Felicity - General Discussion

[Primetimer]

Keri Russell starred alongside Scotts (Speedman and Foley) in this early WB series set at the fictional University of New York. 

[PepSinger]

I love this show so much. I do a rewatch almost yearly.

[Anela]

I've only watched it all the way through, and that was a decade ago. I'd been watching reruns for several years after it finished airing on regular TV, and decided I had to get the DVD's from the library. I'd started binge-watching that way in 2006, thanks to the library storing DVD sets of TV shows. 

I started watching this again tonight, on my phone, when I was out at Barnes and Noble, since I have the ABC app on my phone, and I think the whole series is there. So much nostalgia. The finals - or mid-terms? episode in the first season, was one of my favourites (I'm not there yet, it's just one that stands out in my memory). 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Anela

[blondiec0332]

If social media had been around when this show originally aired could you imagine the Ben/Noel debates?

[jewel21]

I love this show so much and have all the DVDs. I've re-watched it a bunch of times. I tried getting my cousin into it and she found it boring and never finished Season 1. I've never been more disappointed, heh. 

[Anela]

I'd forgotten that Noel helped a girl with her computer, and then kept reading her email, to learn more about her, and keep running into her. 

[Anela]

And I finished season four today. I miss them already. 

[Keywestclubkid]

They have this streaming on Hulu now... just watched the first 2 episodes in this ....I forgot that they make life so super hyper dramatic .... 

Edited March 10, 2021 by Keywestclubkid

[Keywestclubkid]

ooof

Edited March 12, 2021 by Keywestclubkid

[Keywestclubkid]

Ok 4 episodes into this and its some Single white female fatal attraction stuff Felicity does .. she got mad cause he didn't reciprocate her love when she was saying she was in love with him in that stairway?she stalked him across country stalks him at that school ....... She didn't know him, HELL he didn't know her .. Run away Ben Run far far away from this lunatic ....... Shes nuts 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Keywestclubkid

[KWalkerInc]

Early in the show's run, Mad TV did a parody, "Intensity."

 

[ljenkins782]

On 3/13/2021 at 5:32 AM, KWalkerInc said:

Early in the show's run, Mad TV did a parody, "Intensity."

 

Yeah, this is pretty spot on. 

Watching this in 2021, I'm blown away at the creepiness of this premise. Beyond the original insanity of changing her life's direction because of a yearbook note, the continued intrusions into Ben's life (like the one I just saw, where she rewrote his paper without his permission) are so crazy. Not to mention the weird possessiveness over him, as if because she chose him, he had to choose her? Um, no. 

And lord, the navel-gazing is painful to watch. I guess that was a 90s hallmark, like My So-Called Life...slowly spoken ponderances of a teenager were supposed to seem deep and profound, but it's hard to watch now and the voiceovers are sooooooo slowly drawn out. 

[rlc]

Rewatching the series for the first time in years. Currently four episodes into season 3, and I’m hating Julie even more now that I recall. I think the show would have been better if it were all Meghan and Elena, all the time.

[LadyIrony]

Watching this for the first time as I only ever caught the occasional ep during it's initial run. I really don't like Shaun and I see zero chemistry between him and Megan. Shaun really is a dead weight even when it comes to his business partnership with Noel. Every character really seems to be a mess anyway. 

[Camera One]

I started watching in Season 2 way back when the show originally aired until its eventual demise, and since it's available on my streaming service, I decided to watch the show from the beginning with Season 1.

I've always thought Felicity was foolish to choose a university because of a boy, and even in Season 2, I liked Noel more.  But it feels more extreme when watching from the beginning.  I just finished the third episode, and Felicity staring at Ben while he was sleeping at the end was a little creepy.  Ben was clearly into Julie, and at this point, she should have realized the reality and gotten over her fantasy.  It was hard to like most of the characters at this early stage.  I can see Julie was trying to be a good friend, but she should have been upfront with Felicity.  Ben himself should have been more clear to Felicity he was still interested in Julie.  Noel was a little too obviously falling for Felicity.  I liked Elena, so it was interesting to see her introduction in this third episode, which was cringey to watch, with the tape being broadcast at the party, and Felicity's interactions with that professor.  I can sort of see why Felicity was so entranced by Ben, though.  He does make you want to like him.  I was re-watching the old Nancy Drew series where he played Ned Nickerson, and the actor has this quiet suave quality to him which is very appealing.

In the first episode, Felicity's dad was really overbearing.  It was interesting to see him sort of accept Felicity staying in NYC at the end.  In the second episode, I felt badly for her mom when Felicity was referring to the Tuesday meals with her mom and how the burger she ate by herself was the best burger ever.   At the same time, though, I do understand what Felicity was saying about freedom and how it felt to have some independence and control over your life for the first time.

Still, I've liked watching the episodes, partly due to nostalgia, and partly because there were some nice moments in this representation of the transition from high school to college.  I wish I could watch this season with the original songs, though.  There was a lot of potential for growth for Felicity and the other characters, and I look forward to seeing the rest of this season.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Camera One

[Camera One]

Episode 4: "Boggled" - They really didn't make it easy to like some of the characters.  Noel having a girlfriend already was disappointing.  I suppose it makes a difference that he didn't plan it and he and Hannah had discussed seeing other people, but still, he was flirting with Felicity big time in the last few episodes so he would have been leading her on if she wasn't so obsessed with Ben.  Speaking of which, she gave creepy vibes again going out of her way to watch the track tryouts.  Ben didn't tell her about losing the race... I wonder if Felicity will take the hint that he doesn't feel close enough to share that with her.  I didn't realize Elena started off so abrasive.  I sort of liked Julie with the pink shirt guy.  It was nice to see a bit more of Meghan.  Worst roommate ever, but she was funny.  I hope they restore the picture quality of the show at some point.  It is so pixelated.  

[racked]

Rewatching this on the ABC app and I can’t believe how well it holds up after twenty years! I still remember the TWOP (maybe even mighty big tv back then?) recaps. Just love that such an introspective, tightly wound self proclaimed nerd like Felicity was so captivating.  

[Camera One]

I agree it still holds up.  Though not sure if it would be dated for younger people who didn't grow up with tapes and are used to cell phones.  Episode 5 was the Halloween episode, and it was nice to hear Felicity realize that maybe she should get over Ben.  He flaked out on her multiple times and wasn't apologetic about it at all.  But his puppy dog apologies can't be beat, I guess.  It was nice to see her "friends" so concerned at the beginning after they heard she was mugged (though I'm not sure how they knew so fast that Felicity was involved).  Noah can really rock a Subway uniform.  I didn't realize this was how Javier was introduced.   I didn't realize Noah and Elena were also going to Sean's party, and did Ben and the pink shirt guy know each other?  

[Camera One]

Episode 6 "Cheating" was hard to watch.  I cannot believe Felicity was idiotic enough to rewrite Ben's paper and submit it.  I don't blame Ben for being furious with her.  I started watching from the first episode of Season 2, and it surprised me that she would do something like that.  Still, they were lucky that professor didn't report them to the university.  It was good of Noel to go over to talk to Ben on Felicity's behest.  

And it seemed like Felicity's bad judgement would continue in "Drawing the Line (Part 1)" when she agreed to check Elena's student records.  It turned out being an interesting subplot, though.  I liked seeing more of Elena, and she had a good scene with Noel when he explained how he had to apply for funding.  I was sad to find out that the pink shirt guy forced himself onto Julie.  I had liked him in the last few episodes, but this was a good way to show the issues of consent in college.  

[Camera One]

The actresses playing Julie and Felicity did a good job in "Drawing the Line (Part 2)" showing the difficulties of the aftermath for both the person impacted and a friend trying to help.  I understand why Noah told the other R.A., but it was still bad form.  I really liked pink shirt guy before this, so it was disappointed to find out that he could do this.  I guess that is realistic because some guys never learned the importance of consent and no means no.  At least he owned up to it in the end and apologized to Julie.  Who knew Ben would be the one to get through to Julie, though he somehow figured out the exact personal story to tell to make Julie realize it wasn't her fault.  

[KWalkerInc]

Back in season 2 (1999?) when they had all the uproar in the media about how the ratings dropped because of Felicity's haircut, I dismissed it as being silly.  I thought it had more to do with the storylines not being very good, with Ben sleeping with a married woman and Felicity involved with her professor's jerk son, whom she started dating for no particular reason even though he was terrible on their first date and nothing had really happened that should have changed her mind.  And then both plots conveniently wrapped up at the same time (I think the Thanksgiving episode?), so it seemed like the writers had gotten the message that they were killing the show and did something about it.  Much to my surprise, a few years later, a friend told me of having been baffled by an answering machine message from her irate sister screaming that "Felicity cut her hair!"  My friend didn't have cable and that was the only way to get the WB here, so she had no idea what was going on!

[ljenkins782]

On 11/20/2021 at 5:26 AM, KWalkerInc said:

Back in season 2 (1999?) when they had all the uproar in the media about how the ratings dropped because of Felicity's haircut, I dismissed it as being silly.  I thought it had more to do with the storylines not being very good, with Ben sleeping with a married woman and Felicity involved with her professor's jerk son, whom she started dating for no particular reason even though he was terrible on their first date and nothing had really happened that should have changed her mind.  And then both plots conveniently wrapped up at the same time (I think the Thanksgiving episode?), so it seemed like the writers had gotten the message that they were killing the show and did something about it.  Much to my surprise, a few years later, a friend told me of having been baffled by an answering machine message from her irate sister screaming that "Felicity cut her hair!"  My friend didn't have cable and that was the only way to get the WB here, so she had no idea what was going on!

In fairness, it was a really bad haircut, lol. It's realistic that a young girl would make a drastic change in her appearance at this state of life, but the curly hair in that severe a cut was not a great look.

Quote

The actresses playing Julie and Felicity did a good job in "Drawing the Line (Part 2)" showing the difficulties of the aftermath for both the person impacted and a friend trying to help.  I understand why Noah told the other R.A., but it was still bad form.  I really liked pink shirt guy before this, so it was disappointed to find out that he could do this.  I guess that is realistic because some guys never learned the importance of consent and no means no.  At least he owned up to it in the end and apologized to Julie.  Who knew Ben would be the one to get through to Julie, though he somehow figured out the exact personal story to tell to make Julie realize it wasn't her fault.  

I was torn on this episode, it was well done and realistic up until the point where Brian Krakow (which is what he'll always be to me) apologizes. In those situations IRL, it's unlikely that the guy ever even acknowledges what he did. But the rest of the episode was extremely well done and Julie played those scenes really accurately.

[nomodrama]

On 11/29/2019 at 7:47 PM, PepSinger said:

I love this show so much. I do a rewatch almost yearly.

I do a yearly binge fest of Felicity too, much to my husband's annoyance. As soon as he sees it coming he just runs away. This show was  huge for me growing up. In 1998 I was 16, and I remember we had a tiny little 10 inch tv on top of our fridge in the kitchen, I would have to wash our dishes at night and I would pull a chair next to the fridge climb up and watch the episode of Felicity instead. 

Different things prompt my binging, this time around I really need to wash my brain out with something a little more wholesome after watching the first couple of episodes of Euphoria. If you want a serious shock watch an episode of Euphoria and then watch an episode of Felicity, it's pretty wild. Not knocking that show at all, I know it's very popular. I agree though that Felicity still holds up. I can't wait to watch this with my teen soon. 

Even 20 years later I am still firmly Team Ben. Noel really got on my nerves in the later seasons. 

[LadyIrony]

The hair cut was terrible. The long frizzy hair really made the character. Seeing her become a blonde Betty Boop didn't work. Might sound shallow but it did effect the show in the sense of how the character was perceived after that. 

All the characters make horrendous decisions at times. Meagan was my fave character and I have no idea how she tolerated her idiot husband always scheming some stupid idea. 

 

[xander874]

Just finished watching the series and I have some thoughts. Scott Speedman is incredibly hot here but man, Ben was a terrible, terrible person. I know he had shitty circumstances growing up but I have whiplash from he and Felicity's back and forth and he was always such an ass.

I really enjoyed John Ritter (RIP) as Ben's dad. Not a fan of the pregnant Lauren thing but he did elevate that storyline a lot. Also liked seeing a lot of these random CW-type actors in their early days (except Amy Smart - she annoys me). 

The biggest travesty on this show was the Elena character. She barely had any storyline ever and then they kill her off only to bring her back with no explanation. I know there were cut scenes explaining it, but it shows how little they thought of her to think the viewers wouldn't question it. I did enjoy the Javier/Elena friendship but it wasn't developed enough.

[aghst]

On the 25th anniversary of the debut of Felicity, a podcast looking back at the series, presumably to track a rewatch.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-felicity/id1734828150
 

Starts March 13th.

[aghst]

On 3/7/2024 at 5:02 PM, aghst said:

On the 25th anniversary of the debut of Felicity, a podcast looking back at the series, presumably to track a rewatch.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-felicity/id1734828150
 

Starts March 13th.

First two episodes are out.

Second one has several cast members talking.

It's amazing, they're all middle aged now but they still sound like they did in their early 20s, though Keri Russell is a little hoarse.  Speedman sounds exactly the same.  Amanda Foreman sounds nothing like Meghan because she's very giggly.

But they all have this bubbly energy, all very fond of their time on the show.

[atomic]

I listened to the first episode of the podcast and a bit of the second so far. It's so fun getting to hear all the cast and creators reminisce about the show. I've also been a longtime listener of Juliet's other podcasts and I love it for her that she got to do this. She's been such a superfan of the show since its inception and her enthusiasm and genuine adoration for it really shine through.

[atomic]

Haven't gotten to listen yet, but Jennifer Garner is the guest for the podcast episode that dropped today: 

https://www.theringer.com/2024/4/3/24119863/felicity-jennifer-garner-interview-jj-abrams-alias

Edited April 3 by atomic

[aghst]

Still listening to Dear Felicity podcast.

Keri Russell has such a foul mouth.  They're talking about what the original plan for Felicity's first time having sex was.

Keri says "What?  They were going to have Ben and Felicity fucking on the side of the road?"

I almost spit out my water.

Wasn't she a Disney child star?  Middle aged mother now.

Keri bemoans that they lost the music rights because music makes everything "so good!"

Says music makes her acting look better.😊

They said the cast hung out a lot during that time, even did trips together.

[Anela]

9 hours ago, aghst said:

Still listening to Dear Felicity podcast.

Keri Russell has such a foul mouth.  They're talking about what the original plan for Felicity's first time having sex was.

Keri says "What?  They were going to have Ben and Felicity fucking on the side of the road?"

I almost spit out my water.

Wasn't she a Disney child star?  Middle aged mother now.

Keri bemoans that they lost the music rights because music makes everything "so good!"

Says music makes her acting look better.😊

They said the cast hung out a lot during that time, even did trips together.

When I re-watched the show December 2019, I hated the piano music they played with Noel and his girlfriend, whenever there was a sad scene. Was that in there when it aired, or did that replace music they couldn't retain the rights for?

[aghst]

I haven’t watched in years.

Sounds like the cast and the podcast hosts rewatched recently and the music is either gone or it’s not the original any more.

[aghst]

 Dear Felicity podcast discussing episode where Ben got B- on a test.

 

Amanda Foreman:  I thought it was great I thought that was smart clever writing in that Felicity is so excited for him because she knows him and Avery doesn't know him at all, doesn't know that B+ is a big deal for Ben.

Juliet Litman:  It's a B minus.

Amanda Foreman:  That's giant for that idiot Ben, Ben who can barely write his own name.  And he got a B- that's awesome (laughing).

He's so stupid 'I'm going to be a doctor' OK, Good luck Dr. Speedman.

Actually didn't he become a doctor on Gray's Anatomy?

Good luck to his patients, that's all I have to say.

😅