Dawson's Creek - Series 6 [DVD]

But series six takes a turn for the different. The key characters aren't really interacting all that much (until the finale), previous cast add-ons have disappeared without mention (where is Oliver? the Capeside families?) and the new cast are plain poor. Emma's accent is cringe-inducingly awful and Eddie comes across condescending and with no obvious spark with Joey. Moreover, when did Audrey's character become strong enough to develop her own story-line? What are Jack Osbourne and No Doubt doing in Dawson's Creek?? And what is up with Pacey's facial hair???

All of the previous faults on other DVD releases of DC are present here too - the lack of the original music being a key detractor.

And yet, there are some real highlights to savour as well. Dawson's interaction with Todd is superb. Episode ten, back in Capeside for Christmas is hugely entertaining, as is episode 15, with Joey and Pacey trapped in a dept store overnight. And then the real reason that any fan of the series has to own this set, the four final episodes, all set back in Capeside and the double-length finale set in the future wrap up very nicely the key characters and bring the focus back where it should be.

We are left in no doubt that the kids end up alright and (despite not entirely enjoying the finale the first time around) you end up realising that is exactly what you wanted to see.

The writers don't really seem to know what they are doing at some points. By this season, Joey has really emerged as the central character and she starts off the show by sleeping with Dawson which I actually thought was romantic, but then it all falls apart immediately and Joey flits from one man to another- Eddie (who I wasnt keen on as a character) and then she gets back with Pacey, but then Eddie comes back so she dumps Pacey again. That kinda ruined it for me as I think Pacey and Joey work really well together.
I don't like what they do with Pacey's character here either- Pacey's new job and lifestyle is so, well.. un-pacey like! Pacey is going out with Audrey (another character I don't like) and they are blatently not compatible. Dawson's flitting around with that actress but as usual, James Van Der Beek fails to make this relationship seem genuine. And Jen and Jack are resigned to being sub-characters now. It's very poor when compared to the storylines of seasons 1- 4. It doesnt help that the show has so many different writers in this season- every episode seems to be written by a different person!
HOWEVER the saving grace of this season and the reason I gave it 3 stars,not 2, is the finale which is just perfect! Kevin Williamson, the show's creator really does an outstanding job here. I love the way it is set 5 years in the future. It was a sensible choice really, given that DC just does not have the magic when they are all at college and away from Capeside! This episode sees them all reunited in Capeside for Dawson's mum's wedding. It's great seeing what happened to the characters (always knew Pacey was right about his brother!) and seeing them back together with the same chemistry they had back in the early days of the show. The Pacey- Joey- Dawson triangle which really became the central feature of the show is put to rest and ended in a very neat way which ties up loose ends. There's some lovely scenes between all the characters. It was very sad though as well and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried buckets. I was very pleased with the ending!

I'd say only buy Season 6 if you were an avid fan like me and want to complete your collection. Otherwise, I'd stick to the early seasons, where the Capeside magic is still in tact!

Dawson, Joey, Jen, Pacey, Audrey and Jack (and Grams!) return from their summer - Pacey and Audrey are a couple, Jack and Jen are free and single (and enjoying it!), Dawson is off to work as a personal assistant for a director, having spent the summer at home, with Joey, although they haven't spoke much. Throughout the season, the group grow further apart, each dealing with their own traumas - Jen gets a new boyfriend (CJ), as does Jack (David), Pacey works for "the man," and Dawson and Joey grow the furthest apart.

The series (and season) culminates in a 2hour series finale, set 5 years later than the rest of season 6, which ties everything up and gives, in my opinion, a satisfying ending to the love triangle of Dawson, Pacey and Joey, that has run consistently throughout the series. Back on writing duties for the first time in a few seasons, is the creator, Kevin Williamson, and it shows in the finale, returning it to the feel of the earlier seasons.

The DVD features unfortunate music changes on the English language soundtrack that has been standard for box sets of "Dawson's Creek" since season 2 (the English track comes direct from the USA releases, where the tracks were changed to save money on royalties - incidentally, if you switch to the French or German tracks, you can hear the original broadcast music a lot of times), including the original international theme tune change, instead of "I Don't Wanna Wait," which was present on the broadcast version of these episodes (again, if you switch to French or German you can hear "I Don't Wanna Wait" instead of "Run Like Mad"). Also present is the extended version of the series finale, that is also available on a separate DVD, alongside the commentary that was present on the disc, as opposed to the broadcast version.

Despite a few hiccups here and there, "Dawson's Creek" was a very solid TV series throughout it's 6 year span, and the DVDs provide a fitting momento. If you were ever a fan of the show, it's worth picking up the last series to see how the character arcs were completed - a recommended purchase.