User reviews

This is the most frustrating show of all time. Everything goes backwards, all the characters are so dysfunctional, doomed to repeating the same mistakes, no one actually learns anything and it's like they're blind. I'm sorry to say this but the writers of this show are either the most sadistic creatures ever or they have major dysfunctional issues which they haven't work through. Of course I'm talking about Felicity's choices. I get that her parents set impossible standards for her and she has to punish herself, but, come on, you date the one that makes you miserable, but eventually you realize he's not good for you. And the most frustrating thing is that it's supposed to be this amazing evolution for all the characters, but they're just stuck in a loop judging each other. Someone should have told the creators of this show that it's torture to watch Ben and their relationship does not look like the greatest love they're all talking about. If this was it, then it'd be sad.

Felicity Porter (Keri Russell) never had the courage to talk to high school crush Ben Covington (Scott Speedman). On a whim, shy Felicity follows Ben to college. Once there, Noel Crane (Scott Foley) quickly falls head over heels for her and a love triangle ensues.

Felicity has the distinction of being the first JJ Abrams' first hit. This started off great as a young hip emo college soap. In great TV lore, Keri Russell cut her hair before the 2nd season, and destroyed the series. Keri never stopped being great and the love triangle maintained its heat. The coming-of-age story is nicely told. It did last for four seasons, but that Samson allegory still held some truth.

I suppose that I could write you how much this show meant much to me 20 years ago when I had some hard times, or how much I was attracted by the background music, story, characters, NY from the late '90s, or why I find it to be a true peace of art - all for season 1, and 1/2 of season 2, after which the script began to lose value abruptly. Yet instead I will just say that re-watching this show, in 2020 during a pandemic, gives me a unique opportunity to see how the youth was living, communicating, and perceiving reality before cell phones, wide access to the internet, and all another tech. gadgets that changed our life. It's kinda traveling through time. In the same sense feels strange to read here comments dating from 1998/99...

"Felicity" is a show that doesn't come along very often. In this year's humdrum of boring freshman shows and networks trying to squeeze ratings out of old worn out sitcoms on their last legs, Felicity comes across as a refreshing journey. Felicity is somewhat of a lost soul, her father has planned out her future, pulling strings to get her into Stanford to pursue a medical career. But right after graduation, Felicity asks a guy she's been eyeing for the whole time she was in high school.... Ben Covington... to sign her yearbook. What he writes genuinely touches Felicity, so she decides to pursue Ben to NYU. Many of the plotlines of the series (at least so far) almost seem to be along the lines of something found in Melrose Place or 90210, but they are handled with a sense of care, and the series achieves poignant moments comparable only to moments spent watching movies. The whole show has a movie like quality to it, each scene looks planned, camera-work brings a little extra oomph to the scenes.... This is some of the best work I've seen on television. I can not recommend this show enough... it lives up to the buzz. Definitely among the top 5 shows on television.

When this show ended, I felt as though my best friend had moved away. From the very first episode "Felicity" grabbed my attention and never let it go. Excellent scripts, wonderful acting & possibly the best lighting on television. I just bought the 6 disc DVD set of the entire first season, and now I can't wait for the other 3 seasons to be released.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the production of Felicity. You did a great job!

This show is just amazing and holds a special place in my heart. For the most part, it ages really well. Very relatable!

I was a teen during the original airing of Felicity and saw the show so many times, I could recite many parts by heart. It was never exactly my "thing" but I remember being so thirsty for any sort of entertainment acknowledging girls my age, I eagerly gobbled up this trash.

I rewatched this show now that I'm in my late 30s. I'm in utter disbelief that something this bad could have ever been made. I could spend all day listing the many small problems with the show - such as 30+yr olds playing 18yr old "normal" college kids who never drink or have sex, the truly god-awful music, the fact that every woman in the show except for Felicity (and Megan in season 4, maybe) is written to be a villain, the fact that senior year featured very little-to-no talk about college, graduation, jobs, internships, etc at all, let alone college-related storylines. Julie, the character who exists solely to try and date anyone who dated Felicity, then yell at Felicity for dating her boyfriends who were Felicity's first... Elaina's lack of storylines in season 4, or just the awful way they treated her throughout the show. The terrible casting, acting, and writing in every repeating storyline about Felicity's parents who are about as mature and intelligent as 14 year old kids. The only time these writers attempted to write an actual surprise in the show, they had Keri Russel cut all her hair off (about 6 inches too short), which turned out so bad that fans stopped watching the show and the ratings plummeted. But I could almost let all that go...

The biggest problem/problems center around the terrible Ben storyline, which suffocates the show. Sure, I get Felicity having a big crush that set her on this journey, but Ben is a POS. He and Felicity have nothing in common. They have no chemistry, aside from a "confusing sadness" they pass back and forth to each other for 4 seasons. He cheats on her constantly, or straight up dumps her for selfish reasons/other girls more times than I can count. Nameless girl in the pilot, Julie, the OTHER pink ranger, dumps her at the beginning of season 2, avery, THEN gets his father's mentally-ill-middle-aged-AA spons-ee pregnant and makes felicty forget about senior year and any plans she might have in order to support him, THEN he cheats AGAIN by having a month long affair?!? He sure does cheat a lot in the 4 seasons of this show. And each time we are expected to just forgive and forget.

And Felicity... well, she doesn't matter. The entire premis/moral of the show is, "Girls, it doesn't matter what your dreams or relationship fantasies are. Friendships don't matter. Education doesn't matter. If you think they do, you're delusional. Your only purpose is to clean up the messes created by the idiot men in your life. The guy you love? He doesn't care about you, and he will make sure to let you know every chance he can. But he'll say "I'm sorry I love you" and you WILL instantly forgive him because THAT's what love is! Also, don't try to choose your own career path, because ultimately you're going to move back home with your parents and do exactly what those miserable controlling people want."

The end.

I hope I saved some of you from wasting your time.

I'd give zero stars if I could, but I gave 1 star for Megan. She's the only good character in the show, and she's highly under-utilized. Also 1 star for JJAbrams attempting to bring some sort of interesting sci-fi twilight zone/time travel elements to the show, too bad they Wizard of Oz/"it was all a dream"-ed it at the end.

Felicity should have been with Noel, for real, starting around the beginning of season 3. Then the show would have been a story of choosing your own adventure and unexpected life changes, making your own decisions and learning whats right and good for you vs what's wrong, instead of a "shy bro's" guide on how to politely and quietly gaslight women into giving up everything they want and dream about in order to stay in a *seriously* emotionally abusive relationship with you, until they end up isolated on the opposite end of the country from their only friends, forced to raise the baby you made with another woman, while you're out having one of your twice-yearly affairs.

I hate Ben.

"Felicity" is a fabulous show that everyone can relate too. It's not over-dramatic like many other shows. There is at least one character on the show that everyone can recognize within themselves. This show is for everyone, not just youths. The actors are superb. Keri Russell rightfully deserved her Golden Globe Award for her role. You must watch this show!

Season One: 8.5/10

Themes: Drama, Romance, College, Friendship & Love Triangle.

Top three characters: 1) Noel Crane, 2) Felicity Porter and 3) Elena Tyler.

Do you to the great world that we live in, I was able to stream this many times. I think I've watched it four times all over again. 1998 the early years when things were a lot easier. I just enjoy the show so much. It's not cheesy because there are plenty of times. Felicity is up to no good. I love all the characters they are hysterical.

Keep in mind the time frame is clearly different from nowadays.

These reviews need to be way too long!

Felicity is a doll. I love Ben and Noel.

Javier is the best.

I think you should watch it. You'll enjoy it. Imagine having no technology like we do now..

I find Felicity's craze over Ben is similar......I have a similar story except that was way after college.Instead I followed where he worked, and there is a Noel in the story as well. After two decades the story still repeats in reality, so I must say the script writer is genius.

I very much enjoyed how the story portraits the friendships even though there really were some heartbreaking moments and if I were one of them I would absolutely not forgiving . "College thing" version of love like Felicity mentioned is anyhow a bit repetitive, and I don't appreciate much the Halloween episode. It's cheesy and boring. But all in all, despite the fact that Ben is an incredible turd( that you could always find a Ben for real. I imagine how will the story going later, I hope Felicity would get mature enough that Ben will never change cuz he has ADD!) I find this story doesn't fade out as time goes by.

...to like this series, but could barely get past the second season. The first season had me engaged, but how disappointing to find out that, instead of becoming a more fully developed person, Felicity becomes even more egocentric and selfish under a thin veil of being nice to everyone. She has the emotional IQ of an infant and inexplicably chases a young man well on his way to filling the shoes of a domestic abuser and whose only two reactions beyond violence are either to grin at inappropriate times or to look down at his shoes. Found myself focused on what a dreadful life with Ben would be.

I was forced to watch a few episodes of this with my old girlfriend like 15 years ago. For some reason I saw the series available online and watched the first episode from the beginning of the 4th Season... I had to watch it all and go on the roller coaster. My heart was taken back on several occasions on how I really miss Manhattan and the life experience. Coincidentally I lived in New York City when this was airing and so much if it reminds me of my time I spent in New York in my 20's. So much reminds me of what it was like to live in NY, the friends you make, the City, the expectations, love life, living and just struggling for success. The casting and acting is amazing. To me its stood the test of time. The subject matter is still relevant today. The City has changed a little but not that much that if you went back to Bleecker Subway stop or Dean and Delucca's... it's still the same, the experience is still similar. I recall so may friends carrying their luggage on the street, just as Felicity does at theme song start. The cast brings is all together. There isn't one string that I wasn't interested in. There isn't a weak link in the thread. The writing and directing holds back on making Felicity or other characters emotional to their credit. Just when you think she should lose it or others should lose it they have a talent for developing the drama without the tears or shouting... the dialogue is brilliant. And the music is amazing. This is now my all time favorite TV Drama ever.

Good grief! Four seasons of Felicity staring into space as if she's having a petit mal seizure and Ben looking like a 12 year old boy trying not to laugh. When he isn't grinning like the village idiot, all we see is the top of his head or we see him repeatedly withdraw and refuse to engage with Felicity. Still she worships him and just keeps taking his mistreatment. I cannot understand all the gushing good reviews for this series. Noel, Javier, Julie's biological mom and the psychologist are the only interesting characters. For the most part, these self-obsessed college student characters are not likable and sorely neglected as the series drones on. How can they possibly cultivate supposedly deep friendships when, if anything, they've regressed back to high school after three years of college. Exhausting and so very irritating to watch. Glad my kids never got into this series. Undesirable examples of friends and lovers who manage to become less mature and self aware as time goes on.

For whatever Reason I watched the entire series and over the whole thing I remember crying at least 5 different times.. I got way too emotional over this series and I have no idea why.

This series is outrageously well-written. It's warming and realistic. And the chemistry between Felicity and Ben is incredible. The last two seasons are the best as they focus on the toughest years of college and her dream-come-true relationship with Ben. The series finale is so satisfying. I honestly was not a fan of the show when it was airing, but that's probably because I was too young to get it. I was a freshman in college when the series finale aired. That alone had me hooked. Felicity is college life at its best. They don't make young adult dramas like this anymore. But they should. Definitely add this to your Netflix queue.