Mitch Leery

Mitchell Leery
First appearance	"Pilot" (episode 1.01)
Last appearance	"The Long Goodbye" (episode 5.04)
Created by	Kevin Williamson
Portrayed by	John Wesley Shipp
Information
Nickname(s)	Mitch
Occupation	English teacher Football coach Restaurant owner
Spouse(s)	Gail Leery (wife)
Children	Dawson Leery (son) Lily Leery (daughter)

Mitchell "Mitch" Leery is a fictional character from the American television series, Dawson's Creek, portrayed by John Wesley Shipp.

Biography

Mitch Leery is the husband of Gail Leery. The couple have two children - Dawson Leery and Lily Leery. He was a substitute teacher, guidance counselor and football coach at Capeside High School, and co-owner of Leery's Fresh Fish—the family restaurant.

Season one

In Season One, Mitch is unemployed and spends his days adding the finishing touches to his restaurant plans which includes scuba-suited waitresses. After learning of wife Gail's affair with her colleague, the couple struggle to maintain their relationship.

Season two

Mitch and Gail begin counselling to try to save their marriage. In another attempt to keep the relationship going, Mitch suggests an open marriage in which they are both able to see other people. Mitch becomes a substitute teacher at Capeside High School and dates the film teacher at the school, Miss Kennedy. The open marriage fails to revive their marriage and Mich and Gail decide to divorce, with Gail leaving Capeside to work in Philadelphia.

Season three

Mitch has started a new job as a substitute English teacher at Capeside High School, and goes on to become the school's football coach. He successfully recruits Jack McPhee and freshman Henry to the team and wins his first game as coach. When Gail returns to Capeside from Philadelphia, she and Mitch gradually become friends again, and he assists her in opening the fish restaurant which had always been their dream. As their friendship and professional relationship continutes, they realise they still have feelings for one another and start seeing each other again before eventually remarrying in the final episode of the season.

Season four

Having reunited with Gail, the couple have their second child, Lily. They continue to run their restaurant - Leery's Fresh Fish.

Season Five

After a large disagreement with Dawson over Dawson's decision to drop out of film school, Mitch tells Dawson that he is very disappointed in him. Dawson leaves an angry Mitch to move to Boston. That night, on his way home from buying milk, Mitch is killed in a car accident on October 24, 2001, at the age of 45. The accident was a result of Mitch dropping his ice cream, taking his eyes off the road to pick it up, and crashing the car into another driver. His death causes anxiety attacks in Dawson for some time after the accident.

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