When Dawson's Creek Went Off The Rails, According To James Van Der Beek

Dawson's Creek Cast

James Van Der Beek doesn't have many opinions about Dawson's Creek these days, but he did recently give an answer as to when he believed the show went off the rails. Van Der Beek shared his answer on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen when Andy asked him when he believes the show officially jumped the shark:

End of Season 2 when I had to wear a wire to implicate Joey's father for a drug deal gone bad.

While it seems Andy Cohen was using the term "jumped the shark" to mean Dawson's Creek stretching the boundaries of realism, the official definition is when a show does something so outrageous that it becomes clear they've run out of ideas. Those who know it from that definition might think this is a cold hearted diss, but it could be that Van Der Beek understood Cohen's context in the question or he may just not know much more about the show beyond Season 2. Given his statements in the past and the fact that Joey actually wore the wire to frame her dad and not Dawson, the latter wouldn't be all that surprising.

Earlier in the year James Van Der Beek appeared on a U.K. daytime talk show and was blasted with questions regarding Dawson's Creek despite being there to promote another show. Van Der Beek mentioned there that he had not watched the series all the way through so he only remembers the scripts and what they shot. Considering television shows aren't shot scene by scene and have lots of unused footage it's understandable his response and accuracy in answering the question on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen is a bit spotty.

Joey Wire Dawson's Creek

Even so, it's pretty hilarious to hear James Van Der Beek might think Dawson's Creek ran out of ideas in Season 2 when they went well beyond that. Certainly, there are enough fans who feel differently, otherwise that gay porno Van Der Beek got caught with would've never been made to begin with. Unfortunately, the juice on Dawson's Creek__ practically ended there as Van Der Beek wouldn't even tell Cohen in their interview whether Katie Holmes or Michelle Williams was a better kisser.

Dawson's Creek is no more but can be found on Hulu, and Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen airs Sundays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. ET on Bravo. Those more concerned with the here and now can visit our summer premiere guide to find start dates for all the hottest shows or even look ahead at our fall premiere guide to prep their cold-weather watching schedule.

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.