The Daria Hunter

“The Daria Hunter” was the second episode of the second season of Daria (episode number 202). It first aired on MTV on February 23, 1998.

"The Daria Hunter" was written by Peggy Nicoll.

Summary
This episode found the major characters participating in a paint ball event for school, which was supposed to simulate the experience of war. Daria and Jane did their best to blow off the event, only to end up in a potentially worse situation: being made to listen to the deranged rantings, clearly inspired by the movie Jaws, of a shark museum curator.

“The Daria Hunter” and Fanfic
The episode has been used in some fanfiction stories. One example is Good Art Hunting, by Richard Lobinske, of the John Lane series. The knowledge Brittany displays regarding guerrilla combat tactics has also been used in several fanfiction stories.

Trivia
The episode contains several references to the Vietnam War:


 * The title of this episode referes to the movie The Deer Hunter
 * Daria wondering alone in the forest thinking about hell, is a reference to Apocolypse Now
 * The last scene, with Sandi staying behind, while the other students leave, refers to a scene in Platoon, complete with the sounds (music Adagio for Strings, by Barber, and sound of helicopter blades).
 * Jake's comments on "...the horror..." is a reference to "Heart of Darkness," near the end of the novel when Kurtz cries "the horror, the horror!"

Jordana's retelling of her struggle with the Great White Shark is a direct retelling of the movie Jaws.
 * Jim's comments on Hanoi Hilton refers to an infamous Vietnamese prison used to hold American POW.

On “The Daria Hunter” the Episode

 * Episode Guide at Outpost Daria
 * Transcript at Outpost Daria