The first season of Dawson's Creek was certainly a commercial success. It helped breathe life into the fortunes of the fledgling WB network, became an instant pop culture favorite, and launched the careers of four young actors. Most shows in this situation would simply rest on their laurels and ignore any of the creative problems that existed. Thankfully, Kevin Williamson decided to shake things up a bit and the good news is that most of his decisions were solid ideas that propelled season two to the level of a quality teen drama.

Following up immediately where season one left off, season two showed what happened in the aftermath of Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey's (Katie Holmes) kiss. James Van Der Beek returns as Dawson Leery, and once again is upstaged by the rest of the cast. Unfortunately, there wasn't much Kevin Williamson could do about his lead actor at this point. Replacing him was certainly out of the question. The best he could do was limit the whining and complaining that doomed the character in season one, and this worked for the most part. While Van Der Beek was still a liability in season two, it caused much less of a problem because Dawson was made into a more likeable person.

In what was perhaps a nod to Beverly Hills, 90210, season two saw the introduction of twins Jack (Kerr Smith) and Andie (Meredith Monroe) to the main cast, and both were smart choices. Focusing on only four characters was problematic in season one, limiting the possible story ideas for each individual. Jack was athletic but shy, while the hyper Andie was one of the smartest people in the school. They had just moved to Capeside for unidentified family reasons, which we eventually learned throughout the course of the season.

While Joey began the year having finally won Dawson, they would quickly drift apart. Her interest was piqued by Jack, who was more sensitive and understood Joey's artistic interests. She had definitely matured from the first season when she was shy and let others determine her fate. This year, she was determined to go after what she wanted and what she deserved. The end of the season led to two very emotional moments for Joey, her breakup with Jack and reunion with her father. Williamson really liked to pile the grief on this character, but Katie Holmes always did a good job of selling it and her sensitive performances throughout this season made it work.

Dawson's Creek had never shied away from dealing with teen sexuality. In season two, that continued and moved into the realm of teenage homosexuality when Jack surprisingly came out. In a terrific two part episode written by Kevin Williamson himself, Jack's feelings were revealed when he was forced to read a poem about it in front of the class. It's no secret that Kevin Williamson was gay and Jack's character was created to explore some of his own experiences. However, I think he missed a big opportunity by not using this story with his lead character Dawson. While it certainly would have limited storylines a bit in the future, this would have made things far more interesting and been a little bit more daring. Plus, this meant the end of the Joey and Jack relationship which had far more chemistry than Joey and Dawson.

One of the best things about season two was the growth of Pacey's (Josh Jackson) character. Freed from the confines of the questionable older woman relationship, the show was able to explore Pacey in much more detail. He continued to be the clown, but was soon subdued by the likes of Andie, who he quickly fell in love with. This romance was wonderful to watch unfold. Pacey provided some grounding for the emotionally unstable Andie, while Andie helped Pacey believe he could be more than the town loser. His grades would improve and he would be inspired to take a stand for other people, as he did when Jack was humiliated by a teacher. Jackson's performances throughout the season were superb as he made Pacey into a complete three dimensional character.

While an excellent season overall, there will still some problems with the show. The overly verbose dialogue style was still apparent by season two, but this had somehow almost become charming by now. In a sense, it became the language of the show. The writers still had not quite figured out what to do with Jen's (Michelle Williams) character. Shattered by Dawson's rejection, she began to slip back into her old ways before she had moved to Capeside. She began drinking and making moves on older men. This allowed for Michelle Williams to get some standout moments and prove her depth as an actress, but the hysterical way Jen was portrayed most of the year really did her no favors.

Dawson's Creek also had some difficulties in portraying its adult characters. Dawson's parents were still dealing with his mother's infidelity from season one. There was an awful love triangle as his father began dating Dawson's film teacher Ms. Kennedy (Madchen Amick). Jack and Andie's father was portrayed as a one dimensional jerk, and intermittent attempts to show him in a better light were entirely unconvincing. At other points, the adult characters were unnecessarily mean. The teacher that forced Jack to read the poem would certainly have been fired for his actions, but in the world of Dawson's Creek the kids are facing an uncaring oppressive adult world and little things like realism had no place.

Despite these flaws, the second season was a consistently excellent year for the teen show. There weren't any episodes as bad as the worst of season one, but there were some outstanding moments as well. In "The Reluctant Hero", Pacey proved his sensitivity as he helped deal with Andie's unstable mother. "High Risk Behavior" is probably the sexiest episode of the entire run of Dawson's Creek. It featured the characters in several different pairings as they contemplated their feelings on sexuality, and whether or not to act on said feelings. "Reunited" was a highly emotional episode where Andie began to lose her sanity and we learned more about her family history. This episode was a terrific showcase for both Josh Jackson and Meredith Monroe.

This would be the last year that Kevin Williamson was involved in the show. He would soon depart for other projects, most of which would fail. Williamson never did recapture the success he had when Dawson's Creek originally premiered. In essence, this was his last stand. For one final year, he would prove capable of creating interesting characters that people would care about. With Williamson's departure, Dawson's Creek would never get this good again.

Reviews of other seasons:

Dawson's Creek - First Season
Dawson's Creek - Third Season
Dawson's Creek - Fourth Season
Dawson's Creek - Fifth Season
Dawson's Creek - Sixth Season


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD