Boxing Daria Is an Episode Worth Remembering

[@Hjhugj]

Daria remembering the fight that her parents forgot reminds me of one of my favorite phrases. “The hammer forgets, but the nail remembers.”

[@Spirit_of_Yubel]

I remember the saying more as "The Axe Forgets. The Tree Remembers."

[@Hjhugj]

@@Spirit_of_Yubel might be a regional thing

[@whiterabbit75]

I feel like that should be, "The hammer forgets, the thumb remembers."

[@Brigand231]

The original is "The axe forgets, but the tree remembers."

[@soundrogue4472]

@@Brigand231Different regions use the phrase differently; it's not too uncommon of a phrase depending on where you are in the world.

[@viheart]

It's cool that Quinn brought the box to Daria's room even if it meant using physical labor.

[@ShadyDoorags]

I didn't even think about how she put aside her hate for physical labor! Season 5 Quinn is so good!

[@wimsylogic65]

​@@ShadyDoorags Did you notice how Quinn's outfit changes throughout the seasons. Towards the end of the season they change her shirt to be longer showing less of her midrift. I heard this was done intentionally to show her growth in character.

[@ChroniclerV]

@@ShadyDoorags Real talk Shady, you're really digging into Jake. Though Jake is mostly oblivious and somewhat immature, he is still shown to be capable of reassuring and helping out his daughters in the brief moments of clarity he has throughout the series. Yes, his lack of perception leaves very little to be desired but the show makes it clear, that he does try to understand and care for his daughters and even against his wife too. For example, when Daria and Jane's art entry is considered controversial, while Helen is trying to make a case against it as well, Jake actually defends Daria with a good argument, showing that he will defend his daughter against his wife when needed. In one episode, Jake accurately deduces that Helen getting involved in Rita and Erin's affairs is a bad idea and tries to beg her not to do it. Not only that but his wife Helen is or can be quite vicious towards him, as well as insensitive towards him, like in that instance where she berates him for not getting over his childhood trauma, as if she had it tougher than him, which in all honesty she didn't, Also, Helen is being very controlling and demanding, not just towards him but also towards Daria.

[@kassed3127]

Ikr!......I love when she shows she really loves her big sis! 😍👍

[@nathanseper8738]

The best Daria episodes are the ones in which Daria herself must undergo introspection and wonder if she's the one who is in the wrong. Good TV shows depict their own protagonists as flawed people who have to learn something rather than having them always be in the right.

[@erikbihari3625]

How about phineas and ferb? Never heard anyone in or out of universe, give them lip about being right on something! Also snow white is entirely about endurance and holing your morals!

[@KairuHakubi]

@@erikbihari3625 Ehhh once in a while P+F had to own up to making a mistake.. the time they were all tricked into swapping places with the alien criminals comes to mind. It's pretty rare though.

[@Savagewolver]

Or they could be Rick Sanchez who is irredeemable cynical and thuggish but can create an infinite number of memes to the point that nobody cares how awful he is.

[@nathanseper8738]

@@KairuHakubi That's a good point.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@SavagewolverI think you might have missed the point of that show.. but why speak ill of the dead.

[@Fairygoblet]

That clip of Baby Quinn bouncing in the backseat of the family car reminded me of something. When her parents argued about Daria's lack of social skills in the car, Quinn interjected that she liked a lot of kids and was ignored. She was overshadowed by Daria's issues and craving attention.

[@Eusong]

Yeah...I relate a lot to Quinn...

[@ninjamonkey508]

That's a very valid statement.

[@MessierEighty8]

It's why Quinn was so obsessed with being popular and liked, with just a single line.

[@Rocca000]

Isn’t the term used to define this called, ‘the glass child’?

[@1bwash]

It's so true. As a kid watching the show, you just were obsessed with Daria and you thought her witty (they were actually shitty in reality) comments were so clever and spot on. Now reflecting back, so many of the side characters are far more interesting and complex than Daria. Daria just simultaneously hated attention but wanted it all the time.

[@KyleRayner12]

6:00 - Actually, I think one of the interesting, and often unacknowledged, running themes of the show is that Quinn and Daria have a *lot* in common. They hate manual labor and school. They're lazy and will casually manipulate or fleece people for money. They don't like or respect people who don't share their interests. They care about each other, but don't like to show it. Utlimately, the differences between them are purely *what* they're interested in and how, as teenagers, they're trying to construct their social identities.

[@maryrobinson0]

15 minutes, my first time being this early 🎉🎉

[@johnindigo5477]

Damn I never realized this.

[@erikbihari3625]

Wow, they have me pegged like a poster!

[@KairuHakubi]

and they were both ADORABLE when smol.

[@YokaiEnthusiast]

You make a really fantastic point. It goes to show how in a family structure there's a lot of similarities in your core, even if you're very different from your relatives on a surface level. Daria and Quinn are both very much their parents' children but the way they present themselves is so different. Peel back the superficial layers and you see how similar they both are.

[@MeganKoumori]

The show comes full circle: It starts with Daria taking the tour of Lawndale High, and ends with her giving it.

[@fignite8641]

Even had the rorschach test

[@namuzed]

I always viewed this episode as highlighting that moment when you stop being a teenager and realize the impact your actions have on those around you.

[@erikbihari3625]

When the kid gloves literally come off?

[@psycholuigiman]

Oh man. I remember that moment. I had it kinda early though at the age of 12. Probably resulted in putting the child raising to easy mode for my parents, cuz to this day my Mama still says "Thank God I had you and your brother instead of some other kids" whenever we talk about how other kids act now or acted back in the day.

[@Undomaranel]

If that happened to you as a teen? You had a childhood. But for us eldests, parentified, from abusive homes? You learned _early,_ which everyone always says, "Well aren't you mature for your age!" It's called survival, and leads to us having chaotic adulthoods. Sure we learn leadership skills, seeing people as individuals and how our words/ acts affect their cooperation, and sees how adults treat you differently and remember events/ interactions, but those skills shouldn't be learned by a 6 year old who knows she'll be hit when she answers the phone wrong.

[@Blackpapalink]

Wait, y'all learned that in your teenage years? That was drilled into me when I was in second grade.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

​@@Undomaranel "parentified" whatever. That's just normal, kids always overplay it if they handle ANY responsibility, and kidults cry about the chaotic years. Nail in the coffin is talking about being "eldest", like the breakup of community where NEIGHBORS' kids would look after each other, is the expected norm. No, the big exception is when children feel like "the eldest" in a single family and have no such contact to other older kids. That's their unique privilege to be permanently blind to other people, resulting in self-satisfaction that they go on to call "leadership skills". ANYONE can start taking on the mantle of cajoling others in negotiations, where they may increase fairness by sticking to agreements, and EVERYONE should. People with this idea of blaming their response-abilities typically don't, they become exactly the type that drops out of an agreement and just defaults to "because I said so", acting like it's some huge revalation that words actually affect cooperation. "I dont have to answer to you, you're just a kid". Unable to respond in a fair negotiation. And perhaps even getting physical for it. That whole view is twisted by the base premise that for being a leader you deserve the default of cooperation, when everyone else just starts out with having to twist arms to even GET a fraction of that responsibility. Everyone faces the same when EVER they find an environment that allows them to; being abused as a kid is a whole separate thing, and can be rightly condemned for being ABUSIVE. HAVING a childhood, is to understand that weight of responsibility in a situation where it DOESN'T crush you. It's not WAITING to get growing, it's the privilege of ALREADY growing when you still have time to, and be lucky enough to face the chaos that comes with it.

[@BreakingNVain]

When Jake says that "She doesn't want to fit in" he finishes that by saying, or asking, "why can't you admit that?" Possibly Jake isn't upset with Daria, but rather Helen in this situation.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

That's exactly it and it shows deep lack of emotioanl intelligence to not understand that's how arguments work, blaming Jake for "blaming Daria". It's like painting the whole argument as them BOTH blaming Daria which would be an AGREEMENT, them just venting about Daria and talking behind her back. It's sad since now I can see how Doorags actually does appraoch arguments: neurotically. Identifying with the 6-year-old, who DOESN'T handle it. But that's the level where people DO just talk shit behind your back so you expect the same from anyone. And I can read between he lines that it comes form simping for women and not blaming Helen in the same way, gaslighitng yourself into this belief that Jake is the active instigator to this "bad parenting" where you'd think they are being catty at their own child. EVEN AFTER they literally run you through how it works at the ending of the episode. Even that crash that was "inconsequential" was literally about Daria understanding how the collateral damage and loss of control from shock, comes out of nowhere, that's what makes it shocking. If you knew the whole script beforehand you wouldn't LOSE your vehicle, but being aloof ALL the time is not reality. That's how people also get riled up to argue and as adults they can move on from it. But some adults can't. This is so damn common with self-proclaimed "introverts" who really are just judgmental, catty people who can't even handle arguments without making it into some quest to guilt trip literally anyone they can find for not being moral enough.

[@imdankarlin]

Jake’s outburst during the argument was also the result of him feeling like his entire life was out of control. It’s explained during Jake and Helen’s first conversation with Daria that he was working a job he hated for a sadistic boss at the time, which was the main source of his stress.

[@wimsylogic65]

​@@sboinkthelegday3892 Yeah I was confused. Because I thought Jake was actually standing up for Daria. Hearing him argue I didn't hear him being upset about Darya. I sounded like he was upset about his wife not being accepting of Daria The way she is.

[@jdrvargo287]

​@wimsylogic65 Same. A lot of the time Shady absolutely misses the point of scenes and lines of dialogue, then forms a heavy critique of the material based off completely incorrect information.

[@nutsandgum]

@@wimsylogic65 Yeah this is exactly what he is doing. Jake is arguing about accepting her for just being that way. This can be argued about being right or wrong but the video interpretation is off the mark.

[@DangStank]

I think the point of the tour was to show that Daria is making an effort to be more social. While also showing that it doesn’t make her any less Daria.

[@SunwardRanger83]

She seems to be making an effort to fit in more and be less of a misfit, but she's doing it on her own terms, so she doesn't feel like she's sacrificing what makes her who she is. If you really want to fit in, both things are important. You have to adapt and change if you want things to get better, but if you try to change everything about you, you can feel like you're losing yourself, or just hating the person you're trying to be. That's how you end up backsliding into your old ways.

[@SamuelBlack84]

​@@SunwardRanger83How do you find that happy medium in the real world? It's difficult to be yourself in a world where expected social behaviour is key to success in life

[@SunwardRanger83]

​@@SamuelBlack84 Part of its trial and error to be honest. Another way is to look at things about yourself that you don't actually like and try changing those first. For instance, in high school I was shy and had almost no sense of humor, and I knew that wasn't helping me socially at all. So, I worked on that, and eventually developed confidence and a sense of humor instead of taking things so seriously. By the time I got to college, I was actually known as a bit of a class clown. On the other hand, don't try to change things that are important to you or push yourself to far too fast. Things like sexuality, faith, personal moral codes, those things aren't things that you should be trying to change just to fit in better. And as for changing too fast, if you're shy, try making conversation with one person you don't know well, don't just immediately go to a party and try to talk to everyone there. Take it a step at a time. Lastly, being yourself doesn't mean you have to show the rest of the world every single facet of yourself. Show them the parts of your personality that you want them to see, or that are appropriate for the situation. If you're comfortable and happy with yourself, you don't need other people to validate you. So, if I'm talking to somebody who I know loves the ocean, I don't need to blurt out that it scares the crap out of me. If I'm talking to someone who is very religious, I'm not going to dump on their religion just because I don't believe in it. And I don't need to steer every conversation around to my hobbies and interests just because those are the subjects I feel most interested in talking about.

[@user-ly3li3ex8c]

@@SunwardRanger83 You may want to look into autism, what you described about your experience is totally familiar to me

[@HerpDerpWalrus]

I really really like Quinn. She’s got a lot of complexity and I love how manipulative she is in a good way. I also love the episode where Jake has a heart attack and she legit tries to learn all she can to be a doctor because of it. As self centered as she may seem she does love her family

[@StarmenRock]

She has a good nature, but her environment leads her to bury all of that under superficiality and egoism. As soon as she leaves school where you have to be pretty much a sociopath to be popular and sucessful, she'll probably grow into someone much better. She's shown in a number of occasions to also be able to see the "bigger picture" much like Daria, but since she has much more means to deal with the world as she's regarded as attractive and popular, she doesn't spend all her time staring at the world's cracks until she becomes "weird" like her older sister. Given a better environment she might accomplish even more than Daria in life due to that balance during her development and watching her sister closely

[@lifewithlee6298]

Her not wanting to admit the fight was about Daria shows she knows it will hurt to hear it. But also knows Daria would know if she lied 🤥

[@Theomite]

I really like that in that episode Quinn had to modify her efforts to learn to something she could manage with her current intellect: playing Operation. I also like how when Amy, Helen, and Rita started fighting in the house, Quinn started to snap under the friction because she has a deep-rooted fear of family strife that even she didn't know until then.

[@kayla8402]

oh god that was heartbreaking how much distress they showed on her face. I just don't think they planned this level of depth to begin with, so things got written and worked in a bit piecemeal mostly, only to finally get it a bit more structured right at the end.

[@frootsnacc6790]

The development of the dynamic between her and Daria makes me so happy

[@GiulianaBruna]

I think Helen refusing to label Daria as a misfit and frame her antisocialness as "her choice" is actually good. There are reasons why she doesn't fit, but labeling as the odd one out make create a self fulfilling profecy for every new social environment, preventing her for ever feel like she fits. Lots of kids like Daria find community later.

[@carred-r7c]

as an undiagnosed autistic girl who was very much a daria type, not having any sort of acknowledgement messed me up. i knew there was something different about me but i didnt know what, i just thought i was inherently flawed because i just didnt "get" socializing like everyone else seemed to no matter how hard i tried. although im naturally introverted i definitely did/do a lot of self isolating and putting up a wall because of my shitty self esteem and just not understanding people. i wouldve very much appreciated a label even if it was as an outcast, at least that wouldve felt somewhat vindicating. not saying that this literally applies to daria and i dont disagree with you, but this is the first thing that came to my mind when i read your coment.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

The show is largely about the blind spots in Daria's introspection, too bad a lot of people just see the show as Daria being perfectly self-aware, because THEY are not aware of the show showcasing how she failed to be introspective. Daria first became upset as "always being labeled the misfit", the issue here is that she wasn't satisfied with the consequence of HER avoiding confrontation, which she then opened up to by hugging Jane. Helen wants to highlight that SHE doesn't judge Daria's DECISION. But the consequence is a problem to DARIA HERSELF, because the decision does stick to her as the label of "misfit". There ARE people who don't refuse to be confrontational but still get called misfit, you know. That's actually the anti-social disorder, while Helen is using the incorrect term for asocial behavior. Sociability is actually something people use as a managed replacement for intimacy, like hugging your CLOSE friends. Either can let you focus and not get in car crashes, or not take your parets arguing too persoanlly. Daria had to cave to at least one, and in the end with touring, she gave in a little to both. Daria's problem is that if she was well-adjusted and mature, she could handwave away the judgement behind her back JUST AS EASILY as she does when it's in her face. But rather than that she is OVERLY sensitive, of being judged when she CAN'T show off how she dismisses it with a smirk. Same problem when her parents argued. Daria already craves social attention for that performance she uses to handle those emotions.

[@nicoleackerman205]

Still haven't

[@Artretha]

​@@carred-r7cPreach! I was also an unrecognized, undiagnosed autistic girl, and I had similar issues.

[@frenchiesottises8193]

This. Hell, I'd argue that why she's antisocial wouldn't even make her a misfit. She tried to reach out and got backhanded, she didn't have a choice.

[@aacsmiles]

I think what the ending is trying to show has to do with something Mr O’Neil said in the beginning. When Daria was younger, she didn’t relate to the other kids. She felt like an outcast to her peers and a burden to her parents. In the end, Daria has decided to be an example to the younger kids, to show the “misfits” in her tour group that someone just like them survived high school and can even find a friend like Jane who understand them. She’s trying to be what her younger self could have used, a role model.

[@TurtleTime26]

I think the car crash scene is actually way more important than Shady is giving it credit for. You'll notice how the scene starts with one car hydroplaning, crashing, and leading to a pileup of other vehicles who couldn't stop in time. Were it not for the one car at the beginning, the pileup never would have happened and about a half dozen other innocent people wouldn't have suffered. This is very good visual symbolism for Daria's apotheosis later in the episode, that her consequences have actions outside of her.

[@nerfornada-]

thisss

[@somewhatcyclops]

This, and the fact it's referencing the movie "Boxing Helena"

[@bigbluemuffinable]

​@@somewhatcyclops THANK YOU!!! I was hoping someone else would make the Boxing Helena connection!!! 😂🤘🏻

[@somewhatcyclops]

@@bigbluemuffinable I knew I couldn't be the only Daria fan who also saw Boxing Helena!!!

[@reasonpeason847]

It doesn’t even have to be doing something wrong or illegal either. Maybe the driver hit the breaks too hard, stopped too short… but it’s not like they were running stop signs and red lights. They didn’t do anything explicitly wrong but their actions will still have an effect on those around them in some way. Sometimes just doing things how you normally would will jut be the wrong thing at the wrong time and there will be negative consequences and you won’t be the only person affected. What’s pretty great is it shows there’s levels of severity based on proximity to those actions. Daria didn’t collide with any other cars, there were collisions, but she still had to swerve off the road to avoid it and was shaken up by it. She’ll never speak with or even see anyone else involved but it still had an impact on her. They won’t ever know how much she’s considering her own actions or that it completely changed her plans from seeing Tom to talking to Jane and going home. P good scene to have, yeah.

[@CaulkMongler]

I liked the fact that Quinn saw that clearly Daria was going through some serious things and didn’t make fun of her for the whole box thing. It gives me the idea that Quinn will roast her sister because she knows she can take it and it’s the sisterly thing to do. Likewise, Quinn knows when to go to Daria with her own issues.

[@ShadyDoorags]

Quinn received a lot of character development in the final season where she bonded with Daria. There was an episode where she was scared that she and Daria would grow up fighting, so she actively tried to spend time with her. If this were season one Quinn, or even season four Quinn, she probably wouldn't have been as understanding.

[@Patralgan]

Daria hugging Jane was a huge moment which always leaves me emotional. That alone elevates the episode above average. It's my favorite episode too.

[@RumbleDelta]

I love how it's ultimately Jake who is able to convince Daria to leave the box, just by asking simply. Daria has always been closer to Jake, given that he calls her "Kiddo" and doesn't use a name for Quinn, and she does (internally) call him her hero. Daria might be closed off and stoic, but she does love her family.

[@antithoughtpolice7497]

That, and I remember when Trent spend months outside his home, in a tent. He was just waiting for someone to ask him to come back inside, and no one did.

[@elvickRULES]

One thing I disliked about this video is how it kind of ignored the growth of both parents. Every main cast member had growth, even some side characters had growth throughout the series. Yet he used early seasons to call out hypocrisy like they hadn't changed in the years since then. Helen was very on edge and over bearing, and while that's still the case later on she was more motivated by what she thought was best at the time. But there were also times that she took off work, something she never did, just to speak with Daria when she called her there because she knew it was important if Daria called her needing her. And she was honest about life with Daria. It's one of my favorite Helen moments their discussion about Tom and Jane.

[@CJx37]

An interesting thing about Daria to me is the way she so strongly represents the way autism tends to manifest in women vs in men. And that's despite the show coming out before the general psychiatric consensus that autism, as a social/developmental disorder, manifests differently in men and women because of the different social expectations in the sexes, and as such has been under-diagnosed in women until very recently. This episode in particular really highlighted those elements to me on a recent rewatch, such as her mother's line that "talking to you was always like talking to a miniature adult," Daria's general struggles to communicate effectively with her boyfriend in a way that leaves both of them confused, the lack of social intimacy with her parents, and the way she treats her close friend Jane completely differently from the way she treats anyone else.

[@tomorrow4eva]

Truth

[@Theomite]

On that note, now I wanna see a live-action Daria-Wednesday crossover with Aubrey Plaza returning as Daria and Jenna Ortega returning as Wednesday. I think the 2 would have some interesting bounceback off each other.

[@inkheart151]

That would honestly make sense. I was outcasted a kid because I interacted strangely with teachers and students. I did try, but apparently I had weird interests and hugging people was a no no, and I reacted funny. So I usually read when we had recess or just walked around the perimeter of the playground if I didn’t have anyone to play with.

[@Mikeyy2464]

Yes!! I was just thinking about that throughout this video! Also when she left to process things! I’ve seen discussions on how there’s quite a lot of autistic people who are external processors and needing feedback from people, for myself usually close friends or family, to help process things. Typically it takes me longer to process through things because of so but I related to both that scene and her talking to her close friend before going back

[@SamuelBlack84]

Is general socialising something that's expected more from women than men I society? It's true that the majority tend to follow labels and stereotypes and expect everyone to follow trends

[@joetriche2891]

The car crash goes back to her reluctance to drive from Through A Lens Darkly. It was a very big deal that she almost got in a crash.

[@broken12smiles]

I feel like you missed the point with the not car accident. I seems like nothing to you from the outside but it's huge for Daria herself. Just like the fight Jake and Helen had when she was 6. It's so easy to dismiss what wasn't a big deal to you without noticing the effects on others. And they needed to make it seem more impactful without over selling it. The opening stinger does that.

[@seeleunit2000]

That's exactly what I was thinking. That was the point and this guy doesn't get it.

[@rafzombie9896]

Helen said it herself. It was the straw that broke the camels back. The camels back being Daria’s aversion and sometimes outright rejection of intimacy. She realizes that taking chances on doing things she normally wouldn’t whether that be being a tour guide for middle schoolers, giving your parents the benefit of the doubt, or giving your best friend a hug, doesn’t make her less of herself or an opportunity to think less of herself.

[@MiloKuroshiro]

Quinn in the last season is such a great character. Absolutely love her sooo much

[@christianjohnson5379]

It was the moment she FINALLY acknowledged Daria as her sister in front of the fashion club and others that solidified her development as a character. She also becomes more interested in her academic performance.

[@NeedlessExposition]

@@christianjohnson5379 I also love how Stacy and Tiffany just smile and say that they already knew. Only Sandi was trying to give Quinn a hard time about it and by that point, her mean girl powers were starting to fade away since Stacy gained a backbone and Tiffany was likely tired of being in the middle.

[@christianjohnson5379]

@@NeedlessExposition exactly. Even the other besides Quinn go to character development and in "Is it College Yet?", they actually share a tearful moment as friends in a non-toxic way.

[@sakurashy8492]

One of my favorite scenes of the episode is the box being put in Daria’s room. Quinn was griping about having to drag a box (that was very lightweight to move) to the front lawn but having her go through the trouble of having to drag the fridge box upstairs (which means it was more trickier) shows that she really does love her sister.

[@andrewjenkins1914]

The Tree remembers, the Axe forgets. -Any time you decide someone else's pain isn't that bad, keep this phrase in mind.

[@kid-ava]

yes💔💔

[@josephharden5592]

Guidance Counselor (to Daria): "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine goes down" Jane: "not if you're diabetic"

[@vampirefrompluto9788]

14:30 As someone who went through similar issues in school let me say this: As a young girl there is no bigger sin at school than wanting to be alone. If you want to be alone &/or don't want to partake in group activities the school/teachers/counselors will go out of their way to assume you have mental problems. They twist your words & actions to fit their narrative & you get in trouble when you tell them to leave you alone. It can NEVER be as simple as you just prefer reading or watching the other kids play kickball. The same is true if your friends are all/mostly the opposite gender.

[@SonyaTheSidePieceCrumbSnatcher]

And it gets worse when you work in corporate America. Heaven forbid you just want to go to work, do your job and go home without wanting to be bothered.

[@elvickRULES]

I was in middle school and just wanted to sit quietly during a "time to read." it wasn't assigned reading, just read recreationally. But I had already read a lot that day before school so didn't feel like it. Just sat quietly. Got detention. :D I didn't go to detention because it felt stupid, and got inschool suspension. Fun times.

[@ashesandposies]

Part of being adult is learning to do things you don’t wanna do

[@clxmasisland6724]

I went through that scenario through middle and early high school. I had to take psyche evaluations, and my parents had to fill out mile-long assessments. I was under the eye of disciplinarians constantly. This and my life at home made me distrust almost everybody. By time I was a senior, I had lettered in 2 sports and had some good friends, but did it on my own and on my own terms. I enjoyed the things most “normal” boys enjoyed, but hated being part of a group, and school was brutal torture for me. I made it, and hope others do too.

[@JadeCryptOfWonders]

I related to Daria a lot growing up as the autistic child of a family court lawyer (similar to Helen) where my living room floor was the graveyard where other families brought their broken marriages to die. Strangers divorce papers were scattered there in a place where I was trying to watch TV, and I would drown out my mother’s depressing phone calls for work with Slayer albums.

[@christianjohnson5379]

Dang, that sounds like a great setup for a show 😂🤣...no offense.

[@kid-ava]

​@@christianjohnson5379it really does loll

[@imdankarlin]

Jake’s saying one of his few and far between insightful lines (and possible thesis statement for Daria’s entire character) with barely 3 minutes left in the series turned this finale from good to great. IMHO.

[@christianjohnson5379]

I relate a lot to Daria in this episode. Like Daria there are things from my childhood relating to my parents and others that they barely remember, but I remember them and they either severely traumatize me or they were so dramatic that I can never forget them. And I'm mostly the same as her, I tend to be very antisocial and introverted, though I'm probably more like Jane in a way, as I am more optimistic and while I tend to not talk much around other people, I enjoy the PRESENCE of others, especially those who I know or care about.

[@Brigand231]

I hear ya, there are things that my parents said and did that still keep me awake at night 30-40 years later. I often get annoyed when they act like those things never happened or weren't as damaging as they were. They can't ever acknowledge or accept how many times they had me on a literal ledge preparing to jump.

[@SamuelBlack84]

I'm still haunted by many moments in my childhood that aren't anything major, but for a long time, they tore me apart I had to find a way to make some kind of peace with them All by myself

[@dd-dd]

- Daria, you can't spend the rest of your life in there(box). - I can once they put in my high speed internet connection. Truly, Daria is always relevant!

[@Turbo_Waitress]

I love that little flash of Janeway lol. I always took the ending as Daria attempting to connect in her own way. Doing the tour was a compromise, a way to bridge the gap with people (like her parents or Mr. O’Neil who she more often pushed away). But she and Jane did it their way. Even the most introverted among us are not islands. We still have to exist and even connect with other humans. Thank you again for covering Daria! Would love to see more!

[@Puerco-Potter]

I think the same, as I grew up I learned to push myself to understand and improve my social skills because ultimately it will be in my benefit and it may benefit others. So I think the ending is Daria making an effort to integrate a tiny bit, I am glad she does it her way still.

[@estlin2001]

I think the intro serves as a red herring. It leads you in thinking that the conflict will center around a new physical injury when in actuality it's from an old emotional wound opening up.

[@sebastianmaker6798]

Honestly, this episode made me sob the first time I watched it. The therapist, her monotone, her struggle with other children, the massive fight with her parents- it's all so reminiscent of my own childhood being autistic. It's not necessarily canon, but Daria is often well loved by the autistic community, especially amongst autistic women who get under diagnosed and are written off as anxious or antisocial. I can't put into words how much this episode meant to me, even if she's never explicitly said to be autistic.

[@yvonneburns2786]

The box represents Daria's safe place, almost a regression therapy box.

[@Waheed1991]

The pressures are just as bad when you are a parent dealing with society dictating how you should be parenting your child, and what they expect of your child, as well as the kid being effected by pressured frustrated parents. Parenting is hard, and simple misunderstandings can leave a huge impact.

[@Earth1218]

Lord, this hits home. My daughter is 17 years old and she was just finally diagnosed as being on the spectrum. My wife and I struggled all of our daughter’s life to understand where she was, who she was, and how to make her life easier. Year after year of tests, therapy, and other diagnoses. So many struggles during so many years of us trying to “help” her fit inside the boxes that we, family, friends, and society expected her to fit into. In all of our years of trying to do the right thing, we couldn’t see the damage we did as well. It wasn’t until we truly understood her that we realized we never should have been trying to make her fit into a box or a place. We just needed to meet her where she is. It kills me to know how much time we lost, but I look to the future with new hope and appreciation for who she is. It’s funny, I used to watch Daria when it was new. I chuckled and appreciated Daria’s sardonic ways on a very surface level. Now, all these years later I’m just starting to see who she really was and realizing I had a daughter who is, in some ways, very much like her. I never saw this last episode. I had moved on from the show before it aired. I really wish I had seen it. Maybe I would have remembered it during my family’s journey. I never thought I would ever see myself in Daria’s parents. I do now. And I understand.

[@glvf1073]

I remember watching this episode crying because something similar used to happen to me. My mom used to scream at me for not having friends when I was a kid. I was so much like Daria when I was younger, so this hit home really hard. But Daria’s parents were way more supportive than mine

[@Saiyza]

I feel like Daria accepting the tour was a nice way to close the episode. Mr. O'Neil knew Daria wouldn't want to do the tour, but he also believed she'd enjoy the rare opportunity to express her honest opinions about the school. Daria had a hang-up about having "the perspective of an outcast", but she has shown in the past to desire sharing her opinions despite it all. Daria has accepted that she *is* an outcast, and it *does* affect more people than herself. But throughout her life, many people around Daria have also accepted this truth *and* began to acknowledge the other merits she possesses beyond the tag.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

And somebody had to do it. The achievement is that the job gets done and people are out of trouble leaving it undone, that's also something to notice if you're past teenage mentality. Don't have to do every community task but eventually take on some.

[@RaccoonsTrashVault]

These days I'm kinda realizing that Daria is amazing case of a neurodivergent (autistic) female character. Even if it's not confirmed, I see so much of my old teenage self in her.

[@mc-funk]

Also the idea of retreating to a box during a meltdown/shutdown …. Uh. Anyone got a box?

[@SamuelBlack84]

​@MichelleCFunk My old bed used to have internal storage space, and I used to go inside there It felt like being inside a coffin 😅

[@seasonsstarsstudios]

I was so much like Daria growing up, and if I’d had a daughter I’d imagine she would’ve been like her too. Autism is pretty common in my family, especially for our girls - strange, but true. Granted the greater number of us are conventional geniuses, and therefore highly successful in our fields, but we’re definitely a minority. The last episode was a little too close to home for me now that I’ve had a rewatch; I had a discussion with my father on why he abandoned me to go drive a truck and he blamed me for it. It hit on my abandonment issues (which I cope with by avoiding people - terrible idea), and I cried like I was 7 years old all over again. It brought up when he left the first time and after knowing for sure he never loved me enough to stay it’s hard being in the same room with him. So the straw that broke my camel’s back? Knowing that I was once again right about him. Something that seemed insignificant to someone else, impacted me forever to where I can’t fully trust another person ever again. Seeing that in Daria validated me as a person, and actually I’m doing better with my trust issues than ever before. And yes, I had the same hesitancy to drive that Daria did. I didn’t get my license until I was 19. Best decision ever.

[@lunalee3021]

I hate this. Every girl with a non-stereotypical and somewhat relatable personality is labelled autistic now. It's actually very weird.

[@Meg-ic1sc]

Not every character that acts strange is autistic, autism isn't the only disorder that causes 'odd' behavior

[@C.V317]

"It always drives me up the wall when a character causes problems that could easily be solved with them simply communicating with those around them." I think that's the main issue with Daria as a character, especially in this episode. She feels she can't communicate with those around her because a) Jake and Helen both (in Daria's mind) lied about the box and the fight, and b) Jane and Tom aren't used to Daria sincerely being confused and wanting to sort out an emotional memory. Her confused anger towards Helen and Tom wasn't necessarily gaslighting; it was Daria being so emotionally jaded and stiff that a bad memory resurfacing legitimately scared her. Being that young and hearing your parents argue about you can be scarring to someone who felt as alone as Daria did, and it could produce the kind of trust issues with people who want to help that Daria always displays, negatively here. I'm pretty sure that's also why Quinn asks why Daria is so weird when Daria asks her why she thinks Jake really went away. Even as a child Quinn was bubbly and cute, and her interactions with her parents weren't as negative as Daria's. Hearing Daria talk about her parents fighting and Jake storming off, which Quinn eventually remembers, might've been too off for Quinn. It would've "really made her think," which she was not prepared to do when it comes to a refrigerator box.

[@iceluvndiva21]

Oooh boy, keep Shadey far FAR away from idiot plots. An idiot plot is when the entire point is the characters are intentionally written to not go the smart or common sense route. For everyone else? kzbin.info/www/bejne/aV6Vf3tjg7uYhtksi=HG9m9Y0jk5qYQ0tl

[@imdankarlin]

In case no one else has suggested these episodes for reviews, and since we’re on Season 5: Lucky Strike and Aunt Nauseum would be great if for nothing else than exploring how Daria and Quinn’s relationship had evolved over the years.

[@TJDious]

Daria and Quinn vs Helen & Sisters was incredible.

[@dd-dd]

and "is it fall" film also reveals something about Quinn and their relationships

[@dd-dd]

And even in the first season was interesting moment in the episode about plastic surgery, when Quinn goes to the clinic with Daria because trusts her more than anyone.

[@christianjohnson5379]

The ending joke in Lucky Strike with Mr. DeMartino and Kevin totally broke me. 😅😂🤣😂

[@imdankarlin]

@@christianjohnson5379 "The Golf War?" 🤣

[@SkepticalChris]

18:02 that moment where Jane enters the diner and Daria greets her with a hug, is such a profound moment. Daria who usually is contained in trying to express her emotions and be open to people, is willing to give a hug, appropriately to the one person who was always there for her and who gets her the most, her best friend.

[@christianjohnson5379]

You should review the episode "The F Word", as it talks about failure and how it helps us. But Mr. O'Neil completely screws up and ends up believing you have to INTENTIONALLY fail at something. I think you'd really enjoy that one, and I'd like to hear your thoughts about how failures and mistakes can help us become better.

[@harry_hydrogen]

Social development is crucial at such a young age as baby Daria. Many mental disorders stem from isolation as a child often from parents neglecting to socialize thier children.

[@SamuelBlack84]

I was badly socialised as a kid, along with being naturally introverted, and I was often pressured to mix with other kids Throughout life, I've often found it difficult to socialise, but I'm almost always ostracised and ignored, so I see no reason to try to make friends with awful people

[@harry_hydrogen]

@@SamuelBlack84 who are these “awful people” I don’t follow are you saying all people are awful?

[@SamuelBlack84]

@harry_hydrogen Most of the people I've ever met have been awful in some way. Some put on a kind front and screamed obscenities and cruel threats all for the sake of some kind of twisted amusement Many of them mothers and fathers So, until I'm shown otherwise, then yes. I will consider most people in general awful

[@Onigirli]

But... the issue is that the parents' socializing attempts with Daria isn't working. Or are you saying that they started too late with her? Kids come pre-wired... that can only help so much

[@hernandez4856]

@@SamuelBlack84everyone seems to be awful if you judge every bad trait about them

[@mesektet5776]

One of the main things I give Daria credit for is introspection, over other people who think they’re as deep as Daria. Self-checking and growth is what separates the likes of Daria from Velma (you know the one).

[@redninja0078]

Not the REAL VELMA, she’s intelligent…rather… *HER*

[@1bwash]

Yeah but Daria fails when she constantly incorrectly assumes she's one of the few with depth.

[@mesektet5776]

@@1bwash It’s not so much ego as it is contempt for those who fall short of her standards.

[@ShursGarden]

This episode is an entire story of "The Axe Forgets, but the Tree Remembers."

[@iceluvndiva21]

Yep though I like "the farmer and the snake" version. The farmer offers shelter to the snake in winter. The snake accidentally bites the farmers son and the son dies. The farmer then cut off the snake's tail in retaliation. the snake flees the house alive. A year goes by and the farmer tries to apologize but the snake replies "There can be no meaningful relationship between us. For when you look at me, you will only think of your son whom I bit. When I see you, I will only think of my tail that you cut off." The two parted understanding the consequences of their shortsighted reactions.

[@Duelist925]

I feel like the tour at the end was completing, in a roundabout way, the "box" as a metaphor for a lot of what Daria does. She closes herself off from others and hides away in books, putting up walls of deadpan snark and unfriendly behaviour. She anti-social, and here she learns that her lifetime of anti-socialness has had, at times, marked negative effects on the people in her life, that she does care for--even if she has problems admitting it. It can be also seen as a metaphor, in some ways, for leaving childhood behind. Or maybe childishness, rather than childhod. After all, Daria does what a lot of kids did--she played in a box, turned it into a house the way so many kids turns big boxes into houses, forts, castles, dungeons, space ships--take your pick. Further, its shown that the box is a specific safe space for herself--she goes there when she's scared or sad to read. So at the end, to complete the metaphor, she does something she'd normally never do without being forced to, and steps outside of her box. And, seemingly, finds it isn't as awful as she thought it'd be.

[@steffkriegthegreat3435]

It's been a minute since I watched the series, but I had this running theory that Quinn was always actually almost as intelligent as Daria, she just masked it and "dumbed herself down" in order to avoid the social stigma that Daria endured.

[@DyslexicWitch]

23:05 Daria is finally doing what her parents and other adults have been asking her for years by interacting with people outside her social circle but still being herself to keep the parts of herself that make her who she is, while still finally taking of her anti social mask and getting into new things outside of her comfort zone. Character growth

[@lilac_reed]

I will say the only differing opinion I have is that Daria *isn't* a misfit She used to be a misfit. Although we dont see much of elementary or middle school Daria, but based on what we know about those times, she didnt fit in. Also, knowing that she was a background character in Beavis and Butt-Head, its clear she doesn't have many (if any) friends. But at Lawndale High, shes not a misfit. Shes not an outcast. She's not popular and doesn't completely fit in, but when the popular students, Brittany Jodi and Kevin especially, they're nice to her. Having been the outcast myself, theres a difference between people who treat you like you're weird and strange and too different, and people who are aware of your differences and still treat you like an equal, and ultimately like a person.

[@an-enby-panda7840]

She was a background character in Beavis and Butthead?? I've never seen it but now I want to just for her

[@NeyamRye]

True as a bullied teen myself it’s slightly annoying but…valid

[@WorldWalker128]

When I was a kid my parents tried to FORCE ME to interact with other people that I didn't like, too. Never ended well. Sometimes you just don't want to interact with people and forcing it only leads to conflict. They also teased me EVERY TIME I made a friend that was a girl that wasn't family. "Oh look honey! He's got a girlfriend!" EVERY. D*MN TIME! They thought it was funny. I didn't. Neither did my rare female friends. The friendship usually ended shortly after. Thanks, mom and dad. :( Eventually I just stopped trying to make friends and just read books instead. THEN they were upset that i had no interest in making friends at all.

[@Theomite]

Nothing validates you quite like having your every minor decision celebrated for its quaint-ness with dripping condescension. This thankfully ended for me by the time I was about 8. I'm also lucky in that most of my friends in life were girls so nobody thought anything of it.

[@andrea2kx]

I hate when parents do that! So what if your lil boy has a friend that's a girl? They have a friend and made a connection! Stop trasing them for it and then later asking why you kid doesn't make friends. Everyone is different. I get its tough as social parents seeing your kids not be so. Its just as tough to be the not social parent and see your kid be a social butterfly. Tough but rewarding! My best friend is the latter.

[@KD-ou2np]

I resonate personally with a lot of what you are saying, especially the frustration. But also I think its pretty short-sighted to imply that those friendships ended because of teasing from your parents. I would guess that's probably not true at all.

[@pikachick222]

“ you weren’t the cause of the fight you were the topic” that’s so true. It’s important to teach kids that there’s a difference to something/someone being the cause of conflict between to individuals and being the topic. part of the reason Daria’s parents had that fight was because Jake had to deal with a sadistic boss and Helen was struggling to balance her career while raising Daria and Quinn.

[@aubreymorgan9763]

i can confirm from growing up in the 90s if you didn't fit it everyone thought there was something wrong with you. I endured a lot of what baby Daria went through, the therapists the pushy sometimes abusive parents, the isolation, you eventually answer with what they want to hear and eventually they give up. I don't know about now as I don't have kids and don't know anyone who does if this attitude has changed.

[@VoidWalkerOblivion]

Its really valuable to see both parents are arguing out of love and out of frustration on how to 'help' Daria, not out of frustraiton for themselves. Helen wants to show Daria support, but it comes at the expense of *excusing* Daria's behaviour to the point it enables bad behaviour. Jake recognises that Daria's choices are choices, things that can be addressed and have her accountable for (even in the episode Daria herself finally realises how those choices impact her parents), but swings too far in expecting her to be more mature than she can be. And because we've been through the entire family this long, we can also see how both of these opinions are caused by THEIR OWN childhoods. Jake expects too much maturity and accountability because that's what his father expected from him. Helen's overcompensating because of her experiences being the unfavoured child just because she didn't have the interest her mother wanted. Daria is their first child, and is a child with particular challenges to raise - so in this childhood moment, where there's a lot going on and they're still learning how to BE parents, they make mistakes based on their own experiences.

[@Mglay556]

A hot take I’ve seen a lot of people have about this episode eluded that Daria might be on the spectrum. I got that vibe a lot from this episode as did a few of my friends who are actually on the spectrum. Just a take I heard a few people have.

[@nintendonut100]

Is it really a hot take? I feel like most people think she's neurodivergent in some way.

[@piroshk1968]

Daria for sure is ND

[@adrivoid5376]

I felt for Daria here- I was a weird smart kid, and caused my parents to worry, and felt the sting of isolation. Part of Growing up is feeling appreciative, like Daria is of Jane and her parents, of those who supported and kept you company in being yourself. Also, Id love to hear your thoughts on ‘Through A Lens Darkly’ it was a fave ep for me, Daria’s strict perspective ending with her a hard on herself for normal feelings

[@StarParticleShade]

"Physical labor" was a dread to any teenager.... but as someone who was once a female teenager, I can say we hate it A LOT.

[@zeldamaster52]

Which is odd since a lot of girls that age love doing gymnastics, cheerleading, and sports. All activities that are arguably more work than lifting things and moving stuff around. I think it just highlights that men are more willing to do things that challenge their strength while women are more interested in things requiring dexterity.

[@Jtd1138]

I just think it’s a group skill women have to get men to carry stuff

[@Wohlfe]

The inverse is true as well, when I was a teenager us boys avoided emotional labor like the plague lol

[@TheDapperDragon]

And then there's my backward ass. I was willing to pour my soul out to those close to me, but dodged work like it was the draft. (Inside joke fails...)

[@fae206]

I actually loved it 3/4 of the time

[@aussiemerican750]

As an introvert all my life, and one who was a lot like Daria when I was younger, I can confirm that this is how most of society is. Everyone seems to believe that me wanted to be by myself and read is a horrendous thing that will end in terror, when that’s not true. All I want is to be left alone, and I simple just have more fun by myself, but the rest of society sees this as an affront to all of humanity and try their best to stop it. And it kinda made my childhood worse in the long run.

[@angelc4794]

She gave the tour because she learned to metaphorically come outside the box of the identity she'd carved for herself and let rule her. She'd put herself in a literal and metaphorical box. She wasn't doing certain activities before not because she didn't want to but because it went against the persona she'd created. This event let her grow up some and realize you can do activities and tasks that aren't necessarily in alignment with your image.

[@Aaron.M88]

Exactly

[@Bradman1978]

Shady you don't know what the 80's were about. I was in Darie's shoes at the same time she was 1984. I talked weird with a speech problem. I was way too emotional. I had a lot of problems that I ended in family therapy when I was 8, but it didn't help because I was too concerned of what my parents thought about me. Unlike Daria I didn't have the outlet of reading. The world was fit in or die at the time, and there was nothing anyONE could do do. Wasn't until the 2000's or maybe late 90's. We allowed kids to have negative emotions without the world falling apart. I had a teacher in my high school who hated me because I didn't think school was fun, and I hated him for it back.

[@lmaosteph8657]

thank you for sharing your experience and perspective on that time period, i always wondered what the social climate was then. i hope the days for you have gotten easier and more enjoyable 🎉✨

[@iamthebatmanxiii3574]

It always seemed to me that Jake was ok with Daria not fitting in. That he felt like if she didn't want to fit in that's ok, she doesn't have to fit in.

[@wimsylogic65]

I also saw it that way. In the fight I thought he was defending Daria.

[@Atetrigrams]

Quinn moving the box to Darias room almost made me tear up, ngl.

[@eldritchthorne]

Shady's reaction to seeing baby Quinn was so damn cute XD Not going to lie, this hit home for me. I'm the introverted black sheep of a family of extroverts with medical ambitions and a lot of the arguments about me weren't because they thought I was unhappy, but because they thought I was weird and needed to change. They were more upset that I had embarrassed them than anything else. My "box" was a large oak tree in the middle of the woods of an old evacuation route where I would just climb and read the 20+ books I had checked out of the local library. This was also around the time I developed a love of video games despite the "video games are for boys" mentality my mother had because they were a great form of escapism when I ran out of books to read.

[@massagebyconstance5665]

You mentioned "Is It Fall Yet?" ........ You still have to watch "Is It College Yet?"

[@Grimium]

Quinns character development is one of my favorite things about the show, it's makes the show worth watching again. Its a shame it happened in the last season, and is it college yet

[@wimsylogic65]

Same. Also did you notice that with her Character growth her outfit changes. Her shirt shows less of her midrift Towards the end of the show. That was done intentionally.

[@jenneacubero1036]

Not gonna lie, I kinda wish they had used kids to voice Baby Daria. It'd be pretty funny to hear. Just look at "Peanuts". It can be done.

[@palaceofwisdom9448]

There's nothing quite like that moment when you realize what a headache you were to your parents and how much they've actually put up with. It was surreal to see Daria go through it and not brush it off with a sarcastic joke. Great character growth to wrap up her story.

[@Chingakyckaling]

Hmm weird. Parents like to drill into and complain how much of a burden kids are all the time. Isn't that the reason why most of adults suffer from some weird crippling self hatred of their childhood selves? Having an "epiphany" about how much of a "menace" you were or how "hard" you were to deal with as a child really isn't a good thing in my opinion.

[@nightmare_eyes430]

I'd definitely suggest watching Write Where it Hurts, it's a very good insight on Daria as a character.

[@StewNWT]

This was easily the most memorable episode of Daria for me who only watch it later as an adult. When she realizes that she’s quite lucky to have her parents it’s pretty profound.

[@anobody6564]

You know the thing about Daria that falls through the crasks is? That Daria is actually funny. She has a great sense of humor. Her delivery is tone deaf, but it makes it vbery unique to herself. Almost as if the delivery is unemotional, but the line itself usually slaps. I wish they specifically talked about this amongst themselves as characters besides it being a, like, "hidden backghround only the viewers can see", because if they could see and verbalize this amongst themselves, I think they'd be able to dive further in into what makes Daria so great.

[@Colonel_RamRod]

I adore this episode. As a child of a divorced family who heard many arguments. It was nice to know I wasn’t alone 13:55 Shadys Paternal Side ❤❤❤😂

[@hariman7727]

This episode hurts because the fights never stopped with my parents. I just grew up enough to move out and get to a better place for my own sanity.

[@chrisbullard5901]

Waiting for the paintball episode, or any DeMartino content. “Go for hikes whenever you feel like it!”

[@Theomite]

That's _Is It Fall Yet?_

[@christianjohnson5379]

My favorite moment with DeMartino is the end of Lucky Strike, the closing joke with Kevin totally broke me. 😂🤣

[@RapFanatic4ever]

I love that despite Quinn and Daria not quite gettting along Quinn tells her parents aboout the fight that messed her up.

[@daltonmortimer7735]

I think what we see here is character growth for Helen: realizing her forcing normality on Daria is hurting her ( Daria)and even making it worse by cornering Daria and making her dig her heels in all the more. It's not out of character it's subtle and nuanced character progression

[@muirgendoyle7595]

I think Daria being shaken by the near miss was crucial. It's a scary thing to experience and the adrenaline rush puts a person in a really vulnerable place. Daria has a history of being intimidated by driving, and her anger distracted her to the point that she was willing to go on a long drive alone in unsafe circumstances (going to a new place after dark in the rain). The shakeup of nearly being in the accident made her reevaluate her feelings, and (in my opinion, at least) it mirrors the shakeup of finding the box beautifully.

[@CoolausdtinDT]

This episode makes me understand why fans like to think Daria is on the spectrum, the way she acts and how her parents describe her reminds me a lot of how I was growing up.

[@theamazingmaymay123]

I just hate doing work…and socializing

[@ShadyDoorags]

Same.

[@XiamaraLaurensWifeyMu]

I liked to work, I hate being in a wheelchair.

[@hariman7727]

I have a love hate relationship with work. On one hand, money buys peace of mind and that helps happiness. On the other hand, it's work.

[@ZeranZeran]

I think Daria choosing to do the tour is a good example of someone with social anxiety or just being shy having some self realization, and trying to try to actually go out of their comfort zone (and to help others (and give real advice), and make your loved ones and even teachers proud) which is.. very unlike her, and a good show of someone growing. Honestly a brilliant way to end the show if this was the last episode. I remember this one vividly from my childhood.

[@V4Now]

"What a good time the 90s must have been?" Well, the music was on point.👌🏾 P.s. I think Daria doing the tour is juat an acknowledgement that sometimes doing thjngs you don't like or want to do can be good for you if you take a bit of innitiative.

[@KairuHakubi]

we were all a little richer back then, but not very many were as rich as Lawndale people. that's a major and subtle thing in the background of this show: her parents worked HARD and lived in that lousy town Beavis and Butt-Head were from... all so they could get rich. and once they did, they moved somewhere better, but it turned out to be full of snobs, AND they still had to work stupidly hard.

[@Theomite]

A bad day in the 90s was better than a good year in the entire 21st century. That's how shitty everything has been since.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@Theomite toooo right. But at least the early 2000s had some good times on the internet, and in videogames. and the early 2010s had good TV. Nothin' left now, though.

[@Canadiansamurai]

"It was my destiny to be here, IN THE BOX!" -Big Boss

[@ryleighrage]

I watched this earlier today and it was such an emotional gut punch. I sadly could relate to my parents arguing about how I was handling childhood.

[@Parasolhyena]

15:47 I know that Jake has a lot of bad moments but we do have to remember his childhood. One so repressed that talking about emotions at all got him sent to boot camp with an even more abusive parental figure. One with a father that hated him and a mother that became smothering when she got the chance after Jake senior kicked the bucket. Jake's not perfect but there are those episodes where we clearly see he's trying to make an effort even if he's very bad at it. He deeply loves his kids but he's afraid to say things because he's afraid he'll screw up his kids like his parents did to him. Plus the fact he thinks his wife is perfect and is much better at parenting breeds complacency. Man needs some therapy but we already know his father told him that that's "worthless sissy stuff". I know his abuse throughout the series is a running joke but yikes when you listen to what happened to him as a kid, it's amazing he wasn't more screwed up. Honestly I like the running joke in the fandom that Moral from Moral orel's is just baby jake.

[@Senkoau]

Which is the most admirable thing about him. The guys a complete mess with no good male example to follow especially with girls. So he follows the best female example he has in his life his wife. Even there he's willing to try and speak up when he thinks she's wrong. He never gives up on his family even when things are at their worst just keeps trying to be better. I have a personal theory Daria wasn't the only one to be affected by the fight that night. I think Jake remembers how badly his and Helens argument scared his eldest troubled daughter. It's why he started following Helens example in dealing with her to avoid making her spend another night huddled in a box.

[@thepriorstone4064]

Jesus, I always thought Daria was insufferable with her behavior, but the realization of how much your parents genuinely love you and that subsequent feeling of guilt for not reciprocating is the most relatable thing I’ve seen on TV

[@doomusrlc]

See Jane Run is a great episode. One of my favorites for sure.

[@octpug8295]

Thanks for doing another Daria episode, Shady.

[@TheFrugalVideoGamer]

"Core memory unlocked!" As for giving the tour, it may have been Daria trying to push outside of her own comfort zone for her own sake, after realizing how her antisocial nature had made things harder for her parents.

[@kristenungstad3252]

I know swerving into the shoulder might not seem like a big deal to most people, but Daria was always a nervous driver and already in a rough state of mind.

[@Saint.questions]

This

[@PlutoPlanetoid]

I took way too much joy out of hearing you call her "Baby Daria" like a Mario Kart character. Edit: Take my Sub. Somehow I thought I was subbed until I just realized you are always just pleasantly in my feed.

[@MollyOKami]

I can confirm young Daria's issues. I distinctly remember how, in elementary & middle school, I spent almost every recess sitting under a tree, just reading a book. The teachers & counselors were ALWAYS telling me to be like the other kids or to play with them, even though I was perfectly happy just sitting under a tree reading, whether it was my own books or one from a library. Once in a while, I'd play with the boys, but I almost never played with the other girls. I just didn't want to play with them.

[@TheDapperDragon]

Same. I just couldn't stand being around others. And frankly, i don't know if that wound up as a good thing or not. I've grown into a bitter, hateful bastard with what my therapist calls 'extreme introversion'. However, i love those i do with a deep loyalty and trust, and i am perfectly happy by myself, and able to be happy and confident in myself, the herd be damned. Good with the bad, ne?

[@babymauimama]

I feel like Helen telling Daria they accept her is part of the REASON she decides to give the tour in the end. She feels safe enough to take the risk and make her OWN decision about it. SO, personally, I feel her mother said the correct things in those moments. Brutal honesty isn’t always accepted when you are in a bad place, sure it might be truth… but it may not be the right thing to say in the moment or even worse, can cause an opposite desired effect as the listener can just feel even more judged and unsupported. So, her mom giving her just love, let her develop in her own way, without her mom having to truth bomb her into it when she was already feeling so vulnerable, which is already hard for her.

[@Brigand231]

One of the ironies of the show, at least from my perspective as a 90's kid (teenager), is that most of us were latchkey kids whose parents rarely saw us, rarely had time for us, and left us thinking that they only ever gave a shit when we got in trouble because it dragged them into it and forced them to confront their lack of attention and interaction. So, seeing that Daria had her parents' attention, affection, and they seemed to care about her, but they were still most attentive when she got in trouble taught us to be more self-reliant. If we didn't get attention, we knew we could make it without it. If we didn't get positive reinforcement, we knew we could make it without it. If things didn't go how we wanted we still had the opportunity to work for what we wanted to happen if we felt like putting in the effort, we weren't any worse off than we were the day before. Notice how, when she actually admitted that she needed someone, she went to Jane and Tom. She even trusted Quinn more than her parents because she could understand Quinn's motivations. When it came to her parents, they weren't necessarily enemies, but they were not trusted allies. When faced with a problem, the response is to address it and overcome it. Honestly, that might be where a lot of the friction between Gen X'ers and later generations comes from. There was a shift to overcompensating for all of those "missing" things (now called helicopter parenting) that led kids to feeling like they were entitled to whatever they wanted and only had to tantrum loud enough to get it. In contrast to Daria asking trusted friends for support, modern kids faced with a problem demand compensation and attempt to shame people they disagree with instead of looking inward for the strength to move on or a friend to lean on until they can walk on their own power.

[@hariman7727]

... Place "Hug me brotha!" meme here. You pretty much summed up the Gen X experience. Absentee parents because both are working, having to grow up fast because of their absence, and having a gaping hole where your childhood should be.

[@dd-dd]

"when she actually admitted that she needed someone, she went to Jane and Tom" I don’t think she distrusts her parents so much. Rather, the reason is that this time the parents themselves were at the root of the crisis. For example, she came to Helen several times (Write Where it Hurts, Partner's Complaint, Dye Dye My Darling) and it generally worked.

[@Chingakyckaling]

No not really, most parents just throw material things in kids faces and call it good enough. Funny that dummies expects gratitude for doing that, pretty much martyring themselves or consider everything they have given as a sacrifice. Turning a good concept like gratitude into a tool of control and moral judgement. Gratitude is the kids in Africa rhetoric with a new name.

[@LadyLeomon]

Okay I’m not gonna lie, the title made me imagine Daria decking someone 😅😅😅 can’t wait to see what it’s really about! Thanks for the new video Shady and hug your furbabies all 💙🐱💙 (Second)

[@emperortrevornorton3119]

I was expecting to see her punch a snobby girl's face but I am not disappointed Shady is hilarious reviewer

[@hypnoticskull6342]

I would've loved that lol

[@LadyLeomon]

@@emperortrevornorton3119 fun idea but I can’t see Daria doing that, she’d destroy them _emotionally_ … though I could totally see her decking a creep like that football guy Tommy who hit on their classmate

[@josearchuleta8428]

Honestly I thought so too when I saw the episode title on my dvd box set of the show this is good too

[@LadyLeomon]

@@josearchuleta8428 there’s a complete box set?! Thanks!!!

[@colleenmarin8907]

Daria giving the tour with Jane showed character growth - she was finally capable of voluntarily stepping out of her comfort zone (thinking outside the box)

[@shiftingshipper4]

I feel like at the end Daria giving the tour in the end was her attempting to do funny enough exactly what you did, Shady. Her newfound insight to her parents and her epiphany towards her own self has led her to challenge herself and force through some of her barriers.

[@imkuelllgremlin]

i've never watched daria but i have memories like this, as an autistic child, socialising was very difficult and my parents fought about it often and they even split up for a while because they didn't know what to do with me

[@Artretha]

This episode really hit home for me because, in a lot of ways, I was very much like Daria as a kid and teen. My mom also told me that talking to me when I was little was like talking to a "miniature adult." Fortunately, my parents weren't called to the school because of my lack of desire to interact with the other kids. Much like her, I didn't enjoy interacting with them because they always made fun of me due to being unable/unwilling to understand me. Unlike Daria, however, I didn't hold a lot of disdain for people around me, because I had basic respect for people, even if they were pains in the asses. Unfortunately, however, my parents had their own childhood traumas that they hadn't dealt with, and I still got a lot of flak for just being myself. It's always hard to watch that episode, but I also know that it's a good one that *needs* to be watched for multiple reasons. And, no, physical work is not so horrible for me, as a woman. Quinn and Daria were just being lazy teenagers.

[@asalways1504]

I’ve suggested this before, and I’ll suggest again: if you’re going to do another Daria review, it should be Jake of hearts. We really see Jake’s traits and flaws all come to ahead and how it affects Daria.

[@platinumraven118]

Maybe she just accepts Jane's argument, giving the tour KNOWING Jane is also just goofing around with her friend. Being somewhere she fits in

[@lainiwakura1776]

Jane*

[@platinumraven118]

@@lainiwakura1776 thank you

[@stratfender89]

The final scene is scene is a symbol the show is ending, and kind of subtly states that Daria is kind of a survival guide/love letter for the misfits/anti-social that will go through one of the toughest times in their life.

[@maxsync183]

on the point of quinn getting a lot of character development in the later seasons, i think the point is that her and daria are growing up and having adult experiences which bring them close together. quinn gets her alcoholic friend and that arc, daria with the box and crash and a loot of other stuff. its sweet and something ive noticed with a lot of kids who were like daria. i didnt get along with my siblings when we were younger because i had less tolerance for the limitless energy younger kids have and already had like no social battery. as ive gotten older and learned to deal with that and appreciate people, i think my brothers and sisters have learned that being cold doesnt mean i dont care. i guess thats why i think its so sweet.

[@barbarahumphreys4887]

Please do more Daria show commentary! Even an episode to episode series 🥰🥰🥰 This show was always my favorite and i grew up feeling like a weird mash up of Daria and Jane. I love hearing the psychological break downs. Would eat it up. Thank you for all you do ❤❤

[@rachelosafoh117]

I can kinda see where Helen is coming from with both of her approaches. I have numerous friends who are introverts and many with social anxiety and I am the exact opposite who has never met a stranger. Daria has said before if I remember correctly that she uses her sarcasm as a defense mechanism in fear of being rejected. In this episode she said that she said that they make fun of her and don't understand her. Imo I saw it as Helen kinda saying she doesn't need to be afraid anymore. Now Helen is aggressive so it comes more across as "stop being afraid!" Rather than "You don't need to be afraid" hence why she takes delight in moments when all the other characters (Kevin, Brittany, Jodie, Mac, Jane, Trent, Tom) have a form of attachment towards her. Though not all of them are the best of friends, they are not afraid or insulted to approach her. Jodie and Mac get along with everybody and although Kevin and Brittany are lovable idiots they are still popular people who could have their rep affected, but treat her normal as compared to the fashion club. It's that moment of "you're pushing the ones who do care away, and Im trying to prove to you that you are not alone" I think a good example of this is "Is it fall yet?" and the fact that Daria was more open and to me, more vulnerable when she formed a bond with Link. She's not sociable, but at the same time she wasn't alone as compared to the past. I hope I make sense I talk how I type

[@darkheart2287]

Fizz ed I'd love to see you review it's an overall fun episode and really shows how much of a scumbag the principle really is