When a major hurricane strikes Capeside, all the principal characters take refuge in the Leery home, including Joey's very pregnant older sister Bessie and her boyfriend, where Jen's overly religious grandmother does not hide her bigotry towards them. Also, Dawson rages at Jen about her past and at Joey for not confiding in him about her mother's philandering. But when Mitch learns about Gail's affair, he angrily storms out of the house, leaving a tormented Dawson to deal with the fallout. Meanwhile, Pacey takes shelter at Tamara's beach house with his brother Doug, a local policeman, where he ruins his brother's chances to hook up with Tamara by secretly telling her that Doug is gay.

In honor of Friday the 13th, both the film and the date, Dawson plays practical jokes against everyone while he plans a séance for the gang to look up ghosts, until they are all spooked by reports of a serial killer heading towards Capeside. Meanwhile, Jen is asked out by a friendly jock, named Cliff, in which the date ends up at Dawson's house while Dawson, Joey, Pacey bring along a slightly-crazed young woman, named Ursula, who is running away from her psychotic boyfriend.