Episode Report Card Kim: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Gimme An O!
By Kim | Season 1 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.18.1999
The next day, Julie arrives at Ben's loft. He lets her in, and she apologizes for not calling. Ben is taking some laundry out of the dryer, and Julie spots her t-shirt in the mix. Ben comments that she has a bunch of stuff there, like in case you didn't get it from the toothbrush thing and Julie telling Knoll that she's slept there every night, and the vacation-taking in Vermont -- Julie practically lives in the loft. Julie tells Ben that she really wanted to kiss him in her room the night before, and Ben wanted to kiss her back. Ben chuckles and admits that it's true. "Everybody Hurts" by REM starts playing, which doesn't seem appropriate for this scene at all, and I think that song should be banned from ever being used on a television show again, because it will never be as perfect as it was in the pilot of My So-Called Life. Anyway, Julie says that she told her counselor that she doesn't want to be the type of girl who just runs into some guy's bed every time something goes wrong. Ben asks what the counselor said. Julie says that the counselor feels that Ben is not "some guy," and that Julie should do what feels right. Julie thinks that what feels right is to go slowly. Ben thinks that sounds good, and they totally want to kiss each other. Slowly, ever so slowly, they move towards each other and kiss as Michael Stipe sings, "Everybody hurts sometimes." See? Totally inappropriate for this scene.
It gets worse, though. The song keeps playing as we segue to Knoll singing along to the song in his dorm room. I may never be able to listen to that song again after hearing Scott Foley sing along. Knoll lies on his bed in the dark and sings along. There's a knock at his door, and Knoll shuts up so that he can pretend he's not there. Elena walks in, turns on the light, and asks Knoll what he's doing. Knoll asks what it looks like, and Elena grabs the remote from his hand and shuts off the music. Elena is wearing Blair's gift as a very, very, very short skirt. She says that Knoll is the resident advisor, and that she needs him to advise her as to whether her outfit looks right. Knoll sits up and looks, then scoffs and lies back down. Elena says that Knoll clearly needs help more than she does. Knoll says that all he needs is a dark room and depressing music. He grabs the remote and turns the music back on, singing along again. Please! Stop with the singing along! Elena says that Knoll is obsessed with the idea that Felicity is obsessed, and confesses that Felicity told her what happened. Knoll sarcastically says, "Mmm. Super." Elena adds that it makes it easier for Knoll to think that Felicity is obsessed with Ben, because then he can fixate on that instead of working on his own relationship with Felicity. Knoll tells Elena that she's getting on his nerves. Elena gets up and promises to let Knoll wallow in his self-pity. Knoll protests that he's not wallowing, and Elena fixes him with a look, so he allows that maybe he is wallowing, but a good wallow never hurt anybody. Elena says that may be, but that it's really unattractive and, in this case, totally unnecessary. Elena reaches down and helps Knoll to his feet, asking what he really thinks of the skirt. Knoll just shrugs, because if it's not about him, he's not interested.