Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 26, 2018

Oh, won’t Leslie like this: his stepsister and his step-cousin seeing each other.

I wonder if Tiffany’s ringtone is complicated by Avril Lavine?

Tiff and all her men problems!!!!

Eiffel Tower.

In an ideal world, Tiffany will be with Gunther at the bachelor pad.

Those two are going to cancel each other out with Tiffany. Oh boy…………

Triangle? ✨

Tiffany is pretty smart. She remembers how Les showing interest in Rosa got Gunther to give Rosa the kiss of her life. She is thinking that if she makes it appear that Les is interested, Gunther will break out of his shell once again and ride in like a knight in shining armour, swoop her off her feet, and save her from the evil Les.

Oh, yeah, they ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.

While on the phone, Tiff hears knock knock at the door – and it’s Jack with flowers.

Actually in this arc, it looks like Tiffany will visit Les & Gunther at the guest house. We recall Gunther didn’t do very well at Irma’s dinner table when Tiffany was a guest – however this time Les is likely to overplay his hand – so I’m not taking bets here.

I can’t recall that Pru knows Gunther at all, so she is very encouraging for Les to invite Tiffany. Pru has been around more than the younger characters, and she means well, but does not have more than her share of radar.

Well finally. After weeks of discussion/debate/conjecture here about dropping Tiffany into the middle of Gunther and Les’s little world, here we are. Don’t let us down, Greg. Not another cliffhanger or half-baked plot line that doesn’t really go anywhere. This has so much potential. I’ve got the popcorn popped and the beer is cold, so let’s go for a ride.

Watch out, TeaFanny. The price of the Greg Special has gone up by a penny since yesterday. Inflation, I guess. (It will likely go on sale after the first of the year.)

Gunther’s Mom married Les’s uncle. Don’t know how family trees work in your burg, but that doesn’t make them stepbrothers. Mr. Gray is his stepdad so his (step) dad’s NEPHEW would be his (step) cousin.

And Les was so worried about things getting complicated!

I have an idea this is also going to be painful to watch. Another train wreck in slo-mo.

You can’t spell “Luann” without “drama”!

Time for the popcorn

Too late Les! Missed your chance. You snooze, you lose. ;p

Sleek loses out to the geek?

Where is Mordock when you need him? He’s been talking about this moment for months. He’s probably passed out from caffeine overload after seeing today’s turn of events.

I see some jealousy coming between both of them!

Now this made me laugh

Here’s how I see this part of the strip becoming. Tiff’s dad and Ann get married. Then Tiff and Gunther become step-siblings which makes them closer because they are now family. Kinda like Gunther needing someone besides his mom and Tiff needing someone besides her neglectful father

Aside the drama with her father, Tiffany’s life (with Gunther) seems pretty good and promises a lot of happiness♥ Les’s life, on the other hand…

I am rooting for Gunther.

Okay.

And so the Long Dreaded Day is NOW upon Us.

“Ragnarok.”

“The Twilight of the gods.”

“D-Day.”

“Judgement Day.”

“Black Friday.”

“The War of the Churls.” (In Le$’ Case, anyway)

The first question is: Who will invite Tiffany to the Gulag first? I’d like to think that Gunther just beat Le$ to it. However, I find it concerning that Tiff is putting Gunther on hold to talk to Le$ as opposed to taking note of the call and getting back to him later. I’m hoping that Tiff will tell Le$ tomorrow that Gunther has already invited her. Unfortunately, an INFURIATED Le$ is gonna make DAMN sure He’s there when Tiffany shows up. And If You think “Mr. Warmth” was MAD at Gunther yesterday, then We AIN’T seen nothing yet. The Second Question is: Who will win the Battle of Tiffany? Personally I think Gunther May win the “Battle” this Arc, but ultimately LOSE the “War.” I think Le$ and Tiff will be an “item” whether We like it or not. At least for a little while. Team Evans has spent too much time and effort since last Year’s Berger Family Dinner Arc, to let that pass. And Gunther will reluctantly and graciously concede that fact accept it. But THAT won’t stop Le$ from turning into “Dirk” and rubbing his relationship with Tiffany in Gunther’s face every chance he gets, because I think Gunther’s friendship with Tiffany will remain solid, and Le$ ain’t gonna like it.The "Wild Card, as fathergod mentioned above is: “What if Ann and Tom get married?” THAT, I think is a distinct possibility and it would be a quick and easy solution to the “Gunther Vs Le$ for Tiffany.” No need to fight over Tiffany anymore because she is now “family.” I Really, Really, REALLY wanna see a Thanksgiving Dinner at the Grays, with Ann and Her new Hubby Tom invited. I don’t think We’ve met Gunther’s soulmate yet. I hope she’s waiting around the corner. I hope she’s attractive, and brilliant. AND I hope She’s Fun. Gunth could use someone Fun in his life, and that ain’t Rosa. Sorry, #1.

Aaaaand… The luaniverse explodes.

Am I the only one thinking Tiff is being rude to cut off her conversation with one person to talk to the other? Hit ignore and call them back when you’re done.

Both Les and Gunther are friends of Tiffany, she thinks of them both that way. They both are concerned about her, and have been comforting to her. Neither has shown HER romantic interest yet. It appears that Pru is encouraging Les to show HIS romantic interest in Tiffany. Will that set off a competition between them both for Tiffany’s attention, and maybe romance? We know how Les looks at Gunther, and the feeling is mutual. However does that necessarily mean that a romantic contest is about to ensue? I am not convinced yet.

And here it is (or maybe not). This has been a setup for a year or more (Greg time) and still still shows plenty of ambiguity! Is Gunther at Tiff’s pad? T at G’s pad? Is G only on the phone with T (most likely)? Greg took the time to draw an image on T’s phone; who is it?

Given GnK’s propensity to draw (no pun) things out, this is likely to be only a skirmish, not the all-out war. IF there is even to be one. Recall that the all-out war between Brad and Dirk over Toni never really materialized.

“Ruh – Row !!"

How many ambiguous relationships can Luannverse handle?

Brad & Toni are looking for a house. Why? Contemplating kids? Their own or Shannon?

On 13SEP2017 Bernice became aware that Luann had a new friend named Tara. Her expression hinted she took it as a potential threat to her BFF status.

We’re all painfully aware of the Luann/Jack/Tara mélange. Who can predict what GnK have in store.

Then there’s Pru and Who?

GnK prove to be Master Jugglers!

4

Hmm. Perhaps I am feeling overly curmudgeonly this morning, but I was really hoping this week’s arc was not going to migrate into the Gunther/Tiffany/Les relationship triangle. But, alas, it was only a pipe dream.

I would have rather learned more about Les (or Pru) sans Gunther & Tiffany this week. Not that I think the relationship between Gunther/Tiffany/Les should be abandoned…. it is just that there has been so much ephemeral “romancy-relationshipy” stuff the last few weeks,, I was really more in the mood for a non-romancy arc for a bit longer before we ventured back to this.

Oh well, I will still hang on for the ride and see where Greg leads us this time.

So! Let’s review the bidding on the current strip. We all know where Tiff stands. She’s hurting, vulnerable, feeling alone and isolated. Acting out the “old” Tiff; i.e., any guy relationship is better than no guy relationship. Who can forget the off the shoulder ploy directed at Les during the List confrontation. He chose the list. Les has been portrayed as having an unwholesome (dare we say prurient) interest in Tiff at The Dinner and willing to form an alliance with her when it seemed to be to his advantage with Eiffel confrontation. Gunther has been portrayed in several ways (re Tiff). Libidinally in the salamander project. Caring friend without libidinal overtones in the “Tiffany Rescue From Herself” episode. Protector from Les’ after the dinner meeting. Did he see the dinner invite as a date with Tiff? And then there was the strange Les/Tiff/Gunth encounter at the Ann Eiffel planning meeting. When Tiff left and said “See you later,” Les responded BUT Gunther said, in a raised voice, “She was talking to me.”

If I’m reading this right Gunther is somewhere between Jack and Les on the Tiffany relationship meter. Looks like he’s being portrayed as having a “let’s let the relationship grow” attitude. Somehow, I just don’t think GnK intent to portray Gunther as rolling over and giving this up to Les. But we’ll see. This has a Loooooong way to go. IMHO.

Am I the only reader left who doesn’t despise Gunther?

Well, the problem between Tiffany and Gunther was always that a pairing was absurdly inappropriate. Do you expect Gunther to court and marry (yes, he would probably expect to “court” her) a shallow ignoramus, even if reformed since high school? And if you do, would you expect Gunther to be happy in the marriage?

Tiffany is looking thinner…

“There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat.”

William Shakespeare

Oooooh, this is going to to interesting…

Guess what Loser Les, Tiffany’s already at the bachelor pad, with Gunther!

Bring back skinny Tiffany

Les and Tiffany together? Yeah, go ahead and put the two most dysfunctional people in a relationship. Oh. And let them even have a kid.

Too late. Already Complicated.

“Put A Ringtone On It”

“The Ten Digit Discounting”

“The Interruption Of Mount Krack-A-Knuckle”

“Contact Negotiations”

“The Timing Of Our Lives”

or

“A Full Plate….Hold The Berger”

I had a feeling there was something sparking between Tiffany & Gunther, even if neither of them fully recognized it.

And so it begins…

“There is no problem so complicated that it cannot be made yet MORE complicated!” – and we’re about to see this principle in action.

So technically if Tiff’s dad marries Ann, Gunther and Tiffany will be related? Someone needs to make a family tree.

At first, I thought Gunther might be in Tiffany’s suite, but she’s fully clothed, so he must also be on the phone. Crap. Come on Gunther, you won’t ever be nominated for the Supreme Court, let’s see some action.

tomorrow: The Phone Call, stage 2.

cue the ominous music

I hope to see Tiff lose those excess pounds, but I’m beginning to wonder if Greg will ever allow her to! As for the Les-Gunther-Tiffany Triangle, well, it can’t be more ominous than the Bermuda Triangle, right?

OOOOoooOOOoooooooOOOooooh!!!!!!

Do not like the word triangle being used in the same sentence with Tiffany, Gunther, and Les. Les is a creepazoid, Gunther has to rehearse his own name before he can even introduce himself, and, think what you want, but Tiffany is too good for either of them.

Felix and Oscar chasing the same chubby chic…

And now the drama begins as Les and Gunther compete for Tiffany.