Featuring illustrations by Jillian Barthold

The first coming-of-age series for millennial consumption, Dawson’s Creek created one of the most iconic memes before the word “meme” was mainstream. On January 20, 1998, the Capeside High School class of 2001 came into our lives.

Dawson’s Creek centered around the titular star—a white man with a lot of privilege—who proved to be anything but our hero.

Our heroes were Jen Lindley, the “big city vixen” who turned out to be the third-wave feminist we desperately needed; Pacey Witter, the “lovable loser” and underdog we rooted for the entire series; and Joey Potter, the “poor tomboy” from the wrong side of the Creek who demonstrated what personal strength and independence could accomplish.

Pulling quotes from all six seasons, I Remember Everything dissects the main themes of Dawson’s Creek: sex, mental health, relationships, classism, queerness, and much, much more.

Erin Hensley and Julia Callahan, hosts of the podcast Dawson’s Critique, break down why we still can’t get enough of this iconic show.