Pacey Witter: the Best Friend Who Stole the Show

Over winter break, I needed a new series to binge after finishing Even Stevens (which is excellent by the way). I am a huge fan of teen dramas, so when the Dawson's Creek trailer auto-played on my Netflix home screen, I was immediately intrigued. I honestly have no clue how I would have survived quad two without it. Though the show is called Dawson's Creek, I find Pacey Witter's storyline to be the most compelling. The audience is first introduced to Pacey as Dawson's witty sidekick, who's a little misogynistic but hilarious nonetheless. But, over time, he develops into a core character of the show.

I always like to hear the bad news first, so let's start with his most prominent character flaw. Pacey struggles tremendously with his hero complex. For those who are unfamiliar, a hero/saviour complex is "when someone strives to be the hero of the situation. No matter the situation or the odds, they want to be the ones that save the day" (Expansive). This is mostly seen through his romantic relationships. Andie McPhee, Pacey's first girlfriend in the series, struggled with PTSD, and he took it upon himself to essentially save her from herself. Obviously, that notion was ridiculous because he was the furthest thing from a mental health professional, but he did everything he could in his capacity to protect her. Unfortunately, his good intentions quickly turned toxic. Pacey grew more and more selfish and controlling, which ultimately led to a tragic end to his relationship with Andie. On the other hand, Pacey's hero complex resulted in some pretty epic romantic gestures. To prove his love to Joey Potter, who was conflicted with following her passion for art, he bought her a wall. Like... a literal wall to paint on (it's cute with context, I promise). That was definitely one of my favourite scenes in the series because, literally, who does that?

Now onto everything I love about Pacey Witter. Though he constantly evolved as a character, Pacey's sense of humour stayed consistent. Even in the saddest moments, like when [redacted] was on their deathbed, he still managed to bring a smile to everyone's face. There aren't a lot of funny characters on the show, so his jokes and sarcastic comments were vital. Another thing I like about Pacey is that he's intelligent. This is a rare instance as his type of character is usually either smart or funny, not both. Of course, Pacey made some dumb decisions like investing both his and Dawson's entire life savings in a sketchy medical stock, but everybody makes mistakes and everybody has those days, word to Hannah Montana.

If I had to compare, I think Pacey is similar to Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World. Both of them are the best friend of the main character and are perceived as people who probably won't make anything of themselves. However, they both end up proving everyone, including themselves, wrong. I guess it's no surprise that Shawn is my favourite character from Boy Meets World.

So, if you're looking for a new show to watch during your Zoom classes, I recommend Dawson's Creek for its drama, corniness and, most importantly, Pacey Witter.