In what is said to be one of the best episodes, the gang, after committing various violations at school, gets stuck together for an 8 hour Saturday detention, where Dawson and Pacey turn against each another; and Joey offers a tearful partial explanation for her anger toward Jen.

Hoping to get over Jen, Dawson agrees to join Pacey and Billy in a boys night out and finds what he is looking for in another woman. Meanwhile Jen handles damage control after Joey becomes the subject of a rumor at school.

Jack, Andie's brother scores a job at the Ice House, an entry in Joey's diary lands her in hot water with Dawson, who forgets Pacey's 16th Birthday. Meanwhile Abby begins to become a negative influence over lonely Jen.

Tamara Jacobs who left town after her affair with Pacey was almost exposed, shares an awkward reunion with Pacey. The encounter triggers old emotions in Pacey and curiosity in Andie. Meanwhile Jack and Joey enjoy art together.

Parental problems cast a pall over Dawson and Joey's new romance. Pacey is troubled when he sees the McPhee's homelife.

Two tragedies rock Dawson's world. First he learns the awful truth about his parents marriage. Than at the Homecoming dance, he witnesses a heated moment between Joey and Jack, setting of a chain of events that shatter a lifelong friendship and a new found romance. The big night also gives Jen a chance to use Joey's mistakes to get with Dawson. Pacey tries to open his heart to Andie, but breaks hers.

Andie's run for student council lands her on a campaign trail of tears when Abby and Monica began advertising her family situation. Jen helps Dawson take steps to deal with his powerlessness over his parents divorce. Jack shuts out Joey after a family crisis.

"Horrifically epic" tryouts for his movie prompt a steamy dialogue between Dawson and Jen that could recast her role in his love life. Jack poses nude for Joey, who feels herself drawn towards intimacy. Pacey sets out to fulfill Andie's dream date and his own.

Abby and Chris find an anonymous note at school. Abby realizes the author and intended recipient had sex the night before and in true Abby fashion, she sets 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.

The gang explores uncharted waters when Dawson and Pacey go on a father-son fishing trip with Mitch Leery and Pacey's grumpy, critical, alcoholic father, Sheriff John Witter, whom does not pass up any opportunity to browbeat and put Pacey down every chance he gets. But tensions really begin when Pacey invites Jack along whom tries to make amends to a reluctant Dawson.

Meanwhile, Jen, Joey, Andie and Abby spend a day with Gale doing a report on teenage behavior in the world today with Abby naturally not passing up her opportunity to insult and provoke conflicts and tension between Mrs. Leery and all girls involved.

On the eve of Dawson's sixteenth birthday, Pacey and Andie follow her therapist's advice and throw themselves into an unabashed night of recklessness and the blues. Meanwhile, back at the Leery house, Joey is organizing a surprise party for Dawson, but the longer the guest of honor is a no show, the more she is subject to surprises of her own; Jen and Ty face up to the their potentially irreconcilable differences; and Gale and Mitch come to decisions about how to raise their son in light of their separation.

Dawson's confidence as a filmmaker is shaken when his new teacher turns out to be a movie studio executive on sabbatical in Capeside and tells Dawson the painful truth about his amateur movie. The future is unsure for Joey as well, when a fortuneteller advises her to be open to every new opportunity that crosses her path, and she stumbles into Colin, a gorgeous photographer who brings out Joey's free-spirited side during a wild photo shoot.

With Joey's father back in town, Bessie and him decide to expand the Ice House to also cater weddings. Needing help they enlist Andie, who says she hate's weddings but doesn't and Pacey who loves them. Joey who doesn't think her father recently out of jail should be seen in Capeside and Dawson, who is angry when his parents arrive separately. Jack and Dawson battle to help a scared bride, while Andie and Pacey scramble to fix the cake. Making Gail sad, Mitch shows up to the wedding with Mrs. Kennedy. Jen and Abby's sneaking into the wedding leads to tragedy.

Abby is dead, and all of Capeside is attempting to "whitewash" her life. But all the hypocrisy is making Jen crazy, in a spiritual discussion she denounces God and gets Grams angered. When eulogizing Abby she further embarrasses Grams by announcing that Abby taught her the falseness of God. Abby's mom also asks Andie to eulogize her thinking they were friends and memories of Andie's brother are brought up. Andie's actions scare Pacey. Joey is scared to go to the funeral, being that she hasn't been to one since her mother, at the graveyard she and Dawson decide to go visit her mother for the first time.