Pacey Witter
Encyclopedia
Pacey J. Witter is a fictional character on the American
television series Dawson's Creek
, portrayed by actor Joshua Jackson
.
John Witter and is the youngest of five children, including his older policeman brother, Doug Witter
, and older sisters Gretchen and Kerry Witter (the third older sister was never named or ever seen). He is an academic underachiever who uses humor and sarcasm to relate to people, as well as to hide his emotional pain stemming from his very unhappy childhood. Because of Pacey's underachiever status in school and lack of common sense, he is branded by his uneducated, working-class family as their "great disappointment", or "great embarrassment". Both of his parents frequently call him a loser right in front of him, which has led to his very low self-esteem. Pacey's father is also an alcoholic and a domestic abuser, who either ignores or bullies Pacey every chance he gets. Pacey's best friend is Dawson Leery, and he appears in a few of Dawson's early films. Pacey is a romantic at heart, seeking from women the love and affection that he never receives from his parents. Some of Pacey's romantic interests were Tamara Jacobs (Season 1), Andie McPhee (Season 2), Audrey Liddel (Season 5), and Joey Potter, his true love.
to his English teacher, Tamara Jacobs (Leann Hunley
). Unfortunately for Pacey, Dawson
had accidentally filmed Pacey's first time with Ms. Jacobs during a getaway to the ruins with Jen Lindley
. When Pacey relays the details of his sexual encounter with Ms. Jacobs to Dawson in a school bathroom, the conversation is overheard by another boy smoking marijuana in the next stall over. Rumors quickly begin to spread about the nature of Pacey's relationship with the 36-year-old teacher. The ensuing scandal eventually forced Ms. Jacobs to break up with Pacey and leave town.
The gang lands themselves in Saturday detention for eight hours with the annoying librarian and class trouble maker, Abby Morgan. While Dawson reveals that he's in for breaking Pacey's nose with a basketball, Joey for slugging Grant Bodine, a senior who was sexually harassing her, and Jen for swearing in class, it is not revealed until later that Abby was only in for class tardiness (although she said she was in for having an orgy
on the floor of the boy's bathroom) and Pacey finally reveals that he was caught masturbating
by a male teacher.
Forced to do a biology project together Pacey and Joey spend the whole day together. Pacey feels some sort of a romantic interest in Joey. He realized that maybe he could like her, but when he asks Dawson if he can ask Joey out, it forces Dawson to assess his own feelings toward Joey. Pacey asks Joey out and kisses her, but Joey swiftly turns him down. Pacey also comically enters a beauty pageant and performs a skit from Braveheart.
that she is seeing her deceased brother, and takes a leave of absence for a stay in a mental health facility.
Pacey misses her terribly and when his abrasive father makes a rude and snide comment about Andie being crazy, he hits him. In season 2, we see more of the strained relationship Pacey has with his neglectful and alcoholic father, and the effect Andie has on that relationship. Near the end of the season, Andie tells Pacey's father over the phone to give Pacey a hug for her, and his father does. This ultimately leads to a touching moment — it seems that they have put their past behind them and, for the first time on screen, Pacey looks for some support from his father and actually gets it.
Along with Andie, Pacey feels like he must protect her brother Jack. This is highlighted when Jack is forced to read a very personal poem in front of the class which reveals that Jack is possibly gay
, and Pacey spits in the teacher's face.
as a favor to Dawson as he says that he won't be around to look after Joey. He also breaks up with Andie due to her cheating on him with another patient while in treatment for her mental illness. He attempts a "friends with benefits" relationship with Jen which does not work out.
He buys and restores a wrecked boat, occupying himself with the project to get over Andie, in addition to looking after for Joey. He gets into a fight with a bully who admits to vandalizing a mural Joey paints for the school. For Pacey's punishment, the principal has him participate in a program which requires him to act as a mentor for a young, neglected boy with a similarly rebellious attitude.
As the season progresses, Pacey's feelings for Joey begin to deepen. In the episode, "A Weekend in the Country" the scene is set up where Jen's grandmother tells a story that you know you are in love when you can watch the person all night while asleep in front of the fire. At the end of the episode Pacey comes upon Joey asleep in front of the fire and he sits down to watch her. Conflicted of his feelings for Joey, Pacey continues to be there for her whether it is teaching her how to drive, organizing a student protest, or renting a wall for her next mural. He eventually acts on them and kisses Joey in "Cinderella Story".
Despite her concerns about Dawson and Andie's feelings, Joey finally gives into her feelings for Pacey during a weekend away from Capeside in "Stolen Kisses". Pacey and Dawson's friendship is ruined when Dawson learns of Pacey and Joey's relationship in the episode "The Longest Day". A romantic triangle develops between Joey, Pacey, and Dawson.
Late in the season, Pacey reveals that his older and first-born sister Kerry has moved back in with his parents with her three children after leaving her abusive and alcoholic husband, and into Pacey's bedroom, thus leaving him practically homeless. (Note: alcoholism and domestic abuse seems to be a pattern among the males in the Witter family since Pacey's father, not seen in the third season, continues to be an alcoholic, as well has Pacey's late grandfather, who apparently died from alcoholism years before Pacey was born.)
Joey decides that she needs some space and time to figure out her heart. At the end of the season, Pacey decides to leave Capeside and spend the summer sailing, but not before making one last grand gesture to Joey. Realizing that she is in love with Pacey, Joey races to meet him before he sets sail. Pacey and Joey then leave Capeside for the summer on his boat, the True Love.
Pacey's older sister, Gretchen, returns to Capeside from college and they move in together into a beach house that Gretchen leases. Pacey and Joey adjust to life back in Capeside as a couple. Pacey continues to struggle with school as he and Joey ponder their futures beyond Capeside.
Throughout the majority of the season they re-affirm their commitment to one another and are chosen "Class Couple". On the senior class ski trip, Pacey and Joey eventually consummate their relationship. Pacey is later hurt to learn that Joey lies to Dawson about this at first, though she eventually tells him the truth.
Towards the end of the season, Pacey and Joey begin having difficulties stemming from the future beyond high school. Believing that he's holding Joey back and growing frustrated with himself and what he sees as his lack of prospects beyond high school, Pacey eventually breaks up with Joey at the senior prom. Despite their strong feelings for each other, both sadly go their separate ways for now. The season ends with Pacey graduating high school and taking a job on a yacht and leaving Capeside once again.
Pacey has a relationship with one of the waitresses of Civilization, Karen Torres. This turns out to be problematic because she is having an affair with the head chef, Danny, a married man that Pacey admires as his mentor. He also tries to help out Dawson, who is in a bad emotional state, as Mitch Leery
died in the beginning of the season. He and Audrey Liddell
(Joey's roommate) become interested in each other and quickly embark on a physical relationship.
During the gang's spring break trip to Florida, Audrey and Pacey decide to make their relationship official. Pacey's mentor, Danny, leaves Civilization (the restaurant) and a new manager, Alexandra Pearl (Sherilyn Fenn
), takes over. Alex so alienated the rest of the restaurant staff that Pacey leads a walk-out en masse during a meeting with local investors to protest Alex's management policies. As a result, the restaurant is shut down and both Pacey and Alex are fired.
At the end of the season, Pacey goes back to Capeside, and picks up a job as a security guard at the Capeside Yacht Club for the summer, but he quits that to go in pursuit of Audrey. At the airport, after failing to contact her via the customer service phone, Pacey convinces a security officer to allow him to use the intercom to get to Audrey. He eventually convinces her to take him back and the two drive cross-country to Audrey's home in L.A.
Soon after, Pacey admits that he is not completely over Joey. They share a kiss following a party at Pacey's apartment and in a later episode both are marooned overnight in a K-Mart. Being locked in together overnight, the situation forces the two to discuss their past (and current) relationship, with both admitting that they miss the other. They attempt a reconciliation, but Joey ends things when her recent ex-boyfriend, Eddie, suddenly reappears.
Afterwards, Pacey somewhat makes amends with his estranged father when he visits him in Capeside after learning that his father suffered a mild heart attack. With Pacey's father too sick to work anymore because of multiple health problems from his life-long alcoholism, Pacey's brother, Doug, takes over as acting police chief of Capeside, and later full-time police chief.
While working as a stockbroker, Pacey clashes several times with his slick, arrogant boss, Rich Renaldi (Dana Ashbrook
). Pacey loses his job after punching his boss in the face following a significant financial loss after a bio-tech stock bust. Unfortunately, he also loses a significant amount of money for Dawson who had invested in the stock. The two have a serious argument regarding the money, the past and Joey. Joey decides it is about time for Pacey and Dawson to work out their issues without her in the middle and sets the two up to meet following their argument.
Pacey returns to Capeside to look for a new job and moves in with Doug, and in the meantime, he gathers what money he can with the help of community members to pay Dawson back at least some of the money he's lost. In the process, Pacey is reunited with Kristy Livingston (not played by the original actress, Ali Larter) ---the senior girl he had a crush on and followed around in high school.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
, portrayed by actor Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
.
Biography
Pacey Witter is the son of the local chief of policeChief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
John Witter and is the youngest of five children, including his older policeman brother, Doug Witter
Doug Witter
Douglas "Doug" Witter is a fictional character from the American television program, Dawson's Creek, played by Dylan Neal. He appears in all six seasons, but less frequently in seasons five and six.-Biography:...
, and older sisters Gretchen and Kerry Witter (the third older sister was never named or ever seen). He is an academic underachiever who uses humor and sarcasm to relate to people, as well as to hide his emotional pain stemming from his very unhappy childhood. Because of Pacey's underachiever status in school and lack of common sense, he is branded by his uneducated, working-class family as their "great disappointment", or "great embarrassment". Both of his parents frequently call him a loser right in front of him, which has led to his very low self-esteem. Pacey's father is also an alcoholic and a domestic abuser, who either ignores or bullies Pacey every chance he gets. Pacey's best friend is Dawson Leery, and he appears in a few of Dawson's early films. Pacey is a romantic at heart, seeking from women the love and affection that he never receives from his parents. Some of Pacey's romantic interests were Tamara Jacobs (Season 1), Andie McPhee (Season 2), Audrey Liddel (Season 5), and Joey Potter, his true love.
Season one
In season one, Pacey falls in love with and loses his virginityVirginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
to his English teacher, Tamara Jacobs (Leann Hunley
Leann Hunley
Leann Hunley is an American Emmy Award–winning actress. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Anna DiMera on NBC's long-running Days of our Lives.-Personal life:...
). Unfortunately for Pacey, Dawson
Dawson Leery
Dawson Wade Leery is the central fictional character and the main protagonist of the American television drama Dawson's Creek. The character is portrayed by American actor James Van Der Beek.-Biography:...
had accidentally filmed Pacey's first time with Ms. Jacobs during a getaway to the ruins with Jen Lindley
Jen Lindley
Jennifer "Jen" Lindley is a fictional character on the American television drama Dawson's Creek. The character is portrayed by American actress Michelle Williams.-Season One:...
. When Pacey relays the details of his sexual encounter with Ms. Jacobs to Dawson in a school bathroom, the conversation is overheard by another boy smoking marijuana in the next stall over. Rumors quickly begin to spread about the nature of Pacey's relationship with the 36-year-old teacher. The ensuing scandal eventually forced Ms. Jacobs to break up with Pacey and leave town.
The gang lands themselves in Saturday detention for eight hours with the annoying librarian and class trouble maker, Abby Morgan. While Dawson reveals that he's in for breaking Pacey's nose with a basketball, Joey for slugging Grant Bodine, a senior who was sexually harassing her, and Jen for swearing in class, it is not revealed until later that Abby was only in for class tardiness (although she said she was in for having an orgy
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
on the floor of the boy's bathroom) and Pacey finally reveals that he was caught masturbating
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
by a male teacher.
Forced to do a biology project together Pacey and Joey spend the whole day together. Pacey feels some sort of a romantic interest in Joey. He realized that maybe he could like her, but when he asks Dawson if he can ask Joey out, it forces Dawson to assess his own feelings toward Joey. Pacey asks Joey out and kisses her, but Joey swiftly turns him down. Pacey also comically enters a beauty pageant and performs a skit from Braveheart.
Season two
In season two, Pacey goes through a radical change when he starts dating Andie McPhee, an academic overachiever who tries to help Pacey reform his study habits. She succeeds and Pacey begins to do well in school, even achieving his first-ever A. But Andie begins to suffer some psychological problems, which are due to the death of her eldest brother Tim, and the effect that it has on her family. This affects her relationship with Pacey. She suffers a nervous breakdown when she begins to hallucinateHallucination
A hallucination, in the broadest sense of the word, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus. In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid,...
that she is seeing her deceased brother, and takes a leave of absence for a stay in a mental health facility.
Pacey misses her terribly and when his abrasive father makes a rude and snide comment about Andie being crazy, he hits him. In season 2, we see more of the strained relationship Pacey has with his neglectful and alcoholic father, and the effect Andie has on that relationship. Near the end of the season, Andie tells Pacey's father over the phone to give Pacey a hug for her, and his father does. This ultimately leads to a touching moment — it seems that they have put their past behind them and, for the first time on screen, Pacey looks for some support from his father and actually gets it.
Along with Andie, Pacey feels like he must protect her brother Jack. This is highlighted when Jack is forced to read a very personal poem in front of the class which reveals that Jack is possibly gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, and Pacey spits in the teacher's face.
Season three
In season three, Pacey agrees to look after Joey PotterJoey Potter
Josephine "Joey" Lynn Potter is a fictional character portrayed by Katie Holmes in the American television drama Dawson's Creek.-Character biography:...
as a favor to Dawson as he says that he won't be around to look after Joey. He also breaks up with Andie due to her cheating on him with another patient while in treatment for her mental illness. He attempts a "friends with benefits" relationship with Jen which does not work out.
He buys and restores a wrecked boat, occupying himself with the project to get over Andie, in addition to looking after for Joey. He gets into a fight with a bully who admits to vandalizing a mural Joey paints for the school. For Pacey's punishment, the principal has him participate in a program which requires him to act as a mentor for a young, neglected boy with a similarly rebellious attitude.
As the season progresses, Pacey's feelings for Joey begin to deepen. In the episode, "A Weekend in the Country" the scene is set up where Jen's grandmother tells a story that you know you are in love when you can watch the person all night while asleep in front of the fire. At the end of the episode Pacey comes upon Joey asleep in front of the fire and he sits down to watch her. Conflicted of his feelings for Joey, Pacey continues to be there for her whether it is teaching her how to drive, organizing a student protest, or renting a wall for her next mural. He eventually acts on them and kisses Joey in "Cinderella Story".
Despite her concerns about Dawson and Andie's feelings, Joey finally gives into her feelings for Pacey during a weekend away from Capeside in "Stolen Kisses". Pacey and Dawson's friendship is ruined when Dawson learns of Pacey and Joey's relationship in the episode "The Longest Day". A romantic triangle develops between Joey, Pacey, and Dawson.
Late in the season, Pacey reveals that his older and first-born sister Kerry has moved back in with his parents with her three children after leaving her abusive and alcoholic husband, and into Pacey's bedroom, thus leaving him practically homeless. (Note: alcoholism and domestic abuse seems to be a pattern among the males in the Witter family since Pacey's father, not seen in the third season, continues to be an alcoholic, as well has Pacey's late grandfather, who apparently died from alcoholism years before Pacey was born.)
Joey decides that she needs some space and time to figure out her heart. At the end of the season, Pacey decides to leave Capeside and spend the summer sailing, but not before making one last grand gesture to Joey. Realizing that she is in love with Pacey, Joey races to meet him before he sets sail. Pacey and Joey then leave Capeside for the summer on his boat, the True Love.
Season four
In season four, Pacey and Joey return from their summer at sea and still madly in love. At this point it seems that Pacey's relationship with Dawson has been irrevocably altered.Pacey's older sister, Gretchen, returns to Capeside from college and they move in together into a beach house that Gretchen leases. Pacey and Joey adjust to life back in Capeside as a couple. Pacey continues to struggle with school as he and Joey ponder their futures beyond Capeside.
Throughout the majority of the season they re-affirm their commitment to one another and are chosen "Class Couple". On the senior class ski trip, Pacey and Joey eventually consummate their relationship. Pacey is later hurt to learn that Joey lies to Dawson about this at first, though she eventually tells him the truth.
Towards the end of the season, Pacey and Joey begin having difficulties stemming from the future beyond high school. Believing that he's holding Joey back and growing frustrated with himself and what he sees as his lack of prospects beyond high school, Pacey eventually breaks up with Joey at the senior prom. Despite their strong feelings for each other, both sadly go their separate ways for now. The season ends with Pacey graduating high school and taking a job on a yacht and leaving Capeside once again.
Season five
In season five, after working as a deck hand on a yacht all summer following graduation from high school, Pacey settles in Boston and takes a job working as a chef in a fancy restaurant, Civilization, which was set up by his brother Doug. When Jen discovers that he's in town Pacey asks her not to tell anyone of his whereabouts, but Joey sees him at the restaurant. They share a sweet reunion on Pacey's boat, but there is little contact between the characters throughout the season.Pacey has a relationship with one of the waitresses of Civilization, Karen Torres. This turns out to be problematic because she is having an affair with the head chef, Danny, a married man that Pacey admires as his mentor. He also tries to help out Dawson, who is in a bad emotional state, as Mitch Leery
Mitch Leery
Mitchell "Mitch" Leery is a fictional character from the American television series, Dawson's Creek, portrayed by John Wesley Shipp.-Biography:Mitch Leery is the husband of Gail Leery. The couple have two children - Dawson Leery and Lily Leery...
died in the beginning of the season. He and Audrey Liddell
Audrey Liddell
Audrey Liddell is a fictional character played by Busy Philipps in the American television drama Dawson's Creek.-Biography:The only child of a former actress, Kay Liddell, Audrey is an 18-year-old girl from L.A. with an interesting, romantic past. She lived next door to the famed Osbornes...
(Joey's roommate) become interested in each other and quickly embark on a physical relationship.
During the gang's spring break trip to Florida, Audrey and Pacey decide to make their relationship official. Pacey's mentor, Danny, leaves Civilization (the restaurant) and a new manager, Alexandra Pearl (Sherilyn Fenn
Sherilyn Fenn
Sherilyn Fenn is an American actress and filmmaker. She came to international attention for her performance as Audrey Horne on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks...
), takes over. Alex so alienated the rest of the restaurant staff that Pacey leads a walk-out en masse during a meeting with local investors to protest Alex's management policies. As a result, the restaurant is shut down and both Pacey and Alex are fired.
At the end of the season, Pacey goes back to Capeside, and picks up a job as a security guard at the Capeside Yacht Club for the summer, but he quits that to go in pursuit of Audrey. At the airport, after failing to contact her via the customer service phone, Pacey convinces a security officer to allow him to use the intercom to get to Audrey. He eventually convinces her to take him back and the two drive cross-country to Audrey's home in L.A.
Season Six
In season six, Pacey finds financial success as a stockbroker in a small stock trading firm in Boston which was set up by Audrey's father. Audrey breaks things off with him as his new job has a dramatic effect on his lifestyle, which clashes with hers.Soon after, Pacey admits that he is not completely over Joey. They share a kiss following a party at Pacey's apartment and in a later episode both are marooned overnight in a K-Mart. Being locked in together overnight, the situation forces the two to discuss their past (and current) relationship, with both admitting that they miss the other. They attempt a reconciliation, but Joey ends things when her recent ex-boyfriend, Eddie, suddenly reappears.
Afterwards, Pacey somewhat makes amends with his estranged father when he visits him in Capeside after learning that his father suffered a mild heart attack. With Pacey's father too sick to work anymore because of multiple health problems from his life-long alcoholism, Pacey's brother, Doug, takes over as acting police chief of Capeside, and later full-time police chief.
While working as a stockbroker, Pacey clashes several times with his slick, arrogant boss, Rich Renaldi (Dana Ashbrook
Dana Ashbrook
Dana V. Ashbrook is an American actor, perhaps best known for playing Bobby Briggs on the cult TV series Twin Peaks and its 1992 prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.-Personal life:...
). Pacey loses his job after punching his boss in the face following a significant financial loss after a bio-tech stock bust. Unfortunately, he also loses a significant amount of money for Dawson who had invested in the stock. The two have a serious argument regarding the money, the past and Joey. Joey decides it is about time for Pacey and Dawson to work out their issues without her in the middle and sets the two up to meet following their argument.
Pacey returns to Capeside to look for a new job and moves in with Doug, and in the meantime, he gathers what money he can with the help of community members to pay Dawson back at least some of the money he's lost. In the process, Pacey is reunited with Kristy Livingston (not played by the original actress, Ali Larter) ---the senior girl he had a crush on and followed around in high school.