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
Felicity and Javier meet with the lawyer. Felicity shows off her ring. The lawyer asks if they can get started. Ben comes over wearing a hairnet, obviously thinking that the lawyer is a health inspector. He points out his hairnet and says that he wears it every day, but she doesn't care. Ben realizes that she's not the health inspector, so he rips off his hairnet and walks away. The lawyer asks how they met. Felicity starts to explain how she got the job at Dean & Deluca. The lawyer clarifies that she wants to know how they became romantically involved. Felicity says that it just "kind of happened," and further explains that she was at the register one day and looked up and saw Javier and "you know how it is." The lawyer supplies, "You felt attracted to him," and Felicity agrees, "Very." The lawyer asks Javier if he felt the same way. Javier says he couldn't believe it. The lawyer deadpans, "No, I bet you couldn't." She writes something down and Felicity busts out the fact that Javier loves football. Javier starts going on and on about football, which only serves to make it obvious that he knows nothing about the subject. Felicity looks uncomfortable as she realizes that it's not working. The lawyer asks Javier and Felicity if they understand what they're getting into. Javier says he does. The lawyer says that as the petitioner, Felicity assumes all responsibility for the marriage, and anything that happens to Javier. The lawyer says that Felicity needs to be able to prove that she can support Javier if he loses his job. Javier says that Felicity just got her first raise, so that won't be a problem, and he stiffly puts his arm around Felicity. The lawyer is yelling now, for some reason, and says that once the papers are filed, the matter falls under INS jurisdiction, and if the marriage is found to be entered under false pretenses, Felicity could be in serious trouble. Felicity asks what that means, adding that she's just curious. The lawyer says that Javier could be quarantined from the country, and Felicity could face severe fines and a possible prison sentence. Felicity looks shocked. I remember on first viewing, I was annoyed that Felicity didn't think a green-card marriage was a big deal until the lawyer told her. It still annoys me.
Felicity walks into the back room to find Javier drinking a shot of liquor. He sees her enter and says, "Well, that went well." He offers her a drink, but she refuses and asks if he really thinks it went well. Javier is sure that the lawyer bought it: "Hook, line, and fish." He pours himself another shot. Felicity says she felt like she was on trial, and asks if people really go to prison for this. Javier says that he's never heard of that happening, and downs the shot. Felicity says she'd feel a lot better if he would stop drinking. Javier says he understands if she doesn't want to go through with it now. Felicity says it's not that, and points out that Javier doesn't have a lot of options. Javier says that she should sleep on her decision anyway. Felicity agrees. Javier tries to joke that it would be expensive to support him, but Felicity just looks worried and leaves. Javier downs another shot.