Dawson's Creek - 315 - Crime and Punishment

Original air date: February 9, 2000

So, we last left off with the gang celebrating Valentine's Day by going to a scandalous Matt Caulfield party, even though nothing all that scandalous happened. But Matt Caulfield is totally evil, you guys. I know this because they told us he had sex with six different girls. Cheerleaders, no less. This guy is for reals, you guys. You might wonder why I'm focused on a one off character and his evilness, well, that's because he was masterfully set up for this episode.

Masterfully

This episode opens as gloriously as the last one ended. That is to say, it is a Joey/Pacey scene. Pacey shows up to encourage Joey, who is painting a mural. They further prove my point of them being on my Top Ten Best Couples list with the cute back and forth they have where Pacey makes a big deal about how much artists are revered (read he reveres Joey) and Joey knows him so well that she guesses why he's really there (his parents kicked him out of the house.) She also correctly guesses that the drama has to do with one of his sisters. This is already way more insight than Dawson ever showed into Pacey's life (he usually just brushed off Pacey's familial issues and flat out ignored how rude Pacey's dad was to Pacey). When she shows him her artwork (remember how she was scared to show Dawson anything she'd done? But she's super comfortable showing Pacey her public work before anyone else?), he does not hold back his real opinion, which is that he doesn't get it. He also doesn't get what it has to do with "school unity" which is what Joey and a bunch of other art students were commissioned to paint. I like that, I like that he's not mean but he's also very honest with his opinions and she takes it in stride. In short, they are super cute and very deserving of their spot on my Top Ten list.

Awwww

Next day, Dawson tries to sneak a peek at Joey's painting but Joey refuses to let him see (hmmmm, interesting). Dawson then whines because Pacey got to see it and I yell at my tv screen for him to shut up because he's the worst. He is not owed a chance to see her work beforehand just because Pacey did. They banter a bit about whether or not Dawson is coming (he is), whether or not she wants him to (she does) and I wonder why we are bothering with this idea that they might end up together. Dawson and Joey's relationship died the second Pacey and Joey became friends this season and his crush on her rekindled. Better yet, I think their relationship died after this:

The Evil!Matt Caulfield is appearing before the disciplinary committee for cheating on a test. I wonder how he's supposed to be taken seriously as a "bad boy" evil guy when his crime is calling his mommy for help on a test but whatever. So, he openly admits to doing this, Andie recommends that he fail the quiz and serve a three hour detention but then Mr. Green decides that Matt didn't "break the spirit of the Honor Code" and lets him go with only a warning not to appear before their committee again. I don't even understand how you can be in violation of the Honor Code but not be in violation of it in spirit and somehow that gets you off the hook.

Mr. Green then asks to see Andie after the Committee breaks and she thinks it's because he thinks her punishment was an overreaction and that confuses me because I thought her punishment was fine, maybe retake the quiz with no cellphone handy instead of failing automatically but fine otherwise. Mr. Green tells her that she actually scored really well on the PSATs which means she's one step closer to earning a National Merit Scholarship. You know, the PSATs that Andie cheated on which was played for kind of laughs when she was appointed onto the Disciplinary Committee in the first place? Yeah, that shit is finally getting addressed.

Yep, you're fucked

Pacey bursts in on his brother, Doug and informs him that since the Witter home is full to capacity, Pacey has been sent to live with him. Doug protests a bit but finally relents, agreeing that Pacey can stay if he doesn't eat their mother's food, he uses coasters, and he keeps his CD collection in alphabetical order, by last name, not first. Pacey agrees but gets less enthusiastic about the idea when Doug asks if he's any good at decoupage.

Oh boy, this means we're in for some more horrible gay jokes!
*she said with as much sarcasm as humanly possible

Bessie is cutely excited for Joey's art unveiling and is getting her camera ready. Joey for some reason feels the need to remind Bessie about how much she hated high school even though Bessie points out that it's different now. Bodie comments that it's not that much different and asks if there are like, ten black students. Joey corrects him that there are eleven. Nice meta comment on the comments about this show's whiteness Dawson's Creek writers. Bessie relents and agrees that she hated high school but that she's so glad that things are different for Joey because she's super talented and special and everyone loves her and stuff. This is a praise Joey scene, I'm not really into those because it just serves to make her character a bit too perfect but whatever, it is setting up the obvious thing that's going to happen later.

So, at the school, Joey finally gets to make her speech about how she wanted to paint a mural that was about possibility because that idea is what unites them all as students. As she finishes her speech, she pulls the cord to reveal her mural.

Womp-womp

Joey responds in her usual way, by running away. I can't fault her on this one though, that's pretty embarrassing and I probably wouldn't want to stand around to hear people laugh or pity me. Anyway, Dawson runs after her and tries to play down what happened to her. She tells him she feels humiliated and he tells her that nobody's humiliated in there except for whoever did that to her painting. Dawson, you don't know what humiliation is, which is weird since you experienced it not too long ago when your shitty film bombed. He then tells her to not take it personally which is stupid because when you put something of yourself out there and it gets vandalized like that, it is extremely hard not to take it personally, especially when yours is the only one to be defaced. Pacey catches up and basically says what I just said. Pacey and Dawson argue over who is right and before I can, Joey points out to them that neither of them are helping her and she asks them to forget about it and leaves.

Jack and Andie talk about what happened to Joey while they make supper. Jack jokes that he'll catch whoever did it and Andie can have the last laugh since she's on the Disciplinary Committee and can throw the book at them. Andie looks super uncomfortable before telling Jack that she's thinking about stepping down because she doesn't want to be in judgement of other students. Jack looks uneasily at Andie and says it's unlike her to bail on a commitment. Andie babbles about it taking up too much of her time and how her schoolwork is slipping before changing the subject back to the supper they are making.

Jack is unconvinced

Dawson goes over to the Potter B&B to try and talk Joey into repainting the mural. Joey isn't having it and I sympathize. It is incredibly hard to repaint exactly what you painted before, maybe not for some people but for me it definitely is. Once I paint or draw something, it kind of just goes out of my head and I just wouldn't have the will or desire to try to recreate it if something happened to it. Dawson gets all pissed that she's not jumping up and down ecstatically about his suggestion, to which she responds:

Joey: Newsflash, Dawson. I can’t always be your plucky little Joey Potter. I don’t have this unlimited reserve of goodwill and good faith in humanity, and– and sometimes I am going to be a little depressed.

I'm sorry what? Is this the same character we're talking about here? Since when has Joey been a beacon of positivity? She has always been super surly and snarky and kind of bitter about the world what with her mother dying when she was young and her father being imprisoned for drugs and all. What even is characterization?

So, Joey rightfully tells Dawson that he can't just expect her to start over on something that took a lot of work to complete in the first place and do it in one night but Dawson isn't having it and asks her why not. She snaps back that she can't for the same reason he hasn't shot a roll of film since January. Dawson tries to convince us and himself that the two are completely different and Joey demands to know that it had nothing to do with the fact that his film was poorly received at the festival.

I love it when Joey smacks Dawson with the truth

With complete sincerity, Dawson claims that his quitting had nothing to do with that (bullshit) and then he and Joey bicker some more about how Dawson has choices in his life that she doesn't, blah, blah, blah. Then Dawson leaves her the keys to the school and tells her to do what she wants.

Pacey goes up to a couple of random students in the cafeteria and asks them who they think vandalized Joey's mural, under the guise of him taking bets on who did it. Both guys hand over money and say they think it was none other than the Evil!Matt Caulfield because of course it was him.

Pacey goes to confront Evil!Matt about defacing Joey's mural. Evil!Matt plays coy about the whole thing but Pacey is having none of it. He tells Evil!Matt that he needs to apologize and then turn himself in before the end of the day.

Dawson walks up to where Joey's mural is still covered and takes a peek behind. He then looks pissed because Joey didn't do his bidding because he's a tool. Yeah, I know he was trying to help her I just hate the way he's going about it. I mean, if she wanted to repaint it and he was encouraging her and being supportive, I would be all for that but the way this is played it's like he's forcing her to repaint it because it is what he thinks she should do to make herself feel better. That's not cool. He asks Andie if she's seen Joey but Andie says Joey wasn't in home room today.

It's the end of the day and Evil!Matt hasn't made good on Pacey's demands. So, Pacey has waited for him by his car where they get into an epic battle of manliness.

Epic battle of manliness!!!

Principal Green breaks them up before they kill each other though. He demands they see him in his office.

Before Principal Green can unleash his fury on Pacey and Evil!Matt, Andie interrupts him and tells him she is stepping down from the Disciplinary Committee. Green is stunned and wants to discuss further but Andie says there is nothing to discuss, thanks him, and leaves.

Dawson and Evil!Matt's friend have been called in to basically rat on their friends. Principal Green is kind of stupid because if he really wanted answers, he would have asked Dawson and the friend, separately and in private, away from Pacey and Evil!Matt telling them not to say anything. But if they weren't all in a group, we couldn't have Dawson save the day and Evil!Matt reveal his true, mustache-twirling ways.

So, Dawson lets slip that they were fighting about the mural because he doesn't want Pacey to have another mark on his record, which I have to admit is a pretty solid thing for Dawson to do and one of the only times I've seen him be a friend to Pacey. Principal Green then asks Evil!Matt if he did it and rather than just say "no", Evil!Matt has to launch into some speech about how he doesn't give a rat's ass about some "stupid Chinese drawing". Dawson then asks how Evil!Matt knew what the drawing was, to which he quickly responds that Joey had been working on it for weeks so anyone could have taken a look. Dawson then says that even he didn't see it and he's one of her closest friends (so you see, there was a point to him not seeing it, so in the end he could be right and a hero.) Evil!Matt, then confesses to the whole thing, stating that Joey's art, a mural depicting the message of "possibility", was offensive to him and that he shouldn't have to look at it every day. Hey, hey you guys? I think Evil!Matt is the bad guy. I just wanted to point it out in case the writers were being too subtle about the whole thing. Here, let me help you visualize what they are trying to get across:

There we go

Andie finally confesses to Jack that she was the one who stole the PSAT answer sheet. Jack is stunned and doesn't understand how she could do such a thing. Andie explains that she thought that if she could ace the test, she could prove to everyone once and for all that she was better but that now that she is better, she is finding it hard to live with herself. I finally feel a bit of sympathy towards Andie since the writers first set on their mission to destroy this character. She did a shitty thing but at least she's finally showing some remorse for it and I totally understand her reasons for wanting to do it, wrong as they were. Andie says that she is going to confess to Principal Green and Jack tries to talk her out of it, not wanting her to get kicked out of school for cheating on something with the word "practice" in front of it. Andie is sticking to her guns about confessing.

That's what she said!
Er...I mean, you go, girl!

Joey goes to Doug's place to yell at Pacey for getting in trouble with Matt Caulfield. Pacey is angry that he's not being rewarded for proving that Matt did it but Joey tells him that what he did was reckless and that if he wants to wreck his future, he should do it on his own behalf, not hers. I'm totally with her on this point and it seems Pacey, darling as he is, hasn't quite gotten over his hero complex. Pacey lashes out at her and reveals that he was hanging out with her only because Dawson asked him to look out for her.

Joey is not impressed and rightfully so

She then gets really hurt and asks if that was the only reason Pacey was hanging out with her. Pacey looks confused but then he realizes that she really felt for him. She storms out before he can say anything else.

At a disciplinary hearing, Principal Green decides to expel Matt Caulfield. Though, I'm a little confused because Matt then asks "For the rest of the year?" to which Principal Green responds "For the rest of the year." So...is he just suspended then? Because that sounds more like he's suspended and will have to make up the courses he fails to complete the following year, meaning he's being held back from graduation. To me, expulsion means you do not get to return to the school at all, ever. You are done there. But, whatever, I guess this is just a minor nit pick as it is essentially screwing him over hard either way.

Dawson is listening outside when Joey approaches and asks him how things are going. Dawson mentions that Pacey will be lucky to get off with just a suspension this time. Joey snarks that with the way things are going, Dawson should have just asked her to look out for Pacey.

She is throwing down this episode

Dawson tells her that it wasn't like that, he just couldn't be there for her and wanted someone she could turn to. Joey rightfully tells him that she never asked for his pity. He claims that he just wanted what was best for her but, let's face it, it was still a shitty thing for him to do. Ok, maybe it came from a place of good intentions, it's just a bit condescending to me that he felt he had to have someone look out for her as if she couldn't survive without him, that's what bugs me about it. But I also can't fault him too much for doing it because it is bringing me Pacephine. Dawson, your assholery has paid off for me...this time.

Anyway, Joey doesn't think that Pacey really cared about her which is obviously the thing that is really bugging her but Dawson tells her that Pacey is being disciplined in that room because of how much he cares about her.

I think this news pleases Joey...or it confuses her...troubles her?
Look, I can't really read Joey's expressions a lot of the time,
unless she's being snarky

Cut to Andie, tearfully emptying her locker, leading us to assume she too has been expelled.

Then we cut back to Pacey, coming out of the hearing room and praising Principal Green. He was not expelled or suspended but instead, asked to be a mentor to a troubled youth and I let out the biggest groan I have ever groaned as I remember the awful storyline that awaits me before I'm fully awarded with my Pacephine.

Pictured: Blinvy thinking about enduring some horrible child acting

Principal Green is admonishing Andie for cheating on the PSATs. Andie has come completely clean but has not ratted anyone else out for their involvement with it as none of them cheated off of it which is pretty solid. Principal Green says that he'll have to call the Educational Testing Service and they will probably cancel her scores, thus forfeiting her chance at a National Merit Scholarship. Andie nods in understanding and informs him that she has also cleaned out her locker in anticipation of her expulsion, since Matt was also expelled and her actions were just as bad. Principal Green informs her that she's nothing like Evil!Matt and that the punishment should fit the crime and the person doing the crime. He tells her to put her things back in her locker and that he will think of a more suitable punishment in a few days. Andie tearfully thanks him before leaving.

Joey is walking down the hall, ready to repaint her mural when she finds Pacey, painting over her damaged work with primer. He tells her that he wanted to give her a fresh start for her new painting. They banter back and forth a little bit before Pacey asks if she's going to thank him. She jokingly asks for what and Pacey starts listing his noble deeds and here is another reason why I love these two:

Joey: Tilting at windmills while in the throes of a misguided hero complex?

Pacey: Well, yeah, that too.

She can totally call him out on his obvious hero complex and he admits it and they just take it in stride. I love that. It shows how they can be honest with each other but not always get upset with said honesty but embrace it. It's really sweet. On top of this sweetness, Joey does thank him, for being himself and for knowing what's right and what's wrong and that she appreciates that he was there for her when she needed him. Then she asks if the only reason he did it was because of Dawson, to which Pacey jokingly agrees and Joey responds with "you need to get a life." before they smile at each other and continue painting together.

Oh and Dawson comes in at the end and smiles to himself because he helped get those two back together or something. Stop ruining my Pacephine moments, Dawson. Also, you will be eating that smile soon. Just wait.

One last bit of adorableness

So, that was Crime and Punishment and to be honest, as much as I love me some Pacephine moments, I kind of wish the episode had focused more on Andie's turmoil than the whole picture vandalizing nonsense. I mean, Matt Caulfield's character was just so over the top about his evil ways and wanting to paint over the mural because basically he's an ass who hates nice messages. It wasn't all that satisfying of a conclusion because he was little more than a strawman to be the big bad that Dawson and Pacey had to take down in Joey's honour. I think the episode would have been stronger if it had focused on Andie's part in the whole thing and actually dealing with her guilt over her past crime as she passed judgement over others. But, I'll definitely take this episode for what it is and sigh in adoration over the cute Pacephine moments. Yes, I'm making Pacephine a thing.

Anyway, stay tuned for the next recap where in Principal Green is raked over the coals for daring to expel a rich white kid because pretty much everyone in Capeside is awful. Next time is To Green, With Love.

Glee - 101 - Pilot

Original air date: May 19, 2009

So, watching this first episode takes me back. I know that's silly seeing as how it only aired 6 years ago but my god, the quality, the humour, the characters, everything is just great here and it just brings me back to the first time I watched it and how happy it made me feel. I watch a lot of different shows for a lot of different reasons but there are very few shows out there that just make me happy to watch them, where I'd get just pumped to see the next episode. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Freaks and Geeks were that for me when I was a teen (Dawson's Creek was more of a guilty pleasure for me), then I had Pushing Daisies which was unfairly cancelled, and then I had Glee. It was not a genius show, it was not a thought-provoking show, it was just a show that made me happy and I don't think that's anything to sniff at. It takes a lot of work and a lot of heart to make something that makes others smile and just genuinely give them a good feeling. So let's cue up some Journey and take a look at the very first episode of Glee.

The very first episode actually starts out with the cheerleaders doing an extremely gruelling routine and then the glorious Sue Sylvester, in her prime snark days bellows at them:

I was hooked

With that utterance, I was reassured, much like with the first scene of Freaks and Geeks, that this would not be your typical teen show and I was instantly in love. The vibe of this show was very much adult when it first began, this was not a show geared towards younger crowds (though younger crowds would watch) and was actually pretty dark.

We then cut to our main character (which will definitely change over the course of the show) Will Schuester or Schue as he's usually referred to by the kids. He drives up happily in his beat up car and obliviously walks by some kids who are bullying a smaller kid. (Heh, look at me referring to adults playing teens as "kids") The two main kids doing the bullying are Finn and Puck while the kid being picked on is Kurt. Of course Schue asks Kurt if he's making new friends before happily telling Finn that he needs his Spanish homework and then rushing off to his classes, leaving poor Kurt behind to be dumped in the dumpster.

Kurt complains that his brand new Marc Jacobs' blazer will get ruined and so Finn takes pity on him enough that he lets Kurt take off his blazer and hand it to Finn before the rest of the jocks toss Kurt in the dumpster. How very...cruel/kind of you Finn.

At least he does look a bit upset that he's a tool

We see a lot of weird cuts that show off a day in the life of the McKinley High students and teachers, including Mr. Schue looking at a plaque of the old Glee Club coach, a cheerleader (Quinn) doing splits mid-air, Mr. Schue teaching his Spanish class to a bunch of bored students, including Finn, then to a random male cheerleader doing something cheerleader-y, and then to Sandy Ryerson (HOLY GOD I MISS THIS CRAZY ASS CHARACTER!!) teaching a song to a male student (Where is Love? from the musical Oliver!) and touching him rather inappropriately while our other main character, Rachel Berry watches, ticked off.

Words cannot express how much I love Rachel

We then cut to the teachers lounge where football coach Ken Tanaka complains to will about the principal getting rid of the coffee pot. Enter Sue, the Cheerios (the cheerleading team and I was not aware Cheerleaders got to have team names before this show...or after. Is that a thing?) coach with a tray of lattes for everyone. Sue is at her best here, a little snarky but not the cartoonish over the top villain that she soon becomes. Guidance counsellor Emma enters and asks what's up with the lattes. Sue explains that she felt bad about Principal Figgins getting rid of the teacher's coffee pot so that her Cheerios could have a nutritionist. I don't understand how an old coffee pot that the school already had pays for a nutrition coach but whatever, this show works in a beautiful, snarky, satirical world of its own. Emma snarks about Sue's Cheerios so Sue leaves but not before letting everyone know just how awesome she is and her response to Emma's snark is the best:

I miss old Sue

I love that line. Anyway, Emma informs everyone that Sandy Ryerson has been fired. Will immediately expresses concern over this fact...no I'm just messing with you, he's just worried about who will run the Glee club.

Will then immediately runs to Principal Figgins to declare that he'd like to take over Glee Club. Mr. Figgins informs Will that he has to pay $60 a month to run it because...reasons. I thought maybe it was for costumes and the like but Figgins tells Will that he has to use the costumes they already have so...I guess to rent the room? I don't really get how extracurriculars are run in US schools or maybe I just don't get how they work on this show.

So Will has agreed to pay $60 a month to coach Glee Club which just sounds weird. Isn't it just a volunteer thing? Whatever. Will explains to us via narration that he is going to have a hard time hiding the fact that he's pissing away $60 a month to coach Glee from his wife but that lack of communication in his marriage is less important than coming up with a new name for the club. He excitedly sits up in bed as he thinks of the thrilling new name that is supposed to inspire students and get them to want to join:

Nude Erections?

Actually it's New Directions and we cut to a montage of the different kids signing up. We have our resident sassy black character, Mercedes, who auditions with (what else?) Aretha Franklin's Respect. Next we see Kurt, the kid who got dumped into a dumpster at the beginning, sign up and he auditions with Mr. Cellophane from Chicago. Then Tina signs up and auditions with Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl. Judging from her audition, I thought she'd be a pretty fun character.

I was wrong, she's not interesting at all. This is pretty much the
most interesting that she gets

Then we get to my absolute favourite character and while I mainly still watch the show for her, I forgot just how much fun she was at the beginning and why I rooted for her so much. She is a blast, completely full of herself, but driven and hilarious. Rachel signs her name on the sheet and auditions with, of course, On My Own from Les Miserables.

While she's singing, we get to hear her inner monologue and it's glorious. Her first lines are:

I love this character

And I fell in love. She's just so crazily ambitious and over the top that it works. She's not necessarily a good person but she's damn interesting and driven as hell. She wants the solo and dammit, she'll get it even if she has to get the current Glee coach fired to do it. Though she steadfastly denies those rumours. She totally only did it because Sandy was being inappropriate with the kid earlier, named Hank Saunders. She sobs as she recounts what she saw to Principal Figgins.

See? Totally honestly concerned for her fellow students

To be fair, it did look like Sandy was being inappropriate with Hank so I think that's why she can get away with being so conniving about this and still be likeable, at least to me. She further explains that she's not homophobic because she has two gay dads. They basically found a surrogate and then mixed their sperm together so that they wouldn't know who the actual dad was.

Can you guess?

This joke is funny but Arrested Development totally did it first:

I feel like Butters yelling "Simpsons did it! Simpsons did it!" but with AD

She then goes on to say that her Dads basically groomed her from a young age to be a star, it even shows young Rachel getting over enthusiastic in dance class. She goes on about how being famous is the most important thing in our culture right now, which is so true, and that to keep her talent alive and growing, she posts videos of herself singing on her...MySpace account. Really? Does anyone use that? I've only ever heard it being mentioned on TV but I've never actually heard someone in real life say that they have a MySpace account. So, wave hello to our sponsors kids. Don't worry MySpace, maybe if you get mentioned on TV a few more times, people will use you. No, they won't. Stop trying.

Anyway, Rachel is clearly passionate about singing and dedicated to getting herself out there. Of course, when you put yourself out there, you open yourself to mockery. This is illustrated by Quinn and her Cheerleading friends mocking Rachel online after she posts her video.

Rachel has a sad

Our tiny original glee club, consisting of Rachel, Artie, Tina, Kurt, and Mercedes, are rehearsing Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat and Rachel stops everyone to say how much they suck. Will silently agrees but vocally insists that they will get better if they rehearse more. Rachel criticizes the fact that Artie, a boy in a wheelchair, is singing lead in Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat and Artie explains that Mr. Schue was probably going for irony.

Did I mention how much I love this character?

As Sue degrades and mentally tortures her Cheerios, Mr. Schue tries to talk Rachel into sticking it out with Glee Club. Rachel says she's tired of being laughed at and wants to leave her mark on high school. She demands that Mr. Schue find her a suitable male lead that she can sing with or she'll quit Glee. Mr. Schue then gets called to the principal's office.

In Mr. Figgins' office, Will learns that the auditorium is going to be rented out to AA meetings so he has to cancel Glee Club. Will protests but.

I think I want to make a counter on this because my god, does this
line ever get overused in the early seasons. It's hilarious

Will argues that if his kids place at regionals, they can stay and if they don't, he'll give up the auditorium. Figgins' hands become untied, I guess, because he agrees to the terms but tells Will he has to work detention for free. I don't get American schools, do teachers get paid for every little thing they do for the school? In Canada, teachers are salaried so pretty much everything they do is already paid for and extracurriculars are on volunteer basis. Detention is always on your own time so if you feel like doling them out to your students, you stay with them. We never had a detention hall that was run at a specific time with a random teacher supervising. That's just weird to me.

Will breaks the news to his overbearing wife that he has to work late for the next few weeks so that Mr. Figgins won't kill Glee Club. Terri responds by whining because it's what she's good at. I kid, I actually kind of love her character. Yeah, she's awful but she at least has the courtesy to be funny and entertainingly awful. She's a character you're meant to hate which is where the comedy comes from so I have no problem with her at all. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the awesomeness of Howard Bamboo?

He's amazing and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise

Will bumps into Sandy who tells him that he's essentially a drug dealer now and is super not pissed that he was let go because he's making hand over fist selling medicinal marijuana. He gives Will a sample packet of his own which will come into play later.

Will talks to Sue, Ken, and Emma about how to get more kids to sign up. Sue tells him he's out of luck because Glee kids are the lowest on the high school popularity rung, Emma tells him that Sue's right but that nothing is set in stone and kids will follow whoever is popular in whatever they do, Ken agrees to let Will talk to the football team about joining up if he puts in a good word for him with Emma.

Will appeals to the football team to sign up. Puck says he can sing but instead of singing, he lets a fart rip. Will looks defeated, especially when he check on his sign up list later and finds that it is full of joke names like "Butt Munch" and "Penis". He thinks that Glee Club is over, until he hears a guy singing horribly wonderfully in the showers. I kid, I kid, Finn isn't the worst singer ever, just comparatively with so many strong voices in the cast, he's the weakest link and I question why they went with him as the "star male lead".

Will evilly and ingeniously, uses the weed that Sandy gave him to black mail Finn into joining Glee. It is horrible and manipulative and hilarious because you know this is a world that is not to be taken seriously. Finn readily agrees to join so that the drug bust doesn't appear on his record and you do feel a little bad for him because of how adamant (and truthful) he is being about the pot not being his.

Finn explains in his flashback/voice over, that his father died when he was young and that he's close with his mother. He heard music for the first time (figuratively not literally) when he was helping some lawn guy paint their grass green and they sang Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' by Journey. When the lawn guy left his mother for another girl, Finn vowed to make his mother proud of him so that she'd feel her sacrifices were worth it. Not sure what that implies, possibly that lawn guy didn't want the baggage of a child? Whatever. We cut back to the office with Will explaining that he'll let him off the hook with the pot thing and keep it off his record, if he joins glee. Cut to:

Rachel's face through this thing is priceless

Mercedes interrupts to shout about not being a back up but then backs down when everyone says that they sounded better. Mercedes accepts her place as Kelly Rowlands and consents to run it again as a backup singer. She gave up that fight fast.

Will tells Terri that he wants to take his Glee Club on a field trip to see their competition perform. Terri says she can't because she had to pick up an extra shift at Sheets N' Things because they are living paycheque to paycheque. Will throws down that a lot of that paycheque seems to be going to her Pottery Barn credit card. She pressures him to get a job at an accounting firm as it pays more but Will is adamant that his passion is for teaching. Terri snaps back that his interest in the kids hinges on his wanting to relive his glory days but that they are not in high school anymore and it is time for them to grow up. As spoiled as she is being, she's not entirely wrong here. Will is chiding her for spending extra money, when he is doing the same thing and to keep a Glee Club running that doesn't interest her at all. That's not fair of him to ask her to live a shitty life so that he can run a Glee Club. However, it's also not fair of her to run up charges on a credit card buying useless junk while also only working part-part time at a linen store. In short, they are both awful in this relationship and they should not be together.

Meanwhile, Will posts a sign up sheet for an extra chaperone for his glee related field trip. Naturally, Emma eagerly signs up. Much to Ken Tanaka's displeasure.

Finn tells Ken about the field trip he's taking with Glee Club and Ken spazzes out. Puck tries to ask Finn what's going on but Finn lies about having to miss practice because his mother's prostate is engorged.

Ken yells at Will about stealing his quarterback. Will says that Ken hates football and asks what he's really angry about. We flash to Ken being super creepy and making a case for why women have to lie about the fact that they have a boyfriend as he keeps pressuring Emma to go out with him. She tries to politely decline his offer but when he persists, she tells him she's not interested because she likes someone else. He responds the way you'd think an asshole who can't take a simple no for an answer would:

Douche!

Ken doesn't tell Will about this but gloats that the herd will take care of this issue, basically saying that the other football players will pressure Finn into quitting.

Rachel nervously gushes to Finn about his supposed talent and the fact that everyone, read her, expects them to become an item. Finn quickly says that he has a girlfriend, Quinn Fabray. Rachel sad faces about the fact that he's dating a cheerleader and the captain of the celibacy club.

Remember when she was super religious?

Will and Emma split a sandwich while they wait for the show to start and Emma gets the inside scoop on Will's marital problems. Will confesses that he loves Terri and he used to like that he rode her hard (not a euphemism) but that lately he's been wondering what she wants him to be better at and that he feels like she only cares about money and that they are not on the same page. The lights dim before he can say anything else and the Carmel Glee Club, Vocal Adrenaline starts to perform. They sing  Rehab by Amy Whinehouse and are amazing.

Everyone sad pandas

Outside, Puck and the rest of the football team are waiting for Finn and paintball him for skipping practice to go to a singing concert. Puck now knows that women don't have prostates because he looked it up and then orders the team to open fire at Finn.

Terri tells Will that she's pregnant which makes him insanely happy but also makes him decide to quit teaching and get a job at the accounting firm she told him about. He breaks the news to the Glee Club and assures them that he will find them another teacher to coach them. As he packs up his things, he sings Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver.

Emma overhears that Will is leaving and that it's because his wife is pregnant. Now, this part has always irked me, she then tells Will to meet her in the career centre for guidance for her. Then she proceeds to talk him out of leaving his teaching job to work in accounting. Now, you can interpret this as her wanting him to do what makes him happy, which I did during my first watch but when I see this scene now, it just feels icky. His wife is pregnant and he's trying to earn more money to provide for his family, which means leaving the job where he works with Emma, and Emma convinces him to stay because she has a crush on him. That's kind of selfish and unhealthy of her to do.

Rachel tries to convince Finn to stay in Gee because he has "talent" but he won't because since Will is leaving, why the fuck would he stay? She tries to tell him he's better than that but Finn refuses to join back up. At football practice, Puck refuses to apologize for what he did to Finn but says that he is glad he's back and not doing Glee anymore. To welcome him back, he's trapped Artie in a port-o-potty and offers Finn the chance to be the one to tip it over. Since Finn is not a completely worthless person, he refuses and instead lets Artie out. Puck asks Finn if this means he's quitting football to join "Homo Explosion" but Finn says that he's going to do both because the football team can't win without him and neither can Glee. Pretty bold statement from someone who is kind of a subpar singer.

Finn walks into Glee rehearsals and pretty much takes over but the kids seem to be happy about it. He asks them all to do their part to get the club going, Artie is to acquire instruments and band members to play, Mercedes is to get super cool costumes for everyone, Rachel is to do choreography, Tina is to be useless (as is usual in this show), Kurt is forgotten about (for now), and Finn has the song.

Emma shows Will a video of the 1996 show choir Nationals competition to convince him to stay. Again, I'm iffy on this one but her message is nice. That he has to decide what he wants to show his child, that money is most important or that the only life worth living is one that you're passionate about. I get this message, I really do but let me tell you, when you're an adult and paying bills, you quickly realize just how important money can be.

Cut to the glee club, Nude Erections, singing their most iconic number:

I've got to admit, even though I hate Journey, I couldn't help 

but smile during this performance

Will sees them perform and is completely convinced to stay. He starts giving them directions and they ask if this means he's staying. He tells them that it would kill him to see them win nationals without him and tells them to take it from the top. End episode.

That was the very first episode of Glee and my god, the feels! So many great characters that are no longer around, so many of the cast that has not been ruined for me. So much fun music that doesn't feel like it's halting the plot to show me a music video. So much plot. This literally took me forever to recap because of how much was going on, I couldn't believe how much information they stuffed into one pilot episode and so effortlessly. It saddens me what the show has become but that is for later recaps.

This show is at its best being a satiric black comedy about high school life and it is definitely at its best here. The writing is snappy, funny, and engaging. Even though the characters are shitty people, they are so entertaining and engaging that you just don't care. I look forward to recapping the rest of this first season because, despite its flaws, it is an extremely fun and enjoyable show. I still can't watch the earlier episodes without getting a big grin on my face.

Stay tuned for the next Glee recap, Showmance which includes the best performance of all time.

Of all time!

Top Ten Best Teen Couples

Now that we have the negatives out of the way, I thought it would be nice to focus on the positives in teen romance on Valentine's Day. Again, these are my ten favourite teen couples so they probably won't coincide with your own favourites but feel free to share your own in the comments or elsewhere. I think it's fun to find out what couples worked for some people and what couples didn't. If you've been reading this blog for a while, I'm sure you'll be able to guess at least a couple of the couples on my list but you might be surprised by their placement. I'll explain, of course, and I hope you enjoy.

Anyway, on this sacred holiday of love, invented by the Hallmark Corporation to sell more cards, it's about time we dive right in to my Top Ten Best Teen Couples:

10) Torrance and Cliff - Bring It On

Aren't they cute?

I did not expect to like this movie as much as I did, even when I was a teen seeing it for the first time but it was so much goofy fun that I just fell in love. This is one of those silly movies that I can watch over and over again and still enjoy just because it makes me happy and part of that is the dynamic between Torrance and Cliff. Sure, he's kind of an added love interest amidst the real meat of the cheer competitions and super serious cheer fights but there was still a lot to like about them as a couple...or I guess as a potential couple.

I like the fact that he's not intimidated by her smarts, for starters. Yeah, I know, it was supposed to be playful banter between them and Torrance isn't really interested in taking advanced chemistry but the fact that he isn't intimidated by her trying to achieve more is nice. Usually guys are portrayed as being super threatened by smart girls and it's just dumb. So that was point one to Cliff but I also love how he recognized when Torrance was feeling down or stressed he didn't fix her problems for her (unlike Aaron, may he rest in peace) he talked her through them and gave her the motivation to work through her problems on her own. It was nice to see that kind of thing between a teen couple where so many teen romances have the guy need to rush in and rescue the girl because she can't possibly handle things on her own (I'm looking at you, She's All That). These two made perfect sense to me and they were fun to watch together, even their weird toothbrushing/spitting flirting ritual was weirdly cute.

Just me? Come on...it was weirdly cute...right?

9) Kat and Patrick - 10 Things I Hate About You

RIP Heath Ledger

This was hands down, one of my favourite teen rom coms of the time. This is another one that I can watch over and over and I've got to give it props that it managed to make a very, very, misogynistic play by Shakespeare (The Taming of the Shrew) and managing to improve it with modernization. Unlike She's All That, this story actually makes you believe that Kat and Patrick would fall for each other and you understand why she would forgive him for beginning to date her under false pretenses. This is because, at the beginning of the movie, neither one of them really knows the other that well and Patrick's background and demeanor at the beginning makes it believable that he would go along with the plan, even if he questions the morality of it. Actually, if you ask me, Cameron comes off pretty bad in this. Paying someone to take out a girl's sister just so he can attempt to date the girl is pretty shitty and he never really apologizes for it.

But, I digress. Kat and Patrick's relationship always felt like it was moving forward, from acquaintances who despise each other, to sort of friends, to romantic partners and it feels natural all the way through. You get why they fall in love, because they are both harsh personalities that are somewhat misunderstood, and they both have a wild side to them. Also, who doesn't love a guy that will sing to you in front of a bunch of people, even if it embarrasses him and gets him detention?

Magical

Also, this scene is just cute and made me want to try paintball with how much fun they made it look:

They lie. Paintballs hurt like a motherfucker and I will never try it again

8) Lindsay and Nick - Freaks and Geeks

They definitely had their moments

I love this show! If Dawson's Creek was my guilty pleasure, and Buffy was my fantasy and hero, then Freaks and Geeks was the show that really actually got what being a teenager was about. It was the show I identified with and could really see myself in. If you haven't seen it then please, go watch it now it's on Netflix, go!

I may be cheating a little bit with this one. Nick and Lindsay are an extremely awkward couple and it was mostly played for laughs but I always thought there were some genuinely sweet moments between these two. You can tell Nick is way more into Lindsay right from the beginning which leads to some hilariously uncomfortable moments for her but lead to much entertainment for me.

Even still, I enjoyed them because I thought Nick, at least at the beginning, was incredibly sweet to her. He recognized that she was feeling down and tried his best to cheer her up or motivate her to find something that would make her happy, like he had with his drums. When Nick was feeling shit about himself, Lindsay stood by him and encouraged him to pursue his dreams of becoming a drummer, even going so far as to set him up an audition with a local band. It backfired horribly but it was sweet all the same and was the catalyst to them getting together. Now, Lindsay was not that into Nick which is the reason they are not higher on this list but she still tried with him and was genuinely upset when they broke up, even if it's what she wanted since he was very clingy.

The reason they're not lower on this list compared to the other couples I've already talked about? This. This right here:

I die laughing every time I watch this but it is 

freaking adorable of him to do

Sure, they may not be the most solid or compatible couple and Nick made Lindsay extremely uncomfortable most of the time but dammit, they were fucking hilarious to watch together.

Unpopular opinion time! You thought that was only reserved for the Worst list? Pffft! I can be just as unpopular with positive opinions too. Without further ado:

7) Seth and Anna - The OC

I will fight you Summer fans on this

Yep, you read that right. Seth and Anna. Hear me out. This show was another guilty pleasure of mine and I ate up the first season like my favourite ice cream until it went to absolute weird crap as a lot of too popular for their own good FOX shows do. I would giddily watch every week as new drama unfolded but the one thing I didn't eat up? Seth and Summer. I did not think those two made sense together. He worshipped her, she hated him and thought he was gross. Then suddenly, Anna enters the picture, this cool chick who gave great advice and actually had things in common with Seth, and suddenly Summer gets jealous and wants him? Uh-uh, not cool. Super lame.

I loathed Summer getting in between Seth and Anna because they were adorable together. They had great banter with each other and she genuinely liked him where Summer hated that she liked him but was hot so everyone wanted Seth to get with her. I never understood why people wanted that so much, I guess the "I hate/love you" thing is more popular than I thought but I just didn't feel it was there. I rooted for the girl that didn't have a hundred guys falling for her (it's implied Summer is extremely desirable), the girl who just wanted to be liked by the guy she liked, the girl who felt like a dork. She was sweet and her and Seth together were extremely sweet. I remember the backlash when they got together and being extremely confused by it. People claimed that Seth and Anna together were gross because they were more like brother and sister. I don't know what kind of warped relationships people are having with their siblings but Seth and Anna did not at all read like siblings to me. If you go by looks, Seth and Summer looked more like they were related to me. Whatever.

The reason these two are not higher, well, I have my top three firmly in place for one, but also? Seth turned into a massive dickhole when he dumped Anna for Summer but then acted like he could still have them both. I became very anti-Seth come the end of the first season and well, pretty much the rest of the series too.

And still, when he took her for granted, she offered him advice and
encouragement, even if it hurt her to do so. #teamannaforever

Side Note: Does anyone else find it annoying when shows bring up or echo comments made by fans? I've really ever only found this in FOX shows, The OC and Glee being the worst offenders that I've noticed. Like in The OC where Summer makes a comment about Seth and Anna being like brother and sister, I groaned because that's what the fans who wanted Seth and Summer together were saying and it didn't mesh with the show at all. It feels like it's just pandering to popular opinions and pulls me right out of the story. Writers/Producers, stop doing this. Just tell the story you want to tell and let people discuss it however they want. Don't change things up just because a few vocal people are crying for it.

6) Sean and Tamira - Breaker High

Baby Ryan Gosling! How could I not?

Shut up, yes I watched this show! It was awesome. Ok, maybe it wasn't awesome but I enjoyed it and the relationship I enjoyed the most on the show was Sean and Tamira's. Yeah, my crush on Ryan Gosling was not born out of The Notebook (which I'm fully aware is shit but it's a guilty pleasure of mine, that probably only is because of Ryan Gosling being in it), it was born when I was just a teen and watching him on this show.

What I loved about them was just how compatible they were. They were both slightly goofy and dorky and incredibly sweet. What's more is the fact that they do anything for each other. I recall an episode where Tamira didn't have enough money to stay on the boat and so Sean, who had just made a lot of money on one of his schemes, gave it all to her just so she could stay.

Picnic on a boat motherfuckers!

The episode I remember most is the one where they first got together because it was set in Canada which is where I'm from and they flipped around the usual American jokes about Canada. This was probably because while the show pretended it was about American characters, the show was filmed in Canada and had mostly Canadian actors but I still loved it. Anyway, the episode in question has Sean wanting to fulfill a bucket list he'd created and was determined to finish it all off before...I think it was his birthday? Anyway, one of the items was to kiss a girl and the whole episode, he's kind of flirting with this other girl but you can tell he's more in to Tamira and she likes him. Tamira is all hurt because she thinks he's kissed the French Canadian girl he was flirting with before but he reveals that he didn't because the person he really wanted to kiss was her. And then teen me swooned forever and pledged my undying love to Ryan Gosling. Not even joking, it was that scene that fully got me.

Not gonna lie, I still squee like a little girl when I watch this scene.

While the show is cheesy as hell, this couple will always have a place in my heart because, if I'm being completely honest, I identified the most with Tamira because I was never the girl that guys fell all over so I was ecstatic that she got a guy and he genuinely wanted her.

And now, my top five teen couples:

5) Lloyd and Diane - Say Anything

To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him and boy,
do I know Lloyd

Of course these two were going to be on my list. They are awesome, more specifically Lloyd is but that's because I'm a girl and I was more focused on my crush on him. Diane has her good points too. What I liked about Say Anything was that it felt insanely real, like you were watching the natural progression of a real relationship. Lloyd has a huge crush on Diane and is really sweet about asking her out, remember when you had to call someone's house and risk having to talk to their parents first to ask them out? Yeah, that sucked and this movie captured that young nervous energy perfectly. But enough about the movie, the couple is what we're here for.

Lloyd has become extremely popular lately as the ideal romanticized guy and with good reason. He's charming and likable, he considers the girl's feelings, and when he's asked to stay away, much as it hurts him, he does. He's very into Diane and is drawn to her but the important thing to note is that he also respects the hell out of her. He knows she's smart and has way more ambition than he does and he never tries to discourage her from that, he's always 100% supportive and wants her to go and follow her dreams. While he does watch over her, he never tries to control her, he simply lets her go off and mingle at the party to her heart's content but just makes sure that he knows she's ok and makes sure that there is no one hassling her. Ladies, that's called respectful protection and we need to start placing more importance on that and less on the "I must control your every move and prevent you from going anywhere without me...also no other guys can even talk to you" protection. *cough*fuckChristianGrey*cough*

Then there is Diane. She is smart and ambitious but is also a little sad that she may have missed out on experiencing the social aspect of high school, since she was so focused on her studies. Enter Lloyd, who she's not sure about but is intrigued by. She's a bit closeted but is very caring and sweet. The thing that I liked most about her? How open she was about sex. It would have been so easy for this movie to go the route of Lloyd pushing her for sex because he really wanted her but this movie surprised me by making him wait and not pressure her but then she "jumped him anyway."

This scene, short as it was, was hot

She wanted him, she wanted sex and she chose it. It's very rare that you see a movie where a girl takes an active role in her sexuality and I think that is the reason this movie has always stuck with me and why I love this couple. He respected her, she respected him and the sex came naturally. I love that and I love these two.

Side note: Fifty Shades of Grey is being released today or has been released. Don't go see that, it does everything wrong in a romance. If you want to see a true romance unfold, if you want to see a guy genuinely love and respect a girl, if you want to see a girl who actually is smart and ambitious, stay home and watch Say Anything. You won't be disappointed.

4) Willow and Oz/Tara - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Pretty much my thoughts exactly, minus the
personal sexual orientation thing.

This might be cheating but I don't care, I'm doing it anyway. I loved both couples. Willow's relationships (early on) were the best done relationships on the show. I love her with Oz because he was the first one to like her for who she was. On top of that, he was just damn smart about relationships. When Willow was trying to kiss him because she was mad that Xander and Cordelia were dating, he stopped her and told her that he wanted to kiss her more than anything but he wanted to kiss her when she wanted to kiss him, not to make someone else jealous. I loved that, it was honest, it was open and I think it's what really won Willow over with him. It won me over too, though I did like him before. Did I mention that I'm a sucker for slightly dorky girls finally being noticed by a guy who is really into her? I think that's becoming obvious with my pattern of couples so far but I don't care. I love how close they were and I love how much they cared about each other. I love that Willow also got a chance to show how much she loved him too when she found out he was a werewolf and stood by him. That is commitment.

Aren't they cute?

Alas, they didn't last, more because Seth Green wanted to leave the show but also because of nasty, gross Veruca (not that she made him cheat, Oz was an asshole for that). But from their break up came a new and very different relationship for Willow and that was with Tara. I will fully admit that teen me was not on board with the rumour that Joss wanted to make Willow gay. It confused me, it didn't seem true to her character, etc, etc, etc. But wow did this relationship win me over. From season 4 to 5 I just adored this couple. They clicked more than Oz and Willow did sometimes and the way they grew together was just fun to watch. Willow became more comfortable with herself and more skilled with her magic, Tara became less shy and stutter-y. They both benefitted from this relationship and they both would do anything for each other. Tara defends Willow's abilities and Willow will hurt anyone that tries to hurt Tara. It was sweet and it was genuine and we shall all agree to forget that season 6 happened. Yes?

Season 6 what?

3) Gib and Alison - The Sure Thing

What? Young John Cusack is adorable

Yep, another John Cusack movie and I'm not even sorry. I adore this movie and it's not that it's anything mind-bending or original but it has heart and a realness to it that I love. I don't think this was the original road trip to love movie but it was definitely one of the best ones and it's because the couple are a lot of fun to watch.

Gib is a bit of a slacker but he's not stupid, I mean he is in college...flunking English supposedly but he did get in and at least wanted to try to do well in school. While he might do stupid things, he's really a genuinely nice guy (not a Nice Guy) but a guy who would hold the door open for you because he wants to, a guy that would take the time to show you how to shotgun a beer, and a guy that would act like a complete lunatic to save you from a rapist. Alison is a bit up tight, studious, and practical but she's not unkind and the best thing about this movie is watching her loosen up when she's with Gib. Sure, they bicker but they also get along and even when Alison has the chance to get on a bus to get to California quickly, she opts instead to stay with and help Gib get there since he didn't have the money.

Not to mention, they have great chemistry together both when they're bickering and when they are getting along which is hard to pull off successfully. Basically, I just like everything about this couple and I never get tired of watching them go from acquaintances to enemies to friends and finally to lovers. It is funny, it is genuine, and it is romantic.

Lloyd is great but Gib just seems so much more fun and relaxed

This is another one to watch instead of that other horrid thing in theatres right now. Actually, this entire list could be retitled Better Things to Watch on Valentine's Day than Fifty Shades of Shit.

2) Pacey and Joey - Dawson's Creek

Joey made the right choice with Pacey

Are any of you surprised that they are on my list? Of course they are. I debated putting Pacey and Andie on my list also but while I did like them I was ultimately a Pacey and Joey shipper from the first season on. They said it would never happen, they were wrong!

So, why do I like Pacey and Joey so much when I hated Joey and Dawson. Well, for starters, Pacey is an awesome and interesting character while Dawson is an asshat of epic proportions. Also, Joey is rather unlikable for the most part, except for when she's with Pacey. I like the idea that you become a better person with the person you are meant to be with and whether the writers intended to or not (probably not because let's face it, the DC writers were not very good) they really showed that well with these two.

I think I explained my reasoning for starting my ship of them in my recap of the episode Double Date. Pacey seemed to genuinely like Joey and thought she was pretty because my god, she totally was! Dawson meanwhile, kept her firmly in the friendzone (thinking it was incest to date her because they were like brother and sister and that was the character saying that genuinely not the fans saying it) and didn't notice her at all until she put make up and a dress on. We all know how much I dislike that trope, (again, looking at you, She's All That).

Seriously, these two are just perfect

Not only that, they both just seemed to need each other and seek comfort in each other. Most importantly, they understood each other and where they were coming from. It's kind of funny to me that while the show threw around the words "soul mate" about Dawson and Joey, the ones I found to be shown to be soul mates were really Joey and Pacey (and Jen and Jack but I digress). Think about it, they both come from poorer backgrounds, they both had hard lives and were the subject of town gossip, so they understand what the other is going through on a very empathetic level. Where Andie wanted Pacey to change, Joey seems more content with Pacey the way he is. While Dawson was, I don't want to say outright not supportive but we'll say clueless about Joey's art, Pacey was encouraging and pushing her to do it because it made her happy.

On top of this, they have just an insane amount of chemistry together and numerous adorable moments together. The writers made the best decision putting these two together because theirs was the true best love story in the show. Period. End of sentence.

Now, who the hell is my number 1 if it isn't Joey and Pacey? Well, let's find out, shall we?

1) Jane and Adam - Joan of Arcadia

I adore this couple and I will adore them forever

I was shocked at how much I liked this show. I avoided it like the plague before because I thought it was going to be another 7th Heaven type of super religious family crap show. It is close but done so much better and smarter. The show follows the Girardi clan as they move to Arcadia where the father, Will, has become the new police chief, the oldest son, Kevin, has been left paraplegic after a car accident, Joan worries that she's crazy, the youngest son, Luke, feels ignored, and the mother, Helen questions her faith after having almost lost her son in a car accident. Now the interesting thing is that the family is not religious, in fact, Will Girardi is vehemently anti-religious, which makes Helen nervous about telling him that she wants to explore her spirituality. There's some very heavy concepts dealt with in this show, including the question of whether or not Joan is actually talking to God and what it means. It's insanely well-written and I encourage you all to at least give it a shot, it may surprise you as it did me.

That out of the way, on to the more pressing matter. I'm sure you guys who haven't seen the show, are sitting there and thinking: Why did you write her name Jane in the title? Are you high, Blinvy? The answer is, of course I am but I'm still not crazy. I can explain.

See?

Ok, I'll explain a little further. Adam starts out as kind of a space case, everyone mistakenly thinks he's a pot head, actually. He mixes Joan's name up, either by accident because he was truly spaced out or on purpose as the end of his first episode would lead you to believe, because he wanted people to leave him alone. I think it was a little of both, personally but what started out as a slip up, morphed into this absolutely adorable pet name between them. Joan got so used to him calling her Jane that any time he calls her Joan, she knows he's upset. That's how awesome this couple is.

This is one of those things where you accidentally catch lightning in a bottle, and by that I mean that Adam was only ever planned to be in one episode of the series. He was just a one off character that Joan helped out because of her gift of talking to God. And that would have been it, I'm convinced, if any other actor had taken the role. As it was the role went to Chris Marquette and the chemistry he has with Amber Tamblyn is just wonderful to watch. You believe that their characters are drawn to each other. Because of this, the writers got the idea to keep Adam on as a character and seamlessly grew their relationship from there.

I had an easy time picturing them as a real couple. These two were
great at just ad-libbing these cute little moments together

What I also like about these characters is that they actually felt like real teens. Joan could be completely bratty sometimes and Adam was oblivious sometimes but they both tried to be supportive of one another despite whatever was going on. When Joan took up cheerleading out of the blue, Adam was fully supportive (not for the usual teen guy reason...not entirely), he was for it because Joan wanted to do it and he wanted her to be happy.

Is this not just the cutest thing?

When Adam was spiralling downward, Joan took notice and despite him being mad at her, she still sought him out and asked him if he was ok. What I like the most about them is that even though they do misunderstand each other sometimes, instead of making crap up or talking in circles, they flat out ask each other what is wrong and they talk about it and move forward. I never felt like they were going one step forward and then two steps back to draw out some "will they/won't they" drama. It felt natural. Even when they kissed and Joan got scared and backed off, felt natural for her character who is a bit of an emotional wreck. They still remained friends, Adam moved on and started dating someone else, instead of being a Nice Guy Friendzone whiner, until they eventually couldn't deny their feelings for each other anymore.

How she even put off dating him is a mystery to me

There is something about these two where I could watch them be together for hours and not get bored. I never felt more strongly about a couple being together than with these two and Pacey and Joey. But these two pulled me in just a bit more and I was legitimately devastated when the show broke them up. Yes, I said the show did because in real life (yes I'm talking about these characters in the context of real life, shut up!) they wouldn't have broken up, of this I am convinced. The show's producers, the networks producers, I'm unsure, decided that Adam and Joan were getting to be like "an old married couple" and wanted them broken up. Supposedly both Chris and Amber protested this decision (and rightly so since really, the show didn't focus that much on their relationship to justify this decision) but they went forward anyway. I think Chris eventually agreed to the break up but argued about the why because yeah, that was some character assassination they pulled there. They made him cheat, of course, it's the stand by reason writers love to use for a couple to break up and is honestly getting more boring to me than a relationship actually lasting. But, it wouldn't have been so bad, I might have been able to stomach it, if they hadn't made his character so cruel about it. You just end up feeling bad for the girl he cheated with, he's awful to her. The whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth and it was only mildly redeemed by the fact that Amber and Chris are great actors and absolutely nailed the scene where Joan finds out he cheated. It's great...it was just a let down that they had to break up that way.

Jeez, could I have picked a more downer way to end this list? Sorry about that, I'm still bitter on this one because I love this couple so much. Even after the break up, it is shown that they still care about each other and I have no doubt that if the show continued, they would have at least mended their friendship and perhaps found their way to each other again. In my head cannon, they did but in my heart of hearts, the cheating never happened because there is just no way that Adam cheated on Joan. They are too adorable together. So let's leave this list on a positive note, shall we?

There. Much better.

Basically, Jane and Adam are my number one favourite teen couple for life. I have never seen a teen couple dealt with so realistically, so naturally, and just so sweetly as these two. They are the best.

Indeed, Adam, indeed

And that concludes my Top Ten Best Teen Couples. I defy you to not be able to find at least one couple on this list that you like and if you seriously dislike all of these then it is my opinion that you have no soul and I bid you good day, sirs. Kidding aside, let me know what you think of the list and who your favourite teen couples are. I actually learned something about myself, writing this list.  I'd never much considered myself as having a clearly defined type, for some reason I just didn't think about it but after writing this, I think it's pretty damn obvious that I do and I wonder how I never noticed this before. With the exception of Tara and Sean who are both blonde and one is a girl and I guess Nick who is more light brown, there is a very noticeable constant on this list, the dark haired goofy type. Yep, I am definitely a sucker for dark haired guys, especially if they are fun and goofy. It is no surprise at all to me that I ended up marrying a dark haired, goofy type. The more you know.

I hope you enjoyed reading and that you all have a fun Valentine's Day, whatever you happen to do with it.