Top 10 Pacey & Joey Moments from Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek gave us many iconic couples, but Joey and Pacey are one of TV's greatest couples! For this list, we're looking at the most romantic and/or memorable scenes between these two characters. Who is your favourite Dawson's Creek couple?
#10: The Roadside Kiss
“Cinderella Story”
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Season three of Dawson’s Creek is a favorite for Pacey and Joey fans because of their slow-burning romantic arc. In this episode, Joey has gone out of town to visit her boyfriend but cuts her trip short when it becomes clear that the relationship is crumbling. In her moment of need she calls Pacey for help, and as always, he rides to the rescue. But he’s grown weary of his role as the shoulder to cry and wants to be something more. In a long-overdue romantic gesture, he pulls over on the side of the highway and kisses her passionately. It technically wasn’t their first kiss, but it was a crucially important one.
#9: When They're Locked in a K-Mart Overnight
“Castaways”
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In the show’s final season, it seemed as if Joey and Pacey’s romantic relationship was well and truly a thing of the past, with both of them following their own individual paths. By fluke however, the two end up trapped in a K-Mart together overnight and in that most-unromantic of settings, are forced to answer some of the questions that they’ve been avoiding - both to each other and themselves. This sequence acts as a lead up for what is to come for these two in the show’s finale. Fans still had a while to wait, but after watching “Castaways,” we knew for certain that a spark remained.
#8: Tango Dancing
“Four to Tango”
Before Joey and Pacey actually got together, viewers were treated to episode after episode of building romantic tension. When Joey decides to take tango lessons to improve her scholarship chances, she ends up with Pacey as a partner. Naturally, their dance instructor can see what fans had already noticed seasons earlier- that these two are obviously meant to be together. Amidst all the dramatic moments in this season building towards their relationship, it’s nice to have a more lighthearted one like this. Of course, this is also the episode where Pacey tells Dawson that Joey is a “goddess”. That’s one way to make an entire fanbase weak in the knees.
#7: Their Prom Break-Up
“Promicide”
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As with any good tv relationship, not every memorable Pacey and Joey moment can be a happy one. We could all see the cracks forming in this previously happy union, but it all blew wide open when it came time for senior prom. After seeing Joey dancing with Dawson, Pacey confronts her on the dance floor and what follows is the type of screaming fight that you don’t soon recover from. Pacey winds up saying a whole lot of things he probably doesn’t mean, but in a moment of unbridled emotion, nonetheless yells for everyone to hear. Suffice it say… it was the end (at least temporarily) for the this Capeside Couple.
#6: "Ask Me to Stay"
“True Love”
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After an entire season of will-they-won’t-they back and forth, all our wishes were finally granted in the season three finale. Pacey plans on spending the summer sailing around the world but in a grand romantic gesture, he uses the brick wall that he had previously given Joey to write out the message, “Ask me to stay.” While Joey doesn’t have the right answer at first, in the end she knows the choice she has to make. It all culminates with them quite literally sailing off into the sunset together. How romantic is that?
#5: Joey Reveals Her Feelings
“Stolen Kisses”
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For much of the beginning of their relationship, Pacey was the one taking all the risks and putting himself out there in order to make something happen between them. In this season three episode though, he finally forces Joey to decide whether she’s going to admit her feelings for him or not. While she might not have the words to clearly express the complicated emotions she’s processing, she uses her actions to tell Pacey everything he wants to hear when she finally initiates a kiss between the two of them. For both Pacey and fans alike… that kiss was worth a thousand words.
#4: Pacey First Kisses Joey
“Double Date”
In the show’s first season, Joey and Pacey spend more time bickering than anything else. Both of them are absorbed in their own respective romantic dramas, with Joey becoming interested in Dawson and Pacey heating things up with a teacher. When they’re partnered for a science project however, the two spend a day together and it ends up going a whole lot better than either of them could have expected. Pacey’s interest seems clear when Joey has to get changed in front of him and he eventually surprises her with a kiss. Though Joey does not reciprocate, she doesn’t totally hate it either.
#3: Their First Time
“A Winter’s Tale”
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This episode is actually a rather frustrating one, with Pacey and Joey squabbling for much of the story about whether it’s the right time for them to sleep together or not. Of course, in a teen drama like “Dawson’s Creek”, such a decision is bound to be fraught with issues. Ultimately, they decide to do it during a school ski trip and while the lead up may be less than romantic, the scene itself is utter perfection. Of course, nothing can run smoothly in Capeside for very long, and sure enough, Dawson inevitably becomes enmeshed in the question of Joey’s virginity.
#2: "I Remember Everything"
“The Anti-Prom”
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While they may not actually get together until the next episode, one of the most romantic moments between these two takes place at the anti-prom that they’ve helped to organize. They’re both there with other dates, but they still find a moment to steal away to the dance floor for an intimate conversation that lays the groundwork of their blossoming relationship. Pacey compliments Joey’s bracelet and tells her that he knows it belonged to her mother. She is surprised that he remembers and that’s when he leans in and delivers this oh-so-memorable line.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
A Shoulder to Cry On
“Like a Virgin”
Joey Tells Pacey He’s Not Over Her
“Guerilla Filmmaking”
Pacey's Grand Gesture
“A Weekend in the Country”
#1: Their Happy Ending
“All Good Thins...” & “...Must Come to an End”
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Despite Pacey and Joey spending time apart during the final few seasons, everyone had their fingers crossed that in the series finale, which does a time jump of five years, they would finally end up where they belong - as in... together. At first, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work out. Joey is living with her boyfriend in New York and Pacey has taken over her family’s old restaurant in Capeside. Eventually though, Joey finally makes the right decision and these two get to live out their happily ever after.
