Western Animation / Daria: Is It College Yet?

Got no sorority sister; a college try gives me blisters...

"Is it College Yet?" is the Grand Finale of Daria.

With high school graduation nearing, Daria must choose which college to go to and whether or not she should continue her relationship with Tom. Meanwhile, Jane decides to forgo college, Quinn gets a job at a restaurant where her co-worker and new friend is revealed to be an alcoholic, Kevin tries to keep Brittany from knowing he has to repeat his senior year, and Mr. DeMartino teaches Mr. O'Neill to stand up to Ms. Barch after Barch ropes Mr. O'Neill into a possible marriage.

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This episode provides examples of:

• Accidental Proposal: One subplot has Ms. Barch mistaking Mr. O'Neill's attempts at sympathy regarding her ex-husband as a marriage proposal. This cues Mr. DeMartino to try and get O'Neill to get out of it.
• Amicable Exes: By the end, Daria and Tom have broken up but the two of them still agree to keep in touch and remain friends.
• And the Adventure Continues: Jane and Daria get together for a last pizza slice at Lawndale and discuss what college will be like.
  Jane: To college! I can't wait. What do you think we will find when we get there?
  Daria: Uhm. That the students are shockingly ignorant, the professors are self-centered and corrupt, and the entire system geared solely to the pursuit of funding.
  Jane: Uhm, yes. You know that thing I said about you getting soft? I take it back.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other:
  • Mr. DeMartino goes out of his way to prevent Mr. O'Neill from getting roped into marriage by Ms. Barch, even admitting that O'Neill is the best friend he had in a very long time. He also genuinely cheers for Daria when she is chosen to give a speech for Graduation.
  • Quinn also gets a little moment with Daria, as both comfort each other over their problems. Quinn genuinely gets shocked after learning that Daria broke up with Tom, while Daria tries to give sincere advice about how to deal with Lindy.
  • Trent being moody about Jane going to Boston was because he wasn't ready to let her go away from him.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: On her birthday, Stacy wishes for Sandi to shut up. Shocking when she finds out the next day that Sandi can't talk at all.
• Blatant Lies: At Lindy's party, Quinn tries to diss the outfit of a punk girl like she usually does with the Fashion Club, only for Lindy to compliment the girl instead. When Lindy questions if Quinn was trying to trash her, Quinn starts to deny it.
• Bittersweet Ending:
  • Quinn confronts Lindy about her drinking problem and it seems like their friendship is over. They make up, but the implication is that Lindy still isn't willing to accept that she has a problem and will continue drinking.
  • Daria breaks-up with Tom, but she will attend college in the same town as Jane. At the same time Trent is going to be separated from Jane, but he still gets the open invitation to crash at her place every once in a while.
• Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: From Daria's acceptance speech:
  Daria: I'm not much for public speaking, or much for speaking, or, come to think of it, much for the public.
• Breaking the Fellowship: Subverted in spirit. Stacy's rejection of Sandi's cruel demands for atonement sparks the Fashion Club's disbandment... only for all four girls to tearfully embrace and commit to their friendship.
• Call-Back: When trying to confront Lindy, Quinn mentions how Helen got drunk during a wedding back in "I Don't".
• The Cameo: The only known characters who appear without any lines are the Taylor family.
• College Is "High School, Part 2":
  • Subverted. Quinn realizes that the people attending Lindy's party are the complete opposite to her high school social circle. When she comforts Daria over her break up with Tom, Quinn tells Daria that she will fit perfectly in College.
  • Implied between Daria and Jane, only they think college will be like high school because of the idiotic students and corrupt administration.
• Comically Missing the Point: Or rather sarcastically, since it's Daria.
  Jodie: I'm sure we will look back on our days at Lawndale High with a great fondness, for what once was, and will never be again.
  Daria: That last part sounded good.
  • Quinn reveals she watched Thinner at some point, and doesn't seem to understand why the Weight Loss Horror inflicted on the main character was a bad thing.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Quinn mentions that nobody in her family had drinking problems, except when her mother had too many drinks at a wedding.
  • Jane and Jodie think that Tom also dumped Daria, like he previously broke up with Jane. Daria corrects them by clarifying that this time she broke up with him.
• Creative Closing Credits: The montage is a joke "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue, showing what could have happened to each character after the events of the series.
• Diminishing Villain Threat: Sandi's influence on the Fashion Club gradually dwindles down to nothing until she decides to officially dissolve the club, claiming she's "outgrown it" to save face now that she can't bully Quinn and Stacy into submission (and Tiffany sided with them).
• Et Tu, Brute?: After Lindy's drink is found at work, she first feigns ignorance and claims one of the busboys could've left it. After the manager points out the lipstick on the rim of the cup, Lindy goes as far as to claim Quinn asked to try her lipstick and then weakly adds "not that I'm accusing her or anything." Quinn's can only express her disappointment by replying "Oh, Lindy."
• Eye Scream:
  • When Mr. DeMartino hears that Ms. Barch wants to marry Mr. O'Neill, BOTH his eyes bulge out.
  • Later, DeMartino gets punched in his good eye (the eye that doesn't bulge when he talks) after Ms. Barch gets angry over Mr. O'Neill standing up to her.
• First Law of Tragicomedies: The movie is along the few episodes that have a much more serious (if not somewhat downbeat) feel.
• Gilligan Cut: After Kevin tries to avoid the topic of which college he applied to, the scene changes to Mr. O'Neill grading Kevin's papers and telling himself that he may find a job that doesn't require him writing or reading skills.
• Grand Finale: All the recurring themes and dynamics get a big change.
  • Daria and Jane finally get out of Lawndale by getting into good colleges in Boston. And Trent promises to drop by occasionally.
  • Quinn's Character Development takes another step when she realizes that college life will be different from high school's shallowness.
  • Jodie finally gets permission from her parents to do what she wanted all along: to stop being the Token Minority by attending a black college.
  • The Fashion Club dissolves after Stacy finally stands up to Sandi, and the four girls plan on getting together on their free time to talk about Fashion. Nothing different than usual.
  • It's implied that Kevin and Brittany will eventually break up, as she starts to get tired of Kevin's immaturity. This is further reinforced after Kevin tells her that he's repeating senior year.
  • While Mr. O'Neill is still with Ms. Barch (to Mr. DeMartino's frustration), both men admit that they consider each other best friends.
• Grew a Spine:
  • After Sandi tried to take advantage of Stacy's guilt for her birthday wish, Stacy decided that she didn't have to take that kind of humiliation and quits the Fashion Club (or "took a sabbatical from her duties").
  • Mr. DeMartino encourages Mr. O'Neill to stand up to Ms. Barch and decline the wedding. While initially mad at him (and punching Mr. DeMartino in the eye), she came to the realization that she did like his newfound attitude.
• Immediate Self-Contradiction: A realistic one from Lindy about her alcohol problem.
  Lindy: You know how I'm sure I can handle it? Whenever I think I'm drinking too much, I stop for a week, just to prove to myself that I can.
  Quinn : Really?
  Lindy: Yeah. I do it all the time.
• I Need a Freaking Drink:
  • After both teachers break out in tears, the barkeeper helps himself to Mr. DeMartino's Mai Tai.
  • A more serious example happens with Lindy after she snaps at Quinn for confronting her about her drinking. Despite having made a point of not having a drink in her hand that moment, Lindy immediately opens her fridge and grabs a beer, being visibly angry while doing so. "Beer" is also on the grocery list we see on said fridge.
• Innocently Insensitive: Tom barely conceals his confidence at getting into Bromwell, unknowingly making Daria feel less confident about her chances. Him making a humorous remark about being late for her interview at Raft doesn't help matters either. Later, Daria angrily lampshades Tom's attitude when he insinuates that Daria got into Raft because there was no interview to screw things up. These instances no doubt play a part in Daria's reasons to break up.
• In the Blood: Some dialog from Lindy implies her mother's got an even bigger drinking problem than she does, which is why Lindy refuses to take her own more seriously since she judges it as less severe in comparison.
• Ivy League for Everyone: Deconstructed:
  • Daria doesn't get into the Ivy-tier Bromwell University, but she does get into her second choice, Raft. Helen assures her that Raft is a great school and she shouldn't beat herself up for missing out on Bromwell.
  • Jodie is accepted into the similarly prestigious Crestmore University, but she instead chooses HBCU Turner, which she feels fits her true self better.
  • Tom is the only character set to attend an Ivy-tier school, and we're not even sure if he wants to go to Bromwell or if it's simply a Sloane family tradition.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Mack proves how much he cares for Jodie's well being when he tells her parents how miserable she is about being forced to go to Crestmore, willing to face her wrath if it also gets her mom and dad to finally back off.
• Jerkass Realization: Jodie's parents finally realize how much pressure they've put on her when Mack tells Andrew she applied to Turner University without their knowledge, and that she's completely miserable over the prospect of attending Crestmore to the point she broke down in tears.
• Karma Houdini: Ms. Barch and Ms. Li are the most Jerkass characters that don't end up having any kind of repercussions on their attitudes (at least Sandi got all the girls drop out of Fashion club and admitted that deep inside she appreciated them as friends).
• Laser-Guided Karma: This is Sandi at her worst yet (believe that). She started to be bitchy towards Stacy on her birthday, and the following day she got laryngitis.
• Last Episode, New Character: Lindy, the college student who becomes Quinn's friend.
• Last Minute Hook Up: Upchuck manages to score with Andrea at Jodie's party.
• Manly Tears: After Mr. DeMartino admits that he cares about Mr. O'Neill not making a mistake by marrying Ms. Barch, Mr. O'Neill gets sentimental and starts crying, which prompts Mr. DeMartino to cry as well.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Stacy spends the movie fearing she made Sandi lose her voice by wishing she would shut up, and goes through ridiculous measures to lift the "curse." However, when Sandi decides to use this as an opportunity to shame Stacy into being her slave all summer, Stacy realizes it probably wasn't her fault after all and stops feeling guilty.
• New Era Speech: Daria got the opportunity to diss Lawndale one and for all during Graduation, but instead did a very heartwarming speech about how she could survive high school thanks to her family and friends.
• Oblivious Guilt Slinging: When she first starts to bond with Lindy, Quinn comments on another girl's outfit which Lindy misconstrues as a compliment. She then adds she can't stand people who go around trashing what others wear. Quinn can't make eye contact as she says "Yeah, me too" while looking rather guilty.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Andrew Landon's reaction upon Mack telling him that Jodie applied to and got accepted to Turner University and is scared to tell him and Michelle because she did it behind their backs.
  • Sandi's reaction when Stacy not only refuses to cater to her demands, but takes a sabbatical from the Fashion Club to preserve her dignity.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
  • Quinn was so worried about Lindy being too drunk to drive home she was willing to get in a car with Upchuck if it meant ensuring Lindy would get home safely. She even lied about him living near her house.
  • Trent becomes noticeably aloof with Jane when she decides to apply to art college (after earlier agreeing that maybe it was a waste of time). It marks the only time in the series Trent is noticeably upset with his sister.
• Parental Obliviousness:
  • Andrew and Michelle Landon are finally held to task for their apathy towards Jodie's feelings when Mack reveals how upset she really is about wanting to attend Turner instead of Crestmore, something which completely throws Andrew through a loop.
  • Jake, naturally, is oblivious to Daria's problems with Bromwell and Tom because he's more worried she wants to go to military school thanks to Helen's earlier snarking (which she doesn't even remember).
• Public Service Announcement: Quinn's subplot with Lindy goes from Quinn realizing that college life is the complete opposite from High School to Lindy having drinking problems.
• Rage Breaking Point: Downplayed. Stacy is visibly annoyed by Sandi's constant snide remarks during her birthday dinner until she finally makes a wish for her to shut up.
• Second-Act Breakup: After not being accepted into Bromwell, Daria decides to break-up with Tom because she realized that their relationship was near the end. While they don't get back together by the end of the movie, they still part on good terms.
  • Also subverted with Brittany and Kevin. She got disappointing that Kevin is repeating his senior year while she is going to State College and promised to be with him anyway, but crossing fingers behind her back.
• Sustained Misunderstanding: Jake spends the entire movie trying to convince Daria to enroll at Middleton College (his and Helen's alma matter) out of fear she's considering military school after Helen snarks about it being a family tradition. Helen and Daria don't even realize Jake was afraid of this until after Daria finally tells him she's not going to Middleton.
• Take That!: The "Dian Fossey Award for dazzling academic achievement in the face of near-total misanthropy".
• Understanding Boyfriend:
  • Mack went out of his way to convince Jodie's parents that going to Turner was the best for her. While upset at him for telling them, she also was glad he did it for her.
  • Subverted with Tom. He initially didn't understand why Daria was upset for not making it to Bromwell but still not recognized her getting to Raft as a good thing. Then he finally gets on good terms with Daria after they break up.
• Very Special Episode: Quinn's subplot involves Lindy denying her growing alcohol problem.
• Vitriolic Best Friends: Mr. DeMartino and Mr. O'Neil, initially. As the series progressed, their friendship became more explicit until DeMartino finally admits O'Neil is his best friend when they meet up at the bar. Both even start crying.
• "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: A montage of images of the cast during the finale's end credits that... Well, essentially serves the same purpose as the usual credit montages; i.e. putting the characters in ironic situations. Presumably non-canon, unless you can seriously buy Daria and Jane becoming perky morning talk show hosts in the future. (Maybe if you replace "perky" with snarky.) However, Daria fan fiction often likes to deal with Stacy being a stock car racer.
• With Friends Like These...: After Lindy's other excuses aren't taken seriously by their boss, she tries to imply it might've been Quinn who was drinking. Quinn can only respond with a hurt and disappointed "Oh, Lindy...".