Dawson’s Creek: The Best Characters Introduced After Season 1
The first season of Dawson's Creek introduced fans to the beautiful town of Capeside, Dawson Leery the budding filmmaker, and Joey Potter the girl next door. Rebellious new girl Jen Lindley and jokester Pacey Witter rounded out the group, along with the characters' families, since like many teen dramas, Dawson's Creek focuses on the adults as much as the high schoolers.
While Dawson and his pals have appeared on the show since the beginning, some important characters were added to the story after season 1. These include friends, love interests, and in some cases, people who became main characters for a few seasons.
10 Nikki Green
Nikki was a character in season 3 of Dawson's Creek and she was the daughter of Principal Green. Dawson became close with her after they began chatting at a student filmmaking competition.
Nikki was strong and independent, and while Dawson was always worried about people stealing his status as a young filmmaking prodigy, he respected her and thought that she was a great person. It was nice to see Dawson connecting with someone who shared his passion.
9 Harley Hetson
In the season 6 episode "Living Dead Girl," Joey was asked to look after her professor's daughter, Harley. She and Eddie brought her to a haunted house, which was a fun storyline. It was heartwarming to see Joey bonding with a young girl, as she could see herself in Harley, and knew that Harley wanted to grow up just as fast as she did.
8 Tobey Barrett
Jack often struggled with commitment and fans were glad to see him get a happy romantic ending in the series finale with Pacey's brother Doug. Jack's coming-out episodes in season 2 are considered some of the most moving and inspiring of teen TV, and viewers always wanted to see him find a kind and loving partner.
Tobey appeared in seasons 4 and 5, and was Jack's first serious boyfriend. Tobey was a wonderful character who was sweet and sensitive, and it was awful watching him become the target of hate and intolerance. Tobey and Jack were a caring couple and Jen thought very fondly of Tobey, too.
7 David Wilder
David Wilder appeared in the fifth season and he was an intriguing love interest for Joey. David was never going to be a long-term partner since her ultimate choice was between Dawson and Pacey, but he was sweet, sensitive, and mature.
When Joey began taking class with Prof. David Wilder, she was immediately attracted to him, but she tried not to be since most students felt that way. He challenged her intellectually as he gave her a bad grade on a short story she wrote about kissing Dawson. He showed her that while art could intimate life and writers are told to write what they know, it's okay to let fiction go in a different direction and have a more satisfying ending. Joey needed someone to tell her that she had potential but could become a better writer.
6 Eddie Doling
Eddie was a season 6 character who, Joey fell for fast, and he was fun and entertaining to watch, as the couple shared the same sarcastic personality and their banter was impressive. This romance was fascinating, as Joey had to let go of every preconceived notion that she had about life and love.
But Eddie was Joey's opposite in many ways, as he wasn't organized and he didn't like to think too much about the future. He wasn't actually a student at Worthington College, and Joey was shocked to learn that he was just sitting in on classes. Eddie was kind and smart but fickle, and they broke up because they were just too different. Eddie was bothered by Joey's logic and she thought he should take things more seriously.
5 Todd Carr
Dawson had a tendency to think too highly of himself, and he met his match in director Todd Carr.
Todd appeared in the fifth and sixth seasons and while at first, Dawson hated him and couldn't imagine ever working with him, they became collaborators and friends. Todd is one of the best later characters as he challenged Dawson and wanted him to work hard and make something of himself. He didn't suffer fools, and that energy was good for Dawson.
4 Gretchen Witter
Dawson fell for Pacey's older sister Gretchen in his last year of high school, and Gretchen was a well-crafted character who brought even more drama to the Pacey/Joey/Dawson love triangle.
In the fourth season, Dawson and Joey struggled to stay close friends while their love lives kicked into high gear, and they were both happy with their partners but concerned about how their friendship was changing. Gretchen was only going to be in Dawson's life for a brief time, as she was home in Capeside after leaving college following a miscarriage. Gretchen showed Dawson that there was a world beyond Joey and that he would be able to move on from her.
3 Audrey Liddell
Joey's college roommate Audrey became a big part of the friend group and she is one of the greatest and most memorable characters on the show.
Audrey struggled with drinking in college and it was heartbreaking to see her suffer. While part of her story was dark and tragic, she was also fun, hilarious, and a big supporter of Joey, who needed a friend who was different from her and didn't take life quite as seriously.
2 Andie McPhee
While some Dawson's Creek storylines lasted too long, Andie's time on the show was mostly well-crafted, with the exception of a few plotlines that are dated or offensive now.
Andie was a great addition to the friend group on the series, as she was just as smart and studious as Joey, but a bit more chipper and bubbly. She had her low moments as well as she struggled with her family after her brother Tim had passed away and her mom was having trouble adjusting to life without him. It was sweet watching Andie and Pacey fall for each other as Andie showed Pacey that he deserved a loving relationship.
1 Jack McPhee
It often feels like Jack was part of Dawson's Creek since the beginning, but he's another character who was introduced after season 1.
There are so many memorable things about Jack, from his close friendship with Jen to his sexuality and his journey from a young teenage artist to a confident young man.
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