Boxing Daria

"Boxing Daria" was the thirteenth and final TV episode of the fifth season of the Daria TV series. Only the movie Is It College Yet? was aired after this one.

Summary
In this episode, an empty refrigerator box and an unexpected trip by Jake trigger some very unhappy childhood memories for Daria. Her anger and pain cause her to put herself in a dangerous situation.

Trivia
The episode actually begins in the middle. We see a black screen at first, then hear a crash, then a man's voice asking a woman if she is all right. The story then moves back in time to show what went on before. This is one of the more serious Daria stories shown on TV.

The title of the episode is a play on Boxing Helena, a movie which features a doctor capturing a woman he is obsessed with, then cutting off her legs and arms and leaving her on display on his mantle. The episode has nothing to do with the movie other than borrowing the title.

Battlestar Galactica fans may find humour in the title "Boxing Daria." In BSG "Boxing" was the term for removing a consciousness from a Cylon body, effectively killing it (but they can later resurrect them). This is especially apt as this is the last episode of Daria, so she and her show are "boxed."

Watchmen fans may notice a similarity between Daria and Rorschach. Both are uncompromising, for example. Daria's statement in the coffee shop ("It's the sudden realization that all these years, when I thought they were torturing me, in reality I was the one torturing them") mirrors Rorschach's statement in prison ("I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me"). Coincidentally, an inkblot test also appears in this episode.

The inkblot test given to Daria as a child is the precursor to Daria's comments on the test in "Esteemsters."

"Boxing Daria" and Fanfic
Interesting stories have appeared over the years connected with this episode. An in-canon retelling of the events alluded to in Highland, "Outside the Box," was written by Mike Xeno. Smileyfax created a highly amusing fantasy tale of time travel involving this episode ("Box to the Future") and a bit of Dariarotica as well ("Daria's Box").

Commentary and Reviews

 * Transcript on Outpost Daria
 * Episode Guide on Outpost Daria
 * Episode Guide on Sick, Sad World
 * Wraith's Ramblings (6/30/01) on Sick, Sad World
 * Novelization by Adam Spradlin
 * "Daria in a Box," on the Daria Fandom Blog II

Fanfiction Based on This Episode

 * "Outside the Box," by Mike Xeno
 * "Daria's Box," by Smileyfax
 * "Box to the Future," by Smileyfax