Why you must watch ''Felicity'''s final episodes

Why you must watch ”Felicity”’s final episodes

Listen up, ”Felicity” fans: I have seen the future, and you’d better stay tuned for the final four episodes, because this terrific show is going to take you places you never thought ”Felicity” would go.

And that means starting with this week’s episode (Wed., 9 p.m. WB). Remember last week, when Felicity (Keri Russell) graduated; when it was over, didn’t you say to yourself: Hey, I thought the entire series was going to end with Felicity’s college graduation — where can they possibly go from here?

Turns out: Back to the future. By which I mean, I don’t want to give away any surprises (you’ll be mad at me for doing so, and the upcoming plot is so much fun, I wouldn’t want to spoil it anyway), which makes this difficult to write without spilling some beans. But since various TV listings are letting a few details slip, I’ll say this. This week’s episode brings a return of the taped-letter-to-Dear-Sally format, with the show beginning some months after Felicity and the gang have graduated.

A Major Character has died. No foolin’. Noel (Scott Foley) is getting married to Zoey. Felicity, waffling for the approximately 7,814th time between Noel and Ben (Scott Speedman), says, ”Maybe it was Noel I should have been with all along.” At this, point, kid, the expression, ”Well, DUHHH!” does not express all of our exquisite frustration with you, you nutty, sweet-hearted, mixed-up girl.

Then something happens that alters the whole course of the series. Again: No foolin’. And it’s great. I’ve seen the next couple of episodes, and these shows are fantastic, in more ways than one.

Next week’s features the return of Hanna: Noel’s old flame, played by the now-famous, married-to-Foley-in-real-life Jennifer Garner of ”Alias” (in a sly reference to that spy-show’s physical demands, Felicity exclaims about Hanna, ”She was in great shape!”). The acting — by Russell (who’s called upon to do some amazingly subtle reactions), by Foley, by Speedman, by Ian Gomez as Javier, by Greg Grunberg as Sean, and especially Amanda Foreman as Meghan — is as good as any being done on television.

I know there’s a new ”West Wing” on this week, but that’s what VCRs are for. If you’ve ever followed my advice, do it this time: Don’t miss ”Felicity”!