Music featured in the episode included:
Stupid by Chickenpox
A Lot Like Youby Colony
Saturday by Colony
Will Tomorrow Ever Come by Dance Hall Crashers
Grace by Michelle Malone (edit) This episode introduces what would become one of Dawson's Creek's most famous characters, Abby Morgan (Monica Keena). (edit) Although featured in the opening credits, Mary-Margaret Humes (Gale), John Wesley Shipp (Mitch), Nina Repeta (Bessie), and Mary Beth Peil (Grams) do not appear in this episode. (edit)

Dawson: This is so Breakfast Club.
Jen: Breakfast Club?
Dawson: Yeah, that John Hughes movie where the five kids are stuck in detention all day.
Joey: Yeah at first they hate each other and then they become really, really good friends.
Jen: Oh yeah, that movie stunk. Whatever happened to those actors?
Dawson: Anthony Michael Hall developed some weird thyroid condition, Molly Ringwald lost her gauky enjenu appeal, and the rest are laguishing somewhere in tv obscurity.
Pacey: No way, Emilio Estevez! He was in those Duck movies, remember? God, those were classics, so funny..
(Everybody looks at him.)
Pacey: What? (edit) (Joey and Dawson are watching a movie when Dawson turns it off.)
Joey: What are you doing?
Dawson: I don't get this movie.
Joey: Yeah, but we've been watching it for an hour and a half, I'd kind of like to see what happens.
Dawson: When movies get too unrealistic it depresses me. I get a headache, I can't watch.
Joey: Unrealistic? Dawson your favorite movie is E.T.
Dawson: So?
Joey: A fat-fingered alien who eats Reese's Pieces and rides around on a bicycle?
Dawson: But the emotion is realistic. This movie, come on, a girl has to decide between two guys so they drag race? She agrees to go out with whoever has the fastest car?
Joey: Well, I hate to break it to you, Dawson, but a fast car can be a real turn on.
Dawson: Well, why don't they just arm wrestle, whoever has the biggest bicep wins.
Joey: Well, that would work. Give me the remote. (edit) Abby: We could all play a game.
Pacey: Really? What do you want to play? Pin the tail on the ho-bag? (edit) Dawson: Well you won't tell me so I do believe you were talking trash about me.
Pacey: Hey, don't talk trash, recycle it. (edit) Pacey: I think we're playing b-ball today. You know, with that hoop up in the air and that ball.
Dawson: Right. I know how to play basketball man.
Pacey: Of course you do, sport. Just don't kick the ball and don't hit it with a baseball bat. (edit) Dawson: First of all, girls are attracted to romance more than anything.
Joey: Keep hope alive there.
Dawson: Second of all, I don't compete with other guys. You don't see me and Pacey running around arm wrestling over some girl.
Joey: Well, as I said, you don't like to lose.
Dawson: What's that supposed to mean?
Joey: Well, Pacey has bigger biceps.
Dawson: No, he does not! (edit) Joey: I don't know what's going on. I have all these feelings... these weird feelings. I don't know how to say it, and I can't say it. We've known each other for so long and you know everything about me. Everything. And I can't even say this. I can't. And I just feel really alone.
Dawson: Joey, you're not alone.
Joey: Yes I am.
Dawson: Jo, I'm here for you. I was here for you in the 6th grade and I'm here for you now. Nothing you can say is going to change that. Nothing. Maybe if you just say these things then they'll be out in the open and these feelings won't be as strong anymore. You know, you'll be free.
Joey: I can't. (edit) Joey: She just might choose the guy with the faster car or the bigger bicep or the bigger joystick.
Dawson: Bigger joystick? (edit) Pacey: Dawson. You're not a little Oompa Loompa anymore. You're a big, bad, manly Oompa Loompa. (edit) Pacey: I mean, come on. My butt? It really, it's like a magnet. Chicks, they just can't keep their eyes off of it. (edit) Abby: (To Joey and Jen) Y'all can never be friends as long as you keep fighting over the same guy. (edit) Jen: Dawson, it's because of you that I get through the bad days. (edit) Jen: This is gonna be so much fun. The three of us sitting around doing nothing. It's just like every other Saturday. (edit) Pacey: Oh, my God. That sounds like Abby Morgan.
Jen: Well, who's Abby Morgan?
Pacey: You've never met Abby Morgan?
Dawson: The girl is from hell. Literally. (edit) Jen: Well, we can't all be like you, Abby, having your little ecstasy gangbangs on the floor of the boy's locker room. (edit) Abby: How about you, Joey? Why are you in here? Not that I'm surprised. I mean, incarceration does seem to run in your family. (edit)

This is a takeoff on John Hughes' movie The Breakfast Club. (edit) Dawson's nickname growing up was Oompa Loompa, a name from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (edit) Famous Firsts: Dawson and Joey's first kiss (although it was the result of a dare). (edit) Mrs. Tringle is watching the day time soap opera Days Of Our Lives, a show Creek guest star Leann Hunley (Ms. Jacobs) used to star in. (edit) Days of Our Lives that Mrs. Tringle is watching originally aired in September, 1997. One scene specifically appears to be from Sept. 9, 1997. (edit) Kevin Williamson created the character Mrs. Tringle based on an English teacher whom he'd had in real life who had a very negative impact on him. She was the basis for his villainous character in the movie Teaching Mrs. Tingle, which starred Katie Holmes. (edit) The gang is supposed to be in detention for 8 hours. They must stay there until 5 PM, but when Joey arrives in the library, the clock on the wall reads 7 AM. If that is the correct time, then the gang has 10 hours of detention, not 8. (edit) In the original airing of this episode, the librarian's name is Mrs. Tringle, but it was changed after the movie Killing Mrs. Tringle (later changed to Teaching Mrs. Tingle) was released. If you watch closely you can see her name dubbed in by the actors.

The movie Teaching Mrs. Tingle was originally supposed to be Killing Mrs. Tringle but after the school killings the name was changed. (edit) Since Capeside is supposed to be a small town and a small school, everyone, including those in detention (especially Dawson, her best friend), would have known about Joey punching Grant. (edit)

Movie References:

The dialog includes references to:
E.T. (1982)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
The Mighty Ducks (1992) (edit) Abby: Oh great. It's Howdy Doody time.

A reference to an old kids TV show, Howdy Doody. The show always asked, "Hey kids, what time is it?" which was followed by, "It's Howdy Doody time." (edit) Pacey: No way! Emilio Estevez, he was in those duck movies, remember? God, those were classics!

The gang is talking about how their current situation seemed like the 80's movie The Breakfast Club and Dawson points out how all of the actors in that movie were never heard from again. But Pacey (Joshua Jackson) points out how Emilio Estevez was the star of the "Ducks" movies: Champions, D2 - the Mighty Ducks and D3.

Joshua Jackson was also in the The Mighty Ducks movies, playing team captain Charlie Conway in the trilogy. (edit)