Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for May 30, 2017

How do you people get your comments on here so fast?

You tell us. Yo were here first.

What? Gunter and Tiffany friends? Uh-huh.

A lot of visual indicators in the last panel. Tiff’s sweater is slowly creeping up her shoulders and the flowers Gunther brought are starting to drop petals. Tiff looks like she is wilting faster than the flowers..

Since Leslie will be there, perhaps Tiff will decide to throw Gunther over for Leslie.

I certainly hope that Tiffany doesn’t get interested in Les!

Don’t go overboard with the charm, Gunth.

People grow and change.

They will be a dynamic trio with something in common. Gunther’s dad is gone, Leslie’s Dad was a cop who was shot, and there has only ever been a mention of Tiff’s dad, no mom.

Most likely, Tiffany will represent the evening to Luann and Jack as a hot date spent partying into the night.

Gunther’s plan seems ill-advised. Does he really want his mother and Les to inquire into his relationship with Tiffany? (I doubt Mr. Gray cares.) Gunther probably could have gotten excused from the dinner with Mr. Gray and Les if he had any legitimate activity to keep him away, whether involving Tiff or not.

“Hot date?” This development is totally retrograde. There’s not much encouragement here for those who want these two to hit it off.

I once thought it would be nice if they hit it off, because Tiffany could expand Gunther’s horizons. But obviously, Gunther is just not getting it, so nothing’s changed. He just wanted an escort to a disastrously boring event.

… On second thought … Is there a possibility of some development between Tiffany and Les?

Gunther better have his trusty backpack ready…

He still hasn’t manned up enough to tell his mother that he’s not coming to these dinners?

I am KICKING MYSELF! I know that there is that monthly dinner at the Berger’s house, so why didn’t i recall that might be the set-up?

At least i am in good company. No one else here seems to have recalled that fact yesterday, either.

And here i was so happy w myself for remembering the fat fingers plot set-up over a soace of weeks…

Anyway, everyone who guessed seemed to figure this would be a Tiffany and Gunther arc, but no one guessed that rather than a date they would be heading to the monthly dinner.

At least Gunther won’t feel neglected this time.

Gunther? This “Inviting Tiff to dinner with a Guy who HARASSED Her High School,” is so BAD on so many Different Levels, that I DON’T Know WHERE to Begin….,

Gunther needs to learn to tell Mom, nicely, that he’s not coming to these awkward, unbearable, enmeshment dinners anymore. Being independent and learning to assert yourself with your parents is a big part of growing up, Gunth!

Leslie harassed Tiffany back in high school, along with Rosa. Tiffany shook it off I think, Gunther whacked Leslie with his backpack when it involved Rosa. The historians can more clearly describe when and the events. So having dinner at his house with Leslie being there ought to be very interesting. Gunther’s motives are mixed, but romance does not seem to have emerged. He is not enough in touch with those kinds of feelings to know that he might have an opportunity with Tiffany. Not doing this however. Tiffany is sad, having to accept this as her so-called “hot” date, that I feel very sorry for her. She is really quite lonely. But she is kind also helping Gunther out although as much as I hate to, I have to agree with Eddie Haskell here, it is self-serving. However, lets hold up on make judgments on what Greg is up too here. Trying to figure that out is like trying to bet on the Bears, love of the team skews and objective analysis.

Again with the two comments: I mean, ED, that Gunther is being self-serving, not Tiffany. Please give these two a break of some kind Greg!

I remember Rosa trying, in vain, to teach Gunther about dating. He tried to take her home at 9PM the night of the prom. Now he’s subjecting Tiffany to an awkward situation at his house. I’m seriously worried that Gunther is never going to grow up.

I wonder why Tiffany agreed. She doesn’t seem so hot about hanging out with Gunth and his family, does it have something to do with Les….

How will the evening go?

Gunther’s mom: So, you’re Tiffany. I have heard so much about you.

Tiffany: All good I hope.

Gunther’s mom: This is Mr. Gray and I think you know Leslie.

Leslie: Are you gay or straight? I can’t tell anymore with girls.

Tiffany: I am here with Gunther.

Leslie: I get you.

Mr. Gray: Someone’s torn out half the flowers in your garden. Leslie!!?

Leslie: Come on! I don’t do everything bad that happens.

Mr. Gray: It would be better for you if you just confessed.

Gunther: I took them, mom, to give to Tiffany.

Gunther’s mom: That was a nice thing to do for Tiffany, to take my flowers to give to her. Especially without asking me. That was a sweet thing to do. Don’t you agree, Tiffany?

Tiffany: Ulp! Gunther is a sweet guy. Do you want the flowers back?

Gunther’s mom: Oh no. Anything Gunther gives is a gift from me. As your flowers wilt and die and suffer a horrible, painful death, I hope you will think about me. Don’t you agree dear?

Tiffany: I hear my phone ringing. Hello! What? Mom is in the hospital. I’ll be right there. Sorry. I need to leave.

Gunther: Tiffany?

Gunther’s mom: That is surprising.

Mr. Gray: Why is that?

Gunther’s mom: Tiffany appears to be one of the smartest girls that Gunther has ever dated.

Leslie: I hear my phone ringing. Hello!

Mr. Gray: Don’t even think about it, Leslie.

This episode is prompting me to make some predictions about the future of the strip.

First, I don’t think Gunther will ever hit it off with anyone, as much as I’ve often wanted him to. If the Evanses intended to take him there, they wouldn’t have pulled this one.

Second, I don’t think that Luann, Bernice, or Tiffany will ever hit it off with Jack, Nil, Piro, Gunther, or Leslie. If any of the girls get into a serious relationship it will be with someone other than these. All this horsing around has just been to generate strip footage.

There is a kitchen… I assume the kids are home from the university as there is no kitchen in a frosh dorm room.

Everyone is assuming that the reason Gunther is going to these monthly dinners is just that he hasn’t grown up enough to tell his mother that he isn’t going to do that. But I suspect that he’s going because he still is overly possessive of his mother and thinks he can prevent a relationship between her and Mr. Gray if he’s at the dinner. I think he’s wrong about that…

@CAPRICORN9TH: Tiffany doesn’t like in a dorm room. She has what is called a ‘suite’. Some dorms are now built that way to attract students who might otherwise not go to the school because they don’t want to live in the type of dorm that I lived in when I was in college…

This is the cartoon strip of a sadistic artist who doesn’t allow his characters to have any happiness. Is it possible that Greg actually hates his little paper people? Or does he just like to taunt his readers? Revolt, Gunther, rip off your coat and tie and go at it with Tiff. What can happen? At the pace this strip takes, Tiff could get pregnant, but it would take the next 9 years for her to deliver. In the meantime, Greg can continue to go around letting the air out of everybody’s tires, and sticking pins in little kids’ balloons.

Gunther is worse off than I thought. I can’t believe he doesn’t expect Les to hit on Tiffany. This development could go beyond sad. However hopefully another twist is lurking. Will Les show up with Pru? (both dates being a sympathy favor).

I’ve got my hands over my ears: With four surly faces sitting around the table, Ma Berger will exclaim, “Isn’t this fun!!!”

Tiffany must really be desperate for company to agree to this dinner date. She will have a terrible time with that group. It will make her think worse of Gunther to see him around his mommy, his enemy and Mr. Gray.

Is Mr. Gray instituting a dress code? A family dinner at home wearing a suit?

Wow, Gunther! Way to “push the finer points of this event”! You’d probably be the first person to be unsuccessful in selling sunlight and rain to a plant!

-

“Well, Mrs. Rhoda Dendron, hope you enjoy the photosynthesis! Just make sure you don’t get burned or tanned too unevenly! And I know you love the dark and wet climates…but I hope you’ll be sure to get a scuba tank, so that you don’t drown in all the torrents- and just be careful, with all that scary and endless dark, and watch out for any of the cloudy days!"

The movies, guess whos coming to dinner and Titanic had less potential for disaster.

“Lions, Tigers And Unbearables”

“Meal, And My Shadow” (♬)

“Tiffany, An Agent Of Shielding”

“My Lone Candle, In A Room Full Of Dim Bulbs”

“Help Me Run The Full Course”

“…For All The Tea, In Fine China”

“Salesman Of The Leap Year”

“Poor Favor?”

“A Wild Pitch”

“Time-share In A Bottle” (♬)

“A Gamble, With Tough Steaks”

“Now With 35% Less Anxiety”

“A De-pressing Engagement”

“Eyes That Can See Through Dread”

“That Day Will Be Partly Sunny”

or

“Beef With Everyone…It’s What’s For Dinner”

Does Quill skip out on these monthly dinners, even though he still lives in the Berger home (doesn’t he)? Does his absence indicate that he is now a disposable character who simply vanishes for months or years at a time (like Luann’s previous suitor Elwood), even though he presumably still has contact with this people?

I realize that everyone is supposed to despise Tiffany, but either she is willing to spend an evening with Gunther, Mom B., Mr. Gray, and Leslie Knox (which sounds like the dictionary definition of “awkward”) because she is otherwise so lonely, or else she is willing to be miserable for an evening just because she actually is a good friend to socially clumsy Gunther. Either way, it makes her seem like a truly sympathetic character. She will have to be shown as doing something particularly mean and selfish next week to atone for this behavior and maintain the “Boo, hiss!” role to which she is consigned in the strip.

Even though Gunther has attended Moony for over a year now, his only real friend (maybe his only friend at all) at the university is someone he knew in high school. Is anyone really surprised?

Obviously Gunther warned Tiffany in advance this was a dinner at his mother’s house. She thinks enough of Gunther and maybe even feels like she ‘owes’ it to him to go to this dinner with him. Who knows, maybe it will turn out better for both of them than expected. Once they leave Mom’s house.

He wears a suit for dinner at home with Mom? He’s turning back into the “Old Gunther”.

Wonder if Rosa is out of the story permanently, or if she will show up in a couple of years with a few babies and her mountain dweller husband?

Will you guys just forget about Rosa already? She’s history. She’s not coming back. Deal with it. ;p

I suspect that Tiffany will defend Gunther’s honor in a duel of words with Les.

check the week starting Sept 24, 2012 for Les /Tiffany previous meeting

Hmmm … Tiffany, the lying, scheming, conniving, bragging, vain, shallow, stupid bimbo is doing another unsung favor for a loser guy who needs help. First it was the homeless Piro who needed a place to say over the semester break, and now it’s as a fifth wheel to prop up the man-boy with Mommy issues. And she seems to do it un-self-consciously. Everybody loves Luann because little kids like her, but nobody in the strip appreciates Tiff helping losers who need help.

5

Interesting, albeit sad, developments today. Thoughts and/or questions I am pondering include:

1. Did Gunther only “ask” Tiffany out because he needed a buffer for the monthly dinner that he hates or did he actually WANT to ask Tiffany out and he thinks the monthly dinner is (in addition to help for him) a sort of real first date… with him having an anticipation of (in the utterly unlikely event this goes well) that he would then ask her out on another date that would not be the monthly dinner?

2. Did Tiffany initially agree for the dinner date with anticipation that it would be out and about somewhere and would be fun…. or did Tiffany know from the get-go that it was for a monthly dinner obligation Gunther had? It seems that Tiffany’s initial “lukewarm” greeting of Gunther indicates she knew it was going to be the “monthly dinner”, but it would be interesting to know how the invitation transpired.

3. The previous “monthly dinner” was not so formal (Gunther was not in a suit). Was the change in dress because Gunther is “trying” to show his “best” for Tiffany, or is the suit/tie some sort of new “mandate” from either Mrs. Berger or Mr. Gray?

4. It appears that Tiffany is truly being altruistic here (the monthly dinner would be horrific). But, with the lukewarm “Gunth” greeting from yesterday…. does Tiffany actually have any romantic feelings for Gunther (and may express them on a “better” date or has she decided she has no romantic feelings for Gunther and it really would not matter where they go or what they do?

That is a great question set!

Why is Gunthie dressed just like Mr Gray? And who wears a dorky suit to eat at home?

I think everything going on with Gunth and Tiff have been a setup for future romance. Meaning after this dinner, Tiff will tell Gunth about how awkward some dinners are at her dad’s place and it will give them both a better understanding of who they are

Never thought of Gunther as a user before, this changes my whole perspective.

The Tiffster is still ruminating over her “loss” to Luann in the matter of Jack’s bouquet, and so she doesn’t pick up on Gunther’s words in panel 2: “…a friend….” But if she were in a less agitated state, she might recall that she got along with Gunther well when they studied together, and she might resolve to help him with his monthly distress (and here you thought that was a women’s issue)!

Per 2 hours agoPredictions (short term) as of Noon.

Time is short so i have to rely on you others, PLEASE, not only to congratulate people who get things right, but also to help me know what predictions were made.

Tiffany interested in Les: brd, sallymargaret, then others a lot later

Les wants to insert a wedge btwn friends T&G due to grudge: me

Tiffany defends Gunth: Pipe and much later Lady4444

Tiffany pretends to be dating Gunth: Pipe

Tiffany later describes night as a hot date to L&J: yourpoint

Les asks Tiff out: Gromit

T&L each try to take advantage of e other: Wizardgoat

Elaborate selection: howthe

Pru invited by Les as friend: KenH

All others surly and Mrs. B chirps “Isn’t this fun!”: KenH

Gunther undermines Tiff’s opinion of him: Locake

The opposite of that prediction once they leave: Outside

THAT’S why Tiff is a little less than thrilled. Dinner at his Mom’s? Oh come on Gunth. Maybe Thanksgiving. Take her to SeaWorld or the Wild Animal Park and have some fun! I think that’s the kind of date Tiffany would go for. It would be a safe date for Gunther too, not a lot of pressure. They kinda sorta live in an alternate reality San Diego don’t they? ComiCon exists in their world and it seems to be close by.

WIZARDGOAT, have they been hiring your services:

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/morocco-argan-oil-trees-spitting-goats?

Gunther creates anxiety for himself before there is any demonstrated need.. e.g. feeling like he needs to wear a suit and tie just to have dinner with his mom and her friend or to invite someone to go along is his way of making an event into more than it really is.

Please do not have Leslie and Tiffany hook up. That would spell the end of her evolvement into a deeper person. How about the next, long, story arch is about Tiffany and Gunther getting together and learning more about one another.

I am very impressed with how well Tiffany contains her overwhelming enthusiasm.

WHATAGURL!

10-to-1 Les makes a pass at Tiff … Tiff rejects (again) … But will Gunther score??!! (Well, maybe not this time.)

Tiff and Les = great team

Well, Tiffany is right – sounds like a dreadful evening.

This is the most pathetic non-date ever! I don’t blame Tiffany for not being thrilled either.

SPOILER ALERT

.

Things (and faces) get uglier…