After their kiss at the end of season one, Dawson and Joey have doubts about the future of their relationship as Joey is still mulling over plans to go to France. Meanwhile, Pacey plays a trick on new girl Andie, but later finds himself the victim of her revenge trick on him.
Dawson violates Joey's privacy by reading her journal. Dawson unreasonably gets upset about what he finds, and forgets Pacey's 16th birthday. Andie gets her brother Jack a job at the Icehouse. Meanwhile, Abby and Jen start to bond. Jen tells her that she's still is in love with Dawson and wants to win him back.
An economics class project pairs Dawson and Jen as husband and wife, Pacey and Andie as a married couple and Joey as a single mother with two children. Jen tries to use the project to get closer to Dawson. Pacey gets to know more about Andie's troubled family life and Joey begins to see that she has a chance of success in the real world while doing her project solo.
Tamara Jacobs, who left town after the news of her relationship with Pacey was exposed, shares an awkward reunion with her former lover. The encounter triggers old emotions in Pacey and curiosity in Andie, who sheepishly confesses to Dawson that she has feelings for Pacey. Meanwhile, Jack and Joey bond over their shared interest in art.
Parental problems cast a shadow over Dawson and Joey's new romance. Pacey is troubled when he learns of the McPhees' home life: mother Andrea (Caroline Kava) is undergoing a full psychotic break in denial over the death of oldest son Tim, while their father stays away at work. Pacey struggles to comfort Andie when she unloads her emotions onto him. Jen has a date with an older man (Joe Flanigan) that makes Abby jealous. Joey and Jack share a late night kiss.
Two tragedies rock Dawson's world. First he learns the awful truth about his parents' marriage. Then, at the Homecoming dance, he witnesses a heated moment between Joey and Jack, during which their illicit kiss is revealed. Dawson is heartbroken as his lifelong friendship and newfound romance with Joey is shattered. The big night also introduces Jen and Jack for the first time. Something Andie witnesses ends up hurting her, and Pacey tries to open his heart to her.
Facing the scariest English test of their lives, the gang has an all night study session at the home of the wealthy and horny Chris Wolfe (Jason Behr). During the night, secrets are revealed and friendships are altered. The truth about Pacey's "affair" with Tamara is publicly revealed, much to Andie's horror. Dawson and Joey discuss their relationship.
Joey's "semi-date" with Jack prompts a resentful Dawson to join Jen at a party where he stops her from doing some things she'll regret. Pacey proves his worth when Andie's mother has an episode during their study session. Mitch fails to understand Dawson's views on their divorce.
Andie's decision to run for student council takes a dark turn when Abby begins advertising her family situation. Jen helps Dawson take steps to deal with his powerlessness over his parents' divorce and tries to teach him how to be a teenager. Jack shuts out Joey during a family crisis.
Epic tryouts for Dawson's new movie prompt a steamy dialogue between him and Jen that could recast her role in his love life. Jack poses nude for Joey's art project, which prompts an intimate moment between the two of them. Pacey sets out to give Andie her dream date and to make their night truly memorable. Andie collects her anti-anxiety medication and lies to Pacey that it's for her mother.
Abby and Chris find an anonymous note at school, revealing that one of three class couples featured in the previous episode ended the night by having sex. Abby sets out to expose the affair. Working from clues about Joey's night of nude sketching with Jack, Dawson's steamy stop over at Jen's, and Pacey's bed and breakfast trip with Andie, Abby calls together her list of suspects and reveals the dirty secrets of Capeside. Jen is furious and berates Abby for her endless cruelty to other people.
The gang explores uncharted waters when Dawson and Pacey go on a father-son fishing trip with Mitch Leery and Pacey's critical and abusive father, Sheriff John Witter (John Finn), who uses the trip to tell Pacey how useless he is. But tensions really begin to rise when Pacey invites Jack along, who tries to make amends with a reluctant Dawson. Meanwhile, Jen, Joey, Andie and Abby spend a day with Gail doing a report on teenage girls in the consumer world, with Abby naturally not passing up the o
The filming of Dawson's new movie, Creek Times, brings back memories for the filmmaker and for Joey, who grows to dislike the actress playing her, Devon (Rachael Leigh Cook). Andie's emotions are running high and she attempts to break up with Pacey, who refuses to let her dump him. Dawson begins to bond with Jack.
In a compelling two-part episode, the Capeside High School gossip mill kicks into overdrive after Jack submits a poem for English class and is humiliated when the teacher, Mr. Peterson (Edmund Kearney), forces him to read it aloud; the poem could be interpreted as alluding to feelings that Jack may have towards another boy. Dawson, Joey, and Andie are shaken by the implications. Meanwhile, Pacey tries to defend Jack from Mr. Peterson, and he spits in his face and gets suspended. Jen finds her la
On Dawson's advice, Joey attempts to heal the wounds of her new romance with Jack, which were left exposed by the poem and the resulting innuendo. Jack again reassures her. However, when Jack confronts his innermost secrets, he is forced to confront the fact that he is in fact gay, formally coming out to his supportive sister and less-supportive father (David Dukes). Elsewhere, Pacey takes on Mr. Peterson and challenges his abusive teaching methods. His insistence on making things right in the s
On the night of Dawson's 16th birthday, Dawson and Andie follow her therapist's advice and throw themselves into an unabashed night of recklessness. They arrive at a blues bar, and unbeknownst to Pacey, Andie and Dawson start drinking. Meanwhile, back at the Leery house, Joey is putting together a surprise party for Dawson, and Jack must own up to her about his orientation. Jen and Ty face up to their potentially irreconcilable differences, and Gail and Mitch come to a decision about how to rais
Dawson's confidence as a filmmaker is shaken when Ms. Kennedy (Mädchen Amick), the new film teacher, turns out to be a movie studio executive on sabbatical in Capeside, and gives his amateur movie a scathing review. The future is unsure for Joey as well, when a psychic advises her to be open to every new opportunity that crosses her path, including a photoshoot with a handsome photographer (Nick Stabile). Andie also visits the psychic and is told less than positive things about her future.
Joey's father returns to Capeside, prompting Bessie and him to expand the Icehouse to cater weddings. They recruit Andie, who dislikes weddings, and Pacey, who enjoys them. Joey is wary of her father's public presence after his recent release from jail. Dawson empathizes with his mother's loneliness at the wedding, especially when his father arrives with a new date. Jack and Dawson assist a nervous bride, while Andie and Pacey accidentally damage the wedding cake but manage to salvage it. Dawson
Abby's unexpected death sends shockwaves through Capeside, despite her unpopularity. Jen's frustration with the community's hypocrisy leads her to question her faith, causing tension with Grams. At Abby's funeral, Jen's speech denouncing God and Abby's influence further strains her relationship with Grams. Memories of Andie's late brother resurface, triggering emotional turmoil for her and concern from Pacey. Andie struggles to reconcile her conflicted feelings while delivering the eulogy at Abb
Dawson decides to take Joey out to dinner to celebrate their first month together. Mitch Leery also makes reservations at the same restaurant, and when the management fail to realise there are two Leery parties, all four are forced to sit together. Miss Kennedy, Dawson and Joey fight causing Miss Kennedy to leave. Later, Jen (who is now living at the Leery house) arrives with Gail, and she and Joey conspire to get Gail and Mitch together again. Alas, the plan is unsuccessful. Also reunited are A
After Andie starts experiencing visions of her deceased brother, Mr. McPhee decides she should seek treatment in Providence rather than Capeside. Andie and Pacey grapple with prioritizing her mental health over their relationship, while Jack faces a similar dilemma. His father's intolerance towards his sexuality influences Jack's decision to support Andie. Meanwhile, Dawson, while filming a documentary on Mr. Potter's transformation from drug dealer to upstanding citizen, inadvertently catches h
Dawson debates whether to confide in Joey about her father's drug dealings. Sheriff Witter suspects Mr. Potter's return to illegal activities and stakes out the Icehouse. A rival of Mr. Potter sets the restaurant ablaze while the gang studies inside, heightening Dawson's distress. Gail plans to accept a job offer in Philadelphia, prompting Mitch to move back to oversee Dawson. Pacey struggles with depression after Andie's departure, leading to a confrontation with his father. Sheriff Witter real