6.5/10. There was nothing particularly objectionable about this episode, but nothing much to recommend it either. For one thing, it's kind of a rehash of the episode where Jane joins the track team. And then, like now, Daria is kind of a jerk to Jane about it, which isn't a particularly good look for her. Tom kind of reels her back in (again, not crazy about him always playing father knows best, even when Daria needs it), but she's not really supportive or understanding of her friend at all. Now Daria's a character who often deals in absolutes (Darth Daria perhaps) so it makes sense to a certain degree, but you'd think her affection for her best friend would hold her back a little bit.
Plus, Jane's whole arc, falling headlong into retro culture for a cute guy seems kind of rushed anyway. The best parts of this episode are the things at the margins. The B-story, featuring Upchuck's assorted magic routines that eventually involve a convincing swerve from Stacy, were light but a funny and kind of sweet highlight all their own. And the best laughs in the episode came from both Tom and Jane ribbing Daria for stealing Tom. ("Be nice to your future boyfriend" was a belly laugh.) So there was good stuff here, just not enough for it to meet the show's usual standards.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParent2016-01-21T03:21:15Z
6.5/10. There was nothing particularly objectionable about this episode, but nothing much to recommend it either. For one thing, it's kind of a rehash of the episode where Jane joins the track team. And then, like now, Daria is kind of a jerk to Jane about it, which isn't a particularly good look for her. Tom kind of reels her back in (again, not crazy about him always playing father knows best, even when Daria needs it), but she's not really supportive or understanding of her friend at all. Now Daria's a character who often deals in absolutes (Darth Daria perhaps) so it makes sense to a certain degree, but you'd think her affection for her best friend would hold her back a little bit.
Plus, Jane's whole arc, falling headlong into retro culture for a cute guy seems kind of rushed anyway. The best parts of this episode are the things at the margins. The B-story, featuring Upchuck's assorted magic routines that eventually involve a convincing swerve from Stacy, were light but a funny and kind of sweet highlight all their own. And the best laughs in the episode came from both Tom and Jane ribbing Daria for stealing Tom. ("Be nice to your future boyfriend" was a belly laugh.) So there was good stuff here, just not enough for it to meet the show's usual standards.