Complete story — includes the ending
Joey helps organize a surprise 18th birthday party for Pacey, unaware of his "birthday curse." The party turns sour quickly when Pacey's immature and dysfunctional family; his alcoholic and abusive father, his weak and subservient mother, his self-loathing older sister Kerry, and even Doug, humiliates Pacey with stories about his childhood. It is there that Pacey has a mental breakdown and he admits to receiving no college acceptances. Dawson becomes upset when he feels Gretchen is hiding their relationship, but he convinces her to live in the moment. Meanwhile, Jen suspects Tobey's romantic feelings for Jack while she is paired with him for another community service assignment of being the designated driver to a group of drunken college kids. Later, Pacey's father apologizes to Pacey for his behavior, and recalls one good memory of Pacey's childhood of having a fireworks display for his 10th birthday and decides to throw him one for old times sake. Absent: Meredith Monroe
Sources and content license
Source and revision history · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, List of Dawson's Creek episodes. HTML formatting and reference markers removed. · Content license