After an entire season of building tension, the shit hits the fan between Daria, Jane, and Tom.
Jane browbeats Daria into helping her dye her hair and then snaps at Daria when it turns out to be a disaster. Jane finally starts to express her fears that Daria and Tom want to be together, and Daria ends up doing something that hurts Jane.
Tropes:
- Armor-Piercing Question: Trent offers three to Jane after the dyeing fiasco. First he asks Jane when Daria started painting after Jane exclaimed anyone with painting experience couldn't screw up that badly, to which Jane responds Daria doesn't paint. Trent then asks why Daria thought she could dye Jane's hair if she doesn't normally do such things, causing Jane to sheepishly admit she made Daria do it. Trent caps it off by asking why she made Daria do it then. Jane says nothing.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Jane has been paranoid about Daria wanting to steal Tom away from her for a while, and it's only now that she subconsciously looks for an excuse to pick a fight with her. Ironically, Daria and Tom start developing feelings for each other after Jane has been insinuating it to them.
- Downer Ending: Probably the saddest of the whole series. Jane and Tom break up. And because of Daria and Tom's kiss, her friendship with Jane is badly compromised. In the end, Tom calls Daria up, and she becomes visibly uncomfortable.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: In an inversion of a similar incident in "Mart of Darkness", Trent asks Jane why she's so pissed off at Daria after her hair is ruined, and as Jane explains she comes to realize that she'd actually been incredibly stupid.
- Foreshadowing: When Daria accidentally walks in on Jane and Tom mid-smooch, Jane tells her, "You had to learn about kissing eventually."
- Earlier, Jane accuses Trent of giving a sarcastic remark about her "surprise". This sets up Jane's attitude throughout the episode.
- Improperly Paranoid: Jane, throughout the first half of the episode, makes it clear she's suspecting something going on between Daria and Tom (all before something actually does happen).
- Jerkass Realization: Jane at first was pissed at Daria for ruining her hair. It's only because Trent talked to her that Jane realized that she subconsciously made Daria dye her hair as an excuse to pick a fight.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Helen's secretary interrupts her important casework, causing Helen to snap she has absolutely no time for anything else besides the case. And then she sees Daria stepping into the room, looking the saddest and most miserable she's ever been in the entire show. Helen is shocked and drops everything to go talk to Daria over coffee.
- Parents as People: Helen spent the whole episode raging about a big case. The moment she sees Daria in need of emotional support, she drops everything to go for a coffee with her and give sincere advice.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: What started as a heated argument about getting away from each other to avoid hurting Jane ended with Tom and Daria kissing in his car.
- Trauma Swing: Jane and Tom's breakup scene takes place on a swing set.
- Wham Line: Daria to Jane.Daria: I kissed your boyfriend.
