Finally, an erection from actual physical contact.

My So-Called Life – Life of Brian
Brian’s unrequited devotion to Angela is tested when another girl becomes attracted to him. Everyone struggles with how they fit in at the World Happiness Dance, and Patty wants Graham to take cooking classes. This is one of two eps not voice-overed by Angela, and is one of my favorites.

In a fun twist, this ep is told from Brian’s POV, and opens with Brian talking about how his parents are a behavioral psychologist and a Freudian psychiatrist, “which basically means that they fundamentally disagree on, like, everything.”

Sharon introduces Brian to a new girl at school, Delia, who is totally into him. Brian is socially awkward, and has been obsessed with Angela for years, so he doesn’t know what to do. Fortunately the World Happiness Dance is upon us, so Sharon tells Brian to ask Delia. Brian is torn, because he can’t stop thinking about Angela, but he decides to stop being her “puppet” and ask Delia to the dance.

Meanwhile, Angela’s more traditional side rears its head when she realizes wants to go to the dance (and she’s hoping Jordan will ask her, though Rayanne minces no words telling her this will never happen). Rickie is interested in Corey, a new boy in school who seems like he might be gay. Trying to be helpful, Rayanne asks Corey to meet she & Rickie at the dance, though she doesn’t intend to show up. Oh, the mystery and intrigue! Also, Rayanne has been clean for 10 days and is seeing the school counselor.

After hearing that Rickie will be at the dance with Corey, Angela realizes she has to find another way to get there, so she asks Brian if she can tag along with he and Delia. [Which is so, so weird. And although it drives the story, I can't believe she couldn't come up with a better option]. Anyway, Brian interprets this as Angela asking him to the dance, so he breaks his date with Delia.

When Brian picks up Angela sans Delia, Angela realizes what has happened and is horrified. Once they arrive at the dance, Brian says a variety of things that make it obvious he thinks they’re on a date. So Angela leaves Brian sitting alone on the bleachers, and as she walks away she sees Jordan. The two make all sorts of significant eye contact while Brian is forced to watch…

…and then outside, Jordan lags behind his friends and waits for Angela to come to him, which of course she does. He pushes her up against a fence and they have a fantastic J&A interaction, which [as some of you may remember] is repeated again in a later ep, but in a very different context:

J [tenderly]: Why are you like this?
A [nervously]: Like what?
J: [more tenderly] Like how you are.
A: [desperately] How am I? How...How am I?

But Jordan just walks away, leaving her breathless and giddy and, let’s face it, totally turned on. Jordan may not be able to read books, but he sure can read girls.

Inside, Rickie and Delia end up dancing and have a fabulous time. Angela, feeling suddenly benevolent, asks Brian to dance. Pouting, Brian says no, but he's really thinking, “Her hair smelled incredible. Her hair smelled like this orange grove we drove past when I was 8 on the way to see my grandmother. But I guess that’s just, like, her shampoo, or whatever.”

And they’re playing Toad the Wet Sprocket!

In parent world, Patty enrolls Graham for cooking classes and he’s irritated.