Episode Report Card Kim: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Hot Objects
By Kim | Season 1 | Episode 3 | Aired on 10.12.1998
Some disco lights do what they do (disco? Swirl?) as music plays. Natasha dances around and drinks out of a plastic cup as a bunch of thugs just stand around and smoke. There is a ton of food everywhere. Knoll enters the room, pronounces the setup "very tasteful," and wonders where the party-goes are. Natasha dances off. Wait, this is the dorm party? Why is Knoll wearing a sports coat? I don't know where these people went to college, but clearly it was on the planet Neptune.
Felicity stands in front of the mirror in her room wearing her new dress and sneakers. You may recognize this sequence from the opening credits. She tells Sally that it's minutes before her first party, and on the next tape, she'll tell Sally how it turned out. Felicity pops out the tape and puts it on her dresser. Before she can address it, there is a knock at the door. It's Knoll, who is amazed at how good Felicity looks. Felicity compliments Knoll back. Natasha barges in and asks whether Felicity has any good music they can play. Felicity waves her in the direction of her music. Knoll stammers and stutters as Natasha barges out, her hands full of tapes. Knoll says that he wants to get on line to dance with Felicity now, and Felicity says she would love to dance with him. Knoll comments, "That went exactly how it was supposed to." See what they did there? Knoll is just like Felicity in that he plans out interactions in his head. Knoll walks off, and Felicity shuts her door.
Suddenly, there are tons of people at the party. Marissa Ribisi is talking about words that you never hear once you are out of high school: tardy, hall pass, hall monitor. I would watch a whole show about her character. On a sofa, some people from Ben's drama class compliment each other's eyes. Felicity enters the party and grabs some food. Yuri pops in a new tape. Knoll comes over and hands Felicity a drink, saying he doesn't know what it is. I'm so sure that this dorm-sponsored party for freshman and sophomores would include alcohol. Felicity notices Ben entering the party. She sees him talking to Julie, and leaning over to whisper in her ear. Julie laughs at whatever he is saying. Felicity stares at them. Ben walks off and Julie follows. Natasha comes up and drags Knoll away because some guy is getting sick. Julie walks up and asks Felicity what's going on. Felicity says she feels like she can't trust Julie, and that there's something weird going on with Ben. Felicity concludes that she feels like Julie is lying to her, and that she doesn't like how that feels. Julie snippily says that she doesn't like how it feels either, and reveals that she has been turning Ben down to try to protect Felicity's feelings, but that she's sick of it. Julie stomps off. Felicity looks sick.