Cartoon Corner- Daria: Is It Fall Yet?

Originally posted at the DL May 2015

Alternately titled "8 or whatever short tales about Lawndale".  Because there isn't really a plot here, but a series of character vignettes.



I am willing to assume this is on purpose, and the point is to show how badly the cast fares when everyone mutually cuts themselves off from their support networks.  You could also call it "Self-induced crippling social isolation: The Movie".  The argument could also be made (actually the argument IS made, by Tom, in this movie) that this is an apt title for the show, but unlike the normal of the show here everyone has done it, not just Daria.

The net result is closer to season 3 than season 4.  There's less status quo, but the general idea of everyone being stuck with their own thoughts but not really being able to do much about them is there.  While I could recite everyone's general subplots, on the whole I don't find them terribly interesting in isolation.  As so often comes up in these reviews (I guess that's the word for them?), some events are logically required to further the story but are really dumb and annoying to sit through.  In this case, all items related to Daria's issues with Tom.  Yes, you can't go from "Self-induced Crippling Social Isolation: The Real-Time Event" to "functioning relationship" over the course of a month, and yes I know you can't just have that shit happen off screen.  But you do need to give me some other material in between lest I get twitchy.

I should probably be offended by Jane's subplot.  I can't find it in me to be so.  I think I'm too surprised Jane didn't pick up she was being hit on.  Really goddamned blatantly.  It's strange to me that Jane, raised in Casa Lane, would have such a strong assumption of hetero-normativity.
Dumb summer jobs are dumb summer jobs.

So bassssically Quinn and DiMartino have to carry the movie.  They succeed!  DiMartino getting, well, ANYTHING is kinda nice because the dude is only second to Stacy in being unfairly shit on by life.  But Quinn of course comes surging back from a season or two of relative irrelevance to reclaiming her status as The Other Main Character here.  It makes sense though; for most of seasons 2, 3, and 4, Quinn was defined by the Fashion Club, and their group subplots.  It's nicely mirrored in her actual plot here; she'd been acting below her own intelligence to avoid being outcast.  This was always her MO, from episode 1, but the stability of the Fashion Club meant she was able to go on auto pilot about it; she wasn't putting thought into how to be accepted, just time and energy which isn't the same as what she was doing in Season 1.  So after what is at least 1, and more likely 2, years in-universe of slacking off she's presented an actual challenge that she chooses to meet.

Rating- 7/10.  Initial response was somewhat higher, but actually writing everything out yeah, it's not quite 8 material.