100 Kick-Ass Female Characters: #62
62. Jennifer "Jen" Lindley, as seen on Dawson's Creek, portrayed by Michelle Williams
I was in the 6th grade when Dawson's Creek premiered. It came on after Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was the object of my adolescent obsession, and having harbored a crush on Joshua Jackson since The Mighty Ducks, I was all in. At the time I was fully fangirling Joey Potter, who was a snarky tomboy in love with her best friend (aka "the version of myself I wish I was") but, the older I get and especially the more I rewatch it, the more I realize Jen was the most impressive character.
Unlike the rest of the cast, Jen did not grow up in Capeside, Massachusetts; she was born and raised in New York City, the relatively ignored only child of two people who were so busy with their own lives, they didn't realize their 14-year-old was drinking, drugging, and sleeping around. After being caught having sex with her boyfriend in her parents' bed, Jen is shipped off to Capeside to stay with her devoutly Christian grandmother and bedridden grandfather. Jen is the object of Dawson's fantasies, placed firmly on a pedestal, the object of Joey's derision, and Pacey's nonjudgmental friend. As the series unfolds, we see Jen backslide into poor behavior, war with Grams, develop an incredibly strong relationship with Grams, form a deep bond with Jack McPhee, relieve Dawson of his virginity, make peace with Joey, mother a beautiful little girl, and, as we see in the finale, completely the transformation from a teen girl angry at the world and the universe to a mature mother who only wants the best for everyone involved.
What I love most about Jen is that her road is incredibly bumpy. Unlike Joey, who rarely falters, Jen's life is defined by the mistakes she makes and her reactions to them. Jen is self-aware enough to know her choices aren't always good, but they're never without consequence or understanding; even when she unravels, she puts herself back together and becomes a stronger person for it. She goes from the creek's sexpot to the one everyone turns to for wisdom, and Jen is finally able to form honest relationships with people she loves. Having not been truly parented until living with Grams, Jen is obviously an involved parent, and the video she makes for her daughter on her deathbed illustrates just how fully Jen has transformed. Jen is a character who matures in a way no other female character does in this series, learning to trust herself and those around her, understanding her true value exists beyond sex and boys, and Jen makes the decision not to be defined by her past any longer.
And that is kick-ass.
I was in the 6th grade when Dawson's Creek premiered. It came on after Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was the object of my adolescent obsession, and having harbored a crush on Joshua Jackson since The Mighty Ducks, I was all in. At the time I was fully fangirling Joey Potter, who was a snarky tomboy in love with her best friend (aka "the version of myself I wish I was") but, the older I get and especially the more I rewatch it, the more I realize Jen was the most impressive character.
Unlike the rest of the cast, Jen did not grow up in Capeside, Massachusetts; she was born and raised in New York City, the relatively ignored only child of two people who were so busy with their own lives, they didn't realize their 14-year-old was drinking, drugging, and sleeping around. After being caught having sex with her boyfriend in her parents' bed, Jen is shipped off to Capeside to stay with her devoutly Christian grandmother and bedridden grandfather. Jen is the object of Dawson's fantasies, placed firmly on a pedestal, the object of Joey's derision, and Pacey's nonjudgmental friend. As the series unfolds, we see Jen backslide into poor behavior, war with Grams, develop an incredibly strong relationship with Grams, form a deep bond with Jack McPhee, relieve Dawson of his virginity, make peace with Joey, mother a beautiful little girl, and, as we see in the finale, completely the transformation from a teen girl angry at the world and the universe to a mature mother who only wants the best for everyone involved.
What I love most about Jen is that her road is incredibly bumpy. Unlike Joey, who rarely falters, Jen's life is defined by the mistakes she makes and her reactions to them. Jen is self-aware enough to know her choices aren't always good, but they're never without consequence or understanding; even when she unravels, she puts herself back together and becomes a stronger person for it. She goes from the creek's sexpot to the one everyone turns to for wisdom, and Jen is finally able to form honest relationships with people she loves. Having not been truly parented until living with Grams, Jen is obviously an involved parent, and the video she makes for her daughter on her deathbed illustrates just how fully Jen has transformed. Jen is a character who matures in a way no other female character does in this series, learning to trust herself and those around her, understanding her true value exists beyond sex and boys, and Jen makes the decision not to be defined by her past any longer.
And that is kick-ass.