I'm a big fan of this episode. A recurring theme this season seems to be pushing Daria out of her comfort zone. Having her put a piece of herself out there in her writing, being insecure as to what her friends and colleagues will think of it and her, and struggling with the sting of rejection are all very interesting beats to play with the character. There's something endearing and human behind those dark glasses and bored eyes, and I like how this episode explored that for all her world-weary detachment, there are definitely things that Daria cares about, worries about, and is even self-conscious about it. It's nice to see.
By the same token, I'm a little tired of her routine with Tom. I don't mind Tom often being right and Daria taking out her misaimed frustrations at him. That's a very teenager thing to do. But at the same time, Tom has such a father's knows best quality to him, where he's constantly condescending to her, that I find kind of frustrating. You don't really get the impression that he considers her an equal even when he's being supportive, and that shouldn't fly.
The B-story with fashion club's misguided attempts at charity was much slighter, but still had a ton of laughs. The Fashion Club are such a reliable engine for humor for the show at this point that it's fun to see the show just let them loose and let the comedy follow.
And on the parental front, Jake's bitterness at his failed army showtune was perfectly in tune with his character, and it dovetailed nicely with Daria's story. The idea of knowing what's good, having high standards for yourself and being disappointed when you don't reach them but glad that you tried is a resonant one, and the device of using Daria's own advice to her woebegotten father to give her the realization that the same applies to her was a nice way to go about it. And while it was barely above a running gag, Helen's being constantly worried that Daria and Tom are fooling around, while she nervously tries to interrupt them with snacks, was hilarious and sweet the whole way through.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-01-16T17:53:37Z
I'm a big fan of this episode. A recurring theme this season seems to be pushing Daria out of her comfort zone. Having her put a piece of herself out there in her writing, being insecure as to what her friends and colleagues will think of it and her, and struggling with the sting of rejection are all very interesting beats to play with the character. There's something endearing and human behind those dark glasses and bored eyes, and I like how this episode explored that for all her world-weary detachment, there are definitely things that Daria cares about, worries about, and is even self-conscious about it. It's nice to see.
By the same token, I'm a little tired of her routine with Tom. I don't mind Tom often being right and Daria taking out her misaimed frustrations at him. That's a very teenager thing to do. But at the same time, Tom has such a father's knows best quality to him, where he's constantly condescending to her, that I find kind of frustrating. You don't really get the impression that he considers her an equal even when he's being supportive, and that shouldn't fly.
The B-story with fashion club's misguided attempts at charity was much slighter, but still had a ton of laughs. The Fashion Club are such a reliable engine for humor for the show at this point that it's fun to see the show just let them loose and let the comedy follow.
And on the parental front, Jake's bitterness at his failed army showtune was perfectly in tune with his character, and it dovetailed nicely with Daria's story. The idea of knowing what's good, having high standards for yourself and being disappointed when you don't reach them but glad that you tried is a resonant one, and the device of using Daria's own advice to her woebegotten father to give her the realization that the same applies to her was a nice way to go about it. And while it was barely above a running gag, Helen's being constantly worried that Daria and Tom are fooling around, while she nervously tries to interrupt them with snacks, was hilarious and sweet the whole way through.
Such a great show.