Season 4, Episode 16 – Aired: 3/28/2001
Mind Games

The results of the Senior Polls have ramifications for Dawson, Joey and Pacey, as the three try to ignore the tauntings of pollmaster, Drue Valentine. While Pacey and Joey try to eke out some time alone together, Dawson finds his night alone with Gretchen more awkward than he'd expected. Gretchen learns that Joey lied to Dawson about sleeping with Pacey and gets angry as Joey is forcing her to lie to her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Jack is suspicious when Jen drags him on some mysterious errands, suspicions that are confirmed when he realizes what she's just up to.

Season 4, Episode 18 – Aired: 4/18/2001
Eastern Standard Time

As Senior Ditch Day arrives, Joey is excited to find herself accompanying Jen on an excursion to New York under the auspices of attending a college meeting. But it's not long before Joey realizes that they're there for an entirely different reason. Jen finally talks to her father, for the first time since she left for Capeside. Jen reveals she saw her father in bed with another woman before she left.
Meanwhile, eager to infuse their relationship with a bit of spontaneity, Gretchen and Dawson take off on a road trip... but what starts out as unpredictable fun turns into one debacle after another after they get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire.
Back in Capeside, Pacey and Drue find themselves the only seniors in school on Ditch Day. Having had enough, they set out for some real fun, drinking at a bar in the best Drue style, leaving Pacey in serious doubt as to what his future will hold for him.

Season 4, Episode 21 – Aired: 5/9/2001
Separation Anxiety

As the school year draws to a close, changes abound for the class of 2001. While Joey and Dawson deal with their respective break-ups, Jen makes a startling decision about her future. In his own way, Jack helps Jen to rethink it. Meanwhile, Dawson has his own decision to make with regards to Gretchen when an unusual opportunity comes their way. And when Mr. Kubiak from Worthington asks Joey to bring Pacey with her to a party for incoming freshman, which fills the pair with hope that they might be able to have a future together after all, eventually Joey and Pacey have to come to terms with the end of their romance.

Season 4, Episode 22 – Aired: 5/16/2001
The Graduate

As graduation approaches, Joey has a tough time preparing her speech and Dawson helps her find some bittersweet inspiration. Joey gets an unexpected surprise gift from her late mother. Pacey wonders if he's going to graduate at all, and he worries that his last final will be the toughest one. He walks out of the test after the teacher makes a comment to him, nearly costing him his diploma. Meanwhile, Andie McPhee returns home for the cap and gown ceremony, and is surprised to meet Jack's new boyfriend, Tobey, and a devious Drue Valentine. Drue, who is staying at Jen's after being kicked out of his home by his mother after a fight, convinces her to help him pull a hilarious senior prank. Pacey tells Andie he has decided to take the job offer on a boat for the summer.

Season 5, Episode 1 – Aired: 10/10/2001
The Bostonians

Dawson is a freshman film student in Los Angeles, while Joey starts college at an Ivy League university in Boston. Instead of focusing on the new lives they have worked a lifetime for, they find themselves distracted by the distance between them and their unsettling last kiss.

Season 5, Episode 2 – Aired: 10/17/2001
The Lost Weekend

Pacey gets a job at a resturant and meets an attractive Hispanic waitress named Karen. Although Karen has a very unfriendly boyfriend, that doesn't stop Pacey from feeling attracted to her. Dawson arrives to visit Joey, and is misled by Audrey when she decides to set her sights on him herself. Jen's compassion gets her to help Charlie and be on the college radio station.

Season 5, Episode 5 – Aired: 11/7/2001
Use Your Disillusion

Dawson takes Joey up on her invitation for a weekend in Boston, but the two have reservations once there. Meanwhile, Jack is surprised when his boyfriend Tobey shows up unexpectedly forcing Jack to choose between fraternity hell week and spending time with Tobey.

Season 5, Episode 6 – Aired: 11/14/2001
High Anxiety

Dawson is having trouble with anxiety attacks since his father's death, so he tries to escape reality with a night of debauchery with Jack and his fraternity brothers, which ends with Dawson accusing Joey of causing his father's death.

Meanwhile, Jen seeks revenge on Charlie, Audrey's mom visits and Pacey makes a discovery about Danny.

Season 5, Episode 8 – Aired: 11/28/2001
Hotel New Hampshire

Dawson takes Jen on a road trip to a small film festival in New Hampshire where his documentary is being honored. The spotlight is intoxicating for both of them as they share one of the single most momentous events in a boy's life. Meanwhile, Jack brings Joey and Audrey to a frat party under false pretenses; and Pacey takes Karen on a non-romantic date.

Season 5, Episode 9 – Aired: 12/12/2001
Four Scary Stories

After watching scary movies, Joey, Pacey and Jack talk about their creepiest experiences and urban legends. Joey shares her story of how she was almost attacked by the librarian on Halloween and saved by the creepy man she was running from. Jack tells the story of when he was helping clean the frat house basement and found a guy strapped, who later he found out to be a ghost. Pacey reveals that he was chased by a black car while giving Karen a ride home, but there was nobody driving the car. Grams arrives and says she has the scariest story: the time when Jen got locked out of the radio booth.

Season 5, Episode 12 – Aired: 1/23/2002
Sleeping Arrangements

Dawson and Jen realize that living together is not as much fun as they hoped it would be. Between ruined toothbrushes and bathroom overcrowding, they're getting on each other's nerves. Jen faces a new challenge at work after she turns her regular show into an advice show. In her new show she mainly gives advice to other girls with problems and in the process ends up making statements about men that hurt Dawson's feelings. She comes home expecting a fight, but Dawson surprises her saying he won't fight or lie or cheat on her. Meanwhile Melanie, Pacey's summer flame, shows at his boat, offering Pacey a job working on her uncle's new boat. She wants him to sail around the Greek Islands. After a lot of thinking, Pacey decides not to go, since he has developed a successful life in Boston working at Civilization. Jack moves into the fraternity house and gets his own room, but has some problems staying there after he discovers he was supposed to be rooming with another guy who felt uncomfortable living with a gay guy. Joey decides to give Elliott Sawyer another chance after Audrey tells her they never slept together the night Joey and he met.

Season 5, Episode 14 – Aired: 2/6/2002
Guerilla Filmmaking (1)

While directing Oliver's movie, Dawson has to deal with Audrey's complaints about Oliver's kissing skills and he has to recast the other lead role after watching the footages and discovering that Oliver stinks as an actor. Not only must he find someone who can act, but also someone who is hot, and charismatic in less than 6 hours. He ends up hiring Charlie, who fit the profile perfectly. During the shoot, Audrey has a crisis and locks herself in the bathroom because she kissed Pacey and felt like she was betraying her best friend. They have to call Joey, who was over at Professor Wilder's house, for help. After Joey's blessing, Audrey is back on the set so they can finally finish the shoot. Meanwhile, Jack is fed up with his brothers and decides to move out of the fraternity house. He and Eric have a moment and later in front of the other guys Eric accuses Jack of trying to kiss him.

Season 5, Episode 16 – Aired: 2/20/2002
In A Lonely Place

Jen and Audrey are tempted to risk their new relationships with Dawson and Pacey after interviewing a couple of cute musicians. Meanwhile, Pacey's caught by surprise when he realizes Jack has taken him to a gay bar, and Dawson's curious upon seeing Joey's reaction when she catches Professor Wilder on a date.

Season 5, Episode 17 – Aired: 4/3/2002
Highway To Hell

Charlie asks Joey to sing with his band at a distant club, which requires Pacey to give them a ride. Pacey and Charlie hate each other, and it takes a patient Audrey to keep them from going at each other's throats. Joey is nervous and isn't well received by the audience, until Charlie helps her with a duet. Still, he doesn't give up putting his moves on her. Audrey and Pacey seem to be more compatible. Meanwhile, Dawson, Jen, Jack and Grams drive up to Capeside for Lily's 1st birthday and Dawson finds out his mother has a new boyfriend. Meanwhile, Jen confesses to Jack that she wants to break up with Dawson, while he is conflicted with the possibility of loving Joey again.