Episode Report Card Kim: B | 1 USERS: B+ YOU GRADE IT Moving On
By Kim | Season 4 | Episode 9 | Aired on 12.04.2001
At Dean & Deluca, Javier walks up to Ben and apologizes for being "Señor Rude" at Thanksgiving. Ben cheerily insists that it's fine. Javier says that he wants to make it up to Ben by taking him to see A Streetcar Named Desire. Ben says that he can't go, because he has a date. Javier restrategizes, and says the truth is that he's dying without Samuel, and that if Ben doesn't go to the play with him, Javier may not make it through the night. Ben tries to resist, but falls in the face of Javier's pleading, and takes the ticket. Javier claps his hands with glee.
Noel paces in the waiting room at his therapist's office. Once inside, Noel tells the therapist that he feels like he's falling, and the things that he used to grab onto to hold him in place, like work, and friends, and home are "snapping like twigs." Richard Masur plays the therapist. No, he really does. This isn't like the Facts of Life Reunion recap, where they thought it was Richard Masur, but then it wasn't. ["Hee hee hee. I think you meant to say 'it TOTALLY wasn't.'" -- Wing Chun] So I'm just going to call him Dr. Masur, since they never tell us the character's name. Anyway, Dr. Masur does that therapist thing of just agreeing with Noel to keep him talking for a while, and then says that he thinks that Noel has a mood disorder, like depression, and that he would recommend therapy and medication. Noel doesn't like the sound of drugs, because he's "not sick," and he just has problems. Noel thinks that it's all external stuff, not internal. Dr. Masur says that he's just there to listen and make suggestions. Noel thinks that the doctor hardly knows him, and that he's already pushing drugs on him. Yeah, because doctors never do that. Dr. Masur repeats that it's just a suggestion. At least the Noel/depression thing is sort of realistic so far. I know a lot of people -- men in particular -- who resist taking any kind of antidepressants because they think it's a sign of weakness, or reveals a flaw in their character or something, which is totally ridiculous.
Felicity works on her painting in the studio. Owen walks in and says, "Man, that sucks." Felicity asks what he's talking about, and Owen points out that he cleaned up the studio -- he even cleaned up Felicity's paintbrushes -- and she didn't even notice. Felicity thanks him. Owen asks why Elena asked him if he had a girlfriend. Felicity says that Elena is "out of control." Owen asks whether that means that Felicity isn't looking for someone, and Felicity says that she's not. Awkward pause. Felicity says that she has to get going. Owen asks her if she has a "big date," and Felicity says that she's just meeting a friend. Felicity puts her coat on as Owen wanders away. Felicity tells him that she really appreciates his cleaning up, and then leaves. Owen heaves a big sigh, probably because he was hoping Felicity was interested, and she's not. I should note that Owen doesn't come off as creepy or anything, although it may seem that way in my description. Shawn Hatosy does a good of playing him as really laid-back and not aggressive at all, as if whatever Felicity decides is fine with him.