#301 spoiler - Through a Lens Darkly

Spoiler!

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Woo-hoo! Here in Grimsby, the VCR can hold the channel five signal: fuzzy-ish, but good enough. Just as well: if Town play at home I have to leave at five for the evening Mass at Scartho (5:15 if they're away), so there'd be no chance of me seeing the eps live.

I though TALD is a great way to start the new series. Significant character development: we see Daria confronting her (perhaps previously denied) interest in her appearance, and in how others perceive her. I didn't find the resolution ("I see things they can't...") entirely satisfactory: as Jane (nearly) remarked, she retreated from vanity into intellectual pride. That'll need to be dealt with one day: hope the show lasts long enough for it to be tackled.

We saw more evidence that while Brittany may not shine in Mr O'Neill's class, she is not wholly dense in things that matter: she is able to explain to Kevin the purpose of school ("from a teacher's point of view") and she's been thinking about the effect on herself of Daria's new appearance, and articulates it very clearly just when Daria needs to hear it. (Those glasses *do* work! - When I got specs at college, someone kindly told me they made me look almost intelligent 8-) )

Daria's blushing at Trent's compliment shows us that *that* plotline is still alive.

I thought the episode well-rounded, and ISTM the animation is holding the improvement it showed in series 2: I felt that the scene of Daria removing the toothpaste cap would have much been less well done in series 1. BTW, has anyone identified the music that accompanies that scene?

Martin.

On Sat, 24 Apr 1999 21:04:18 +0100, "Martin Sylvester" wrote:

You're lucky, then; you guys started out on the right foot. Here in the Colonies, we started the season with "Daria!" (the musical), and the controversy hasn't died down since. :-)

And you'll notice that it took maybe all of three seconds. In the hands of the 'shippers (fanfic authors who concentrate solely on the "Daria/Trent thing"), it would have played out endlessly. :-)

Yes, the animation is much improved in season three. Your comment about the first season is interesting, because the same animation outfit that produced the first season (Plus One Animation) is the same one that's doing the job in the third. We've heard rumbings that Plus One spirited away much of the good talent from Rough Draft Korea (the outfit who did the animation for season two), so that might explain the ever-increasing quality.

"Sonnet" by the Verve, courtesty of the song lists at Outpost Daria (yes, it's a shameless plug! <grin>).

Martin (to send E-mail, remove the "nospam" from my E-mail address) ---- Quinn: "When they got nervous, they'd drink cocoa." Helen: "Now, sweetie, there's nothing to worry about." (door slams) "Looters!" ---- Outpost Daria: Your Online Database for All Things Daria! http://systech.simplenet.com/daria/

<sob!> :(

I could have recorded it - I could have actually watched it! - only I forgot. :(

I hope so too. :)

I *hate* it when someome I fancy compliments me. There is nothing more likely to make me blush and go all "girly" and stupid... horrible. I don't know what Daria did, but if she managed to deal with it and leave herself with any dignity at all, the writers need a dose of realism. That or I'm just really really pathetic. Hmph. :(

endless, nameless wrote in message ...

forgot. :(

Alli! You *forgot*? Ahh, well, it's only a cartoon. 8-)

Well, you chose to read the spoiler, so I guess you won't mind me saying: Jane described her as "The girl who's forgotten how to walk." Realistic enough? <g>

Martin.

Yes, but I wanted to see it! :)

Mmmmmm.... no. ;) OK, probably just about. :) But she probably knew he meant it, so she should have been worse than me, hehe. :)

Martin Sylvester wrote in message ...

My goodness i`ve never been down this far......is there something down there??

I thought that was out of character myself....if somebody had said that, to her, Daria would have asked "what colour are they?" However the scene was saved by Janes response, and Darias later comments imho

On Sat, 24 Apr 1999 21:56:09 +0100, "Paul gate" wrote:

I disagree. It is not "out of character", but a new facet of her character. To risk the dangers inherent in properly using a term that has been cliched and misused by society, she is becoming self-actualized. Coming to terms with herself as she is.

___
Kyle

Trying is the first step towards failure

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! The Good Lord wants the Cubs to win!

Kyle wrote in message ...

I am perhaps me "flinching" at my own personal experiences of people who say similar things. I have firstly, rarely met a perceptive person who was apt to say such things, and secondly I have met numerous people who are clearly troubled, and unaware of it who do so regularly. I didn`t feel it fitted Darias practical.."things are what they are" approach, She was in fact making an excuse for the crapness of the world, and suggesting that her internal activities were compensation....

Dunno just waffling :-)

In article , "Paul gate" wrote:

there??

If Daria had heard someone make such a remark publicly she might have delivered a witheringly sarcastic reply, but in this case she was talking privately with Jane, her friend. Obviously Daria has developed a relationship with Jane in which she feels she can be open and honest and can bare her innermost thoughts and feelings.

I think it's important to recognize that Daria is a character that is destined for change. The series creator has ordained it. By that standard there really isn't such a thing as "out of character."

I also don't see any need to expect resolution from this episode. They didn't preempt the possibility of the contacts coming back some time in the future. The driving problem still exists. There's no reason Daria can't turn up wearing contacts in some future episode.

Bob

[email] wrote in message ...

didn't

future.

Good point, Bob.

She might choose not to take her driving test; or she might get different glasses (Amy's look better than Daria's); or, as you say, the contacts might re-appear; or she might end up at Axl's piercing and corneal laser surgery parlour. 8-)

ISTM any new look will rule out re-using much of the existing stock animation, or at least re-drafting the face...

Martin.

Bob Henry said:

Yes. And this is good ... far too many sitcoms founder on the rock of not allowing their characters to change. What's important is that Daria change in a manner consistent with her established personality, that she not just behave randomly.

And in TALD, her actions are pretty consistent with what we knew of her before. She's feeling new things, but they are not incompatible with the things we've seen her feel before.

Sincerely Yours, Jordan

Paul Gate said:

Daria isn't "apt" to say them. She said this ONCE, to her best friend. And she MEANT it. She doesn't wander around spouting New Age drivel randomly for dramatic effect, or because of some mental flaw. She meant exactly what she said, and she's right. She DOES see things other people can't ... it's one of the blessings (and curses) of a high-genius level intellect married with psychological perceptiveness.

Me too. And I've ALSO met people who really were more perceptive than others, and aware of the fact.

Her "internal activities" are in some sense compensatory. Consider this ... Daria is clearly smart and cunning enough that for the price of dishonesty she could BE as "popular" as she wanted to be. The fact that she chooses to be honest instead shows that she values the clarity of her own thought and expression more than she does the transient benefits of being a faker.

And that's why we love her.

Sincerely Yours, Jordan

JBassior wrote in message ...

I did imply that i thought i was responding (perhaps unfairly) to my bad experiences of people who have said things of this nature

Am struggling here..although i have met such people (i think) i have never met anybody who verbalised the thought, (at least not to me lol),unless in comparing themselves to somebody clearly "below average"in this regard, or somebody they held in distain. ie not as a generalisation about "other people"

Agreed :-)

Though being a "faker" is not such a terrible option ;-)