Ep 8. Gifted

Daria season 2 episode 8, titled Gifted, takes us through the journey of gifted and talented programs. As the episode starts, Quinn realizes that she has missed out on the testing to enter the gifted and talented program due to her own ignorance. She observes that most of her classmates have got the opportunity to enter the program, which makes her regret her mistake.

On the other hand, Daria observes that there is no real difference between her and the selected students of the gifted program. She feels that the program is nothing but a way to keep the selected students in “safe spaces” rather than challenging them to improve their skill sets.

As the episode progresses, Daria and Jane decide to investigate the program, and to their surprise, they find that the program is highly exaggerated. The students of the program are made to read the same literature that is taught in regular English classes with no distinguishable difference in teaching methodology or course content.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Brittany try to enter the gifted and talented program through different means of persuasion and manipulation. They are convinced that joining the program will help them to gain popularity among their classmates and improve their social image. However, their attempts fail miserably, which showcases the flawed ideology of the supposed “gifted and talented” program, as they were not selected based on merit.

As Daria and Jane continue to investigate the program, they come across a student who was removed from the program and was given a quiz that was deliberately created to be impossible to solve, in order to justify his expulsion. They discover that the program is not just a way to provide education and skill development, but rather a means to label and segregate students.

Towards the end of the episode, the truth about the program is revealed to the school principal, who realizes the flawed foundation of the program and decides to shut it down. Daria's mother, who is a teacher at the school also refers to the idea of common knowledge as "indoctrination of mediocrity" in a humorous comment depicting the flaws in such programs.

In conclusion, Gifted is a thought-provoking episode that depicts the flaws in supposed “gifted and talented” programs. It highlights how such programs can lead to creating a divide between students without any real distinction or benefit. It also emphasizes the importance of providing equal opportunities and challenges to all students, rather than catering to only a selected few.