November Monthly Letters
As is my custom, I will now look at monthly letters dealing with my assigned characters. Jeremy Jones did not appear in the monthly letters and it looks like he is not going to appear in the current Becky Band comeuppance sequence, much to my disappointment.
Constable Paul Wright
Elly's Letter, November 2006
Liz is having a rough time, missing her boyfriend and having to deal with us!
Elly does not mention Paul by name, but she has mentioned him in her monthly letters by name on 3 other occasions, so I don’t think it is a deliberate snubbing.
Liz's Letter, November 2006
I miss Paul, too. It's been a long time since I've seen him last. Thanks to Skype we can talk to each other for hours over our computers without paying for long distance charges, but that's hard in its own way because I'm glued to my laptop all night, listening to him as he goes about making dinner or filling out reports. It's like he's in the next room - I can hear his sink dripping, and I can hear the train going by outside his window, but at the same time he's so many hours away it makes me miss him more. He tells me his transfer is "in the works". That's one hope I've been hanging onto. I want him here!
When Mike broke up with Rhetta Blum for the last time, he called up her dormitory room, and her roommate told him she was out with another guy. Lynn Johnston is so dead set on duplicating plot lines, I had wondered how she could pull off the same thing with Paul and Liz, with Liz finding out that Paul is actually with Susan, without Paul having a roommate. This truly bizarre letter sequence could be the answer. Honestly, Lynnions. Why would Liz spend her time glued to her laptop listening to Paul’s home noises, when Paul is not talking to her, and doing things like eating or police work? Wouldn’t Paul cut off the Skype if Susan showed up? And of course “in the works” means he is not actually trying to get a transfer. I am still playing Paul as innocent, but if Skype shows up in the strip, I think we will be near the end for Constable Paul Wright.
Howard Bunt
We have yet to see Howard reappear, but I have high hopes, based on this monthly letter:
Liz's Letter, November 2006
Something that has upset me personally is the court case. Howard Bunt has finally been brought to trial and the process is a lengthy one. As a witness, I've had to give several depositions - to ascertain that I'm not fabricating what happened to me!
Complete and utter baloney. I had hoped the Lynnions would retcon away this deposition nonsense.
Anthony and all of the other six witnesses have had to do the same.
Lynn Johnston is stacking the deck against Howard. Now it is not just 2 other women, it is 6 other women. The man is going to prison for a loooooong time.
Now we are in the process of testifying against him in court. This takes a long time. We are not the first witnesses but we are required to be at the courthouse in case we're called. Things happen to stall the trial, so Anthony and I have spent a lot of time sitting in the "collecting area" outside the courtroom - just waiting!
If that were only what they are doing. This paragraph makes me wonder if Howard will even appear, or if we will never see the trial, since the trial sequence appears to be more about Liz and Anthony yakking away at each other outside the courtroom. By the way, even though this letter says the trial is already going on, I am going to work on the premise that the trial has not yet occurred.
Both of us have had to take time off work. I feel guilty about being absent from my class. They've had to bring in a sub to cover for me. Anthony feels guilty for missing work. Gordon has been really understanding and has given him plenty of flextime. We're experiencing our legal system in action. It's good to know that it works - even if we are having to wait and wait and wait!
Anthony and Elizabeth bond over feeling guilty for missing work, however, I will bet that when everyone is all sent home early, neither Anthony or Elizabeth will be rushing to finish out work.
So far, we've had just two mornings of actual courthouse time. Howard's attorney manages to throw a wrench into the proceedings around lunchtime, so we're all sent home and told when to come back. I've taken my laptop so I can try to get some lesson plans done - but mostly, Anthony and I talk about whatever comes to mind.
Don’t complain about Howard’s attorney. Those after lunch meetings are when you get to spend most of your time with Anthony.
We've known each other for a long time, but between my living in the North and his crazy marriage, we have a lot of catching up to do. The one thing we have been told not to discuss is the case against Howard! They want to hear our stories individually and see if they "match". This whole thing is surreal! My family of course wants to know all the details. There's not much to tell, yet. I think Mom and Dad will attend the trial when we are called, which will be a real support group! Elly and John will be there in the background somewhere, cheering Anthony on.
I have to say that I have had some truly wonderful support from the police here. I've been assigned a personal counselor who has guided me through all of the "stuff". Her name is Sylvia and her job specifically is to work with assault victims. I'm so grateful for her help. Even with Anthony's calm reassurance and Sylvia's support, I've been a nervous wreck.
We were complaining that Elizabeth didn’t have any friends in Milborough. There’s a new friend in town, and her name is Sylvia, although the way Elizabeth is going to meet Sylvia is a little bit creepy.
Keep your wits about you, ladies. There are lots of Howards out there! Lots of guys who try to kiss you in broad daylight in a public place and pull on your shirt when you refuse.
Constable Paul Wright
Elly's Letter, November 2006
Liz is having a rough time, missing her boyfriend and having to deal with us!
Elly does not mention Paul by name, but she has mentioned him in her monthly letters by name on 3 other occasions, so I don’t think it is a deliberate snubbing.
Liz's Letter, November 2006
I miss Paul, too. It's been a long time since I've seen him last. Thanks to Skype we can talk to each other for hours over our computers without paying for long distance charges, but that's hard in its own way because I'm glued to my laptop all night, listening to him as he goes about making dinner or filling out reports. It's like he's in the next room - I can hear his sink dripping, and I can hear the train going by outside his window, but at the same time he's so many hours away it makes me miss him more. He tells me his transfer is "in the works". That's one hope I've been hanging onto. I want him here!
When Mike broke up with Rhetta Blum for the last time, he called up her dormitory room, and her roommate told him she was out with another guy. Lynn Johnston is so dead set on duplicating plot lines, I had wondered how she could pull off the same thing with Paul and Liz, with Liz finding out that Paul is actually with Susan, without Paul having a roommate. This truly bizarre letter sequence could be the answer. Honestly, Lynnions. Why would Liz spend her time glued to her laptop listening to Paul’s home noises, when Paul is not talking to her, and doing things like eating or police work? Wouldn’t Paul cut off the Skype if Susan showed up? And of course “in the works” means he is not actually trying to get a transfer. I am still playing Paul as innocent, but if Skype shows up in the strip, I think we will be near the end for Constable Paul Wright.
Howard Bunt
We have yet to see Howard reappear, but I have high hopes, based on this monthly letter:
Liz's Letter, November 2006
Something that has upset me personally is the court case. Howard Bunt has finally been brought to trial and the process is a lengthy one. As a witness, I've had to give several depositions - to ascertain that I'm not fabricating what happened to me!
Complete and utter baloney. I had hoped the Lynnions would retcon away this deposition nonsense.
Anthony and all of the other six witnesses have had to do the same.
Lynn Johnston is stacking the deck against Howard. Now it is not just 2 other women, it is 6 other women. The man is going to prison for a loooooong time.
Now we are in the process of testifying against him in court. This takes a long time. We are not the first witnesses but we are required to be at the courthouse in case we're called. Things happen to stall the trial, so Anthony and I have spent a lot of time sitting in the "collecting area" outside the courtroom - just waiting!
If that were only what they are doing. This paragraph makes me wonder if Howard will even appear, or if we will never see the trial, since the trial sequence appears to be more about Liz and Anthony yakking away at each other outside the courtroom. By the way, even though this letter says the trial is already going on, I am going to work on the premise that the trial has not yet occurred.
Both of us have had to take time off work. I feel guilty about being absent from my class. They've had to bring in a sub to cover for me. Anthony feels guilty for missing work. Gordon has been really understanding and has given him plenty of flextime. We're experiencing our legal system in action. It's good to know that it works - even if we are having to wait and wait and wait!
Anthony and Elizabeth bond over feeling guilty for missing work, however, I will bet that when everyone is all sent home early, neither Anthony or Elizabeth will be rushing to finish out work.
So far, we've had just two mornings of actual courthouse time. Howard's attorney manages to throw a wrench into the proceedings around lunchtime, so we're all sent home and told when to come back. I've taken my laptop so I can try to get some lesson plans done - but mostly, Anthony and I talk about whatever comes to mind.
Don’t complain about Howard’s attorney. Those after lunch meetings are when you get to spend most of your time with Anthony.
We've known each other for a long time, but between my living in the North and his crazy marriage, we have a lot of catching up to do. The one thing we have been told not to discuss is the case against Howard! They want to hear our stories individually and see if they "match". This whole thing is surreal! My family of course wants to know all the details. There's not much to tell, yet. I think Mom and Dad will attend the trial when we are called, which will be a real support group! Elly and John will be there in the background somewhere, cheering Anthony on.
I have to say that I have had some truly wonderful support from the police here. I've been assigned a personal counselor who has guided me through all of the "stuff". Her name is Sylvia and her job specifically is to work with assault victims. I'm so grateful for her help. Even with Anthony's calm reassurance and Sylvia's support, I've been a nervous wreck.
We were complaining that Elizabeth didn’t have any friends in Milborough. There’s a new friend in town, and her name is Sylvia, although the way Elizabeth is going to meet Sylvia is a little bit creepy.
Keep your wits about you, ladies. There are lots of Howards out there! Lots of guys who try to kiss you in broad daylight in a public place and pull on your shirt when you refuse.
posted by howard at 11:15 PM
4 Comments:
I really hate that the Lynnions have decided the trial is already going on, as it makes me wonder whether we're going to be dumped into it in medias res or whether we'll get (another) rewind and start it from the beginning. Either is possible with this crew.
Re. six witnesses--I don't think this necessarily means six other victims, as we know Anthony is a witness.
I agree that LJ is probably setting up a Rhetta parallel with that Skype nonsense. I love the way you set that up in Paul's post. :)
My guess is rewind and start at the beginning, as was done with the Grandpa Jim stroke reaction. I can't see Lynn missing any opportunity to have Liz and Anthony spending more time bonding together in the strip. She has to get Liz to the point, where Liz is thinking about Anthony the wrong way and feeling guilty about it, just like Mike did about Deanna and feeling guilty for Rhetta's sake.
You are quite right it might not mean 6 other victims, but with the giant sledge hammer Lynn has been plotting with lately, I wouldn't be surprised if not only is it 6 other victims, but that all 6 will come up to Liz and thank her personally for being brave enough to step forward with her going-after, when Howard raped and nearly killed them, and then Liz turns to Anthony and says something about, "I didn't realize that you saved my life." or something like that.
The Becky comeuppance has been so relentlessly pounding in the "Becky is evil" theme, I can't imagine Lynn being a lighter touch with a person who is actually a villain.
I had a good laugh at Liz's letter. "Attorneys" and "deposititions" and hanging around with other witnesses in hallways during the trial! LJ has obviously been watching too much television. In reality, Liz, as a victim of a sexual assault, would not be waiting in the hallway at all, but in a room elsewhere in the building. The witnesses wouldn't be hanging around for days and days waiting to be called: they would be on standby, which means that they would have to leave contact information and be able to turn up on relatively short notice. I don't even know why I bother to try to make sense of such nonsense, but it sounds like they're going through pre-trial motions and voir dires (the latter of which are like mini-trials on the admissibility of certain evidence, generally statements to police.) The civilian witnesses wouldn't be required to be present for these. I'm unclear whether Liz has actually been in the Courtroom yet, but if she has, she ought not to have been until she's completed her testimony.
I'm really struck by the Americanization of the strip over the past few years. The old LJ would never have referred to a Canadian lawyer as an "attorney". I'm also baffled by the strangely large Hispanic community in Milborough.
anonymous,
Thanks once again for your information. I hope you will keep me abreast of all the inaccuracies in the Howard Bunt trial as they are occurring in the strip. I love it when you write in.
There is a Crown attorney, so I think you mean that Howard's lawyer would be a defence lawyer and not an attorney. Am I correct?
As for the Hispanic community in Milborough, you are thinking of keyboardist Luis Guzman in April's band, I presume. Is the Hispanic population in the Toronto area small or close to nonexistent?
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