Malled is the fifth episode of Season 1 of Daria and the fifth episode of the series overall. It originally aired on MTV on March 31, 1997.
Synopsis[]
Daria and Jane's economic class go to the Mall of the Millennium to learn about "mall economics," where Daria gets visibly sick. Quinn, who had to beg her parents to go to the mall ends up playing hooky and attends the mall with the Fashion Club, where Daria discovers her sister and no longer feeling sick, she blackmails Quinn with the promise of not telling.
Plot[]
A new mall has appeared in Lawndale—the Mall of the Millennium (an obvious take on the real-life Mall of America), to the joy of Quinn, who begs to go to the mall. Helen and Jake, however, are reluctant to allow Quinn to go until she gets her grades up. The next day at school, during Daria's class in economics, a misunderstood answer by Daria is used by Mrs. Bennett to organize a school trip to the mall. Daria and Jane object and try unsuccessfully to sneak out of going.
The class goes to the mall by bus, where the students engage in several behaviors. Kevin tries to engage everybody in singing "1000 Bottles of Beer on the Wall," until Brittany stops him by making out with him. Upchuck tries to convince female colleagues to serve as swimsuit models, but his plan is quickly seen through and shut down by the young women. Daria, meanwhile, becomes nauseous during the trip, possibly due to Brittany's perfume. When the group arrives at the mall, they board a train, where Daria throws up.
The Mall of the Millennium is revealed to be a complex building of many levels and areas. Sometime later, the whole group has a meeting with the mall executives. Suspicious of the questions and the presence of a mirror, Daria proceeds to turn off the lights, revealing several executives behind a two-way mirror, thus confirming that the meeting was a smokescreen to conduct market research. Pressed by Jane and Jodie, the chief executive distributes some gift coupons for several shops inside the mall.
The class then regroups in the center of the mall where Mrs. Bennett distributes assignments and organizes pick-up times. After completing their assignment, Daria and Jane end up at the food court, where they run into Quinn and the other members of the Fashion Club who have cut classes to shop at the mall. After some negotiating, a furious Quinn buys their silence with a ride home and a promise to do Daria's chores.
Daria and Jane go to use their coupons. Jane's is for the hair salon Scizzor Wizzard, where Jane tries unsuccessfully to buy a pair of scissors or have her hair cut in the style of a person from Sick, Sad World. She is eventually reimbursed in cash after being offered a can of mousse as a consolation gift. Daria's coupon is for Doo Dads., where she becomes the ten-thousandth customer and is presented with several free gifts. A shocked Daria has her picture taken by the store together with the whole staff smiling.
That afternoon Daria, Jane, and the Fashion Club are driven home by an unnamed male. Later that evening, Helen and Jake announce that they were planning a movie trip to the new mall (including a stop at Books by the Ton for Daria) which causes noticeably subdued reactions from both of their daughters.
Characters[]
- Daria Morgendorffer
- Quinn Morgendorffer
- Jake Morgendorffer
- Helen Morgendorffer
- Jane Lane
- Diane Bennett
- Kevin Thompson
- White Sweater
- Zack
- Burnout Girl
- Jenna
- Rob
- Shaggy
- Bib Overalls
- Tank Top
- Jennifer (black girl)
- Hot Shades
- Upchuck
- Brittany Taylor
- Mack Mackenzie
- Green Cap Dude
- Josh
- Jodie Landon
- Angel
- Mall of the Millennium Executives
- Sandi Griffin
- Stacy Rowe
- Tiffany Blum-Deckler
- Guy
- Scizzor Wizzard Lady
- Doo Dads. Employees
Trivia[]
General[]
- This is the second of four episodes to have two directors, the others being: Esteemsters, Just Add Water, and Is It Fall Yet?
- This episode shows the first known instance of the fashion club manipulating some guy to drive them to a mall so they can go shopping, while also not letting said guy be involved with them in any way once there.
- This is the first episode where Sandi casually suggests letting Quinn become the Fashion Club president just to cause Quinn to reassert her loyalty.
- This is the last episode where Jessica Zaino voices Stacy.
- Jodie and Mack sit at the front of the bus as a social representation of black people having overcome racial segregation. This is why when Jodie asks Mack to move to the back side of the bus is offensive to Dr. King refers to old racial segregation rules where black people had to sit at the back of public transportation.
Errors[]
- Backgrounders behind Daria and Jane suddenly disappear for a few frames when they are chatting while Upchuck is trying to open the bus window.
- In the poster in the end, Daria wears a hat celebrating the 10,000 customer, however she didn't wear the hat at the moment of taking the picture.