Dawson’s Creek: Popular Couples Ranked

Published on May 4, 2017. Updated October 2, 2019

During Dawson’s Creek’s six seasons, there were constant hookups and breakups. While some of these breakups we mourned, there were others that brought us a sense of relief cause they were bad relationships to begin with. Today we’re ranking the top 15 most popular Dawson’s Creek couples from worst to best:

15. Jen and Charlie

Jen and Charlie’s relationship seemed doomed from the very get-go. It was definitely more physical than emotional for these two, but Charlie proved himself to be quite the lout when he was caught cheating on her and then invited both woman to have a three-way with him. Classy move, Charlie.

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14. Joey and Jack

Jack was obviously never going to be one of the great loves of Joey’s life, but he was the perfect rebound guy after her tortured relationship with Dawson. Plus, it was nice that he shared some of her interests. At the end of the day, however, these two didn’t have a lot of chemistry, probably because Jack was gay. But hey! At least she was able to move on from Dawson, even if it was just for few episodes.

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13. Dawson and Gretchen

Pacey’s sister Gretchen was definitely a catch. She was gorgeous, smart, cultured – and totally out of Dawson’s league. Somehow the two of them managed to spend most of season four on the brink of getting together, but then when they finally did, it was really short-lived – one of the big reasons being their age difference and Dawson’s never-ending infatuation with his friend, Joey. When Gretchen finally broke things off with Dawson, many were left wondering how these two ever even got into a relationship in the first place. It just seemed so contrived.

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12. Jen and Henry

Henry went above and beyond to woo Jen, but their relationship was really short-lived. When he leaves Capeside to go off to a private school on a football scholarship, he gets her friend Jack to break up with her for him. It was pretty low and it kind of negated all of the nice things that he did to win her trust to begin with.

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11. Jack and Doug

Jack and Doug ended up together at the end of season six, but their relationship was not without its problems, one big one being Doug’s closetedness. Although Doug professes to Jack in the series finale that he wants to be with Jack and help him raise Jen’s daughter, Amy, their relationship isn’t quite believable. The writers obviously wanted Jack to end up with someone and chose Pacey’s brother because he was the only other potential gay guy in the town.

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10. Joey and Charlie

Charlie was a total player, but somehow, when he got together with Joey, he completed changed and became this adoring boyfriend. With Charlie, Joey seemed to loosen up, especially when she would perform with him and his band. As sweet as he was with Joey, he was so obviously a step down for her.

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9. Joey and Dawson

Joey and Dawson were probably one of Dawson’s Creeks most annoying couples. They really didn’t have that much chemistry and came off as two people who were more in love with the idea of being together than with actually a having a real relationship. It was obvious that the writers wanted Dawson and Joey to end up together (these two were calling each other soulmates starting in season one), but there was always something about their dynamic, which made it obvious that they could never work.

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8. Jen and C.J.

When it came to boyfriends, Jen didn’t seem to have a lot of luck. One of her most serious relationships was with C.J., her co-worker at the counseling center. While he seemed to care for her, he wasn’t the most sensitive or understanding. One of their big conflicts was over the fact that she wasn’t interested in having sex all of the time. During that conversation, he had the audacity (like Dawson in season one) to slut shame her. Even though he seemed to be a nice guy, he was clearly lacking in many ways.

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7. Pacey and Audrey

Pacey and Audrey obviously had a good time together, at least during season five. Things got a little more complicated in season six, which led to their breakup (after she slept with C.J.). Unfortunately, these two didn’t seem to have a very deep connection. It was more physical than anything and it was always obvious that there was one woman from Pacey’s past that would always have his heart.

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6. Jack and Tobey

Tobey was Jack’s first real boyfriend. They began dating in season four while Jack was still a bit closeted. During season five when Jack joined a fraternity, their relationship really began to fall apart, mostly because Jack wasn’t interested in the same level of commitment as Tobey. When Tobey gave Jack an ultimatum – him or the fraternity – Jack chooses the fraternity and the relationship is over. Jack just obviously wasn’t looking for any level of commitment at the time.

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5. Andie and Pacey

Andie and Pacey were a pretty good match when they first began dating in season two. She encouraged him to be a better student and he encouraged her to loosen up a bit. He was a pretty good boyfriend to her, standing by her during her mental health struggles. When she went away to receive treatment at a mental health facility and cheated on him while she was there, the relationship came to a crashing halt, although it seemed as though Andie continued to carry a torch for Pacey up until she left for Europe during season four.

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4. Jen and Dawson

When Dawson first met Jen during season one, he instantly became infatuated with her, which didn’t seem especially healthy. When he found out that she wasn’t a virgin, he proceeded to slut shame her and then she dumped him. She ended up wanting him back for some odd reason, but by then he was into Joey (who had been vying for his affection for all of season one). During season five, when they got back together, their relationship didn’t seem as juvenile and Dawson actually came across as a nice, thoughtful guy. But then she dumped him because it didn’t feel right. At least their relationship wasn’t as tortured as his relationship with Joey.

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3. Jack and David

David was Jack’s first serious boyfriend. The two of them seemed to have a good thing going – until the episode “Lovelines” when David’s trust issues put a kink in the relationship. Things come to a screeching half in the following episode when David met Jack and saw him talking to another guy and became jealous and dumped him for good. If it weren’t for his trust issues, we think he and Jack probably would have made it as a couple.

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2. Eddie and Joey

Eddie and Joey seemed like a really good match. They really connected on an emotional and intellectual level and they both seemed to really challenge each other. The one big problem in their relationship was his inability to commit to her. Twice he disappeared from her life without a conversation, the second time being their final breakup. If he wasn’t so bloody fickle, he probably would have been the perfect match for Joey.

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1. Joey and Pacey

Out of all of Joey’s boyfriends, Pacey was obviously the one. Unlike her and Dawson, she and Pacey actually had chemistry, and while Joey and Pacey’s relationship hit some bumps, it was nowhere close to being as annoying as her frustrated relationship attempts with Dawson. Pacey was always the better man and the better boyfriend, so it was fitting that these two ended up together in the series finale.