AceShowbiz - Ahead of the September 2025 Dawson's Creek reunion, star Busy Philipps reflected on a storyline she now deems "insanely inappropriate." Most of the original cast gathered for a live pilot episode reading, sparking discussions on how cultural norms have evolved since the show's debut.

Speaking with People, Philipps highlighted the controversial relationship involving Pacey Witter. "[Pacey has] a really insanely inappropriate relationship with a teacher," she remarked, adding, "Which by the way, is so wild." This refers to the Season 1 storyline (1998) where 15-year-old Pacey (Joshua Jackson) romanced his 36-year-old teacher, Tamara Jacobs (Leann Hunley). Philipps noted the shift in societal views: "It just goes to show you culturally how much we have changed for the better, right?"

Ironically, Busy Philipps, whose character Audrey Liddell didn't appear until Season 5, read Tamara Jacobs' part at the reunion. Afterward, she playfully quipped to series creator Kevin Williamson, who left Dawson's Creek after Season 2: "'Well, Kevin, I guess you did write a part for me on Dawson's Creek. You just didn't know that it would take 20 years for me to be the right age to play it.'"

Philipps isn't alone in her assessment. Other Dawson's Creek alumni also voiced complex feelings about the Tamara and Pacey romance. Kevin Williamson, the pilot's writer, told Yahoo! he "would not let that storyline fly today." He stressed contemporary discourse progress: "We're in an elevated state now where we talk about mental health and trauma and the repercussions of what happens to us when we're children... In today's world, I just don't think you can take storylines like that lightly."

Joshua Jackson, Pacey's portrayer, offered a nuanced perspective to Business Insider. He acknowledged adolescent desire: "I think it is real for a younger person to have sexual desires for an older person." Yet, he placed responsibility on the adult: "But I think the onus remains upon the older person to be the adult and recognize that that's inappropriate." Jackson also argued for showing human fallibility: "I think it's necessary to show storylines that have humans making mistakes. I don't think we presented [the relationship] as a beautiful or romantic thing."

The "one-night-only" Dawson's Creek reunion in New York City also served a significant purpose. It was a benefit for F Cancer, prompted by star James Van Der Beek's stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis. Though Van Der Beek couldn't attend, Dawson Leery's role was memorably read by Broadway superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda, adding unique charm to the evening.