10 Best Daria Episodes
8. Write Where It Hurts
Speaking of early episodes that peeled away at Daria's shell just a little bit, we come to the Season 2 finale, Write Where It Hurts -- which immediately succeeded Pierce Me. Rather than her prospective love life, however, this episode tackled Daria's family life.
In addition to being an example of the Daria writers' tendency to really bring their A-game for the season finales, Write Where It Hurts was also the first time they really tried their hand at a concept episode, and it still stands as the one of the the series' best outings to lean on the experimental side.
After Daria is given an assignment to write a fictional story using people she knows as the characters, various imaginary segments ensue, probably the funniest of which riffs on director Mike Nichols's The Graduate.
Things take a genuinely heartfelt turn when she crafts an ideal future for herself and her family, rounding off the show's sophomore season with a peek into the mind of Daria Morgendorffer, adding nice a dash of humanity to contrast her trademark cynicism.