Episode Report Card Kim: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Love And Marriage
By Kim | Season 1 | Episode 15 | Aired on 02.22.1999
Ben practices for the swim team. Cut to Epstein Bar, where Ben and Julie sit at the bar and drink beer. Julie asks if all the people in the bar are trying out for the swim team. Ben says they are. Julie asks if he's definitely not. Ben says he isn't, and says he likes swimming on his own because you don't have to deal with coaches and practices and stuff. Nicole walks in and greets Ben, who introduces her to Julie. Lynn is working as the bartender and he says he remembers how he knows Ben -- the track team. Ben says he's not on the track team. Lynn says that he has a friend who is, and he knows Ben tried out for the team and didn't make it. Ben sadly confirms this. Lynn tells Ben he should try the intramural team. What an asshole. Ben says that he's trying out for the actual swim team. Lynn says he didn't know and offers them a drink. Ben walks away. Julie grabs her scarf to follow. Lynn wishes Ben luck and Ben returns the favor.
Noel, Felicity, Ryan, and Alex go out to dinner. Alex samples the wine, which I guess is supposed to be a sign of his gayness. Ryan looks like mini-David Boreanaz, I just noticed. Ryan asks how long Felicity and Noel have been together. Felicity says it's been three months, and asks about Ryan and Alex. Alex says they've been together for ten months. Felicity comments that it's almost a year. Ryan says that their one-year anniversary is in April, and they're going to celebrate with a commitment ceremony. Noel asks if that's like a party. Ryan says it's more like a wedding. Felicity smiles and nods. Noel says he's confused. Ryan explains that the law doesn't recognize gay marriage. Noel says he doesn't understand Ryan arriving in New York, announcing that he's gay and announcing that he's getting married, and that it's all happening a bit too fast. Noel points out that Ryan was with Amy for four years. Ryan says that it seems fast to Noel because he's finding out this information all at once, and Ryan's sorry for that. Noel says Ryan was supposed to be one of the closest people in the world to him, and he never trusted Noel with this information. Alex says it's not about trust. Noel snaps at him, and Ryan tells Noel not to talk to Alex that way. Noel asks what Ryan thinks their parents will say. Ryan says he was going to ask for Noel's support when he told them, and that he doesn't know what he was thinking when he thought that Noel would support him for once. Ryan leaves the table, and Noel does too. Felicity and Alex are left there alone. Felicity says, "I'm going to marry a gay guy too." Hee! My biggest problem with Noel's reaction in this storyline is that he's an RA at a major metropolitan university. I have to imagine that he's not only been exposed to gay issues before, but that he's been trained in how to handle them. I know it's his big brother and all, but he has to know that his actions aren't really appropriate.