The Teachings of Don Jake

“The Teachings of Don Jake” was the twelfth episode of the first season of Daria (episode number 112). It first aired on MTV on July 14, 1997.

“The Teachings of Don Jake” and Fanfic
This episode is notable because for a short time the lives of the Morgendorffers hang by the barest of threads. The deus ex machina that saves everyone's life lies in Daria's discovery of her mother's cell phone while the rest of her family hallucinating wildly from eating psychotropic berries, runs off through an uninhabited woodland. Daria's refusal to eat the berries is also a key element. The potential for alternate-universe stories is great, and indeed several AU versions of this tale exist with outcomes ranging from comedy to tragedy.

Events from the episodes "Road Worrier" and "The Teachings of Don Jake" were used in the John Lane story, Lessons of Spring by Richard Lobinske. The same author also used this story as the starting point of his story, Misery's End.

Alternate Universe Versions of “The Teachings of Don Jake”

 * "The Teachings of Doña Daria" by Galen Hardesty
 * "Misery's End" by Richard Lobinske
 * "Alternate Endings" by Mitch
 * "Lost Girl Found" by Robert Nowall