Jerry D

Oh, I agree, in Season One Jen did jerk Dawson around a bit, and it was true that she seemed to want him back after she saw that he was interested in Joey, and in Season Two, I thought it was wrong for her to come on to Dawson when he was in a romantic relationship with Joey, but somehow, through it all, I never disliked Jen, and I always found her character to be very vulnerable and sweet.

I thought that one of the greatest exchanges about that whole thing came in Season One's Pretty Woman between Jen and Pacey:

Pacey: It looks like Prince Charming's found the owner of that glass slipper.

Jen: If you have a point I wish you'd get to it.

Pacey: C'mon Jen. I mean it's pretty obvious you’re missing the undivided attention of our friend Dawson. Maybe feeling a little dumper's remorse?

Jen: You're way off, alright?

Pacey: Tell me is it the possibility of losing him to someone else that suddenly makes him seem so attractive?

Jen: You really think that I am that shallow, huh?

Pacey: No. I think you're that human.

I agree though that in Season One, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Dawson and Joey would find their way to one another, so Jen represented more of a diversion for Dawson until he realized his feelings for Joey, but Pacey became the first real, and as it turned out, permanent threat to Dawson and Joey getting together, and there was really no contest between what Joey felt for Dawson and what she felt for Pacey after Season Three ended.