Felicity 4.5, Boooz: Hello, Is It Lionel Richie Tickets You’re Looking For?

April 17, 2021

Felicity 4.5, Boooz: Hello, Is It Lionel Richie Tickets You’re Looking For?

Who thought there was a big overlap of “Felicity” viewers and Lionel Richie fans?

Summary: Felicity interviews for the TA position Noel told her about, but the professor she’s talking to, May, is more interested in Felicity’s opinion on her scarf than her teaching skills. She even gives the scarf to Felicity, since she has a bunch of them. She has Felicity critique a painting, which, of course, is one of May’s. But Felicity gives a satisfactory critique and gets the job.

At home, Felicity and Elena decorate for a Halloween party at the dorm apartment. Richard brings them a keg and tells them his costume is a surprise. Javier arrives next and asks to stay for a few days so he can teach Samuel a lesson. Samuel keeps taking him for granted – plus, he forgot what Javier wore for Halloween last year. Javier thinks Samuel will fall apart without Javier taking care of him.

Ben tells his Al-Anon group that he’s changed his major to pre-med. At first people didn’t think he could do it (and he didn’t, either), and last week something happened that made him reconsider things. That thing was Hodges putting benzene compounds on the midterm after telling the students he wouldn’t. Ben and Trevor agree again that Hodges is a jerk.

In bed that night, Ben tells Felicity that it feels like Hodges wants his students to fail. Felicity tries to reassure him that he only missed a few questions, then says Ben may have misunderstood Hodges. Ben doesn’t like that implication. He knows organic chemistry is where professors weed out the weaker students, so this may be the end of the road for him in pre-med already.

Sean and Meghan return bath towels a relative got them as a wedding gift, since they’re monogrammed with the wrong initials for Meghan. She’s not changing her name, and Sean is trying not to be offended. A woman named Barb suddenly takes their picture on the street, then introduces herself as a photographer for a magazine. She wants to feature Meghan as a trendsetter because of her unique shirt, which has socks for sleeves. Meghan declines, but Sean is interested in helping his wife establish a big new trend.

Professor May doesn’t arrive for her next class, and Felicity tries to get the students to stick around. A guy named Max recognizes her from the beauty pageant, where he worked the sets. Felicity lies that that wasn’t her, but he doesn’t believe her. A woman from administration arrives and tells Felicity that May was arrested for shoplifting. Oooh, you should return that scarf right away, Felicity.

Anyway, they need Felicity to take over her next few classes, until they can find a replacement professor. Felicity is hesitant, thinking the students won’t listen to her. Well, then you shouldn’t be a TA in the first place. The woman tells her she just needs to keep them busy for a few days. Show them a movie like a sub would do! They’ll love you, Felicity!

Javier hangs out at the dorm apartment, waiting for Samuel to call and beg him to come home. Noel suggests that they go see a movie, but movies remind Javier of Samuel. They can’t go to a bar for the same reason. Samuel spots a newspaper ad about a Lionel Richie concert in Atlantic City and decides it would be the perfect distraction. His first summer in America, he saw Lionel in Central Park and enjoyed every minute of the concert. He wants to feel that way again. Noel was hoping to go to the Halloween party, but Javier thinks he should avoid Felicity. He convinces Noel to go on a road trip with him.

Ben and Trevor both failed their midterm and complain to Hodges about benzene compounds being on the test. Hodges says he never said they wouldn’t be on the test. Ben asks if they can retake the test. Ha ha ha, of course not! Hodges tells them that most of the class passed, and some even got A’s, so the test wasn’t the problem. They won’t get do-overs when they become doctors.

Hodges warns that both guys are in danger of failing the class. Ben says he’s being unfair, and when Hodges tries to end the conversation, Ben calls him a [slang term for male anatomy that this show loves to use]. Unsurprisingly, Hodges kicks both Ben and Trevor out of the class.

The two go to Epstein Bar to drink away their problems. Trevor knows his dad, a surgeon, will be furious. Felicity and Trevor should talk; they have a lot in common. Ben feels bad for getting Trevor kicked out, but Trevor blames Hodges. Sean and Meghan (dressed as JFK and Jackie Kennedy) get ready for the Halloween party, talking about the shirt Meghan was wearing when they met the photographer. Sean has found someone who will manufacture them so they can sell them. Meghan doesn’t want to make money off of her unique look.

Javier and Noel arrive in Atlantic City only to find that the Lionel Richie concert is sold out. A scalper offers them tickets, but they’re $400 each. Javier’s like, “We’re in a casino – let’s just win the money ourselves.” Yes, yes, an ingenious plan! Back in New York, Felicity (dressed as a witch) complains to Elena (also a witch) that her students won’t take her seriously because she was in the pageant. Richard shows up in a homemade Darth Vader costume, hoping to win the party’s costume contest. He sets his sights on a partygoer dressed as Princess Leia.

Sean makes up with Meghan, assuring her that he knows how important it is to her to be an individual. He just feels like he needs some success while her parents hate him. Meghan says selling shirts isn’t going to help that relationship. Ben and Trevor show up drunk and ready to drink some more. Ben doesn’t want to talk about getting kicked out of class.

Javier hasn’t had any luck with slot machines, and he thinks it’s a metaphor for love – you put in your whole heart and you lose. With Lionel, however, you end up happy and dancing on the ceiling. Javier puts in more money, then tries to wrestle his phone away from Noel so he can call Samuel. While they’re fighting, Javier hits the jackpot.

Leia is surprisingly charmed by Darth Vader, but less impressed when he can’t get his helmet off. He goes to Elena for help. Trevor continues drinking while Ben mopes alone in Felicity’s room. Felicity joins him and he tells her that Hodges’ refusal to admit what he did reminded Ben of his father. Richard is desperate to get out of his helmet, but he won’t let Elena cut it off. This is dumb.

Tired of moping, Ben joins the party, where Trevor has passed out. Some guys are making a pyramid of beer cans on his body. Ben realizes that Trevor’s in really bad shape and tells someone to call 911. He ends up in a coma at the hospital with alcohol poisoning and a blood-alcohol level of .38. His doctor praises Ben for getting him help – if Ben hadn’t, Trevor would have died.

Back at the apartment, Richard tries to shrink his head in the freezer so the helmet will come off. Leia feels bad because she drank shots with Trevor. Richard feels worse because he can’t take off his helmet and kiss Leia. I guess Javier gambled away all the money he won, because he and Noel are in a bathroom, lamenting that they’re down to just a few pennies. Plus, Samuel still hasn’t called, so Javier’s sad. Noel reminds him that if he doesn’t play, he can’t win, but Javier knows the house always wins.

Suddenly, some luck: Lionel Richie comes in! Javier introduces himself and tells him how they came all the way from New York for a concert they don’t have tickets for. He asks Lionel to autograph his chest. Lionel would prefer paper. Javier asks for relationship advice, and Lionel tells him that, no matter what, he should always admit that his partner is right. So Javier leaves with advice and an autograph, but no tickets.

Sean has gotten a bunch of shirts, which he ordered before he told Meghan he wouldn’t pursue the sales. He doesn’t think she’s as trendsetting as she thinks she is. Meghan says he’s not exactly fashionable, so he doesn’t get to have an opinion on her look. Felicity starts a critique session in class, but Max wants to keep mocking her for being in the pageant. He thinks she was participating in the objectification of women. He also thinks she got her TA position as a prize. Another student tells Felicity that since artists have to fight the pressures of commercialism, she should be ashamed of herself for selling out. They shouldn’t have to hear her opinions.

Ben approaches Hodges to let him know that Trevor’s in the hospital. They came to Hodges for help, but he didn’t give it. Ben doesn’t care about the class anymore, but he thinks Hodges should have just admitted he screwed up. At Epstein Bar, Noel urges Javier to call Samuel and work things out. Javier doesn’t know how Noel can live without the person he loves. Just as he’s about to make the call, Samuel calls first and apologizes. Javier tells him about his trip, but Samuel thinks he’s lying. Noel reminds Javier to use Lionel’s advice. Okay, maybe not in this situation, though.

Felicity complains to Elena about her class – the students have been singing the Miss America theme song when she walks in the room. Elena tells her to stop apologizing for who she is and what she’s done. Plenty of people screw up on their way to figuring out who they are. Felicity should own her mistakes and get strength from them instead.

So Felicity wears her evening gown to class, leaning into her win for best evening wear. She invites her students to ask questions (in other words, daring them to comment). As she’s about to start class, Cavallo shows up – he’s taking over the class. He asks if she always dresses like this for class or if she’s just celebrating his first day. Heh. Meghan goes to class and is annoyed to be sitting between students wearing her look. I guess Sean was right and she’s not as unique as she thinks she is. Back at the loft, she puts her Jackie Kennedy costume back on and tells Sean it’s her new look (but he’d better not steal it).

Ben goes to see Trevor and runs into Hodges, who’s also visiting. He appreciates how Ben handled the medical emergency and admits that he could have been more helpful to his students. And yes, he might have said that benzenes wouldn’t be on the test. Ben is no longer kicked out of organic chemistry. As Hodges leaves, he says he has a son Ben’s age. I bet that son hates Hodges, too.

Ben tells his Al-Anon group that when he was a kid, his dad would disappear for days, then pretend nothing had happened. Kids always want to help, so maybe that’s why Ben wants to be a doctor – to help people. In this situation, something good is coming out of something bad. He visits Trevor, who’s now awake, and tells him that Hodges is letting them back in the class. When Ben leaves, Felicity is waiting for him. Ben tells the group that now he feels like he can succeed. Maybe it’s not about who does the best academically, but who cares the most.

Thoughts: Anel Lopez Gorham, who plays Leia, is married to Christopher Gorham (Trevor).

Hodges was a jerk about the test, but not in kicking Ben out of the class. You don’t call a professor that word! Kicking Trevor out was too far, though. He didn’t say anything.

The witchy/goth look really works for Keri Russell.

’00s music alert: Nikka Costa’s “Everybody Got Their Something” (again)

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