My dad will go down with his ship

Back in 2003, when the Dawson’s Creek finale aired my family and I sat down to watch the finale episodes.  Most of the household was happy, until they killed off Jen the tears flowed freely from my mom and me. For a while my mom and I remained two against one and were Team Pacey.  We firmly believed that while once upon a time Dawson and Joey were meant to be together forever. But then season three aired and my though process shifted. Pacey and Joey. What a concept! While I never thought I would be a shipper of anyone besides Dawson ending up with Joey my mindset changed. My father’s did not.

To this day, you can mention the ending of Dawson’s Creek and he gets as riled up as when the finale first aired. Knowing this, I pick on him from time to time because that’s what we do. In an odd way, the Dawson’s Creek finale created a weird shipping war in my household. Team Dawson. Team Pacey. A shipping war that has not ended, not even after twenty years. While I don’t have a record of each time I have annoyed my father over the years, thanks to Tumblr, and our talk yesterday, I do have two.

Let’s cut to ten years after the finale aired and a Veronica Mars episode. The following conversation took place:

Dad: So she’s with that guy now?

Me: Yes, because they’re [Logan and Veronica] meant to be.

Dad: But I thought she was dating that other guy.

Me: Not anymore.  She’s meant to be with Logan.

Dad: What if she isn’t?

Me: Dad, Logan and Veronica are like Pacey and Joey.

Dad: SHE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE WITH PACEY, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WITH DAWSON!  IT WAS DAWSON’S-FUCKING-CREEK.

Me: Oh get over it!  She ended up with Pacey!

And trust me when I say he did not in fact get over it.  There have been many conversations since then where my dad continued insisting that Dawson was meant for Joey.  And then the most glorious article appeared on my Facebook feed.  Dawson’s Creek reunion: James Van Der Beek admits he’s Team Pacey.  As soon as I saw these words I realized how The Grinch must have felt when his hearts grew three sizes. I also found myself with the biggest Cheshire cat grin on my face as I called my father.  After all, the man’s character he has fought for all these years admitted that he was Team Pacey!  I had to rub it in that not even Dawson himself felt that Joey was meant to be with him!

Thus the following conversation ensued:

Me: Guess what?

Dad: What?

Me: Dawson is Team Pacey.

Dad: What?

Me: That’s right!!  James Van Der Beek, who played Dawson, even knows that Joey and Pacey belonged together and is Team Pacey!  He said so in an article for Entertainment Weekly.

Dad: WELL, THAT IS FALSE.

Me: WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT’S FALSE?!

Dad: I said it’s false!  He didn’t understand the question.  He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Me: Daddy, it’s okay that you’re the only one not Team Pacey.

Dad: Pacey should have been with that older woman…yeah he should have got back with her.

Me: The older woman?  Wait, do you mean Tamara!?  You think he was meant to be with his teacher?!

Dad: Yes!  Her!  That’s who he should have ended up with.

Me: Well, Dawson disagrees so there.

At that point my dad had to rush off the phone, but I sighed happily to myself at the realization that finally the shipping wars were over.  Of course as soon as my dad reads this article and sees that it says Van Der Beek might be Team Pacey this will start all over again.  Oh wait, this war will never be over because my dad will go down with his ship.