A fan review of the season premiere
Patiently, we waited all summer for the answer to THE
question: Ben or
Noel? On Sunday, September 26, we found out that Felicity chose
her
high school crush over her steady friend/boyfriend. The
ramifications of
this decision will potentially impact the rest of her life, and I
am
thrilled about this development.
Felicity had a choice that few girls have -- the hunky object of
her
high school obsession, or the quiet, steady R.A. who offered her
love, even
when he found out that Felicity and Ben had been making. . .plans
in the
stockroom of Dean & DeLuca.
Some think that Felicity made the right choice when she went on
her
transcontinental roadtrip with Ben. Others are outraged that
Felicity did
not choose Noel. Yet, it is this decision that ultimately
reflects the
"reality" of this show. A year ago, in the first
episode, Felicity realized
that "Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can pretty
much change your
life forever." This year, she realized that the bigger
decisions can also
have a pretty traumatic effect--not only for her, but for
everyone she
knows.
In the first episode of the season, several familiar faces
returned: Julie,
Ben, Noel, Meghan, Elena, Shawn, and perhaps most surprisingly,
Xavier, as
each one deals with the decision of our heroine.
"Now I can say with absolute certainty that there's no one
on the planet who
means more to me than you. Whatever happens to you and Ben, and
whatever
happens with you and anyone, it could never change the way I
feel. So with
that, I conclude this sappy, yet sincere letter, and ask you to
seriously
consider using the enclosed. Love, Noel."
These words were remembered by the fans, as they listed to him
brutally
telling Felicity that he had sex with Beth in Germany. When he
informed her
that he didn't care if he ever saw her again, many were outraged
that sweet
Noel now seemed full of spite.
Elena, too, has to deal with her friend's choice, as she moves
into an
apartment with Noel. Even though Felicity is her friend, it is
Noel she
must live with, and it was good to see the two of them bonding.
The fact that Julie has moved into the loft with Shawn and Ben
reflects a
rather sadistic tendency in the girl that was not truly revealed
last
season. Her barbs and catty insults over the kitchen table just
reflect the
depth of her hurt, and the question of how she will deal with
this while
living with him should prove to be an interesting story.
Meghan still is hysterically insensitive and unattached, yet this
character
has become almost as integral to the story as Felicity herself,
since the
only other question burning more brightly in the minds of the
fans is: What
is in the damned box already???
The premiere offered great laughs, some moments of shock (when
Noel told
Felicity that he imagined the different "positions" Ben
and Felicity had
experimented with on their trip), and a heavy dose of reality.
At nineteen, we don't all have the choice of two beautiful men,
but most
women tend to want the illusive, the mysterious, the passionate.
Noel's
letter to Felicity was sweet, but it was the kiss profferred by
Ben that
ignited her passion. Did she make the right decision???
Absolutely NOT,
but, then again, sometimes it is the wrong decision in life that
makes us
realize what we really, truly need. When we lose something like
love
because of poor judgment, that makes it all the more bitter.
I think Felicity's choice was summed up pretty well by Buffy's
Spike:
"Love isn't brains, children, it's blood. . .blood screaming
inside you to
work its will."
Does Felicity love Ben?? Who knows, but her decision came from
her heart,
rather than her brain, and for this, I applaud the writers of the
show.