Episode Report Card Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Great Expectations (1)
By Kim | Season 2 | Episode 10 | Aired on 01.15.2000
Previously on Felicity: Julie met a cheesy record label executive named Eric, and Sean was suspicious of Eric's motives. Way back at the beginning of the season, Sean advised Ben that Felicity was falling in love and Ben should get out while he still could. Felicity kissed Knoll goodbye as they both left for Christmas break. I'm not sure why they showed that last part since Felicity and Knoll didn't even have any scenes together this episode, but maybe they felt obligated to show the very last scene of the previous episode.
We open, as usual, with Felicity dictating a letter to Sally, over a shot of the interior of an airplane. Felicity tells Sally that her father is coming to New York for a few weeks to teach a procedure at the University Hospital. We see Felicity and her father sitting on the plane. Dad tries to make small talk about the weather while Felicity reads a book. There are a lot of awkward silences. Get used to it; this is the episode of awkward silences. Felicity mentions that she had a great time over break. Her dad replies, "Your mom really enjoyed having you there," which is a weird thing to say. Why wouldn't he say, "I enjoyed having you there" or "We enjoyed having you there"? I guess it goes to show that Felicity and her dad have a somewhat strained relationship. Hence, the awkward silences. Anyway, Dad says he's glad that Felicity likes the telescope he gave her, and he reminisces about a great astronomy class he took as an undergrad, and wonders if Felicity could take a similar class. Felicity says she really loves her schedule this semester, and that all her classes look great but oil painting in particular should be "amazing." Dad awkwardly changes the subject by asking if they're going to bring coffee around and looking for a flight attendant. Just then, the plane shakes and the "Fasten Seatbelt" bell dings, and the pilot announces turbulence ahead. Okay, I got it. Turbulence ahead. It must be caused by having to dodge falling anvils, because then Felicity tells us, "That pilot had no idea how right he was." How dumb do the writers think we are, anyway? Don't answer that.
Now, we're at Dean and Deluca. Felicity's dad walks in and buys a cup of coffee, and Felicity tells us that it's the third time he's been there in forty-eight hours. Felicity tells him that she's going to check on her oil painting class, and then she'll call him later. He wishes her luck and leaves. As he's walking out the door, Ben is walking in. He tells Felicity that Javier redid the schedule. While Ben walks behind the counter, a customer asks Felicity for a coffee refill. Apparently, Dean and Deluca doesn't believe in complete refills, because she only fills the cup like halfway. Maybe she's leaving room for cream or something. It still seemed a little cheap. Ben comes out of the back room and asks if that was Felicity's dad, and Felicity explains what he is doing in New York. Ben notes that the two of them haven't worked together since "the last millennium." I always hated those jokers who had to say, as you were leaving work or school on December 31st, "See you next year! Haw!" And now Ben is one of them. At least the writers spared me the by now clichéd discussion of whether or not it really is a new millennium, unlike Party of Five, so I'll let it go. Anyway, Felicity and Ben banter for a while about how they have forgotten what it's like to work with one another, and there is clearly still sexual tension there. I guess because Ben is smiling, Felicity asks him if he got a raise. Ben says he is just excited to start the new semester because it's like starting over, and that swim season starts this week. Woo hoo! Ben in swim trunks! Sorry. Felicity goes to get register tape and they keep looking at each other like they're going to do it right there on the counter or something.