Why Every College Student Should Watch Felicity

“Felicity.” You remember her, right? She was the lovable, wide-eyed, bushy-haired girl who followed her high-school crush across the country to a college in the Big Apple, later realizing her choice wasn’t about the guy at all.

For four years we followed Felicity Porter and her friends, Elena, Julie, Ben, Noel and Meghan, as they navigated through life in the big city at the fictional University of New York. From an affair with a professor to an alcoholic father who couldn’t clean up his act, the characters all learned tough lessons about family, friendship, love and growing up.

Twenty years later, we look back at storylines from each season that touched on the sensitive issues that young adults might face not only in college, but throughout life.

Season One: Date Rape Episodes 1.7 and 1.8

“Drawing the Line Part 1” and “Drawing the Line Part 2”

It takes the show less than 10 episodes to get into its first heavy topic: date rape.

It begins innocently when Felicity's first college friend Julie starts dating nice-guy Zach. The couple became more physical over the course of the relationship. However, Julie made it clear that she wanted to take things slow.

After one of their dates, Zach and Julie go back to her dorm room. You never see what happens, but Julie’s recount to Felicity the next morning is heart-rending. What she describes is rape.

Initially, Julie blames herself, saying her behavior sends the wrong message to guys. But as a result of Felicity’s worried urging, Julie goes to the doctor and tells her what happened that night.

“I mean, you wouldn’t call this rape, would you?” she asks.

“Yeah. I would.” the doctor replies gloomily.

With Felicity’s support, Julie realizes it wasn’t her fault. She decides to report the rape and seek counseling.

The show handled the matter with care and sensitivity. It showed that someone who commits a rape isn’t always a stranger or a criminal. It could be someone you know and trust. According to Culture of Respect, “70 percent of women sexually assaulted on a college campus knew the perpetrator.”

In a time when consent is still a burning issue, the storyline is remarkably relevant today.

Season Two: Unwanted Pregnancy Episode 2.13

"Truth or Consequences"

When we see shows that deal with sexually active teens, we mostly see pregnancy scares. It’s a tactic that is just frightful enough to make teens consider being safer. But “Felicity” took it one step further: an actual teen pregnancy.

Bubbly blond Ruby and her boyfriend, the aforementioned Noel Crane, sit anxiously awaiting the results of an at-home pregnancy test. They engage in nervous chitchat as the results begin to appear. Ruby bursts into tears as the stick turns pink. The scene is an emotional one – she’s only 18 years old.

Ruby and Noel visit the university health center to have the procedure done, but she can’t go through with it. She decides to keep the baby.

“Felicity” showed that, in real life, college-aged teens don’t just have pregnancy scares. Sometimes, they do get pregnant. In fact, per the National Conference of State Legislatures, “older teens (ages 18-to-19) are more than four times as likely to become parents than are younger teens (ages 15-to-17)” and “account for about 70 percent of all teen births.”

Season Three: Drug Addiction Episodes 3.8 and 3.9

“A Good Egg” and “James and the Giant Piece”

Felicity’s junior year took a dark turn as the show focused on the power of addiction.

Molly, Felicity’s new British roommate, and her bad-news boyfriend, James, were addicted to crack and cocaine. One scene showed the couple lighting up a crack pipe in a dorm bathroom.

Molly regularly attended anonymous group therapy sessions with other students who were addicts. But James had a disturbing hold on her. Every time she wanted out, he somehow pulled her back in. “I think I’m addicted to an addict,” she confessed during one session.

With the help of Felicity and friends, Molly eventually got clean and left James.

While the example of Molly and James may seem drastic, it’s not too far off. The Addiction Center listed cocaine as one of the most commonly abused drugs on college campuses.

Season Four: Depression Episodes 4.8 and 4.9

“The Last Thanksgiving” and “Moving On”

Season four of “Felicity” shed light on the importance of taking care of one’s mental health.

Noel finds out that his father and brother both suffer from depression. His brother brings to light the fact that Noel’s recent bad decisions are out of character and maybe he, too, is going through the same thing.

Noel denies being depressed but makes an appointment to talk to a therapist anyway. He tells the doctor about how, for the past few months, he hasn’t felt like himself.

The therapist recommended Noel take medication and attend therapy sessions because his symptoms (two of which included insomnia and anxiety) resemble those of a mood disorder: depression. In a second session, the doctor tells Noel that depression doesn’t make him a weak person but, rather, a more empathetic one.

Sometimes, when people think of depression, they tend to think of someone who’s sad all the time. But that’s not necessarily the case. A person suffering from depression can seem fine, like the happiest person in the room. The signs aren’t always apparent.

For a show that premiered before the millennium, “Felicity” was ahead of its time when tackling serious topics. It was a show that young adults could relate to 20 years ago. And they can still relate to it now.

You can watch all four seasons of “Felicity” on Hulu.

#CamilleWoodhouse #Felicity #Collegestudent