Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 23, 2019

well, that was a rather boring night for Leslie

There is no normal when it comes to dating. There are a million ways to meet someone, and they’ve all worked for some people sometimes.

And this is how this story-arc ends after almost two weeks? Without the possibility of future dates? Without even a goodnight kiss?

Where is Jack?

The one bright spot: They aren’t falling for their robo dates!

(At least not yet)

So this is Luann and Gunther’s idea of a “normal date.” Luann sitting in Gunny’s bedroom on his bed and talking about nothing in particular and later, Luann being helped out of a window, after which Gunther hands her purse and Luann hands Gunther a screen.

No handshake. No kiss on the cheek. No future Date. Not even a complete “Good Night.” Just “Nite.” Now, unless this thing continues next week, about the only thing accomplished is the renewal of Gunther and Luann’s “friendship.” PERIOD. I guess that something but, Geebus.

Oh I forgot, something. Luann1212 was right about one thing. Hilarity WILL Ensue!

Greg and Karen will Probably be Laughing Themselves Silly at the extreme “Fan” reaction over this Arc. :(

Lights on in the windows in the big house. Have they been found out?

Noooo! I wanted to meet Bets!

Plenty of “normal” people meet on dating websites or through personal ads. I met my beloved 19 years ago that way, and I know several women who have also met their mates/so’s/husbands that way. And I am 60.

Please Luann go home at long last! And Gunthy put on Capt. Piccard’s jammies and get into bed!

Like Chief Barbrady would say: “there’s nothing to see here!”

And after all this time, they’re both right back where they started. No forward momentum whatsoever. The wheel just spun around a full 360 degrees.

If she drives away now they’re busted, right?

They’re too much in FRIEND territory to break down that barrier.

How anticlimactic….I get the strange idea, Luann actually wanted something more…hmm

Like the strip “Cathy” ending with Cathy being pregnant (thus providing the grandkid her mother so wanted,) this comic strip will eventually end with Luann being a virgin bride.

Seriously? It’s not a normal way to date? These are millenials, online dating is by far the normal way to date.

In the first panel, Luann says she wants Gunther to do hers.

No, a “normal” way to date is to set up fake online profiles for each other and then sneak out through the window.

Have we established the fact that Gunther isn’t gay?

Gunther finally manages to kill all possibilities and go to sleep, solidly in his comfort zone.

If Tiffany visits Les, will Gunther try to get even by being disruptive? Tiffany would not hesitate to put Gunther firmly in his place.

Seems like we will drift back into Luann & Jack.

Gunther won’t be ready for “normal” dating as long as he’s living in his mother’s back yard.

I have officially given up on Gunther – he’s a hopeless case… sigh

This is a perfectly normal way to date. Maybe they’ll have more dates in the future?

I am pleased they are good friends!

This is making celibacy look preferable.

You’re right Gunther. This is much more normal

Yet neither of you have had romantic date in a while now, at least not on your side.

No, Gunther, you don’t prefer the “normal” mode of dating. That’s what you were complaining about – you get rejected (in those imaginary instances when you ask someone out – we’ve never seen you doing that). In reality, you prefer being alone, feeling sorry for yourself and sulking about the injustice of it all.

Errol Flynn use to get kisses in all his pictures, but then again Gunther vs Errol Flynn? Right! That’s about the only thing he could pick up from Les, better romance skills. That’s if he ever takes the time to take away only that and trash the rest. A perfectly timed quick kiss can do wonders if: the situation/feelings are right which they could be here. A quick “good night” kiss. Errol Flynn was the master of this in his movies. But Gunther at this point just wouldn’t get it and go back to his safe mundane life style.

Luann needs to go home.

That’s the biggest nothing end of week strip since ever!

My sarcastic “Tomorrow’s Strip” prediction yesterday turned out to be soooo sarcastic as to be sublime.

The end of the arc (If it really was the end) is pretty lame. Even if they are just friends there could be a little affection, a gentle hug. The strip’s theme song remains, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.”

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2012/03/16

Luann admits that she’s sampled Gunther’s kisses and like it. At one point in this episode she looked like she wanted another sample. Maybe she wanted to test her feelings for Gunther vs Jack. Maybe just as her hormones kicked in she thought of Jack and flinched. Maybe …

Sorry! I’m just trying to salvage something from these last three weeks!!!

This story arc typifies why I question whether the writers made the correct decision in bringing Gunther back into the strip, after having shipped him off to Peru. When Gunther is the focus of a story, hilarity does not ensue. Annoyance does.

One thing…gunny says at on point during the defenestration, “and we didn’t even do anything”. To me, that remark says, “we had the chance, we wasted it”…and he’ll mull on that until the next time they are chatting, when he’ll suddenly say”Why didn’t we?”

What could go wrong?

Kind of left hanging in more ways than one in this arc. Luann and Gunther both, IMHO, need a torrid adult relationship, and would, particularly Luann, if this was real life. But this is Luannverse and that won’t likely happen. I think that is a conundrum for Gnk in that they have let their characters age, and when young people are in college they open up in all kinds of ways, even if repressed in teen age years, It’s as normal as breathing, and actually a very important formative part of life. But it can involve, GASP, sex, drugs, hopefully not video tape, dumb things, and really heartwarming examples of growth in spite of and because of everything. No moral judgments, other than being moral at base. How far can they take it? Well with Luann we have Jack, and I hope I live long enough to see them do a Brad and Toni. If so we can finally see our girl in bed with a satisfied smile on her face, but it comic imitates life, Jack will be sound asleep. Hilarity ensues, that is a constant. Gunther needs it even worse, but I agree with MD on him, he is a punching bag of insecurities in deep relationships, and as long as he fits that useful niche I am afraid he will continue this way. He is growing though.

Nothing to see here… move along.

yep….that sure is normal

And thus concludes another episode of “Nothing Ever Happens”

Monday: code violation fun with Brad and TJ!

I just don’t understand all these comments. Luann going over there to visit Gunther was not a date. Never intimated that it was a date, just visiting. I don’t understand why the other commenters have turned it into something else.

In truth, they actually are right for each other. They are adults for Pete sake, let them allow themselves to have a little happiness for once.

Statistics show that currently most people meet their spouse-to-be through online apps versus traditional ways, such as through friends or going to bars. “Normal” is relative .

Made me giggle!

“Normal” is an amorphous changing thing.

Death (of this arc) is everywhere,

There are flies on the windscreen. (ewww…)

-Depeche Mode

Before they delete the profiles, they will probably pick each others……..

Knowing reality, the platonic, but loving( !) relationship between Gunther and Luann will last all throughout their lifetimes.

Oh no … Gunther, don’t cancel your account! That girl, Bets, was interested in you and you in her! (and I want to see her) Now I can only hope they will meet at the university. Maybe by chance.

Is it time for Les to pop up from behind a Bush and be a Major Dick again?

Normal? LOL, Gunther and Luann!

The two of them are adorable.

What happens when Les hears Luann’s car start up and drive away?

But they didn’t say ‘when’ they would delete their profiles, hopefully not before Gunth checks to see if there are any messages from Bets and then takes down her contact info. I’ll bet Luann checks her profile again before deleting it. Surely she’s a little curious; she’s the one who started it and did so in earnest, I believe.

End of arc – EXCEPT: It’s been pointed out that lights were on at the Gray’s house. If Al & Irma saw Luann going out the window and now getting to her car – they would be likely to show up to see what’s going on. Gunther would likely explain how Les was the entire problem, making this arc an even bigger mess. I’d rather see a new arc Monday – even if it had to include Shannon.

This is normal?

what’s not normal is having your guest sneak out via the window because you didn’t want your room mate to know she was still there. Such a big deal…Gunther allows himself to be ruled by Les, instead of just going about his business and social life the way he wants.

Nothing abnormal around here. Nosiree!

tomorrow: Brad and Toni ponder Shannon’s school work.

Too bad, the moment has passed and the Love Boat is dead in the water.

This is not over, a spark happened and they both know it even though they will not admit it to themselves yet.

This is not over, they both felt a spark even though will not admit to themselves yet.

Maybe the reason Gunther is such a sullen critter is that he’s reading the posts here, and he’s tired of people saying that he’s either autistic or gay…

Sorry but this storyline is far out of date. To suggest that couples meeting each other online is “not normal” is out of sync with reality. Academic research has found that online is the second most popular way for heterosexual couples to meet after “through friends” and for gay couples, it accounts for about 70 percent of relationships. So for Gunther — not has had all of one relationship in his life that wasn’t with his mother — to be the one setting the parameters for what constitutes “normal” dating is both laughable and actually really really dumb. It also proves, once again, how out of step with reality this strip really is when it comes to explaining the lives of young adults. Come on, Evans. Step it up.