Dawson goes back to Capeside to inform his parents of his decision to drop out of USC and stay in Boston. Mitch reprehends him and tells him he belongs in California, but Dawson's decision is made. Meanwhile, Jack is accepted on the Sigma Epsilon fraternity house and has doubts if he should go because they want him because he would be filling a quota of being a gay member. Joey finds Pacey working at the restaurant and goes pay him a visit on the boat where they have a nice conversation about their current lives. Pacey, bored of just peeling potatoes at the restaurant, has to put up with one waitress, named Karen Torres, and her bad mood in which he later finds out because he got the kitchen job she wanted. Also, Jen and Charlie try to go through 12 hours without sex so they can learn more about each other.

After Mitch suddenly dies in a car accident, Dawson has to handle the funeral arrangements where everybody comes to give him and Gail support as Dawson tries not to breakdown upon his father's sudden death. Gail, unlike Dawson, is not holding up very well and feels sorry for six-month-old Lily, who will never know how her father was like. Everybody, including Joey, Jen, Jack, Pacey and even Grams Ryan try to comfort Dawson in their own way, and Dawson starts to blame himself for his father's death.

Dawson goes back to Capeside to celebrate Christmas and brings Natasha and Todd with him where Dawson can't get past the fact that he saw Natasha and Max together, and Todd's drunkenness bothers Gail. Joey also arrives back in Capeside with Audrey, where Eddie later arrives with a Christmas tree to celebrate. There Eddie meets and has an argument with Joey's father, Mike Potter, who worries that Eddie might not be good for Joey since he's now unemployed and doesn't go to college. Pacey also comes back to spend time with his brother Doug who does not like the expensive gifts and constant, lavish spending Pacey is doing after making a lot of money at his stock trading job. The gang, as well as Jen and Grams, gather to have Christmas dinner at the Leery household which goes disastrously wrong where a drunken Todd makes an embarrassing thanks, but not as embarrassing as Audrey's, whose drinking problem has gone so out of control that she lashes out on everyone, and wrecks Pacey's new car.