September 26, 2020
Felicity 2.16, Revolutions: Get in Good Trouble
Felicity the activist
Summary: Ben is trying to study for Noel’s class while working at Dean & DeLuca. Felicity suggests that he ask Noel if he needs help, but Ben doesn’t like that idea. Javier alerts the two of them to the fact that his ex has just entered the restaurant. Javier had a “crunch” on the ex, who fell too in love with Javier. Javier wants Ben to pretend they’re dating. Ben says no, but Javier ignores him and starts acting like they’re together. Then he realizes the ex is someone else. Felicity cracks up.
Back in her dorm, Felicity annoys Meghan by using a squeaky highlighter while studying. Burky drops by with a book full of business cards from the restaurants he’d like Felicity to pick from for their first date together. Felicity starts to turn him down gently, but Burky stops her, warning that he’ll jump out the window if she uses the word “flattered.” “Flattered,” Meghan says dryly. Fortunately, Felicity’s saved when Julie comes by to invite her to get donuts. Burky leaves as well, telling Meghan that, for the record, she scares him. Mission accomplished, I assume.
Donuts having been acquired, Julie asks Felicity if she ever has nightmares. Felicity says she had one recently about Megan’s box. Julie confides that she’s been having trouble sleeping lately because she keeps having nightmares about Zach. Felicity suggests that she see a counselor at the health center. Julie has already tried that, but she doesn’t feel ready to go back yet.
The health center is busy, so when a student named Leila comes in for an appointment, there’s only one available. She tells Felicity she needs a morning-after pill. Felicity offers to try to get her an earlier appointment so she doesn’t have to spend the whole day anxious.
But Greg, who’s studying for the MCAT, tells Felicity that the health center’s policy has changed and they can’t administer the morning-after pill anymore. Greg personally hates the change, but he has to go along with it to keep the health center up and running. Felicity gives Leila the bad news and offers her a list of local doctors who can help her. Leila doesn’t have insurance, which is why she’s there. She complains that the school is supposed to provide women’s services but is instead limiting their options.
Noel runs a class discussion that Ben tries to participate in, but it’s clear that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Ruby’s still in the class, and she and Noel are still on the outs. Noel thanks Ben for at least trying to contribute to the discussion, since hardly anyone else in the class does. He offers to give Ben any help he needs.
Felicity tells Greg that she feels horrible about having to turn down Leila’s request. She’s done some research and discovered that every other school health center in the city distributes the morning-after pill. Plus, that pill is basically a bigger dose of birth control, which the health center does distribute. So what’s the issue?
Greg says that some articles about the morning-after pill and RU-486 (the “abortion pill”) upset the trustees, so they’ve banned any form of post-sex contraceptive. Greg tried to fight them, but the trustees get final say. Felicity doesn’t like having to tell students that the administration is making decisions for them. Greg doesn’t, either, and he also doesn’t like the funding cuts and the fact that they can’t treat non-students. He has to pick his battles.
Felicity tells Pavone about the situation, complaining that Greg doesn’t seem to be taking her point of view seriously. She gets that he can’t fight every battle that comes along, but why not this one? Pavone tells her she’s presumptuous – just because she thinks something’s important doesn’t mean that everyone else does. Greg’s right, and he can’t fight this battle. Felicity’s not going to change anything but saying the same stuff over and over. Obviously, Pavone is implying that if Greg won’t fight the battle, Felicity should.
Felicity reads up on protests, including some successful sit-ins arranged by University of New York students. She goes to see Leila, who got her needs met by Planned Parenthood, and tells her about the sit-ins. One only took three days, so Felicity thinks she can arrange one on her own. She invites Leila to join, if she wants, and Leila immediately agrees.
The two of them and Elena start things off in the health-center lobby. They make some signs and wait for the participants they’ve recruited to join them. Burky comes by to pick up some medication (Elena teases that it’s Viagra) and scoffs at their low turnout. He tells them he’ll bring enough people to really make things happen.
Ben and Noel grab lunch together, talking about some topic from class. Well, Noel’s talking. Ben’s kind of listening. The sit-in slowly grows as Felicity and Leila make calls to try to get more participants. Leila manages to get in touch with someone from the New York Times. That was fast. There’s only, like, ten people protesting!
Greg calls Felicity away from the protest and tells her it’s starting to disrupt the health center’s operations. That’s kind of the point, buddy. He tells her that the head of Student Services is coming by that afternoon, and Greg needs to look good as the director of the health center. Felicity tells him she’ll completely understand if he wants to distance himself from the protest. But Greg wants a letter of recommendation for med school from this guy, and he needs to protest to end now. He warns that the participants could really harm their futures by continuing it.
Burky hands out fliers about the protest to students and random people on the street. Noel and Ben have taken their study session to Noel’s apartment, where Ben says this is more work than he ever did in high school. He basically coasted back then while he spent his time partying and doing sports and hanging out with girls. Noel’s high school experience was completely different. Wow, who would have guessed?
Felicity, Elena, and Leila hang up a banner in the health center that says “There’s got to be a morning after.” Creative. The movement has grown, and when Simmons, the head of Student Services, arrives to meet with Greg, he has to step over people sitting on the stairs and all over the lobby. Julie calls to find out what’s going on, and Felicity, concerned with what this all will do to Greg, tells her they might be done soon.
The other students have no plans of backing down. One guy (he’s only credited as Long-Haired Guy, despite not having long hair; I’ll call him Hal – explanation below) hands out a brochure he put together for a previous protest, telling students what to do in case they get arrested. Felicity thinks they should change tactics, maybe with a petition. If they continue the sit-in, they could be there for days, and they still might not get what they want. Leila and Elena refuse to call things off. Just then, Burky arrives with a ton of new protesters.
That night, some people chant outside the building: “There’s no laughter without the morning after! We’ll stay until we get that pill!” Julie and Ruby have both joined the protest, and Elena’s a little surprised, since Ruby’s having a baby. She doesn’t think Ruby realizes how much her life is going to change. Felicity tells the protesters that the administration won’t talk to them, so they’re going to have to keep going. The event continues with a cheer from Penny and Stacy and a singalong of “We Shall Not Be Moved,” led by Hal. Sean films everything.
Ben and Noel are either unaware of the protest or are staying out of it – they’re drinking and playing video games at Noel’s place. (I think they’re playing Mortal Kombat.) They’re pretty drunk, which is probably why Ben thinks it’s a good move to throw Noel’s next beer to him before he’s ready to catch it. He nails Noel in the head, then laughs. Noel accuses Ben of doing it on purpose. Ben offers to let Noel hit him back, and though Noel refuses at first, eventually he decks Ben. Soon it’s an all-out fight, mirrored by their video-game characters.
Greg is in trouble for not stopping the protest, so he’s most likely not going to get a letter of recommendation from Simmons. He knows the school won’t give in – they rely too much on money from the trustees, no matter what strings come attached. Felicity feels bad about the consequences Greg is facing for the protest, but she’s not shutting it down. He gets it.
Everyone settles in for the night, either sleeping or studying on the floor. Julie wakes up from a nightmare, and Felicity suggests again that she see a counselor. She feels better when she makes tapes to Sally; letting out what she’s feeling is enough to help. Julie wants to find a way to feel better, but something about the idea scares her.
Ben and Noel have fallen asleep/passed out at the apartment, and in the morning, they both have hangovers and bruises. Ben makes a hangover remedy from lime juice, tomato juice, eggs, and baking soda. They acknowledge that they fought the night before but don’t agree on who won.
Sean tries to document a new day at the protest, getting an establishing shot of the health-center building, but that requires standing in traffic, and he just gets honked at. Meghan takes her time in the bathroom, ignoring the huge line outside the door, as people play hacky sack and try to entertain themselves in various ways. There’s practically a record scratch when Ruby spots a new face in the crowd: Edward.
Sullivan, who’s with the school’s administration, has known Edward for a while and wants him to teach a course next semester. He gets Edward to sit down with Felicity and Greg to resolve the protest. Edward didn’t know anything about it until Sullivan called and told him to read about it in the paper. Felicity’s father reminds her that she’s working at the health center as a punishment; she can’t get out of trouble by getting in more trouble. Dude, she’s not trying to get out of trouble. Did you actually read what the protest is about?
Sullivan asks Felicity to shut everything down in exchange for the administration reviewing the policy on post-sex contraception. Edward says he talked to the dean, and this is the best the protesters can hope for. Worst-case scenario: Felicity loses her RA position, gets expelled, or gets arrested. Is this worth winding up with a police record? She needs to end things before they get out of control.
Felicity refuses. She knows the possible consequences and she’s willing to face them. She’s not the only person involved here, and Edward can’t make her stop this just because he wants her to. She’s not a kid anymore. Felicity thanks Sullivan for the offer of compromise, but she doesn’t think it’s appropriate. Sullivan turns to Greg, who’s now fully on Felicity’s side. He’s asked for a bunch of things at the health center that just get stalled at the review stage. The protest seems to be the only way to bring about change.
The press has arrived, so Leila pulls Felicity out of the meeting to talk to them. Felicity’s nervous about it and asks Leila to give an interview, but Leila doesn’t want her parents to find out she’s having sex. Julie reminds Felicity that she was okay talking to the protesters, so she can handle this.
Ben and Noel keep studying while drinking the hangover cure. Once they’ve covered everything, they agree to never study together again. They come across Felicity’s live interview on TV, where she talks about women having the right to choose how to handle their health needs. Felicity struggles to get her thoughts together, so Julie speaks up. She notes that one reason to take the morning-after pill is comfort. A woman who’s been raped might need it for peace of mind.
Julie reveals that she was raped, and one of the fears as a result was that she was pregnant. When the health center distributed the morning-after pill last year, Julie was able to take it and feel like it was one less thing to worry about. It’s peace of mind for women’s partners, too, so they don’t have to face an unplanned pregnancy. When the interview is over, Felicity praises Julie for her courage.
The sit-in continues, and Elena is even able to use her patented study method despite being surrounded by people. Felicity thanks Greg for siding with the protesters. He tells her he’s wanted to change a lot of things but has never actually done anything to try to make the changes. The dean calls, having seen Julie’s interview, and says that a trustee, who also saw the interview, is now pretending this was all a misunderstanding. Long story short, the protesters have won. Also, Greg may get his letter of recommendation after all. He and Felicity kiss, then get awkward about it.
Felicity tells the protesters that thanks to their efforts and Julie’s interview, the administration has caved. There’s an impromptu dance party and Sean hoists Felicity up in the air. Burky thinks Felicity kissed Greg and complains that it’s not fair, since Burky tried so hard to get her to like him. He tells Meghan, who’s mad that Felicity’s moving in on her “crunch.” Whatever, guys. Can’t you be happy for two seconds?
Thoughts: Leila is played by Keiko Agena. Hal is played by Hal Ozsan.
Until this episode, I’d completely forgotten that Burky existed. This show completely wasted Michael Peña’s talents. (Not that his career suffered or anything. I mean, he’s in a Marvel franchise. He’s fine.)
Ben’s right: Who DOES drink Mr. Pibb? Do they even still make it?
August 1, 2020
Felicity 2.8, Family Affairs: Not Talking Turkey
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a big fight in Elena’s bedroom
Summary: David surprises Felicity in her dorm room as she’s leaving a message for her parents. She told them previously that she has too much work to come home for Thanksgiving, but she thinks they don’t believe her. David suggests having a casual Thanksgiving together. They start making out on her bed (with the door open), so she puts a Post-It on the door. It doesn’t do its intended job, and Meghan comes in anyway. Felicity snaps at her, and Meghan says she was doing her a favor, but since Felicity’s being a jerk, she won’t do it. The favor was going to be to warn Felicity that her parents are in the building.
Felicity tells Sally via tape that she wants her parents to leave. She loves them, of course, but there are a lot of things she hasn’t told them about her life. The Porters meet David, then get reintroduced to Meghan, who pretends she’s really into helping the kids in the dorm and is starting a recycling campaign. She’s also wearing what looks to be lingerie as a shirt, but no one comments on that. Anyway, the Porters want to have Thanksgiving with Felicity, then do their own thing while she studies. Felicity says she and David have plans, so Barbara invites him to hang out with the family.
At Dean & DeLuca, Javier offers Ben an opportunity to make some extra money over Thanksgiving. Javier’s hosting a charity event and is so desperate for help that he’ll pay Ben and any friend he can bring along twice what he usually makes. Ben agrees and says he’ll ask Julie and Sean if they want to come along. “Do you know why I like you?” Javier replies. Ben asks why, and Javier tells him, “No, I’m asking.” They both laugh.
Felicity confides in Elena that she hasn’t told her parents that she’s dropped pre-med. She’s afraid of how he’ll react. Noel tells them that Ruby isn’t going to make it back from her movie set for the holiday, so Noel and Elena will be spending the day together. Elena invites Felicity, her parents, and David over, suggesting that it’ll take the pressure off of them. They’ll just have a party.
Julie and Sean are up for Javier’s event; they’ll just have dinner together at the loft afterward. Javier has them all sign contracts, since the last time he got servers to help him, they all took silverware home with them. Sean asks for an exclusivity clause so he can serve Smoothaise. Ben describes it as “not so bad.” It’s then that he learns that the charity event is being organized by Maggie.
Felicity takes her parents to Epstein Bar, trying to pass it off as a café instead of the pub it is. Barbara claims to like Felicity’s hair. She and Edward ask questions about David, curious about why she hasn’t mentioned this guy she’s been seeing for a month and was going to spend Thanksgiving with. Then Edward asks about Felicity’s pre-med courses. She finally comes clean about dropping the major and switching to art classes.
Edward asks about all the changes Felicity has made in her life – her hair, her courses, her older boyfriend. She tells her parents there are a lot of things they don’t know about her life. She feels judged, so she ditches them. Back at the dorm, Meghan is trying to fill community service hours by getting food for everyone who’s staying in the dorm over break. Burky asks for stuffing without raisins. David’s there again, but Felicity has to leave for work. She tells him they’re having Thanksgiving at Noel and Elena’s. David asks to bring another guest – his mother. She wants to meet Felicity’s parents.
Ben goes to Maggie’s catering space and tells her to move her event somewhere else. She says it was her husband’s decision to have it there. Ben tells her he met her husband when he came in to order a cake for their anniversary. He can’t be the other man anymore. Maggie says she never meant to keep anything from Ben, but her relationship with her husband is complicated. She knows the party will be weird, but she misses Ben and would like him to be there.
Barbara goes to Dean & DeLuca, where Javier is thrilled to meet her for the first time. She tells Felicity that David seems great, and she shouldn’t have implied that they’re moving too fast. She’s looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with him and getting to know him better. Barbara has even bought him a gift from a museum gift shop, knowing he likes photography. It seems Edward isn’t as happy about David, though.
Noel objects to Professor Sherman coming to his apartment, as well as to his assignment to call her and tell her what to bring. Elena shuts him down and sends him on an errand so she can ask Felicity about her love life. Felicity thinks it’s sweet that David came by her room twice in one day, then walked her to work. Elena wonders if Felicity thinks David is getting more serious than she is. She says Felicity’s right to be freaked out about their Thanksgiving plans, and it’s weird that David isn’t, too. She’ll be able to see if they’re on the same page by watching how he reacts to Barbara’s gift.
Speaking of freaking out, Ben is trying to convince himself that the party won’t be weird, what with his secret lover and her husband both there. He tells Julie and Sean everything will be okay. They don’t care – they just want to take home the leftovers. Also, Julie didn’t know Maggie was married, and Sean didn’t know her husband would be there. The husband, Charlie, officially introduces himself to the three of them, recognizing Ben as the guy who sold him the cake. He says he wife loved it.
Felicity and David make pumpkin pie together at his apartment, and she gives him Barbara’s present. David reveals that he got the Porters a guide book to New York. She tells him he’s allowed to be honest about not liking the situation, but David is happy to get to know the people who brought Felicity into the world – the person he’s falling in love with.
Felicity tells Elena about this the next day, as they’re shopping at a convenience store. Felicity is surprised that David doesn’t see their relationship as casual, the way she does. Elena agrees that he’s moving too fast. Felicity realizes she’s the Ben of the situation – David has strong feelings, and Felicity has led him on. Elena tells her to talk to him about it, but not now. Thanksgiving comes first.
Professor Sherman is the first guest to arrive at Noel and Elena’s, followed closely by Felicity’s parents. Noel will have to entertain them all by himself. Sean tries to push Smoothaise on guests at the charity event, but it’s not going over well. Charlie greets the guests and thanks them for their donations for a homeless shelter. Holy cow, Maggie is cheating on the nicest guy on the planet.
Ben and Maggie end up in a back room together, and he panics about the possibility of her wanting to make out while her husband is in the next room. Maggie says she just wanted to say hi, but that doesn’t last long before she wants to kiss. Julie interrupts and tells Maggie that Charlie’s looking for her.
Elena and Felicity finally make it to the apartment, to Noel’s relief. Meghan shows up next, having never mentioned that Barbara invited her. Meghan’s excited at the possibility of Barbara getting drunk. Professor Sherman tells Felicity that she likes them together; David’s happier than he’s been in a long time. Of course, now Felicity’s going to have to ruin it by telling him (later! After Thanksgiving! Don’t cross Elena!) they’re moving too fast.
Ben thinks Julie’s mad that she caught him and Maggie together, about to do something naughty. She tells him she doesn’t want to run interference for him again, then asks if Maggie’s worth it. Back at the apartment, Felicity tells Elena that she doesn’t feel right waiting until tomorrow to talk to David about their relationship. Elena tells her to have some of Professor Sherman’s boozy punch and stop thinking.
Noel and Meghan note that the Porters and Professor Sherman are getting along really well. Meghan’s disappointed that no one seems likely to fight. Felicity asks her about the dinner she was organizing at the dorm. “Oh, yeah,” Meghan says, remembering. Cut to the dorm, where Burky and three other students are waiting at a table, hungry.
David arrives for dinner, and Noel, who’s been drinking the punch, tells Meghan he likes David. In one of the bedrooms, David tells Felicity he hopes he didn’t overwhelm her the night before when he shared his feelings. “Are you guys fighting in there?” Meghan calls to them across the apartment. “If you are, talk louder!” Heh. David tells Felicity they’ll talk later. After Thanksgiving!
Maggie takes a break from the party to look at the snow out the window. Ben joins her and tells her they can get coffee together and talk sometime, but not now. After Thanksgiving! Charlie comes to bring Maggie back to the party, but she tells him she wants to introduce him to Ben, the person she’s been sleeping with. Charlie says she’s drunk, but Maggie seems pretty sober. She also knows that Charlie cheated on her, so she figures it’s only fair that she slept with someone else.
Off-screen, Felicity has learned that Edward wasn’t surprised to hear that she dropped pre-med. He knew she was wavering about it last year, and he’s not thrilled, but he likes that she’s happy. Plus, he really likes David, and they’ve discussed David visiting the family over Christmas. Noel asks Professor Sherman what’s in the punch, but she won’t tell him. He goes to his room to lie down. Edward turns to Elena to get his fill of science-related course talk.
Felicity needs a break from all the happiness and warmth, so she goes to Noel’s room, not realizing he’s there. He reminds her of last Thanksgiving, which feels like just a day ago to her but a million years ago to him. As they talk, their faces get close enough to kiss…which is exactly what happens. Of course, that’s right when someone walks in. Unfortunately, the person who walks in is Professor Sherman.
Noel rejoins the party first, and Felicity waits a few seconds before coming out of the bedroom. Other than Professor Sherman, Meghan seems to be the only one who notices. Felicity and Noel end up sitting next to each other, and they agree that they shouldn’t have kissed. They decide to talk about it once the punch has worn off “sometime in February.”
Everyone compliments the turkey, which Elena cooked. Meghan asks if she can keep the bones. Edward jokes that he hopes Felicity gets special treatment in Professor Sherman’s class, since she’s dating the professor’s son. Professor Sherman says no, and David quips that he’s working on it. Professor Sherman asks to speak to Felicity in another room, and Noel braces himself for a big fight. David remains clueless.
Professor Sherman tells Felicity that David had his heart broken by his last girlfriend, so Felicity needs to be honest and tell him about her and Noel. David has followed them to the bedroom and has some questions. Felicity blames the punch for a drunken kiss. Everyone else comes to the bedroom, where Meghan tries to start a big fight. David brushes off the kiss, saying his and Felicity’s relationship is casual. The parents turn on each other while Noel tries to take responsibility.
Felicity sends everyone away so she and David can discuss things on their own. She promises that she was going to tell him everything later. David thought she was over Noel, and Felicity says it’s not about him. David doesn’t believe that. He knows he freaked her out by saying he was falling in love with her. Felicity says she really likes him, but she thought they were on the same page. They were trying to keep the pressure off.
Felicity just broke up with Ben a few months ago, and she spent her whole year pursuing him and Noel. No matter how much she likes David, she can’t handle a serious relationship right now. David wishes she’d said something sooner so he didn’t make a fool of himself. I think Felicity made a bigger fool of herself, so you’re probably okay, buddy.
Ben, Julie, and Sean have dinner together at the loft, and Julie is introduced to tofurkey. Sean suggests adding Smoothaise if it’s not good, but Julie and Ben are fine with it as it is. Sean jokes that everything went really well at the party. Ben handles it well, saying he’s not heartbroken; he and Maggie just had a fling. Julie and Sean think he can learn something from the situation. They list some possible lessons, like “never date a caterer.”
Felicity walks her parents out of the party, inviting them to say something about what happened. Edward just says he wants the recipe for the punch. Barbara doesn’t think she should be embarrassed. Felicity invites them to have breakfast in the morning. Barbara appreciates being back in her life, even if it’s brief.
Thoughts: What a coincidence that no one from this friend group is going home for Thanksgiving! And for the second year in a row! It’s like how everyone on Friends always spent Thanksgiving together. Weren’t their families disappointed about that? I would think Meghan’s parents would be especially sad not to have her there. They seem like big family-holiday people.
Who puts raisins in stuffing?? That should be a criminal offense.
If I were Barbara, I would be so happy to hear Javier gushing about my daughter. I’d feel a lot better about her living across the country from me if I knew he was looking out for her.
June 27, 2020
Felicity 2.3, Ancient History: The Power of Change
LOOK WHAT SHE DIIIIIIIID!
Summary: Meghan is the first person to get to take in Felicity’s new haircut. She and I agree that it’s bad. Burky thinks she looks hot, because of course he does. Felicity makes a tape for Sally, announcing that she did something distract: She dropped pre-med. Then she backs up to talk about her new haircut, which led to a lot of huge reactions from people. Even people she didn’t know commented. Felicity has been thinking about the next step now that she’s made this big change.
A student named Ruby comes to Felicity with a major crisis but gets distracted by Felicity’s haircut. She wonders if Felicity made the change because she just went through a breakup. She likes the new Felicity. Then Ruby announces that she’s thinking about dropping out. The only class she really wanted, Norwegian landscapes, was canceled. Her grandmother’s wallpaper inspired her to study art history, and I guess Norwegian landscapes was the only class open. Felicity helps her look at some art classes, which is really more about the classes Felicity would like to take. Ruby opts for one on costumes of czarist Russia.
Now Felicity is thinking about rearranging her schedule so she can take art classes, but her pre-med schedule doesn’t leave her any time for them. She realizes she’s backed herself into a corner. Felicity daydreams about art while in a chemistry class with Elena, though she says she’s not distracted because of Ben. She’s managed to avoid him so she doesn’t think about him. Felicity mentions taking art classes, and Elena tells her not to drop pre-med. Felicity swears she isn’t…then goes to the registrar and does exactly that.
Ben and Sean are moving a bed into the loft when Julie comes home. She’s found an apartment and will be moving out of the loft at the end of the month. Sean is disappointed. Over at Noel and Elena’s, Noel tells Richard that he’s in a class with Brigid, the woman whose number he tried to get. He’s thinking about asking her out. Richard tells him sarcastically that that’s a great idea and there’s no way he’ll get rejected twice.
Elena thinks Felicity is making big changes as a knee-jerk reaction to her breakup with Ben. She’s annoyed that with Felicity out of pre-med classes, their study system will be screwed up and Elena’s GPA will suffer. Wow, who thought Elena would make this about her? That’s weird. Noel joins them at Epstein Bar and doesn’t hide how horrible he thinks Felicity’s haircut is. He keeps mocking her, so she leaves. Elena calls him out for being a jerk.
Felicity tells Sally that she obviously feels bad for how things turned out with Noel, but she’s not going to let him beat up on her. Noel goes to the class he has with Brigid (an art class) and mentions that he tried to call her, but it turns out the number she gave him was for a pizza place. Ouch. He tells her he’s going to ask for her number again, and she should know that he’s in the mood for Chinese food. Noel has finally stopped being stiff and awkward, and Brigid might not be as turned off as she was before. Of course, Felicity ends up in their class, so…here comes the awkwardness again.
The professor, Annie Sherman, pairs up the students for an assignment, and Felicity winds up with Brigid. She warns everyone that they’ll be starting critiques at the end of the week, so newcomers need to thicken their skin now. After class, Noel complains that he and Felicity are in the same class. Brigid tells Felicity she’ll call her, and Noel tells Brigid he’ll call her. He and Felicity agree to keep their distance from each other.
Ruby asks Meghan’s advice on what kind of computer she should get. Felicity is much better at this sort of thing, so Meghan and Ruby are both happy when she gets home. Meghan suggests that Ruby consult Noel, since he knows computers. Felicity claims she lost his new number, but Meghan says he’s in the school directory. By the way, she’s shaving her armpits in the room.
At the loft, Sean and Ben interview a potential new roommate. Ben likes him but Sean isn’t impressed (because he’s not Julie, I’m guessing). He thinks the guy’s flippy hair means he won’t respect the loft. Ben reminds him that Julie isn’t staying, so they have to move on. Felicity and Brigid sketch each other in a park, and Brigid gives Felicity some encouragement about displaying her work for the first time. She brings up Noel, saying she’s happy to go to dinner with him, but she doesn’t want him to pursue a relationship that won’t go anywhere. Brigid’s already seeing someone – a woman.
Noel complains to Richard that Felicity and Brigid were paired up for the assignment. Richard says Felicity’s trying to sabotage any relationship Noel might develop with Brigid. I think he’s being sarcastic again, but Richard’s sarcastic voice and his regular voice are very similar. Ruby shows up to talk computers, and Richard thinks this is another move Felicity’s making to mess with Noel.
Felicity tells Elena that Noel asked Brigid out to the same restaurant where he took her on their first date. Elena accuses her of being jealous, which Felicity denies. Elena reminds Felicity that they’re ancient history, and she needs to move on. Also, she’s mad that Felicity left her without a lab partner, so now she has to do more work in chemistry.
Julie’s already packing for her move, even though it’s a week and a half away. Ben offers his help and they make some friendly small talk. She teases that she wrote some music over the summer, including a song called “When Ben Dies.” Heh. She asks how he’s doing, knowing that he’s struggling with his breakup. She knows he’ll get over it eventually.
Felicity tells Sally that she’s been single for a week, and sometimes she actually feels like she might get over Ben. Or maybe she’ll just learn to live with it. Brigid meets up with Noel before class and asks if they can get together to talk later. She mentions that she talked to Felicity about him, making him curious about what Felicity might have said. Felicity tells him to talk to Brigid instead of her. Noel asks about Felicity sending Ruby to him, then tells her they’re not friends, so she can’t discuss him with other people. They were going to avoid each other, but now Felicity’s everywhere.
Felicity offers to drop the class, and though it doesn’t seem like she’s serious, she actually goes back to the registrar to do it. But the class is a prerequisite and the other sections are full, so Felicity’s stuck. She wishes the registrar could be as supportive now as she was when Felicity dropped pre-med. The registrar is like, “I’m not your mom or your therapist. Take the class.”
Julie runs into her soon-to-be roommate, Susan, downtown and gets the news that Susan’s sister is going to move in with her. Looks like Julie’s staying in the loft, which will make Sean very happy. Felicity goes to Noel and Elena’s apartment to tell Noel that she didn’t drop the class they have together. She thinks they can find a way to get through the class without annoying each other. She offers to find a new partner, but Noel says he doesn’t care if she works with Brigid. The class isn’t the issue – just seeing her reminds him that she chose Ben over him.
Noel is tired of apologies and sympathetic looks from everyone who knows Felicity dumped him. He just wants an explanation. Why did Felicity make the choice she made? Felicity knows she can’t say anything that will make things between them okay. Would he feel better if she told him she chose wrong and shouldn’t have gone with Ben? Noel thinks she’s only considering that because Ben broke her heart.
Ben and Sean’s next potential roommate is in cooking school, so he makes the guys omelets to see how he likes their kitchen. Julie comes home but doesn’t tell the guys that she no longer has a new place to move into. Noel and Ruby are both at Epstein Bar, sitting separately, and he approaches her to apologize for the way he acted when she showed up at his apartment. They talk about computers and he learns that she’s a Mac person. Ugh, not this again.
Elena tells Felicity she’s been waiting for her to realize she made a mistake and come back to pre-med. Now she knows Felicity’s never coming back. Felicity promises that she’s not abandoning Elena and their friendship won’t change. Elena complains again about not having a lab partner, like, just get a new partner! Sheesh! Elena wonders why Felicity is turning her back on something she supposedly loved. Well, obviously, Felicity didn’t love it. Elena admires a drawing she’s working on and says she’s proud of Felicity for sticking to the tough decision she made.
On Friday, the art class starts critiques, kicking off with Felicity’s sketch of two hands. Professor Sherman says it doesn’t feel like a composition; it’s two distinct forms. There’s no sense of the subject. No one gives Felicity any positive feedback, and Noel feels bad for her. He tries to offer up some encouragement but Professor Sherman shoots him down.
After class, Felicity thanks Noel for trying to defend her. He says he was being honest. She thinks she made a mistake dropping pre-med; she’s not as good at drawing as she thought she was. She’s glad she hasn’t told her parents about her decisions yet. Noel promises that she’s not having a psychotic break, like Burky suggested. Felicity thinks that if she were, her friends would tell her she wasn’t. Noel tells her that Professor Sherman is hard on her students, so she shouldn’t take it personally. Also, her hair isn’t that bad.
Even though Noel said he doesn’t want any more apologizes, Felicity tells him how sorry she is for hurting him. He was one of the people she was closest to. She understands why he never wants to talk to her again. Noel tells her that Brigid’s a lesbian (which Felicity already knew), so that relationship isn’t going anywhere.
At the loft, the three residents go about their morning routines, moving around each other like they’ve gotten used to doing. Ben, who was most excited about bringing in a new roommate (especially one who cooks), realizes that he likes things the way they are. Julie should feel welcome to stay, if she wants. She casually says that would be great.
Felicity and Noel run into each other outside her room but don’t avoid each other. She tells him she likes drawing, no matter how bad she is at it, and she hopes that someday she’ll improve. She invites him to come in and chat, but Noel has plans…with Ruby. So things are okay between Felicity and Noel, and Noel is moving on, but that might not be a good thing after all. Sally sends back a tape, approving of Felicity’s courage in doing something she’s always wanted to do. Sally believes in the power of change and knows that the hardest part of moving forward is not looking back.
Thoughts: Ruby is played by Amy Smart.
I always thought people were upset that Keri Russell cuff off her curls, but now I think they were really upset that the results looked so bad. If I had that haircut, I would stay home until it grew out. I definitely wouldn’t display it on national TV.
I love when Meghan causes trouble just for the heck of it.
June 20, 2020
Felicity 2.2, The List: The Monkey in the Room
Felicity must have borrowed that dress, because there’s no way she had it already
Summary: Felicity looks around her room for her tape recorder, then starts playing the tape inside – the one Ben listened to where she admits that she might be in love with him. Meghan comes in, trying to avoid a guy on their floor, and Felicity accuses her of listening to the tape. It’s the same invasion of privacy that would occur if Felicity looked in Meghan’s box. Meghan thinks she’s making a confession. She asks Felicity to play her tape, and then Meghan will let her look in the box so they can decide which is the bigger invasion. Felicity gives in and plays part of the tape. Meghan isn’t impressed and reneges on her part of the deal.
Felicity starts a new tape for Sally about how well the first week of her sophomore year went. They hold a floor meeting, where Felicity tells everyone how great they’ve been. “Except for you. You’re weird,” Meghan tells the guy who was bugging her earlier. Burky brings up a concern, saying he’s laughing on the outside but crying on the inside. For some reason, Meghan doesn’t just throw him out.
A girl named Gretchen starts crying and says she can’t handle this anymore. She runs off and Felicity decides to go after her, though Meghan says Gretchen just wants attention. Felicity ignores her and follows Gretchen to her room, where she confides that she’s having problems with her boyfriend. He doesn’t like to talk, so Gretchen wants to use advice from Girl World magazine to win him back. Step 1: Seduce him over the phone. There’s also something about putting blush on her nipples. I don’t know.
Felicity tells Gretchen that she shouldn’t pretend to be someone she’s not to keep her boyfriend interested. He should like her for her, not because she’s acting like a girl some magazine made up. Gretchen asks if Felicity has a boyfriend; Felicity says they’re just starting out. Gretchen likes the beginning of a relationship, when things are still fresh. Her boyfriend used to leave her notes. Then one day, he gave her a funny look and never left another note.
Felicity tells Sally that she hasn’t noticed a funny look from Ben yet, but she also doesn’t want to over-analyze things. At Dean & DeLuca, they discuss their plans for that night, dinner and a movie. Things seem totally fine and normal with them, and Felicity says she loves being with him. Then Ben gets a funny look. Now Felicity’s going to over-analyze everything while pretending she’s not.
Ben and Sean meet up at a pretzel stand and talk about Felicity’s tape. Sean says it’s always going to be a monkey in the room, no matter how hard Ben tries to forget about it. Ben corrects that it’s supposed to be an elephant in the room, and Sean points out that neither is normal. Felicity is differentiating between Ben and Sally like Ben is a customer and Sally is a colleague. With Ben, she acts like everything’s great, but she tells Sally the full truth. Ben doesn’t want to make a big deal out of the tape, so Sean wonders why Ben told him about it in the first place.
Noel and Elena hang out together at Epstein Bar, discussing how many women Noel has slept with. Elena encourages him to move on and find someone new, since Felicity has. He agrees to ask out their waitress. Oh, honey, no. Not while she’s working. He approaches her…and chickens out, asking for a straw instead of her number. Keep in mind that he doesn’t even have a drink to put the straw in. Noel worries he’s lost his moves. Elena reminds him that he was with someone in Berlin, but Noel doesn’t think that counts, since she was drunk and he was desperate.
Julie wants to throw a party in the loft, but Sean won’t approve her plans. She wins him over by suggesting that they charge $5 a head and split the profits. Sean says they make a good team, but before he can take that idea somewhere, Julie heads off to use the party as an excuse to talk to a cute guy in one of her classes.
Back at Dean & DeLuca, Felicity shows Ben the pictures they took on their road trip. He couldn’t be less interested in them, but he looks through them anyway. Felicity notices his funny look again and asks if something’s wrong. Ben says it has nothing to do with their relationship. Felicity calls his bluff, guessing that he’s not happy. He admits that he’s not. He isn’t sure if the relationship is what he wants right now.
Felicity tells Elena everything, saying she should have known this would happen. Elena says she was just following her heart. Ben’s a guy, and guys never do anything that makes sense. At the loft, Ben tells Sean that he never admitted to Felicity that he listened to the tape. Sean thinks that would have made things worse. Ben worries that he made a mistake. Before he can continue, Julie comes home.
Felicity runs into Gretchen, who’s wearing skimpy clothes in an attempt at a “high-voltage look.” That’s #6 on the list of ways to get her boyfriend back. He called her, so she thinks it’s working. Gretchen did try Felicity’s advice…for a couple of hours. Felicity thinks the boyfriend called because he missed Gretchen, not because of the list, but Gretchen disagrees. She gives Felicity a magazine and suggests an outfit inside that will impress Ben.
Noel steels himself to ask out the waitress, but she guesses ahead of time why he’s there and shuts him down. He mopes home to Elena, who wants to critique his technique. Said technique involves standing 50 feet away and hoping a hot woman notices him. No wonder he’s single. Elena gets him to practice his asking-out methods on her, but he doesn’t do well, so they switch places. That doesn’t go well, either. Elena suggests that they go to Julie’s party so Noel can practice Elena’s technique.
Burky drops by Felicity and Meghan’s room to ask Felicity out to dinner. She calls him a pest and a gnat. Burky pretends not to get that she’s not interested, but he eventually leaves. Felicity goes back to looking at pictures from the road trip. At the same time, Ben is looking at a picture of the two of them, which leads him to visit Felicity.
She confirms that they both enjoyed the road trip, then asks what changed. He says he just feels a lot of pressure from her – he’s not sure he can live up to her expectations. Felicity denies having expectations, but Ben knows she wants someone committed for the long term. A lot of the pressure comes from knowing that she thinks she might be in love…or whatever.
Felicity’s confused, so Ben admits that he listened to her tape. She tells him she was talking without thinking. Ben says that makes it worse, because she was being totally honest. He wants to forget all about it. Felicity says she deserves an explanation, but Ben says she makes everything into a huge deal. She’s like, “You invading my privacy isn’t a huge deal?” He just says they’re not going to be able to make things work.
The next day, Felicity apologizes to Meghan for accusing her of listening to the tape when it was really Ben. Meghan says that’s classic Ben, and Felicity must feel really stupid. Felicity tells Sally that instead, she feels lost. She turns to Gretchen’s list, starting with #5, “go where the action is.” She puts on a nice red dress (a “high-voltage look”) for Julie’s party, then moves to #7 on the list into action, letting Ben see her with another guy. That guy? Burky.
Tim, the guy Julie has a crush on, tells Sean at the door that she said he could come to the party without paying. Sean isn’t familiar with that arrangement and charges him. (Also, they doubled the charge from $5 to $10.) Tim quickly finds Julie, and it looks like at least two people on this show have been able to make a romantic connection without magazine tips or role-playing.
Elena points Noel in the direction of a partygoer and reminds him that his only mission right now is to get her name. He makes small talk with the woman, Brigid, but she’s not at all interested in him. Felicity arrives with Burky, and all three of the steps she’s put into practice work. Ben can’t take his eyes off of her. Julie has realized that Tim is weird, so she doesn’t like him anymore. She asks Sean to save her.
Felicity voices over to Sally that as soon as she got to the party, she wanted to leave. The list only changes how you look, not how you feel. #9 on the list is “stay icily indifferent,” which Felicity knows will be a problem. When Ben approaches her, she agrees to go off and talk with him. Meanwhile, Noel gets Brigid’s number (probably a fake) and watches Felicity and Ben leave the party together.
Ben tells Felicity she looks great, then apologizes for listening to the tape. They make out. #10 on the list is “don’t let him see you care,” and Felicity decides that she might show her feelings too easily. She tells Ben they can take things slowly without any expectations. Yeah, that’ll definitely work out. They make out some more.
Julie and Sean split their money at Epstein Bar, each walking away with $700. She’s grateful that Sean okay’d the party, and that he doubled the charge and got rid of Tim for her. She appreciates how nice Sean always is to her. He wants to hang out that night, but Julie has a date with another guy. If you ask me, it looks like Sean likes Julie.
Felicity tells Sally that, disturbingly, she’s getting what she wants by acting like someone she isn’t. She and Ben have plans to go to a Charlie Chaplin movie in Bryant Park, but Ben doesn’t show up. At Dean & DeLuca the next day, he tells her he forgot. Felicity pretends it’s not a big deal. Now she wonders if there are other parts of her that she’ll give up, making her someone else.
Gretchen comes by Felicity’s room and announces that her boyfriend dumped her. Even the blush on the nipples didn’t work. Wow, no way! Gretchen feels dumb for trying the list in the first place. She wonders how Felicity has been able to continue being herself, never compromising who she is for some guy.
Felicity tracks down Ben and tells him she can’t be with him if she’s not completely herself. She’s an emotional person, and she needs to be able to express those emotions. The thing is that Ben knows that about her and pursued her anyway. He saw something in her but isn’t strong enough to handle it, which makes him a coward. Felicity knows that one day he’ll realize what he missed, but it’ll be too late. Ben doesn’t know how to respond, but Felicity’s not surprised.
She heads to her dorm and puts away all the photos from the trip, wanting to let go of her old dreams. She’s ready to move on and see what else is out there. Of course, what’s out there is Burky, so maybe she should take her time. She apologizes for using Burky to make Ben jealous, but Burky’s been through that before. He’s totally willing to be used.
Felicity knows there’s a difference between saying you’re going to let go and actually doing it. She shows she means it by going to get a haircut. She wants to make a change for herself, not for a guy or because a list suggested it. Looks like there’s going to be a new Felicity, y’all!
Thoughts: I really have to call him Burky? Ugh.
Ben, you ruined Felicity’s relationship with Noel, and now you don’t want her? What’s wrong with you?? Wait, hold up. This is exactly what happened with J.D. and Elliot on Scrubs, when he got her away from Sean, then didn’t want her anymore. AND SEAN WAS PLAYED BY SCOTT FOLEY.
How does Noel, who’s had at least two women interested in him, have such little game? He needs a lot more help than Elena can give him.
The scene at the movie makes me itchy because no one’s social distancing or wearing masks.
June 13, 2020
Felicity 2.1, Sophomoric: New Year, New Hostilities
The one relationship that hasn’t changed
Summary: We left Felicity in a cab, about to decide where to go, but instead of finding out what her decision was, we start out with her telling her story to…Javier! He’s back! Before she can tell him her decision, she gets summoned to her dorm for a floor meeting. She and Meghan became RAs after all. Javier threatens to kill Felicity if she doesn’t tell him which guy she chose. Felicity doesn’t take him seriously. She congratulates him on getting his visa, then runs off.
Felicity makes a tape for Sally in her new room. When she first got back, she only thought of her two guys and the consequences of her actions last year. Things felt chaotic, and her only comfort was knowing that, as an RA, she would get a single room. Felicity arrives at the dorm too late for the RA meeting and asks another RA, Nancy, to give her a recap. Nancy tells her that asbestos was found in one of the dorms, so everyone on campus has to double or triple up. Felicity still has a single room, but she has to share it…with Meghan. Neither is happy about it.
Felicity tells Sally it won’t be that bad, but she’s nervous about having to advise almost 50 people. She and Meghan hold a floor meeting to tell their new charges all the rules. Felicity keeps is all business, while Meghan adds comments, which honestly I would prefer more. Tell me where the bad food is! A student asks if she can get a prescription filled on campus, and Meghan asks her what it’s for. It’s birth control, and Felicity says she can get it filled, but Meghan says not to take Felicity’s advice on sex, since she’s only had it once.
After the meeting, Felicity slams Meghan for disclosing her sexual history to a bunch of strangers. Meghan wonders if one person is really a history. She adds that no one cares. A guy named Brian Burke (AKA Burky) congratulates them on how well they ran the meeting, then asks for confirmation that Felicity has only had sex once. It sounds like he wants to be Felicity’s second. Felicity decides to ask to transfer to another room.
Julie returns to school, running into Sean, who’s trying to sell what he calls a freshman packet. It’s a kit that contains things like maps, condoms, energy bars, and aspirin. Neither has seen Ben all summer. Julie has a new outlook and a single room, and hopes to have fun this year. Sean invites her to come over and visit once she gets settled in her dorm. She tells him to drop the price of his packets. Inside, Julie learns that she’s gone from having her own room to having two roommates, very talkative twins named Penny and Stacy.
Felicity tells Sally that New York doesn’t feel the way it used to. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t seen her friends yet. Or maybe Meghan put a hex on her. She goes to housing to try to get out of her living situation, but her only option is applying to live with another RA. Julie’s there for the same reason. She and Felicity are in the same place for the first time since May, but are now enemies instead of friends.
Ben and Noel arrive in the hallway where Felicity’s sitting at the same time. Noel walks past without talking to either of them, but Ben goes up to Felicity…and kisses her. So that answers that question. Someone tell Javier! We go back to Felicity in the cab, telling the driver to take her to the international terminal at the airport. She ultimately went off with Ben, but she first wanted to go with Noel. She’s back with Javier, telling him her decision. She stopped the driver and asked to go to Ben’s place instead. Javier thinks she should have gone with Noel instead.
Felicity says this was a good chance to get to know what Ben is really like. They didn’t sleep together, by the way. Ben joins the two and realizes Felicity’s telling Javier all about them. Felicity admits that she hasn’t talked to Noel or Julie all summer. She called Noel once while he was in Berlin, but a woman answered. Javier thinks he deserves happiness since Felicity broke his heart. She feels like whatever coldness he has toward her is justified. Javier thinks things will be okay if they just talk.
Sean thanks Julie for making him lower the price on the packets, since now he’s sold a bunch. She complains about her new cheerleader roommates, so he offers to let her stay in the loft for a while. Julie knows that would be a horrible idea. Yeah, no kidding.
Felicity finishes up her tape as Ben joins her in her room. He asks what she told Sally about them, but Felicity doesn’t want to share the details. She does say that she asked if Sally thinks Julie or Noel will ever forgive her. Ben asks if she thinks her decision to go with him was a mistake. Felicity just says she wishes the whole situation weren’t so complicated. Then they make out.
Later, Sean asks Ben if it would be weird if Julie moved in with them. Ben says no, but Julie might feel uncomfortable since he and Felicity might start dating. Sean doesn’t think Felicity is the kind of woman you date – she’s the woman you marry. Sean likes her, but Ben isn’t ready to be with someone like her. She’s smart and Ben’s an idiot. A relationship would only lead to drama. Ben tells him to do what he wants about Julie, and Ben will do what he wants about Felicity.
Felicity tells Sally that after years of hoping to simply run into Ben, she now gets to make out with him. She reunites with Elena, telling Sally that Elena and Noel are roommates in an apartment above Epstein Bar. Okay, that’s weird. Felicity helps Elena move an ugly table into the apartment, then tries to leave before Noel comes home. She asks if Noel has said anything about her. Elena says no, which worries her.
Felicity tells Elena that things with Ben are going well. Of course, that’s when Noel comes home. He’s coolly polite to Felicity, and instead of acting as a buffer, Elena finds an excuse to leave. The exes make uncomfortable small talk, though Noel does say that he thinks Felicity will do well as an RA. She tells him he was good at it.
She continues that she called him in Berlin but someone else answered. Noel says it must have been Beth. He loved his time in Berlin, after he got over the thought of her and Ben together. Noel taunts that he was thinking the same things about them that he knows Felicity was just thinking about him and Beth. Yes, they slept together, and she was great. He doesn’t consider this revenge. He just wants her to know that he hooked up like she and Ben did. Shut up, Noel. Instead of shutting up, he tells her he never wants to see her again.
Felicity goes home to find Meghan recording an outgoing answering-machine message with loud music. Meghan tries to get her to talk about what’s eating at her, but Felicity doesn’t want to chat. Meghan wants to be a good roommate, having learned at Wicca camp that you get back threefold whatever you put out into the world. She invites Felicity to open up to her. Felicity explains that choosing Ben has had a bad ripple effect on everything else. She knew she would hurt Julie and Noel, but she’s just now seeing how bad it is. Meghan stops her, knowing she’ll just say something sarcastic and hurt Felicity’s feelings. So much for that.
Penny and Stacy do a cheer routine for Julie, who pretends she loves their living arrangements and doesn’t want to strangle either twin. Then she announces that she’s moving out. Felicity goes to the loft just as Julie is finishing up moving in. The former friends just greet each other but don’t talk.
At Dean & DeLuca, Felicity shares the news with Ben, who insists that he doesn’t care and it doesn’t matter and living with his ex while dating her former best friend is totally! Normal! Javier tells Ben to stop flirting and work. Ben makes a date with Felicity for that night, making her worry that he’s going to break up with her. She’s exhausted and this is only her first week back.
Julie and Elena hang out at Epstein Bar, discussing Julie’s new living situation. Elena knows it’s going to get ugly. Julie disagrees, since she doesn’t think Felicity and Ben will last. Noel comes over and tries to get the two of them to agree on a movie to see together. Felicity and Ben arrive and things get awkward super-fast. Noel thinks they can all be adults, but he immediately starts picking on Ben.
The hostility spreads and everyone yells at each other. Felicity refuses to leave, but Ben refuses to stay, so he goes off alone. Julie comments that he leaves pretty easily. Elena and Noel bicker because she needs money. Eventually, Felicity and Elena are the only ones left behind, and Elena wonders if this is what the rest of the year is going to be like. Elena needs some new friends, guys.
Later that night, Ben goes to Felicity’s room and she tells him to go ahead and break things off quickly if that’s what he plans to do. It’s not – he just wanted to make it clear AGAIN that Julie moving in with him and Sean isn’t weird. He’s happy to be with Felicity and missed her while they were apart after the road trip. They make out.
Things are chilly at Noel and Elena’s the next day, so he apologizes for making her feel bad about not having money. Maybe she would have money if she didn’t spend $90 on an ugly table. She tells him she knows things are complicated, but they need to trust each other. She can be friends with both Felicity and Noel without betraying either of them.
Elena shares that she dated McGrath at the end of the previous year. He broke up with her a few weeks ago. Noel is now the only person who knows about the relationship. Elena invites him to share his own secrets, so he tells her that the table is ugly. Yes! Thank you, Noel!
Ben, Julie, and Sean try to hang out at the loft together without fighting. It doesn’t last long. Julie says that she made bad choices last year about who to trust and give her heart to. She was mad at Ben last night, but she has a life outside of him and Felicity. After she leaves, Sean asks if Ben has broken up with Felicity yet. She came to New York to be with him – she could be in love with him already. Sean doesn’t want Ben to get “broad-sided by this emotional Mack truck.” He thinks Ben would freak out if he knew Felicity loved him. Ben promises he wouldn’t, but he’s not completely convincing.
Ben goes to Felicity’s dorm, where she and Meghan are fighting because Meghan told a guy on the hall he could have a ferret that his roommate’s allergic to. They leave Ben behind in the room to go handle the situation. Ben picks up the tape recorder as Meghan asks Felicity if she and Ben are having sex yet. She reluctantly admits that Ben is cute. What’s not cute: Ben listening to Felicity’s tape to Sally and hearing her say she might be in love.
Thoughts: Burky is played by Michael Peña. Nancy is played by Marissa Jaret Winokur.
The school sucks for not telling people about the housing situation ahead of time and giving them the chance to choose their own roommates. Why not pair up the returning students and putting the freshmen together?
Also, even the single rooms at this school are huge. Sigh.
Sean’s freshman packet idea is great, but Julie’s right that $15 is too much. Freshmen won’t spend that much on anything.
'90s Flashback 