A Tree Grows in Lawndale

"A Tree Grows in Lawndale" was the third episode of the fourth season of the Daria TV series (episode number 403). It first aired on MTV on March 10, 2000. This episode was written by Peter Elwell.

Summary
Kevin injures himself mildly when he crashes his motorcycle into the Tommy Sherman Memorial Tree and sinks into a depression that has a ripple effect throughout Lawndale.

Lawndale Lowdown article
The Lawndale Lowdown article on Kevin's safety lectures reads:

" "Safety's cool," says Kevin Thompson, the ex-quarterback who quit the Lawndale Lions after scraping his knee. The once-respected jock keeps busy these days spreading his message to grade school kids too young to grasp the principles of cowardliness and self-pity. Meanwhile the Lions continue their downward spiral as the one person who could save them spends his days encouraging kids to stay inside and fear their own"

Trivia
The title of this episode is a play on the novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

Behind Upchuck in the booth is a calender, marked Spring/Fall Schedule.

Brittany is genuinely upset that she won't be dating Kevin. In contrast, in "Is It College Yet?" she's the one going to break up with him as he'll be getting held back a year while she moves on from school.

Artie makes a cameo in this episode as an employee of Pizza King.

We see a local elementary school, Lincoln Elementary.

"A Tree Grows in Lawndale" and Fanfic
"A QB Grows in Lawndale" by Kristen Bealer is an AU where Kevin decides that teaching the kids is more important to him than football.

On “A Tree Grows in Lawndale” the Episode

 * “A Tree Grows in Lawndale” summary at Outpost Daria
 * “A Tree Grows in Lawndale” transcript

Alternate-Universe Versions of “A Tree Grows in Lawndale”
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Alternate Canon Versions of “A Tree Grows in Lawndale”
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