Theresa Blaine

In the Last Summer series, Richard Lobinske expanded on the character of Mrs. Blaine from the episode, "The Old and the Beautiful." Mrs. Blaine was waiting for a new hearing aid during that episode, hence her deafness. Since then, Daria had regularly visited and read stories to Mrs. Blaine, who often provided critical commentary. In the final story of the series, "Something For You," Mrs. Blaine gives Daria a silver fountain pen as a going away gift for college, the same pen her mother had given her years before. While Daria prepares to depart for Raft, Mrs. Blaine dies from a stroke, the loss shaking Daria. In her will, Mrs. Blaine directed that her collected volumes of diaries be given to Daria in the hopes of them being read by someone who would understand and appreciate them. In the Falling Into College stories, Daria reserves the silver pen for writing in her personal diary and on several occasions, has drawn wisdom or inspiration from Mrs. Blaine's diary.