Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 09, 2019

This is the Luanniverse. Unmarried people don’t ever get, or give, “benefits.”

Am I having a hunch Bets is thinking Gunther is a creep like Leslie?

I would take a cream pie over a “cream pie” any day of the week. Just saying

I’m not sure Bets likes a smart @$$. Don’t mess this up, Gunther. I do not think they have yet reached that level of comfort that would warrant that smirk on his face in the third panel. Just the reaction I expected of her in the fourth panel. Thin ice here, Gunth…

Gunther is an innocent.

I was afraid this might come up. ✨

Serious ‘Hobbit’ vibe in Panel #3 ✨

Bets is too cute. ✨❤️✨

Bets is getting pretty possessive.

Okay, here We go! Bets is asking about Luann. If I didn’t know better I’d say that Bets considers Luann a “threat.”

THIS is gonna be fun here today. Whereas “folks” criticized Gunther for bringing Les up yesterday, let’s see if those SAME “folks” are criticize Bets for asking about Luann in GREAT detail!

“Luann a friend with Benefits,” Bets? Whoa! And Bets got AWFULLY Perky in Panel 4 when Gunther made an inadvertent “joke.” I think what Bets is indicating, Gunther is that SHE and SHE alone will be providing all the "Free Pastries and Benefits from here on out, “Pal.”

Yeah, Yeah, I know. “Folks” will spin this and say: “Bets is just being Cautious and Smart, after having dealt with her share of Liars and Cheaters.”

Fine, Fine. I HOPE that’s true and Bets is not the Jealous Type.

Because God Help Gunther if she is, and they just happen to bump into Tiffany who has just decided she’s going to give Gunther a “second chance.”

Now, if the next thing Bets says is, “Gunther, would you like to have a friend, with benefits?”, we could be in big trouble. I’d rather she just continue her questions with something harmless like waterboarding, and then tell Gunther about herself. Just kidding about waterboarding, of course.

Gunther is like the anti-aphrodisiac, so utterly non-sexual that he even drains it away from those around him. An hour with him will make a stripper into a nun. Gunther is to sexual energy like a dementor is to happiness, or Bernice is to fun.

I don’t think Gunther is particularly close to the end of his pon farr cycle, Bets.

As much as Bets matches the nerd fantasy and I so WANT it to be true, I’m gonna have to throw my lot in with the “Anne Eiffel prote’ge’” crowd.

I had a friend who dated Bets. In the end, there were police.

Very bad. Not good. Go around.

Bonus points for identifying the quote (think its close enough anyhow). I was happily disappointed IMDB did not even have it in quotes section.

Wow, you all are so serious. This strip gave me a good laugh.

Frame 2 – the overbite. Looks great!

I still say Bet’s is wearing a mask.

Luann ruined their potential of beginning a relationship before it even began by being touchy-feely and barging in on them. I think Luann WAS jealous and did the touchy-feely (which she does NOT normally do) to send a message to Bets that he’s off limits. Bets got that message and now is interrogating Gunther. Luann put him in that position. I think its time for Gunther to confront Luann and ask what was up with that touchy-feely behavior at The Fuse and barging on their date, to force Luann to admit she doesn’t want anyone else to have him even if she herself isn’t interested in him. He’s her “just in case I don’t find a boyfriend or a husband” guy.

I guess Gunth is a late bloomer, like I was.

Hopefully, on Saturday, we do not see Gunther walking out of the holodeck.

.

By himself…

Two things seem blindingly obvious to me knowing full well that the rug could be pulled out in any random set of panels: first she said she wants no cheaters and liars, and if not she wants Gunther all to herself. She likes him, but wants to be sure he is true is nothing like Les. Also that Luann is just a friend and no more. Actually this will work out theoretically: she is possessive, just like his mom, but she is cute, sexy, and if he lets her, will make a MAN out of Gunther. So we see.

Gunther you have a slight little problem and her name Luann who do want more Luann or Bets!!

News flash for Bets: Ol’ Gunth has never been “benefited.” His “V” card is very firmly wedged inside his wallet.

Just naïve.

Gunther is so naïve…it’s sweet.

No. No, there are no benefits to being friends with that ding-dong.

Rest assured: Gunther never gets to have a win in this world. What’ll it be this time? My money’s on his mom wrecking it. She’ll randomly barge in at some point. Dude needs to move out.

Gunther is too pure for this world. Let’s hope that Bets understands this and doesn’t start to imagine who knows what. I also hope in a meeting with Gunther’s studies buddy Tiffany.

There it is again. Bets wants to know something potentially sensitive, so she just asks. No pretense or guard at all. Assertive, but nice. I hope she sticks around.

Right now Bets is cute and showing natural curiosity for someone she likes. I would like to know more about this new character, so don’t derail the whole relationship before they have finished their drinks.

Well the fact that his first thought for “Friends with benefits” wasn’t sex, I think that ultimately scores points (I think the look was a “really?!?” look…) the irony of attraction, we find attraction in someone and wonder why others don’t see it… Gunth’s at that age where most attractive around him automatically take him for granted simply because they grew up with him (Luann, Tiff, Bernie). Familiarity breeds contempt.

Give them a decade to become less familiar, then he might be more of an attraction to them… of course one can hardly expect the G man to sit on a shelf in the meantime.

Bets seems like a good match for him, I’m just hoping she’s not a short-term character like Rosa or Quill.

let’s hope not.

So Bets is checking out the landscape. Good. Gunther is being his naïve self or just making light when he realizes that this is not the time. Way things are going so far, his naivety will be a plus for Bets.

BTW. Panel two is Greg’s “cutest” rendition of Bets so far.

Luann did her best to sabotage this date, and to an extent it seems to be working.

Bets appears a little vulnerable? hesitant? (for wont of a word) in the second panel. Luann did come on a little strong and as a little possessive in putting her hands on Gunther at the meet up.

I think this week will be a continuation of the “feeling out” by both.

I wonder when Gunther will start asking about Bets current situation. Any “benefits” in her closet?

I love Gunter’s innocence. I hope he never loses it.

5

To Gunther, the idea of Bets perceiving a possible “friends with benefits” arrangement between him and Luann was never something Gunther had considered. It is good that Bets brought up her question, though, for it helps Gunther to better understand how the previous conversations at The Fuse could easily be perceived outside of his “circle”.

IMO, it was not that Gunther was naive about the ideas behind the notion of “friends with benefits”, it was more just that he was so comfortably aware of what his and Luann’s relationship is…. that he was oblivious to how it could appear to someone outside the group.

The idea that Bets is assuming the possibility of “friends with benefits” between Luann and Gunther…. should be a bit of a startling and invigorating idea for Gunther…. that Bets is mentioning it…. suggests that Bets may be seeing it as a possibility for her and Gunther…. IF they end up getting along well and finding each other’s company pleasant and joyful. This very idea that a girl (outside his circle of friends) is eyeing him up for that potential should help Gunther realize he has more to offer than he tends to be told or feels when he is in his circle of friends. This should wake him up to the idea that he does not have to only exist in the fashion that his long-term friends have for him…. but that he CAN become who he WANTS to become….. a concept that seems to have left his mind since he came back from Peru.

Saddens me that the main reaction to Bets has been “Wow, she seems great…so what’s wrong with her?”

“Steady as she goes, helmsman!”

“Possible turbulence ahead, Captain, but I’ll try…”

“ON THE BALL”, GUNTHER!!!!!

“Yeah, Luann was being a major twit when she said that.”

Lt. Uhura as a young girl?

Vulcans can’t eat sugar (including pastry). It makes them stupid-drunk.

What could be more beneficial than a free pastry?

(He said with an innocent look.)

I can’t tell if Gunther is joking ( he rarely jokes) or if he really doesn’t know what Friends with Benefits means. Anyhow, I’m sure he would prefer the Pastry to the P_ _ _ Y

I’m betting Gunther has never “collected” benefits…

You are not in front of Congress ….Just answer the question.

“OH BABY, YOOOOOU……”

I have to say, I think Greg did an excellent job in rendering the “unamused” expression on Bets face in the last panel…. to me, her lack of amusement at his “pastry” comment initially suggests she believed Gunther was hedging a bit in terms of any potential “benefits” he may have received. Gunther, seeing her facial expression…. realizes the actual type of “benefits” Bets was asking about…. and quickly answers.

It’s high time for beloved Tiffany to make an appearance. Hope Gunny’s shirt is made of ripstop nylon.

To be honest, I think Luann made that comment (and in a giggly way) deliberately to cause Bets to wonder what kind of relationship Gunther has with her. The way she worded it, one could certainly infer that something physical and sexual was going on…. in the bedroom. Luann absolutely did not need to make that kind of suggestive remark. But she did and on purpose to try to ruin the date between Gunther and Bets before it had even gotten started. I know folks here will argue that Luann was just excited for Gunther and was making innocent small talk. All I can say is yeah right.

come on, come on, Bets don’t make me wait, sooner it comes down to fate. I might as well be the one. [courtesy Billy Joel]

Gunther is So Cute. He doesn’t know what “Benefits” are.

different comic sensors than Pearls Before Swine?

Sadly no. No friends with benefits.

Bets is cute. Bets is sexy. Bets shouldn’t need to go on line to find men. It is said, “Like everyone, trust no one”. Gunther might see her picture hanging up on a post office bulletin board, under the words, “Wanted”. Naw, I don’t want that. I want Bets and Gunther to be 2019’s cute couple.

Oh, please Lord, let’s just keep this sweet and innocent, okay? I’m kind of starting to feel like I felt about Lady Edith in Downton Abbey – “Can we just let Gunther be happy?”

Sounds like she is looking for a friend with benefits

Oy! How naive can Gunther be? Even Bets is so much more worldly than he is—maybe too much more. She’s been dropping hints of numerous bad experiences in her past. I just hope this doesn’t go too sour too quickly….

Scanning over the comments, am I the first one here to say that “Taco Town” looks to be the rebuilt Weenie World that Anne ran into the ground?

Wonder if that’s forshadowing anything