Season 1
Episode 1
Original air date: 29 September 1998
Here is everything I know about Felicity:
Keri Russell is in it
At some stage she gets a hair cut, which is a VERY. BIG. DEAL.
That’s all. A friend requested I recap it (hi Mads!) so let’s check it out!
Felicity is in an empty apartment, dictating a letter? Doing a monologue? To someone named Sally. She says everything was going exactly as it was supposed to; she was headed to pre-med at Stanford after high school, then med school. Her dad has pretty much had her life planned out for her forever.
We see a flashback of her graduation ceremony, where her over-excited parents are waving their cameras in the air.
Felicity says all she feels is dread.
She recalls holding a pint of Ben Covington’s blood at the tenth grade blood drive. She says it in a way that makes me think that’s when she fell in love with him. Which is concerning that she’s going to become a doctor if that’s what she’s into.
She introduces herself to Ben after graduation, but he knows who she is. She asks him to sign her yearbook and he sits down in the grass to write while she paces.
He writes about he watched her for four years, noticing how quiet she was, wondering what she was like. He didn’t get around to talking to her, so he doesn’t know her, but too late now, take care.
Apparently she reads this as a love letter because it cures her depression and now she’s excited for the future. She calls out and asks him where he’s going to college, he replies New York.
Felicity has decided that instead of going to Stanford she will go to NYU! She was accepted, and though it is a bit late to change her mind they make an exception.
Her dad practically has a heart attack. He worked very hard to help her get into Stanford and he will not support her financially in her crazy decision. She says NYU are sending student loan forms, and she thinks he just wants her to live his life but she can’t do that.
FELICITY, NO. She even admits that she is giving up everything for a boy she doesn’t even know. This reminds me of someone else who made some questionable decisions:
Felicity arrives at NYU. Her room is huge, for a dorm room, although she does have a roommate. She finishes dictating her letter (onto a cassette tape) because Facetime hasn’t been invented yet, and pops the tape in an envelope to send off to Sally in New Mexico.
Felicity is getting her photo taken for her ID. She asks the photographer if her hair is alright. Felicity, there is a line. Then who should turn up, but old Ben Covington.
OMG HE JUST KISSED ANOTHER GIRL. HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND. AND HE FORGOT FELICITY’S NAME. This is a disaster.
Felicity tells the school counsellor guy that she hasn’t really had a chance to look at the classes yet. He said her parents called, they are concerned. She asks if he thinks her coming here was a mistake too, and he tells her that New York is good for an independent gal, but her parents gave the impression that that’s not her.
Okay, rude. Stay there and succeed out of spite, girl.
He asks if she has any interests outside of medicine. She sometimes draws and paints, she brought him some samples.
Felicity is in class and looks like she’s about to cry. Yep, here come the tears. The girl next to her passes her a note, which is so sweet.
Felicity ticks the second option and writes ‘thanks’. The girl passes the note back with a question: ‘Do you think the teacher put his hair on backwards?’ Felicity bursts out laughing.
Felicity compares experiences with her new friend. She is also finding it all a bit difficult. The two classes she wanted were filled by the time she got here. Oh, that sucks, you would have to sign up in person, that’s the 90s for ya.
Felicity says she haven’t even met her roommate yet, but she seems weird. She has bone sculptures!
New Friend says her roommate is also weird, she likes to clean! And she wears a face mask everywhere. Maybe she’s immunocompromised, did you think of that? Just wait twenty two years, then who’ll be laughing.
A guy spills his tray, HOW EMBARRASSING. Felicity spots Ben at the next table and takes him away for a private chat. Oh god, don’t. She starts by saying she doesn’t want this to sound weird. OMG Felicity, stop. Oh no, she’s telling him. She told him. She said she came to New York because of him. Oh god, make it stop.
He looks like he’s in physical pain.
She just wanted him to know that she’s passed that and she’s over it. OMG FELICITY. He’s going to call the cops.
You couldn’t have waterboarded that information out of me. I can’t believe she told him that unprompted.
He says he’s flattered and agrees to be friends, and then flees.
Felicity says (presumably in another voice message to Sally?) that work study isn’t so bad. She’s filing student applications. The one rule is she is supposed to respect confidentiality and not read them, so of course she reads them.
Felicity’s dad is lecturing her on the phone, her uncle also has an opinion on what she should be doing with her life.
Noel, the Resident Advisor, turns up in her doorway and scares the crap out of her. She did have her door open. He was just introducing himself, he’s here if she needs anything.
She goes to see Noel to tell him she not only read Ben’s admission essay, but also photocopied it and kept it. Good lord, woman.
Felicity makes Noel read Ben’s essay. Noel, no. Don’t encourage this.
Felicity asks if it’s possible for her to just be friends with Ben, when she is MADLY OBSESSED WITH HIM.
Noel says her emotions are heightened, lots of change going on, so give it a month and wait for her feelings to calm down.
A couple of weeks later Ben asks Felicity for help with homework. What a terrible idea.
Ben asks why Felicity didn’t go to any parties in high school. She said she didn’t exactly win most popular. OH BUT HE DID, LITERALLY. Embarrassing.
Noel pops into Felicity’s room and interrupts. He got her a pocket guide to the subway. Oh god, he’s in love with her too.
Ben and Felicity are trying to work out when they can study again. Noel pops back in and asks Felicity if she’s done the calendar yet. She is confused, because she still has two weeks. She realises what’s going on here and introduces the two guys.
Noel looks jealous.
Felicity tells Ben she has plans with Julie (the new friend) tomorrow night. She invites him along.
Julie’s roommate has been doing Julie’s laundry, because IT’S NOT CLEAN ENOUGH.
Felicity asks if Ben can come along, and Julie says never mind I just won’t come. Ooh, does she hate Ben? Does she love Felicity? IS EVERYONE IN LOVE WITH FELICITY?
She says she doesn’t want to be a fifth wheel. Um, third wheel?
Julie asks what’s going on with Felicity and Ben. Felicity says they’re just friends, they know each other from high school. Also, what happened to his girlfriend?
The three are having a good laugh at a bar or cafe or something. Julie goes to the bathroom and Ben asks Felicity if she meant what she said about being friends, because HE LIKES JULIE. Oh no.
Felicity says OMG NO IT’S TOTALLY FINE.
Felicity’s roommate finally turns up. Felicity introduces herself and she just glares at Felicity and walks off. She’s fun.
Felicity goes to Ben’s place and demands to be let in. Girl. Ben, call the police.
She asks him how he could write that in her yearbook? She quotes it to him. OH GOD THIS IS MORTIFYING.
He is rightfully confused. She said she was okay with things? She’s obviously not okay with things, he made her fall in love with him! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID.
She says she knows more about him than he thinks, she KNOWS ABOUT HIS BROTHER. OMG STOP. She tells him she read his essay. Arghhh.
“You’re acting crazy!”
That’s an understatement.
Suddenly Julie appears! She was in his room the whole time. She slinks away, removing herself from this horrible situation.
Felicity asks the counsellor if she should just leave and go to Stanford next semester. Um, isn’t it a bit late? Will they still take you?
“You must think I’m a real basketcase”
I do.
He says he’s looked over her portfolio, he thinks she is already a good artist.
Ben goes to Felicity’s room to talk to her. Whyyy. He gives her a tape that was at her door. She tells him it’s from Sally, she used to be her French tutor. Her fiancé died and she moved away. Felicity has never been able to talk to anyone like she can talk to Sally.
I was assuming that she had died, but I guess not? Good, I can’t handle any more depression.
Ben wants to talk about the other night.
“Maybe we could go up on the roof or something?”
Are you going to push her off? I won’t tell anyone.
Ben admits to Felicity that he never had a brother. HE LIED IN HIS ESSAY. He says that he doesn’t know why he wanted to tell her. Probably because she is also a crazy liar?
He wanted to come to New York to get away from his family and all that crap. He feels bad that she followed him here to get to know him when he’s not that great.
Felicity says she’s never made a substantial decision in her life, and her moving here wasn’t really about him.
He just wanted to make sure everything was okay with them, especially if she’s leaving.
Noel gives Felicity a pep talk. He says she should stay and face this challenge, or one day she’ll wake up and regret it.
She asks if he has feelings for her. He says yes, but that doesn’t mean she should disregard his good advice.
Julie apologises to Felicity. She didn’t know Felicity liked Ben, and she’s not going to see him again. Felicity says it doesn’t matter because she’s leaving.
Felicity’s parents apologise for overreacting. They offer to pay for everything, and she can start at Stanford in January.
Felicity’s dad has pulled some strings, just like when she initially got in. Felicity didn’t know that.
They say she can have her mum’s car too, and they’ll help her find an apartment.
Felicity realises that making her own mistake is better than living someone else’s life.
Felicity’s dad says if she chooses to stay and make this COLOSSAL MISTAKE they won’t bail her out next time.
Sally tells Felicity in her message that Felicity’s tape helped her, she’s also been going through a tough time. She thinks Felicity made the right decision.
Felicity makes up with Julie.