The Daria Hunter

_****

The Lawndale student body is gathered together during a school-wide paintball game in an effort to study the impact of warfare on all aspects of culture. Quinn finds herself in trouble with Sandi when she knocks her out of the game, and, potentially, out of her presidency of the Fashion Club.

The review for "Arts 'N Crass" can be read here.

Lawndale High doesn't have the greatest record when it comes to field trips, and Daria's (Tracy Grandstaff) intense lack of competitive spirit likely has no place on the battlefield. Quinn (Wendy Hoopes,) on the other hand, has shown time and again her desire to win, and while paintball isn't exactly the first place people might imagine her, she seems devious and deceptive enough to work her way up the rankings and place much higher than people might expect of her.

While Quinn is often very blunt toward insulting her sister, here she chooses to approach the situation more diplomatically, stating her case to make her point without passing judgement on Daria. Quinn states, rather plainly, that she "knows [Daria] like[s] to embarrass [her] by saying that they're related," but asks that she not reveal information about the field trip to their parents, and it's because Quinn is so matter-of-fact about it that Daria doesn't take offense and instead agrees whole-heartedly that it's not something that she wants either. It's rare to see the Morgendorffer sisters come together, but when they do, and it's for both of their best interest, it works very well to showcase how similar the two of them can be. Unfortunately, the entire thing falls apart when Helen (Hoopes) briefly questions Quinn's new hairstyle, with Quinn blabbing that the Fashion Club had put her in charge of figuring out a style to prevent helmet hair, warranting further discussion on the topic. Part of what makes Quinn interesting is the fact that she's often so put-out by the actions of her family, but it's usually she herself that is her own undoing.

In her attempt to keep up the appearance of being an actively involved parent, Helen asks her daughters if their school needs any volunteers, immediately getting cut off by both of their refusals and feigning disappointment. Due to the fact that she can't wipe a smile off her face as she learns that she won't be forced into the field trip, Helen fails to notice the fact that both of her daughters actively want to keep her away from their school and their friends, something that likely would bother her in her image as a good parent under separate circumstances. It's only later when both Helen and Jake (Julián Rebolledo) show up for paint ball that Helen's scheme is shown to have gotten the better of her; normally when Mr. O'Neill (Marc Thompson) phones the household, Helen claims to be out of town for whatever request he has in order to avoid getting involved, while here she made the same claim while also throwing in an offer to volunteer under the understanding that she wouldn't be needed. Instead O'Neill grasped onto her generosity and, in keeping up appearances, both she and Jake were forced to attend the trip. This is so perfectly in character for Helen, and seeing her plans unravel when she thinks she has the upper hand is absolutely fantastic.

Brittany (Janie Mertz) proves herself to be a master strategist, and while it's a solid joke for the character, it comes out of absolutely nowhere. While it's good to see that the writers want to develop her character in a way that proves she's not entirely moronic, there is no development to indicate that she's capable of such forward thinking here, and it's a bit of a distraction that she's able to out-maneuver so many of her peers and teachers here when normally she is shown as rather oblivious to her surroundings. A little foreshadowing would have gone a long way, and without it this addendum to her character seems in no way genuine.

Ms. Barch (Ashley Albert) takes an opportunity to take her aggression, stemming from her poor relationship with her ex-husband, out on Mr. DeMartino (Thompson), shooting him repeatedly after he's already down. Her hatred for men has been well-documented by the time of this episode, but she later is shown to have a heel-turn moment during a discussion with Mr. O'Neill, tackling him to the ground and kissing him passionately as she realizes that not all men are evil. What's distracting about this story is that it seems to imply that the only thing a woman needs to be happy is a man in her life, and while it would have been understandable if Barch had learned from O'Neill to appreciate that her animosity toward the opposite gender was somewhat unfounded, there really is no need for their relationship to have become physical. Were a development to take place in her character allowing her to soften toward her male students and colleagues she could still remain a strong feminist character, but instead she seems to now be hung up on yet another man, and it questions the very nature of her character and the direction with which the writers plan to take her.

There is a scene wherein Thompson acts as both DeMartino and Kevin as they converse in the woods, and the back and forth he manages to do between the two characters is quite entertaining. It's impressive that he can switch back and forth between such polar opposite characters and voices and remain completely fluid in doing so.

Directors Eric Fogel and Karen Disher make use of a number of different techniques to make their story something of an homage to "Apocalypse Now," most notably as Daria's wandering alone through the woods with a melodramatic monologue about war running through her head. The smash zooms as DeMartino is talking to Kevin, closing in every time he laughs, is quite effective to showcase both his madness as well as Kevin's cluelessness to his situation, and the sound of helicopters taking off as Sandi (Mertz) runs after the buses in slow motion is very well done.

Writer Peggy Nicoll explores the antagonism between both Ms. Li (Nora Laudani) and Helen as well as Quinn and Sandi to different effects. In the beginning Helen and Li bond over the fact that society expects them not to look their age, questioning each other over whether or not they look younger than they really are, but the conversation soon turns to Daria. Li states that "[she] can't think of a prison that would create an attitude like [Daria's], much less a school," as the two discuss the role of school life in shaping the youth of today, and the two, from there, become fast enemies once more. As for Quinn and Sandi, a jealousy begins to brew as the boys on the field trip fawn over Quinn, offering to protect her from being fired upon, culminating in Sandi's challenge for Quinn to take over presidency of the Fashion Club. Throughout the story Quinn and Sandi both consider firing upon each other in vulnerable moments, wondering whether they really need the other in their lives, and while neither chooses to act upon their impulses, Quinn does speak up in the end to ensure that Sandi is left behind on the field trip without a way back to the school. This script allows for a small focus on almost every character, balancing their plots in such a way that nothing feels crammed in or rushed, and it's almost the perfect amount of activity for everyone.

Both Helen and Ms. Li prove that they can play nice here but both are unable to keep their pride in check indicating that their future interactions will be tinged with animosity. Quinn's role in usurping Sandi's presidency of the Fashion Club is hinted at here, likely to play a large part in their rivalry in the future, while Ms. Barch seems set for a personality change as she and Mr. O'Neill spend more time together.

The review for "Quinn the Brain" will be posted on December 25th.