Quiet Ivy and Loud Family fights

A decade ago today, we were treated to "Psycho Therapy," in which we learn a lot about Helen we already knew or suspected. We then learned Daria was okay with her mother and father exactly as they were. She knew she couldn't change them. Daria even saved the family from disintegration. Jake and Helen hugged and all was back to normal.

This was definitely not the season 1 & 2 Daria. All that talk about shooting her mother, then she does something noble and sweet. Wonder if Daria's kids will be as kind to her. Best line from Daria: "Gee, look at the time. 1984 all ready." Loved Quinn's Cleopatra moment, too.

Most interesting line was from Helen in the parking lot, to Daria: "Look what I've done to my family! Your father feels completely neglected and resentful. I've shut you out so many times, you don't even try to talk to me, and Quinn... well, I can't even think about what happened there, not right now. Oh my God, Daria! You didn't hear that!" Oooooh, boy.

A dozen years ago today, we were treated to Daria and Jane as our hosts in MTV's "Top 10 Animated Videos Countdown." ("My arms! I can't move my arms!") The winning video was Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer." Those were the days when Daria came on MTV on Monday nights at 10:30 p.m. EST. I missed it all, didn't have MTV at the time. Dang.

Happy birthday today to legendary movie-man Mel Brooks, who turns 84 and hasn't quit working once. Can never say enough good things about his stuff. Love it. Stay tooned.

PPMB

• Daria/Dorian, by LadieT (continued): Ms. Li looked at her watch. The Morgendorffers were due at any moment. She thought about the conversation she'd had with Helen a few days earlier. She took out both sets of permanent records she had been keeping since Daria first arrived at the beginning of her sophomore year, then quickly scanned them to make sure the grades were identical. She then began to contemplate about to do with the soon-to-come windfall.
• Daria: Hunter 6—Infectious, by Jim North (continued): "Okay, hate to burst your bubble, pal, but we cut through two patrols on our way down here like scissors through paper," Jane said. "Send everything you've got. We can handle it." "Hmm, yes," the Engineer mused. "Even without the help of Axl and his favorite little toy, your guns do give you a bit of an advantage. So let's just fix that, shall we?"
• NEW! Farther Up the Loop, by Brian Taylor (COMPLETE!): "I would like to show President Sloane my gratitude for his support during the recent unpleasantness, but I'm afraid my constituents have been quite vocal that they won't stand for his brand of—" "Aw, that's cute." "He's been listening to his constituents again."
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 51: A Matter of Trust, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “Dude, it’s not like that!” Finn protested with more than a little bit of annoyance. “She’s my girlfriend, and we’re not going to be those long-distance phone call relationship things. I’m going up to see her.” “So it’s just a visit?” Jeffy teased. “You’re not going to do any of the things you were bragging out with her for a week after the State game.” “No! Well, well, yes, but this isn’t some two-hundred mile booty call. I’m going to see a good college that my girlfriend has intimate knowledge of.” “Heh, intimate knowledge,” Jamie teased.
• General Semantics, Private Angst, by Gwrtheyrn (continued): The young woman's eyes flicked open before the rest of her body could move. Where was she? She couldn't place it. A carpeted floor, somewhere. But she knew that almost-taste at the back of her throat. Drae. In powder form. Her clothes felt intact, which at least rendered one classic usage of Drae less probable. (Daria/World of Null-A)
• In the Loop, by Brian Taylor (COMPLETE!): "I'm giving this to Jane." "Please, don't. Not the Red Death."
  
• Kabti-Ilani-Marduk, by Malakite (Parts 1 and 2): Jane Lane, Artist Extraordinaire, listened with half an ear to what that mega-bitch Daria (as if her ability to stuff her bra made her special) and her little lesbian toady Sandi were saying half a table away as they ate lunch. [NEW! Part 2: Linda Griffin listened to that self-satisfied, fat-chested Helen Morgendorffer (what kind of name was that anyway?) gloat about how smart her four-eyed little rugrat in the vomit green shirt was with a growing sense of irritation. "Oh yes, Daria is more than ready to begin kindergarten this year. In fact, I'm a little worried that she may find it too simple." Linda was torn between the urge to just nod, indulging this tiresome narcissist in her delusions, and her desire to argue and snipe and take the ludicrous bitch down a peg. As always, the second impulse won out.]
• NEW! Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: Tokusatsu Team Up! by LSauchelli (continued): On the other side of the world, the town of Angel Groove was under attack. A lone Power Ranger was defending it from a monster that looked like it had escaped from an episode of Sailor Moon. It was a six foot woman with blue skin and tires all over her body.
  
• A New Set of Rules, by Dennis (Part 14): It was the smile that Kevin noticed when he arrived. “Whoa, Daria! What's got you in such a good mood?” Daria buried the smile and affected her flattest monotone. “What are you talking about, Kevin?” “Well, now you look more like Daria, but you were just smiling there. I've never seem you smile like that, not even when we lived through that hurricane in junior year.” “Don't worry, Kevin,” Daria deadpanned. “I promise you'll never see it again.” “Why not?” Kevin asked. “You're so much prettier when you smile.” He winced as he realized what he'd just said. “Sorry, Daria. Please don't yell at me.”
• NEW! Raft College: The First Year, by rglovejoy (Part 12): The seminar room for Prof. Federova's Western Civilization class was a spartanly appointed classroom in the second floor of the Bradford Building. There were no advanced teaching aids; the walls held just a blackboard and a world map (Mercator projection). That was all that Prof. Federova needed. She had a sharp tongue and was not afraid to use it on students who came to class unprepared or who employed sloppy thinking. Daria was the first to arrive.
• NEW! Run on Tommy—Run On..., by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): "Hi, I'm—" Jodie said. Tommy turned to her and looked her up and down. Behind him, the crates suddenly began to shift. "Watch out!" Jodie screamed as she grabbed his arm and led him forward. The crates just missed crushing them, however. "You must be Jodie! They told me you where smart, no one mentioned how beautiful you were." Jodie was taken back by his comment. She looked over at the crates. Tommy seemed unfazed. "Yes, I'm Jodie Landon, a student representative for Lawndale High," she said as she offered her hand to shake his. "I hear your going to make a speech about me." Jodie just looked back at the crates. "Well—yes, but..." Jodie said nervously. Something seemed off about this guy.
  
• Sleepwalker, by Jim North (continued): "Oh, hello, Stacy! How are you this evening?" The sickly-sweet tones of Timothy O'Neill's voice hit Stacy's ears like sticky tree sap. She walked up the shallow stairway to the entrance of Nick's, sighed, and said, "I'm fine, Mr. O'Neill, thanks for asking." "Oh my goodness!" he said, severely distressed at her tone. "It doesn't sound like everything is fine! Is there anything I can do for you? You know, I was just reading about this great form of therapy that involves banging a drum while talking about your problems and innermost thoughts. I think I can find a drum if—"
• That Infernal Nonsense, by Ajar (continued): "My fault. I forgot I had to tell you about that verse. The next verses are six lines in an A-A-B-C-C-B rhyming scheme, so chime in after the sixth line or, if you forget, the third rhyme."
• When Tommy Goes Lurching Home, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): The first thing Tommy noticed was that he was stuck in a coffin: pitch-black, enclosed, a prison. The second was that it was f***ing boring down there. I mean, dude, they could've buried him with some porn or something, right? What's a guy supposed to do down there? Screw this man, Tommy Sherman is getting out.
• Winners and Losers, by Malakite (COMPLETE!): Jodie Landon's gaze was fixed on the back of the auditorium as she finished the unpalatable saccharine speech she'd just been forced to deliver with her introduction of the god-awful egomaniac jackass it had been written for. "And now, without further adieu, the man of the hour—Tommy Sherman!" There was smattering of somewhat polite applause as Tommy took his place at the podium, and Kevin Thompson wailed out in glee.