Warren Blackwood’s Return
Lynn Johnston is really testing the memory of her readers now. First Rudy Dodd shows up for the first time in 4 years, Shiimsa shows up for the first time in 6 months, and now Warren Blackwood makes his first appearance since March 31, 2007. His last mention was later in April 23, 2007 where we hear Liz’s side of a phone conversation with Warren and her raspberry of the phone after she hung up, which led to her decision finally to pursue Anthony Caine. The implication from the conversation was that Warren would be working in Yellowknife “for a while” and Liz’s sarcastic response that “I guess I won’t see you for a while!” That conversation pretty much summed up Liz’s problem with Warren Blackwood:
a. He has to travel to different work locations for his work.
b. Elizabeth has no intention of ever traveling to spend time with him.
The characteristic of Elizabeth Patterson as a “you must come to where I am” woman has been consistently played in both her relationship with Warren and Constable Paul Wright. However, the more interesting part of it is how she reacts when the person she is interested in does not travel to be with her. While she was in Mtigwaki, her monthly letters indicated that she honestly expected Warren, with his helicopter job, to be able to drop in and visit her any time he pleased. Then when he finally did do that, she criticized him for not being around often enough with a “Seeing is believing” statement and showed up to his helicopter in the company of another man.
I cannot tell you how delighted I was to see Warren Blackwood showing up out of nowhere, almost a year after his last appearance, saying, “Hello! Remember me?” making his reappearance even more preposterous than I could have hoped. I had hoped he would reappear. I had hoped he would try to start back up from the place where he left off with Liz. But in the middle of night showing up at Liz’s apartment where she was not living when he was last in town is even better than that.
Thank you, Lynn Johnston. Just when I think you are trying to bore me to death; you write a storyline that sets new standards for snarkability. I can’t wait. I just know Warren and Elizabeth are going to wow me with ridiculousness this week. And if you are really nice to me, you have will Anthony Caine say something like, “I heard Warren was in town over at your apartment late at night, and so in revenge, I proposed to Julia at work.” That would be a dream come true.
a. He has to travel to different work locations for his work.
b. Elizabeth has no intention of ever traveling to spend time with him.
The characteristic of Elizabeth Patterson as a “you must come to where I am” woman has been consistently played in both her relationship with Warren and Constable Paul Wright. However, the more interesting part of it is how she reacts when the person she is interested in does not travel to be with her. While she was in Mtigwaki, her monthly letters indicated that she honestly expected Warren, with his helicopter job, to be able to drop in and visit her any time he pleased. Then when he finally did do that, she criticized him for not being around often enough with a “Seeing is believing” statement and showed up to his helicopter in the company of another man.
I cannot tell you how delighted I was to see Warren Blackwood showing up out of nowhere, almost a year after his last appearance, saying, “Hello! Remember me?” making his reappearance even more preposterous than I could have hoped. I had hoped he would reappear. I had hoped he would try to start back up from the place where he left off with Liz. But in the middle of night showing up at Liz’s apartment where she was not living when he was last in town is even better than that.
Thank you, Lynn Johnston. Just when I think you are trying to bore me to death; you write a storyline that sets new standards for snarkability. I can’t wait. I just know Warren and Elizabeth are going to wow me with ridiculousness this week. And if you are really nice to me, you have will Anthony Caine say something like, “I heard Warren was in town over at your apartment late at night, and so in revenge, I proposed to Julia at work.” That would be a dream come true.
posted by howard at 10:26 PM
15 Comments:
It's always struck me as odd and rather telling that Liz expects to not to have to meet a love interest half-way by going to where he is. This, I think, is less due to a selfish refusal to consider their feelings than it is her blind panic that they want to erase her identity. With Anthony, she'd be part of LizandAnthony instead of Mrs. Insertnamehere. She's been fighting being an adjunct of someone else (John's daughter Mike's/April's sister) too long to give up whatever individuality she has.
And if you are really nice to me, you have will Anthony Caine say something like, “I heard Warren was in town over at your apartment late at night, and so in revenge, I proposed to Julia at work.” That would be a dream come true.
"...And we went straight to the courthouse and got hitched. Julia would like a new food processor as a wedding gift! Cya!"
This would be made of awesome. :)
On further consideration, her 'You-come-to-me' attitude has less to dso with feeling like an individual and more to do with having a say in her own life. Liz has never been fond of being told where to go and what to do. She wouldn't meet Paul's parents because that would mean to her they'd start bossing her around or something. She didn't want to go where he was or head up to Yellowknife to be with Warren because that would mean to her that she was back to being pushed around by people who think they have the right to decide her llife for her.
DreadedCandiru2,
Your suggestions of the motivations for Liz’s 'You-come-to-me' attitude are possible; however, I think that they are a Patterson family problem. It is easy to list out the Patterson relatives that John and Elly do not visit. Elly never visits her brother, even after she is retired. In fact when Phil comes to visit due to Grandpa Jim’s stroke, he is the one who takes the hit from Grandpa Jim not remembering him from him not visiting enough.
John never visits his parents or his sister. He can take an annual trip Mexico, but he can’t go out to the farm. We have not seen him beside his father since his surprise 50th birthday party, when one again, his family came to him.
When Elizabeth was at school, how many times can you remember that her family came up to Nippissing to visit her there, prior to her graduation? In fact, when Elly came up to visit the people in Mtigwaki on 2 occasions, it was almost precedent-setting. Then you had the Elly / Mira Sobinski contrast where Elly rarely visited Mike and Deanna and their brand new grandchildren in Toronto and Mira was criticized for coming too often.
Even during the Howard Bunt trial, John and Elly’s criticism of Paul Wright was that he was not there to support Elizabeth and Anthony was, as if such a thing should take precedence over his job and the significant distance. With these kinds of expectations in the Patterson family, it is no wonder to me, that Liz never visits her boyfriends, even when she has 10 weeks off in the summer to do so.
aprilp_katje,
"...And we went straight to the courthouse and got hitched. Julia would like a new food processor as a wedding gift! Cya!"
Oh, I hope Lynn is listening to us. I wouldn't mind it all if Julia and Anthony were the wedding which ends the strip.
howtheduck:
That's a good point. It's only with great reluctance that they visit relatives. I wonder why a Patterson would rather be a host than a guest. I think it comes down to how they sewe the world. To the Pattersons, a guest is the recipient of other people's generosity. They love to not say no to guests, to prove that they don't mind the imposition even though they secretly do. The thought other people behaving that way towards them makes them feel uncomfortable, I should think. Their odd stance seems to come from a misguided attempt to be courteous.
dreadedcandiru2,
Their odd stance seems to come from a misguided attempt to be courteous.
Stranger still is the motivation for the creator of the strip to be so limiting. Many of the best stories in the recent years have been when Lynn was willing to have her characters visit different places and peoples. The “Liz in Mtigwaki” stories were so much better than the “Liz back in Milborough dealing with jealous Thérèse” stories, it’s a wonder that Lynn herself did not realize how much better her art and her writing were with Liz in that venue, and just keep her there.
Imagine the great stories that could have been had, if John Patterson had to go to Winnipeg to help his parents move into their new assisted living home and discussions he could have had with his sister about aging, or even discussions about April’s future as a veterinarian with his sister.
dreadedcandiru2,
Their odd stance seems to come from a misguided attempt to be courteous.
Stranger still is the motivation for the creator of the strip to be so limiting. Many of the best stories in the recent years have been when Lynn was willing to have her characters visit different places and peoples. The “Liz in Mtigwaki” stories were so much better than the “Liz back in Milborough dealing with jealous Thérèse” stories, it’s a wonder that Lynn herself did not realize how much better her art and her writing were with Liz in that venue, and just keep her there.
Imagine the great stories that could have been had, if John Patterson had to go to Winnipeg to help his parents move into their new assisted living home and discussions he could have had with his sister about aging, or even discussions about April’s future as a veterinarian with his sister.
It's interesting too that she has Mike write novels dealing with different locales/time settings. Mike seems to be making up for his lack of adventure by imagining more exciting things. Instead, her characters are like Lynn herself--determined to remain in one place (Southerners can never live up North! City girls can't live in the country!). And yes, I know she has traveled--but again, those are like Dee and Liz's "adventures" and John and Elly's "vacations".
Too bad Lynn doesn't also get the idea that the routine family/middle class stories are a dime a dozen. If she took the something out of the ordinary route, I guarantee she would be sure of keeping her readership if she could evolve in this direction. Not to mention, having a unique niche that not any other comics have (I'm thinking particularly if she had continued using a First Nations setting).
debjyn,
Not to mention, having a unique niche that not any other comics have (I'm thinking particularly if she had continued using a First Nations setting).
I do think she gave up a lot when she gave up Mtigwaki. That is a good example of exploring a venue and yet, still keeping the character intact. No one would imagine Elizabeth becoming an Indiana Johns adventure hero (which would be too far afield), but Lynn’s relationship with the Nippissing First Nation Ojibway could have provided her with a lot of good material for years to come, instead of having to repeat jokes (like the recent repeat of the “bump beds” joke).
howtheduck, I need to ask you a favor. Tomorrow morning (3/4), I need to go to work two hours earlier than usual and I anticipate that I'll be more than a little pressed for time in the morning. Assuming we get another "Liz" strip tomorrow (and I'd be shocked if Lynn were to cut away now), would you mind subbing as Liz with a late-night dispatch tonight? This would really save my butt in the morning!
aprilp_katje,
No problem. I will be happy to write up a lovely Liz line for my continuity goddess.
Thanks! :)
Will Warren dish out gossip about Mtigwaki?
Anon NYC
Anon NYC,
Oh, Warren is dishing out the nectar of Pattersons. Complete and utter self-denial.
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