here say the show is unrealistic. That teenage kids don't talk like that or act like that. I say, so what? If you want complete accuracy, watch a documentary, or better yet, go back to highschool and sit there and watch the kids there. Dawson's Creek was meant to entertain, to bring everyday stuff teens do go through and adding a hefty dose of angst to it. Yes, the language in the show is quite sophisticated. That's the reason why I love it so much. It's smart. It's for lack of a better and cheesy word "deep." I don't know about the last two seasons, but I sure as hell enjoyed the first four. I recommend it for those who hate the stuff that's on TV nowadays.

I watched this in high school until I graduated in 2001. I can't remember the ending so I believe that I stopped watching once I graduated. I rewatched it on Hulu and it's amazing how simple life was back then. No cell phones! We actually hung out with friends and talked to people IN PERSON. I love how PG this show is. So innocent. Sure there are hints of sex scenes but they cut from simply kissing to the aftermath of simply laying next to the person. The shows today are a little more risqué.

I enjoyed this show as a teen and I enjoyed rewatching it and remembering the "good ole days" of my youth.

Dawson's Creek is an outstanding show and it has so many amazing aspects. The script is beautifully written and keeps the audience entertained with well developed dialogue. The cinematography is beautiful and consistent from episode to episode. The actors had a natural chemistry that made the show so much more enjoyable to watch. The show is extremely addicting and is relatable to the average everyday teen. Kevin Williams uses the cliff hanger strategy often and effectively to keep the audience thinking and guessing what'll happen next. Just a great show in general that has taught me some valuable lessons about friendship and love and family values. Many of the events that happen in the show I have personally experienced and i'm sure I am not the only one who can relate and that is what made the show so impactful with me.