All six seasons of Dawson’s Creek are due to hit Netflix in the US on November first. The teen drama, created by Kevin Williamson of Scream fame, aired on The WB from 1998-2003. It followed the lives of several high schoolers as they figured out life, love, and sex in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. Aside from the fact that most of the teens were played by twentysomethings, the show was most known for its sexually charged storylines. All the characters constantly talked about their changing bodies and new yearnings.
In the second season, the show’s ensemble cast gained a couple of new members, including Jack McPhee, who would come out of the closet before the end of the season. While it’s not quite as shocking today, back in 1999, the number of shows with openly gay or bisexual main characters on primetime could be counted on one hand. Coming out is never easy. Starting with Jack, here are some of television’s most recent memorable coming out scenes.
Jack McPhee - Dawson’s Creek
Siblings Andie and Jack McPhee arrive in Capeside at the beginning of the show’s second season. The two characters would become love interests for the main cast before joining it themselves, with Andie dating Pacey and Jack dating Joey. However, Jack’s sexuality would come into question during an English assignment in which he alludes to being gay in a poem he wrote.
At first, Jack denies being gay and says the poem was about his dead brother. However, after entering into a heated argument with the mostly-absent father, Jack demands that he asks him again if he’s gay, and he tells him that he is. Williamson has said in subsequent interviews that every character on the show represents a piece of him, and having just come out of the closet himself, he wanted Jack to represent that journey.
Jessie Sammler - Once and Again
Once and Again should top every ‘Best Television Show You’ve Never Seen’ list. Featuring the same creative talent behind thirtysometing and My So-Called Life, Once and Again dives deep into the reality of white, suburban adult angst. Premiering in 1999, the series centered around two divorced parents who start dating, and over its three seasons they would attempt to join their families together as one somewhat functional unit.
It would be its final season before one of the main cast would come out. After confessing her love to her good friend, Jessie (Evan Rachel Wood) in a letter, Katie (Mischa Barton) hasn’t heard from her in days. Katie regrets writing the letter and goes to Jessie’s house to take it all back. Both girls get emotional and tell each other they just want things to go back to normal. Katie asks Jessie to throw the letter away, but Jessie tells her that she wants to keep it forever and the two share a kiss and a tender embrace. The two would secretly date through the rest of the final season.
Justin Taylor - Queer as Folk
Queer as Folk was based on the UK series of the same name, which was created by Russell T Davis, probably most known for his work on Dr. Who and Torchwood. The American version aired on Showtime beginning in 2000 and was the very first queer-focused episodic TV series here in the US. It followed the lives of several gay and lesbian characters living in Pittsburgh. While the series was indeed groundbreaking, looking back at it now, it’s easy to say a lot about the show was problematic. Least of all was one of the main storylines, involving the romance between 29-year-old Brian and 17-year-old Justin, who was still in high school in the first season.
While Justin already knows he’s gay, his mother takes him to a therapist to try to work on their strained relationship. Of course, his mother already knows too, and in the session she talks about how she suspects he is. When the therapist asks Justin to respond, he gives a very moving speech about how much he “likes dick.” For all of Queer as Folk’s flaws, there’s a certain candidness to the show that a large amount of today’s homogenized gay dramas seem to lack.
Tess Pearson - This Is Us
This is Us is a family drama series that premiered in 2016 on NBC. It features a large ensemble cast and focuses on the lives of Jack and Rebecca Pearson and their three children. The show relies heavily on flashbacks, often having a plot happening in the present and the past in the same episode.
In the season three finale, Randall and Beth’s daughter, Tess, came out of the closet. While Tess had already subtly come out to her aunt Kate a year prior, she decides it's time to tell her parents. She explains to them that she’s been anxious because a lot of other girls at school have boyfriends and she doesn’t think she wants one. Her dad is initially relieved and tells her that’s fine, before she tells them that she doesn’t want a boyfriend because she thinks she likes girls. After a quick shocked moment, Tess’ parents tell her that they love her and they’re there to help her. There’s no screaming or needless drama, just immediate love and acceptance. It seems coming out has gotten a little easier in recent years, even on television.