For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for December 13, 2024

Uh-oh, Mike. Rhetta is going to ask for a commitment of some sort if she is going to have to wait 4 more years for him to get out of school. This is trouble for Mike because, as we saw at Gordon’s wedding, he is nowhere near ready to make that kind of commitment to Rhetta.

Uh-oh. Here it comes…..Reality bites, Mike.

For those who thought Mike was actually attending school at Western Ontario in London (mainly because that’s what the comic strip said he was doing), we are getting either a retcon or maybe a little more truth. Now it appears that Mike was going to some college in London to get his grades up enough in order to get accepted at Western Ontario in London. Maybe Mike was at Fanshawe College, Huron College, College Boreal or King’s University College. Any guesses?

Uh, oh—how far along is she??

have they been playing footsy?

She’s going to break up with him since 4 years is a long time to wait. Can’t say I blame her really. It appears he has been faithful to her though, he hasn’t dated anyone else since he’s been in college, at least that we know about.

I had the second-worst martini in my life in London while travelling thru the U.S. and Canada, but served by a very nice waitress . It was room temperature. The worst one was in the RACV Club in Bourke Street, City. It was pink.

I went through this situation too. I decided to stay in my grad program and went for my MS and Phd. It cost me my marriage but I never had any regrets. The education and advanced degrees changed my life.

Yeah, Babe.

Choose between education and girlfriend, well education should come first. I don’t know of course how it would work in Canada but here the girlfriend would see whether she could just come along and find education in the same place (or the other way round, if the girl had a promising uni program). But never just give up on your education.

Someone told her about free milk and a cow

She said don’t gimmee no lines, and keep your hands to yourself.

Mild spoiler- Mike is wrong about the 4 years; it’s actually 3 more years. This strip originally ran on December 15, 1995. He finished his current term in the Spring of 1996. Three years later, on June 11, 1999, we see him graduating with a Batchelor’s Degree.

Oh dear. This is a major roadblock in the story line! If Michael REALLY wants to marry Rhetta, who can’t wait to get married, he is going to have to give up his dream of getting a B.A. in journalism school, and he has to maybe settle for a low paying job cooking burgers at MacD’s! All to just satisfy his future bride. Well at least Rhetta isn’t chasing after a rich man for his money. Money isn’t happiness in a marriage. Is this where the story line is going? What will it be, Michael? Rhetta, or your chosen lifetime career?

HMMMMM , A rotten Wisdom tooth and it looks like the relationship is on the Rocks , Happy Holidays Mike !

UH-OH!!

Good for her. Any 19 year-old girl who ties herself up to some guy waiting for him to graduate from college in four years has rocks in her head.

And here’s the moment I’ve been waiting for all year. A painful but necessary one.

I’m thinking puppies may be on the way

was that 11 1/2 or 115

My question is where the heck has he been if he wasn’t in college? I thought he was at the university…

cue the dark ambient music with discordant overtones which, although broadly tonal, is inflected with chromatic and polytonal passages representing the archetypal example of a florid, melodramatic style without being interpreted as an overly heavy-handed metaphor within the context of the thematic material a bit on the frenetic and frantic side with interesting rhythmic devices which seem to counterpoint the surrealism of the underlying metaphor utilizing a novel imaging technique known as positron emission tomography and the spontaneous nondenominational conceptions by expansively recontextualizing liminal narratives of colonic hydrotherapy with a twinge of giddiness

Retta is the clingy type who doesn’t like to be left alone I bet she’s already moved on

Just what Mike needed – a Christmas breakup.

“I can see paradise by the dash board lights.”

I went through the exact same thing as Mike. I was 19, she was 21. I had 3 more years of school, and she had never and nor was she ever planning on attending any higher education programs. She told me she’d be “old” in 3 years and couldn’t wait that long and had met someone else who was ready to marry her. Funny thing about it, a year or so later she tried to reconnect saying she didn’t marry that “other guy” and wanted to see me. Ummm, no. Now that I look back on it, that was one of the better decisions I made in my life. I avoided someone who was self centered and high maintenance to continue with school and wait for marriage. I’m happy I avoided the drama.

Not an issue, there are plenty of marriaed young people in college/university. I was one of those and made it to graduation with a degree and an Army commission just fine.

“Can’t” here means “Won’t”. - - She has made a choice.

Now Michael can (has to) make a choice.

I don’t remember. Isn’t Rhetta older than Mike…by more than a couple of years?

If this was animated with sound, it would be funny hearing Michael talk with that swelled cheek. He would sound like Jabba the Hutt!

Today is Friday the 13th. Looks like Michael’s bad luck day.

It is bad enough that Michael has to deal with his first no-Farley Christmas. Now he has a no-Rhetta Christmas on top of that?

Rhetta wants to limit Mike’s life potential in favor of her own selfish wishes? Good thing Mike is finding this out now and not after he in the 4 year program and she leaves him anyway… Move on, Mike…

Noting like an aching heart to relieve the pain of an aching tooth.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

My son got straight As in college and graduated with three engineering degrees owing no $ and was married the last year…it can be done.

I remember this! They break up and he tells Liz “Yeah, well, why not? I’m already in pain.” Coming u soon!

If she can afford it, go to Europe for a year

Since this is a rerun, I think a lot of us know what happens….and its not Rhetta.

Why is there a star in panel 2?

He’s going to transfer to the undergraduate program? After three semesters he’s still not an undergraduate? What’s be been doing, taking all remedial classes? Without even being enrolled in a program that will lead to a degree up till now? And he has another four years to go to get the sheepskin? Six years for a Bachelor’s? What kind of school for suckers is this?

Any girl who won’t wait for you to get an education is not worth it. Good thing Mike knows that and he has a better future (and wife!) ahead.

Once their bio clock starts ticking….watch out!

Well, this should be interesting, short term thinking, long term problems …… ;-)

Rhetta has a higher priority than Mike.

At least he’s being honest with her. Rhetta, IMO is pushing too hard too early. Yes, I know these are reruns but it’s a good lesson.

Before you all get too heavy on the wisecracks, Lynn wrote this arc delicately so there was no actual “villain” involved.

They just plain grew apart

Blondie’s daughter Cookie is available. I’m just saying.

Somewhere I anticipate someone writing a letter, Dear Michael.

Something tells me I’m missing a real good story.

Oh, my gosh!

“She’s chucking you Shawn”*

complications ahead…

Jew-ga Farley!

Jew-ga Farley!

Jew-ga Farley!

Jew-ga Farley!