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10 Reasons Why Dawson’s Creek Was Really Joey’s Creek

Desiree O

July 14, 2015

(c)Columbia TriStar Television/courtesy Everett Collection

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No offense to Dawson Leery and his lovely creek, but it’s hard to deny that Joey Potter was quite possibly the real star of the show. With her witty banter, the Joey+Dawson versus Joey+Pacey storyline, and her unequalled number of appearances, Joey was the one that many viewers were tuning in to watch. It may have been called Dawson’s Creek, but here are 10 reasons why it was really Joey’s Creek.

10. Even Katie Holmes Loved Joey

Katie Holmes, who of course played Joey Potter, may have said it best herself: “I miss her spirit, and her spunk, and I miss her anxiety. She always had these long speeches about her fears and her future and love. It was a great tool for me personally because I got to get it all out. I was able to psychoanalyze all of it everyday with her and then I wouldn’t have to do it on my own. So much of me is in Joey and it really felt like I grew up on television.”

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9. Joey Minus Dawson, Joey Plus Pacey

SPOILER: Joey ultimately ditched Dawson and viewers loved her for it. It’s unusual for a show’s main romantic interests not to end up together but, as the seasons passed, it became as obvious to Joey as it did to everyone watching that she was meant to be with Pacey. She followed her heart and viewers followed right along with her.

©Warner Bros./Everett Collection

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8. Joey Potter a.k.a. Cover Girl

Joey…er, Katie…became a cover girl almost instantly, gracing the pages of some of the most popular magazines, including Seventeen, TV Guide, and Rolling Stone. An editor at Rolling Stone explained that they decided to feature her on the cover because “every time you mention Dawson’s Creek you tend to get a lot of dolphin-like shrieks from teenage girls. The fact that she is drop-dead gorgeous didn’t hurt either.” Agreed!

Source: Rolling Stone

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7. Joey Potter Was Like Every Other Girl

Despite her epic vocab, Joey Potter faced the same fears and anxieties about life that many viewers shared, which made her incredibly relatable along with instantly likeable. School, jobs, family, romance, personal identity…she ran the gamut of teen and young adult life that most viewers were experiencing in their own way right along with Joey.

(c)Columbia TriStar Television/courtesy Everett Collection

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6. She Was Just as Loquacious…Huh?

Dawson Leery may be remembered for his incredibly articulate and overly-flourished language, especially for a teenager, but Joey could match Dawson’s dialogue any day of the week. Whether discussing relationships, jobs, or the meaning of life, Joey could go word for word, barb for barb, and snark for snark with anyone from the creek.

©Warner Bros./Everett Collection

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5. Joey’s Epic Facial Expressions

First off, there’s the mighty head-tilted-down brow-raise signifying doubt, disbelief, or maybe even some rationale-based Joey judgement. Then there’s the eye-roll which doesn’t disguise its meaning at all. And who could forget the classic Joey grin, usually with her gazing off to the side and averting eye-contact? Guaranteed there is a generation of ladies who (consciously or not) adopted Joey’s signature sneers, smirks, and shy smiles.

Source: Warner Bros.

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4. Joey Potter Was Role Model Material

During Dawson’s Creek’s six seasons, Joey steadfastly remained strong and smart (and even sexy), and always focused on being true to herself. Whether it meant finding her own identity outside of a relationship, choosing the true love of her life, or following her dreams, Joey was always sure to keep her head on straight when it came to getting what she wanted. Role model material, indeed.

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3. Joey Overcame a Rocky Background

Dawson had it relatively easy in comparison to where Joey was coming from. Dawson started out with two loving parents, a comfortable home, awesome friends, and even a boat for goodness sake. Joey, on the other hand, lost her mother when she was 13 to breast cancer and her father spent much of his time in prison on drug trafficking charges. Yowza! Despite that, she managed to keep her grades up, hold down a part-time job, help her preggo/mostly-single-mom sister, and keep her life relatively on track throughout the series. Talk about working against the odds and wild perseverance!

Source: Warner Bros.

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2. Joey Rose From #2 to #1 By the Second Season

The show’s original concept had Michelle Williams’ character Jen Lindley as the lead female and Dawson’s primary love-interest while Katie Holmes was slotted in the number two spot. But, by the second season, Dawson’s Creek writers and producers recognized how popular Joey’s character had become and moved her into the starring female role in order to continue to develop and expand her storyline.

Source: Warner Bros.

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1. Spot Joey in Every Episode

If you thought the series gave you a lot of Joey Potter, then you were right. Joey was the only character to appear in every single episode of Dawson’s Creek, all 128 of them over six seasons. James Van Der Beek missed six shows; Joshua Jackson missed four; and Michelle Williams was absent from ten episodes. Repeat: Katie Holmes appeared as Joey in ALL 128 EPISODES! You have to wonder what her attendance record was like in school.