Dawson’s Creek may be a TV show that is part of the coming-of-age genre, but the series really focuses on relationships. Besides the close friendships that the main characters have with one another, these young adults also experience the ups and downs of love. From falling in love for the first time to wondering if a friend could be more than that to navigating age differences, these characters go through it all.
But while some pairs are flawless and fans will always ship them, others leave viewers wondering why the writers put them together at all. Here are five couples on Dawson’s Creek that are perfect together and five that make no sense.
10. Perfect: Jack And Doug
It’s a sweet surprise in the Dawson’s Creek series finale when it’s revealed that Jack McPhee (Kerr Smith) and Doug Witter (Dylan Neal) are in a relationship. It just feels right for Jack to end up with Pacey’s brother, and they share a real love that is heartwarming to watch.
Jack and Doug are one of the perfect couples on Dawson’s Creek, and it felt like it was definitely time for Jack to find his person.
9. Make No Sense: Dawson And Gretchen
When Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) falls in love with Pacey’s sister Gretchen (Sascha Alexander), however, the result isn’t quite as charming. This couple makes no sense because it feels like she’s hiding something the entire time that they’re together since she’s taking a pause from her college life.
Their romance starts off with a bit of a creepy tone as Dawson used to like Gretchen back when they were kids. Now, their age difference isn’t quite so stark (she’s 19 and he’s finishing up high school) but it always feels like she’s too old and wise and jaded for him. The sweet and sensitive Dawson deserves someone who is more optimistic.
8. Perfect: Andie And Pacey
Andie McPhee (Meredith Monroe) is a compelling high school character as she suffers from anxiety and depression, and her storylines are raw, real, and at times difficult to watch. This was a new topic for a teen show from the 2000s to talk about so this was really important.
Andie and Pacey are one of the most perfect couples on Dawson’s Creek as they are both sensitive and kind to each other. He sees something special in her and is always compassionate about her struggles. Andie does become intimate with someone when she goes to a treatment center, but even though that is devastating to Pacey, she is honest about it and it seems logical that she would make that choice when she’s feeling so lost and misunderstood.
7. Make No Sense: Dawson And Jen
From the pilot, Dawson has a big crush on Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams) and wants her to be his girlfriend. He’s got dreams of being the most perfect pair ever, but instead, this is another Dawson’s Creek couple that makes no sense.
Dawson is always more interested in his vision of how his relationship with Jen should look instead of caring about her feelings. They date in the first season and get back together in the fifth season, but in most instances, it feels like they’re on different pages. Jen is always the more experienced one and Dawson can’t really be himself or grow up with Jen.
6. Perfect: Gail And Mitch Leery
Yes, Gail Leery (Mary-Margaret Humes) cheats on Mitch (John Wesley Shipp), and that is super painful for Dawson, who just wants his parents to have the perfect marriage (even if he can’t stand the constant PDA).
But these two are still one of the show’s perfect couples because they share a passion that can’t be matched. They know that love means going through tough times and that the time apart only makes them stronger.
5. Make No Sense: Joey And Prof. David
Ken Marino is always a talented actor who is welcome on any TV screen, but his Dawson’s Creek character Prof. David Wilder should never date Joey Potter (Katie Holmes).
The two characters have a mutual attraction and get along really well (probably because Joey is so smart and serious that she could basically teach at Worthington by the time that she enrolls), but it’s not in Joey’s goody-two-shoes nature to break the rules and date a teacher. This couple definitely makes zero sense.
4. Perfect: Dawson And Joey
Of course Dawson and Joey have to be on this list, right? Just as many fans want them to be together as others ship Pacey and Joey. And both are totally valid couples in the Dawson’s Creek universe since this is a classic love triangle.
If you believe that Dawson and Joey are a perfect pair, you totally believe in soulmates. You think that they know each other better than anyone, they’ve spent enough time together to know that this it, and there’s no reason for them to ever date anyone else. When Dawson and Joey date in season two, they’re really cute, even though they do sometimes fight in a really immature way. Enough fans would have been happy if these two ended up together that they feel like a flawless couple.
3. Make No Sense: Pacey And Audrey
Everyone loves Audrey Liddell (Busy Philipps), the Dawson’s Creek character who helps Joey see that there’s more to life than studying and worrying so much. The two are roomies at Worthington and eventually, Pacey and Audrey start dating.
They’re not great for each other as they bring out the immaturity and inner child in each other, and they each need to be with someone who can help them grow up and move on instead. In this case, opposites attract, and they’re too similar.
2. Perfect: Pacey And Joey
Pacey and Joey also belong as this list as opinion is divided over who the bookworm character should be with. Even though Andie and Pacey make a really cute couple and they’re good for each other, she doesn’t hold a candle to the love that Pacey has for Joey.
Joey takes massive leaps of faith when she’s with Pacey, from sailing for the entire summer in his boat to even contemplating the idea that she could love someone other than Dawson. She and Pacey have a really compelling beginning to their romance and it’s fun to watch them spar and sneak around. The fact that they end up together in the finale feels like the way that it should be. She always sees the real him.
1. Make No Sense: Jen And Henry
The final couple that makes no sense on Dawson’s Creek? That would be Jen and her high school boyfriend Henry Parker (Michael Pitt).
Things are weird from the beginning as he is two years younger than Jen and seems kind of obsessed with her. Just like Gretchen assumes she could never date Dawson, Jen thinks the same thing about Henry, but then they start a relationship. He always feels too young and innocent for her, and he can’t really understand what Jen needs or the tough past that she’s trying to deal with. It’s also pretty crappy that he dumps her the coward’s way: by asking Jack to do that for him. Yikes.
