Warren Gives Liz Everything She Wanted, but will it work?
In today’s For Better or For Worse, we may be hitting the motherlode of themes repeated during Elizabeth’s various romances.
I have no home!!
Warren Blackwood’s comment “I don’t have a HOME anywhere!!” is shockingly reminiscent of Anthony Caine’s famous strip sequence from August of 2005, which I consider to be the single, lowest point of Lynn Johnston’s writing in the last 5 years. With as much grief as she has taken for that sequence, I was surprised she would use such a direct reference. However, we have seen the “home” theme again recently with Anthony Caine and Elizabeth in this strip from last December, where Liz declared Anthony’s home to be hers also. Thematically, Lynn could be saying that the difference here between Warren and Anthony is that Anthony asked Liz to wait until he finally got out of his marriage, whereas Warren did not ask Liz to wait until he finally decided to quit his job.
Warren, let go!!
That Elizabeth Patterson pushes away from Warren Blackwood’s hug, is a stark contrast from the nearly-same situation she had with Warren, when she started dating Constable Paul Wright. In Paul Wright’s case, however, Liz did not pull away from Warren’s embrace, but had tears in her eyes that it was necessary to break up with Warren because Paul was more attentive. Symbolically it shows the type of commitment that Liz had to Paul versus the type of commitment she now has to Anthony Caine. Liz regularly used to hug on some old boyfriend and proclaim that they were just friends, particularly the married Anthony Caine. Now, we can see proof that Liz did not really consider those hugs to be all that innocent, not that I believed they were innocent in the first place.
I can’t fly anymore
Sorry to bring this one up again; but I think we are seeing yet another example of comic strip divorce therapy. Rod Johnston, the flying dentist, had to give up his flying dentistry practise, which he loved, when he and Lynn moved to Corbeil from Lynn Lake. Lynn has mentioned this fact a few times in her recent interviews talking about her divorce from Rod Johnston. I have a feeling we are going to see Lynn work through this issue between her and Rod, during the course of this week. Brace yourselves.
Do I Really Want What I Have Been Asking For?
Liz’s perpetually complaint with Warren Blackwood is that he placed a greater importance on his job than on her. However, the attractive part about Warren to Liz was the idea that he was a helicopter pilot, which was declared to be “amazing” by anyone who encountered him. Now that he has given that up to be close to Liz, and essentially removed all objections she had about him, will Liz respond in kind? After all, the way Lynn Johnston has played this, is that Liz only considered Anthony Caine after all her other options fell through (including drunken Mason, the best man). If Lynn is playing her character of Liz consistently, Liz will give Warren some consideration for making this sacrifice for her.
Kudos for Lynn
I had suspected Warren would return before Liz and Anthony got married and Lynn Johnston has not disappointed me. Warren’s character has been magnificently assassinated. The nice helicopter pilot student from back in 2002, who was so kind to Liz in helping her during her bus travels, has a personality barely recognizable as a man who is completely obsessed with a woman whom he dated for a few months back in 2003
I have no home!!
Warren Blackwood’s comment “I don’t have a HOME anywhere!!” is shockingly reminiscent of Anthony Caine’s famous strip sequence from August of 2005, which I consider to be the single, lowest point of Lynn Johnston’s writing in the last 5 years. With as much grief as she has taken for that sequence, I was surprised she would use such a direct reference. However, we have seen the “home” theme again recently with Anthony Caine and Elizabeth in this strip from last December, where Liz declared Anthony’s home to be hers also. Thematically, Lynn could be saying that the difference here between Warren and Anthony is that Anthony asked Liz to wait until he finally got out of his marriage, whereas Warren did not ask Liz to wait until he finally decided to quit his job.
Warren, let go!!
That Elizabeth Patterson pushes away from Warren Blackwood’s hug, is a stark contrast from the nearly-same situation she had with Warren, when she started dating Constable Paul Wright. In Paul Wright’s case, however, Liz did not pull away from Warren’s embrace, but had tears in her eyes that it was necessary to break up with Warren because Paul was more attentive. Symbolically it shows the type of commitment that Liz had to Paul versus the type of commitment she now has to Anthony Caine. Liz regularly used to hug on some old boyfriend and proclaim that they were just friends, particularly the married Anthony Caine. Now, we can see proof that Liz did not really consider those hugs to be all that innocent, not that I believed they were innocent in the first place.
I can’t fly anymore
Sorry to bring this one up again; but I think we are seeing yet another example of comic strip divorce therapy. Rod Johnston, the flying dentist, had to give up his flying dentistry practise, which he loved, when he and Lynn moved to Corbeil from Lynn Lake. Lynn has mentioned this fact a few times in her recent interviews talking about her divorce from Rod Johnston. I have a feeling we are going to see Lynn work through this issue between her and Rod, during the course of this week. Brace yourselves.
Do I Really Want What I Have Been Asking For?
Liz’s perpetually complaint with Warren Blackwood is that he placed a greater importance on his job than on her. However, the attractive part about Warren to Liz was the idea that he was a helicopter pilot, which was declared to be “amazing” by anyone who encountered him. Now that he has given that up to be close to Liz, and essentially removed all objections she had about him, will Liz respond in kind? After all, the way Lynn Johnston has played this, is that Liz only considered Anthony Caine after all her other options fell through (including drunken Mason, the best man). If Lynn is playing her character of Liz consistently, Liz will give Warren some consideration for making this sacrifice for her.
Kudos for Lynn
I had suspected Warren would return before Liz and Anthony got married and Lynn Johnston has not disappointed me. Warren’s character has been magnificently assassinated. The nice helicopter pilot student from back in 2002, who was so kind to Liz in helping her during her bus travels, has a personality barely recognizable as a man who is completely obsessed with a woman whom he dated for a few months back in 2003
posted by howard at 11:44 PM
17 Comments:
As you've said, he's aping Anthony. What bothers me is that the original Mister No-Hoooooome also destroyed his chance to be the person the Pattersons think he is because of his fixation with Elizabeth. He started out as a plausible enough young fellow in the beginning. When we first saw him, he was a bit gawky and rough around the edges but it was obvious that as he matured, he'd have become a likable enough fellow who was going places. He'd be like John but not as brash, clueless and self-centered. For some unguessable reason, Lynn that it was a good thing to jettison everything that made the Anthony she originally created tolerable to make him Liz's Prefect Man. His wit, charm, dignity and sense of fair play were stripped from him so the chuckleheads in Kool-Aid Nation could cheer that Liz's husband couldn't outshine her.
Pilots become pilots because they love adventure. Warren is probably 25-30 years old, he can't have used up his quota of adventure seeking already. I know guys in their 60s who don't want to give up flying (just on the weekends). No guy with that mind set is just going to give it all up for Liz - they haven't even seen each other in ages. At the very least He would talk about it with her first and then if she agreed that they belonged together, he could move into more close to home adventure seeking (like working as a MediVac pilot in Toronto or somesuch).
DreadedCandiru2,
He'd be like John but not as brash, clueless and self-centered.
I am beginning to wonder if the "I have no home" phrase is something originally coined by Rod Johnston, since we have seen "home" referenced 3 times now, and it is an unusual thing to say. Oftentimes when that happens, Lynn is pulling from something that happened in real life to ther.
Anonymous
At the very least He would talk about it with her first and then if she agreed that they belonged together, he could move into more close to home adventure seeking (like working as a MediVac pilot in Toronto or somesuch).
There is for some reason with Elizabeth a noncompromising nature. For example, the case of Constable Paul Wright. He transfers his job to be closer to where Liz works in Mtigwaki, only to have her arbitrarily decide she wants to move back to Milborough where she easily find a new job. One of the natures of being a school teacher was that the position can be easily relocated. This is not the case with the Ontario Provincial Police, particularly in the Northwest, where they (due to a lack of officers who want to work in that area) mandate a certain number of years in a location before the officer is allowed to move. The compromise position for Liz would have been to stay in Mtigwaki for another year until Paul Wright could reasonably arrange for another transfer. It would have also had the advantage that they would get to know each other while getting to see each other on a daily basis. However, Elizabeth was completely unwilling to compromise, moved anyway, and demanded that Paul Wright immediately seek another transfer to Toronto. He wisely sought the comforts of a less-demanding woman, unless he shows up in the next few days announcing he has dropped Chipper, and quit his job, in order to be with Liz.
Warren Blackwood may realize this nature of Liz's and is giving in all the way to what he thinks she wants. However, as you point out, the idea that a helicopter pilot can't have a home life is patently ridiculous, particularly near any majour city like Toronto. Warren may also think that portraying himself as a martyr will make him more appealing to Liz, and given the way her family martyrs themselves on a regular basis, he could be right.
howtheduck:
If I remember correctly, when tryed to justify to Jean why he didn't want Elly to get a job, he said he wanted his household to remain a home. This tells me that she was simply repeating back something Rod said. As for Liz's refusal to compromise, she's just another stubborn Patterson who thinks that meeting people halfway is a sign of weakness. That's something they share with their creator.
I was hoping Warren would show up and say something like:
"I killed a guy in Windsor. I need a place to hide out while I'm on the lam."
dreadedcandiru2,
If I remember correctly, when he tried to justify to Jean why he didn't want Elly to get a job, he said he wanted his household to remain a home. This tells me that she was simply repeating back something Rod said.
Now here’s a definition that actually makes this whole thing make sense.
Home = “household with a woman taking care of it.”
When Anthony Caine said back in 2005, he had no home, what was really saying, “My wife wants to work and not take care of the house.”
Likewise, back in December, 2007, when Liz told Anthony “Let’s go home”, what she was really saying was not “I am going to live with and sleep with you” but “I have agreed to take care of your household.”
In comes Warren Blackwood and what he has found from constantly moving around is that he does not have a house with a woman taking care of it. All those other women he’s been sleeping with, probably have some whacky idea about sharing household responsibilities or having a job of their own. That’s why he needs a girl like Liz.
James
"I killed a guy in Windsor. I need a place to hide out while I'm on the lam."
I am afraid the only person Warren killed was his own good character.
All those other women he’s been sleeping with, probably have some whacky idea about sharing household responsibilities or having a job of their own. That’s why he needs a girl like Liz.
And he probably eats nothing but hobo meals and TV dinners because a man can't be expected to take care of himself.
James,
And he probably eats nothing but hobo meals and TV dinners because a man can't be expected to take care of himself.
Oh no, a man can take care of himself. He can build a deck on his house or a fenced-in play area for his daughter. And as a good Canadian, Kraft dinner is his meal of choice.
Well, I'm holding out some hope. Notice Warren said "I'm giving up the TWO things I love--and" if one is flying, the other thing he is giving up is Liz.
You can quit her Warren! Do it!
Oh, ew. Do you think that Warren is going to say he knows what Liz is thinking? But he won't? Thus proving that she and the pale noodle "click" like Rudy and Candace?
I have to agree with you, Howard; Lynn is going above and beyond what a snarker could have hoped for with this.
- bad_latin
Oops--sorry. He Loves two things--but he's giving up flying. Sigh. I'll blame it on wishful thinking.
Oh, ew. Do you think that Warren is going to say he knows what Liz is thinking? But he won't? Thus proving that she and the pale noodle "click" like Rudy and Candace?
Warren: I know what you're thinking! You're thinking that I've proven my love to you and now we can be together!
Liz: [ . . . ]
Warren: Wait, that's not what you were thinking?
Liz: [thinking] We don't click at all!
aprilp_katje,
I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s how it goes this. Liz will tell Warren that he’s too late and he should have asked her to wait, like Anthony did back in 2005.
However, if Lynn is really nice to me, just after Liz gives Warren a tearful good-bye, she will give him a big farewell hug just as Anthony rolls up to her apartment. He sees them together and then goes driving away in tears. Liz will then chase after him, and when she finally catches up to him, she will tell Anthony it was just a hug between friends and it didn’t mean anything. Then Anthony responds, “Of all the people on this planet, you don’t expect me to believe that particular lie, eh? I know you prefer him because he’s an amazing helicopter pilot.”
debjyn,
Oops--sorry. He Loves two things--but he's giving up flying. Sigh. I'll blame it on wishful thinking.
Not to worry debjyn. By the time he’s finished this conversation with Liz, he will be giving Liz up too.
"I know you prefer him because he’s an amazing helicopter pilot.”
::snerk::
Liz: Anthony, the way you talk about him, I'd think you were in love with him yourself!
Anthony: [thought bubbles himself slow-dancing with Warren]
Liz: Anthony?
Anthony: Sshh, don't interrupt!
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