Season 1

Season 1
Premiere	Pilot
Finale	Decisions
Network	The WB
Created by	Kevin Williamson
Slogan	It's the end of something simple and the beginning of everything else
Starring	James Van Der Beek Michelle Williams Joshua Jackson Katie Holmes Mary-Margaret Humes John Wesley Shipp Mary Beth Peil Nina Repeta
Aired	12 January 1998 — 20 May 1998
Episodes	13
Showrunner(s)	Kevin Williamson

Season 1 of Dawson's Creek takes place during the first half of the group's sophomore year.

Synopsis

Best friends since childhood, Dawson and Joey must redefine their relationship as teenagers. Dawson's best friend, Pacey, looks for adventure and the woman of his dreams, while newcomer Jen from New York may be the woman of Dawson's dreams, much to Joey's chagrin.

Starring

James Van Der Beek as Dawson Leery

Michelle Williams as Jen Lindley

Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter

Katie Holmes as Joey Potter

Mary-Margaret Humes as Gale Leery (7 episodes)

John Wesley Shipp as Mitch Leery (7 episodes)

Mary Beth Peil as Evelyn Ryan (6 episodes)

Nina Repeta as Bessie Potter (6 episodes)

Recurring cast

Leann Hunley as Tamara Jacobs (6 episodes)

Mitchell Laurance as Benjamin Gold (5 episodes)

Ed Grady as Mr. Ryan (5 episodes)

Scott Foley as Cliff Elliot (5 episodes)

George Gaffney/Obi Ndefo as Bodie Wells (4 episodes)

Guest starring

Nicole Nieth as Nellie Oleson (3 episodes)

Dylan Neal as Doug Witter (3 episodes)

Monica Keena as Abby Morgan (2 episodes)

Eion Bailey as Billy Konrad (2 episodes)

Ian Bohen as Anderson Crawford ("Kiss")

Eric Balfour as Warren Goering ("Road Trip")

Megahn Perry as Mary Beth ("Double Date")

Jennifer McComb as Ursula ("The Scare")

Lori Rom as Hannah Von Wenning ("Beauty Contest")

Gareth Williams as Mike Potter ("Decisions")

Co-Starring

Ric Reitz as Bob Collinsworth (3 episodes)

Helen Baldwin as Mrs. Tringle (3 episodes)

Chris Berry as Eric (2 episodes)

Chris Blackwelder as Roger (2 episodes)

Patt Noday as Weatherman (2 episodes)

Rick Forrester as Big Guy ("Pilot")

Evan Kelly as Roger Fulford ("Pilot")

Angela Ray as Student #2 ("Kiss")

Patrick Tucker as Football Player #2 ("Kiss")

Travis Stanberry as Carl ("Discovery")

Josh Crouch as Smoker ("Baby")

Dorothy Recasner Brown as Caroline Fields ("Baby")

Traci Dinwiddie as Waiter ("Baby")

David Lenthall as Superintendant ("Baby")

Mati Moralejo as Grant Bodian ("Detention")

Mike Pniewski as Mr. Pickering ("Detention")

Micah Learner as Daniel ("Detention")

Barry Bell as Coach ("Detention")

Linda Bureau as Cheerleader #1 ("Detention")

Adrienne Harvey as Cheerleader #2 ("Detention")

Jeremy Moore as Tyler ("Boyfriend")

Paula Davis as Complaining Officer ("Boyfriend")

Melissa McBride as Nina ("Road Trip")

Jessica Chappell as Blonde ("Road Trip")

J.R. Rodriguez as Jerk ("Road Trip")

Keith Flippen as Dr. Rand ("Double Date")

Craig Edwards as Carnival Attendant ("Double Date")

David Blanchard as David ("The Scare")

Justin Smith as Eddie ("The Scare")

Cara Stoner as Roberta Crump ("Beauty Contest")

Marguerite Lowell as Mrs. Pennoyer ("Beauty Contest")

Robby Preddy as Pageant Sign-Up Lady ("Beauty Contest")

Tara Killian as Girl (contestant) ("Beauty Contest")

Courtney Fendley as Contestant #1 ("Beauty Contest")

G. Martin Eckhardt as Soundman/Cameraman ("Beauty Contest")

Richard Fullerton as Guard ("Decisions")

Trivia

• Airing as a midseason starter, it consists of only 13 episodes and is the season with the fewest episodes.
• It was released on DVD on April 1, 2003.

Photos

Season 1/Gallery

Episodes

#	EPISODE	WRITER(s)	AIRDATE	#
1	Pilot	Kevin Williamson	20 JANUARY 1998	1
At the onset of their sophomore year of high school, Dawson Leery and his best friend, Josephine "Joey" Potter, battle with the knowledge that their lifelong friendship may be changing. Adding to Joey's confusing emotions is the arrival of the radiant Jennifer Lindley, who appears to be "the girl next door," but has an air of mystery. Rounding out the clique is Pacey, whose gift for sarcasm is topped only by an over-confident knack for stumbling awkwardly unprepared into adult situations.
2	Dance	Kevin Williamson	28 JANUARY 1998	2
Dawson experiences his first bout of jealousy when Jen accepts a date with Cliff the superjock (guest star Scott Foley); after their first kiss, Tamara (Leann Hunley) does her best to elude Pacey but they once again find themselves in a compromising situation; and Joey makes it clear to Dawson's mother (Mary-Margaret Humes) that she knows her secret.
3	Kiss	Rob Thomas	7 FEBRUARY 1998	3
Dawson's dream of a perfect, storybook first kiss with Jen may finally be coming true; at school, Dawson has the opportunity to join the film class as a silent observer, but can't keep quiet when he sees the film is in trouble; Joey finds herself swept away by Anderson Crawford (guest-star Ian Bohen), an attractive, wealthy preppy; and Pacey and Ms. Jacobs' secret rendezvous may no longer be so secret.
4	Discovery	J. H. Feldman	10 FEBRUARY 1998	4
On the day of Dawson's parents' twentieth wedding anniversary, he spots his mother with another man. Later, Dawson turns to his best friend Joey, rather than his girlfriend Jen, when he needs a friend to confide in about his suspicions. Meanwhile, Pacey and Ms. Jacobs (guest star Leann Hunley) continue to grow closer.
5	Hurricane	Dana Baratta	17 FEBRUARY 1998	5
When the Leerys, the Potters, Jen and her grandmother are confined to the Leery house during a hurricane, temperaments run high when Dawson angrily confronts his mother about her affair and Jen's grandmother exchanges acrimonious words with Bessie and Bodie (guest star Obi Nfedo) about their relationship and their unborn child. Meanwhile, across town, Pacey and Tamara (guest star Leann Hunley) struggle to keep their emotions under control as they weather out the storm in her house with Pacey's older brother, Deputy Doug Witter (guest star Dylan Neal).
6	Baby	J. Waters J. H. Feldman	24 FEBRUARY 1998	6
As Bessie goes into labor at the Leery household, Joey turns to Dawson for solace when her sister's anguish floods her with memories of her mother's death; Jen must put aside her religious differences with Grams, who must overcome her own racial judgements, when they are the only ones who must deliver the baby. Meanwhile, when rumors of Pacey's closeness with Miss Jacobs begin to spread, the school board calls for an emergency meeting to decide her fate.
7	Detention	Mike White	3 MARCH 1998	7
Emotions run rampant in the halls of Capeside High when Dawson, Joey, Jen and Pacey are all saddled with Saturday detention. But the detention rapidly evolves into a game of truth or dare forcing the friends to face their true feelings for each other, revealing that sometimes a kiss is just a kiss ­and sometimes it's more.
8	Boyfriend	K. Rosin, C. Rosin, Baratta & Feldman	10 MARCH 1998	8
Jen's ex-boyfriend from New York (guest star Eion Bailey) shows up in Capeside to win her back, and from Dawson's callow point of view it seems to be happening; Pacey convinces an overworked and tired Joey to crash a party and her evening ands in unforeseen results; and Gale and Mitch continue to work on bringing romance back into their shattered marriage.
9	Road Trip	Rob Thomas	17 MARCH 1998	9
Dawson, heartbroken after his break-up with Jen, allows himself to be coerced into an impetuous road trip with Pacey and Jen's ex-boyfriend, Billy (guest star Eion Bailey). Meanwhile, Jen and Joey find common ground confronting an arrogant Jock (guest star Eric Balfour).
10	Double Date	J. H. Feldman	28 APRIL 1998	10
Dawson, sulking over his break-up with Jen and the knowledge that she has a date with Cliff (guest star Scott Foley), masterminds a double date to stay close to Jen. Meanwhile, Pacey starts to see Joey in a new light and shares his feelings with Dawson, who then reevaluates his own feelings about their childhood friend.
11	The Scare	Mike White	5 MAY 1998	11
It's Friday the 13th in Capeside and Dawson revels in his infamous blood curdling practical jokes. Meanwhile, news hits the sleepy town that young women are being brutally murdered, and Jen fears she might be the next victim when she receives a frightening anonymous phone call; and Pacey brings a peculiar woman (guest star Jennifer McComb), who does not know she is being stalked, to Dawson's where all guests have encounters of the scariest kind.
12	Beauty Contest	Dana Baratta	12 MAY 1998	12
Joey becomes the center of amorous attention when she enters a local beauty competition to earn money towards her future education; meanwhile, to the pageant judges' dismay, Pacey enters the pageant on the grounds that he is as qualified as any female contestant. Furthermore, on the eve of the extravaganza, Dawson is surrounded by romance when Jen confesses her regrets about breaking off their relationship and Joey unburdens her heart.
13	Decisions	Dana Baratta	19 MAY 1998	13
When Dawson learns that Joey might leave Capeside, he is forced to confront his true feelings for his childhood friend. But even though Joey has longed for Dawson for years, she must now decide if this is her one true love. Elsewhere, Jen and Grams (Mary Beth Peil) concede their religious differences to mourn the death of a cherished family member.

Media

TELEVISION REVIEW; Young, Handsome and Clueless in Peyton Place (NEW YORK TIMES • JANUARY 1998)