Liz Sets Up Disaster
In today’s For Better or For Worse, Elizabeth leaves Milborough and sets up all the elements which will lead to a disaster with Paul next week. To review:
1. Paul will be unhappy Liz is with Warren again.
2. By coming early, Liz is going to surprise people, most likely Paul and Susan.
I would like to be upset with Liz’s change of character, but I must admit Lynn Johnston has been playing Liz this way for a long time. Even back in 2003, when Liz was practicing her dance moves with Dennis North in order to humiliate Anthony and Thérèse at their wedding, and Michael told her not to; ultimately it was Dennis North who pointed out Michael was right and Liz was wrong. See this strip:
http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/000374.php
Liz has had a long history of ignoring good advice from her family, and putting people into uncomfortable situations where they have every right to be very upset with her. Today’s strip was right in line with the Liz of the last 3 years, so I congratulate Lynn Johnston on consistent characterization.
One of the things I am looking forward to, when Liz goes to Mtigwaki, is another conversation with Vivian Crane. Vivian doesn’t pull any punches with Liz. You may remember she was the one who told Liz that by not signing her teaching contract, she was essentially saying she was leaving. She was the one who told Liz she needed to include Paul Wright in her plans for the future. And my favourite, she was the one who told Liz that she was basically a Southern Ontario city girl slumming in the Northwest and she did not belong in Mtigwaki. Harsh words, but I loved them.
Liz needs to have someone take her to task for her actions, and Vivian is the one to do it. I suspect Jesse Mukwa will be too caught up in gratitude and worship of Liz for visiting to poke much fun at Liz. So, it’s up to Vivian. I hope she takes Liz down and takes her down hard.
One thing I do fear is the change of character for Constable Paul Wright. We have seen nonsensical complaints about him from Mike, Elly and John; but the only thing we have actually seen from the good constable was that one thought balloon where he said he wouldn’t try very hard to get his transfer. Since he has gotten his transfer, then that makes this one thought balloon a moot point. Other than that, he has been the perfect boyfriend for Liz. He is open and honest, when she is closed and controlled. He is stable and doesn’t get angry, when he has every right to be; and Liz loses it when she can’t handle her cat. He is willing to follow her, even when she runs away. The man has just the right personality to be able to handle the erratic Liz. I have a feeling we are not going to see this man next week, but some other awful version of him, specifically designed to make us sympathize with Liz, when they break up.
Tomorrow’s strip: April feeds Robin dog food, in order to try to discipline him to not throw his food to the dogs. April is going to be one heck of an awful mother. Stick with pets, April.
1. Paul will be unhappy Liz is with Warren again.
2. By coming early, Liz is going to surprise people, most likely Paul and Susan.
I would like to be upset with Liz’s change of character, but I must admit Lynn Johnston has been playing Liz this way for a long time. Even back in 2003, when Liz was practicing her dance moves with Dennis North in order to humiliate Anthony and Thérèse at their wedding, and Michael told her not to; ultimately it was Dennis North who pointed out Michael was right and Liz was wrong. See this strip:
http://www.fborfw.com/strip_fix/archives/000374.php
Liz has had a long history of ignoring good advice from her family, and putting people into uncomfortable situations where they have every right to be very upset with her. Today’s strip was right in line with the Liz of the last 3 years, so I congratulate Lynn Johnston on consistent characterization.
One of the things I am looking forward to, when Liz goes to Mtigwaki, is another conversation with Vivian Crane. Vivian doesn’t pull any punches with Liz. You may remember she was the one who told Liz that by not signing her teaching contract, she was essentially saying she was leaving. She was the one who told Liz she needed to include Paul Wright in her plans for the future. And my favourite, she was the one who told Liz that she was basically a Southern Ontario city girl slumming in the Northwest and she did not belong in Mtigwaki. Harsh words, but I loved them.
Liz needs to have someone take her to task for her actions, and Vivian is the one to do it. I suspect Jesse Mukwa will be too caught up in gratitude and worship of Liz for visiting to poke much fun at Liz. So, it’s up to Vivian. I hope she takes Liz down and takes her down hard.
One thing I do fear is the change of character for Constable Paul Wright. We have seen nonsensical complaints about him from Mike, Elly and John; but the only thing we have actually seen from the good constable was that one thought balloon where he said he wouldn’t try very hard to get his transfer. Since he has gotten his transfer, then that makes this one thought balloon a moot point. Other than that, he has been the perfect boyfriend for Liz. He is open and honest, when she is closed and controlled. He is stable and doesn’t get angry, when he has every right to be; and Liz loses it when she can’t handle her cat. He is willing to follow her, even when she runs away. The man has just the right personality to be able to handle the erratic Liz. I have a feeling we are not going to see this man next week, but some other awful version of him, specifically designed to make us sympathize with Liz, when they break up.
Tomorrow’s strip: April feeds Robin dog food, in order to try to discipline him to not throw his food to the dogs. April is going to be one heck of an awful mother. Stick with pets, April.
posted by howard at 12:02 AM
2 Comments:
Heh--I agree, April should not have children. Though I suspect her motive was not so much "discipline" as "He's feeding the dogs anyway, might as well get him to feed them their food. I like to think (I hope!) that she didn't think Robin was going to eat the dog food, since he wasn't eating his own food, either. But it was a really stupid thing for her to do, and if I were Dee, I'd be pissed. Of course, if I were Dee, Robin would not have been sitting there in that big kitchen all alone.
Also, April is really showing herself to be her mother's daughter by yelling at her TWO-YEAR-OLD nephew. Nice, Apes, real nice.
I agree about the characterization of Liz. Oh, and look how slim she was in that strip you reference--especially panel three.
Poor Paul. Like you, I'm dreading whatever personality transplant Lynn and co. have in store for him.
He's feeding the dogs anyway, might as well get him to feed them their food.
That does make sense in an April kind of way, and then the joke is that April is inexperienced with kids and doesn't know they will stick anything in their mouths. Silly auntie. Ha ha!
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