8.8/10. As I mentioned in my review of the last episode, I'm not crazy about the love triangle element of this. But what I like is that for as petty, or misguided, or foolish as Daria, Jane, and Tom were in this episode, their motivations were also very understandable, they handled it like adults, more or less, after their poor choices had been made, and there was some complicated stuff going on under the surface. It got a little Dawson's Creek at times, which isn't my cup of tea, but there's a realness to it, a truth in how teenagers get in over their heads and deal with strong emotions even when they're trying to avoid them, that resonates.
In truth, there's a story here about people meaning well, about Jane and Tom drifting apart, about Tom gradually finding himself attracted to Daria, about Daria being oblivious, both because she'd never move in on her best friend's boyfriend and because it's nigh-impossible for her to contemplate a boy liking her, and things just sort of falling apart from there.
Jane is jealous. Tom is behaving poorly. Daria means well and feels victimized by something she didn't ask for, but when she tells Jane she thinks she got in the car with Tom to talk about her, but she's not sure, there's a hint of guilt, a hint of self-assurance, and a hint that maybe, subconsciously, Daria wanted it too. The show isn't subtle about this, but there's also subconscious motivations at play with Jane, who senses what's about to happen and, as she admits that maybe she was trying to bring something to a head. And Tom is the bad actor, neglecting his girlfriend and making moves on Daria while he was still attached. It's bad juju, but it's also the kind of thing that teenagers, who don't quite know how to handle their emotions or be mature about things yet, act.
And of course, the sweetest part is Daria seeking solace and advice from her mom. It's one of the show's strongest and subtlest relationships, and these little moments that show how despite how busy Helen is, she can make time for a daughter she loves a great deal, and that there's not such grand differences between the viewpoints of the mother and daughter.
This isn't a funny episode, and the soap opera business can get a little overwrought at times, but it's also one that's very complex in how it handles the relationships between friends, romantic partners, and family members (Trent included). It's unique among Daria episodes in how much focus it gives to that side of the show, but it's still a successful episode on its own terms.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-01-10T21:19:46Z
8.8/10. As I mentioned in my review of the last episode, I'm not crazy about the love triangle element of this. But what I like is that for as petty, or misguided, or foolish as Daria, Jane, and Tom were in this episode, their motivations were also very understandable, they handled it like adults, more or less, after their poor choices had been made, and there was some complicated stuff going on under the surface. It got a little Dawson's Creek at times, which isn't my cup of tea, but there's a realness to it, a truth in how teenagers get in over their heads and deal with strong emotions even when they're trying to avoid them, that resonates.
In truth, there's a story here about people meaning well, about Jane and Tom drifting apart, about Tom gradually finding himself attracted to Daria, about Daria being oblivious, both because she'd never move in on her best friend's boyfriend and because it's nigh-impossible for her to contemplate a boy liking her, and things just sort of falling apart from there.
Jane is jealous. Tom is behaving poorly. Daria means well and feels victimized by something she didn't ask for, but when she tells Jane she thinks she got in the car with Tom to talk about her, but she's not sure, there's a hint of guilt, a hint of self-assurance, and a hint that maybe, subconsciously, Daria wanted it too. The show isn't subtle about this, but there's also subconscious motivations at play with Jane, who senses what's about to happen and, as she admits that maybe she was trying to bring something to a head. And Tom is the bad actor, neglecting his girlfriend and making moves on Daria while he was still attached. It's bad juju, but it's also the kind of thing that teenagers, who don't quite know how to handle their emotions or be mature about things yet, act.
And of course, the sweetest part is Daria seeking solace and advice from her mom. It's one of the show's strongest and subtlest relationships, and these little moments that show how despite how busy Helen is, she can make time for a daughter she loves a great deal, and that there's not such grand differences between the viewpoints of the mother and daughter.
This isn't a funny episode, and the soap opera business can get a little overwrought at times, but it's also one that's very complex in how it handles the relationships between friends, romantic partners, and family members (Trent included). It's unique among Daria episodes in how much focus it gives to that side of the show, but it's still a successful episode on its own terms.