Dawson’s Creek’s Original Finale Ending Was Objected By Joey Star
Katie Holmes vehemently opposed the original Dawson’s Creek finale, engaging in a heated debate about Joey’s ultimate romantic choice. Created by Kevin Williamson for The WB, Dawson’s Creek revolved around a close-knit group of friends residing in Capeside, Massachusetts. Following the typical trajectory of many coming-of-age shows from the ’90s to the ’00s, the series explored their journey from young adulthood to full-fledged maturity.
In the recently published book Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How 7 Teen Shows Transformed Television (via TVLine), showrunner Tom Kapinos reveals that Holmes vehemently disagreed with the idea of Joey ending up with Dawson. Executive producer Paul Stupin shares the same sentiment, asserting that Pacey was the superior choice as Joey’s final romantic partner. Here are their statements:
Kapinos: “Katie was completely against it. ‘I don’t want to end up with Dawson,’ she said. So we had to rework and rewrite the storyline.”
Stupin: “If you pay close attention, the show leads you to believe that Dawson is ‘The One.’ However, Katie expressed her opinion and wanted Joey to end up with Pacey.”
Why Joey & Pacey Is The Best Dawson’s Creek Endgame
Katie Holmes fought the original Dawson’s Creek finale, arguing about who Joey should end up with. Created by Kevin Williamson for The WB, Dawson’s Creek was centered on a group of friends living in Capeside, Massachusetts. The show, much like many coming-of-age shows in the ’90s to the ’00s, tackled their transition from being young adults to being fully grown ones.
In the new book Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How 7 Teen Shows Transformed Television (via TVLine), Dawson’s Creek showrunner Tom Kapinos claims that Holmes fought against Joey ending up with Dawson. Executive producer Paul Stupin shares the sentiment, saying that Pacey was the better final romance partner for Joey. Read their quotes below:
Kapinos: “Katie freaked out. ‘I don’t want to end up with Dawson,’ So it got replotted, or rewritten.”
Stupin: “if you kind of watch it, it leads you to think Dawson [is The One]and then I think Katie kind of did weigh in and wanted it to be Pacey.”
Why Joey & Pacey Is The Best Dawson’s Creek Endgame
While James Van Der Beek’s Dawson Leery was Dawson Creek‘s titular character, the show was very much an ensemble, with many plot lines simultaneously happening. The series’ primary romance, involved a love triangle between Dawson and his two best friends, Joey and Pacey. In the end, Joey and Pacey ended up with each other, but that wasn’t always the plan as Williamson was invested in the original idea that she and Dawson were meant to be together.
Holmes, Stupin, and even Joshua Jackson, who played Pacey, pushed back against the original Dawson’s Creek ending. Despite the initial idea that Dawson and Joey were perfect for each other, things changed throughout the series run. After Dawson and Joey’s first break-up, she developed an organic friendship and romance with Pacey, hence why the pay-off was so much more satisfying. Their story was also more passionate and arguably healthier than Joey and Dawson’s. While Pacey and Joey did break up as well, it didn’t seem right for her to be paired with anyone else.
Holmes is against a Dawson’s Creek reboot. However, doing one could finally settle the ongoing argument about the divisive finale. In the event that the show remains in the past, at least the finale gave everyone a happy ending. While Dawson didn’t end up with Joey, he got his life-long dream of becoming a big-shot director in Hollywood.
Source: Freaks, Gleeks, and Dawson’s Creek: How 7 Teen Shows Transformed Television (via TVLine)
