Abby Morgan, Rest in Peace

abby morgan,rest in peace
Season	2
Episode	19
INFO
Aired	5 May 1999
Written by	Mike White
Directed by	David Semel
EPISODES
Previous	A Perfect Wedding
Next	Reunited

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Well then you obviously didn't know Abby too well, because Abby is probably down there with Beelzebub doing tequila shooters and laughing at all of us

—Jen

Abby Morgan, Rest in Peace is the 19th episode of Season 2 of Dawson's Creek.

Synopsis

ASHES TO ASHES – The stunning news of the tragic death of a Capeside teen abruptly curtails Dawson (James Van Der Beek) and Joey's (Katie Holmes) long-awaited reconciliation, and while they try to sort through their own feelings of loss, Jen (Michelle Williams) is appalled by what she feels is blatant hypocrisy on the part of her mourning classmates. Meanwhile, Pacey (Joshua Jackson) is deeply concerned by Andie's (Meredith Monroe) drastic reaction to the accident, which triggers something in her about her dead brother.

Summary

On an emotional high from their experience at the wedding, Dawson takes Joey back to his house and up the ladder to his bedroom. Before they can go any further than kissing, Dawson and Joey realize that they aren't alone in the room. Sitting on the bed is Jen, who struggles through her tears to tell them that Abby is dead.

The next morning, Joey flips through an old photo album containing pictures of her mother. Her father sits down and tries to get Joey to talk more about her mother, but Joey opts to abruptly get up and leave for school. At Capeside High, Jen notices that all the eyes of the students are on her as she enters the school. A grief counselor visits her next class to talk about the loss of Abby. When the counselor asks Andie for any comments, Jen listens in disgust as Andie talks about Abby as if they were best friends. Fed up with Andie and everybody else's apparent lack of sincerity, Jen takes off. In the cafeteria, Dawson and Joey agree to put aside the recent developments in their relationship until the commotion surrounding Abby's death blows over. Joey tells Dawson that she doesn't plan to attend Abby's funeral, for that might bring back many of the feelings she locked up after her mother died. Joey explains that she hasn't visited her mother's grave since the funeral. Meanwhile, Andie finds Jen washing the tears from her face in one of the washrooms. Jen wishes that everybody would honor Abby's memory by being completely truthful about their feelings towards her. Jen then pins the blame for Abby's death on Andie, who kicked them out of the wedding.

After school, Gale tells Dawson that she's been offered a job as a news correspondent in Philadelphia. Realizing that her marriage may never be restored, Gale feels that turning down this opportunity will leave her with nothing. Dawson doesn't want to move to Philadelphia, but he's even more disturbed by Gale's suggestion of moving to Philadelphia by herself while Mitch moves back into the house. Next door, Grams walks into Jen's room and finds her curled up on the bed. After offering the first sincere comments regarding Abby that Jen has heard all day, Grams expresses her belief that this is all part of God's plan. Elsewhere, Abby's mother runs into Pacey and Andie. Unfamiliar with the rest of Abby's classmates, Mrs. Morgan asks Andie to deliver a eulogy for Abby at the funeral. Having no other choice, Andie accepts.

While Jen gets drunk at the scene of Abby's death, Pacey and Andie visit Abby's house. They sneak into Abby's bedroom, hoping to learn more about her for the eulogy. Andie finds Abby's diary and reads a few passages aloud before noticing a common theme of hatred. At Capeside High, Dawson walks into his dad's classroom to tell him about Gale's job offer. When Mitch responds by saying that he'll give her a congratulatory phone call, Dawson stalks out of the room. Pacey finds Dawson in another room, re-editing one of Abby's scenes in his movie. Pacey expresses his concern for Andie, who may be getting a little too stressed out over the eulogy. At the Ice House, Jack tries to pry a little more information out of Joey concerning the current state of her relationship with Dawson. Joey tells him that they're putting it on hold for the time being. When the topic revolves to Abby, Jack recalls his kiss with Abby during Dawson's birthday party. Meanwhile, Grams identifies the smell of alcohol on Jen's breath seconds after she enters the house. Jen makes her belief that God does not exist perfectly clear to Grams, who listens in horror as her granddaughter threatens to move out of the house.

On the morning of Abby's funeral, Joey and Mike Potter sit silently at the kitchen table during breakfast. When her father breaks the silence, Joey tells him that she may be forgetting what her mother was like. Mike calms her down by informing Joey that the way she is now is exactly the same as her mother was. Joey smiles as her dad describes a number of similarities between her mom and herself. At the beach, Andie progressively descends into a state of panic, having no idea what she's going to say for the eulogy. Pacey offers to deliver the speech himself, but Andie assures him that she needs to take care of this herself. After all of the guests, including Joey, arrive at the church, the priest begins the funeral by inviting anybody who wishes to speak to the podium. Mrs. Morgan turns towards Andie, who can't find the will to stand up. Jen approaches the front of the church and climbs the steps to the podium. To the entire crowd's disbelief, Jen shows no mercy on the Morgan family and Grams by describing Abby just like she was. Jen says that Abby showed her everything that was wrong with the popular beliefs in God. When she returns to her seat, Grams stands up and walks out of the church. Seeing Mrs. Morgan in tears, Andie finally musters up the courage to deliver her eulogy. Andie pleases the Morgans and surprises Jen by admitting how important Abby was to her. By constantly attacking and humiliating her, Abby forced Andie to be a stronger person. Mrs. Morgan's tears of grief turn to tears of joy as Andie finishes her eulogy, bringing smiles to everybody in attendance, especially Pacey.

At the cemetery, Andie sits down with Jen by Abby's coffin. Jen apologizes to Andie for trying to blame her for Abby's death, instead blaming herself for the accident. Though Jen believes that she could have saved Abby, Andie convinces her that there was nothing that could have been done. Still, Jen can't forgive herself for redirecting her self-hatred towards everybody else, particularly Grams. Andie remembers Abby's diary and how its contents could only upset Mrs. Morgan further. Meanwhile, Dawson finally tells Joey how happy he is with their getting back together. When she doesn't respond, Dawson fears that the feelings aren't mutual. His concerns are quickly suppressed with Joey's kiss. Afterwards, Joey asks Dawson to accompany her to her mother's grave. When the reach the grave of Lillian Josephine Potter, Joey kneels at the headstone and lets her tears flow before taking comfort in Dawson's arms. Jen returns home to find all of her belongings packed up on the front porch. Grams believes that Jen deliberately tried to hurt her at the church, so she kicks her granddaughter of the house. At the Morgan household, Andie enters through the unlocked front door and calls out for Abby's mother. When she gets no response, Andie hurries up the stairs to Abby's room and grabs the diary. Suddenly, she looks up into the mirror and sees a reflection of Abby, who is standing against the wall behind her, smiling. Andie spins around, only to be confronted by an empty room.

Starring

James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery Katie Holmes as Joey Potter Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter Mary-Margaret Humes as Gale Leery John Wesley Shipp as Mitch Leery Mary Beth Peil as Evelyn Ryan Special Guest Stars Meredith Monroe as Andie McPhee Kerr Smith as Jack McPhee Monica Keena as Abby Morgan

Guest starring Michele Scarabelli as Mrs. Morgan Gareth Williams as Mike Potter Co-Starring Heather Lynch as Holly Robin O'Dell as Elizabeth Steve Boles as Minister

Eulogy

My name's Jen Lindley, and I was friends with Abby, as much as anyone could be, because Abby had a toxic personality that bordered on radioactive. Abby could be cruel and Abby could be spiteful, and Abby could certainly be petty. She spent her days mischievously stirring up trouble and creating calamity and generally taking pleasure in other people's pain. You know, in Sunday school, they teach us that God made Man in his image. Well, if God made Abby in his own image then what does that say about God? God has always been such a mystery to me. I mean, what kind of deity creates a world that is so full of suffering and so full of tragedy. I tell you what, Abby taught me a lot. That girl taught me how to do a tequila shooter with one hand tied behind my back, and she taught me to live my life according to my own set of values, and not to just follow the crowd in hopes of winning some phantom popularity contest. But most of all, what's most important is that Abby taught me the sadistic nature of our God and while that knowledge is disturbing, it's true, and it's real, and in a world that is so saturated with phoniness and with lies, for that small amount, for that little bit of honesty, I will always be grateful to her. — Jen

There are people who give me comfort in my life. When the going gets rough, as it invariably does, I can count on them as a shoulder to cry on, and they will pick me up when I fall, and hold me in their arms as I cry and tell me that everything is going to be alright. I am so thankful for these people. They are priceless...but there's another group of people just as important and just as priceless. They are the people who challenge me, who push me to my breaking points, and who force me to muster courage that I never thought I had. Abby Morgan was one of those people. In her own truth-telling way, she gave me strength. I'm a stronger woman because of her, stronger than I ever thought that I could be. She gave me that gift. She was one of a kind. There's no one like her and she will always hold a special spot in my heart. — Andie

Quotes

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I'm not looking for your forgiveness, Grams, I'm looking for your understanding. And that's something that you've never been able to provide

—Jen at the funeral

Locations

• Dawson's House
• Joey's House
• Capeside High School
• Jen's House
• Mollye's Market
• Abby Morgan's House
• The Icehouse
• Capeside Memorial Chapel

Trivia

• The episode deals with the death of a recurring character.
• Abby's mother asks Andie to deliver the eulogy.
• Jen lashes out at Andie & Grams because she's grieving.
• Grams decides to throw Jen out.
• Joey visits her mother's grave for the first time, with Dawson.
• Jen apologizes to Andie and Jen thinks it's her own fault that Abby died.

BROADCAST

• The episode was watched by 5.25 million people upon its original airing on the WB.

Films

WATCHED

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REFERENCED

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Music

life's a b**** | SHOOTER

jen in the hallway; andie and pacey at abby's house

so young | THE CORRS

andie and pacey run into abby's mother

whatever makes you happy | PAUL WESTERBERG

jen drinking at the pier

it's over now | NEVE

jack and joey at the icehouse

magic | BEN FOLDS FIVE

the funeral

to be loved | CURTIS STIGERS

mourners put roses on the coffin

lose your way | SOPHIE B. HAWKINS

dawson walks joey to her mother's grave

Photos