In January 1998, the world was launched to a close-knit group of stripling pals within the fictional city of Capeside, Massachusetts. And on the middle of the long-lasting Dawson’s Creek forged was Dawson Leery himself (performed by James Van Der Beek), an introspective 15-year-old and aspiring filmmaker with a severe love of Steven Spielberg motion pictures and a sophisticated relationship with the woman subsequent door, Joey Potter (a breakout Katie Holmes).
And whether or not you are a first-time watcher of the favored nineties present or viscerally keep in mind watching that formative pilot when it first aired on The WB all these a long time in the past, you’ll shortly acknowledge that, regardless of the present actually being named after him, typically Dawson Leery wasn’t all that. He might be insensitive, self-righteous, entitled, melodramatic and downright unbearable — over six seasons, listed below are 32 occasions that Dawson himself was absolutely the worst on Dawson’s Creek.
When Dawson Shamed Jen For Her Romantic Previous
Within the first season, Dawson dates — and deifies — the mysterious new woman on the town Jen Lindley (performed by future four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, who would paradoxically go on to play Steven Spielberg’s mom). Nevertheless, when he finds out that his new girlfriend has been sexually lively since age 12, Dawson’s response is lower than understanding and he harshly ridicules Jen for her previous experiences.
When He Used Mary Beth To Strive To Make Jen Jealous
Although Dawson usually posits himself as a self-proclaimed “good man” all through the six-season collection, he does often behave fairly callously to these he is courting. Working example: taking harmless Mary Beth (Megahn Perry) out within the season one episode titled “Double Date,” all as a ruse to get a response out of his on-again-off-again love curiosity, Jen Lindley.
When He Learn Joey’s Diary With out Her Permission
Dawson can proclaim all he needs that he and Joey are soulmates, however that also does not give him the fitting to learn Joey’s private diary with out her data within the season 2 episode “Crossroads”. Even worse is that he believes he is in the fitting to be offended that she derided his expertise as an beginner filmmaker however stays unapologetic about the truth that he violated her privateness.
When He Guilted Joey For Her Summer season Plans Overseas
Given her penchant for the humanities, it is sensible that Joey would wish to spend a summer season within the famously stunning and cinematic metropolis of Paris. Nevertheless, when she relays such plans to Dawson on the finish of the primary season, he selfishly guilts her about how arduous the space could be for him, as a substitute of considering of how nice it might be for her. Finally, she forgoes her French plans to be close to Dawson and stays in Capeside for the summer season. (Fortunately, she would finally see the Eiffel Tower in season 6.)
When He Filmed His and Jen’s First Kiss With out Her Information
Dawson famously needs to be a director like Spielberg when he grows up and often movies little pupil motion pictures and such all through Dawson’s Creek. Nevertheless, certainly one of his creepier display initiatives was within the third episode of the primary season, when he arrange a digital camera to secretly report his first kiss with crush Jen in tribute to the entire well-known film smooches in movie historical past. Solely, life is not a film, Dawson!
When He Broke Up With Natasha Over Voicemail After Dishonest On Her
Within the sixth season of Dawson’s Creek, Dawson has a fling with an actress named Natasha Kelly (Bianca Kajlich) throughout his summer season working as an assistant director in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, issues get very difficult when he returns to Capeside and rekindles, ahem, bodily with Joey. After the longtime pals lastly sleep collectively, Dawson telephones Natasha the morning after and brutally dumps her by way of answering machine.
When He Accused Jack of “Stealing” Joey From Him
Within the season two episode “Unchartered Waters,” Dawson unfairly snipes at Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith) that he stole Joey from him. Nevertheless, in actuality, Joey truly broke up with Dawson effectively earlier than she and Jack received collectively as a result of she wanted area from their relationship. Jack correctly reminds Dawson of that vital reality, and that Joey is way too sensible to be “stolen” by any boy.
When Dawson Entered That Boat Race To Spite Pacey
Saying that Dawson dealt with the truth that his beloved Joey was courting his greatest good friend Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson) very poorly is an understatement. Within the third season, he even decides to enter a neighborhood crusing competitors on the final minute below the guise of beating Pacey and successful Joey again. After all, that misguided scheme is an enormous outdated fail, with Dawson practically crashing his boat into Pacey’s vessel and getting disqualified from the regatta.
When Het Bought Too Drunk And Ruined His Shock Birthday Celebration
Within the sixteenth episode of season 2, fittingly entitled “Be Cautious What You Want For,” Joey sweetly plans a shock celebration for Dawson’s huge sixteenth birthday on the Leery residence. The one downside is that Dawson and Andie (Meredith Monroe) resolve to get rowdy at a nightclub beforehand and get completely zonked — whereas underage! — on rum and cokes. When he lastly arrives on the shock celebration, he is performing loads silly, falling face-first into his birthday cake and spending the remainder of the evening vomiting within the rest room alongside Andie.
When He Publicly Aired His Mother and father’ Soiled Laundry At His Birthday Celebration
Throughout a drunken tirade at his sixteenth birthday in season 2, Dawson takes the time normally reserved for making a want and blowing out his candles to as a substitute ruthlessly rant about his mother and father, telling a celebration full of individuals about how his mother Gail (Mary-Margaret Humes) slept together with her co-anchor, how his dad Mitch (John Wesley Shipp) does not have a job, and so forth. It goes with out saying that it brings the shindig to fairly a halt.
When He Guilted Joey Into Turning Her Father Over to the Cops
In season 2, Dawson sees that Joey’s father Mike Potter (Gareth Williams) — who had beforehand been in jail for drug trafficking — has sadly resumed his drug-dealing actions. And as a substitute of quietly supporting Joey and letting her deal with that strained household scenario on her personal, Dawson forces Joey to put on a wire and get a confession implicating her dad. The plan works however is distressing not just for Joey, who tells Dawson she is going to by no means forgive him for forcing her choice, but additionally for actor James Van Der Beek, who cites the episode because the second when Dawson’s Creek went off the rails.
When Dawson Practiced Kissing On A Model In Entrance Of His Dad
Okay, positive, there’s coming-of-age sweetness all through the long-lasting teen drama collection Dawson’s Creek, particularly the place first romances and such are involved. However an early scene the place Dawson is given smooching pointers by his dad, all whereas practising stated strikes on a model doll common to appear like his feminine greatest good friend Joey is unquestionably much less cute and extra creepy.
When He Demeaned Pacey In Entrance of Everybody At His Birthday Celebration
The love triangle between Dawson, Joey and Pacey meant that there was a whole lot of animosity between the 2 boys all through the collection, however even earlier than Joey and Pacey received collectively, Dawson demeaned his supposed greatest good friend on the common. An particularly egregious instance is Dawson’s boorishly drunken rant at his sixteenth celebration in season 2, which noticed the birthday boy recommend that Pacey’s solely objective is to make Dawson really feel higher about himself as compared. Even worse, we by no means truly noticed him apologize for that slight!
When He Prodded Joey About Her Bodily Relationship With Jack
Within the early seasons of Dawson’s Creek, Dawson had a little bit of an obsession with the standing of Joey’s virginity. One such occasion of the teenager butting his nostril into his good friend’s enterprise is in a season 2 episode the place he publicly questioned Joey about whether or not she had slept with Jack and lied about sleeping with Jen simply to make Joey jealous. Jen rightly dubbed the entire thing a “pathetic little show.”
When He Insulted A Movie Critic Who Was Reviewing His Film
Dawson’s goals of being one of many movie trade’s nice administrators was a typical thread by the present’s six seasons. Nevertheless, he did not at all times make issues simple for himself — within the season 5 episode “Cigarette Burns,” Dawson insults Amy Lloyd (Meredith Salenger), a movie critic tasked with reviewing a film he made, even telling the author that she has unhealthy style in movies. We do not suppose Spielberg behaves that approach, Leery!
When He Made Enjoyable Of Jack’s Coming Out Journey
With Jack McPhee, Kerr Smith performed certainly one of TV’s nice queer characters — he even was the primary man to have an on-screen homosexual kiss on American tv. As a part of that onscreen LGBTQ+ illustration, Smith’s character navigated the ups and downs of his popping out journey within the back-half of season 2, a self-discovery that Dawson drunkenly mocked at his sixteenth birthday. “Tonight, starring in his very personal model of In & Out,” Dawson taunted him. “He is in, he is out, he is in, he is out! Good hair by the way in which.” He may’ve been joking however it was clearly not humorous.
When He Dated Pacey’s Older Sister After Giving Him a Laborious Time About Joey
For giving Pacey such a tough time about courting his greatest good friend Joey, Dawson did not appear to see any downside with romancing Pacey’s personal sister Gretchen (performed by NCIS star Sasha Alexander) for a lot of his senior yr. To not point out there is a not insignificant age distinction between the 17-year-old Dawson and the 21-year-old Gretchen.
When Dawson Ruined Joey’s Time At The Anti-Promenade
On the finish of season 3, the Capeside gang throws an “Anti-Promenade” in assist of the newly out Jack, however Dawson as a substitute takes it as a possibility to parade Joey round as his date to make Pacey jealous. After seeing Joey and Pacey gradual dance — in a candy and romantic scene that can make you imagine in love once more — Dawson melodramatically storms out of the occasion and unfairly yells at Joey that the one cause he instructed “this entire silly different promenade” wasn’t about Jack in any respect however relatively her. Manipulative!
When He Was Upset That Joey Moved On With Pacey, Even Although He Rejected Her First
The top of season 3 noticed the lifelong friendships of Dawson Leer, Joey Potter and Pacey Witter implode when Joey and Pacey began creating romantic emotions for one another. That improvement actually should not have been an issue for Dawson in any respect, since he beforehand turned down Joey’s supply to rekindle their very own romance as a result of he did not wish to destroy their friendship, plus he had particularly requested Pacey to take care of the younger Miss Potter within the first place.
When He Overreacted About His Scholar Movie And Swore Off Films Ceaselessly
Teenage hormones are a famously fussy phenomenon, besides, Dawson Leery at all times had fairly the penchant for melodrama. One textbook instance is in season 3 after he enters his Blair Witch rip-off pupil movie into a movie competition and will get rightly roasted by the opposite filmmakers in rivalry. After dismissing the constructive criticism of these “artwork home snobs,” he goes house, clears his partitions of all of his beloved film posters after which drops out of movie class. Overreaction a lot?
When He Did not Inform Joey He Had a Girlfriend Earlier than They Slept Collectively
It was six lengthy seasons earlier than Dawson and Joey consummated their on-and-off once more relationship, however the slow-burn second was just about ruined when Joey catches a woman calling Dawson on his mobile phone the morning after. Seems, the woman is an actress he had been seeing up till that very morning. “I might relatively you were not concerned with somebody once we lastly sleep collectively…you need to have advised me, earlier than!” Joey roars within the season 6 episode “The Track Stays The Identical,” just for Dawson to reply that she’s blowing issues out of proportion.
When He Clashed With The Director and Bought Fired on His First Day Of Work
Positive, British director Todd Carr (Hal Ozsan) was no picnic to work for, what along with his sizzling mood and no filter, however provided that Dawson was solely a mere intern working at a Hollywood movie studio for the very first time, the younger Leery lad in all probability should not have advised his boss that he is mainly a hack who solely makes unhealthy motion pictures. Unsurprisingly, Dawson was promptly fired and even dropped out of movie faculty due to the embarrassing incident.
When He Reacted Badly To His Mother’s Being pregnant
The introduction of a brand new child right into a household can conjure up emotions of jealousy in a soon-to-be sibling, however normally not when that sibling is a fully-grown 18-year-old. Within the season 4 episode “The Household Manner,” Dawson does not take effectively to the information that his mother and father expect a child, sulking round the home and providing a really belated — and begrudged congratulations — to Gail and Mitch. Issues worsen when Gail reveals that she’s contemplating an abortion, given her age and the household’s monetary troubles, which causes Dawson to react horribly as a substitute of supporting his mom in her private choice.
When He Broke Pacey’s Nostril By Throwing A Basketball At His Face
We’ll play satan’s advocate right here: Pacey was positively out of line telling Jen that Dawson’s childhood nickname was Oompa Loompa and for making an attempt to embarrass Dawson in entrance of a complete squad of cheerleaders within the season 1 episode “Detention.” However that does not imply Dawson ought to have ever resorted to violence, particularly not chucking a basketball immediately at his greatest good friend’s face and breaking his nostril. Unsurprisingly, that courtside combat lands each boys in detention.
When He Did not Hear When Joey Stated She Was Uncomfortable Sharing a Mattress
For a lot of their childhood friendship, Joey would spend the evening over on the Leery residence and share a mattress together with her good buddy Dawson. Nevertheless, what with the modifications that include puberty and such, Miss Potter reveals in Dawson’s Creek season 1 that she’s not comfy being bunkmates together with her boy bestie. “Issues change, Dawson. Evolve!” she tells him. Nevertheless, Dawson downplays her issues and forces her to spend the evening regardless that she’s clearly not feeling completely okay with it. Plus, he hogs the mattress!
In season 1, aspiring director Dawson needed to take a movie class on the fictional Capeside Excessive, however the underclassman was deemed too younger. Nevertheless, after some earnest begging from the coed, the college’s movie instructor Mr. Gold (Mitchell Laurance) decides to let him audit the category, as long as he guarantees to not take part since he is not formally enrolled. Lower to Dawson’s very first movie class and what does he do? He instantly throws passive commentary out the window and smugly inserts feedback and questions into the movie class.
When He Cringingly Sang The Blues About His Romantic Troubles
As a part of Dawson’s alcohol-fueled sixteenth birthday celebrations, he and Andie resolve to throw themselves into an evening of unabashed and underage recklessness, which incorporates taking the stage at a jazz membership to awkwardly sing “the blues.” Such selection lyrics embrace: “My identify is Dawson Leery, I am feeling kinda weary / In the present day is my birthday, and also you all look a bit blurry / The woman that I cared for left me and ran away / straight into the arms of a man who turned out to be homosexual.” Higher keep on with filmmaking, Dawson!
When He Tempted His Mates With A Stolen Copy Of The PSAT Take a look at
Within the season 3 episode “Not one of the Above,” Dawson is way from the one pupil tempted to cheat when the Capeside gang will get their fingers on an advance copy of the PSAT take a look at, even veritable goody-two-shoes like Joey and Andie take into account it. Nevertheless, he was the one who introduced the stolen take a look at to his pals within the first place — in class, no much less! — after getting the take a look at from his bad-girl love curiosity Eve Whitman (Brittany Daniel).
When He Wrecked His Dad’s Boat Whereas Hooking Up With Eve
Dawson’s season 3 romance with Eve revealed a wild, and irresponsible, aspect of the normally straightlaced character. Whereas smooching with the mysterious blonde throughout a cruise on his dad Mitch’s boat, Dawson will get so distracted that the boat crashes right into a dock, warranting $3,000 price of repairs. As if that is not unhealthy sufficient, he decides to have a rowdy home celebration with strippers and cost $20 a pop for attendees to drum up the money, all whereas his mother and father are out of city. After all, Mitch comes house early and is not blissful in regards to the scenario.
When He Spent His Skilled Profession Caught In His Excessive College Days
Positive, by the collection finale of Dawson’s Creek, our titular lead lastly received his blissful ending as a director working in Hollywood, one with apparently sufficient notoriety to snag a gathering with the one and solely Steven Spielberg. Nevertheless, it is revealed that Dawson is not engaged on acclaimed function movies like his filmmaking hero — as a substitute, he is engaged on a TV present, The Creek, about his relationship with Joey and their experiences in Capeside. “Write what you recognize” is one factor, however “obsess over your previous” is a unique factor altogether.
When He Did not Take Joey’s Inventive Skills Significantly
“Dawson, why is it that your obsession with motion pictures is your life ardour, however my curiosity in artwork is only a interest?” Joey rightly questions Dawson early on in season 2. Certainly, Dawson had usually diminished Joey’s sketches and inventive pursuits as a mere pastime all of the whereas anticipating his greatest friend-slash-love curiosity to take his brief movies and pupil initiatives critically. It is no shock, then, that when Pacey iconically purchased Joey a wall as a canvas to pursue her artwork, she — and we — swooned!
When Dawson Made This Loopy Face As He Cried
It is the face that launched a thousand hilarious memes: when Dawson lastly realized that Joey and Pacey had been endgame in season 3, he sadly needed to come to phrases along with his damaged coronary heart over shedding Joey. And he did so, however not earlier than unleashing one of the crucial memorable crying faces in TV historical past. The cry-face was so iconically terrible that Van Der Beek’s personal Dawson’s Creek co-star Joshua Jackson jokingly provided up his personal small-screen sob in tribute.