In other words, how do you talk frankly about sex during the family hour? If you're The WB, no sweat. "We put a couple of penises in the first script, just to see if they'd get through. Which they did," says Williamson. "In fact, someone at The WB even commented, 'Hey, you guys aren't milking this down because you're at 8? You can spice it up.' "
Don't worry, Williamson will--especially since Dawson and his high school sophomore pals are emerging from puberty with a vengeance. "None of us will be virgins after this season," teases Holmes. So does that mean you-know-which-couple finally gets it on? Hints Van Der Beek: "Joey and Dawson are media savvy enough to know what happens to a show when the two lead characters have sex."
If he sounds coy, there's a reason. To recap: Lifelong best friends Joey and Dawson sealed their flirtation with a kiss in May's finale (after Dawson was dumped by new girl in town Jen). That will be quickly back-burnered this season by the arrival of upper-crust tortured artiste Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith). While Jack and Joey go off to paint each other in the nude--you read it here first!--Jack's scrappy sister, Andie (Meredith Monroe), has some fun with Dawson's other best friend, Pacey. "It's a hate-hate relationship," notes Williamson. "All they do is bitch at each other until they finally bitch their way into a date."
Speaking of bitches: Abby (Monica Keena), Capeside's resident evil seed in last season's Breakfast Club episode, will terrorize the gang full-time; she'll abet the newly-empowered-but-still-searching-for-validation Jen in her quest to win back Dawson, while delivering overheated zingers like "He's a 15-year-old guy...all he knows is that he goes to bed every night jerkin' his gherkin and wakes up every morning humping his mattress." (Okay, who paid off the network censors?)
Of course, no plotline will be juicier than the one unfolding Oct. 7, when the show sets sail opposite a certain zip code. "People are totally going to want us to fail," says Jackson. "And we are primed for a fall. But there's only one way to silence the critics: Become an established hit instead of what Dawson is now--a flash-in-the-pan sensation." Williams also relishes a challenge: "It's sink-or-swim time. And I like the pressure. Bring it on!"
And if the Dawson's crew should find themselves up a certain ratings creek, well, there's always the secret weapon. "When in doubt," confides Jackson, "cut to Katie."
--Dan Snierson
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