This Daria Episode Really Makes You Think

Had a really bad cough while I was making this. Apologies if I didn't hide it well enough.

It's nice that Jane isn't 100% the same as Daria. The small differences in how they handle people and situations gives Jane that extra push to being my favorite character.

Brittany really is nice. She's just a bit shallow and silly. She's never mean the way the Fashion Club are. Quite a few times she invites Daria to hang out with her because she thinks it's a nice thing to do. She keeps Daria's secret about her rash and cheers her up when she feels like a hypocrite for wanting contacts.

Daria was right. You don't have to mourn when people you don't like die.

It was and is refreshing how the popular kids i.e. Brittany and Kevin are never particularly mean nor malicious towards Daria, hell they're even dare I say friendly with her.

Hey, it’s that show that did cynicism right. Take notes, HBO Velma.

Fun Fact: In almost every episode the Morgendorffer's have lasagna for dinner.

If you want to see Jane and Daria's friendship get tested just wait until you get to Tom.

I think Jodi wanted to have an honest yet cynical conversation about Tommy. In later episodes it is shown that Jodi is constantly trying to maintain a perfect image. That she does not get many chances to drop the façade and speak honestly. Daria and Jane are some of the few people that Jodi feels comfortable enough to genuinely loosen up around since they are both honest and smart enough to speak candidly themselves. Jodi isn't actually looking for advice here. She probably had a good idea of what she was going to say already. She was looking for catharsis. A chance to let release all that pent up frustration with people who actually understand.

The thing is Daria is that person with no filter on meaning she always honest but she also uses snark and sass to cover up her own insecurities.

a little note: Daria's color pallette is noticably lighter in this episode compared to her other appearances

As someone who's been called a pessimist more times than I would like, I appreciate Daria's willingness to say what she really thinks rather than going with what you're "supposed to say" in this situation. Death does not unjerkify someone. And yet the jerk's assessment of her was right, she does go out of her way to find the bad in things, so actually they had speaking their minds in common.

What I think really sets Daria and Jane apart is the reasons why they are on the fringes: Daria is naturally out of step with her peers. Jane, however, chooses to be. There are a few episodes that show she has the potential to be a normal high school girl, even a popular girl (joining the track team, when she is invited to try out for the cheer squad, etc.). That option is never really presented to Daria. I think that it might be part of the reason why Daria can be somewhat hostile towards her best friend at times whenever Jane explores these possibilities. She is worried about losing the person who gets her.

I think in part Tommy hitting on Brittany is in part not only showing how sleazy he is, but also shows how he "peaked" in high school, that he's stuck in the past, a person who has nothing but a past fleeting moment of "glory," and he uses it to prey on those he THINKS will fall for it.

It's funny how you don't realize how well written some of these old school cartoons were until you're older. It allows them to hold up well, especially for breakdowns like yours 👍

Fun fact: some people smile not because they are happy, but as a defense mechanism for uncomfortable and stressful situations. Its great for reassuring people

Tommy was on my hit list the minute he had his first interaction with Brittany ☠ and truthfully Daria was trying to express her own feelings regarding his death the entire episode after witnessing Tommy treat everyone and her like disposable objects and NOBODY bothered to really listen to how she feels

No spoilers, but Daria's world view is eventually challenged and she goes grow throughout the series.

I fully get why Daria would antagonise Jodie - Jodie is, in a way, an opposite to Daria. While she acknowledges the problems with the world around her, she prefers to participate and benefit from it rather than reject it as Daria does (most of the time).

I feel like this episode definitely touches on a big aspect of Daria's character and that is her particular way of thinking. Daria doesn't smile because she doesn't want to smile. She doesn't see a reason unless she's naturally happy and making herself smile feels like a lie/performance. In that same vein she doesn't feel very sad by the death of a man she didn't particularly care for/about. Daria knew Tommy would eventually die. She didn't expect it so soon but she's not very upset by it and doesn't really have a strong reaction. She's more preoccupied on the assembly lying about his character and legacy than the fact that he is actually dead. Her interaction with Brittney is telling because their reaction is the same lack of a strong reaction to his death. But while Britney feels guilty not feeling bad about him dying, Daria doesn't. She sees herself as a "realist" because she finds it hard to relate to the sentiment of feeling bad over some jerk's death. If anything it just makes her feel more like an "other" because everyone's reaction is completely different from her "business as usual" behavior. Even Jane her best friend is very shaken by what happened. She's not a "Misery Chick" so much as she's someone who doesn't like to pretend she isn't feeling what she's currently feeling to fit in. She could definitely be seen as being on the spectrum or Neurodivergent in some way with how she carries herself. She has the emotional intelligence to understand how people are feeling enough to help them, but she is honest about her feelings almost to a fault. She doesn't do or say anything she doesn't want to and she doesn't want to lie to herself or anyone else.