The Trial of Howard Part III (Elizabeth’s Deposition)
In For Better or For Worse today, we got to see Elizabeth’s deposition. I looked around the various commentaries on the strip and my anonymous legal source who has been so kindly sending messages to me has been by far the most informative. I feel very privileged that someone so knowledgeable is taking the time to tell me all these things.
This anonymous person in the comments to yesterday’s Blog entry, told me the errors in the strip were:
1. “Deposition” is not a term used in Canada.
2. There is an audiotape machine on the table instead of a videotape machine.
3. There should be 2 police officers at the table, which I presume is a rule to prevent misconduct on the part of the police, same as the U.S.
4. The officers taking the “deposition” should be plainclothes detectives at the station and not a uniformed officer.
5. There is no reason for the chair to be bolted down.
This is an extraordinary list of inaccuracies. I find it very interesting that Lynn Johnston, the same woman who wrote the pow-wow strips in October / November 2005 with such accuracy that I was hard-pressed to find anything significantly wrong with it, would write a story about something far easier to research than the Ojibway pow-wow traditions, and write it as though she were basing everything off an episode of some U.S. TV Law drama, like Perry Mason. I know Lynn knows the members of the Nippissing First Nation personally, but I am surprised she doesn’t know someone in law enforcement, whom she could ask a few questions and improve the believability of her strip.
In tomorrow’s strip, we see yet another sequence that ends with Anthony expressing his interest in Liz in a thought balloon and as I believe everyone and their uncle had predicted, the post-deposition period is now turning into sort of a date between Anthony and Liz, under the guise of “Come see my home improvements.” If you do a comparison / contrast with last summer, Gordon Mayes took Liz around to Anthony’s home for a similar visit. Last year she was little miffed at Gordon doing that, but this year she is embracing the idea enthusiastically. The majour difference last year was that Anthony was married, and this year, he is not. He is single and unattached. But last year, Elizabeth was single and unattached and now she is attached. But for some reason, the problem with going into Anthony’s house no longer applies now Liz is the one attached.
I have long maintained that we are seeing essentially a duplication of the Mike / Deanna romance with Anthony and Liz, where Constable Paul Wright is playing the part of Rhetta Blum. In that story, to the best of my recollection, Deanna was completely unaware that Mike had started dating Rhetta, when Mike wanted to be with Deanna instead of Rhetta. If Lynn continues to follow this course with Anthony and Liz, then Anthony will never be aware that Liz has a boyfriend. What we will see happen is Liz falling in love with Anthony, and then fretting about what to do with Paul. I think this week is crucial to confirming my suspicion.
When Anthony gets Elizabeth alone in his house, I think he will either:
a. Make some sort of announcement of his feelings to Liz.
b. Continue to think romantic thought balloons, and we also see a hint of a romantic thought balloon from Liz.
c. Nothing at all, and they will discuss home improvements and how they increase the value of your house.
However, there is also one tremendously important thing that could happen at Anthony's house that could salvage this whole misbegotten plot line. That would be to have Elizabeth get some interaction with what should now be toddler Françoise. Elizabeth has shown no affinity whatsoever for her niece and nephew, so just judging from the strip so far, she will stink. But I think everyone knows that Elizabeth and Françoise are going to get along famously, and Françoise will prefer Elizabeth to her mother Thérèse about 2 seconds after she meets Elizabeth. If we could get an Elizabeth/ Thérèse confrontation over Françoise, that would kill.
It would be so much better than trying to play up Anthony as a heroic figure. Looking over the For Better or For Worse commentaries, Lynn has seriously miscalculated with his character. Even commentaries that are normally pretty even-handed with their criticism of the strip were disgusted by his thought balloon in today’s strip. If Lynn is smart, she will give up on trying to make him look good, and concentrate on building a Françoise/Elizabeth relationship.
This anonymous person in the comments to yesterday’s Blog entry, told me the errors in the strip were:
1. “Deposition” is not a term used in Canada.
2. There is an audiotape machine on the table instead of a videotape machine.
3. There should be 2 police officers at the table, which I presume is a rule to prevent misconduct on the part of the police, same as the U.S.
4. The officers taking the “deposition” should be plainclothes detectives at the station and not a uniformed officer.
5. There is no reason for the chair to be bolted down.
This is an extraordinary list of inaccuracies. I find it very interesting that Lynn Johnston, the same woman who wrote the pow-wow strips in October / November 2005 with such accuracy that I was hard-pressed to find anything significantly wrong with it, would write a story about something far easier to research than the Ojibway pow-wow traditions, and write it as though she were basing everything off an episode of some U.S. TV Law drama, like Perry Mason. I know Lynn knows the members of the Nippissing First Nation personally, but I am surprised she doesn’t know someone in law enforcement, whom she could ask a few questions and improve the believability of her strip.
In tomorrow’s strip, we see yet another sequence that ends with Anthony expressing his interest in Liz in a thought balloon and as I believe everyone and their uncle had predicted, the post-deposition period is now turning into sort of a date between Anthony and Liz, under the guise of “Come see my home improvements.” If you do a comparison / contrast with last summer, Gordon Mayes took Liz around to Anthony’s home for a similar visit. Last year she was little miffed at Gordon doing that, but this year she is embracing the idea enthusiastically. The majour difference last year was that Anthony was married, and this year, he is not. He is single and unattached. But last year, Elizabeth was single and unattached and now she is attached. But for some reason, the problem with going into Anthony’s house no longer applies now Liz is the one attached.
I have long maintained that we are seeing essentially a duplication of the Mike / Deanna romance with Anthony and Liz, where Constable Paul Wright is playing the part of Rhetta Blum. In that story, to the best of my recollection, Deanna was completely unaware that Mike had started dating Rhetta, when Mike wanted to be with Deanna instead of Rhetta. If Lynn continues to follow this course with Anthony and Liz, then Anthony will never be aware that Liz has a boyfriend. What we will see happen is Liz falling in love with Anthony, and then fretting about what to do with Paul. I think this week is crucial to confirming my suspicion.
When Anthony gets Elizabeth alone in his house, I think he will either:
a. Make some sort of announcement of his feelings to Liz.
b. Continue to think romantic thought balloons, and we also see a hint of a romantic thought balloon from Liz.
c. Nothing at all, and they will discuss home improvements and how they increase the value of your house.
However, there is also one tremendously important thing that could happen at Anthony's house that could salvage this whole misbegotten plot line. That would be to have Elizabeth get some interaction with what should now be toddler Françoise. Elizabeth has shown no affinity whatsoever for her niece and nephew, so just judging from the strip so far, she will stink. But I think everyone knows that Elizabeth and Françoise are going to get along famously, and Françoise will prefer Elizabeth to her mother Thérèse about 2 seconds after she meets Elizabeth. If we could get an Elizabeth/ Thérèse confrontation over Françoise, that would kill.
It would be so much better than trying to play up Anthony as a heroic figure. Looking over the For Better or For Worse commentaries, Lynn has seriously miscalculated with his character. Even commentaries that are normally pretty even-handed with their criticism of the strip were disgusted by his thought balloon in today’s strip. If Lynn is smart, she will give up on trying to make him look good, and concentrate on building a Françoise/Elizabeth relationship.
posted by howard at 10:01 PM
8 Comments:
I did not see that Liz was in any way miffed for Gordon taking her to Anthony's house. Where are you getting that?
BTW, I am now 25% Anthony, 75% Paul. Every interaction between Liz and Anthony since she moved home has been because Liz is forced to see him through circumstance. We have not seen her seek his company at any other time. Also, she is not encouraging his interest in her. Whereas we are seeing Anthony doing a lot of pathetic yearning.
That they are going to his house now, instead of after the trial--I think this is a bad sign. I think Anthony is going to jump the gun and put the moves on her at his house. He is going to pressure her to choose him over Paul. Liz has a history of refusing to do things because people suggest it, even if (especially if?) it's a good idea. If Anthony pushes her to dump Paul and get together with him, Liz is likely to run the other way.
I am so hoping she hooks up with Anthony and that Lynn turns it into a huge messy conflagration. It could go on for weeks! Anthony and Liz drooling on each other...Paul calling Liz to say he got the transfer, only Liz dumps him instead...John and Elly fall all over themselves in exultation for being right about Anthony...Gordon and Tracy saying how they knew Anthony belonged with Liz all along...April making asinine Martian comments...Liz's stupid internal musings...
It could be so incredibly awesomely bad.
I was really interested to read your comments. My very first thought on seeing today's strip was also--"Francoise should be at the house, if she and Liz "bond" then Anthony is the winner. Too bad Paul wasn't a loser so he could have some bargaining power--
qnjones,
Liz's Letter, August 2005
I'm thinking about Anthony, too, and trying not to. Darn it. I don't know why Gord had to take me to his house to see him.
This was what I recollected. When I look back at the strip, I can't see any evidence of it. Since the monthly letters are meaningless, I guess there is no regret there on the part of Liz.
The only hint of Liz having any thoughts for Anthony are in this strip, and they are not much of a hint.
http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/002025.php
debjyn,
I agree with you 100%. If Françoise is at the house, then Paul is sunk.
Your comments about the Liz/Anthony happenings of the last year reminded me that Liz moved home because Anthony got a divorce. I sometimes forget to give that the significance it deserves.
You're being too hard on yourself about remembering a monthly letter about Liz's regret. I totally forgot that passage in her Aug 2005 letter. And monthly letters are not meaningless. They often presage events that we will see later. It's just the stuff they say already happened in secret (like Mike doing stuff with his kids) that is worthless. Remember, John is practically an oracle.
I'm now 60% Anthony, 40% Paul. On Paul's side is that Liz is playing extra dumb toward Anthony's infatuation this week, and her mention of it in her monthly letter was pretty cold. Also, the setup of this week's strips makes it look like Anthony's about to press his suit, and Liz hasn't shown any inclination toward him yet--so I think he might be rebuffed.
But on Anthony's side:
1) Elly and John want him to be a Patterson.
2) Liz moved home the instant she heard Anthony was getting a divorce.
3) Anthony has been built up to be a great guy who deserves to get what he wants in life--which is Liz.
I don't know where "Liz hasn't mentioned Paul" falls. It could be because she wants Anthony to declare himself before she lets Paul off the hook. Or it could be because that revelation is going to be the bombshell that breaks them up for good.
OR--it will keep the storyline going for another year or so, as she tries to decide between two men.
6 items on Paul’s side:
1) His name and the strip with the cringe-inducing pun that introduced his name. Lynn’s love for bad puns cannot be underestimated. After all, the whole reason Eva is named Eva is so Lynn could make that 4Evah & Eva pun.
2) Paul has been portrayed as the ultimate good guy, who declared his love for Elizabeth unabashedly, which is a stark difference from every other guy she has been with, including Anthony.
3) When Liz dropped the bombshell announcing she was leaving Mtigwaki, he still continued to try to accommodate her by saying he would try to transfer, instead of breaking things off then and there.
4) Since coming back to Milborough, Liz has made a big deal about missing Paul, with far more affection shown to him than she did when she was living in Mtigwaki, showing some regret about having made the move.
5) That September Sunday hiking strip, where Paul and Liz actually looked like a couple for the very first time.
6) Lynn Johnston could slam the door in the face of all the FOOBiverse Journalers, who have been criticizing her for over a year about the idea Liz would end up with Anthony.
6 items against Paul:
1) Prognosticator John’s comment in his monthly letter that Liz’s relationship with Paul was doomed.
2) The strip from 3 years ago, that talked about people going to the Northwest and falling in the love with the wrong guy.
3) More than 20 years of developing Anthony’s character (vs. <1 year for Paul) and more importantly, 5 straight years of developing this storyline where it is made to appear that Liz and Anthony were meant for each other, but these little things like marriage and baby keep getting in the way.
4) Every single Patterson (except Grandpa Jim and Iris, who don’t really count anyway) has weighed in on the subject in the last few months and expressed a pro-Anthony or anti-Paul sentiment.
5) The appearance of Susan Dokis, who is practically a First Nations Liz clone. A lot of old time scripts don’t mind getting a good guy dumped by the heroine, if they have a fallback to another good girl.
6) Paul’s thought balloon about not trying very hard to get his transfer, the fact he doesn’t have his transfer yet, and Mike’s comment about absence makes the heart go wander.
I think the weight of the material against Paul is far greater than the sum of the material for him. I don’t think the storyline can go on for another year or so for these reasons:
1) If the strip ends next September with a wedding, then Lynn is going to want to lavish time and attention on wedding preparations, particularly since this is a Patterson daughter. The issue of which boy, will need to be resolved with enough time to have bridal showers and the like.
2) We have seen with Warren Blackwood (and to a lesser degree Eric Chamberlain), Lynn likes to do breakups at Christmas time, and Liz has already said her next time to visit Paul is at Christmas.
3) We have seen with Michael and Deanna (and to a lesser degree Anthony and Thérèse), Lynn likes to do engagements at New Years.
I predict, Liz will visit Paul at Christmas, break up with him due to Susan Dokis, come back to Milborough (probably not too sad, since she likes both Paul and Susan) and will be comforted by Anthony bearing an engagement ring over New Years.
I think Paul is going to get fed up with waiting for Liz to make up her mind, and he and Susan will get together. Like you said, Liz moved home immediately after she heard Anthony was getting a divorce. I think she always loved Anthony, but when he married Therese she figured he was lost to her, so she took up with Eric, Warren & Paul, but Anthony always had first place in her heart.
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