Felicity (DVD) Review

Nominated for 2 Emmys and 2 Golden Globes, including Best TV Series - Drama, Felicity gathered a large cult following in its short four season stint. Premiering on the WB network in September 1998, the show (along with Dawson's Creek) helped ignite a firestorm of highly successful original series on behalf of the upstart network, with such hit shows as Angel (1999), Gilmore Girls (2000), and Smallville (2001). The brainchild of writer J.J. Abrams (creator of the two hit series Alias and Lost), Felicity follows the life of a recent high school graduate, not through seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4, but through Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. Similar in genre to its contemporary, Dawson's Creek, Felicity's cast is of approximately the same age, but the setting is college instead of high school…

Felicity begins when the star of the series, Felicity Porter (Keri Russell), graduates from high school. Having harbored a four-year crush on classmate Ben Covington (Scott Speedman), despite the fact they've never talked, Felicity musters the courage in the aftermath of their commencement ceremony to ask him to sign her yearbook. When Ben writes some surprising comments, Felicity decides to follow him to fictional University of New York (UNY) instead of pursuing her goal of pre-med at Stanford. Against her parent's wishes, she enrolls in the school and moves cross country where she becomes roommates with Meghan Rotundi (Amanda Foreman), a girl whose lifestyle clashes with her own, and where she meets resident advisor Noel Crane (Scott Foley) who immediately develops a crush on her. When Ben learns of the true reason for Felicity's enrollment, he's both flattered and a little uncertain about Felicity's mental stability. In the ensuing four years, Felicity goes through the basic trials and travails of a maturing college student, experiencing the ups and downs of life, love, and adulthood…

The Felicity DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the season premiere in which Felicity makes the big move to UNY. While there, she meets her new roommate and the resident advisor Noel Crane. She also makes quick friends with aspiring musician Julie. After telling Ben of her true motivations for attending UNY, he's apprehensive about starting a relationship, and Felicity announces that she'd just like to be friends. However, she gets jealous when she finds Ben and Julie together. Meanwhile, Felicity takes advantage of her job with the college and reads Ben's entrance essay, an inspirational piece about his dead brother. But she later learns that Ben has no brother at all… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include "Thanksgiving" in which Felicity cancels her plans to return home for Thanksgiving in order to stay with Julie so that she will not be alone, and "Assassins" in which Noel and Felicity break off their relationship after each learns of the other's unforgivable actions…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Felicity (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Pilot) Air Date: 09-29-1998
Episode 2 (The Last Stand) Air Date: 10-06-1998
Episode 3 (Hot Objects) Air Date: 10-13-1998
Episode 4 (Boggled) Air Date: 10-20-1998
Episode 5 (Spooked) Air Date: 10-27-1998
Episode 6 (Cheating) Air Date: 11-03-1998
Episode 7 (Drawing the Line: Part 1) Air Date: 11-10-1998
Episode 8 (Drawing the Line: Part 2) Air Date: 11-17-1998
Episode 9 (Thanksgiving) Air Date: 11-24-1998
Episode 10 (Finally) Air Date: 12-15-1998
Episode 11 (Gimme an O!) Air Date: 01-19-1999
Episode 12 (Friends) Air Date: 01-26-1999
Episode 13 (Todd Mulcahy: Part 1) Air Date: 02-09-1999
Episode 14 (Todd Mulcahy: Part 2) Air Date: 02-16-1999
Episode 15 (Love and Marriage) Air Date: 02-23-1999
Episode 16 (The Fugue) Air Date: 03-02-1999
Episode 17 (Assassins) Air Date: 04-20-1999
Episode 18 (Happy Birthday) Air Date: 04-27-1999
Episode 19 (Docuventary) Air Date: 05-04-1999
Episode 20 (Connections) Air Date: 05-11-1999
Episode 21 (The Force) Air Date: 05-18-1999
Episode 22 (Felicity Was Here) Air Date: 05-25-1999