The Daria Hunter

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“The Daria Hunter”
Daria episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 15 (202)
Written by	Peggy Nicoll
Directed by	Eric Fogel
Original airdate	February 23, 1998
Episode chronology
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"Arts 'N' Crass"	"Quinn the Brain"

The Daria Hunter is the title of the second episode in the second season of the MTV animated series Daria. It aired on February 23, 1998, and was written by Peggy Nicoll.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Mr. DeMartino informs his class that they, along with Mr. O'Neill's and Ms. Barch's classes (and Ms. Li), will be taking a field trip to Jim's Paintballing Jungle, ostensibly to study how warfare affects all aspects of human culture. When a request is made for parent volunteers, the Morgendorffer sisters are in rare agreement: no telling Helen or Jake about the trip. Helen finds out anyway, though, when she innocently asks Quinn about her new anti-helmet-hair hairdo and she cracks under the "pressure"; fortunately for the girls, Helen shows only a token interest in going, but seems to back down. The bus trip to the paintball range is eventful, with Kevin getting smacked by Brittany for an insensitive comment, the Fashion Club vowing not to shoot each other, and Daria and Jane spotting signs for a roadside attraction called "The Great White Shark" that Jane seems to think holds more promise than paintballing. Daria is reluctant, but quickly relents when the buses arrive at the range and are greeted by Helen and Jake (who were convinced to attend by Mr. O'Neill). After a pep talk by Jim himself, the group splits into two teams, one lead by Mr. DeMartino and the other by Mr. O'Neill and Ms. Barch. As the games begin (with Brittany showing a surprising flair for tactical warfare), Daria and Jane each get themselves taken out early, and together they head out to see the Great White Shark. At the range, each group garners its own share of casualties -- Brittany takes out Kevin and Mr. DeMartino, while the Fashion Club mistakenly opens fire on each other -- before the whole outing is rained out. To pass the time, the kids start partying in a shelter nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton," while the adults attempt to bond in various tents. As such, Jake and Mr. DeMartino wind up getting drunk and swapping childhood horror stories, Helen and Ms. Li wind up in a clash of personalities over Ms. Li's treatment of students at Lawndale High, and Mr. O'Neill tries to comfort a bitter Ms. Barch, who eventually warms up to him and they... well, bond. Meanwhile, Daria and Jane arrive at the Great White Shark, only to find that the "shark" is actually just a tooth, with the woman running the attraction spinning them a story lifted right out of the plot of the movie Jaws (she even lets slip a reference to Richard Dreyfuss as the girls leave). The girls rejoin the group just as the rain lets up, and as the buses pull out, three people are left behind: Sandi, whose attempts to get the better of Quinn get her nothing but an impromptu mud bath; and Helen and Jake whose distributor cap was stolen by Ms. Li and now are crawling through the underground tunnels. Helen yells at Jake for getting drunk and threatens to shoot him with her paintball gun once they find a way out. Jake begs her not to shoot since, "Those paintball thingies hurt." The screen turns black as Jake mutters, "The horror, the horror."