The Daria Episode Guide:
Daria Dance Party

What deadly new diseases can you pick up... by sitting down? Toilet Seat Terror, next on Sick, Sad World.

It's art class, and Jane Lane is longing for a canvas worthy of her talent when Ms. Li comes in to announce the school dance in two weeks, with particular note to its security. Challenge given, Jane accepts.
Kevin and Brittany, in a fight over the last dance, break up. Yet again. Brittany gets all the cheerleaders to swear not to take Kevin to the dance, and Kevin gets all the football players to swear not to take Brittany to the Dance.
Mr. O'Neill is looking for volunteers for the dance, and asks his class. Sandi, based on a previous bad experience with school dances, gets Quinn to volunteer (and appoint the Fashion Club as her committee). Sandi uses the opportunity to work as much sabotage as possible on "Quinn's dance" and then gets the rest of the Fashion Club to leave her to it on her own.
Quinn tries to back out of running the dance committee, but Mr. O'Neill offers to help, which gets Quinn to stay as long as he doesn't.
Kevin and Brittany spend quite a lot of the episode trying to get (respectively) a cheerleader or football player to go out with them, with no luck. Jodie tries to help Brittany out by giving her some advice.
Quinn tries to get some of her male followers to help her, but they pretty much can't and know it. Then Sandi starts going around, asking people to come to the party she's having on the same night as the school dance, with mention that her parents are going to be out of town. Quinn gets so desperate that she offers Daria a hundred bucks to help her out, which Daria refuses. Jane, however, accepts, noting that a thousand bucks (the dance budget) can buy a lot of paint.
Jane does a Jackson Pollock themed dance. It's a big hit, even with Upchuck being the DJ. Quinn absolutely hates the decorations when she first sees them, but is quick to take credit for them when she finds out people like them.
Brittany actually gets a date to the dance, thanks to Jodie's advice: Robert, a football player who was out of town and didn't know about the oaths, although she does get worried when she finds out Kevin is at Sandi's party.
She needn't have, however, as Sandi's party is a big flop. The only people there are a few members of the football team, who want to watch sports on the big-screen, but the Broncos get snowed in and the game is canceled. After Sandi asks them to try out her new hot-tub, they all sneak out.
Two guys from another high-school, Cumberland, approach Daria and Jane, who are sitting at the top of the bleachers in the gym. When they tell Jane that they're just looking for a high-school more screwed up than theirs, they're allowed to stay.
Brittany wants to leave the party after another cheerleader tells her that her date dances like a geek, but sees Kevin in the parking lot, which inspires her to put some major lip-lock on Robert. Kevin notices and starts a fight with Robert. Quinn immediately gets Joey, Jeffy and Jamie (who just showed up as well) to start a fight with the two guys she had brought as dates.
Back at Sandi's house, the Fashion Club finally figures out that everyone left, and try to go back inside only to find that they've been locked out by Sandi's brothers.
The two guys from Cumberland turn out to be Upchuck's cousins, so Daria and Jane ditch them, and Kevin ends up with a broken jaw. Then, Fashion Club still stuck outside, it starts to snow.

Brittany: For your information, there are plenty of guys who think I'm pretty and smart!
Daria: You can visit them at the Cedars of Lawndale head-injury ward.

"Is it over-over, like the time he got you a football for your birthday, or just over like the time he thought your goldfish needed air?" -- Cheerleader #1 ("Daria Dance Party")

Brittany: Am I losing my looks?
Andrea: They're gaining their senses.

Brittany: Wow, Jodie, no wonder you're an honor student!
Jodie: Yeah. All that note taking and studying is just to kill time between my friends romantic crises.

"Sorry late. No sleep, two days. (thump)" -- Jane ("Daria Dance Party")

Jodie: See how the hands grip the steering wheel? Like he still thinks he can try to pull out of it.
Mack: Yeah. Maybe he could, if his arms were attached.

Tiffany: I heard a bunch of cars leaving earlier.
Sandi: Well, why didn't you say anything?
Tiffany: I figured they belonged to a really big family.

Wraith's Ramblings:
Pretty good episode, focuses more on the minor characters (and Jane) than usual, which is something Peggy Nichols does well. The Fashion Club scenes were good, and it's always nice to see more of Jodie and Mack. Jane's falling asleep scene steals the show, however.
Also see my Rambling of 10-31-00.


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