What Stroke #2?
The appearance of Grandpa Jim in today’s For Better or For Worse strip shows him getting into his wheelchair without assistance and with a cane hanging off the edge of the kitchen counter, implying that is what he was using to get to the wheelchair. For a guy who had his second stroke just 2 months ago, that is a fairly remarkable recovery, considering the guy was immobile the last time we saw him on Remembrance Day. Unfortunately, it makes me wonder if Lynn Johnston gave Grandpa Jim a second stroke more for her habit of repeating a story she had done before, than to actually address the situation where someone who has had a stroke can have another one. I was expecting to possibly see that Jim had gone to the Sunset Manor mentioned back in October, but if he has recovered this much, he wouldn’t need to go. I wonder if Lynn got some backlash from her elderly friends due to her obviously unresearched mention of a 2-year waiting list.
Another odd thing about this strip is the mention that the great grandchildren get on Grandpa Jim’s nerves. There have been precious few instances where Grandpa Jim interacted with his great grandchildren; but I have no recollection of us ever being told they got on Jim’s nerves. There were even 2 strips of Meredith spending time over at Jim and Iris’ place, but in both cases she was not actually doing anything with Iris or Jim. I wonder if the great grandchildren get on Iris’ nerves and she is projecting it onto Jim, or if this is the first mention of a whole new storyline of Jim vs. Merrie and Robin.
Another odd thing about this strip is the mention that the great grandchildren get on Grandpa Jim’s nerves. There have been precious few instances where Grandpa Jim interacted with his great grandchildren; but I have no recollection of us ever being told they got on Jim’s nerves. There were even 2 strips of Meredith spending time over at Jim and Iris’ place, but in both cases she was not actually doing anything with Iris or Jim. I wonder if the great grandchildren get on Iris’ nerves and she is projecting it onto Jim, or if this is the first mention of a whole new storyline of Jim vs. Merrie and Robin.
posted by howard at 11:21 PM
11 Comments:
Projecting her own wants and needs onto him is something we've seen Iris do before. Remember when he didn't want to be wrapped in a blanket because he was warm enough as it is? She was feeling a draft and assumed he wanted what she did. That's why putting her in charge of him is such a questionable idea.
I think the whole "kids get on your nerves" thing is a flailing attempt at consistency with the recent reruns (last month?) that show him as loathing his demon-spawn grandchildren back 20 years ago. So Lynn is bringing that forward without any actual corroborating evidence from this decade. It's not exactly retconning, but it's still telling-without-showing, which is one of Lynn's favorite hobbies.
DreadedCandiru2
Remember when he didn't want to be wrapped in a blanket because he was warm enough as it is? She was feeling a draft and assumed he wanted what she did. That's why putting her in charge of him is such a questionable idea.
I had forgotten the example of the blanket. However, I can sympathize with the situation of the blanket, because I do the same thing with my kids. If I get cold or hot, I assume they are feeling the same way, and offer a blanket and such. Of course, the difference there is that they can refuse. Too bad Grandpa Jim lost his picture book and his ability to communicate. Hum! I wonder why that book may have disappeared.
dlauthor
I think the whole "kids get on your nerves" thing is a flailing attempt at consistency with the recent reruns (last month?) that show him as loathing his demon-spawn grandchildren back 20 years ago.
That’s possible. My thought was that Lynn may be leading up to something coming up in the story next, so when she is unable to draw Grandpa Jim’s irritation, we know he is irritated, since we were told earlier he gets irritated.
If small children get on Jim's nerves, then perhaps he should be warned there will be another child present also. Except, of course, Francoise is a miniature adult.
I know Lynn would never in a million years even consider it, but how much fun would it be to see this Christmas dinner actually show how dysfunctional this entire clan is? John out playing with the choo-choos, Michael and Liz fighting, Dee and Mira fighting, Elly screaming at--well, anything, Granthony cringing in fright, Therese/Warren/Paul show up at the door, Francoise and Merrie shoving Robin's head down a toilet, and April sneaking out to see Gerald. Ah, good times.
DJ
Dreaded,
She was feeling a draft and assumed he wanted what she did. That's why putting her in charge of him is such a questionable idea.
You think that covering Jim when he isn’t cold is evidence that Iris is a poor care giver? I’m speechless….
Anon NYC
DJ,
If small children get on Jim's nerves, then perhaps he should be warned there will be another child present also. Except, of course, Francoise is a miniature adult.
This is the interesting part. Elly gave the count of the people as 14 and thus I can expect Frànçoise to be there because it makes the count work. However, Deanna did not mention Frànçoise once, even to Merrie, who might be interested in a potential girl playmate coming to visit. Now, Iris is not mentioning Frànçoise either, as you have pointed out. I have this strange feeling that little Frànçoise may be all but nonexistent at this party, except to cheer on her father for choosing Elizabeth after he proposes. I am interested in seeing her interact with Meredith and Robin, mainly to see how Lynn draws her next to the two of them (shorter, taller?). That will give me a feeling as to what age Lynn really considers Frànçoise to be. However, Lynn could treat her as she was treated during the August picnic, with Frànçoise sticking next to her dad, and not going near the other kids.
I know Lynn would never in a million years even consider it, but how much fun would it be to see this Christmas dinner actually show how dysfunctional this entire clan is?
But we are going to see this. It has already been predicted.
1. Anthony is going to propose. Lynn wouldn’t have had Deanna go on and on about how serious the relationship is with Liz, if something wasn’t going to happen.
2. Michael and Mira are going to fight. Deanna practically said it.
3. The kids are going to get on Grandpa Jim’s nerves. My prediction: Super-Teddy.
4. April is going to play that old guitar. OK. That part isn’t that dysfunctional, unless Lynn wrote the lyrics for a new song about how wonderful Grandpas are.
5. John Patterson is going to be seen and heard about as much as he was during Mike’s book signing at Lilliput’s. That’s just Lynn working out her issues with Rod though.
All five of the points you raised are pretty much set in stone. The fun will be seeing how big a mess Lynn makes trying to juggle all that stuff. Odds are, we're getting the gift of a really crappy Christmas dinner next week. It'll probably more wonderful dumb fun than the Final Tribal Council.
Y'all's descriptions of the REAL (ie dysfunctional) Pattersons do not ring true, because:
Mike wouldn't be fighitng with anyone - he'd be in the attic (likely with Weed)
Although you have Liz's various beaus all there, you leave out the fact that the entire time she'd be playing one against the other - while they're all married to someone else.
-BigEFries
dreadedcandiru2,
The fun will be seeing how big a mess Lynn makes trying to juggle all that stuff.
Traditionally she has done one strip showing everyone together, but Lynn has not tried to keep them together for later conversations, probably because it is difficult within the limited space of a comic strip to juggle all that stuff. That may change this year, if Anthony does a public proposal, where she may want to have the whole crowd gathered for that occasion. I would expect it will be kind of like this strip from Grandpa Jim’s birthday party, where she changes conversations from panel to panel.
BigEFries,
Mike wouldn't be fighting with anyone - he'd be in the attic (likely with Weed)
As I recollect Mike is not allowed in the attic, when the Sobinskis are visiting. He has to watch reality TV with Wilf Sobinski.
Although you have Liz's various beaus all there, you leave out the fact that the entire time she'd be playing one against the other - while they're all married to someone else.
Although it is unlikely Paul would be there, a drop-in visit by Thérèse to give Françoise a Christmas present just as Anthony was proposing to Elizabeth would be delightful. Likewise a drop-in visit by Warren Blackwood, saying he just got finished with his job in Yellowknife and wants to go on that date Liz promised him would be equally wonderful. If they were both there to see the proposal, it would be like a special Christmas present from Lynn. That is, until the next strip, when John Patterson says, “Well, I don’t know you managed to get those two out of the house, Liz; but you did it.”
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