Anthony Recaps
As of tomorrow, we have three strips in a row, where one of the characters has to point out that Anthony is his name. It’s kind of hard to build up any dramatic tension with your readers, when the main character who is supposed to end up with the girl, rarely appears in the strip. I am sure this situation will alleviate itself over the next year, but in the meantime, the Lynnions are working hard just to get us to remember who Anthony is.
Right now, Lynn is working a sort of Same Time Next Year sequence where the man and the woman meet one weekend every year, tell what has happened between them and their respective significant others, while the audience is supposed to root for the moment when they realize they are actually meant for each other and start a life together. She has been doing this in the strip since Liz and Anthony went to different universities, and they have seen each other only over the holidays and summer breaks ever since. The story is even more long and drawn out than the “Elly wants to retire” story, which lasted a mere 3 years.
In tomorrow’s strip, Liz is obviously concerned about making a decision. The decision we all know is: Will she choose Paul or Anthony? As I was reading it, I suddenly realized which romantic cliché is going to appear to resolve this plot point. Here is my prediction:
Over the next few months, Liz will spend more and more time with Anthony and his daughter. She will particularly bond with the daughter. I am really hoping for a Liz vs. Thérèse moment, where the daughter prefers Liz to Thérèse. In the meantime, Liz will feel a little guilt every time she talks with Paul. Eventually, Liz will realize Anthony is the one she loves, and they will have a nice kissing scene, met with the raucous approval of Francoise. Liz decides to finally tell Paul the news. It will go like this:
Liz/Paul: I have something to tell you Paul/Liz.
Liz/Paul: You first.
Paul: OK. I’ll go first. I don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t want to move to Toronto.
Liz: You don’t?
Paul: Not only that, but I think I have fallen in love with Chipper, I mean Susan Dokis.
Liz: You have?
Paul: Yes, and I reapplied to get the transfer to Spruce Narrows and it was accepted.
Liz: Wow! I don’t know what to say.
Paul: I don’t want to hurt you. You mean a lot to me. But I think it’s for the best.
Liz: Gee, Paul. Well, Susan is a great girl. She will be very good for you.
Paul: I know. That’s why I asked her to marry me. She wants to know if you will be her maid of honour.
Liz: This is all so sudden. I guess the answer is yes. Can I bring my boyfriend to the wedding?
Paul: Boyfriend?
Liz: You know. The guy I have been talking about with you, ever since I moved back to the south. Anthony Caine.
Paul: Absolutely. I would love to finally meet him.
Liz: That’s great.
Paul: So, what was your news?
Liz: Oh, it’s not important anymore. I can’t wait to come to your wedding. I can also see Jesse Mukwa, and live up to my promise to come back and visit him.
Paul: That’s right. He will be so glad to see you. He says the White Goose owes him a stereo.
Liz: Well, I will have to “wing one” out to him.
Liz/Paul: Sticky-out tongue laughter.
If Lynn goes for this method, then Liz and Paul can get to their respective others without either of them losing face. That’s how I think it will go.
Right now, Lynn is working a sort of Same Time Next Year sequence where the man and the woman meet one weekend every year, tell what has happened between them and their respective significant others, while the audience is supposed to root for the moment when they realize they are actually meant for each other and start a life together. She has been doing this in the strip since Liz and Anthony went to different universities, and they have seen each other only over the holidays and summer breaks ever since. The story is even more long and drawn out than the “Elly wants to retire” story, which lasted a mere 3 years.
In tomorrow’s strip, Liz is obviously concerned about making a decision. The decision we all know is: Will she choose Paul or Anthony? As I was reading it, I suddenly realized which romantic cliché is going to appear to resolve this plot point. Here is my prediction:
Over the next few months, Liz will spend more and more time with Anthony and his daughter. She will particularly bond with the daughter. I am really hoping for a Liz vs. Thérèse moment, where the daughter prefers Liz to Thérèse. In the meantime, Liz will feel a little guilt every time she talks with Paul. Eventually, Liz will realize Anthony is the one she loves, and they will have a nice kissing scene, met with the raucous approval of Francoise. Liz decides to finally tell Paul the news. It will go like this:
Liz/Paul: I have something to tell you Paul/Liz.
Liz/Paul: You first.
Paul: OK. I’ll go first. I don’t want to hurt you, but I don’t want to move to Toronto.
Liz: You don’t?
Paul: Not only that, but I think I have fallen in love with Chipper, I mean Susan Dokis.
Liz: You have?
Paul: Yes, and I reapplied to get the transfer to Spruce Narrows and it was accepted.
Liz: Wow! I don’t know what to say.
Paul: I don’t want to hurt you. You mean a lot to me. But I think it’s for the best.
Liz: Gee, Paul. Well, Susan is a great girl. She will be very good for you.
Paul: I know. That’s why I asked her to marry me. She wants to know if you will be her maid of honour.
Liz: This is all so sudden. I guess the answer is yes. Can I bring my boyfriend to the wedding?
Paul: Boyfriend?
Liz: You know. The guy I have been talking about with you, ever since I moved back to the south. Anthony Caine.
Paul: Absolutely. I would love to finally meet him.
Liz: That’s great.
Paul: So, what was your news?
Liz: Oh, it’s not important anymore. I can’t wait to come to your wedding. I can also see Jesse Mukwa, and live up to my promise to come back and visit him.
Paul: That’s right. He will be so glad to see you. He says the White Goose owes him a stereo.
Liz: Well, I will have to “wing one” out to him.
Liz/Paul: Sticky-out tongue laughter.
If Lynn goes for this method, then Liz and Paul can get to their respective others without either of them losing face. That’s how I think it will go.
posted by howard at 1:04 AM
2 Comments:
OMG, what an insult to Same Time Next Year, but you are so right about this. And Lynn's big misstep is the loathing she's inadvertently created in us for Anthony. So we're rooting firmly against him. But your predictions sound likely.
It was the element of today's strip where Liz says she is making a decision that made me think of the possibility. I have been thinking about how Liz can possibly go back to Mtigwaki for a visit, if Paul and Susan Dokis are there and betrayed her. I am pretty sure Liz will be back in Mtigwaki not only because she promised to do it, and her spirit name is all about coming back; but mainly because Lynn has such ties to the Nipissing First Nation people, who set the whole thing up for her and gave her all that research material.
However, the possibility does exist where Lynn could turn Paul into another Warren-type, where he does betray her, but she still feels enough affection for him to go on the helicopter ride to talk about the betrayal, and has a tearful farewell. The Warren betrayal was fairly slight, insomuch as Liz basically accused him of dating other girls and not visiting her, things for which she was also guilty. So, it could go that way with Paul also. If Paul were acting like Liz right now, the accusation would be that he is spending time with an ex-girlfriend and failing to mention that he has a current girlfriend to her. Of course, Susan already knows Liz is his girlfriend, so part of that already doesn't work. It would still be hard for Liz to see Paul / Susan again, if she felt betrayed by either of them, so I am still going for my first option.
As for the wedding, I think Lynn would love to show an Ojibway-style wedding. If it were done authentically, I wouldn't mind seeing a strip or two of one. Better than a week of vaccuuming.
Post a Comment
<< Home