Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for November 17, 2018

Let’s hope steak knives don’t come with the meal.

oh, this is going to be a swell family lunch

“Honey, guess who I am about to marry.”

Uh oh. Ann Eiffel just used the F word!

Ha! I KNEW It! Tom brought along Ann Eiffel! Or more to the point, Ann rode along to protect her “investment.” You Gotta hand it to that Lady. She knows all the tricks, and she ain’t about to let Tiffany be alone with her “Fiancee,” so she can tell him the TRUTH. Or should that be “husband,” now?

The term “family” is quite telling. Either they ARE a “family” as of NOW or about to be one. I knew Tiff SHOULD have taken Les (or somebody) along for “backup.”

Speaking of “Hero,” Les, let Me throw this out there. Don’t You think that if Les truly cared about his “friend” Tiffany, that last Spring, when he blackmailed Ann, He would have added the condition that in order for her to get that list, that addition to clearing his debt, that she would also have to break up with Tom Farrell and leave town and NEVER return? Les had sufficient leverage at the time, and Ann wouldn’t have much of a choice. IF he’d had done THAT, he’d would have been a “hero” in Tiffany’s eyes and he would be actively “pounced” by her 24/7 rather than just talking about it.

Anyway this Arc is looking good. Let’s Hope Greg and Karen don’t pull a fast one and switch to another Arc Monday.

Tif, she’s your father’s problem, not yours.

A restaurant full of food seems like a dangerous place to test Tiffany’s resolve to let go of her Daddy issues.

Question: Will the feral Ann become Ann Farrell? Reminds me of an old song called "Wild Thing.

It appears that like Tiffany and Ann, Tom Farrell colors his hair (assuming that this is Tom Farrell with his back to us and the waiter just didn’t sit down at the table).

Ah Tom Farrell is the Charlie in Charlie’s Angels. Will he be just a voice in here? Will we ever see his face?

Seems like Mr. Brylcreem is a suave, debonair, urbane gentleman much like myself. I will have to withhold judgement until I can find out what he sees in that dangerous Annie VonCrap.

Again, all we see is the back of his head.

.

“Hi, Tiffany so glad to see you – please sit down with Ann and me, I want to bring you up to speed on what I have done. Ann has enlightened me and I have decided to join her ministry. I have given the ministry my entire fortune and all my worldly goods, so I am now free to devote my life to her and the ministry without the encumbrances of all those nasty material possessions and filthy cash. Money is the root of all evil, you know – Ann taught me that. I’ve never felt so light and free in my entire life. Of course, you will have to give up your room in the residence hall, and once this quarter is over, you will become a stronger person by getting a job and being more self sufficient rather than continuing to waste time in college – Ann thinks that is best, and as you know, she is quite successful, never having to attend college herself. I did cancel all your credit cards and your accounts with Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Souffle Lingerie. Your Porsche goes back at the end of the lease next month, but I know you have a lot of friends that can give you a ride. I know you will be happy for me as I have now found the true light through Ann, she has shown me the way. Since I no longer have the need for cash, you will have to pay for your own lunch, Ann is kind enough to provide for mine. She makes me so happy! And I want you to be more understanding of Ann. Ann thought it was a good idea for each of us to put anything bad that we did in the past and start anew, so I hope you will do the same and let her into your heart.”

Tiff put those claws back in.

Please, don’t have Tiffany say anything like what she was thinking. It will not work. Kill her with kindness, Tiff.

Tom Farrell: “Tiff say Hello to your new stepmother. Like she said, we’re all family now. Isn’t that great?”

Then Tiff, with her Darth Vader helmet-hair, can dye her hair black, get some black clothes and a respirator mask, and go find Les. I can see it now…..

“Lessssssss…..(wheeze wheeze)…I…am…..your…..STEP-SISTAHR……..(wheeze wheeze) :D:D ;D

Is this the first time we’ve ever seen Tiffany’s dad?

Perhaps Ann has bit Tom’s ear off.

He just couldn’t go to lunch with his daughter without Ann’s moral support.

Ann: Isn’t this nice. The family’s together. Tiffany: Really, where’s Les? Tom: Who’s Les?

By the way, do I detect a word hidden in the graphics on Tiffany’s leggings? One that had four letters, and probably conveys pretty accurately what’s going through her mind in the last frame?

“Tom Farrell Is Saving Face”

“Keeping Up Appearances”

“An Image To Protect”

“The Townsend-Wilson Act”

“Clandestination Unknown”

“Scenes In A Five Stare Restaurant”

“A La Carte Blanche”

“My Dinner With On-Dread”

“Par-Boiled For This Course”

“Let’s Table This Discussion”

“The Forks At The Rhodes”

“Concern For The Atmosphere”

“A Little Space Could Be The Finest Frontier”

or

“Dinner And Deserted”

Here’s what I want to see happen: Tiffany turns around and leaves. She quits school to take time figuring out what she wants to do, moves out to live on her own (or with a room mate), and completely cuts her dad (and by extension Anne) out of her life. She takes time to heal and to figure out herself as her own person.

I think it would do her good to get out of a toxic environment and having her do this could make for an interesting arc.

I really do want to see Tiffany grow. I mean real genuine growth. Its disappointing to not see that with the characters on this strip. Bernice and Gunter are still complete sticks in the mud, Leslie and Gunter are man-children, and I don’t know what Luann is trying to do.

Ann is apparently using some new meaning of the word “nice” that I was previously unaware of.

(Movie guy voice:) In a world, where faceless rich guys do whatever they can to make their gardiners keep their well-manicured topiaries from being ruined by evil weeds, or….something…..one day, you’re just a vapid aspiring actress and glam-head, and the next, you’re thrust into the role of a lifetime!… Saving your big, dum-dum Dad from the clutches of a notorious mastermind, bent on taking over…. uh, whatever her father does….

-

…And hopefully all just in the nick of time, to mail off a few hundred more glossies for that lazy bum of a publicist she has!

-

Starring Ann Eiffel, as the scheming, join-happy ‘connect and clutch’ fiend, “Ann- X”… Tom Farrell in a special…cameo…uh, appearance, as Tom Farrell, the sharp businessman with a limousine who doesn’t know when he’s being taken for a ride…. and…. Miss Tiffany Farrell, in her greatest role ever, starring in: “Fashion Cop II:Going On-The-Cover” ! Out next… Friday… -ish…

Are we going to meet Tom? Maybe sometime next week. > : /

Btw Anne, you are NOT family.

RED ALERT!! FULL POWER TO THE SHIELDS!! This one is going to be messy.

Tiffany should just state that marrying her father does not make her her daughter. “You may have married my father, but you’re NOT my mother!”

Give it up, Tiffany, he already made his choice and it’s not you. Cut the ties now.

Next week: Break Fast at Tiffany’s!

What truly amazes me is that Ann Eiffel has apparently never served any jail time, nor has anyone tried to kill her. Given her past, you would think one or the other would have happened to her by now.

Cue the spooky music.

Greg’s on the menu. I bet Tiff wishes she could get her hands on him about now!

If the “family’s together,” where is Leslie? Does Ann no longer consider Les to be her son? OR Has she invited Les to this shindig? Would Les come if Ann invited him?

This can all be solved by a clandestine phone call to Deputy Dawg.

I love Tiffany’s outfit.

How much more grief can GnC heap upon Tiff? She probably would like to get her hands around Greg’s neck right about now!

Finally… Where’s TeaFanny? I’m surprised (s)he hasn’t weighed in yet!

Sic her Tiff !!

On Monday the first Panel will be Ann saying, “That’s Ann Farrell, now.”

Preemptive strike

Not quite all the family, Tiff needs to call Les and get him down there to make it a complete family meal.

It’s Ann! Oh dear me, I’m suddenly feeling weak in the knees.

Family? Heifer, please…

Well!! Should have seen that coming! Very good. I agree though Les should figure in this picture somehow. Tiffany knows that Ann is his mom? Historians tell me. I have no idea how this will turn out. I hate seeing Tom Ferrell’s hairy black head, not his face. Still want to punch him in the face. Although has an adult he is entitled to love whomever he wants, but he needs to let his daughter know she is always first. “Family”? Ann you made a mess of Les, the poor guy is still trying to be as normal as possible, with all the damage he has to deal with. How is this going to turn out? TeaFanny where are you? Too busy trying to figure how to close off the arc?

Tiffany should not be surprised. She knows how tight a grip Ann has on her dad.

Zebo is the Hostess?

Next week: Tiffany sees The Ring on Eiffel’s finger…

Uh oh! Tiff’s Day just got a whole lot worse. I have a bad feeling they’re about to announce their engagement and or marriage!

Ann Eiffel, what a pleasant surprise!

Come on, Tiff, go with your strengths. This is you versus Ann, get rid of the scarf, show more of your younger, firmer, bigger cleavage. Let Ann see that you are what’s hot and that she is not.

Walk away Tiff. He’s made his choice. You have always been and always will be an afterthought to daddyo.

Maybe Tom will excuse himself to make a call. As he comes back he over hears Ann saying something nasty to Tiff…or maybe tiff will catch Ann on record saying something spiteful about the son Tom doesnt know about

Les could be on his way, we don’t know that he isn’t. I don’t know that he would have accepted an invitation from Ann, but Al may have forced him to go. Or he could just go for the free lunch and the chance to trade insults with Ann again.

GUARANTEED they’re getting married.

And why does everyone assume Tom doesn’t know about Les? Ann could have given him some sob story about how she TRIED SO HARD to raise her little boy to be a GOOD PERSON, but she couldn’t BE there for him all the time because she had to WORK and…..(sob sob) now he HATES her and won’t even TALK to her……

You get the idea. Well within Ann’s capabilities.

What I find painful about this arc is I don’t believe that Tiffany has the smarts to be able to outwit Ann in any confrontation. I think her best choice really would be to walk away for a while, and gain some independence both emotionally and financially from her father.

SURPRISE! Sorry Tiffany, but Ann has years off experience with scams and deceptions, she know how to hinder you. Any chance to see Tom Farrell face’s?

The dad is not much of a gentleman. Most fathers would rise to greet or hug their daughter or at least rise to greet any woman.

We only see three chairs at this table, so if Les is supposed to show up, there was no space left for him by Tom and Ann. I do wish that Tiffany would turn to her father and say something like, “I’m sorry, Dad, I had hoped that this was a time when you and I could catch up on things, but maybe some other time. Right now, I think I have some decisions to make”, give him a little kiss on the check and leave…

For some reason, when I read “Ann Eiffel”, I immediately think “an eyeful”.

JayBlue mentioned, above, that Tiffany ’s father first appeared 18-Jun-14.

I might add, that’s the first time I saw Quill.

I might also add, when I first saw him, I thought it was TJ.

Along with a possible explanation for his behavior with Shannon!

Uh, FAMILY?!

I hope next week Tiffany tells Tom every dirty thing that Ann has done since the Luann Comic Strip began!

please Mr. Evans, end this sub plot once and for all, your readers hate ann eiffel

Hmmmm … Maybe something else is going on here. Look at Ann and Tiff. Change the hair color and the eyes, and they look an awful (pun intended) lot alike. Just who was Tiff’s mother, anyway?

Who is this Karen you all speak of sometimes?

What will Mr. Gray say about all this? He, of all people, might be able to get through to Tom Farrell.

I know this will not make a lot of people happy, but…..

1. I hope Tom and Ann are already married, and the lunch is just to let Tiff know.

2. I hope Les shows up and it turns out Tom knows all about him—-or at least the version Ann gave him which would show her in the best possible light.

3. I hope Les sits down, looks at Tom, and says: So. You’re rich, huh? (smarmy grin) How much allowance will I be getting a month, “Dad?”

If anything would turn Tiff against Mr. Knox, that should do it. :D :D

Quite possible comment #200 for the day:

luann1212: Repeatedly, you have accused TeaFanny of being Karen in disguise. Most recently, today, in response to Tyge ’s comment, above (way above).

What evidence have you of this? TeaFanny ’s style of writing suggests to me that TF may be a “he.”

Trilogy has, in the past, said that TeaFanny is the former Ringo, who disappeared at about the same time that TF appeared. Again, hard to prove, with one possible exception: If there are comics in which Ringo left comments, and he changed his name and avatar to TeaFanny, his name and avatar would be retroactively placed on those old comments in the old comics.

Either way, I do not understand the connection between TeaFanny and Karen Evans. His comments – and especially his avatar – do not suggest a genuine attachment to either the strip or its characters.

I see we’re doing the “Geordie Steinbrenner in Seinfeld” approach to Tiffany’s dad. This type of thing is very rarely done well (Peggy’s mother on Married… With Children being a notable exception) and is usually just irritating and pointless.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, have most of the family money actually willed to Tiffany with a provision that her father can no longer manage it if he remarries! Tiffany’s legal firm would be happy, and either way Tiff wins if Ann decides to leave Tom once she realizes he will not have access to the funds. (Yes, I know that Tiff has regressed behaviorally with all the tension about her father, but she could regain her progress, while AE remains a scam artist.)

Thinking more along those lines, Tiffany could wind up with a legal appointment only to find that Tom had sunken too much of her money into the home and yacht, and otherwise frittered through most of the rest, so she has to sell at least some of the assets at a loss, and needs to get rid of the home and buy a more modest one to reduce the property tax burden. Can’t you just imagine her settling her dad into the old Berger home?

Imagine newly middle class Farrells!

The jokes alone could fill years, and the theme could make young readers (ad some older ones) more aware about money management.

I would simply walk out. She’s already tried telling him what he doesn’t want to hear. He’ll have to learn the hard way. I’d just say sorry, dad, you know how I feel. Good luck. And then I’d leave. I’d be sad but why sit there and listen to Ann’s garbage?

Bit of a ‘Clark Gable’ look from behind Tom’s head…

So is this the very first appearance we have of Tiffany’s dad?

Wonder if we’ll ever see Tom’s face..

Referring to them as “Family” is Ann’s way of “Marking Territory”.

She’ll Pee on Tiffany later, in Private, to establish dominance.

It’s not over until it’s over!

If there’s a wedding ring on Ann, Greg is hiding it!

Uh oh….. is all I can say. If Tiffany has (deep down) not moved on as she once claimed she had, now is the time to realize the importance of it. Farrell’s back is towards us which suggests that he may not be a character that we will ever be introduced to. I would bet that there will not be any more scenes in this restaurant.

I remember when Ann first showed up to The Fuse. Over 600 comments! Since then – Ann has become more complex and interesting. I was touched when Ann asked Les to call her “Mom.” Sure Ann wasn’t a good Mom. A lot of Moms out there stumbled onto the wrong path when hit with adversity. Maybe impossible to fix things so they moved forward. They’re still somebody’s “Mom.”

Next time bring a gun!

I think this is when Tiffany should make an about face and leave. I’m sure Ann’s about to show off her engagement ring.

Well, that luncheon is not going to go well (at least, not for Tiffany). Tom Farrell, how could you?

Ann Eiffel is clearly the Dominant in this couple….

Oh boy. Methinks this is not going to end well.

just curious…have we ever met Tif’s father before? and are they going to announce a wedding date?

Tiffany should say to her father that he didn’t say it would be lunch for three, and excuse herself. But she won’t because that would be seen as a victory for Ann.

Oh my, Tiff’s pants in the first panel…clearly says SH*T.

Is this the first time we see Tom?

Is it just me or does Tiffany just love to advertise her curves? It’s as though she’s always on the prowl for some horny guy to show her body to. Why else in the last 3 arcs is she depicted as wearing skin-tight stretch pants? Given the formal dining she’s at, i’m surprised she was allowed in while wearing leggings.

https://youtu.be/5JSCbEKsguQ