Fat Like Me is the third episode of Season 5 of Daria and the fifty-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on MTV on March 5, 2001.
Synopsis
Sandi breaks her leg and gains weight while her cast is on leading to her resignation from the Fashion Club, and Quinn decides to help her get back in shape. Meanwhile, Daria and Jane make a series of bets on the various happenings of life going on around them.
Plot
The Fashion Club is meeting at Sandi's house and they discuss the various items on their agenda. They are interrupted by Sandi's brothers who are fighting over a remote-controlled car by the stairs. Sandi goes out of her room to tell the boys to stop making noise during the meeting of the Fashion Club. The brothers continue to fight over the remote which causes the car to crash into Sandi, who trips down the stairs and break her leg.
Quinn, Stacy, and Tiffany look down the stairs in shock.
At the pizza place, Daria and Jane place bets over which brand of candy has the most pieces in a box. Jane loses the bet and has to pay Daria, who says she is happy to enlighten her. Jane then suggests they place a bet on Kevin crushing cans with his forehead. Daria counters this, by saying it's more of a putting pepperoni on his eyes kind of a day. Sure enough, Kevin puts pepperoni on his eyes and pretends he's blind which causes his friends to laugh. Daria wins the bet and Jane hands her the five dollar bill.
Jane sarcastically remarks that Kevin has many talents and should run off and join the circus. Daria replies, or he should just simply run off.
At the Morgendorffer house, during dinner, Quinn tells the rest of the family about Sandi's leg breaking. However, nobody is paying attention to her story. Frustrated by this, Quinn says she'll just go to her room if no one wants to hear about Sandi and leaves her dinner untouched. Helen calls her back to the dinner table, saying of course they all want to hear about Stacy. Quinn yells back that it was Sandi.
At another Fashion Club meeting, at the Morgendorffer house, Sandi is shown to be absent. The rest of the Fashion Club members are talking, when Quinn gets a call from Sandi. Quinn puts Sandi on speaker phone and questions her on how she's feeling. Sandi tells her that she can't even give herself a pedicure with her cast. Quinn asks if Sandi is sure she doesn't want to have this meeting at her house. An annoyed Sandi says she is sure. Quinn expresses sympathy for Sandi and says she's missed having her around the past few weeks.
At Lawndale High, in Mr. DeMartino's class, he questions Brittany on what started the Great Depression. She replies that people got depressed over losing their money. Mr. DeMartino then asks Brittany if she has a phobia which causes her to believe it would hurt to think. She replies that she thinks it's pronounced "feebia." He then asks the rest of the class if they have an answer. Daria and Jane take bets on whether Mr. DeMartino will refer to the class as imbeciles or morons. He winds up calling them "imbecilic morons."
After class, Daria tells Jane these bets have cost her forty clams so far, and that if she had a self-image she would think Jane is bribing her to be friends. Jane bets Daria the whole forty she's not and Daria tells her it's a nice try. They walk past Stacy, Quinn, and Tiffany.
Stacy approaches Quinn and Tiffany to tell them about Jackie, who is wearing green shoes with yellow socks. Tiffany remarks she never did like her. Quinn notices that Sandi is back at school with crutches and says that she can't believe it. Stacy, thinking they are still talking about Jackie, misunderstands and says she couldn't believe it either. Quinn clarifies that she was talking about Sandi, who is revealed to have put on a significant amount of weight in her absence.
Sandi approaches the other girls and tells Tiffany to stop staring at her. Quinn nervously tells Sandi that her new skirt is cute. Stacy almost says that they can hardly tell Sandi has gained weight, but quickly changes it to gained a cast. Quinn is approached by Jamie, Jeffy, and Joey and they ague over who should walk Quinn to class. Quinn tries to tell them Sandi is back in school, but Sandi rushes out the door. Once Sandi is outside, she questions out loud why this is happening to her and says she's ruined.
Later, once they are home, Quinn and Stacy discuss Sandi leaving school early and say she doesn't look that bad. Stacy remarks that she could be a spokesperson for "weight-challenged people." Quinn gets a call from Sandi and tells her that she'll be right over.
At Sandi's house, she tells Quinn that she is lucky to still be thin. Sandi informs Quinn that she is resigning as president due to the Fashion Club's stringent obesity policy she is resigning as president. Quinn protests this and Sandi says she hopes that when Quinn is president she'll remember her as she used to be. Quinn tells Sandi she could never take her place. Sandi, in tears, tells her that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to her. She thanks Quinn for being such a good friend and resigning from the Fashion Club. Quinn hesitantly tells her not to mention it.
At the Morgendorffers', Daria and Jane are watching Sick, Sad World and Jane questions how much she owes her now. Daria replies that she still owes her forty. Jane questions if it's forty clams and Daria tells her it is forty Simoleons and to try to keep up. They are approached by Quinn who tells Daria about resigning from the Fashion Club when she didn't mean to. Daria reminds her that she is talking to her and Quinn gasps with realization and walks off. Jake arrives home upset about the meat in his fast food order and Daria yells out to Quinn that Jake is home and he'd love to hear all about it.
At the next Fashion Club meeting, Quinn announces to the other girls that Sandi is resigning. They say that's awful and conclude Quinn must be the new president. They start congratulating her and Quinn explains she is also resigning due to the promise she made Sandi. The other girls protest what they are supposed to do now, and Quinn gives them a motivational speech about how to carry on the Fashion Club without them.
At school, Daria tells Jane the Fashion Club is still active and asks Jane to pay the money. Jane reminds her that those girls are not that bright, and to give them time to realize they've broken up. Daria questions if Jane is trying to weasel her way out of paying her, to which Jane responds that she's just trying to reassure Daria that she's not trying to buy her friendship.
At the Fashion Club meeting, Stacy tries to get Tiffany to come up with specific points they should discuss. Tiffany has difficulty doing so and Stacy suggests they beg Quinn to come back.
The next day at school, they try to beg Quinn to come back saying they need her. Quinn tells them she promised Sandi that she wouldn't. Stacy tells her that Sandi doesn't have to know and Quinn says she'll think about it.
Jane, who overhears this conversation goes up to Brittany and gives a hypothetical scenario about a Kevin cheating on her with her friend Angie. Brittany says Angie wouldn't do that. Jane pointedly says that friends don't stab each other in the back and that she new a girl who felt so guilty about stabbing her friend in the back that she ended up in an insane asylum from the guilt. Brittany says it serves her right for being a backstabber and Quinn looking guilty walks off. Jane thanks Brittany for clearing that up for her. After Jane walks off, Brittany says she can't wait to get her hands on Kevin for cheating on her.
In the Morgendorffer kitchen, Quinn tells Stacy they will just have to find some new members. The phone beeps and Quinn questions what if it's Sandi. After Quinn hangs up Stacy concludes they are on their own. She brings up the topics she brought up for that meeting and Tiffany questions if she'll look good in different things which Stacy gives her a reluctant yes to. Stacy concludes by saying Quinn is right and they need more members.
Later, Daria is sitting on the kitchen counter eating ice cream. Quinn is on the phone with Stacy who gives different suggestions for potential Fashion Club candidates and Quinn rejects all of them saying it doesn't sound like their are any suitable girls at school. Quinn sighs and hangs up, walks over to Daria, telling her she'll end up like Sandi if she keeps eating ice cream. Daria asks Quinn if this means her friendship with Sandi is over now that she can no longer squeeze into a size zero.
Quinn tells Daria that she's not shallow and Sandi has not gotten ugly. Daria tells Quinn she misjudged her and didn't realize she would sacrifice her popularity for the sake of friendship. Quinn questions what she means, and Daria explains that they know society discriminates against fat people, to the point of shunning them. Daria states that the old Quinn might have done the same thing. She states that it's great how the new Quinn sticks by her friend no matter how heavy she gets.
Daria goes on to say that a shallower friend might try to help Sandi lose weight so that she can rejoin the Fashion Club and life can resume as normal. Daria once again congratulates Quinn on accepting Sandi as she is. Quinn then rushes off, saying that she has to go.
Quinn heads over to Sandi's house and knocks on the door. Her brothers let Quinn inside and lead her up to Sandi's room where it is revealed she has had her cast removed and is scarfing down chocolates. Sandi tells Quinn to go ahead and laugh at her disfigurement. She tells Sandi she is there to help her lose weight and that she is not disfigured. Sandi says it's too late for her. Quinn reminds her that she is not thirty and that she is still beautiful on the inside.
Quinn plays an aerobics tape she brought with her and Sandi starts crying, telling Quinn she loves her. The girls make up and hug as they both are crying.
At school, Stacy and Tiffany are walking the halls. They realize Quinn is right about there being no suitable girl candidates for the Fashion Club. They decide to try inviting boys and allow The Three J's to join. The boys question if Quinn will be there. Stacy tells them no but they want their opinion on girls in bathing suits, which excites the boys. Daria and Jane overhear the conversation and bet on whether this is the last official meeting of the Fashion Club.
At Stacy's the boys, Tiffany, and Stacy are in Stacy's living room. The boys ask about the bikinis and Stacy tells them that's not till later, and right now they are discussing tank tops. The boys misunderstand and think she is taking about war tanks. They once again ask where the bikinis are and Stacy shows them pictures of models wearing bikinis in a magazine and asks what fabric they like best. The boys realizing that this was not what they were expecting, run out the door saying they have somewhere else to be.
Stacy, panicking asks what they are going to do because the fashion club is falling apart. Tiffany says she needs concealer.
At the Lawndale Health Spa, Quinn times Sandi as she swims laps and notes her progress on a chart. Sandi asks if she can rest and Quinn gives her a pep talk to motivate her to continue.
At school, Stacy is muttering angrily in the bathroom mirror. Tiffany walks in and questions Stacey on when the meeting will be. Stacy goes off on Tiffany saying that she is the one doing all the work, and Tiffany won't even lift a finger. Stacy exclaims that she quits. Tiffany says maybe she should quit too. This causes Stacy to shriek and run out of the bathroom in response.
Jane demands Daria pay her the eighty dollars and Daria does so.
It is finally revealed by the gathering of a crowd of people that Sandi has returned to her former weight. Jane defeatedly tosses her former winnings in the air. Daria looks triumphant at this.
At the next meeting of the Fashion Club at the Morgendorffer's, Sandi has once again rejoined the others. The girls are once again seen discussing requirements to join the Fashion Club. There is shown to be a change in dynamic within the group. Sandi realizes things are not going to be the same as before, and is shown to be slightly uneasy at this.
In the kitchen, Daria is seen reading the paper. Jake triumphantly shows his burger, which is medium rare as he ordered it. Daria comments that their refrigeration problems must be over. Jake curses gastronomical disorders and walks off. Daria then eats the burger herself.
Errors
Trivia
- The B-Plot of this episode shows Daria and Jane making various bets for money.