Felicity-Complete Season 1 (1998)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Main Menu Audio & Animation Audio Commentary-J.J.Abrams & Matt Reeves (Co-creators and Exec.Producers)
Rating
Year Of Production	1998
Running Time	886:10 (Case: 926)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (6)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Jeffrey Abrams Dan Appel Jack Bender Marc Buckland
Studio Distributor	Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.	Starring	Keri Russell Scott Speedman Scott Foley Amy Jo Johnson Tangi Miller Greg Grunberg Amanda Foreman Ian Gomez Robert Patrick Benedict Donald Faison Christopher Gorham Erich Anderson Eve Gordon
Case	Gatefold
RPI	$119.95	Music	Jeffrey Abrams Andrew Jarecki Amy Jo Johnson

    Felicity is a television series which my wife and I started watching almost by accident. Before we knew it, we were (somewhat guiltily) hooked. The blushing smile, the endless sweaters and oh...that hair! Then the network did something really stupid, like start showing it at a ridiculously late time of night, and Keri Russell did something even more stupid...she cut her hair, and we lost our furtive fix of Fliss.

    Thanks to the magic of DVD, we can now get to relive the exploits of this freshman "University of New York" student as she experiences the pain of unrequited love, student jobs and split ends time and again. Felicity is all about the journey of a group of students as they form friendships, fall in love and learn to stand on their own two feet whilst living in and around the NYC dormitories in Tribeca. This series deals with freshman (first) year, and the subsequent series cleverly track junior, sophomore and senior years.

    The cast of characters is headed up by the eponymous star, played by the utterly gorgeous Keri Russell. She has moved from Palo Alto in California, against the wishes of her parents (who wished her to study medicine at Stanford), to follow her secret high-school crush to the Big Apple. Ben (Scott Speedman) is a jock with a winning smile and warring parents. He has moved to NYC to get away from his abusive father, and unwittingly pulls Felicity after him in his undertow. Whilst Ben moves into a trendy loft with young entrepreneurial landlord Sean (Greg Grunberg), Felicity winds up sharing a dorm room at Kelvin Hall with the wired goth Meghan (Amanda Foreman). The RA (resident advisor) at the dorm is the sheepish graphic design student Noel (Scott Foley) and he keeps a watchful eye over Felicity and her new friends Julie (Amy Jo Johnson) and Elena (Tangi Miller).

    This extensive collection presents the pilot and all twenty-one episodes of the first series, spread across six discs and housed snugly in a reasonable quality cardboard slip case. The episodes play out as follows:

• Episode 1 (41:20): Pilot. The pilot episode shows Felicity and Ben as they graduate from high school in California. When Ben heads off to NYU, the besotted Felicity changes her plans, ditching Stanford and heads across to the East Coast to try and win his heart. Life in the Big Apple is not quite what she expects however, and when Ben introduces her to his girlfriend, loneliness and doubt begin to set in. Luckily the guitar-playing Julie comes to the rescue and the gentle resident advisor Noel offers plenty of sage advice. Before too long Felicity is working in the student records office and, blinded by love, she is not averse to abusing her position to find out a little more about Ben.



• Episode 2 (40:59): The Last Stand. Noel is learning to cope with the wide variety of geeks and weirdos staying at Kelvin Hall. Meanwhile, Felicity's parents are determined to bring her back to California - and don't mind resorting to financial and emotional blackmail to get her there. Julie reveals that she has parent troubles of her own - she would like to find her birth mother, who is living and working in New York.



• Episode 3 (42:41): Hot Objects. Felicity struggles with her feelings for Ben, knowing that Julie and he are attracted to each other. Julie tries to avoid Ben, knowing that dating him would hurt Felicity. Ben tries to be friends with Felicity whilst chasing Julie. Alles klaar? Felicity gets to experience her first student party - with a rather nasty surprise popping up on the sound system. Ben meanwhile experiences the delights of a student drama class when he is assigned to the wrong course.



• Episode 4 (42:47): Boggled. Felicity and Noel are becoming close, until Noel reveals that he is going steady with Hannah who is studying in Boston. Ben is disappointed to miss out on a place on the track, and seems to be experiencing his own "fish out of water" identity crisis. This only serves to reinforce Felicity's crush on him. Julie stumbles across a possible love interest when she meets a guy in a launderette who manages to dye all of his clothing pale pink.



• Episode 5 (40:42) : Spooked. Felicity and Ben are mugged when they stumble across burglars at Sean's apartment. Surprisingly, Ben seems to be finding the ordeal hardest to cope with - but Felicity is there to help support him. When Sean hosts a Halloween party, Felicity is devastated when Ben suddenly becomes very cold towards her and she finds him kissing the pink Power Ranger. Elena meanwhile finds a new beau in the Tin Man.



• Episode 6 (41:29) : Cheating. Ben is on the verge of being expelled when, unbeknownst to him, Felicity re-writes his essay rather than just spell-checking it as requested. Blair is doggedly pursuing the haughty Elena whilst Julie struggles through the original version of Solaris to try and impress film-student boyfriend Zack. Despite Noel's intervention, it looks like Felicity has managed to make an enemy of Ben.



• Episode 7 (42:17): Drawing The Line, Part 1. Zack crosses the line when Julie realises she has been the victim of "date rape". Noel struggles to build a line of his own in his relationship with Felicity - no more talking to him about Ben troubles! Felicity meanwhile finally realises that she is a "buttinski" - it looks like Ben will never forgive her for re-writing his essay, and yet now she is meddling in Elena's financial woes.



• Episode 8 (41:19): Drawing The Line, Part 2. Julie is in denial, struggling to deal with the after effects of her rape. When Ben discovers what has happened to Julie, he is incensed and assaults Zack in the cafeteria. Elena is struggling with a night-club obsessed visiting high school student, dumped on her by Felicity.



• Episode 9 (43:00): Thanksgiving. Noel's steady girlfriend Hannah makes a surprise appearance as Julie and Felicity host an impromptu Thanksgiving party at the dorm. Javier from the cafe manages to save the day when he brings the turkey. Noel and Felicity realise that their feelings for each other are far from platonic.



• Episode 10 (41:20): Finally. Christmas break is approaching and Noel and Felicity can hardly control their passion for each other, despite the fact that final exams should be the only priority. Noel has a severe allergic reaction to a dose of "smart powder" taken to help him with his revision. Felicity learns the secrets of Elena's stopwatch and M&M study method. Ben and Julie are developing a closer friendship...



• Episode 11 (41:46) : Gimme An O!. Back in New York after the Christmas holidays, Felicity decides that it is time for her to lose her virginity - with Noel of course. Fate seems determined to prevent them from crossing that line, but it never bargained for Felicity's dogged determination. With Felicity finally settled in a real relationship, Julie and Ben are free to reveal the depth of their feelings for each other.



• Episode 12 (42:59) : Friends. Elena refuses to believe that Blair is cheating on her - with her oldest friend - until she sees it with her own eyes. Julie discovers the whereabouts of her birth mother, and despite Ben's reservations, is determined to finally meet with her. Noel becomes entangled with the Russian Mafia - and all for the sake of salty snacks.



• Episode 13 (42:39): Todd Mulcahy, Part 1. A boy that Felicity met at summer camp when she was 12 turns up unexpectedly. He has one aim - to kiss the girl who was his first ever crush. Felicity comes to realise how Ben must have felt as the former stalker gets a stalker of her very own. Despite being a pest, Todd does make Felicity question her commitment to medicine - should she be enrolled as an art student instead? Elena meanwhile is desperate to attend the seminar of famed geneticist Dr Peter McGrath.



• Episode 14 (42:27): Todd Mulcahy, Part 2. The incredibly persistent Todd finally manages to get a heart-stopping kiss from Felicity. Her interest in art rekindled, Felicity visits the studio used by the NYU students and meets a helpful young man named Eli. Julie is devastated and humiliated when the woman she believes to be her birth mother informs her that she must be mistaken.



• Episode 15 (42:22): Love And Marriage. Felicity accepts a marriage proposal - from Javier! Noel's brother visits New York, and Noel is shocked to be introduced to his boyfriend. Ben is encouraged to try out for the NYU swimming team and makes a new best friend in Lynn, whilst the gang lose an old friend as Javier heads home to Spain.



• Episode 16 (43:26): The Fugue. Hannah returns to New York - and this time she's here to stay. When Noel reveals he still has feelings for his old flame, Felicity is sure that their relationship is over. She falls into the arms of art student Eli - and takes a step that cannot be reversed. Ben is beginning to dabble in sports betting - and is biting off much more than he can chew.



• Episode 17 (43:05) : Assassins. It looks like the party is over for Noel and Felicity, despite his apology and her deep regret. In an effort to help the residents get to know each other better, they all play a game called Assassins - which Elena is determined to win at all costs. Julie plays matchmaker between Sean and the librarian Chloe.



• Episode 18 (43:06) : Happy Birthday. Julie is shocked to find out that the woman who denied her really is her birth mother - but will she ever really be accepted? When Meghan's parents arrive for a visit, Felicity is shocked to see a completely different side to the morbid goth. Ben is digging a deep hole for himself as he begins to lose control of his gambling.



• Episode 19 (42:01): Docuventary. Sean's latest money spinning idea is to make a cinema verite documentary about student life. This turns out to be a cathartic experience for all concerned - particularly Noel and Felicity.



• Episode 20 (42:30): Connections. Ben is in way over his head with his gambling debts, and it's time for him to pay up. Felicity is in line for a promotion to assistant manager of the cafe - provided she sacks the bumbling Danny. Elena has been accepted for Dr McGrath's seminar, and when she offers to help him with some filing after hours, it becomes clear that they share more than a typical student-teacher relationship.



• Episode 21 (41:55): Felicity Was Here. The final episode of the season brings with it the obligatory cliff-hanger. Ben has dumped Julie and she is suspicious that Ben has his eye on another woman... Noel asks Felicity to go to Berlin with him for his internship. Ben really wants Felicity to come with him on his cross-country car delivery mission. When Julie discovers that Ben and Felicity have been having secret meetings, their friendship crumbles to dust. Will Felicity go to Berlin with the dependable and loving Noel, or will she finally throw caution to the wind and choose the rakish but flaky Ben?

    Felicity - Season 1 is a series which, whilst it contains a number of young-love clichés, is still quite charming. Felicity narrates her life experiences into a tape recorder which she then mails daily to her confidante Sally (an uncredited Janeane Garofalo), which serves to reinforce the "message" in each episode. Despite this slightly heavy-handed device, the show never becomes overly saccharine. This is twenty-something Dawson's Creek - a guilty pleasure, and pure escapist fun. The acting is of a high standard, the characters are generally believable and the story arc, whilst a little predictable in places, does manage to sustain itself well across this first series. There is actually quite a lot of genuine comedy scattered amongst the tear-stained hankies and meaningful discourse. It can be fun to spot the guest appearances from stars of other television series - The Sopranos, Alias and Malcolm In The Middle for starters. Highly recommended for fans of the series. For those who may have missed it - if you like chick-flicks, give this a try. This is chicken soup for the eyes and is sure to put you in touch with your fenimen side!

Video

    Buena Vista have done a pretty good job with this video transfer. Whilst it does suffer from the occasional minor problem, there really is nothing major here to disappoint - particularly if you are watching it on one of those quaint 4:3 television things. On a 68cm set the picture is very good, but, particularly on larger sets, it softens up just a touch too much on occasion. It is still perfectly acceptable - you just feel like you are watching through a soft focus filter on occasion (or maybe it was just the tears welling up in my eyes).

    The series is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and it is obviously not 16x9 enhanced. This is the original televised aspect ratio.

    Colours are cleanly rendered, fully saturated (occasionally verging on oversaturation) and cleanly rendered throughout the series. Most of the series takes place indoors - either in the dorm, library, loft or cafe so the colour palette does tend to be a little on the drab side at times, with plenty of ochre, brown and grey in evidence. Colour bleeding is not a problem but skin tones can tend towards orange as seems to be the case with many American television series. Black levels are always deep and solid and shadow detail is generally fine, but does fall into complete blackness a little too abruptly on occasion. Indeed, the overall image transfer might be considered to be a little too gloomy general, but this is deliberately so - it is used to add atmosphere to the series, and is not a fault of the transfer to DVD.

    The transfer does show some minor grain or pixelization on rare occasions (particularly in the lower budget pilot episode), but never enough to spoil the viewing experience. There are no major digital compression artefacts to spoil your enjoyment, but they do crop up occasionally in the form of some minor macro blocking and a hint of posterization. The "Docuventary" episode shows numerous compression artefacts and video glitches, but these are all intentional, as much of the episode is ostensibly filmed on a hand-held camcorder, by Sean. (Incidentally, this episode also features the most glaring continuity error, as Sean's LCD camcorder screen seems to open and close by itself half a dozen times between shots).

    Aliasing is never a distraction, and I was hard-pressed to notice any significant instances throughout the series. Edge enhancement is also never a significant problem, even on a larger screen. Backlighting of the characters is used frequently to add to the mood, and this can be mistaken for edge enhancement on occasion.

    The transfer is free from significant film (video) artefacts, with only the occasional fleeting speck cropping up very rarely. This is overall a very clean transfer.

    The English subtitles are legible, well timed and generally true to the on-screen dialogue, albeit with very minor edits for brevity. The subtitles for the Hard of Hearing are similarly good, with the added benefit of audio cues for some sound effect.

    The first five discs are all RSDL formatted. I did not notice the layer change on any of them however, so I assume that the layer changes are wisely placed between episodes. The final disc is single sided and single layered (DVD 5), so it has no layer change at all.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The overall audio transfer is perfectly acceptable for a television show and there is only one significant audio defect worthy of comment.

    The English audio track is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo encoded at 192 kbps and it is workmanlike at all times. Dialogue is always perfectly clear. The one defect I noted in the audio transfer is a noticeable loss of sync during Episode 4. Noticeable for most of the episode, suspicions become aroused from around 0:23 where the sync is out by a fraction of a second, but on continued viewing it can be noticed throughout most of this episode and it is mildly distracting once noticed. It is not an issue anywhere else in the series, but is a little disappointing nevertheless.

    The original theme music is credited to Andrew Jarecki, and sets each episode up nicely for the events to come. It is actually performed by Amy Jo Johnson (Julie) - and a great voice she has too. Unfortunately, other than in the first and last episodes, the musical score has been changed from the original broadcast episodes. Due to licensing costs, much of the popular music has had to be replaced with more generic - and more forgettable - muzak or cover versions. This is a shame, as I remember there being some really contemporary and fitting music being present in the series as broadcast (R.E.M., Pretenders and and Heather Nova amongst others). As it stands, the likes of Cheryl Crow and Squeeze do get to make a re-appearance, but the other artists are dispensed with for the sake of the budget.

     The front speakers do the lion's share of the work, and deliver the audio without much fanfare, but in a perfectly workmanlike - if slightly plain - fashion. As might be expected for a dialogue-driven television series, the surrounds are minimally used even with Pro Logic II enabled. The theme music and occasionally the incidental music will spill into the rear channels, but to no great dramatic effect. There is some ambient noise redirected to the surrounds, but you have to listen quite closely to notice anything in particular.

    Depending on your set-up, the subwoofer may be used to carry some bass, but on my system it was always fairly anonymous - although the indicator light showed that it was indeed detecting a signal. Low frequency effects basically do not exist - and this is probably quite appropriate for the nature of the beast.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    There are disappointingly few extras available on this large collection:

Menu

    After an initial, silent, language selection menu we are presented with a series of nicely animated menus which feature Felicity dictating "letters" to Sally. The menu allows for selection of individual episodes, choice of language and subtitles or the ubiquitous "Play All" option. Disappointingly, there are no chapter stops within the individual episodes. The following extra features are available on the relevant discs:

Audio Commentary

    There are two episodes which feature an audio commentary. In this case, the two episodes chosen make a great deal of sense - they are the first and last of the series, namely Pilot on Disc 1 and Felicity Was Here on Disc 6. The creators and co-producers J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves provide an informative and revealing commentary, which goes beyond the usual self-congratulatory fluff which is so often present as a DVD extra. Both are well worth a listen - although providing commentaries for all episodes would probably have been a waste of effort and a chore to listen to - so this is just about the right treatment.

    The Region 1 release of this series appears to be substantially the same as our own. Buy whichever is cheaper.

    Felicity - Season 1 is warm, thoughtful and feel good television. It takes the eternal coming-of-age plot device and gives it some very attractive young stars, a blend of humour and melodrama and some fantastic hair. The video quality is very good overall and the sound is perfectly serviceable - it's just a shame that they had to lose so many of the original pop music backing tracks for the transfer to DVD. Highly recommended for fans, and for those of you who missed it first time around, but like gentle, character-driven love stories.

    The video quality is generally very good - albeit a little too soft - with no recurring flaws.

    The audio transfer is perfectly acceptable, but not exactly groundbreaking.

    Extras are limited to audio commentaries for the first and last episodes.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall