10 TV Shows With Weird Video Game Episodes
5. Daria - The New Kid
Completing the trio of animated titles in the middle of the list, it should be no surprise that the quintessential Gen X cartoon turned its cynical lens on video games. In this episode, Daria and new kid, Ted DeWitt-Clinton, play a virtual reality game at the arcade.
Similar to American Dad’s OreTron Trail, it doesn’t spend a great deal of time with the video game itself, and it’s a shame because Daria’s spiky take on it would’ve been fun to see.
Instead, much of the time is spent examining new character Ted, the various romantic ups and downs in teenage dating, and (much to Daria’s shock and horror), Daria’s similarities to Quinn.
The brief time with the games themselves sees a very ‘90s take on virtual reality, with the whole thing appearing both massively ahead of its time and very dated all at once.
It’s unfortunate that the plot spins away from it so quickly, especially given that the episode is primarily about Daria being inside her own head too much. You’d think the escapist nature of video games would help draw her out, but alas, no.