Daria What if #1

"Quinn the Brain alternate ending"

By Austin Covello
Based on the Characters Created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis

Act III
Scene 1—Morgendorffer House
(from just after Daria makes herself over)

 

[INT Morgendorffer House hallway]
[EXT Quinn’s room, door open]

Daria: Okay Quinn, I’m off for my dates
Quinn: Okay, have a good time.

[CU Daria leaning on wall]
Daria: [V.O.] five seconds, tops [out loud] one… two… three… four… five.

[XCU Daria, shocked][Pan out. Daria walks off screen Cut to…]
[…Daria walking downstairs. Takes small, oval-shaped glasses and puts them on.]
[Reverse angle. We see Joey, Jeffy, and Jamie at open door staring at made over Daria.]
[Reverse angle to see Daria reaching landing and coming toward open door.]
Daria: Sorry, Joey, Jeffy, Jamie.

[Daria’s POV. XCU Jamie]
Jamie: (interrupting) You got my name right!

[Three J’s POV. XCU Daria]
Daria: It’s not that hard of a name to remember. Anyway, sorry I couldn’t deliver Quinn.

[Daria’s POV. CU Joey, Jeffy, & Jamie]
Joey: That’s okay, Daria. So, you wanna go to a movie?
Jeffy: Maybe we can go to chez pierre.
Jamie: I can take you to a Broadway show.

[Three J's POV XCU Daria]
Daria: Why don’t we just go out for pizza?

[Daria’s POV. Three J’s CU Adlib agreements.]
[XCU Daria flashing Mona Lisa smile.]


Scene 2—Pizza King

[EXT Pizza King]
[INT Pizza King. Zoom in to Daria and Three J’s talking]
Joey: So Daria, would you like some more pizza?
Jeffy: I can get you a soda.
Jamie: Would you like some twisty-bread?

[CU Jeffy and Jamie]
Daria: No thanks, Jamie.
Jamie: You got my mane right! Quinn never gets my name right.
Jeffy: So do you have anymore Melody Powers?
Jamie: Yeah! She rocks!

[Cut to CU Daria and Joey]
Joey: A lot better than Quinn’s fry poem.

[Daria fishes a piece of paper out of her book bag. Adlibbed cry of "Me, me" from Jeffy and Jamie.]
Joey: My turn to read! (Reading from the piece of paper.) "When Melody Powers found out she was on her way to Jamaica, she knew she’d have to pack some sun-tan lotion along with her bazooka and howitzer…" [fade out]


Scene 3—Daria and Jane walking to school

[CU side view of Jane and Daria. Daria is still dressed as Quinn.]
Jane: So Quinn didn’t take the bait, I gather?
Daria: How did you guess?

[Cut to front view of Daria and Jane.]
Jane: Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was the makeup that tipped me off. Or the belly shirt. Just how long are you going to dress like that?
Daria: Until Quinn comes out of it. Or I gnaw off one of my legs. Whichever comes first.

[Cut to side view of Daria and Jane]
[Enter from left, Joey]
Joey: Hey Daria! Can I carry your books?
[Enter from left, Jeffy]
Jeffy: Hey Daria! Can I carry your pens?
[Enter from left, Jamie]
Jamie: Hey Daria! you got any hair scrunchies I can carry?
Daria: I’m all set, thanks.
Jane: You can carry some of my stuff.
[Three J’s adlib "Okay" and "Sure"]
Daria: (surprised and annoyed) Jane!
Jane: Hey, what else are they good for?


Scene 4—Lawndale High

[Ext. Lawndale High]
[Int. Lawndale High Highway]
[We see Daria and Jane on their usual spot on the locker]
Sandi: (O.S.) Hello! Like Daria or whatever?

[Pan Left to see Sandi, Stacy and Tiffany.]
[Pan as they walk until Daria and Jane are on screen with them.]
Sandi: You have great fashion sense, and you seem like you’re getting more and more popular. Could you be the Fashion Club’s, like, Vice President or whatever?
Daria: But what about Quinn?
Sandi: Quinn who?
Daria: I’m sorry, Sandi. But I wouldn’t make a good vice president.
Jane: That’s a relief.
Daria: (gesturing at Jane) But here’s someone who’s just perfect for the position. This is my best friend, Jane.
Jane: (surprised and annoyed) Daria!
Daria: If I have to go through this, I’m taking you with me.

[Reverse Angle. Sandi squints at Jane.]
Sandi: Ooo, wow! You’re right, Daria! She looks really alternative, and we need some new styles.
Daria: And a complete lack of ambition on her part.
Sandi: Really?
Jane: Of course. I don’t even want the veepee position.
Sandi: Well, that’s settled. (to Daria) Now what are we going to do with you? I don’t want a maverick hanging around. Are you good at math?
Daria: I know two plus two doesn’t equal five.

[Sandi, Stacy, and Tiffany chuckle.]
Stacy: Good one, Daria. Seriously, we need a treasurer, since Tiffany doesn’t want to double with fashion coordinator What do you say?
Daria: (sighs) What the hell.
Tiffany: Cool. My widdle noggin’ was getting schloompy.
Jane: I bet.
Sandi: And that helps cover that brain fad, too. Thanks, Daria.


Scene 5—After school

[Cut to Daria and Jane in student parking lot]
Daria: I can’t believe this. Just over some makeup and clothes.
Jane: And let’s not forget the cute little oval shaped glasses. By the way, Trent’s picking us up.
Daria: (blushing) Trent?


Scene 6—Trent’s car

[INT Trent’s car. All crammed in front seat with Daria in the middle.]
Jane: So Trent, what do you think of Daria’s new look?
Trent: (squirming) Uh… looks okay.
Daria: (mutters) thanks.
Jane: (nudging Daria) Daria, Give me some elbow room! Scoot your fat butt over!

[Jane’s angle. Daria yelps. Trent turns]
Daria: Trent, who’s driving?

[EXT Overhead View: Trent’s Car Skids]


Scene 7—Pizza King

[EXT. Pizza King]
[INT. Pizza King: Booth. Trent and Jane sitting across from Daria. Trent is staring at Daria.]
[XCU of Trent]
Daria: Is he catatonic or has he just found a way to sleep with his eyes open?

[Pan out to see Jane waving hand in front of Trent’s face.]
Jane: Trent? Trent? [to Daria] Hey Daria, can you get us some more sodas?

[Reverse Angle: Trent’s POV. Pan to follow Daria walking to counter getting soda and returning.]
Jane: Don’t drool on your pizza.


Scene 8—The courtyard

Daria: So I started dressing like Quinn…
Jane: …a decision destined to get you thrown into the insane asylum.
Daria: …and all of a sudden, people like me. Trent can’t take his eyes off of me…
Jane: Now I’ve got to get the wimp to ask you out.
Daria: You’re interrupting my monologue.
Jane: I beg your pardon. Continue.
Daria: But the funny thing is, despite my looks, or because of it, I can still act smart and people are okay with it because Quinn turned being smart into a fad.
Jane: And the irony is that now she’s the outcast and you’re the popular one.
Daria: Brains and honesty—good. Superficial phoniness—bad.
Jane: We win.
Daria: I’m on top of the world.

The End

PostScript

Boy, it’s a good thing that it didn’t end this way! I’d have probably stopped watching if it did.

Oh, you may have noticed that #1 in the title. All I’m going to say is that I’ve got a lot of ideas about alternate universe Darias. Sort of like Star Trek. But I’m not promising (or threatening, depending on your perspective) anything at this time. TTFN!

--A.C.