Devotees of this popular teen drama often point to the fourth season as the series' best, and with good reason: despite the loss of Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson, the 23 episodes from the 2000-01 episodes are uniformly fine--thanks to snappy writing, seasoned characters, and the show's chronology reaching a climax of sorts with the principals' senior year. Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and his friends are coming to the realization that as high school ends, their life choices will inevitably separate them. Season four is dominated to a great extent by the evolving love affair of Joey (Katie Holmes) and Pacey (Joshua Jackson), whose relationship with Dawson becomes understandably awkward as their final year gets underway. Meanwhile, Jen (Michelle Williams) attempts to get her own love life back on track, while Jack (Kerr Smith) grapples with the challenges posed by coming out of the closet. “Coming Home” gets this year off to an emotional start as Joey and Pacey, having spent the summer together, return to Capeside knowing that they'll have to face Dawson, with “Promicide” and "The Graduate” being equally memorable installments. The season wraps up with “Coda,” a moving episode in which Dawson, heading off to California and his dream of becoming a filmmaker, says goodbye to the insular world in which he has grown up. His life (and the series itself) will never be the same. DVD extras include a pair of audio commentaries from executive producer Paul Stupin, and a trivia game. Recommended. (E. Hulse)
Dawson's Creek: The Complete Fourth Season
Columbia TriStar, 4 discs, 999 min., not rated, DVD: $49.95 January 10, 2005
Dawson's Creek: The Complete Fourth Season
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