How many episodes in 1 season: 13 episodes
After a typical movie night, Joey tells Dawson's (who have been best friends since the age of 6) that she doesn't really think if it is possible for them to share the same bed and continue a platonic relationship now that they are going into high school. But her fears are put to rest when Jen, the granddaughter of Dawson's neighbor, moves to town and Dawson becomes infatuated with her. Pacey, Dawson's pal starts to fall for the new English teacher and drags the entire group to a movie he knows she will be attending. It is during the movie that Joey gets bitchy with Jen, noticing that Jen is moving in on Dawson; but there relationship is patched up at the end when Dawson and Joey share some intimate information...
Joey finds out that Mrs. Leery has been cheating on her husband with her co-anchor and confronts her about it. Pacey starts to bug (and interested) Tamara with these openly public flirting styles, and Dawson casts Jen as the leading lady in his monster film (downgrading Joey's role in the process). Meanwhile, a school dance puts everyone in a weird mood, especially when Dawson interrupt's Jen's date with the Quarterback.
Joey tells a white lie to a customer at the Bait Shop about being rice and in capeside on vacation, but becomes conflicted when she falls for the boy, and he falls for her. Dawson's film class is put in charge of helping Cliff get his movie off the ground, which causes tensions for him as well, and Jen. During the filming of the final scene of Dawson's movie instead of capturing his first kiss on camera like he planned, he catches Pacey losing his virginity.
When Dawson finds out about his mother's affair and Joey's knowledge of it, Dawson feels betrayed by both of them. Seeking solace he turns to Jen to talk with, but learns more than he bargained for about her own past digressions - and the true reason she moved to Capeside. Meanwhile Pacey and Tamara's fling gets more involved and intimate
During a major hurricane Jen, Grams, Joey, and Bessie take refuge inside the large Leery house. And if tempers weren't flaring enough between Grams and Bessie, Mitch overhears Dawson and Gail's fight about her affair, realizing that his wife has been cheating on him; at the same time Jen tries to discuss with Dawson about her previous revelation. Meanwhile Pacey and his deputy brother take refuge in Tamara's home, where Deputy Witter begins to suspect something is right.
While discussing his relationship with Tamara to Dawson, Pacey accidentally allows a classmate to overhear - and within minutes the rumors are flying all around school. Meanwhile, Bessie goes into labor, but is miles from the hospital and the only local ambulance is broken down. Without options she agrees to allow Grams to deliver the baby, where Joey and Jean learn some life lessons.
In an homage to ?The Breakfast Club' all the major characters (as well as bad girl Abby Morgan) are sentences to an 8-hour Saturday detention - supervised by the school librarian Mrs. Tringle. Abby starts trouble by suggesting a game of truth or dare that escalades into something totally different within mere minutes...
While attempting to rebuild their marriage, the tension between Mitch and Gale finally hits a breaking point. Joey, feeling pressured about school and things between her and Dawson, lets off too much steam of at a beach party and gets herself into a sticky situation, which Pacey has to save her from. Meanwhile, Jen's old boyfriend from New York shows up in town, causing tensions between her and Dawson - especially when the guy decides to crash on Dawson's Floor.
Hoping to get over Jen, Dawson's agrees to Join Billy (Jen's old boyfriend) and Pacey on a boys-only road trip, where he gets more than he bargained for when he realizes Billy's true intentions. But the trip proves to not be a total failure when he meets a fellow film geek who helps him realize what he is really looking for in a girl. Meanwhile, when a jock says he slept with Joey, Jen helps Joey with damage control, which inadvertently makes the rumor get completely out of control.
Dawson asks a classmate out (whom he knows has a crush on him) on a double date with Jen and Cliff; but very quickly his date catches on his plot to get Jen Back. Meanwhile, in order for Pacey to pass biology, and Joey to get enough extra credit to get her A+, their teacher assigns them on a group project - where they finally bond as friends, causing Dawson some jealously.
Dawson prepares scares for his friends but Jen feels left out when he doesn't plan anything for her. A real serial hugger is on the loose as Dawson holds a seance.
Dawson is starting to see Joey in a new light since she entered a beauty contest, the more interest he seems to have the more Jen regrets in breaking up with him. Pacey decides he wants to move into his own apartment so in trying to get money he enters the beauty contest himself.
Bessie forces Joey to go visit their father in prison on his birthday. Dawson accompanies Joey on the trip which opens some old wounds, but heals others. Joey and Dawson finally share their feelings together, but Joey is contemplating a chance of a lifetime: to spend a semester in France. Meanwhile, Jen struggles to keep her family together as her grandfather is rushed to the hospital.
