What the WB had in mind for the ''Felicity'' star

If you thought Felicity’s haircut was a drastic move, consider this story arc that was in the works for the WB heroine: The college senior was going to get raped. Sources say writers were considering a violent conclusion for the four-year-old drama before it goes on its Dec. 12 hiatus — until network suits intervened and killed the idea. As a result, the show was recently forced to shut down so the writers could change the plotline, which they hoped would pick up when ”Felicity” returned next spring. (Show producers declined to comment.) Says a WB insider, ”This show is about an empowered woman who made a bold choice in the pilot and followed through in college. We don’t want her remembered as a rape victim.” No word on how producers will rework ”Felicity,” though the network wants to avoid the more somber plots that dominated season 2. ”External catalysts shouldn’t create story lines on ‘Felicity,”’ continues the source. ”They should come out organically from the characters.”