MovieFreak.com - "Dawson's Creek - Season 2" DVD Review by Dennis Landmann

Set in Capeside, a small coastal town near Boston, the show tells the story of five teenagers struggling through adolescence. Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek), an introspective dreamer, and Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), a precocious tomboy unaware of her beauty, have been best friends since childhood. Pals Jennifer (Michelle Williams), Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and Jack (Kerr Smith) join them as they live, love and learn.

In my review of the first season (review here) I mentioned Pacey Witter was underdeveloped, and it's good to see his character fleshed out and put into context in the second season. We learn more about his background, such as his lack of confidence, school habits, and feelings for his disowning father. But most important of all, Pacey gets a girlfriend, and her name is Andy McPhee (Meredith Monroe). Andy is more troubled than anyone could've imagined at the start; she is suffering from depression and takes care of her very fragile mother; her father ran out on them after an accident devastated the family. But she still has her brother Jack to count on and help with problems at home.

The relationship between Pacey and Andy grows stronger after every other episode, but it also hits some lows, especially when she catches Pacey dancing with his dream girl (Ali Larter) at the prom or finds out about the affair with Tamara Jacobs (Leanne Hunley), this by way of the inquisitive and sometimes insensitive Chris Wolfe (Jason Behr). Speaking of Tamara, she makes a brief return early in the season in two or three episodes, but her exit is even more fleeting. Without saying too much, Pacey and Andy go through some tough times as they try to deal with personal problems and succeed as students, not to mention as a couple.

Meanwhile, Dawson and Joey are much closer. The season opens with them considering going out on a date and taking their relationship one step further. On the other side of things, Jen is on the rebound, looking for someone or something to fill her void; she feels lonely. She finds a new friend in Abby Morgan (Monica Keena), a fellow classmate, but really she still exhibits feelings for Dawson and it drives her to tears a few times. To her luck, or for the lack of a better term, complications and uncertainty intrude on Dawson and Joey; as drama usually has it. Joey leaves her relationship with Dawson to "find herself". Unbeknownst to Joey, Jack McPhee begins working as a waiter at the restaurant, which sets off a new relationship. So I hope this will give you a good indication of what to expect from the second season in the first 6-8 episodes or so.

As a whole, Season 2 is a little better than the first. The new characters give the show a bit more life and perspective. Andy is the "high achiever" type of girl who likes things to work perfectly, but her outlook on life changes somewhat when she meets Pacey (naturally, I'd say). The character of Jack is kind of a mystery, he is kind of shy at first but gets more comfortable around people after seeing Joey. I won't reveal what happens to him in the pivotal two-episode arc, To Be or Not To Be... and ...That is the Question, but rest assured it stirs things up a bit inside the halls of Capeside High. A few of the results are very harsh, and some feel a bit over the top. For your information, Kevin Williamson co-wrote the second episode with Greg Berlanti (TV's Everwood).

I have some complaints about the show in general, especially the constant drama of all things, but aside from that, my main complaint is the coincidence factor happening to and around characters and certain situations. For example, two characters sometimes meet in the most coincidental of places, such as in a beauty shop or on a random street, although interactions between these people outside the high school or by the lockers make sense. Either way, some situations just feel too coincidental. Moreover, there are constant drama battles between our friends, whether it be in a relationship, a difference of opinion, or hurt feelings. Sometimes there is conflict in life and it can lead to undesirable consequences, but the show's writers really go out of their way to create the conflict; that is, they make up too much of it. Why can't Dawson's Creek be about something happy and adventurous more often, or at all? As it is, some of the drama and conflict within these episodes is exceeding. This takes away from some of the show's momentum.

I also said something else in my Season 1 review, namely, "There are a few moments when the show resorts to clichés, but it is expected, otherwise Dawson’s Creek wouldn’t function like it does." This is partially true in Season 2, or I just don't want to admit it "all". Anyway, there are specific times in all 21 episodes where actions, lines of dialogue, or characters just don't seem realistic at all. Case in point, the obnoxious, mean-spirited and selfish bitch from hell, Abby Morgan. I'd like to say Monica Keena plays the role well, but it doesn't seem right. Abby is such a bitch I want to slap her in the face every time she says something, and it is almost always something offensive and insensitive (best examples: The Election and Sex, She Wrote). At a different time, one of the school's teachers displays a serious sense of cruelty, and Pacey takes it upon himself to get the teacher fired, rightfully so. This teacher must be from hell, because there is no other explanation for his insensitive and unkind behavior.

My initial reason for leaving the show during the first season is because I didn't have the time to tune in every week and I kind of lost interest. However, the opportunity of watching all 21 episodes of the second season on DVD is something I couldn't resist. The show caught me by surprise this time around. Again, the introduction of new characters is appealing and a good sign of change, and some of the storylines are actually worth watching, although I don't much care about Jen's grandmother or Dawson's troubled parents. Sometimes I forwarded those moments by remote.

On the other side of things, one subplot worth mentioning is the one of Dawson making his second film after receiving $2500 prize money for his first film that won first prize at the Boston Film Festival. So he writes the script, reworks it, finds a hard time casting it (Rachel Leigh Cook makes a quick stint as the leading lady). He eventually ends up shooting it with an incredible crew; students, or people from the actual TV production? Some of the equipment Dawson acquires for his production is pretty big for a 15-year old. Apparently the equipment is property of Capeside High, but the school doesn't seem all that affluent. Then again, we're talking about a TV show after all.

Most episodes are generally pretty good, others are just OK. Rather than listing my favorite episodes or those I thought weren't that good, I'd just like to point out Be Careful What You Wish For is definitely pretty "out there", more so in the sense of, "Whoa, Dawson is really drunk, makes a complete fool out of himself at his 16th birthday party with many people watching in disbelief, and to top it off he falls flat on his birthday cake." On a side note, the episode Psychic Friends takes place almost entirely at the town's semi-ceremonial sale market, and coupled with a cheesy photo shoot with Joey, Jack and a freshman art student, this episode qualifies as somewhat lame.

On the other hand, Dawson is handed a huge blow when a teacher critiques his newly-finished film, "Creek Daze". Also, Friends appears to take place a few weeks after the events of the previous episode, the one where Dawson got drunk, loosing me on transition, especially when it turns out Dawson's dad is now teaching at the school. This brings me to another quick note, actually. Characters like Chris and Abby disappear all of a sudden for more than a handful of episodes before returning to the storyline, or not at all. In this case, and in a few others, Dawson's Creek sometimes lacks a sense of transition. Moreover, A Perfect Wedding is also not a very good episode as it takes place mainly at a wedding ceremony, yet it certainly ends on a shocking note.

Before I end this review, let me confess something that kind of irritates me. All of the actors portraying these high schoolers are either 20 or older. Rest assured, I understand the reasoning behind this fact, it just seems awkward. In the case of Michelle Williams, I believe she was around 19 during the time Season 2 was in production. Jackson, Van Der Beek, Behr and Smith were all at least close to 21 and 22 at the time. Most surprising of all, however, is the age of Meredith Monroe who was 28 playing a 15-year old teenager. Whoa!! Right? Anyway, that's enough. I've probably said too much already.

Disc 1: The Kiss; Crossroads; Alternative Lifestyles; Tamara's Return; Full Moon Rising

Disc 2: The Dance; The All-Nighter; The Reluctant Hero; The Election; High Risk Behavior; Sex, She Wrote

Disc 3: Uncharted Waters; His Leading Lady; To Be or Not to Be...; ...That Is the Question; Be Careful What You Wish For; Psychic Friends

Disc 4: A Perfect Wedding; Abby Morgan Rest In Peace; Reunited; Ch...ch...ch...changes; Parental Discretion Advised

Columbia presents Dawson's Creek in the show's original 1.33:1 fullscreen aspect ratio. The video on the previous release was not quite up to standards. I'm happy to report at least the episodes here look a bit better. For example, the print image is in good condition; there are no scratches, only a few specks and grain in the darker scenes. Also appearing in dark scenes are compression artifacts, yet I did not spot any edge enhancement. On the positive side, sharpness appears in good condition. Detail looks quite nice, too. Colors are bright and well-saturated, but some episodes appear a bit soft, although that is mostly intentional. The video quality isn't great, but a step up from the first season DVD set.

Columbia presents Dawson's Creek in English 2.0 Surround Sound. This season features brand-new music selected by the show's executive producer, which is most likely a licensing issue. A slight improvement over last season, Columbia offers a decent soundtrack presentation. The songs are effective and clear. Dialogue is crisp and easy to understand. Sound effects come across just fine, there's decent positional audio and mild bass. Overall, a perfectly fine presentation.

I'm kind of disappointed with these extras, mainly because there are only two of them, providing one counts the new music. The only real supplement is Paul Stupin's commentary track on the season premiere and finale. Stupin offers a variety of information and remembers both episodes quite well. He talks about the production, characters, location, and some other events. Fans will most likely appreciate these tracks the most. The only remaining extra are trailers for other Columbia titles.

What this release is seriously lacking is the input of the cast. The actors make the show appealing, so why don't we hear from them? Also, a season recap or "look back" would've been appreciated. But, no. Perhaps the third season will see some effort, which I'd expect to see sometime during the summer.

You can select to view the show with optional Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Why not English? The average episode length is 44 minutes, and is divided into five or six chapters; it appears this is a random issue. Menus are user-friendly and easy to navigate. A "play all episodes" option is featured. Inside the digipak case is a thin booklet listing episodes synopsis and credits.

Sadly, there are no scene selections, only episode selections. This is something Sony can and should definitely improve upon with Season 3, as well as adding actual "bonus material" and English subtitles.

This is a pretty decent show. I don't love it, but I don't hate either. Some aspects are more rewarding than others, and some subplots are more interesting than others. The acting is well done and the locations are quite beautiful. Considering Season 1, I liked Season 2 more. Video is not very good, audio is ok, and the extras disappoint. Therefore, I'm recommending this second season DVD of Dawson's Creek to fans of the show only. Anyone else might not get very much out of this set unless the show appeals to certain newcomers.

I rated Season 1 a "7" overall, mainly because there was a bit more bonus material available. At first I was inclined to rate Season 2 a "6" overall, and then I thought about being really generous and rate the 4-disc set a "7" instead, but I ended up rating it a "6". Now, take note Sony, Season 3 needs to be a lot better!

THE SEASON/SHOW	7
THE VIDEO	6
THE AUDIO	6
THE EXTRAS	3
OVERALL (not an average)	6