10 Best Daria Episodes
10. Esteemers
What better place to kick things off proper than at the very beginning?
Daria's premiere episode perfectly encapsulates what the early years of the show were all about, showcasing Daria Morgendorffer's brutal sarcasm at some of its absolute best. Esteemers also established a good chunk of what fans know and love about the show, such Daria's relationship with her parents and sister Quinn, her friendship with Jane Lane, and the cast of memorable characters inhabiting the halls of Lawndale High.
This episode also did a fantastic job at differentiating Daria from its predecessor right out of the gate. The off-the-wall, low-brow style humor worked perfectly in Beavis and Butt-Head, but Daria -- while every bit as irreverent -- benefited greatly from taking things in a more grounded, intelligent direction.
In addition to being a great half-hour of television, Esteemers proved that Daria was a series that could stand on its own merits, making only a single reference to Beavis and Butt-Head in its opening minutes and never looking back.