The BEST Episodes of Dawson's Creek
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Oct 7, 2019
Network: The WB
Dawson, Joey, and Pacey are life long friends, whose lives start to rapidly change when a new girl, Jen, moves in next door to Dawson Leery and the foursome start high school. Along the way they are joined by two other newcomers to Capeside: Jack and Andie and, when they go to college, by Audrey.
#1 - ...Must Come to an End (2)
Season 6 - Episode 24
(Part 2 of 2) Five years have passed and everyone is reunited in Capeside for a special wedding. Dawson has been living in Los Angeles producing his autobiographical television series 'The Creek' but has never forgotten the love of his life, Joey is a successful book editor living in New York with her boyfriend but comes home to realize she still loves her childhood sweethearts, Pacey is the owner of the new Ice House and still carries a torch for Joey, Jen is a single mom living with Grams and managing an art gallery in Soho, and Jack is a teacher at Capeside High and has fallen in love with Deputy Doug. Together all the secrets come out as tragedy and love becomes clear.
8.89 
#2 - All Good Things... (1)
Season 6 - Episode 23
(Part 1 of 2) Five years have passed and everyone is reunited in Capeside for a special wedding. Dawson has been living in Los Angeles producing his autobiographical television series 'The Creek' but has never forgotten the love of his life, Joey is a successful book editor living in New York with her boyfriend but comes home to realize she still loves her childhood sweethearts, Pacey is the owner of the new Ice House and still carries a torch for Joey, Jen is a single mom living with Grams and managing an art gallery in Soho, and Jack is a teacher at Capeside High and has fallen in love with Deputy Doug. Together all the secrets come out as tragedy and love becomes clear.
8.53 
#3 - Stolen Kisses
Season 3 - Episode 19
Dawson invites Joey, Andie and Pacey to spend Spring Break in the mountains at his aunt's home, but the trip is filled with tension as Joey and Pacey continue to battle about their feelings for each other and Andie becomes intrigued with the gang's childhood friend Will who is visiting. Meanwhile, back in town, Jen becomes surprisingly territorial when another woman flirts with Henry.
8.39 
#4 - Cinderella Story
Season 3 - Episode 17
When Joey turns to Pacey for rescuing after she flees Boston halfway through her visit with A.J., the two old friends may finally confront their growing feelings for each other. Meanwhile, to avoid suspension, Pacey becomes a mentor to a young boy and must contend with a little version of himself with a big attitude; and behind Gale's back, Dawson asks Mitch to help with the opening of her new restaurant.
8.36 
#5 - Castaways
Season 6 - Episode 15
After agreeing to pose as Pacey's sister at a business party, Joey demands to be taken home. When Pacey makes a quick stop at a local K-Mart they are accidentally locked inside the store. They're forced to spend the night there and talk about their friendship and relationship, both past and future. After the night is over they are both left to ponder what the future has in store for them.
8.32 
#6 - True Love
Season 3 - Episode 23
After an emotional day filled with love, tears and wedding vows, Joey ultimately must choose between her love for Dawson and her new feelings for Pacey. Across town, Grams talks about love and regret with Jen, while Jack and Andie make a decision to drive all night so that Jen can see Henry one last time.
8.23 
#7 - Detention
Season 1 - Episode 7
In what is said to be one of the best episodes, the gang, after committing various violations at school, gets stuck together for an 8 hour Saturday detention, where Dawson and Pacey turn against each another; and Joey offers a tearful partial explanation for her anger toward Jen.
8.21 
#8 - To Green, With Love
Season 3 - Episode 16
Joey relies on the support of Pacey and A.J. to rally the students in protest against the school superintendent after he forces Principal Green to resign for expelling the student who destroyed Joey's mural. Meanwhile, Dawson and Gale both go back to their respective places in back and in front of the camera to produce a piece about the ongoing school protest which ruffles more than a few feathers of the school board hierarchy.
8.11 
#9 - The Longest Day
Season 3 - Episode 20
In a story that replays the same day's activities from three different perspectives (as in the 1999 movie "Go"), Joey and Pacey vacillate on the ways to tell Dawson about their feelings for each other. But when the truth does come out, Dawson's reaction is the one they hoped they wouldn't get. Meanwhile, Andie, who thought she was over Pacey enough to date, accepts a date with Capeside visitor Will, but their first date is ruined when she also learns about Joey and Pacey.
8.04 
#10 - Northern Lights
Season 3 - Episode 13
Dawson makes the radical move of dropping out of film class to spend some time re-evaluating his teenage years. Back at Potter's, Joey is torn between attending Pacey's opening night and her date with A.J., who has come to Capeside for the evening. At the play, Andie must take over as director when the faculty director takes ill; and Jen agrees to meet Henry, but she throws him another block by bringing Grams as her date.
7.98 
#11 - The Long Goodbye
Season 5 - Episode 4
Lifelong friends Dawson, Joey and Pacey put past grudges behind them in the wake of the tragic death of one of their fathers. Along with Jack, Jen and Grams, each tries to find the words and actions to comfort their friend.
7.98 
#12 - The Anti-Prom
Season 3 - Episode 22
Dawson, Joey and Andie prepare their own unique prom when they learn that the committee has scrutinized Jack's selected date. Dawson, who has invited Joey to be his date, uses the special evening to try to win her back and make Pacey jealous; Andie persuades Pacey to be her escort but her evening ends by consoling him about his love life uncertainties; Jen becomes outraged with Henry when he reveals he is leaving Capeside for the summer; and Gale and Mitch celebrate their new found romance.
7.97 
#13 - Double Date
Season 1 - Episode 10
A double date finds Jen and Cliff joined by Dawson and a savvy sidekick who calls him on a plot to make Jen jealous. But it's Dawson turn to turn green when Pacey grows close to Joey working on a project.
7.97 
#14 - Decisions
Season 1 - Episode 13
In the season finale, Dawson and Joey confront their true feelings. Joey, visits her father in prison, and debates leaving to go to France.
7.97 
#15 - Crime and Punishment
Season 3 - Episode 15
Joey is chosen to be part of a group of students to paint a school mural, but when hers is defaced before the unveiling, Dawson offers words of encouragement while Pacey takes action and risks suspension when he goes in search of the culprit. Meanwhile, when Andie's PSAT scores rank among the best in the country, she gambles with everything she has worked for and comes clean to Principal Green about the previously stolen test; and Pacey moves in with Deputy Doug when their sister and her kids move back into the Witter house.
7.92 
#16 - Barefoot at Capefest
Season 3 - Episode 11
Dawson experiences an identity crisis when Principal Green's daughter Nikki emerges as another aspiring young director, and Joey experiences her own crisis when Dawson won't open up to her about the pain of his parents' divorce. Meanwhile, Jack's first efforts to hit on another guy are rebuffed, Pacey and Andie uncomfortably find themselves sharing the same after school activity, and Jen realizes that she may have passed up the chance at something special with Henry.
7.89 
#17 - Hurricane
Season 1 - Episode 5
When a major hurricane moves inland, all take refuge in the Leery home, where Dawson rages at Jen about her past, and Mitch storms out after learning of Gale's affair. That leaves a tormented Dawson to deal with their fallout. Meanwhile, Pacey ruins his brother's chances to get with Tamara at her beach house.
7.86 
#18 - A Winter's Tale
Season 4 - Episode 14
While the rest of the class is on the ski trip, Dawson stays behind to care for a near-death Mr. Brooks, but he's overwhelmed when he's asked to make an impossibly hard decision. Dawson is given the responsibility to decide whether to cut off Brooks' life support. Meanwhile, there's a lot more than skiing going on when the senior trip doesn't go exactly as planned. The evening takes an unexpectedly romantic turn for best friends Jack and Jen... After spraining her ankle Jen gets drunk and nearly sleeps with Jack. while Pacey and Joey find their own ways to keep warm on the cold, snowy night, taking their relationship to the next level.
7.86 
#19 - Home Movies
Season 3 - Episode 4
Father and son are at odds when Dawson moves forward with a news piece for his mom's Philadelphia station using Mitch's star player, Jack, as his subject matter even though Mitch is vehemently opposed. Meanwhile, Joey and Pacey find themselves in cahoots when they must pay the price for ditching class; Andie jumps to conclusions and panics about the reasons Principal Green wants to meet with her; and Jen goes to great lengths to remove herself as head cheerleader but is shocked at the end results.
7.85 
#20 - Joey Potter and the Capeside Redemption
Season 6 - Episode 22
When Dawson gives up his dream of making his film, a strong-minded Joey rallies the old group back to Capeside to help Dawson begin production before pursuing her dream of traveling to Paris. Jen, Jack and Grams must say their goodbyes and leave for New York.
7.84 
#21 - Pilot
Season 1 - Episode 1
Film-buff Dawson finds his best friend, Joey, growing jealous of his attraction to a neighbor's granddaughter. Meanwhile, pal Pacey falls in love with a mystery woman, who is really a teacher at Capeside.
7.83 
#22 - A Weekend in the Country
Season 3 - Episode 12
Joey's friends and their families work together to make sure that the opening of Potter's Bed & Breakfast is a success and that she and Bessie don't lose everything they have after Pacey surprises them with a visit from a prestigious travel critic. Throughout the weekend, Jen admits her concerns to Grams about getting close to Henry; Jack considers moving back home after hearing Andie's loving plea; and Dawson tries to understand the connection between his parents even after their divorce.
7.82 
#23 - Escape from Witch Island
Season 3 - Episode 7
In a bone-chilling installment, Dawson recruits Joey, Pacey and Jen to be his guerrilla crew on a documentary for history class about Witch Island, a local spot shrouded in mystery for its reputation for being haunted by witches. They are haunted by tall tales of witches and love lost that has Dawson and Joey questioning their own romance and Jen and Pacey considering a new kind of friendship. Back at school, Andie takes her job on the school disciplinary committee a little too seriously when she tries taking back the halls of Capeside.
7.81 
#24 - Valentine's Day Massacre
Season 3 - Episode 14
Joey questions Dawson's state of mind when he and Pacey decide to lead their friends to a secret location party hosted by a group infamous for their complete and utter debauchery. Back at home, Jack's ex-girlfriend arrives from Rhode Island nursing a broken heart but is unaware of Jack's coming out last year and Jen's first date with Henry is a Valentine's Day she won't soon forget.
7.81 
#25 - Kiss
Season 1 - Episode 3
While working on the film class's movies, team player Dawson has a hard time being stuck in the background. Meanwhile as he plots to give Jen the "perfect kiss", Joey is swept away by a handsome stranger and Pacey tries to graduate to manhood.
7.80