Peter and Pablo Together Again for the First Time
Look at today’s new-run strip of For Better or For Worse. Lynn Johnston has finally sat down and read Beth Cruikshank’s story about the background of Connie, where she tied in Pablo and Pete to Connie’s life. Lynn has been all over the map on this one.
Back in September, Lynn painted the picture of Connie revealing to Elly that she was not actually married to Pablo da Silva, but she just told Elly they were. This is in response to Elly asking Connie if she would ever get married again, which effectively knocks the whole Peter Landry, ex-husband, story out the window. It is not a question Elly would ask if she was aware of Connie being married to Peter Landry.
Then in April, Lynn reprinted the strip sequence where Elly and Connie talk about her relationship with Peter Landry and Lynn eliminated the line, "I know. Still--when it's the only relationship I've had, it's hard to forget." This opened the door to Pablo da Silva, but all the emotion and regret expressed by Connie is for life with Peter.
Now we find out that Pablo was the love of Connie’s life. This contradicts the prior strips about Peter, but that’s OK because it is Elly saying it and not Connie. After all, if Pablo was the love of Connie’s life, then why did she put all those conditions on it, like “I’m going to Canada now. Follow me!!” This is old news however.
Then we have the usual retcons. The Who’s Who on Connie says this:
When she realized that one of her co-workers, Peter Landry, was interested in her, it seemed like the answer to her prayers. Pete was a divorcee, seven years older than she was, a handsome man and a sharp dresser with an air of sleek confidence about him. He was attentive, always opening doors for her, helping her on with her coat and generally displaying an old-fashioned chivalry that was irresistibly flattering to a woman in her insecure state. She wasn't in love with him, but after the anguish of loving and losing Pablo, that seemed like a plus. Her mother liked him, too. It only occurred to Connie afterward that this should have been a warning.
Six months after their first date, Connie and Pete married. Two years later, they divorced. In her eagerness for marriage, Connie hadn't let herself see Pete as he really was, until it was too late. His traditional attitudes went much further than she could accept. He made all the decisions, insisted his wife not work, was jealous of any man she spoke to, and once they were married, no longer hid his disapproval of the child she had borne out of wedlock. It was a shock to realize she had married a younger version of her father. In fact, he was worse, for Pete had a self-centred vanity that her father would have scorned.
The divorce was a miserable business. Pete did his best to load all the blame of the break-up onto her, and in her unhappy state, Connie more than half believed him. Afterward, she felt more lonely and insecure than ever. When the house next door came up for sale, she was quick to phone Elly and convince the Pattersons to buy it. How helpful it was to have a friend nearby.
In today’s strip we have the usual round of retcons, Elly says this:
1. He never really wanted a family.
I don’t get that Peter never wanted a family from that. What I get was that Peter disapproved of Lawrence because he was born out of wedlock. That’s not quite the same.
2. He was so mean to her.
She has a case here. Peter made all the decisions, insisted Connie did not work, was jealous of any man she spoke to. That’s horribly mean.
3. Annie and Elly were there to pick up the pieces from the awful divorce.
No mention of Elly or Anne with Connie’s divorce in the Who’ Who. It looks like Connie handled it on her own and then invited Elly to move near her.
Back in September, Lynn painted the picture of Connie revealing to Elly that she was not actually married to Pablo da Silva, but she just told Elly they were. This is in response to Elly asking Connie if she would ever get married again, which effectively knocks the whole Peter Landry, ex-husband, story out the window. It is not a question Elly would ask if she was aware of Connie being married to Peter Landry.
Then in April, Lynn reprinted the strip sequence where Elly and Connie talk about her relationship with Peter Landry and Lynn eliminated the line, "I know. Still--when it's the only relationship I've had, it's hard to forget." This opened the door to Pablo da Silva, but all the emotion and regret expressed by Connie is for life with Peter.
Now we find out that Pablo was the love of Connie’s life. This contradicts the prior strips about Peter, but that’s OK because it is Elly saying it and not Connie. After all, if Pablo was the love of Connie’s life, then why did she put all those conditions on it, like “I’m going to Canada now. Follow me!!” This is old news however.
Then we have the usual retcons. The Who’s Who on Connie says this:
When she realized that one of her co-workers, Peter Landry, was interested in her, it seemed like the answer to her prayers. Pete was a divorcee, seven years older than she was, a handsome man and a sharp dresser with an air of sleek confidence about him. He was attentive, always opening doors for her, helping her on with her coat and generally displaying an old-fashioned chivalry that was irresistibly flattering to a woman in her insecure state. She wasn't in love with him, but after the anguish of loving and losing Pablo, that seemed like a plus. Her mother liked him, too. It only occurred to Connie afterward that this should have been a warning.
Six months after their first date, Connie and Pete married. Two years later, they divorced. In her eagerness for marriage, Connie hadn't let herself see Pete as he really was, until it was too late. His traditional attitudes went much further than she could accept. He made all the decisions, insisted his wife not work, was jealous of any man she spoke to, and once they were married, no longer hid his disapproval of the child she had borne out of wedlock. It was a shock to realize she had married a younger version of her father. In fact, he was worse, for Pete had a self-centred vanity that her father would have scorned.
The divorce was a miserable business. Pete did his best to load all the blame of the break-up onto her, and in her unhappy state, Connie more than half believed him. Afterward, she felt more lonely and insecure than ever. When the house next door came up for sale, she was quick to phone Elly and convince the Pattersons to buy it. How helpful it was to have a friend nearby.
In today’s strip we have the usual round of retcons, Elly says this:
1. He never really wanted a family.
I don’t get that Peter never wanted a family from that. What I get was that Peter disapproved of Lawrence because he was born out of wedlock. That’s not quite the same.
2. He was so mean to her.
She has a case here. Peter made all the decisions, insisted Connie did not work, was jealous of any man she spoke to. That’s horribly mean.
3. Annie and Elly were there to pick up the pieces from the awful divorce.
No mention of Elly or Anne with Connie’s divorce in the Who’ Who. It looks like Connie handled it on her own and then invited Elly to move near her.
posted by howard at 10:56 PM
5 Comments:
I don’t get that Peter never wanted a family from that. What I get was that Peter disapproved of Lawrence because he was born out of wedlock. That’s not quite the same.It is to Lynn; remember, Pete is a stand-in for all the men she dated in between husbands who objected to raising Aaron. It's too bad she didn't live a hundred years ago; blended families were more accepted back then.
She has a case here. Peter made all the decisions, insisted Connie did not work, was jealous of any man she spoke to. That’s horribly mean.If by that Lynn meant he insisted on being in charge, I suppose he was. If he'd allowed himself to be dominated like John or Greg, he'd have been a dandy fellow.
No mention of Elly or Anne with Connie’s divorce in the Who’ Who. It looks like Connie handled it on her own and then invited Elly to move near her.Based on what we've seen, Elly obviously defines helping Connie as rubbing salt in the wounds.
DreadedCandiru2It is to Lynn; remember, Pete is a stand-in for all the men she dated in between husbands who objected to raising Aaron.-
That could be the modern version of it. Originally, Pete was a stand-in for her first husband, who abandoned her in a very Pete-like fashion.
If by that Lynn meant he insisted on being in charge, I suppose he was. If he'd allowed himself to be dominated like John or Greg, he'd have been a dandy fellow. -
That could be true. That was the big comparison / contrast between Anthony Caine and Paul Wright. Paul Wright didn’t drop everything and drive across Ontario to be with Liz during her 4 month long trial, whereas Anthony was there the whole time, more than willing to abandon his job and his daughter for Liz.
Based on what we've seen, Elly obviously defines helping Connie as rubbing salt in the wounds.-
It was the same way when Elly “helped” Gordon with his abusive father, Candace with her abusive step-father, April to deal with Kortney Krelbutz’s threats, and of course Iris with Grandpa Jim.
Look at today’s new-run strip of For Better or For Worse. Lynn Johnston has finally sat down and read Beth Cruikshank’s story about the background of Connie, where she tied in Pablo and Pete to Connie’s life.This is exactly the thought I had when I read this. LJ is finally clued in to what Beth wrote in the liography, and this strip is meant to reconcile strip continuity with liography continuity.
Of course, no one has bothered to fix Beth's error of putting Elly and Connie next door to one another right away. Connie lived across the street in the place the Enjos would one day buy. Then Connie ultimately bought Thelma Baird's house, next door to the Pattermanse. But you already knew that. It's Beth who can't be arsed to notice/care.
Anthony was there the whole time, more than willing to abandon his job and his daughter for Liz. He was also compelled via his subpoena to appear in court--a tiny subtlety lost on Elly and John.
This is great. Now we know that Pablo was indeed Lawrence's father, to whom Connie was never married, and Pete was Connie's first husband. We can be sure of this ... at least until the next time Lynn forgets this information.
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