Recap / Daria S 5 E 06

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The teachers at Lawndale High go on strike following the latest impasse between Mr. DeMartino and Ms. Li over a proposed 10% raise in salary for the new teachers' union contract, prompting Ms. Li to hire scabs as substitutes—-including Daria, who becomes Quinn's teacher after the first one is fired for lewd conduct with students. Meanwhile, Jane and Trent help the striking teachers use art and music to gain support from others.

Tropes present in this episode:

• Adults Are Useless:
  • Averted with Helen who immediately gets Mr. Edwards fired when she learns what he did to Tiffany.
  • Played straight with Ms. Li, who doesn't seem to care at all that one of her students was practically molested because now she has to find another sub.
• All Men Are Perverts:
  • Straight example with Mr. Edwards hitting on Tiffany at school.
  • Played for Laughs. Tom is a bit of this after Daria snarkily states to Quinn that she'll go easy on the class after she puts on her fur bikini, he smiles at this, thinking she actually owns one.
• Apathetic Teacher:
  • Mr. DeMartino goes back to this at the end of the episode. More in Yank the Dog's Chain.
  • Subverted with Daria. She clearly doesn't want to be a scab when Ms. Li makes her an English substitute, but she makes the effort so her students get Romeo and Juliet and succeeds with most of them; most notably the J's and Quinn.
• Armor-Piercing Response: When Quinn begs Daria to give everyone a break on the English test and Daria refuses.
  Quinn: Daria do you want everyone to hate you?
  Daria: Hey, why should you defend the stupid? You're not one of them.
• Artistic License – Education: Ms. Li shouldn't be able to install Daria as a substitute teacher, since subs need a minimum of a Bachelors degree. Then again, she can't find a good enough replacement given the circumstances around Mr. Edwards and the only way Helen wouldn't sue her was likely putting Daria in that position.
• Bad Boss: Ms. Li refuses to give a 10% raise to the teachers and even taunts Mr. DeMartino about the last time they tried to get a Dental Plan. Then she hires evidently underqualified substitutes (one of whom hits on a student) and only installs Daria as a substitute to avoid a lawsuit.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: After Jane finds out that Daria is a substitute, Jane tells her that if any teacher asked for her help, she would tell them to shove off. It is at that moment that Ms. Defoe, the only teacher Jane respects, asks for help on their protest signs.
• Blackmail Backfire: Sandi's threat to out Quinn and Daria as sisters unless the class is graded generously falls flat when Quinn reveals Sandi's brothers gave Quinn access to somewhat more embarrassing material. And for bonus points, when Quinn declares their sisterhood anyway, it turns out Stacy and Tiffany were only playing along with Quinn's delusional attempts to downplay her relation to Daria to begin with.
• Brick Joke: Daria sarcastically suggests that the class could copy off each other, but all considering... After getting low grades on the essay, Stacy says that they shouldn't have copied from each other.
• Character Development: This is the episode where Quinn finally stops being embarrassed by displaying intelligence and openly admits that Daria is her sister.
  • Daria, too, also acknowledges Quinn as being better than she first thought and even softens up to the class she teaches after her initial reluctance.
• Characterization Marches On: Despite Season 1 having the recurring gag of Mr. O'Neill failing to remember his students' names, he recognizes Trent and asks him to help with their protest songs.
• The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: Mr. DeMartino calls out Mrs. Bennet (the Economics teacher) for wanting to settle for Ms. Li's offer of just a 0.08% pay hike, free non-dairy creamer for the coffee and "Mr. DeMartino could put away his sewing kit."
• Continuity Nod: Ms. Stoller thinks that "Daria" sounds like a Hippie Name. Helen and Jake are former hippies.
• Cool Big Sis: One of the rare moments where Daria shows she understands and cares about Quinn's well being; she demands to know why Quinn is so determined to protect the stupid when she's not one of them. She earlier got the phone so her mom could get Mr. Edwards fired after hearing Quinn obliviously describe him stroking Tiffany's hair.
• Cool Teacher: The class admits that Daria was a pretty good teacher that actually made them learn.
• Comically Missing the Point: After Quinn tells Helen about Mr. Edwards flirting with Tiffany, she only says that "Tiffany would never date a guy that wears tweed jackets".
• Damned by Faint Praise: Daria chose to give the rest of the Fashion Club extra credit on the essay test for being capable of realizing William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet was connected to Romeo and Juliet.
  • Daria tells one of the 3 Js that "Laurence Olivier, in his current state,^note Olivier had died 12 years before this episode aired couldn't have done it better."
• The Determinator: Mr. DeMartino refuses to back down until Ms. Li signs the contract for the pay increase, and holds out even after having to spend the night in her office.
• The Dog Bites Back: After Sandi accuses Quinn of getting a good grade because of Daria, Quinn subtly implies that Sandi's brothers slipped her a photo of Sandi with huge braces that she hasn't shown to anyone....yet. This shuts Sandi up.
• Dumb Jock: Ms. Stoller believes she's teaching History to First Graders, which is the reason most of the class aces the test... Except for Kevin, who fails all the questions, including the colors of the American Flag. One of which was right in front of him.
• Embarrassing Old Photo: When Sandi tries to hold Quinn's relationship with Daria over her head, Quinn not-so-subtly mentions she has a photo of Sandi back when she wore huge braces, but hasn't shown it to anybody... at least not yet. Sandi decides to back off.
• Ephebophile: The English substitute, Mr. Edwards, flirts with Tiffany throughout the class and reenacts a chapter of his book while he strokes her hair. As soon as Helen hears about this from Quinn, she gets him fired and threatens Ms. Li with a lawsuit.
• Epic Fail: Kevin flunking a test intended for first graders. He just had to list the colors of the American flag. He wrote down "yellow".
• Everyone Has Standards: Daria's makes it clear on multiple occasions she cannot stand the Fashion Club, but the moment Quinn starts talking about her substitute teacher stroking Tiffany's hair she quietly gets the phone so Helen can have the guy thrown out of Lawndale High. Daria later blasts Ms. Li for this.
  Ms. Li: Besides we wouldn't be in this fix if it weren't for your mother.
  Daria: Yeah, hire one pedophile and she gets all bent out of shape.
  • Later on, Daria firmly explains to Quinn that she didn't want to act as a sub, but as long as she's teaching Quinn's class she is going to do the best she can because the students deserve a teacher who actually gives a shit. Even if Daria doesn't have much faith in Quinn's classmates (which is admittedly justified with how the Fashion Club and the Three Js tend to act) she won't use that as an excuse to halfass it.
  • Mr. O'Neill's suggestions for song lyrics are so bad that Trent, of all people, tells him to start taking it seriously if they're going to keep working.
• Evil Brit: Daria is certain Satan has a British accent.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Played with. Quinn is talking about how Mr. Edwards was stroking Tiffany's hair in class but (seemingly) doesn't understand the implications. Helen, who is halfheartedly listening to Quinn, snaps to attention a minute after Quinn's finished speaking.
• First-Name Basis: Mr. Edwards tells his class to call him by his first name, right before he starts to get too comfortable around the students, especially Tiffany. When he is fired, he laments that he never got to hear Tiffany call him "Ken".
• Getting Hot in Here: Mr. DeMartino says this verbatim to Ms. Li when he's threatening to picket naked.
• Good Angel, Bad Angel: Daria has them debating whether or not to betray her teachers by becoming a substitute. What settles the deal is the possibility of making Quinn miserable.
• Harmful to Minors: Finding out your daughters are in the proximity of a possible child molester who's already acted inappropriately with one of their friends, someone whom you know.
  Quinn: And then he started acting out his stupid book for us, stroking Tiffany's hair and telling her about his anguished soul.
  Helen: Mmhmm WHAT?! He was STROKING Tiffany's hair?!
  Quinn: I know! Like Tiffany would ever go out with a guy in a tweed jacket.
• Hidden Depths: It's implied that most of Quinn's English class, with the exception of the Fashion Club sans Quinn, all get decent grades on their test. Daria even acknowledges that Jeffy argued his point rather well despite her not agreeing with it.
• Hope Crusher: Kevin managed to destroy Mr. DeMartino's reinvigoration by answering one question wrong.
• Hot for Student: Mr. Edwards for Tiffany, not that she seems to pick up on it. Word getting back to Helen gets him fired on his first day teaching.
• Hypocritical Humor: When Daria and Jane see that Mr. O'Neill roped Trent into helping them to compose a protest song, Jane claims that she would turn down a teacher. Cue to Ms. DeFoe asking her to design signs.
  Daria: Go on, Jane. Offer that piece of "friendly advice" you just mentioned.
• Jerkass: Ms. Li this whole episode. She refuses to give the teachers their 10 percent raise, openly mocks Mr. DeMartino about his last failed attempt to renegotiate their contracts and, instead of being disgusted by the sleazy sub hitting on a student (who she only fires because Helen threatens her with a lawsuit), she makes Daria a substitute in retribution.
• Lack of Empathy: Ms. Li's more concerned about finding a new substitute then about the previous one openly lusting after a student.
• Literal-Minded: Mr. Edwards' metaphor about "the older man making bloom the young flower" goes completely over Tiffany's head.
  Tiffany: You're writing about gardening?
  • He also talks about literature that explores the deep waters of life. Staci asks if he's talking about Jaws. Points to Staci for knowing the very popular movie was based off an admittedly successful but not quite as well-known book.
  • Additionally, Ms. Stoller. When Kevin introduces himself as the QB (Quarterback), she thinks it's his real name and refers to him as "Cubie" for the rest of the episode. She even thinks Kevin is pranking her when he signs a test with his actual name.
• Mama Bear: Helen immediately requests Mr. Edwards be fired on threat of lawsuit after Quinn tells her about him flirting with Tiffany during class.
• Misplaced Kindergarten Teacher: Ms. Stoller. She is so senile that she thinks her high school classroom has very big first graders.
• The Nicknamer: Ms. Stoller renames Daria "Darleen" because, according to her, "Daria" is a "Hippie Name" and Darleen is "Prettier." Then subverted in Kevin's case, since she literally thought his name was "Cubie" and thought he was pranking her by writing down his real name on the test.
• Noodle Incident: Ms. Li reminds Mr. DeMartino the last time the teachers wanted a raise was dependent on him teaching a sewing class. The very reminder instigates the strike.
  Ms. Li: Did you hem those pants yourself?
  Mr. DeMartino: THAT'S IT! We strike!
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Yes, Tiffany may be slow and doesn't realize the substitute is hitting on her, but she reveals that she (along with Stacy) always knew that Quinn and Daria are sisters.
• Peer as Teacher: After Daria and her mother get Quinn's teacher fired for making a pass at one of Quinn's friends, Ms. Li dragoons Daria into becoming the new substitute teacher — despite her having no teaching credentials and being only about a year older than her students. Fortunately for the students, Daria is a lot better than Mr. Edwards — and Ms. Stoller, the very senile substitute History teacher — are.
• Running Gag: Whenever Daria speaks to one of the Three J's, she always refers to them as "Jamie, Jeffy or Joey" exactly.
• Running Gagged: This is the episode where Quinn finally (and proudly) admits that she and Daria are sisters.
• Scatterbrained Senior: Ms. Stoller, the History substitute, is an elderly woman who keeps calling Kevin "QB", changes Daria's name because "[It] sounds like a Hippie Name," and thinks she is teaching a Grade School History class.
• Serious Business: After Mr. O'Neall makes a lame rhyme, Trent threatens to leave if he doesn't try harder.
• Stealth Insult: Daria shoots some of these over the course of the episode.
  • After Jamie plainly reads the last paragraph of Romeo and Juliet
    Daria: Thanks, "Joey, Jeffy or Jamie". Lawrence Olivier in his present state couldn't have done better
    Jamie: Cool!
  • Daria: Ok, you've read the play, tomorrow you take the test. [all the students whine] Sorry, orders from above. I'd suggest you cheat off your neighbours, but considering who most of you are sitting next to...
• Shipping: Discussed In-Universe when Jeffy gets his test back from Daria.

  Jeffy: A "B"! You mean, you think Mercutio had a thing for Romeo too?
  Daria: No, but you argued your point well, and I thought your ideas for "keeping him out of the locker room" were original, if a little close-minded.

• Shout-Out:
  • When returning the tests, Daria explains why Sandi deserves her "D-"
    Daria: I should have failed you too. See, in Shakespeare's version Romeo never goes by the name "Leonardo", or takes a swim in his clothes. But I gave you an extra credit for realizing that the movie and the play were somehow connected.
  • After hearing about Mr. Edwards and Tiffany, Daria fetches the phone several seconds before Helen asks for it, reminiscent of Radar O'Reilly.
• Sore Loser: When Sandi sees her D-, she first blames Daria, who points out why she should have gotten an F instead. She then accuses Quinn of getting help from Daria. Quinn admits that they are sisters, so Sandi tries to rally Stacy and Tiffany to humiliate Quinn. This doesn't work, as they both always knew and were just being polite
• Strike Episode: The whole plot hinges on the fact that the teachers are on strike.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: After enduring the stress of teaching Quinn's class, Jeffy genuinely compliments her and Quinn publicly admits that they're sisters.
• Troll: Jokingly, Tom suggests Daria make a trick question on the test so either way the whole class fails. Daria wonders why he hasn't been asked to prepare a class before.
  • He later suggests Daria go easy on the kids after she quips that she'll do that after she changes into her fur bikini.
  Daria: I lied about the bikini.
  Tom: Damn.
• The Un-Twist: In-Universe. Sandi tries to stir up drama when Quinn finally admits that Daria is her sister. Unfortunately for her, Stacy and Tiffany knew all along and were okay with it.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: After successfully negotiating the new Teachers Unit contract, Mr. DeMartino feels his self confidence renew... Only to be crushed by Kevin's ignorance once again.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Quinn tries to convince Daria to make an easy test so her friends won't fail. Daria asks her "Why are you trying to defend the stupid? You're not one of them." Quinn's left almost speechless.