"Gum is not candy." -Lynn
Aired May 18, 1999
In a nutshell: Meghan puts a spell on Felicity; the gang plans a cross country road trip; Noel must decide between Felicity and Berlin; Felicity and Ben get close over cloves; Guy uses a Star Wars analogy one too many times; Nicole tries to seduce Ben with hot cocoa.
People who thought this up: J.J. Abrams & Jennifer Levin (the writers); Robert M. Williams, Jr. (the director)
Guests: Chris Sarandon (Prof. McGrath), Dash Mihok (Lynn), Amy Hathaway (Nicole), Amanda Foreman (Meghan), Greg Grunberg (Sean), Brian Klugman (Guy), Curtis Armstrong (Danny), Rick Zieff, Max Baker, Peter Dennis
Tunes: Neil Finn ("She Will Have Her Way"--Felicity soundtrack), Zen Tricksters
Long summary
Felicity's just trying to sleep (since it's 2 a.m.), but Meggie's busy plucking hairs and casting clumsy spells on her roomie--which seem to be working.
Felicity tells Sally how rational she is.
Ben tells Felicity how he must use all his mother's money to pay off his bookie, while Danny's just trying to get them to do a Friday night inventory (which he would do himself, if it weren't for his darned volunteer work). Felicity, in the mean time, is spilling java all over the floor.
Felicity notices an ad for a driver to take a car to San Francisco.
So she tells Ben, who tells Lynn, who tells Nicole, who tells Ben (that she's hot for him). Ben may have the bomb luck, but Nicole's too busy dropping bombs to notice: namely, a big lip smooch on the guy she's had feelings for (hint: he's the same guy who needs a shave). Though he's technically sorry to hear it.
Felicity tells Sally that Ben did something incredibly sweet.
Cut to a scene of Ben asking Julie to come with him on the trip.
In the lounge, Julie asks Felicity to join them.
So Felicity invites Noel, who says yes, even though he's not so happy about that Star Wars line that Guy wants them to stand in while they finish their class project. And yes, he's one of those crazy guys on the news who camps out overnight--though he's definitely not one of those curly haired coeds who misses her seat and falls on floors.
Felicity tells Meghan to stop putting spells on her (but Meghan's too busy searching for a finger nail clipping).
Meanwhile, Elena's got a date--with McGrath, for Thursday (that's when most restaurants serve their early bird specials, I hear).
So the gang look over a map for their trip, while Noel's looking at Felicity as she talks excitedly to Ben, and Nicole's just looking at Ben, period--who makes this unsettling discovery after Felicity knocks yet another glass onto the floor.
And Meghan, she's still looking for her roomie's hairs--while Felicity's looking for some needles and thread to sew up her latest casualty. But no, she's definitely not interested in harnessing the force--even though Meghan's working on a new forgetfulness spell.
McGrath keeps picking on Elena in class--even though she understands natural selection (or whatever) to a tee. He thinks she should let other people answer for a change, so long as they don't have curly hair and forget the topic that's on their minds.
Lynn, on the other hand, clearly has hot chicks on his mind, even though he's faithful to Nicole, who's positive that gum is not candy. But she doesn't want to make Ben uncomfortable (just the opposite, in fact). That, and give him another couple smooches.
So even though he's not into Nicole, Ben can't seem to get off Julie's case--first the ticket slip, then the whole Graceland thing. Who is this guy, anyway? He doesn't shave, has an affinity for G's, and has to borrow money from his mommy--which Barry the car guy is not interested in, incidentally, as he stresses the importance of speeding nuts (don't do it) and dings (don't get 'em). Meanwhile, poor Felicity can't even remember her driver's license (a fact that would have made Meghan proud).
A galaxy away, Guy thinks the internship deal is a no-brainer, a fact he shares with Noel while they're waiting in line for Star Wars. And he's got the force of Obi-Wan to prove it.
Elsewhere, Nicole is using her own force, namely the seductive/hot cocoa kind, to make her way into the loft--much to Ben's chagrin (and no, Lynn doesn't drink hot chocolate). The fastest way to get over a crush may be to act on it, but then again, maybe disrobing in front of that person is even better. They are about to kiss when Sean enters.
When Felicity enters, Meghan is stirring up a torn picture--in a pitcher of water--which Felicity argues is the only picture she has of her four best friends (as the CSFWS pointed out, she should try checking the TV Guide or Entertainment Weekly). But alas, they're not dead. Plus this spell will be so kickass.
Meanwhile, Ben is still trying to ditch Nicole, who keeps sending him all these signals (taking her clothes off was just signal number two). Although she's no mind reader, Felicity warns him that he better not break up with Julie just because Nicole did a strip tease.
Guy and Obi-Wan aren't mind readers, either, but they have figured out Noel's problem with Felicity--which is comparable to Luke's Alderon dilemma (he must do what he feels is right).
Ben wants to do the right thing, too, but Lynn's too busy thinking about the Bahamas. He tells Ben that he and Nicole are planning to go over vacation--indicating that things are just fine between them.
So Ben finally gives Nicole the shaft--but only after mentioning how beautiful and attractive she is. If she keeps coming on to him, though, he'll have to tell Lynn.
But more importantly, the largest cherry pie is in Michigan--which Julie points out as she highlights the travel guide (don't they have finals?) Ben might not find that interesting, but he is interested in doing the guy thing, and breaking off their overly serious relationship. She decides not to go on the trip.
But ah, the irony--that a swimtrunk wearing, non-shaving potential alcoholic and gambler/homewrecker has broken both their hearts (Julie and Felicity's). Such is life.
Meanwhile, Elena's planning to break some hearts of her own--namely, the old fart kind--until Old Fart reassures her that he was simply overcompensating by pretending not to be interested in her. They agree that they are both a little intimidated by each other, and lean in for the kill (oops, I mean kiss).
Noel and Felicity end up doing a little killing (there I go again) themselves when Noel chooses the Wall over Felicity "I've fallen and I can't get up". Even though he was afraid of losing her in the process.
More frightening is the fact that Meghan and Felicity actually share a moment of bonding--over a love spell, of all things (she forgot the cloves, the key ingredient). Meghan may have been performing it on someone she hates, but that doesn't stop Felicity from wishing that things could be so easy. Only she'll have to wish them on her side of the room, off of Meggie's bed.
So when Ben and Felicity almost kiss, over a box of old cloves, of course Felicity changes her mind about the trip--first she's going, then she's not, then she is, then she's obsessing over how it will affect Noel and Julie, then she's thinking about those cloves, which probably smelled really bad--and why the heck do they have cloves in an establishment that serves mocchachinos?
In a voiceover, Felicity mulls over the two week drive (alone) with Ben.
Cut to a shot of the picture that Meghan tore up and taped back together, which now features Felicity next to Ben "my hair sticks up" instead of Noel "they have a lot of goatees in Germany". Does Sally believe in magic?
© 1999 jenoy@pacbell.net Please do not reproduce without permission.