And so all that build up was for nothing? Why have it if you don’t use it. I’d recommend to the writers to make them less elaborate unless they intended to use them. This is way way way too early. A Kudzu story with a Chris Carter Ending.
How many times has Tracy’s life be saved by stupidity on the other’s part? Remind me why he didn’t just allow Devil to pick Tracy off, or heck, do it himself from the same spot.
It’s a common result of very heavily planned and lengthy myth arcs; if a writer can’t adequately resolve everything he’s set up, it will become too difficult for him to resolve everything to the audience’s satisfaction. Also, because of the First Law of Metafictional Thermodynamics, there’s only a limited amount of energy in any given plot to go around to all the little plot threads, so the more plot threads there are, the less attention will be devoted to any of them.
However, Tropes Are Not Bad; even though a story may be confusing or intricate, a Kudzu Plot can be well executed and rewarding in the hands of a skillful author. An author may do this deliberately to confuse the audience or add an air of chaos or mystery to the story (i.e. the characters don’t understand everything, so why should the reader?). A good way to keep such plots in line is with an overarching Driving Question.
See also The Chris Carter Effect, where fans lose patience with a plot like this and give up on a story before the author has a chance to end it.
We can’t tell from today’s ending panels why Vortex dropped the gun. It could’ve been realizing he had no shot, and, decided to give up, Lafayette might’ve stopped him in someway, it could’ve been Devonshire realizing that stopping Vortex was a way for her to get out of that life, or, maybe, this situation was to much for Vortex’s heart muscle. We’ll see some time this week, I guess.
To me – he realized that his drug empire had been destroyed and that he was outgunned and outmanned – he’s not a hero or a martyr and he’s not ready to die this day…
Somehow I don’t think it is quite over yet somehow. We still have two more weeks to Christmas which is probably when the next minit mystery will begin as the boys take a holiday break. That’s what happened last Easter as I recall.
A bloodless surrender is fitting, if far less dramatic than a bullet between the eyes, followed by a fall from the tower.
Nothing at all wrong with complexity and ambition, although the pieces didn’t mesh so well this time. Act I ended with the kind of shoot-out we would normally have today. Pauly made his exit early, which was a good deviation on expectations. The reveal was tepid, given the obscurity of Pauly’s father, killed so very many decades earlier. Honeymoon is a great character, and Bribery’s niece, Crystal, now has a father, Lafayette Austin, who has been established as an undercover assistant for the MCU. Good development. I would have liked a two-panel “big hugs” strip showing Honeymoon’s reunion with Junior and Mysta, as well as Crystal with Austin. The girls were knocked out and abducted. Serious business, so the absence of even a single day of recovery and reunion was disappointing.
As others have mentioned, the financial chicanery with the trust fund was hard to dramatize, although it wasn’t really so complex. Deacon and Miller kind of fell flat, but Mike Curtis’s heart was clearly in the right place. I wouldn’t think old comic duos would be of much interest these days, yet walking past Fox Brothers Custom Tailors yesterday I noticed a large, signed photo of Martin and Lewis in the window, so go figure. I also think we should have seen some evidence that the Apparatus does not take kindly to having their turf encroached upon. A more fitting “dealer” these days would be a “Doc Scripts,” doing his part to destroy lives with easy access to opioids.
We still have a wedding coming up. I suppose Vitamin and Kandikane will tie the knot after the film fest wraps up. Some favorite characters are bound to attend. I like Kandikane (“That man does not need any vitamins!”). Like Crystal and Austin, she is another quality supporting player in the strip.
I think that a heart attack or massive stroke took Polar out… The second to the last panel reminded me of Miele’s death scene in the Black Hearts story arc minus the gunshot.
The shaking of his hand, the look on his face, leads tohis gun dropping from his lifeless hand in the last scene.
That whole sequence makes ZERO sense….unless Dale McNamee is right and Polar Vortex suffered a massive stroke causing him to literally drop dead on the spot.
Curious to see how much my simplistic thinking deviates from most of the various comments regarding what we are seeing today. It seemed to me “perfectly obvious” that Piotr challenged Tracy and Sam, fired a round or two, and was shot by them, “off stage.” But now I wonder if he really did just get cold feet (or in his case, warm feet?) and heed Tracy’s warning and drop the gun deliberately? I suppose we shall see….
Neil Wick almost 6 years ago
Good morning™, gun droppers!
In a surprise twist, Polar Vortex decided to make the smart move, although it’s hard to see why.
22ph almost 6 years ago
Polar Vortex froze…. to death!
Okinawan Ace almost 6 years ago
Live to fight another day! He saw what happened to his henchman earlier.
jrankin1959 almost 6 years ago
There’s a switch…
DaJellyBelly almost 6 years ago
I think Lafayette plugged him from behind.
Pequod almost 6 years ago
Vortex tweaks the errant bell when Devil rushes in
“Cops now sweeping up our mess, we must depart to win.
It’s a large broom that’s cleaning up, the school kids now free
From hoppers with their cheap dime bags and figures shadowy.
Hear the loud bell, it’s tolling now, I fear it rings for us
We must vamoose, move fleet our feet, no time to make a fuss.”
Yet Vortex is a prideful man, he combs his silver hair
“I’ll shoot it out with Tracy for intruding on our lair.”
Careful aim. Yet all the same, cold gun drops from his hand
Alive or dead, it must be said, foul stain sponged from the land.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] almost 6 years ago
And so all that build up was for nothing? Why have it if you don’t use it. I’d recommend to the writers to make them less elaborate unless they intended to use them. This is way way way too early. A Kudzu story with a Chris Carter Ending.
Black76Manta almost 6 years ago
smart move indeed
HarryCK almost 6 years ago
Good morning™, ultimatum givers !
He looks defeated and resigned to his fate.
CullVernon almost 6 years ago
How many times has Tracy’s life be saved by stupidity on the other’s part? Remind me why he didn’t just allow Devil to pick Tracy off, or heck, do it himself from the same spot.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] almost 6 years ago
“KUDZU PLOT” at Tropes
It’s a common result of very heavily planned and lengthy myth arcs; if a writer can’t adequately resolve everything he’s set up, it will become too difficult for him to resolve everything to the audience’s satisfaction. Also, because of the First Law of Metafictional Thermodynamics, there’s only a limited amount of energy in any given plot to go around to all the little plot threads, so the more plot threads there are, the less attention will be devoted to any of them.
However, Tropes Are Not Bad; even though a story may be confusing or intricate, a Kudzu Plot can be well executed and rewarding in the hands of a skillful author. An author may do this deliberately to confuse the audience or add an air of chaos or mystery to the story (i.e. the characters don’t understand everything, so why should the reader?). A good way to keep such plots in line is with an overarching Driving Question.
See also The Chris Carter Effect, where fans lose patience with a plot like this and give up on a story before the author has a chance to end it.
charliefarmrhere almost 6 years ago
I think that someone just did Vortex in!
Mark Jeffrey Premium Member almost 6 years ago
So Polar is/was left handed. Did we see that before?
iggyman almost 6 years ago
By grabbing the gun from Devil PV actually spared Tracey’s life, only to be done in by we don’t know yet!
pvl almost 6 years ago
No decision there. Devil stopped him.
Major Matt Mason Premium Member almost 6 years ago
(hoists a glass to PC Nadeem) Well done, Constable. May you enjoy many years of proud service.
crobinson019 almost 6 years ago
Better a live Rat than a Dead Lion
William Bednar Premium Member almost 6 years ago
Yeah, but what does Polar have in his right hand? Huh? Another gun, maybe?
WilliamVollmer almost 6 years ago
We can’t tell from today’s ending panels why Vortex dropped the gun. It could’ve been realizing he had no shot, and, decided to give up, Lafayette might’ve stopped him in someway, it could’ve been Devonshire realizing that stopping Vortex was a way for her to get out of that life, or, maybe, this situation was to much for Vortex’s heart muscle. We’ll see some time this week, I guess.
Counterpoint almost 6 years ago
To me – he realized that his drug empire had been destroyed and that he was outgunned and outmanned – he’s not a hero or a martyr and he’s not ready to die this day…
mbruni316 almost 6 years ago
Somehow I don’t think it is quite over yet somehow. We still have two more weeks to Christmas which is probably when the next minit mystery will begin as the boys take a holiday break. That’s what happened last Easter as I recall.
Aaronious almost 6 years ago
Polar got cold feet?
Pequod almost 6 years ago
A bloodless surrender is fitting, if far less dramatic than a bullet between the eyes, followed by a fall from the tower.
Nothing at all wrong with complexity and ambition, although the pieces didn’t mesh so well this time. Act I ended with the kind of shoot-out we would normally have today. Pauly made his exit early, which was a good deviation on expectations. The reveal was tepid, given the obscurity of Pauly’s father, killed so very many decades earlier. Honeymoon is a great character, and Bribery’s niece, Crystal, now has a father, Lafayette Austin, who has been established as an undercover assistant for the MCU. Good development. I would have liked a two-panel “big hugs” strip showing Honeymoon’s reunion with Junior and Mysta, as well as Crystal with Austin. The girls were knocked out and abducted. Serious business, so the absence of even a single day of recovery and reunion was disappointing.
As others have mentioned, the financial chicanery with the trust fund was hard to dramatize, although it wasn’t really so complex. Deacon and Miller kind of fell flat, but Mike Curtis’s heart was clearly in the right place. I wouldn’t think old comic duos would be of much interest these days, yet walking past Fox Brothers Custom Tailors yesterday I noticed a large, signed photo of Martin and Lewis in the window, so go figure. I also think we should have seen some evidence that the Apparatus does not take kindly to having their turf encroached upon. A more fitting “dealer” these days would be a “Doc Scripts,” doing his part to destroy lives with easy access to opioids.
We still have a wedding coming up. I suppose Vitamin and Kandikane will tie the knot after the film fest wraps up. Some favorite characters are bound to attend. I like Kandikane (“That man does not need any vitamins!”). Like Crystal and Austin, she is another quality supporting player in the strip.
AnyFace almost 6 years ago
Anticlimax?
Or Fake-Out? ✨BigDaveGlass almost 6 years ago
He got too warm?
Don Bagert Premium Member almost 6 years ago
Here’s this week’s Lum and Abner http://www.lumandabnersociety.org/Comic-Strip-Home.html
Maybe this strip will get back to Pitchblende, Deacon and MIller soon.
ScottHolman almost 6 years ago
no way pv just drops his gun. someone else just got involved. i say it’s pretty boy from the file cabnets. (he is a tracy spy, no?)
buckman-j almost 6 years ago
Hard to see why?? Maybe because Polar is tired of this neverending, meandering tale.
richardjohnsonvp almost 6 years ago
Ah, well, even if Tracy had to shoot and kill him, he would have just regenerated as Jodie Whittaker.
DaleMcNamee almost 6 years ago
I think that a heart attack or massive stroke took Polar out… The second to the last panel reminded me of Miele’s death scene in the Black Hearts story arc minus the gunshot.
The shaking of his hand, the look on his face, leads tohis gun dropping from his lifeless hand in the last scene.
jonahhex1 almost 6 years ago
WHAT THE…….?
That whole sequence makes ZERO sense….unless Dale McNamee is right and Polar Vortex suffered a massive stroke causing him to literally drop dead on the spot.
Sisyphos almost 6 years ago
Curious to see how much my simplistic thinking deviates from most of the various comments regarding what we are seeing today. It seemed to me “perfectly obvious” that Piotr challenged Tracy and Sam, fired a round or two, and was shot by them, “off stage.” But now I wonder if he really did just get cold feet (or in his case, warm feet?) and heed Tracy’s warning and drop the gun deliberately? I suppose we shall see….