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#1.2 Hot Objects

"Next class, bring a hot object." -Drama guy

Aired October 13, 1998

In a nutshell: Felicity and Julie still both like Ben, even though Ben really likes Julie, and Julie claims to be over Ben (it's complicated). Felicity attends her first college party, where she meets Elena and learns that deejays who play cassettes should really listen to them first. Ben gets stuck in a drama class and ends up revealing the truth about his dysfunctional family. Felicity thinks that her organic chemistry professor hates her.

People who thought this up: J.J. Abrams (the writer), Brad Silberling (the director)

Supporting cast: Harold Gould (Professor Garribay), David Proval (drama professor), Marissa Ribisi (Astrid), Boris Krutonov (Yuri), Ivana Milicevic (Sensa), Amanda Foreman (Meghan), Jillian Bach, Marc Worden (Jerry), Jed Rhein (Mitch)

Tunes: Coolio ("Ooh La La"--My Soul), Drip Tank ("Mad at Me"--Drip Tank), Barry Adamson ("Something Wicked This Way Comes"--Lost Highway Soundtrack), Lauryn Hill ("Every Ghetto, Every City"--The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill)

Quotes

Long Summary

Felicity tells Sally that she will soon be attending her first official college party.

Noel and a group of dorm residents are organizing for the party, and one of them keeps suggesting that they get a band. A blond girl in the corner tells him she can take care of the whole thing (because her cousins, 'they would kill for her'). Noel tells her that they just want to throw a party.

Julie tells Felicity about some band she went to see the other night (something that sounded like a cigarette name, if I recall correctly), and Felicity asks if it's okay if she invites Ben to the party. Julie says of course--after all, she and Ben were nothing more than a 24 hour virus.

Felicity imagines the many Ben-related scenarios that might occur during the party: dancing, long stares, getting sweaty and passing out. The whole shebang.

In the mailroom, Felicity tells Ben that she is excited about getting inorganic chemistry, which he can't seem to fathom (someone once asked me what Ben's major was. I can assume it wasn't science). Ben mentions going to see a band last night--the same one that Julie saw. A little suspicious, but not overly so, Felicity berates herself for not asking him to the party.

Julie and Astrid "the alphabet is sexy" discuss the intellectually stimulating rearrangement of the alphabet ("q,x,y,z"). (click here if you want to know whatever happened to Astrid). Ben comes by and asks Julie out again for Friday night, but she tells him she can't because of the party. Basically, he thinks she's giving him the shaft.

In Inorganic Chemistry class, Felicity tells her professor that she hasn't been able to find a copy of their text book. But he's unsympathetic: required reading isn't optional, and he proceeds to humiliate her by asking the class if anyone was unable to locate their books. Of course, no one raises their hands.

Ben must explain an object subjectively for his drama class, which he unsuccessfully tries to drop. The professor encourages participation nonetheless.

Felicity finally tells Ben about the party, but finds out that Julie has beaten her to the punchline. Julie reminds her that they're just friends (so she shouldn't worry).

Noel asks Julie if everyone likes Ben when she approaches him about the love triangle situation (which is, again, complicated). His advice is to not tell Felicity because it would hurt her, but Julie decides to tell her anyways.

Ben describes his "hot object" in class: a sandwich. "Mmm. I love 'em." Big bite. The end (this, after a tearjerker performance from a girl who just lost her brother).

When Felicity rants about the Inorganic Chemistry book shortage, Noel reminds her that it's just college, and asks if she has any requests for the party. She does--chocolate, which is not really party food. Noel tells her to just go freak out about her book.

To make sure they are "okay" with each other, Felicity approaches her professor after class. He believes that they are doing "exceedingly well"-so well, in fact, that she should forget the assignment and write a paper on how well they're doing. (ouch)

Sensa is still insistent on getting anything for the party. Her cousin Yuri suggests girls. Noel asks if they have access to chocolate.

Felicity sees Ben in between classes and tells him that chemistry is a crisis. She asks about drama, and he shares his hot object assignment. She tells him she would probably bring her grandmother's necklace (which won't work for him). But the important thing is not an object, it's being at college (duh). Ben asks about the party and tells her that he'll see her there tonight.

Felicity records to Sally that she can finally picture what it would be like to be with a man sexually.

Ben takes his hot object assignment more seriously this time when he brings in his apartment keys--which represent the fact that he's not causing trouble at home anymore. They also mean that he's as far away from his abusive dad as possible. He gets a big round of applause from his classmates.

Felicity carries a "big brown bag" up the stairs.

She is checking herself out in the mirror when Meghan enters, and asks if she is attending the party with Julie and her "Tigerbeat" boyfriend. Felicity asks why she thinks Ben is Julie's boyfriend. "Trust me, they're couch dancing," Meghan quips. She advises Felicity to watch them the next time they're together.

The party is ready for action as Sensa dances alone in the empty room. A quick shot of a box of chocolates sitting atop an Inorganic Chemistry book indicates that Noel is a really sweet guy (yeah, until certain ex-girlfriends reenter his life). He comes in and surveys the scene. Now all they need are actual partygoers.

Noel stops by to ask Felicity for a dance (in advance) and compliments her on her outfit. Then Sensa stops by and asks for tapes--anything will work. She grabs a bunch; Felicity tells Noel that he looks nice too.

People stand around doing the party thing. Astrid the alphabet girl speculates that certain words disappear after high school (tardy. hall monitor. hall pass). A guy and a girl admire each others' eyes. Noel asks Felicity if she wants something to drink, but she's too busy watching Ben and Julie flirt across the room. Felicity finally works up the nerve to ask Julie what's really going on, but Julie just lets her have it: she's sick of protecting Felicity (about Ben), and that's the truth. A girl named Elena (who hates parties) introduces herself to Felicity shortly thereafter, when all of a sudden a familiar voice echoes throughout the room.

I can actually picture what it might be like...to be with a man...for the first time...sexually. If you're laughing at me right now, I don't blame you...

Mortified, Felicity makes her way through the frozen partygoers and shuts off the tape.

When she gets to her room, she finds two people making out on her bed. She kicks them out, and Julie comes by to apologize. But it's too late--Felicity just wants to be alone.

So she heads out of the dorm for some late night B&J (get your mind out of the gutter, we're talking ice cream). At the store, she sees her "exceedingly well" professor and asks what she did to make him hate her. He tells her that she doesn't need to be the teacher's pet to do okay in his class. "Worry about you."

On her way back to her room, she runs into Noel. He tells her that "he heard." She doesn't want to talk about it, though, and thanks him for the chocolate. Guess they'll have to take a raincheck on that dance after all.

While she is sleeping, Ben stops by. She asks if he heard the tape, guessing that he did. Seems that Ben has lost his keys doing his hot object assignment, and is locked out for the night, leading him to Felicity's for a place to crash. In the morning, as he sleeps on Meghan's bed, Felicity watches (kind of a creepy scene, though if someone who looked like Ben was sleeping in the same room as me, I might do the same thing).

Fade to credits.