#601/602 - "The Kids Are Alright/The Song Remains the Same"
Dawson (James Van Der Beek) returns to Boston after working as an assistant director in Los Angeles over the summer and reunites with Joey (Katie Holmes) who has spent a relatively angst-free summer in Capeside. Their reunion leads to an evening of truth and intimacy, which is ruined when Dawson receives a phone call from another woman. Meanwhile, Audrey (Busy Philipps) and Pacy (Josh Jackson) return from L.A. with a surprise passenger, Audrey's childhood friend Jack Osborne (guest-starring as himself), and Pacey gets a job interview that could change his life. Sparks fly between Jen (Michelle Williams) and CJ (guest star Jensen Ackles, "Days of Our Lives"), a handsome new peer counselor she meets at school.

#603 - "The Importance of Not Being Too Earnest"
In an attempt to gain closure with Dawson (James Van Der Beek), Joey (Katie Holmes) stays up all night writing him a emotional e-mail and, in her exhaustion, accidentally sends it out to the entire campus. Meanwhile, Pacey (Josh Jackson) struggles to succeed in the business world without selling his soul; and Jack (Kerr Smith) worries that a very married Professor Freeman (guest star Sebastian Spence "Dark Angel") is aware of his crush.

#604 - "'instant karma!"
Dawson (James Van Der Beek) finds himself in an awkward situation when he is put between Joey (Katie Holmes) and the intoxicated leading lady (guest star Bianca Kajlich, "Halloween: Resurrection") of his film, who also happens to be the woman he dumped over the phone after spending the night with Joey. Meanwhile, feeling like she's second fiddle to Pacey's (Joshua Jackson) new career and then catching him in a lie, Audrey (Busy Philipps) allows herself to be taken in by another man's charm.

#605 - "The Impostors"
Dawson's (James Van Der Beek) quick thinking saves the day and gets him the girl when a producer arrives at the "Wicked Dead" movie set to fire Natasha (Bianca Kajlich) and close down production. Meanwhile, Audrey (Busy Philipps) is excited when Emma (Megan Gray) asks her to be the lead singer of her punk band "Hell's Belles," but is crushed when Pacey (Joshua Jackson) misses her first gig because of work; Joey (Katie Holmes) figures out that Eddie (Oliver Hudson) isn't really a student and demands the truth; and Jack (Kerr Smith) confronts Professor Freeman (guest star Sebastian Spence) about an unfair grade on a paper.

#606 - "Living Dead Girl"
When Dawson (James Van Der Beek) assists Todd (Hal Ozsan) in throwing a blow-out Halloween party on the movie set, Todd and Natasha (Bianca Kajlich) have Dawson believing he is seeing the ghost of a legendary film actress who was strangled to death on the same stage. Meanwhile, Pacey (Joshua Jackson) and Audrey (Busy Philipps) arrive at the party together but leave separately; Jen (Michelle Williams) becomes suspicious about C.J. (Jensen Ackles); and Joey (Katie Holmes) gets stuck taking Professor Heston's (guest star Roger Howarth, "One Live To Live") teenage daughter (guest star Mika Boorem, "Blue Crush") to a haunted house with Eddie (Oliver Hudson).