In this, the final regular episode of the show, an empty refrigerator box left on the Morgendorffers' front lawn triggers a childhood memory in Daria where, one night, she overheard a very loud fight Helen and Jake were having about her. Further exploration of these memories causes Daria to consider she's been a source of unwarranted stress on her parents for years.
Tropes:
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Despite not knowing how to deal with Daria's problems, Quinn still notices, explains to Helen and Jake what she knows about her, and as a sign of support she leaves the refrigerator box in her room with a note, despite complaining about it the entire week.
- "Be Quiet!" Nudge: After Helen and Jake finally have a talk with Daria once she returns home, Daria gives them a speech about how she appreciates the effort they did to deal with her, while Jake and Helen listen to her in silence (and apparently Helen was stomping on Jake's foot the whole time).Helen: Thank you for knowing when not to speak.
Jake: I think you broke my toe. - Call-Back: During Daria's session with school counselor as a child, the doctor showed her an ink blot and said some people would see it as "A herd of beautiful wild ponies running free across the plain". It turns out this is the "Last time" Daria referred to in the first episode when Ms. Manson interviewed her and Quinn.
- Cooldown Hug: At the end of the episode, Daria hugs Jane out of relief.
- Deconstruction: This episode peels back a lot of the antisocial and apathetic veneer Daria's built for herself, showing people were genuinely concerned with her behavior when she was a child and her problems at school were part of several stressful situations her parents had to deal with. While Daria's never been shy from screwing with her parents, the idea that she might truly be a burden on them or a source of stress makes her stop and question whether living the way she has is worth it if she's hurting people. Later on, some Reconstruction is thrown in when Helen and Jake say they accept Daria for who she is and understand the way she acts, assuring her they've never been upset or angry at her for choosing not to interact with others and believing her to be a very smart and perceptive young woman.
- Despair Event Horizon: Learning the truth about why Helen and Jake were arguing sends Daria over the line, making her believe she's spent her adolescence being a burden on them with her snarking and even worse, realizing despite her opinion of them, neither of them deserved it.
- Dumbass Has a Point:
- Jake makes a surprisingly insightful remark about Daria being antisocial is the other side of Daria being unusually smart (see Intelligence Equals Isolation).
- Mr. O'Neill keeps insisting Daria give guided tours to the future freshmen as a way to have an extracurricular, and Daria is offended because she thinks that he is doing it to have her as "the misfit token". Mr. O'Neill concedes it, but not for the reasons she thinks, it's because he wants to prove to Daria herself that she doesn't need to shield herself all the time and proof to the kids like her that anyone can fit in Lawndale High. After Daria solves her own personal issues, she finally agrees to do it.
- Happy Place: The fridge box was significant for Daria because, when she was a kid, she had one in her room decorated to look like a little house. The night she heard her parents arguing, Daria crawled inside the box to read.
- How We Got Here: The episode starts with a black screen and the sounds of what looks to be a car crash before flashing back to how it started.
- Intelligence Equals Isolation: Helen and Jake understand that this is part of the reason for Daria's antisocial tendencies.Jake: It was part of the deal. It was the other side to you being so smart and perceptive. [...]Helen: Daria, you can't have a child with your kind of intelligence and expect her to fit in easily with other kids.
- It's All My Fault: Daria starts to believe she was not only the cause of the fight her parents had, but has been a source of consistent, undeserved stress for them since she was a child.
- Kick the Dog: During Daria's flashbacks to the night of the argument, she looks very scared and upset as she overhears her parents arguing about how she's acting in school. While they didn't mean to upset her, the poor girl looks like she's about to cry.
- Misplaced Retribution: Daria starts to think she's done this against her parents, while Jane points out both sides have done a good job of stressing out the other but never for the sake of genuinely hurting each other.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Daria has a low key version of this, fearing she's treated her parents unfairly and that in her quest to be herself she's caused them a significant amount of problems and stress they didn't deserve.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Daria spends the first half of the episode being very on edge after starting to remember the fight her parents had, snapping at people and accusing Tom and Helen of lying to her. It's so bad even Quinn and someone as clueless as Mr. O'Neill express concern for Daria's well being.
- The real kicker is after Daria's near-car accident. When Jane meets Daria at the roadside diner, Daria actually HUGS Jane, who is clearly shocked by this unusual show of emotion from her best friend.
- Open-Minded Parent: Helen and Jake assure Daria that while Daria's anti-social tendencies can be stressful, they've always appreciated her sharp intelligence.
- Parents as People: Helen and Jake later admit, once they remember it, that they did have a fight about Daria. They are, however, quick to explain that Daria was the "topic not the cause" of the fight and that they've never once been unhappy or disappointed in her for being who she is. Helen adds they understood having a child as smart and perceptive as Daria is wasn't going to be easy, but they know her antisocial tendencies are a part of who she is and respect that.
- Pet the Dog: After spending the episode grumbling about the empty fridge box, Quinn later brought it into Daria's room and left a note saying it was there in case she needed it.
- Sanity Ball: Jake holds this when he calmly explains dealing with teachers at school were simply the other side to how smart and perceptive Daria was at her young age and thus "Part of the deal", allowing Helen to explain of course having a child that smart might be a bit difficult but that wasn't Daria's fault and they never held it against her.
- There Are No Therapists: Averted. Daria remembers she had a session with a counselor at school who began asking questions about Daria's dislike of participating with other people.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: At first Daria thinks Mr. O'Neill wants her to give tours to connect with the social misfits, but he actually wants to prove to her that she's not as antisocial as she claims to be.
