Daria: Quinn the Brain (1998)

The identity tables turn for the Morgendorffer sisters in this episode of the animated MTV series Daria. Prodded by her parents to improve her grades and ignored by Daria (voice of Tracy Grandstaff) in her quest for homework assistance, Quinn (voice of Wendy Hoopes) nonetheless manages to pull off the "A" essay she needs to pass her English class. Mr. O'Neill (voice of Marc Thompson) even gets the girl's paper -- a bitter screed titled "Academic Imprisonment" -- published in the school newspaper. Soon, Quinn has made intellectualism chic and started aspiring to both existential depth and black-clad stylishness. Initially amused by her sister's transformation, Daria eventually becomes insecure about her own identity. Despite reassurances from Jane (voice of Wendy Hoopes), she worries that with Quinn now the Morgendorffer "brain," she has no persona of her own. Luckily for Daria, neither the Fashion Club nor Quinn's suitors are very impressed with the girl's transformation. Sandi (voice of Janie Mertz) puts her bitter rival on probation for daring to start counter-trends, while Jamie (voice of Marc Thompson), Joey (voice of Steven Huppert), and Jeffy (voice of Tim Novikoff) agree to Daria's plan to prod Quinn back to her usual place in the pecking order. Donning a suspiciously familiar outfit and some very out-of-character grooming habits, Daria pretends literally to become her sister -- and the object of the boys' hormonal frenzy. Quinn does the math, realizes booked-solid Saturday nights are more important than Sartre, and quickly regresses to her usual pastel vapidity. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi