Trouble in Paradise

Now Paul, I know it's unfathomable, but not everyone is dying to live next to your family in Hoboken. And people actually do live in New York City.

But to be fair, Lu Ann, it's considered gauche to discuss your future during your first 3 dates, or during a proposal on your fourth date at his family reunion. You can't possibly have expected him to bring it up earlier.

But I can't believe the engagement might fall apart already. I thought for sure it would last longer than their relationship, at least a few weeks.

Whatever You Want

Where is this money coming from, Paul? Property in New Jersey (especially so close to Manhattan) isn't cheap, no matter how the real estate market is trending. Still, there are scads of people lined up to buy this house... gotta move fast in real estate. I can just imagine the MLS Property Listing.

You will fall in love with this neighborhood!!!!!! And house. Charming two(-ish) story (faux) colonial in the heart of Hoboken. Less than five minutes from public transportation, Wawa, Mrs. Linski. Community laundry, carpooling, and chocolate chip cookies available next door.

On a positive note, I'm kind of in love with those warm brown line drawings of the houses. And you'd have to click on the image to see this, but I think they're coloring the leaves on the trees using a stroke instead of a fill? Pretty sophisticated techniques for our colorists, who just last week made Ruby's hair barf-colored.

Moving on Up

I just took the initiative and made a major life decision without consulting you! Surprise! At least he bought at a time of historically low interest rates. Is this going to be the straw that breaks this relationship's back? Lu Ann looks somewhat pleased with herself in the final panel. "All I've ever wanted is a man to decide that we're living the rest of our lives together in Hoboken, right next to his family."

On a Block in New Jersey

OH SNAP, Lu Ann is going to have to live on the Linski Compound!! Good twist. But um, what happened to that sweet little murder shack you were going to fix up, Paul? Isn't dad worried about your spending so much money? Maybe the murder shack will be Lu Ann's artist studio. You know, for when Lu Ann feels like getting away from it all/the vise-like grip of the Linski clan.

Under Pressure

Meanwhile, at 3-G... Margo, after taking a break from being Margo, bravely continues to be Margo. How does she know about the surprise family proposal? It didn't seem like Lu Ann went into too much detail as she was running out the door to shout her betrothal from the rooftops/Ruby's apartment.

Anyway, it's nice to see Margo's back to her old judgy self, but she's going to be too busy with Q Bee to interfere with the wedding much. I'm with Megan, let's get that storyline cracking again! Tommie, you're dismissed, you may leave the apartment. Give legendary producer Hobo Dan Diller our regards.

The Wedding Planner

I forgot that Ruby was Lu Ann's cousin. "I'd love to help! I've been spending a lot of time in my apartment, making my own hair bows, just letting life pass me by."

I wonder what the theme is going to be? White bows or pink? A wedding planning storyline is going to be boring. Where's that Queen Bee?

Family Ties

I do love him. I mean, I know it's totally out of left field and I barely know him. I do love him. My gut reaction was to say no. But, really, I do love him. I do. Why are you looking at me like that?

Is anyone else concerned that this is leading up to some horrible big reveal, and it will turn out that Paul's mom really is Lu Ann's biological mom, who gave her up long ago to some ice queen of an adopted mom? I mean, they're running out of ways to dispense with love interests, aren't they? And, while this would be creepy, at least it (probably) wouldn't involve death.

The Return of Ruby!!

Well! Ruby. Well. Uh. Okay. So I get that you're acting out. You haven't been in the strip for over a year and last we left you, you were rejected by the professor, romping around with some degenerate named Lyle, and not getting a makeover from I Dressed in the Dark. But wearing pirate shirts and dying your hair strange barfy colors isn't the solution! You may get attention, but is it the attention you really want? Is it? ...No really, is it? Is this the kind of thing "Lyle" is into? Barfy pirate role playing? Cause..... gross.

Up On the Roof

Am I the only one concerned that Margo and Tommie have joined some sort of cult? The vacant expressions, generic best wishes, the switch to matching collarless white shirts? "We are very happy for you and wish you the best of luck because the Truth Imbibement that Leader renders us incapable of feeling any other way. We have to go now, there's a two for one sale on Hanes Her Way, and we'll need some spares before we go back to Jonestown"

Did Lu Ann literally mean that she was going to shout it from the rooftops? Where else could she be going? She already told her two only friends and the ENTIRE Linski clan witnessed it, so is there anyone left? Maybe Taser Lady? The mailman?

The Lovely Guy of Hoboken 3G

Lu Ann, you dummy! Margo can tell you're baiting her! She knows you want her to throw a hissyfit so you'll have to come to Paul's defense! Now instead she's going to play it cool and congratulate you, causing you question whether you liked Paul so much just because Margo didn't. Which is all well and good but I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HISSYFIT, and I'm afraid you ruined it.

P.S. None of this upstages the fact that Paul is "a lovely guy."

Glad Tidings to Me!

"Both of you? You're both going to wish me luck simultaneously? And you both think this is a great idea and we're made for each other and you're not going to criticize me? Great! Well, I've got to be off, I've got a big day at the gallery thinking up more flowers to paint, I'll see you all later, byyyyyye!"

Notice the ring is sparkling again. Once Margo opens her mouth, that rock's gonna collapse like a bad souffle.

Top of the Morning

"Oh Lu Ann, you're back! Now you can hear my wonderful and super important Queen Bee news!" Obviously, Margo didn't notice Lu Ann fidgeting with her pajamas/morning blouse with her ringed left hand. Seriously, do any of these people own clothes without a collar? A crew neck? Perhaps a mock turtle? A Nehru collar? Margo's look in the final panel is priceless. "How could you possibly have something to say that is more important than my meeting with the Queen! And when you announce it, I will be sure to verbally beat down your hopes and dreams"

This is an appropriate visual for what is about to befall Lu Ann when she tells Margo the good news:

Upstaged

Leave it to Margo to upstage Lu Ann. Yeah yeah Lu Ann, you're marrying some twit from Hoboken with an unusually close family... that's great, but I'm going to meet tons of celebrities.

Man, I can't wait to meet all the knockoff celebrities who are bound to appear in the strip flexing their creative muscles. Eye-Y and his wife Sasha Mildly Aggressive. Maroon Johnson. London Marriott Residence Inn. The possibilities are endless.

Good News

Oh. Man. I can't wait until tomorrow when Margo discloses her modest piece of good news ("I slept for eight consecutive hours last night" or "It's been weeks since I've had a hangnail") and Lu Ann, unable to contain herself any longer, bursts through her bedroom door like it's made out of plywood and screams "IhavegoodnewstooI'M GETTING MARRIED!!" in as excited and dramatic fashion as when she found out she was going to South Dakota. Then of course Margo will deconstruct her good news into bite-size chunks of wounded pride and desperation. As she will!

Speaking of which, I can't believe it's taken me this long to ponder, but are they really living in a three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, or are two of them doubling up? I like to think of Tommie and Lu Ann having bunk beds.

Sparklefire

Lu Ann, your internal monologue is so poetically overwrought. My diamond sparkles like fire? Fire only sparkles if you've taken a healthy dose of LSD or peyote (Disclaimer: Don't try that at home kids). She certainly looks as if she's on something in the second panel, something to make her have crazy eyes and an evil smirk.

I'd really like her to wake up Margo with the exciting news, just to see Margo decapitate Lu Ann using the facet of her sparkly diamond. Tommie's probably nursing/starring in the play/still in a recording session with Hobo Dan.

The Crowd Begins to Chant...

Started writing this post before I saw Megan's below, but since there's almost less than nothing to say about today's strip, I'll just post what I had already written.


Hi everyone, Maggie here with the Saturday to Monday beat. Most of the time, I skip Sunday; it's usually a bland rehash of the not-so-interesting things that have happened earlier that week. Plus, everyone looks even whiter in the Sunday strips. So let's skip Sunday and just check out Saturday and Monday, shall we?

Saturday September 10, 2011Monday, September 12, 2011

Oh, sure, I get i--guh-HUNHHH??! I have to read Sunday to see whether Lu Ann accepted Paul's proposal or awkwardly stood there not saying anything until people started to disperse? Fine.

You gotta love those sweet, thoughtful Linskis, all dressed exactly alike, all chanting in unison (except for Dilton Doiley nudging his way in over to the side). Do you imagine the chanting in a deep, numb tone or high and shrill? I'm suddenly sensing a pod people/Stepford wives angle here. Nevertheless, for all her misgivings, Lu Ann has enthusiastically accepted Paul's proposal. Yay! Now, how, where and why will this go wrong?

Not sure what to say about the 9/11 tribute, which is shoe-horned in, but with obvious good intent. For a strip set in New York City, but with very few actual references to the city itself, it seems appropriate. Still, could the colorists have put a little extra effort into the American flag?? Crikey.

Sunday Roundup

Whoa, you take off a few days from the old blog and things start happening! Which is shocking, because nothing usually happens. Without further ado:

Friday, September 9th

Oh yes, it's obviously the old "joke proposal at the family reunion" routine. But Paul looks so serious! And Lu Ann looks like she is preparing to bolt in the night, or at least inch her way closer to that fence so that she can hide behind it.

Saturday, September 10th

I think the second panel is the funniest panel in a long time, possibly since nigh on Bobbie Merrill times. The panicked head bobble, combined with the "I wish I could be anywhere but here" stare off into the distance. It's priceless, and it should be like a Zales commercial or something.

Sunday, September 11th

Whoa! Mags, I thought you said nothing ever happens in the Sunday strip? Apparently, the uncertainty in the two previous strips was Lu Ann's rational brain trying to put the kibash on the happiness her heart desires. Or maybe it's just group think? There are a lot of yes men around. I don't know if she is happy about it or not, but as of this strip Lu Ann Powers is officially affianced. Even the disembodied head of Waldo is rooting for these two crazy kids. Margo is going to be super pissed off about this!

One of Us!

I was willing to give Paul the benefit of the doubt. Sure, he came across as kind of creepy and overbearing at times, but he did seem sufficiently horrified at his dad's "prize" in yesterday's strip. But now he is just downright scary. Like Norman Bates scary. Congratulations, Lu Ann, your prize is a chloroform-soaked rag. Your head bobble can't save you. When you wake up, you will be married to Paul. Don't ask any questions, it's all totally legal in New Jersey.

Ouch.

Side Blush

Kudos to Anonymous for nailing the head-bobble inducing prizes. Although, I would have expected an interrobang after prizes, that's par for the course for a head bobble. I'm not going to lie, I now want to give out family prizes. Although mine won't be as quaint and polite as the Linski awards. Mine would be more along the line of "Blackest Sheep", "Most Disappointing" and "Best Display of the Family Overbite".

Now, I'm a little confused as to the coloring in this strip. In the second panel, there is a random pink bath towel/or a shutter, yet Lu Ann's blush in the final panel makes her look like Ambrose Burnsides. Maybe it's not pink because she's not really blushing, she looks more like she's crying on the inside.

Deep Impact

A falling star? Or an asteroid crashing to Earth that will decimate life as we know it? Too bad Paul doesn't realize that Lu Ann has fallen in love with his family/back porch swing and merely thinks of him as a real swell guy. Hopefully, he's able to take the inevitable heartbreak in stride and find a girl that Gramma Rose would really approve of.

Just the Two of You

Oh my gosh oh my gosh. Are the Linski's throwing Lu Ann a surprise engagement party?? What a family. It'll be a tiny bit sad when Paul proposes and Lu Ann gets flummoxed and turns him down and runs away and passes Rose Linski and the Family Band hiding behind a bush, fully expecting to strike up "Here Comes the Bride," buuuut... won't that also be pretty awesome?

More Linski Fun

No, she's just making sure that her great-grandchildren will be well-fed, and figures this bimbo has no idea how to cook. Especially after talking to her for a few minutes.

I'm also not sure how it's sweet to jump on a complete stranger with a load of personal questions, but if that is, then I must be like, a saint or something.