Felicity 2.21, The Aretha Theory: Women Don’t Need Men, But That Doesn’t Mean They Don’t Want Them

October 31, 2020

Felicity 2.21, The Aretha Theory: Women Don’t Need Men, But That Doesn’t Mean They Don’t Want Them

GIRLS’ NIGHT GIRLS’ NIGHT GIRLS’ NIGHT

Summary: Felicity and Greg are walking home from their disastrous date, Felicity ranting that she has to tell Ben to stay away from her. Greg kisses her, then says their relationship isn’t going to work. She’s not dating him because she likes him – she just wants to go out with someone who isn’t Ben. It’s obvious that they want each other, so they should just get together already.

At Dean & DeLuca, Javier asks Ben to help him with a surprise for Samuel. Ben is out of sorts and tells Javier what happened on Felicity and Greg’s date. Javier is sure that that won’t be the final chapter of the story. He wants to propose to Samuel, and he needs Ben to help him pick out a ring. “You getting punched in the face, me buying a ring – romance is really in the air, is it not?” Javier says.

Felicity, Elena, and Julie pump up air mattresses at the loft, silent until Elena urges Felicity to tell them about her breakup with Greg. (She heard about it from Meghan.) Felicity confirms that she was dumped, but she’s not really thinking about it. She mentions Ben, and Elena steels herself for another round of that drama. Felicity isn’t sure which guy is crazier here. Elena announces that Tracy’s a virgin and is waiting until marriage to have sex. Then Julie announces that Sean declared his feelings for her.

Ruby shows up too late for one of Noel’s classes, having overslept after spending the night out with Wade. Noel tells her to feel free to bring him to the loft that night. She’d rather have a quiet night in and invites Noel to join her. Tracy’s still working on the wallpaper at the apartment, and he tells Elena it’s going great. But she probably shouldn’t go in. And if she does go in, she shouldn’t get mad. It’s almost done, he swears. He runs away before she goes inside and sees that it’s worse than ever.

At the loft, Felicity apologizes to Ben for leaving with Greg the night before. Ben knows she was right that he likes the chase more than the relationship. This is all part of a pattern for him. Felicity wants a distraction, so she begs Meghan to take her somewhere. She knows Meghan goes out all the time, probably somewhere weird, and Felicity wants to experience it. Meghan reluctantly agrees, but Elena and Julie don’t want to tag along. Felicity has to talk them into dressing up and doing something fun.

Getting-ready montage! Javier arrives to get Ben and gushes over how awesome the loft is. When he learns that they’re going to the T-Bone Club, he doesn’t know how to respond. He warns Felicity to take a weapon with her. At the club (which is like a rave crossed with a Halloween party), the women meet up with a guy named Earl, who’s a regular there. Meghan tells the others to stay in one spot and not eat anything anyone gives them. Elena declares the rules for the night: No thinking about Ben, Sean, or Tracy. Meghan gets drinks for everyone, declining to tell Felicity what’s in them.

Ruby cries at the movie she and Noel are watching at the loft, in which the male half of a couple wants to stay with the woman, even though he has a good excuse to leave. They’re about to kiss when Sean comes home and ruins the mood. At Dean & DeLuca, Ben looks through a ring catalog with Javier, who thinks Ben should buy some jewelry for Felicity. Ben has decided he’s done with that whole mess. Javier thinks Felicity is just scared but wants to be with him. He reveals that Greg and Felicity broke up, so Ben has a shot with her.

Felicity, Julie, and Elena are having a great time at the club, and Felicity’s loosened up enough to want to dance with Earl on a table. Javier and Ben arrive outside, but the bouncer doesn’t want to let them in. The explains that every guy has to bring a date. So Javier kisses Ben and says Ben is his date. The bouncer lets them in.

Ben is dumbstruck by the sight of Felicity dancing. Javier takes them both outside so they can talk and try to work things out. Felicity starts by telling Ben she’s glad he apologized to Greg. He accepts that he deserved to be punched in the face for telling Richard about Greg’s past. If he knew Greg was going to dump Felicity, Ben would have hit him back.

Javier meets up with an old friend, a drag queen named Bizou, and tells Meghan that Felicity is outside talking to Ben. Meghan decides to go out there and break things up. Just as Ben is telling Felicity that it’s not really about the chase for him, Meghan interrupts and moves the party to Earl’s place. Ben and Felicity plan to talk more back at the loft.

First the group (all pretty drunk, except Meghan) makes a stop at a convenience store, where Earl has a debate with an ex about nanotechnology and other science-y stuff. Felicity thanks Meghan for dragging her away from Ben, since this was supposed to be a night of not thinking about him. She doesn’t think Meghan gets their relationship, since she hasn’t had feelings for someone for a really long time like Felicity does for Ben. Meghan says she has her own Ben: Greg.

Speak of the devil, guess who comes into the store? Felicity wants Meghan to stay away from him, but Meghan has something to say. When she was in the first grade, she and Greg got married in a sandbox. Greg suddenly remembers her. Meghan asks if he wants to go find a sandbox. He politely turns her down, so she jokes that he’ll be hearing from her lawyer about alimony.

Meghan returns to Felicity and says it’s her turn to take Meghan out somewhere. Felicity knows about one party, another victory party Richard’s throwing at Epstein Bar, so the group heads over there. Meghan declares that the women can have a great time without guys. Felicity thinks they should be proud of themselves for all they’ve accomplished this year. Whatever happens to them, they survive. Meghan says they’re strong women like Aretha Franklin.

Back at the loft, Noel and Ruby are getting ready for bed when they suddenly start kissing. Javier practices his proposal on Ben, who asks if he and Samuel are really happy. Javier says they are, but they’ve had drama in the past. He even cheated once. Ben asks if Samuel forgave him right away. Javier had to prove himself, but he won’t tell Ben how he did it. “Every man has to find his own way – his own way of showing his true love,” he says.

Felicity wants to dance some more, but Julie reminds her that she was going to meet up with Ben and talk. Meghan and Elena yell at her not to; she doesn’t need him. Felicity agrees, so she calls the loft and leaves Ben a message letting him know she’s staying out. She doesn’t need him, and they can never be together, since she doesn’t trust him. She won’t let him screw up her life again. In fact, they shouldn’t even be friends until they’ve gotten past everything. Felicity will move out of the loft tomorrow so they can really avoid each other.

The next morning, everyone’s hungover, and Meghan has had the revelation that they should get together with men exactly when they decide they don’t need them. Felicity gets it. She’s been pushing Ben away and saying she can’t trust him, but in truth, she couldn’t trust herself. She thought she couldn’t handle being with him, but she can. After all, she got over her heartbreak at the beginning of the year. The women have the ability to be on their own; since Felicity knows she doesn’t need Ben to survive, that means she can be with him. She runs to erase her message, but Sean tells her that he already listened to it.

Wade calls for Ruby, who’s woken up in bed with Noel. (They didn’t do anything, or at least that’s what Noel tells Sean.) Sean tries to talk to Julie about his impromptu kiss the other night, asking what her “thank you” in response meant. She says it meant “maybe.” He’ll take it. Tracy has miraculously cleaned up the apartment, which finally looks livable again. Of course, Elena’s moving out in a few weeks, so it was kind of a waste, but still. She tells him some things are worth waiting for.

Felicity goes look for Ben at Dean & DeLuca, but he canceled his shift, probably so he wouldn’t have to work with Felicity. Javier tells her that Samuel accepted his proposal, so Javier gets to have a Martha Stewart wedding. Ben shows up after all and tells Felicity he spent the whole night trying to figure out how to convince her that she can trust him. First he had to figure out where he really blew it.

He thinks it was when he missed their date to see a movie in Bryant Park. He ran away like he’s always done. If he could take that moment back, he would. Ben found a reel of the movie they were supposed to see on that date. He says it’s a time machine. They set up a projector on the roof and watch the movie together. It leads to a makeout session. So…I guess that’s happening. Again.

Thoughts: Earl is played by Kevin Weisman. On Alias, he and Amanda Foreman (Meghan) played a couple – and Greg Grunberg (Sean) was the person who married them.

I’m underwhelmed by Meghan’s “secret” life. She just goes to a club a lot? So?

No wonder Amy Jo Johnson leaves next season. The show gives Julie absolutely nothing to do.

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