Rita Barksdale

Rita Barksdale is Helen Morgendorffer's older sister. The mother of one daughter, Erin, she has had a long succession of boyfriends and possibly husbands. According to Helen, Rita was their mother's favorite daughter, which has led to strained relations between the sisters. All three sisters appeared at the same time in the episodes "I Don't" and "Aunt Nauseum," when they finally buried their past arguments and made up (thanks to nudging from Daria and Quinn).

The ages of the various Barksdale sisters—Rita, Helen, and Amy—remained a mystery until resolved in two interviews with show creator Glenn Eichler, in March 2005. Rita is the oldest, Helen is next, and Amy is the youngest.

Fanfiction

In fanfiction, due to the questions surrounding the birth order, Rita was frequently portrayed as younger than Helen (e.g., "Gone," by The Angst Guy).

External Links

First March 2005 interview with Glenn Eichler on DVDaria, answering the age and birth-order questions for the Barksdale sisters
Second March 2005 interview with Glenn Eichler on DVDaria, offering more of the same
“Rita Is Better Than Helen or Amy!” an essay on Rita Barksdale's personality by The Angst Guy