​ Yesterday, James Van Der Beek passed away, and honestly, that one hits hard. There’s something about the actors you grew up watching leaving this world that feels different. It’s not just sad — it’s a reality check. A reminder that time has passed. That we’ve grown up. That the seasons of our own lives have quietly shifted while we weren’t paying attention. James was on my favorite show in the late ’90s: Dawson’s Creek. That was my can’t-miss, rush-home, plan-my-week-around-it show for six solid years. Good, bad, painfully cringey — I loved every second of it. And let’s not forget the epic love triangle: Pacey, Joey, Dawson. I was invested. Looking back now, I can clearly see that this show may have slightly… distorted my understanding of romance. Because back then, I genuinely believed that if love wasn’t complicated, emotional, and at least mildly dramatic — was it even love? If there weren’t grand speeches, impossible choices, and at least one tearful dockside confession, ...