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Till we come to bad ends, we're freakin' friends

Season 1

  • "Pinch Sitter" has a moment where after Daria and Jane managed to successfully deprogram the sheltered but overall sweet Gupty kids, Trisha Gupty tells Daria that she's "[her] favorite babysitter" and Daria gives a small but genuine smile at this.
  • In "This Year's Model", Daria doesn't really start her plan until she sees her little sister looking very uncomfortable in rubbing her hands over a male model's body. She did have a kick over seeing something that would be embarrassing to her little sister, but she has standards and won't let her little sister get into something she's not ready for yet.
  • In "Too Cute", Daria tried to tell Quinn that she didn't need plastic surgery and admitted that she looks great.
    • Earlier in the episode, Quinn chooses Daria to go with her to Dr. Shar's because it turns out that she considers Daria to be much more of a stronger moral support to her than anyone in the Fashion Club, especially Sandi.
  • In "The Misery Chick", Brittany goes to Daria for advice in the wake of Tommy Sherman's death, feeling horrible because, while she's sad Sherman is dead, he was also a misogynistic jerk who sexually harassed her. Therefore, she thinks she's a bad person because she doesn't feel as bad as she thinks she should. Daria sets her worries at ease, reminding her that, if she weren't a good person, she wouldn't feel bad Sherman died at all.
    • Jane has been avoiding Daria in the wake of Tommy Sherman's death, due to her guilt over a joke she made about him dying. She hides out in her room sketching, telling Trent to tell anyone who asks that she's out running. When Daria shows up to try and talk to her, he at first goes through with the lie, but quickly realizes that Jane and Daria need each other right now, subtly guiding Daria upstairs by telling her he might not have heard Jane come home. Daria even realizes what Trent did for their sake. It's a small touch, but a very sweet, brotherly moment for Trent.

Season 2

  • In "Arts and Crass", Daria and Jane are tasked with making a poster about student life for an art contest; they come up with a subversive message about eating disorders, which the administration insists they alter. Jake, of all people, comes up with a defense, pointing out that the poster should be judged by Daria's intent, not what her teachers wanted her to do. Daria herself is so impressed that she sincerely thanks her father for his wise words.
    • Later in the episode, the high school staff take the poster by force and alter it without Daria and Jane's consent, prompting them to sneak in after hours to vandalize it. Principal Li realizes they are the culprits and calls Helen to threaten "drastic action." Helen, who originally thought her daughter should modify the poster, learns that Daria didn't consent to the changes or even entering the art contest...and proceeds to go full Mama Bear on Principal Li, threatening a "big, fat lawsuit" for the violation of Daria's civil liberties. Helen may not understand Daria, but she does love her, and woe to the idiot who threatens her daughter. Similarly, Daria gives one of her rare smiles as she watches Principal Li crumble under Helen's tirade, proving that she loves her mother, too.
    • Ms. Defoe, after initial concerns that the poster was mocking people with eating disorders, becomes the only adult to wholeheartedly support the girls and their poster once the message is clarified for her.
    • A smaller one but Britney using her "subversive" message by putting a circle and a line through her painting become this when Daria and Jane do the same thing to their meddled-with poster. It may have been a stupid idea from the cheerleader at first but the fact that the other girls used that idea to make a statement shows that they do respect Britney, despite shallowness.
  • Ms. Barch, the man-hating harpy science teacher, shedding a tear and realizing that Mr. O'Neill is actually sensitive in "The Daria Hunter".
  • In "Monster", Daria and Jane make a movie about Quinn, mocking her shallowness. However, at the end of the episode, Daria edits the movie in order to portray her in a more positive light, after Quinn tells them that she's looking forward to seeing her video, hoping that it doesn't make her look stupid because she knows that acting shallow and being obsessed about fashion and popularity is silly, but it's what she does best.
  • In "The New Kid", Quinn is genuinely sympathetic (for about 5 seconds) towards Daria after her date with Ted ends in disaster.
    • Daria actually went on a date with a boy that she held some degree of interest in, showing a crack in the armor that she usually keeps herself wrapped in.
  • Daria in "Gifted", when she has her conversation with Jodie who confesses her chafing at being "Queen of the Negroes" at school and wishing to be more like Daria and her fearless candor. At that, Daria confesses that she occasionally wishes she could be more like Jodie and when Jodie is flattered by that statement, you see Daria respond "I'm not saying all the time", with that small smile that she grants only to the people who deserve it.
  • In "Ill", all of Daria's closest classmates (Kevin, Brittany, Mack, Jodie), along with Jane, come to visit Daria in the hospital after learning she is sick. Even though Kevin and Brittany thought it was a "brain disease", it was still nice to see them show up for her.
    • Kevin in particular displays an uncharacteristic amount of concern over Daria's well-being, just as he did earlier on in "The Big House", showing that despite Daria's cold attitude towards him he still considers her one of his closest friends.
    • Helen and Jake doing what they could to help their daughter truly highlights their concern from Jake speeding his way to get Daria to the doctor and then the hospital to Helen finding a doctor for Daria as soon as she could make it. Their concerns are genuine simply because, like any parent, they want to make sure their daughter is okay and Daria mumbling a thanks for their support is still quite sweet.
    • And Quinn certainly isn't exempt in that she tries to support Daria in her own way by trying to find something to help with her skin. It might not be much to the untrained eye but the fact that Quinn says that skin emergencies supersede any sort of popularity status does show that she cares about her sister in her own way.
  • In "Write Where It Hurts", Daria is supposed to write a story about people she knows but can't come up with anything good. After an earlier argument, her mother notes that Daria often hides her feelings from everyone and advises her to write a scenario the way she would like it to play out, as opposed to her usual combination of sarcasm and Brutal Honesty. The story is a fluffy little piece about the family, set in the future when everybody is successful, happy and more well-adjusted. And after hearing it, her mother breaks into tears and gives her a hug.
  • Jane actually connects to her art students in "The Old and the Beautiful" in a way neither she nor Daria expected. They seemed excited to act out and have fun with her more wild project ideas, such as making voodoo dolls and painting over murals. Seeing as she was volunteering at the hospital, its likely most of her students were either chronically or critically ill, and her morbid sense of humor might have even been a comfort to them.

Season 3

  • In "Daria!", the song "They Must Be Worried" shows that, for all their sarcasm and complaining, Daria and Jane really do care about their families. "So while the wind does blow on our loved ones down below, we wish that we could tell them we're okay..."
    • Helen calls the Lanes to see if Daria and Jane are there, and when she realizes Trent is home alone and has done nothing to prepare for the hurricane, she tells him to come over, because he'll be safer with them. Her immediate concern for him is very sweet.
    • In the end, once the storm has passed and Daria arrives home, Quinn runs towards her, even though she was just a couple feet away.
  • In "Through a Lens Darkly", when Daria locks herself in the bathroom stall because she doesn't want to admit to her vanity when she gets contacts, and no one other than Brittany comes in and tells Daria that she's glad that she got contacts. Brittany took it to mean that they weren't so different, because Daria getting contacts meant that even she, a person who prized herself for her intellect rather than her physical appearance (or a "brain" as Brittany put it), cares about her looks. This made Brittany feel less shallow and feel that Daria was a human like everyone else. Her words were convincing enough to make Daria come out of the stall and thank Brittany for them - even if Brittany claimed to have gotten such words of wisdom from wearing a pair of fake glasses.
    • Also, Daria's initial conversation with Quinn while trying to decide on whether or not to get contacts. While comedic in nature, there's also something strangely sweet about seeing Quinn excitedly jump at the chance to help her sister.
  • In "The Old and the Beautiful", where Daria is put with Mrs. Blaine, a deaf women, after all her attempts to read to other patients at the nursing home fall through. Daria almost leaves in anger when she realizes Mrs. Blaine is deaf, but the woman gently grabs her hand and asks to hear another story, stating that Daria has “such a pretty voice” (something Daria had gotten a lot of grief for over the course of the episode). At the end of the episode, we see that, even after Awareness Week is over, Daria continues visiting and reading to Mrs. Blaine.
  • In "It Happened One Nut", Trent realizes that Daria was embarrassed to be working at the peanut stand (and would be humiliated if he, in particular, saw her) and quickly changes his mind about eating there in order to spare her feelings.
    • Jane, despite always ribbing on Daria for her crush on Trent, does all she can to keep Trent from seeing Daria at the nut stand, know it would embarrass her. Later, on she comes to Daria's aid by manipulating Helen into thinking Daria is being exploited by the nut stand manager, and having Daria removed from the job Helen once insisted her daughter stick with.
  • Helen and Jake treating Trent as one of their own in "Lane Miserables". It's probably the first time in his whole life he's had parental figures that actually gave a damn and provided him with some guidance in his whole life.
    • During "Lane Miserables", Jane offhandedly mentions that she was the one tasked with bringing Trent dinner during his six-month stay in a tent in the backyard. Trent himself bringing it up later in the episode and says that he was just waiting for someone to invite him back inside might give hint to how he views their bond, and that he has trust in Jane that he could never have for anyone else in the Lane family.
    • Jane and Quinn comforting Daria and giving her advice after she sees Trent head out with another girl for a date. This also helps Daria get over her crush on Trent (thought she does let herself imagine a perfect future with him at the end of the episode).

Season 4

  • Barch choosing to pull O'Neil up in "The Antisocial Climbers" is this combined with Awesome.
  • When the kids are rebuilding their lives in "The F Word", it's nice to see Brittany going back to her squad and cheering together again. Something similar happens when she and Kevin mend their relationship at the end of "A Tree Grows in Lawndale"; these two idiots might be irritating but nobody should feel alone and unloved and it's a tender moment to watch them go back to the people they love.
    • Speaking of "The F Word", Daria and Jane going to check on O'Neill and try to lift his spirits after the terrible failure of the homework he assigned.
  • In "I Loathe A Parade," Daria and Tom try to help Tad Gupty find his family after he gets separated from them during the homecoming parade. At one point they try to get on the Fashion Club's float in order to better survey the crowd to find the Guptys. Tom and Tad manage to get on, but Daria is straggling behind... until Tad starts crying for Daria not to leave him, and Daria gets on that float.
    • Daria's relationship with younger kids is overall heartwarming. In spite of her proclaiming she doesn't like kids, even when she was one, she manages to connect with Tad and Tricia Gupty and Link from "Is It Fall Yet?" Yes, there's some frostiness in the beginning, but the Guptys decide Daria's their favorite babysitter, Tad clearly feels safe being with her, and she manages to reach out to Link without becoming overly sappy. Mainly because she doesn't condescend to them even if she's still sarcastic.
    • Jodie gets fed up with the hypocrisy of her and Mack being elected Homecoming King and Queen every year, as well as how humiliating she finds standing on a float in a poofy dress waving to the crowd. Just as she and Mack decide they're sick of playing along with the charade, she sees a young black girl in the crowd waving and looking at her with shining, hopeful eyes. She smiles and promptly stands up again to keep waving.
    Mack: What happened?
    Jodie: Oh, what the hell. We may be tokens, but we're damn good looking ones.
  • In "Mart of Darkness", Daria and Jane spend all day chasing down a wholesale club employee that turns out to be Andrea, who had been avoiding them due to how they usually act and fearing what they'd do once they found out. Instead, they treat her normally and keep her job a secret. She even smiles for once.
  • Daria unbending a little at the end of "Groped By An Angel", by acknowledging that Quinn has a right to her newfound spirituality, even though Daria doesn't believe in it due to lack of proof.
  • In "Dye, Dye My Darling", Daria ends up really scared and frustrated so that she actually visits her mom in person. Her mother, the rampaging workaholic, throws EVERYTHING she has been working for to the side to immediately hear out and listen to Daria's problems.

Is It Fall Yet?

  • Daria manages to help out a troubled child who she identifies with. Aww.
  • The campers cheering on Mr. DeMartino aka 'Uncle Anthony'. Because of the connection he makes with the children, he rediscovers that spark that made him want to be a teacher in the first place.
  • When Daria comforted Quinn after she got rejected by her tutor, in "Is It Fall Yet?". Made even more heartwarming by the fact that the rejection actually was rather heartbreaking, because at that point (and definitely in this movie), Quinn had already become much more sympathetic.
  • Daria and Jane's reconciliation in "Is It Fall Yet?" after spending the whole summer apart and on bad terms, Daria and Jane finally have a genuine heart-to-heart, in which they both admit they really missed one another, and see need each other as friends. Their reconciliation is then proven when they both encounter Trent and both make sarcastic criticisms about Mystic Spiral being late for their gig. Trent, knowing this is a good sign, simply responds with "You guys are weird." Seeing Daria and Jane smile and reconcile at the end of the scene definitely brings a smile to your face.
  • Quinn answering Mr. DeMartino's question on Manifest Destiny correctly, with her own little Quinn-esque touch to it. DeMartino is genuinely touched that one of his students, Quinn Morgendorffer of all people, actually gave a correct answer, right after he announced that his faith in teaching was reinvigorated. His faith was rewarded and it's one of the few times DeMartino has been legitimately happy without someone suffering.
    DeMartino: Ah, Quinn, that's very good! Thank you for making my day rewarding.
  • The whole ending of "Is It Fall Yet?":
    • Daria and Jane manage to reconcile and realize they still need each other as friends.
    • Daria's attempt to reach out to Link is validated when Link sends her an invitation to email. Even knows this is no small victory.
    • Daria helps Quinn move on from her first real rejection, and Quinn embraces her newfound book smarts.
    • Jane, after going through a sort-of identity crisis throughout the movie, finds she's ready to move on from Tom, and realizes that Daria's relationship with Tom might be a good thing for her friend.
    • Daria tells Tom she wants to continue their relationship, and uncharacteristically instigates a kiss with her first real boyfriend.

Season 5

  • In "Lucky Strike":
    • When Quinn, in front of the whole class and with not a trace of shame, defends Daria to the other students and admits that they are sisters. Even if everybody already knew it.
    • Stacy and Tiffany admitting that of course they knew Daria was Quinn's sister. They just didn't say because they could tell it was what Quinn wanted.
      • There's also the possibility that when Tiffany said "We were just trying to be polite", she was saying that she and Stacy were being polite to SANDI, thinking that she was the only one truly unaware of the truth, and not wanting her to feel stupid.
    • When Quinn asks Daria to make the test easy because she doesn't want her friends to hate her, Daria says: "Why should you go out of your way to protect the stupid? You're not one of them".
    • A very short moment as the episode is ending, in which Jeffy, one of the popular jocks, tells Daria that he thinks she is a good teacher. Daria responds that she thinks some of them aren't half-bad students. While it was clear she was mostly referring to Quinn, the fact that she complimented Jeffy's original argument earlier shows real growth on her part.
    • The way Daria and Quinn say goodnight to each other at the end. After sarcastically telling each other they'd never be nice to the other, Daria calls Quinn "Sis", and Quinn, without skipping a step, just smiles back. It really does affirm that the Morgendorfer sisters' relationship has reached a level of maturity.
  • In "Art Burn", the Fashion Club has their caricatures done at a fair, and they threaten to sue the artist for what they claim to be "defamation of character". After failing multiple times to have any sort of legal action brought against the artist, Quinn consents to just burning the picture. But, as it turns out, neither Quinn or Sandi has the drawing. It turns out that Stacy kept it and has it hanging in her closet, because the artist drew her in a positive light compared to the others. Considering how so put upon Stacy is, especially by Sandi, it's such a well deserved Throw the Dog a Bone for her which very well might have started her eventually getting strong enough to stand up for herself.
  • In "Life in the Past Lane" Stacy asks Upchuck to show her how to do stage magic, while he approaches it as his usual lecherous self ultimately instead of using the whole thing as an excuse to hit on her, he delivers on his promise and they end up making a very good team.
  • In "Aunt Nauseam", Helen and her two sisters have been at each other's throats the whole episode. Daria notices that Quinn has been acting strangely and is trying to spend time with her, complimenting her and asking if she wants to watch Gone with the Wind with her. At first, Daria ignores this, but after Helen, Rita, and Amy make peace, Daria realizes that the reason Quinn has been trying to spend so much time with her is because Quinn - the same Quinn who would tell people Daria was her cousin who lives with her or a weird neighbor girl who hangs out at their house - doesn't want to have a bitter, angry relationship with her sister when they're older. The penultimate scene of the episode is the girls watching the movie together, and promising that they won't turn into their mother and her sisters.
  • In "Boxing Daria", when Daria and Jane meet in the diner. Actually, most of the end of "Boxing Daria".
    • "It occurs to me that I wasn't the easiest child in the world to raise, and perhaps I'm quite lucky to have you for parents."
    • "Didn't know if you need this, but just in case ~Quinn." Considering how much Quinn had been complaining about lugging that box around.
    • Also, Quinn agreeing with Daria and confirming that she was right about their parents fighting all those years ago. The way she sadly admits that their parents really were fighting about Daria is a genuinely touching moment, as is the concerned look Quinn and Jane share after the news takes it toll on Daria.
    • Given how oblivious Mr. O'Neill is most of the time, he genuinely wanted Daria to give the tours to the freshmen. While Daria assumes it's because she can make the misfits like her feel welcomed, Mr. O'Neil's point is to demonstrate that Daria is not as antisocial as she claims to be. For him is a little moment where he shows how much he cares about Daria as a student.
    • Jake telling Daria that they were proud of her, not in spite of her troubles fitting in, but because of them, stating that it's part of "the deal" for having a daughter of such staggering intellect and insight that she would naturally have anti-social tendencies and they have never wished that she would change herself to fit in, only wishing that she didn't have such a hard time of it.
    • Daria's family, Jane, Tom and even O'Neill realize very soon something is really eating Daria from the inside. While the effectiveness of their approaches varies, all of them try to reach out or do something to make her feel better.

Is It College Yet?

  • Mr. O'Neill and Mr. DeMartino sharing a cry at the Liquid Dinner after Mr. O'Neill confesses that he's scared of Ms. Barch roping him into marriage in "Is It College Yet?". It's one of the rare times that Mr. DeMartino shows that he has feelings (besides frustration and rage over his idiot pupils and his miserable life).
  • Daria's graduation speech, where she admits that despite high school sucking, it can be improved with the help of a good friend, a loving family, and lots of pizza.

General

  • Any moment when Quinn helps Daria, or vice versa:
    • Quinn is supportive in her own way for Daria after she sees how upset she is with Trent walking out on a date with Monique in "Lane Miserables". It shows that she really does care about Daria even if she can't give out the best advice.
    • In the wake of Daria's "breakup" with Ted, Quinn expressed genuine sympathy towards Daria, as she could tell her sister was down about the whole situation.
    • Daria helping Quinn get over her being rejected by David in "Is It Fall Yet?" shows that Daria is willing to comfort her sister as well.
    • The mere fact that when Quinn is dealing with a problem, Daria is usually the first person she turns to. Despite their differences, she clearly trusts and looks up to her sister.
  • The handful of times where Trent shows just how close he is to his little sister, Jane.
    • The original focus of the episode "Pierced" was that Trent wanted Daria to help him pick out a birthday present for Jane, and at the end of the episode when his gift turned out to be a song he had written for/about her.
    • At the end of the episode "Daria!" after Trent sees that Daria and Jane are unharmed, he immediately hugs Jane first.
    • In the beginning of the episode "Dye! Dye! My Darling" it shows that Jane and Trent are at the zoo together just the two of them and immediately afterward Jane thanks Trent for going along with her. At the end of the episode after Jane and Daria have a falling out, Jane is walking alone when Trent drives up in his car and tells her that they "need to go for more rides" together. After Jane gets in his car Jane confides in Trent about her troubles with Daria and he gives her some legit advice and he even tells a little joke to get her to smile.
    • Although not exactly 'heartwarming', in the episode "Lane Miserables" Jane doesn't think twice about handing over her toothbrush when Trent asks if he can borrow it.
    • The mere fact that he always affectionately referred to his younger sister as "Janey".
  • There are a couple of somewhat cute moments in which Jane reacts with enthusiasm to unexpected news or behavior from Daria:
    • When Daria admits vanity is an ingredient in the whole contact lenses thing and she realizes it's not a joke, Jane sounds almost giddy (sure, she just thought it was funny while it was an existential crisis for Daria, but they made up very quickly)
    • When Daria implied that she and Tom had slept together (or, actually, they were planning on eventually doing it), Jane had a similar reaction.
  • Throughout season 5, Daria and Tom have some nice moments together. They both commit mistakes from time to time; after all, for all of their smarts and dry humor, they're still teenagers (and, in Daria's case, have zero experience at intimate relationships). Tom proves to be a very good first boyfriend for Daria: he can match her wit and shares her style of humor and many interests while also being understanding, supportive and honest. Nobody should deny that Tom clearly respects Daria very much.
  • The few times we're shown that, despite what a Crapsack World Lawndale is, there are still some adults and authority figures who make the effort to genuinely help.
    • Helen and Jake are not perfect parents, and they're often too wrapped in their career and childhood trauma respectively to help out, but there are times they really do. Helen and Jake prove by the end of the series they do understand Daria. Helen is considered the only Big Good in the show, and Jake, while bumbling, is actively trying not to do to his kids what his father did to him when he was growing up because that prospect frightens him. Helen also makes it clear her main reason for wanting Daria to interact more with others is because she doesn't want Daria's antisocial tendencies to completely dominate her life.
    • Dr. Phillips, Daria's doctor in "Ill," is considerate enough to get Daria time away from her parents so she can relax after a stressful day dealing with her bizarre rash, is able to talk and joke with her like a regular person, and when Jane shows up he immediately knows she's Daria's friend because he could tell Daria was happy to see her.
    • The show's first example of a therapist was the Jerkass Ms. Manson, whose response to Daria's snarking at her insipid tests was to label her with "low self-esteem". Later on, we see Daria has dealt with therapists and psychologists who are genuinely trying to help their patients. In "Psycho Therapy", the doctor assigned to her remarks that she seems considerably well-adjusted in contrast to her family, and in "Boxing Daria", the counselor at Daria's elementary school showed real concern for Daria not wanting to play with her classmates. It helps that these two do not suffer from the same kind of overblown personalities shown by the likes of Mr. O'Neill who tries too hard to "help" in a self-serving way. While the two therapists were not really shown doing much, it wasn't from a lack of skill, intellect, or compassion, and in a world like Lawndale that's extremely important.
  • For the show's 20th anniversary, Karen Disher and Susie Lewis got together with Entertainment Weekly to revisit a few of the characters:
    • Jake and Helen are still Happily Married and are now retired grandparents who travel a lot and take dance classes.
    • Trent lives in Queens with his new band and still visits Daria and Jane.
    • Daria lives in Hell's Kitchen and has a pet cat she toilet-trained while Jane is married and lives in a So Ho loft with some success as an artist; the two still get together to watch films and go to art shows and socialize exclusively with one another.
    • Quinn is a devoted mother to triplet boys who has her own You Tube channel, while she still lives in Lawndale and cares for her extensions.
    • Brittany and Kevin are now Happily Married with five kids, Kevin is stay-at-home dad and children's party entertainer while Brittany is a local weathergirl who moonlights as a cheerleader coach at Lawndale High. What is nice is that they seemed to have outgrown the drama, pettiness, gender roles, and shallowness of their teen years with Brittany still loving a chubbier Kevin.

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