I Rewatched The Pilot Episode Of “Dawson’s Creek” And Can’t Believe This Show Still Holds Up

It’s been 27 years since Dawson’s Creek first aired on The WB in 1998, and this teen drama has been tugging at fans’ heartstrings ever since. When it comes to viewers’ love for nostalgia, it doesn’t get much better than seeing this main cast of characters all on one screen.

James Van Der Beek starred as the one and only Dawson Leery. Before she became a five-time Oscar-nominated actress, Michelle Williams played Dawson’s neighbor from New York City, Jen Lindley. And of course, Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson act as Joey Potter and Pacey Witter, two characters so beloved that people still ship them in real life to this day.

In light of Van Der Beek’s cancer diagnosis, the cast recently joined together to do a table read of the show’s pilot episode to raise money for the F Cancer organization. While Van Der Beek was originally scheduled to be there, he had to drop out at the last minute because of his health and was replaced by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Twitter: @ThiciRainbow

The reunion was an emotional moment for the actors and fans, myself included. I’ve grown up watching and loving Dawson’s Creek, so I thought, Why not get even more in my feels and go back and rewatch the first episode?

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Let me tell you, the rewatch was a sentimental journey to say the least.

1. In the very first shot of the series, the camera focuses on Joey’s ladder leading up to Dawson’s bedroom, something that becomes a staple throughout the entire series. Joey famously rows her own, small boat over to her childhood best friend Dawson’s house and uses a ladder to climb into his bedroom window. It’s her calling card.

I guess using the front door to walk in is too boring and predictable for Joey.

2. James Van Der Beek and Katie Holmes were so young, so innocent, and so full of youth.

It was perceptive of Joey to try and set boundaries with Dawson now that they’re in high school and going through puberty; she didn’t want their friendship to get ruined by a shift in sexual energy and, spoiler, that’s exactly what happens as the series goes on! They like each other as more than friends and then enter into one of the most iconic fictional love triangles of all time with Pacey.

3. And as all OG Dawson’s Creek fans know, the opening credits are a beauty to behold. Not only is the footage of the cast incredibly cute, but Paula Cole’s iconic “I Don’t Want to Wait” ballad is so important to this show that it might as well be another character. There are a lot of legendary TV theme songs from the ‘90s and 2000s, but this song in particular is synonymous with Dawson’s Creek. It elicits every single emotion possible.

Long live Paula Cole, the legend.

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4. The intro episode brings us into the town of Capeside, a quiet and idyllic New England town. Is there anything more aesthetically pleasing than a New England small town at the start of fall? I think not.

5. Now let’s get into young Pacey Witter, the ultimate ‘90s fictional heartthrob and everything I used to want and love in a TV boyfriend.

Let’s just say that handsome, brooding, and emotionally unavailable Pacey walked so that Conrad Fisher could run.

6. This episode of Dawson’s Creek is also such a time capsule of 1998. The fashion! The jargon! Dawson and Pacey even work in a video rental store!

Before we could even dream of streaming episodes of our favorite movies and television shows on the internet, we’d have to go to video rental stores, pick out physical copies of the VHS tape we wanted to bring home with us, watch them in our VHS players, and then bring the tapes back so other people could repeat the same cycle. What a time!

Not to mention, the soundtrack in this pilot episode alone is the epitome of the ‘90s: We already talked about Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait” as the theme song, and throughout the episode, we also hear iconic ballads like “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders and “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba.

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7. He then gets punched in the face when he goes to sit next to her in a movie theater and offends her actual date, someone more age-appropriate, I’m assuming. But by the end of the episode, Miss Jacobs kisses Pacey when they’re alone by a dock. There’s certainly nothing appropriate about that!

And another relic of a subject matter is when Joey talks about how her older sister is “impregnated by her Black boyfriend,” citing their interracial relationship as one of the reasons why everyone in town shies away from the Potter family.

Another reason, Joey explains, is that her dad is in jail.

8. I’d be remiss not to bring up the cringeworthy storyline about Pacey and his teacher, Miss Jacobs, which would absolutely not fly today. When she comes into the video rental store to rent The Graduate, Pacey thinks she’s flirting with him, and he develops a crush on Miss Jacobs.

9. Of course, there’s the introduction to Jen Lindley, who is supposed to be the controversial, “bad girl” out-of-towner juxtaposed against Joey’s down-home, “girl next door” persona.

10. Jen comes into Capeside like a whirlwind: She tells her religious and traditional Gram that she doesn’t believe in God and manages to quickly sweep Dawson off his feet, making Joey jealous.

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11. Joey reveals herself to be a complex, nuanced character in this pilot episode alone. She starts the episode warning Dawson that they shouldn’t have sleepovers anymore because of their raging teenage hormones,

12. She also experiences bouts of envy when it comes to Dawson’s new crush on Jen, then ends the episode making up with Dawson and promising to stay friends even if (and when) sex gets in the way.

There’s also that whole thing about Dawson having a random premonition that his mom is having an affair with her co-anchor at the local news station, which Joey ends up finding out is true when she goes to row away in her boat up the creek and sees Mrs. Leery kissing that very co-anchor goodbye in her driveway.

13. All these years later, it’s still clear that the Dawson’s Creek pilot has it all — love, friendship, drama, sex, ‘90s music and pop culture references, and a whole lot of heart.

14. Take a trip down memory lane and stream Dawson’s Creek on Hulu.

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