Ep 2. The Invitation

The Invitation is the second episode of the first season of Daria which originally aired on March 10, 1997. The show centers around the life of Daria Morgendorffer, a high school student who has an outsiders' view of the world. In this episode, Daria receives an invitation to attend a party and decides to accept it for the sake of socializing and taking a break from her mundane life.

The episode begins with Daria and her best friend Jane sitting in her bedroom watching a late-night show featuring a famous psychic who claims to read people's futures. Jane encourages Daria to call the psychic hotline and much to their surprise, the psychic tells Daria that she is going to receive an invitation to a party. A few days later, Daria receives the invitation at school, inviting her to Brittany Taylor's party.

Brittany Taylor is a popular cheerleader in the school who is known for being the most attractive and desirable girl in the school. Daria becomes apprehensive about going to the party, especially knowing that Brittany does not like her. Meanwhile, the school is buzzing with excitement about the upcoming party with gossip spreading about who is and isn't invited.

Daria's parents encourage her to attend the party, hoping that she can fit in more at school and make new friends. Daria reluctantly agrees but asks Jane to accompany her. In an effort to blend in, Daria borrows a dress from her sister's closet and does her hair and makeup. When they arrive at the party, they quickly realize that it is filled with all the popular students from the school, including Brittany and her boyfriend Kevin.

As they try to navigate the party and socialize, Daria and Jane become increasingly uncomfortable with the shallow conversations and behavior of the students. Eventually, Daria becomes annoyed by the pressure to fit in and conform, and decides to leave the party early. Jane agrees to leave with her and as they walk home, they both acknowledge that they were not meant to fit in with the popular crowd.

In the end, Daria's parents, surprised by how good she looked before the party, take her out to congratulate her on trying to fit in. Daria simply responds that she didn't fit in, and her dad notes that while he wishes life was different, "It isn't."

The episode ends with Daria feeling more content with herself and her situation while Jane remains skeptical of high school social life.

Overall, The Invitation is a satirical portrayal of high school life and the pressure to conform to standards set by society. The episode portrays the difficulty involved in finding one's place in high school and the social stigmas surrounding the popular crowd. The underlying message conveys the importance of being true to oneself and not conforming to others' expectations.