Esteemsters
"Esteemsters" was the first episode of the first season of the Daria TV series.
| Esteemsters | |
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| Production Number | 101 |
| Original Airdate | March 3, 1997 |
| Special Guest Voices | |
| Written By | Glenn Eichler |
| Directed By | Ken Kimmelman Paul Sparagano |
Plot
It's the first day of school for Daria and Quinn, who have just moved with their parents to Lawndale from Highland (the land of Beavis and Butt-head), and it's pretty typical for Daria: she's ignored by the other students, shunned by her sister (who's instantly adopted by the popular crowd and would later claim to be an only child), singled out for humiliation by her psychotic history teacher, and subjected to a ridiculous psychological exam, which she blows off with sarcastic, smart-alec remarks. These remarks come back to haunt her, however, when Helen receives a call from the school: they're concerned that Daria is exhibiting low self-esteem (which she denies), and want her to take a self-esteem class. At this news, Helen and Jake enter "concerned parent" mode, Quinn becomes worried that this would affect her reputation, and Daria just wishes it would all go away. Unfortunately, she has no choice but to take the class, which is run by her wishy-washy, touchy-feely English teacher. When Daria tries to make sense of Mr. O'Neill's psychobabble, she's advised by a fellow student to just "sit back and enjoy the nice man's soothing voice." Walking home after class, Daria discovers that the student, Jane, is something of a kindred spirit: creative, sarcastic, and just as weary of idiots and poseurs as she is. As the days go by and the class drags on, Daria and Jane (who's in several of Daria's other classes) begin forming a friendship, but when Daria reaches the breaking point over her parent's concern for her progress, they hatch a scheme to pass the exit test and get out of the class once and for all. (This is no problem for Jane, who has deliberately taken the class six times and knows the answers by heart.) Unfortunately, it works too well: Mr. O'Neill is so impressed by their "rapid progress" that he wants to publically congratulate them at the next school assembly. Daria and Jane agree to his request, but when the time comes for them to make a speech, they do things their way: Jane causes a scene by faking a "self-esteem relapse" and running off the stage, sobbing, while Daria launches into a cliché-ridden acceptance speech that pointedly thanks "her sister, Quinn." Quinn is humiliated, but that's just the tip of the iceberg, as Daria fulfills her wish of making her family suffer by guilt-tripping them into attending a U.F.O. convention.
External Links
- Transcript at Daria Transcripts
| Preceded by Sealed with a Kick (pilot) |
"Esteemsters," Season 1, Episode 1 (101) |
Succeeded by The Invitation |
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