Search - Felicity - Junior Year Collection (The Complete Third Season) on DVD

Forget about Felicity and Ben and let's talk Sean and Megan

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 10/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What was true about the second season of "Felicity" is even truer about the third season, a.k.a. "Junior Year": I watched this show despite the title character and not because of her. For me the idea that the show might have "jumped the shark" did not come when Keri Russell cut her hair, but rather when Felicity chose Ben (Scott Speedman) over Noel (Scott Foley). This is not to say that Ben does not have his moments, but they are almost always BAD moments. Plus there is the vicious cycle of their relationship. One of them does something "wrong," at which point Ben gets mad and Felicity cries, but she wants to talk about it and he does not (and she gets her way). It is actually a good thing that I know what happens at the end of the series, because that way I do not have to have a vested interest in Felicity's love life, which is fine, because the grand irony is that Felicity is not why I watch "Felicity."

I watch "Felicity" primarily for Megan (Amanda Foreman) and Sean (Greg Grunberg). Whoever decided to take those two scene stealing characters and throw them together into what is one of the great opposites attract pairings in the history of television was either a genius or really lucky. When I think about what are my favorite moments are from the junior year of "Felicity" they basically boil down to Megan being serious with Sean about important things like his cancer ("One Ball, Two Strikes") or their relationship ("It's Raining Men"). Watching Megan strip away everything to get down to the level of absolute honesty was always a big moment. Then there is when Megan is so touched by Sean wearing ass-less pants for a fetish party ("James and the Giant Piece"), and her taking the phone sex job ("Greeks and Geeks"). The writers knew what they had with these two and gave them several great opportunities to shine.

On the Felicity front life is just a continuing series of trauma, with are heroine getting a hell hole apartment to share with Ben ("The Christening"), waking up in some frat guy's bed ("Greeks and Geeks"), gets kissed by Ben's father ("Kissing Mr. Covington"), gets asked by Javier to donate an egg so he and Samuel can be parents ("A Good Egg"), another visit from her mom ("And to All a Good Night"), Avery going after Ben ("Blackout"), Avery kissing Ben ("The Breakup Kit"), Noel kissing Felicity ("Senioritist"), and the biggest trauma of all, what to do in the summer ("The Last Summer Ever").

When the WB stopped broadcasting on WGN my particular neck of the northern woods ended up being the largest television market in the nation without the WB (or maybe it was South Bend, but we were in the running), so after the first couple of episodes in Season 2 the only way to see the show was if I when my brother taped "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" for us if it remembered to tape "Felicity" as well. So I saw some of the Avery episodes, enough to start clucking again over Felicity choosing Ben again. More so than watching season two, for me watching Felicity and Ben during season three was the comic relief, which means that I am pretty much reading this show completely opposite of the way it was intended. Yet, strangely enough, I am happy with that and it does not take away from my enjoyment of the series.

After all, the relationship between Elena (Tangi Miller) and Tracy (Donald Faison), is pretty much through the mirror, with her wanting to have sex and him wanting to wait until marriage ("The Christening"). You have to admit that particular role reversal is refreshing, and Tracy's Christian principles and Sean's brush with death making him decide to start to start practicing his Jewish faith and finally have his bar mitzvah ("Senioritis"), "Felicity" was one of the few television series to deal with religion in a substantial way ("7th Heaven" being the exception that prove the rule on this score), although "BtVS" deal with Wiccans a bit better.

Stil, the tragic figure for me is poor Noel, who comes back from vacation married only to have his friends band together to put an end to it ("The Anti-Natalie Intervention"), and gets to work closely with Felicity on an internet cartoon ("Final Touches (a.k.a. Let's Get It On)"), just so he can have painful reminders of what he has lost on a regular basis. If you liked Noel's "Break Up Kit," then his lovely parting gift, "Our Official Time Capsule," only underscores that Felicity made a serious mistake when the mental coin she flipped to make her decision came up tails. Ben as his best moment is not as good as Noel at his worst (which would be when he was reading Tyra Bank's e-mail, but he is just so earnestly dopey as opposed to Ben's painfully stupid). But, hey, don't run away. Let me tell you what I REALLY think about Ben..."

Three cheers for junior year!

V Eriksson | Augusta , WV USA | 07/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am so glad to see so many people as enthused as I am about Felicity. I loved the show so much in 2000 I had a little girl and I named her that. The show was the best on television and at the time the WB was really doing a terrific job of putting out really good drama. With Buffy and Angel and The Gilmore Girls. I am sad to see so many of these shows gone now because there is really nothing on TV. I am about put out with Reality shows and women degrading themselves to marry an ex athlete or some rich guy or better still an Australian outback dude. The state of television is literally down the tubes. I have to say FX is the only station doing a good job with releasing any good new shows. So thank you thank you Buena Vista for releasing something I can watch at the end of a hard day that has some substance to it. If it wasn't for DVD's like these I do not know what would happen to us. If anyone agrees with any of this give three cheers!!"

CAN'T WAIT!

MissNiles | San Francisco, CA United States | 02/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We all thought this DVD pkg. wasn't going to get released! Thank you Buena Vista for picking it up. I can't wait to get it when it's released on July 20. We all know it will include the late John Ritter as Ben's dad...so that is maybe why they decided to press it for sale. Either way, 1,000's of Felicity fans worldwide thank you - including me. I can't tell you about how great the series is -- Season 3 will be a great add-on to my collection of Season 1 & 2. Let's now get a date set for Season 4. I watch the entire collection, back to back, day after day within one week from receiving it. You'll enjoy it too.
I want to relive my college years (I'm 33) - How about you? Live them w/Felicity and the gang, over and over again. The tale sure speaks of life in a realistic and flawlessly acted, humourous way!
Peace!"

Felicity is like Therapy!!!

J. Toteda | Vancouver, BC, Canada | 04/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Season three is a must buy after watching the first two...in this season we get to see Ben and Felicity's relationship evolve. I know a lot of people didn't get into the major melodramatic plot lines, music etc.... but I have to disagree. Felicity has this great balance of comedy and drama. Scott Speedman is an amazing actor and both he and Kerri have such a magical chemistry on camera. It's truly magical. College is a major chapter in anyone's life, it's where you learn to be independent, yet at the same time your building strong lasting friendships. When Felicity first came out I was two years from graduating from high-school, when it ended I was two years away from graduating from university and I have to say watching Felicity was like therapy for me. I was sad when it ended because it's after collage where things really get interesting and decisions get harder. Now in my senior year this is very clear to me. Watching the characters discover not just what they want to do with their lives but also who they are is something everyone can relate with. One of the best things Felicity does in answering these questions is that there is no right answers...as Felicity says in season 2, one of the reason she choose to go with Ben is because if she didn't she would never know what it would have been like. Taking leaps of faith into something that is uncertain is admirable. So take a leap of faith people and buy this DVD! I recommend buying the first two seasons as well to see the development of characters like Megan, Sean, Elena, Julie, Felicity and Ben....Richard, and Javier are hilarious! Noel this season goes through the most character downfalls as he begins to challenge always being the "nice guy". Scott Foley does a great job at portraying Noel in crisis. I know I'm going on and on....I just want to end in saying that buying Felicity on DVD is a great investment. This is a type of show that you can just watch and re-watch again and again and never get sick of it...the acting is that good."