Dennis

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Red episode names indicate favorites.

101 - Esteemsters	Esteemsters doesn't really do it for me, though Jane's speech was priceless. It's not a bad ep, and had I seen it first (I saw _Misery Chick_ first, I probably would have kept watching, but it's not great.
102 - The Invitation	Not a huge fan of this one. Daria embarassing Quinn is amusing, and the rent-a-cop was very funny: "I made that one up," but it's a bit too standard. Many of the best Daria eps. are inventive or provide a different angle on a common issue (cf. _The Misery Chick_, _Through a Lens Darkly_) where tI is just "popular people suck, but I got a bonus sock."
103 - College Bored	I like College Bored. Like you said, "a good solid episode." Not one that for the books, but one that I smile when I think about and laugh at all the jokes after repeat viewing.
104 - Cafe Disaffecto	I remember liking "Cafe Disaffecto" when I first saw it, but I like it somewhat less now. There's not as much to it as I would like, but it's still a fairly funny and entertaining ep. Mrs. Johansen's initial appearance is used to great comic effect, which is something that cannot be said of many of her returns. And we learn that Daria has morals. Many of her fellows (Jane?) would have sold Mrs. J. the chocolate and put her impending death out of their minds.
105 - Malled	Pretty bland. They get a couple of good lines and watching Jane and Daria in the hairstylists place, which they thought was for art supplies because Jane had a coupon for "Scissors Shack," was funny. Not much else was.
106 - This Year's Model	is very entertaining, and Quinn's poem is a classic. And General Buck Conroy is hysterical. It's funny but it doesn't stand out.
107 - The Lab Brat	The Lab Brat is odd, because it's a fairly entertaining episode, but it specifically stands out to me as an episode that's only barely on-canon. There're so many directions this episode pointed them that they DIDN'T go in: --Quinn's obsession with Kevin is not something she'd ever do again. (Contrast it with the way she treats guys in the rest of the series, and the genuine feelings she has for David in IIFY.) --The Quinn/Brittany conflict, touched on again in "Fair Enough" but never mentioned again. --The Daria/Brittany conflict, carried over from the pilot and then dropped completely. In fact, this episode probably has more in common with "Sealed With a Kick" than any full length episode. (It's probably a reworking.) Still, it's pretty fun. Jake is pretty cool.
108 - Pinch Sitter	Daria babysits. Oh, the humanity. Some very fun stuff in this episode. Quinn getting blown off by someone even smarmier and more shallow than she is was amusing, though the Deena Decker stuff was a bit overdone. Daria's Freudian slip when confronted with the House of Suburban Sweetness was great: "Hi, Mrs. Kewpie, I mean Gupty." Jane and Daria's stories were fun ("And the dish ran away with the spoon, but Hawaii was the only state that recognized their marriage as legal.") as was Jane's reaction to Daria's pigtails ("Hail, Pippi Longstocking). Tad Gupty had the episode's second best moment: "Kick 'em to the curb, girlfriend." with the best going to the revised self-esteem song Tad and Tricia sing at the end. "I am cool and that is it and everyone else is full of..."
109 - Too Cute	Everything a Daria episode should be. Easy target, characters in place, perfect message. So why is it so awful? Too Cute was IIRC the second Daria ep I saw, after "The Misery Chick." I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. There'rea few funny lines, but nothing truly memorable. Maybe the target is too broad. I realize that self-image is a major issue for everyone, especially teenage girls, but there's an after-school- specialish quality to the hammerlike blows of the heavy-handed message that is unusual for _Daria._ Wait. One good line, when Quinn tries to persuade Andrea to chip in: "Aren't you afraid that there might be a hell?"
110 - The Big House	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx
111 - Road Worrier	Fun. There're better shipper eps, but I suppose this gets credit for being the first. Couple questions: How can Sandi drive? She's in Quinn's grade, which makes her fifteen. Was she left back? Is Lawndale in a state with a young driving age? Or does Sandi just ignore the law. Does Jane have designs on Jesse at this point? We know she doesn't later, but she goes to an awful lot of trouble to get Trent with Daria, unless she has an ulterior motive. Why wasn't Helen with Jake at Altamont? (Okay, maybe this isn't such a big deal, but I'm curious.)
112 - The Teachings of Don Jake	Funny. The parallel plots work well together, though I don't think much of Vince and Amanda abandoning Jane and Trent to face the hostile squares. The Spirit Quest of Clan Morgendorffer is pretty funny, and the ways that Jake, Helen, and Quinn come slowly unglued work really well.
113 - The Misery Chick	The very first episode of "Daria" I ever saw. I made a point of watching again. Death done with a light touch. Tommy is impressively assinine, and Daria letting him have it (before the goalpost lets him have it) is cool. It's also the first conflict between Daria and Jane, and (though it's not made explicit) likely the first time Daria realizes how much she depends on Jane. Trent also has a nice moment here. Seeing Daria interact with the other students on a level other than, "Oh, look, the idiots," is interesting.
201 - Arts 'N Crass"	It was well done. Much pointed commentary that can be looked at from any number of angles, the classic moment of Helen eviscerating Ms. Li over the phone, and one of the top five all-time Daria lines: Mr. O'Neill: A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. Jane: Not if you're diabetic.
202 - The Daria Hunter	tDH is interesting, but ultimately still lousy. I think the characterization was very deft in the episode (except for Brittany as strategic savant), but the fact that the solid characterization led to such an unappealing episode begs the question of why it was made at all. Daria and Jane acted exactly as they should, which is to ignore the whole outing and do nothing. So the "A" plot is nonexistent. (The shark thing was just lame.) And the B plots don't provide enough interest to make up for it.
203 - Quinn the Brain	QtB is a classic. Just about every scene works really well. The mirror attempts of the FC and the three Js to talk to Daria are hysterical, as are the lines when the three Js come to the door for Daria. Jake: Quinn, your dates are here. Joey: Actually, we're here to ask Daria out. Jeffy: You know. Your other daughter. Jamie: By the way, how's Quinn? Joey: Shut UP, Jamie!
204 - I Don't	I didn't like the "bridesmaid dress" running joke. Based on "Quinn the Brain" there's no reason Daria wouldn't look good in her dress. I did like the fitting scene, though. Jane: Oh, Scarlett, you grow lovelier by the day. Daria: I will kill you. And bury your body in this dress. As for the Famous Aunt, put me firmly in the "Amy rocks!" category. Quinn and the minister were very funny, but the overlooked joy in the episode is Jake. From his very first line, "Your cousin Erin's getting married. You know there'll be hell to pay."--setting the tone for the episode--to the last, "Don't talk son, you're shaking the light," Jake steals the show. Resulting in a very funny and revealing episode. As for Erin's age, it depends on the time of year. If I Don't was early spring and AN was late spring two years later, and Erin had April birthday, she could have turned 22 right after her wedding and 24 right before her near divorce. Or Helen could have gotten her age wrong in one of the eps.
205 - That was Then, This is Dumb	I like this episode. Willow and Coyote are entertaining cliches and Jake once again has several classic moments. "These veggie things never fill me up. Who's up for a burger?" After getting glares from Helen and the Yeagers: "It's the circle of life, Helen." The flea market plot isn't quite as entertaining but it's still fun, and the shipper action is well done.
206 - Monster	Monster only really works for me if Quinn knew that Daria and Jane were setting her up. It's the age old sibling battle and Quinn wins, but it's not any fun if Quinn wins by accident. Given that Quinn was eavesdropping when Daria and Jane discussed their plans to rip her to shreds, it's not unreasonable to think that Quinn deliberately manipulated Daria to keep Daria from humiliating her. Nice shipper moment: Daria blushing when Trent sees her pretending to be vain. Also, we get the first indication that Jake's childhood was not pleasant. As the first "Quinn wins" episode, it's really good.
207 - The New Kid	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx
208 - Gifted	The first and best of the Daria/Jodie episodes (Partner's Complaint and Prize Fighters are the others). Daria and Jodie each realize they have something the other one needs to become a more complete person. In between, they take the piss out of some believably arrogant private school twits, while Helen offends Jodie's mother by drawing breath and Jodie's dad and Jake sort-of bond (which was a bit of a missed opportunity--having Andrew and Jake be friends while Michelle and Helen hated each other might have been fun; it worked on _Malcolm in the Middle_). Quinn's wanderings are amusing and give us a really good idea how screwed up the fashion club's dynamic really is: Quinn alternately regards Sandi as an enemy, Tiffany as contemptible, and Stacy as more than a little scary. This is of course as nothing to how Jane and Trent regard Quinn ("Take... her... now.") ("Oh, right. Daria's sister.") An interesting and entertaining episode all around.
209 - Ill	I like Ill. Daria and Brittany in the grunge club were funny, as were Jake's worries about drugs and Daria's reaction ("Quinn's clean"). Dr. Phillips was also very funny. ("What is it with your mother?") I know that both Daria and Brittany had ulterior motives for helping each other in this ep, but I do get the feeling that they kind of like each other, or don't dislike each other. And Jodie and Mack were well used.
210 - Fair Enough	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx
211 - See Jane Run	I suspect I'm in the minority here when I say that I don't like "See Jane Run" at all. For an episode that claims to be the definitive Jane episode, we see very little of what makes Jane tick. This is maybe because the ep, like "Fizz Ed" later on, is muddled with way too many subplots. There're three Jane plots alone--Jane v. Daria, Jane v. Evan, and Jane v. Mrs. Morris--so the Daria/Quinn interaction is unnecessary. As for the Jane subplots, they all feel badly resolved. It's as if the writer spent the whole episode working this stuff up and then realized there were only two minutes left in the episode, so Jane just tells everyone off and returns to status quo ante. Maybe if Jane had stayed on the track team, merely resolving her problems with Daria and telling off Evan this episode would have worked for me. The "corruption of athletics" subplot could have been worked out over a couple of episodes with Jane slowly realizing she's being subverted and taking time to turn the tables on The Morris. Oh well.
212 - Pierce Me	Lo and behold! Daria is human and everything. "You did something stupid for a guy." The B plot is again very funny, and possibly the first indication that deep down Quinn is mostly Helen's daughter. They share an intensively competitive spirit (which is highlighted in their shared song in "Daria!"). I also think this represents the nadir of Daria/Quinn interaction. Quinn's in pain and the first thing she thinks of is making Daria suffer. I don't think they're cruel to each other on a regular basis at any other point in the series like they are in Season 2. And of course, the A plot. Classic shipper stuff, and we meet the mysterious Monique, as well as later fanfic cliche Axl. Good stuff all around.
213 - Write Where It Hurts	Again inspired. The various "story flashbacks" range from clever (Kevin and Jane in _The Graduate_) to oughtright hysterical (Helen and Jake taking turns as the witches and MacBeth). This episode probably gives us a better idea of Helen and Daria's relationship and how they see each other than the entire rest of the series put together. The last story is, of course, sweet and charming, but Helen's reaction and Daria's subsequent horror is priceless. (Helen, crying, hugs Daria.) Daria: Stop! Stop! This isn't a story, this is real life!
301 - Through A Lens Darkly	I really like TaLD. The Amy cameo is great, and the exchange in the bathroom at the end is priceless. Daria reexamining her long held prejudices is always good for her character, and if it is done right, it makes for very funny television, as it did in TaLD.
302 - The Old And The Beautiful	Bland. Bland. Bland. Bland. Also, too much Kevin and Brittany (who are best dealt with in small doses).
303 - Depth Takes A Holiday	I dunno. I can see why DTaH annoys people: It's as out of place as Maude Flanders' death on _The Simpsons._ It doesn't fit with the concept at all, and doesn't even have the bad excuse of a framing device like _Murder, She Snored_, or _Legends of the Mall._ OTOH, I find it very funny and there's some nice 'shipper action. You can see Trent's respect for Daria grow by leaps and bounds in this episode. Like allmusic.com says of Pete Townshend's _All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes_: Any [episode] that has that much of a polarizing effect is worth a [viewing].
304 - Daria Dance Party	Almost all the characters were really well used and things moved along really well. Many good lines. After Kevin blows off what he thinks is a pass from Daria, Jane: BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BABY! *** Jane: A thousand bucks can buy a lot of art supplies. Daria: But what about our dancing classmates. Jane (taking out a twenty): Put this aside for a bag of chips and a boom box. Quinn and Sandi's confrontation was classic.
305 - The Lost Girls	Bleah. Bleah. Bleah. And again I say Bleah. It's not a terrible episode, I suppose, and Daria has some good lines. "Paris. Milan. New York. Lawndale." And as AJ said, there's a very positive message. Val is just unwatchable, though. I suppose that means they've done a good job, but she's just too annoying to bear.
306 - It Happened One Nut	I like this episode. It's funny and entertaining, even if Kevin is clearly too stupid to live. Jane trying to keep Trent away from the nut stand is very funny, as is Daria responding to Helen's overreaction about the career aptitude test. Helen: Daria, have you given any thought to your career plans? Daria: I guess I'll wait around for people to kick the bucket. Helen: I can't believe you're not more ambitious. Daria: You want me to kill people to drum up business? Nice shipper moment: Trent realizing that Daria works at the nut stand and leaving so as not to embarass her.
307 - Daria!	I like the musical. I'm reminded of similar experiments, like the backward episode of "Seinfeld," "News Radio in Space," and the "Dreams" episode of "MASH." You sacrifice some of the plot for the concept, but if the concept is well-executed and the plot well done, the result is usually entertaining. I think they did a good job. Some of the songs are hysterical ("Gah Gah Dammit! being a personal fave) and there's some strong characterization hidden in there. Some of the stuff was lame, like Jake and Trent crashing right after going to look for the girls, but on the whole I thought it was good.
308 - Lane Miserables	The wandering Lanes return and all hell breaks loose. The writers enjoyed playing with expectations here. One would think that Penny would be more the cliche laid back hippie "save the world" chick, given that she has rejected America's culture to sell knicknacks in the Third World. Instead she's a no-nonsense Ugly American: pushy, demanding, and contemptuous of the places she travels through. One would think that she's speak better Spanish after ten years. Wind, too, isn't what you expect. Twice divorced already with legal problems out the wazoo because of it, you'd expect a smooth talking Lothario, but what you get is the sort of wishy-washy New Age mook that Mike Binkley could have grown up to be. Summer is a cipher, while Vincent and Amanda do live up to their reputation as hands-off parents. I love Amanda's butterfly speech, both the first time with Jane, and the second time where she cracks up and begs Helen to get her her house back. Trent's reaction to Vincent's attempt to counsel Wind ("Trent, you be the flirtacious girl at the checkout counter" "Uh, I gotta go sharpen my guitar pick") is also amusing. I suppose the most significant moment of LM is that we find out that Daria's interest in Trent is in some measure reciprocated. He thinks enough of her that he wishes she were a few years older. Coming on the heels of the fantasy that she used to try to rid herself of The Crush, it does lead one to wonder whether Trent is really interested in Daria, totally clueless and trying to be nice, or casually cruel. Some other questions: Do Helen and Amanda know each other solely because their daughters are friends or have they bonded more deeply? Is Jake really that clueless or was his conversation with Helen part of a short term strategy to get her to go away so he could watch the game? Why didn't one of the other Lanes barbeque Penny's freaking parrot? Anyway, a really fun episode that advances the characters, but I'm going to shut up or I'll never finish.
309 - Jake of Hearts	Not as bad as many people think. There're some really nice things in this episode. Jane and Daria's reactions to the DJs are funny, even if the DJs themselves are lame, and Tiffany has a classic moment ("Upchuck? Ewwwww...."). The episode belongs to the Family Morgendorffer, though. The effect that Jake's heart attack and the ensuing Hurricane Ruth has on both Quinn and Helen is interesting. It might have been nice if some of that stuff had been followed up on (like Quinn's interest in medicine). Jane is very funny, as usual. We also get to see Daria fully engaged. She helps calm her father's fears, both about death and about being an inadequate parent, and then drives off all of her tormentors, Bing and the Spatula Man by rubbing their noses in the unpleasant side of life in general and Grandma Ruth by doing the same with Ruth's life in particular. Helen and Quinn's reactions are telling. "How does she do that?" "You got me." Answer: Daria listens. And is willing to use the information she gathers.
310 - Speedtrapped	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx
311 - The Lawndale File	It's fun, but it's stupid. For the plot of this episode to work, the IQs of many Lawndalians have to drop an additional ten or fifteen points, which just doesn't work in most cases (and would not, in fact, leave Kevin breathing). It does however get points for what is perhaps the quintessential Sandi victory over Quinn (though "Fair Enough" may be a little more thorough). Quinn's humiliating neck zit is revealed to the whole school while Sandi's hands remain clean (and who thinks she didn't know that Stacy and Tiffany could be depended on to blab Quinn's secret by accident).
312 - Just Add Water	The worst of the "ensemble" episodes, it puts even "The Daria Hunter" to shame. Wildly implausible, and nothing we haven't seen before in terms of Fashion Club politics, the Morgendorffers' marriage, or the general interaction of the students. Daria and Jane aren't even guest stars in their own show. They're more like cameos. And Daria does something nice for Quinn. Stop the... yawn... presses. One nice thing: DeMartino makes his respect for Daria clear, and his compliment to Jane is funny: For being so... angular.
313 - Jane's Addition	Right off, I'll say, "Jane's Addition" isn't as good as the other four. This isn't much of a criticism, however, as it is still a really good episode. All the elements fit well, and if Daria's behavior is less than stellar, well, she has some reason. As, later on, does Jane. Tom shows an immense amount of forebearance here (foreshadowing Season 5), and Trent's experiements with his synthesizer were hysterical. (How come we never got to hear the all-plumbing version of "Oh! Susannah"?) And it had the requisite happy but bittersweet ending, as Daria and Jane remain friends, but The Crush receives a terminal wound.
401 - Partner's Complaint	I really liked "Partner's Complaint" when I first saw it, but the more I watch it, the less I'm sure. The complaint that Daria sells out her beliefs has some basis in fact, though I think that people often overlook that Jodie's central issue with the first bank was racism, and that Daria's capitulation might have had more to do with the fact that she had no right to judge Jodie for trying to avoid the pain of racism, which wasn't something Daria would ever deal with. This issue couldn't be made explicit in the apology scene, though.
402 - Antisocial Climbers	I think I prefer AC to tDH because the interactions are a little more emotionally resonant, even if they are played for laughs. Daria and Jane are in real danger, Helen and Jake confront (or avoid confronting) something fundamental about their marriage, and Quinn learns something about the cost of vanity. OTOH, the episode is not all that entertaining. The pace is choppy and it's not all that funny. Quinn gets the best line: "I'm sorry I've doomed us to a lingering death, Sandi."
403 - A Tree Grows In Lawndale	Now THIS is an episode that should not be named. "A Tree Grows in Lawndale" sucks rocks. There's nothing especially funny about it. As far as I'm concerned, the only merit this ep. has is continuity points for mentioning Tommy Sherman.
404 - Murder, She Snored	The spoofs were entertaining, but mildly so. I liked Jake and Helen as cops. Helen: Sorry, honey, I mean, you low life weasel! Helen: Jake! Try to at least ACT like the law on these streets. The fashion club as Upchuck's Angels was very funny, and the ending is a nice window into Daria's worldview. Somewhat amusing. Shines when considered next to the episode before it (A Tree Grows in Lawndale) and the episode after it (The F word).
405 - The 'F' Word	Multiple bleahs more than "The Lost Girls." "The F Word" might be the worst episode in the entire run of the show. The plot is dippy (though I liked O'Neill's reaction as compared to everyone else's at the seminar), and it's just not very funny. Though Trent has a good line. When Jane comes down in her "conventional" outfit to meet Tom, Trent says, "Don't abandon her man. She needs you." Gotta go. Bye.
406 - I Loathe A Parade	This episode rocks! One of the best. From the Lawndale Lion (Mr. O'Neill) to Tad Gupty ("Tad, when you brush your hair, do you ever brust straight through to your brain?") to the Love Machine to cheerleaders, everything works. And of course, we have "The Moment" to top it all off. And Jodie and Mack have a particularly touching scene (well, touching for _Daria_ anyway), when Jodie sees realizes that there are people who benefit from her being a role model.
407 - Of Human Bonding	I liked it more than a lot of people did, but then I'm a fan of Jake, so seeing him get that much screen time is always nice. Andrew Landon didn't come off so good, but it was nice to see that Michelle can get along with at least one Morgendorffer. Terry Barry Barlow was lame, but not as lame as Val. Helen's interactions with the Fashion Club were also entertaining. Quinn "Oh, dear God, not the ones with the bumblebees." The dream sequence was funny, too, and gave us a nice glimpse into the Quinn/Sandi dynamic. And then there was the morning after...
408 - Psycho Therapy	The family Morgendorffer undergoes group therapy. Disaster, of course, ensues. Daria surprises everyone, including her doctor, the viewers, and, I suspect, herself by being incredibly well- adjusted. Quinn surprises no one by being totally shallow and self-absorbed (but the past-life regression was great: "Caesar, you big dope!"). Helen and Jake really have it out. The characterization is great and Helen and Jake really hit home. Jane Cam is cute as a throwaway gag and as part of the buildup to "The Triangle," because it's Jane and Tom's first on- screen fight. It's kind of a shame that they back off, though. I'm not sure how much it would have helped Daria and Quinn, but Helen and Jake likely could have done themselves a lot of good if they'd kept up with the stuff they learned about each other, instead of backing away from it. ("Helen, it was the milk talking.") Still, everyone got a chance to be funny and insightful, and it was a really good episode, overall. One of the best of season four.
409 - Mart Of Darkness	What a mess. Useful only for a couple of things. It shows Tom and Jane's problems escalating, and gives an idea of how poorly prep school Tom relates to most aspects of Jane's boho world (including her brother). It also gives Andrea a nice scene that allows us to see how other outcasts see Jane and Daria, while at the same time giving OH a chance to show some empathy. We also get to learn more about the Thompsons. Everyone who wanted to learn more about Kevin please raise their hands. I'm predicting that no hands will go up. And the Mr. DeMartino subplot was lame. The writers owe the character an apology.
410 - Legends Of The Mall	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx
411 - Groped By An Angel	It's not as bad as I thought it was, but its still not anywhere near good. Quite frankly, it's a wasted opportunity. Instead of throwing away an episode on Quinn's inane quest for spirituality, this would have been a good momentum builder towards "Fire" and "Dye! Dye! My Darling." Instead, we get the three Js unable to distinguish their English teacher from a guardian angel and Steve Taylor's inexplicable grudge against his own son. (I'd like to know why Steve hates his kid so much; Brian's antisocial tendencies are much easier to understand.) Some good lines, but it would have worked much better if the plot revolved around Daria being dragooned into accompanying Jane and Tom to the party and then left to talk to Quinn when the two get caught up in some esoteric argument about Russian Lit or something.
412 - Fire!	Fire! was the third or fourth episode of season 4 that I saw, and I had no idea who Tom was, let alone that a love triangle was developing. It didn't play very well for me then. OTOH, now that I've seen the rest of the eps, it makes much more sense. The "triangle" elements of the plot are well-handled, Trent gets a nice scene, and Jodie shows that she is interested in Jane as a person, and not just an extension of Daria. Quinn's plot, I don't like at all. It doesn't do anything for me, and Helen and Jake's behavior is bizarre enough that they should consider another weekend in the spa from "Psycho Therapy," but with much more medication.
413 - Dye! Dye! My Darling	This is not your parents "Daria." For one thing, it's not funny. At all. Even the natural sarcasm of the characters is used more to shock than amuse. (I think Quinn has the only funny line.) This does not detract from it being a fine episode. Some people don't like the "triangle," finding it "Dawson's Creek"-ish or overdone, but I think it works. The key is, you get to do it once, not every other week, so do it right. The "Daria" staff did, and it feels real. Life is really like that sometimes, and watching Daria, Jane, and Tom cope with "the kiss" and it's aftermath makes for fine dramatic television. And Daria and Helen get a nice scene together, as do Trent and Jane.
MOVIE - Is it Fall Yet?	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx
501 - Fizz Ed	[D.T. Dey: Thought I have gained an appreciation for it, overall, the episode had a good premise that just went downhill.] I agree. It's a good idea: Daria is forced to act on her convictions. Alone. It's just not something that can be worked out over one episode. As a story arc used as the B-plot of several episodes, it would have time to work itself out. In one episode, it needs Ms. Li's ludicrous and unfunny collapse to wrap it up. It's half a good episode that goes to crap because it needed more than one episode to deal with. As for "the Tom thing" being dealt with, wasn't that what IIFY? was for? It ends with Tom and Daria happy with each other, and Jane accepting the relationship and happy to have her best friend back. I don't know that Daria and Tom fumbling through the opening stages of "Relationship Mark II" would have been all that entertaining to watch.
502 - Sappy Anniversary	Bleah! The "A" plot wasn't very good. I much prefer Daria- Tom issues as a sidelight in an ep, like in _The Story of D_. (_My Night at Daria's_ is an exception. The interation there was important and entertaining. Here it just feels forced.) Here's the spot that saved the Episode. Jake's eventful week at Buzzdome was laugh out loud funny and encapsulates everything good and entertaining about Jake's character. He tries with all his heart, and we love him for it. But he fails, in excruciatingly funny ways. He's a far deeper character than Homer Simpson, say, but he's still very funny.
503 - Fat Like Me	A.J.>Quinn's sppech to Stacy and Tiffany when she explains she's >resigning from the FC aong with Sandi. Along with her pep talk to Sandi at the pool. And "Quinn, my life is over." "Oh, Sandi, you're not thirty." Daria and Jane's presence seemed mostly superfluous, though, for once it worked. They were funny when they were onscreen, and they moved the plot. Tiffany's FC meetings were painful (and fun) to watch, especially the one with the three Js. (You surpise them by looking really hoooooot.) >Excellent episode in so many ways. Yes, FLM was one of the two best of the fiften season and one of the ten best of the series' run.
504 - Camp Fear	The Spiral showed up in CF, and they're always a welcome presence. Most of the camp stuff was pretty dumb. Quinn's proto-fashion-club was lame, and the Daria/Amelia plot didn't really work for me. Trent and Jane's adventures were at least amusing, and I liked the song Trent came up with in the Tank on the way home. Daria had the best line, though: Daria: Something tells me the Spiral lives. Trent: Oh yeah. The fire is back. Daria: You want a Tums for that?
505 - The Story of D	The A plot leaves something to be desired in the second half of the episode. Daria and the story works, right up until she gets the rejection letter, but the subsequent fight with Tom and making up feels forced. They did the same thing with "Sappy Anniversary," wherein other characters acting silly (in this case, Jake) convince OH that she's acting silly. OTOH, I love the way she apologizes to Tom. ("I'm cooking up a nice juicy crow..."). And Daria and Tom discussing the merits of submitting the story is great: Tom: Why don't you send it to them? Daria: The rejection, indignation, and lasting humiliation. Tom: How about the success, stardom, and eventual alcoholism? The thing I loved about this ep. was the B plot, though. The Fashion Club's attempts to do good, culminating in the newsletter and it's retraction are hysterical, and Sandi's speech as they dedicate the plaque to themselves is brilliant. Sandi: ...as my grandmother says whenever she tries to give me some horrible peasant blouse from, like, the Haight-Ashtray period of American history, it's the thought that counts.
506 - Lucky Strike	Another classic. (DeMartino storms in determined to get the contract. Jane looks up.) DeFoe: What are you looking for, Jane? Jane: Bombers. He'll never make it without air support. (The striking teachers are painting signs under Jane's watchful eye.) Jane: Remember, nothing says, "Death to the Bosses!" like primaries. Pastels are for appeaseniks. (In class with "Miss Darlene") Jeffy: What does "woe" mean? Daria: It's like the feeling you get when the Super Bowl is preempted for Antiques Roadshow. Joey: Whoa! Daria: Exactly. And, of course, Jake. His advice to Quinn on _Romeo and Juliet_ is just hysterical. Everything from Mr. Edwards the pedophile to Trent helping Mr. O'Neill write his song, to Quinn getting the best of Sandi and revealing that Daria is her sister (a perfect tactical move) works. Along with "Fat Like Me," the best episode of Season Five.
507 - Art Burn	The best thing about this episode was the ending, with Stacy opening the door of her closet to reveal the caricature that the other three Fashion Clubbers hated. The main plotline was pretty lame, though Trent trying to deal with the contractors was cool, and the Spiral had another appearance. Max: Existential? I thought you said nihilistic!
508 - One J at a Time	Slight, but entertainng. The important things in this ep for me are that the sibling war is becoming decidedly one-sided. It's pretty clear that Quinn is coming to admire Daria in certain ways, hence her attempts to imitate Daria by getting a steady BF. Daria, OTOH, is entertainingly cruel to her sister (funeral plots? Snookles?). And, yes, deep down, underneath it all, Tom is a guy. Not just a male, but a guy, who likes catching squirrels and driving go karts. Nothing wrong with that, though Daria might be unpleasantly surprised. Still, it's a really funny episode.
509 - Life in the Past Lane	An interesting episode for post-IIFY Jane and Daria issues that founders on one thing. Jane is taken away and replaced by a pod- person Jane who says and does almost nothing the real Jane would. Where the hell does Jane, she of the infamous dates that consisted of making fun of everyone she and Tom saw, get off tearing down Daria for doing the same thing (also ignoring the fact that that was what she and Daria did most of the time). Daria even says it. "I thought that's what you liked about me." I do understand that Jane doesn't have to be consistent, as she is a teenager, but tying that in with the wardrobe change makes for a very odd episode. OTOH, the B plot was fun. Upchuck's magic trick, with accompanying histrionics from the faculty ("Rigid stupid box of DEATH! Yield!"), is very funny, and Stacy getting to put Sandi down is great. So it wasn't a total loss, and even the muddled A plot wasn't awful.
510 - Aunt Nauseam	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx
511 - Prize Fighters	Doesn't work for me. Not sure why. The battle of the giant brains had potential to be very entertaining, but it really wasn't. Though it was interesting to see the dark side of each of their natures: Jodie's ultracompetitiveness leading her to enter behind Daria's back, Upchuck's business savvy and desire to network turning him into a drooling synchophant, and Daria's principles and apathy driving her to the empty and quixotic gesture of self-sabotage. Andrew Landon was less of a twit than usual in this episode. He had good points about the scholarship. And Jane's resentment, even with the explanation, is fairly bizarre.
512 - My Night at Daria's	Oh no! The sex episode! Actually, it's very good. Daria behaves badly towards Tom, but this time it's a realistic kind of badly, not Evil Pod Daria. I don't think it's unreasonable for OH to be as confused as she was in this episode, and I think her interaction with Tom is carried off well. The rumor mill is pretty amusing, as are Quinn's lingering intimacy issues: "I don't want to know how coupled people behave." Jake, though, got all the best lines: "Sushi sucks! Sake rocks!" "Help me, Helen. Before the madness sets in."
513 - Boxing Daria	This episode is weird. It's also very revealing and again less humorous than it might be. Quinn is a highlight. ("How much can one freakin' girl take, even an enormously freakin' popular one?") That said, it's a very important episode. We learn why Daria doesn't trust anyone, even as Daria learns that she can trust people, especially Jane. Jake, for once, says the right thing, and Daria and Jane's tour at the end of the show is classic. ("My colleague, of course, is just kidding. They've all been peed in.
MOVIE - Is it College Yet?	12345678912xxxxxxxxxxxx

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