Back in the day, I had this boyfriend, Slim, whose brother served in the diplomatic corps in Africa, and Slim's Brother used to tell a story about staying with a pygmy tribe in the African bush. At night, Slim's Brother and the tribesmen used to sit around and tell each other stories about the accomplishments of their respective cultures, and one night Slim's Brother talked about Americans sending a man to the moon. He had a little trouble making the tribesmen understand what he meant, but finally they got the gist, and then they started laughing at him. He asked his interpreter what the tribesmen found so funny, and the interpreter asked them to explain, and one of the elders held up his thumb and forefinger so that the moon as it sat in the sky fit between them, and he shrugged and giggled something, and the interpreter explained to Slim's Brother, "He says it's impossible -- a man would never fit on the moon. It's too small." But even the charmingly innocent pygmy tribesmen do not believe that "their first weekend apart opens temptation's door." Because nobody believes that. Nobody.

Previously on Dawson's Creek: Pacey wondered why Gretchen kissed Dawson at the holiday party; Gretchen told Dawson that the kiss meant nothing, and he pretended to agree; Mr. Brooks admitted that he's dying; Joey tearfully told Dawson that Gretchen "would be really lucky to have someone like" him; Dawson told Gretchen how he feels about her, and she wondered gently, "What am I gonna do with you?"

Fade up on a long shot of a dock with two shadowy figures holding fishing rods at the end of it. As the Foley guy makes with the reeling-in-the-line sound effects, Pacey "Nirvana" Witter says, "Maybe we're too early. Maybe the fish are still asleep." We shift to a tighter shot as Dawson "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Forehead" Leery tells him, "Fish don't sleep, Pacey." Pacey says, smothering a yawn, that he's glad they've resumed hanging out, but doesn't know why they had to do so "at sunrise," blah blah blah fishingcakes. Dawson has something to tell Pacey that he thinks will keep Pacey awake. After a bit of stammering, he outs with it: "I like your sister, Pacey." Pacey takes a moment to absorb this before clarifying, "You like her, or you like her like her?" "I'm talking about Gretchen Witter, not Winnie Cooper," Dawson cracks. Oh, a Wonder Years reference. How clever. Not. Pacey, looking less happy by the second, asks if Dawson's feelings "naturally follow" from the kiss under the mistletoe, "or am I going to find you outside my house holding a boom box over your head?" Oh, a Say Anything reference -- even cleverer! Well, except for the "clever" part, since equating Dawson with Lloyd Dobler doesn't work on any level, except perhaps the one on which Dawson has a boom box for a head.