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.

In honor of Friday the 13th, Dawson, plans a séance for the gang, they are all spooked by reports of a serial killer heading towards Capeside.

In the season finale, Dawson and Joey confront their true feelings. Joey, visits her father in prison, and debates leaving to go to France.

An economics class project pairs Dawson and Jen as a husband and wife and Pacey and Andie as a married couple. Jen tries to use this project to get closer to Dawson and Pacey gets to know more about Andie's background. Joey learns that she has a chance of success while doing this project.

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.

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.

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.