#1.21 Felicity was here

"Driving with me makes you the devil?" -Ben

Aired May 25, 1999

In a nutshell: Felicity thinks she's the devil; Noel asks Felicity to Berlin; Julie catches Ben & Felicity sharing a moment; Meghan goes to Wicca camp; Ben gets as far as Pennsylvania.

People who thought this up: J.J. Abrams (the writer); Matt Reeves (the director)

Guests: Amanda Foreman (Meghan), Chris Sarandon (Prof. McGrath), Darnell Williams (Papaleo), Curtis Armstrong (Danny)

Tunes: Sarah McLachlan ("I will remember you"--Mirrorball), Ivy ("I've got a feeling"--Felicity soundtrack), Squeeze ("Tempted"--Reality Bites soundtrack), Scout ("I'll take you there"--Felicity soundtrack), Sheryl Crow ("Sweet Rosalyn"), Counting Crows, Beth Orton, the theme from Bolero, by Ravel (that cool flute music running through the scenes with Felicity & Ben)

The long, hot kiss. The short, dull letter.

Quotes

Opening scene: Felicity is walking into Dean & Delucca while the theme from Bolero plays in the background. She recounts her "almost kiss" moment with Ben. Danny, the assistant manager, notices that she is staring off into the distance and comments on it. He admits that he's not doing a very good job as assistant manager (I personally liked him as the wacky private eye on Moonlighting). Felicity watches as Ben sweeps the floor. Ben comes over and asks her about their moment. "What the hell was that?" He tells her it could get complicated.

Felicity puts on that silver triangle necklace from Ben--you know, the one he got her after giving her the shaft way back in Spooked. She notices a list of names in her closet, etched into the wood like graffiti. The dates go all the way back to 1968. She wonders aloud to Sally if any of them are alive still (1968... okay, so she's not a math major).

Felicity and Julie are chowing down on something that looks like ice cream. Julie tells her that breaking up sucks. She asks if Felicity is coming to see her at the Bar on Saturday. They mention the road trip, and Julie shares her suspicions that Ben's got a hottie on the side. "Guys don't give that 'I just need to be alone' speech unless they have another prospect."

Julie is cleaning out her things from Ben's apartment. She tells him she can't locate her computer disk. Ben tells her to keep the key so she can come back and find it later. They pause awkwardly. Julie asks him if he's going to live in the loft next year. He says yes, and that he'll call. She tells him not to call.

Elena is in bed with Professor McGrath. She wanders around his room as he sleeps and looks through his papers. She sees that her report is marked with a B-.

In the mailroom, Noel asks Felicity to come with him to Berlin. He tells her he already bought her a plane ticket. She tells him that she'll think about it. In a voiceover, she says that she would be crazy to pass up the chance. "I decided to confront the Ben situation head on."

Felicity goes to Ben's apartment and tells him that she can't go with him on the road trip. She says that she can think of no less than 3 reasons why they shouldn't go. He tells her he'd like to hear those reasons. "First of all, there's the Noel factor." She then mentions Julie, and their almost kiss moment. He agrees that the almost kiss was like a big unanswered question. He then jumps up and kisses her--causing Felicity to test her flight reflexes.

Felicity goes to Noel's room and says yes to Berlin. Noel tells her the trip will be amazing. He kisses her. Even though her parents might have a problem with it, she plans on going.

In class, Felicity tells Elena about Ben. Elena advises her to go on the road trip. McGrath returns their final project papers, and Elena's is marked with an A.

Felicity and Meghan are packing in their almost empty room. Meghan gives Felicity a note she wrote on the first day they met. Felicity reads it. "Felicity will not make it through the whole year." Meghan tells her she was going to give it to her when she dropped out, but since she didn't, she's impressed. Felicity gives her a strange smile. Meghan asks where Felicity is living next year. Felicity tells her that she's thinking about being an R.A., and Meghan says that she is too.

Ben goes to Felicity's room. He tells her he has a feeling she wants to go on the road trip. She tells him she's going with Noel, and that a road trip with him would never be platonic. It would also make her "the devil." He sits on the bed and pretends to be driving, demonstrating how the trip could be platonic. Felicity laughs. "Where would we sleep in a one bedroom motel?" Ben thinks about it, then lies back on the bed and tells her to do the same. They look at each other awkwardly. Felicity jumps up and asks Ben to leave. She tells him it could never work. At the elevator, Noel jumps in and asks if she's gotten her passport yet. He tells Ben they are going to Berlin.

Felicity gets her passport photo. She asks the photographer about Berlin, then driving across country. He tells her that it's such a romantic thing.

In class, Julie tells Felicity that she thinks she knows who Ben likes. Felicity freezes as Julie tells her about Nicole. When Felicity doesn't respond right away, Julie asks if she knew about it. "You knew about Nicole and you didn't tell me?" Felicity tells her that Ben mentioned something about Nicole paying a lot of attention to him, but that Ben isn't interested in Nicole. "That's what Lynn said," Julie says.

Music: "I've got a feeling" by Ivy

Felicity tells Sally that she is considering going with Ben. At Dean and Deluca, Ben watches jealously as Noel brings Felicity items for their trip. Felicity looks at Ben as soon as Noel leaves.

Felicity is shown sitting on the subway.

At Ben's, Felicity is waiting on his steps as he approaches. "So what if we did this." He smiles and they go into his apartment. She tells him she was up last night thinking about what it would all mean if they went on the trip. He asks her why everything has to have so much meaning. He then mentions that he's leaving tonight. She still thinks that going with him would be a direct affront to both Noel and Julie--making her the devil. He tells her he would want her to go anyway. They are about to kiss when someone walks loudly down the stairs. Julie holds up her computer disk. "Found it." She walks out.

Felicity goes to Julie's to apologize. She tells her that she never planned to steal Ben from her. Julie tells her that she's a lying bitch. Shocked, Felicity is speechless and begins to cry. She reminds Julie that she is going with Noel to Berlin. Julie tells her she's not so sure. "I told him."

Felicity goes to Noel's room. He ignores her while he packs, and asks for the plane ticket back. She leaves it on his dresser.

Felicity talks to her guidance counselor. He asks about her plans for next year.

Felicity is packing her bags a few days later when Ben stops by. He tells her he came back for her, and that if he was her, he'd have a big speech with lots of meaning to convince her to come with him. She can't believe that he came back. He tells her he will wait at the loft until 10. After he leaves, she finds a letter from Noel on her table. Enclosed is the plane ticket along with a note asking her to please reconsider.

Music: "I will remember you" by Sarah McLachlan

As she leaves her dorm room for the last time, Felicity reflects upon an ant farm that she used to keep as a child. There was always one straggler left over, trying to make it's way out of the hole. She tells Sally that she will not be flying home alone. She has made a decision about Ben and Noel, even though she didn't have to.

In the taxi, Felicity tells the driver where to go through a closed window.