Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 20, 2021

well, that narrows things down

Having risen from her middle position on the bench, Bernice has allowed Jack to slide over. Now, conveniently for Greg, Bernice is in the rightmost spot (as seen by us readers) in every panel.

”Realization Dawns.” ✨

Jack puzzled that out quickly. ✨

so Bern doesn’t know that Jack, Tara, and Luann have gone out as a group…

Two yesses in a row. Now Bernice is finally getting into it!

Once again we’ll have to hang in there ’til Monday to see if this conversation will continue.

Las caminatas ayudan a despejar la mente. Por eso Jack resolvió fácilmente el misterio.

Well, Jack, you do know Tara and Luann. And unfortunately, at the moment, Luann is being an idiot. She needs to be rescued. Get up and go, Jack!

Why would Ben even say that about Luann to a friend of hers? And why would Jack’s first guess be Tara? He didn’t even seem surprised.

You heard it from the horse’s mouth. Tara id BAD and Luann is a DUMMY! I’m glad that’s settled.

I wonder if the arc will play out just this way!?!?

This story arc is making me dislike Bernice intensely. I miss the old days when she would just challenge Luann directly when she had something on her mind.

Are G&K trying to make her into a protagonist? Because if so, I’ll cast a vote for her to be the next character voted out of the strip. She can hang out with Crystal, Knute and Delta.

Two observations:

1. Jack nailed it. (I do not mean he nailed Bernice)

2. In that last panel, Bernice looks like she is 60+ with a really bad wig. (knock it off, Bernie – your face is gonna hang that way)

So Bern is going to stop Tara and her cohorts from robbing the Fuse.

Per Bernice, Tara Starr is a theft and Luann is a dummy.

Odd. A poster here apparently doesn’t like horses. He/she compared Bernice to a horse’s mouth. Horses are nice…

Per Jack, Tara Starr is not a career theft and Luann is not a dummy.

Jack nails it! He is much more intelligent and insightful than people give him credit for and Bernice doesn’t know it…

Jack and Bernice first disagreement!!!!

And bitchy Bernice lives up to her description.

That “big reveal” seemed a bit easy but it could have been long and drawn out so oh well. I’ll take it.

“Et tu, Bernie?”, Luann might say as her friend stabs her in the back.

Come on Jack think. And Bernice you are no friend of Luann.

Over the past couple weeks, lots of commenters have been speculating that Tara might steal from The Fuse or set it on fire or something. I’ll go out on a limb and guess that Tara is grateful to Luann for helping her stay clear of her dangerous cousin, and that she’ll try hard not to cause Luann (or Nancy and Frank) any trouble. Bernice, however, may end up causing trouble for Tara.

The transition between the two arcs in the arc set involving Luann/Bernice/Ben/Tara. Ben is still the McGuffin that glues the theme together. Bernice is emotionally invested against Luann, and overly judgemental over Tara. This is getting quite dramatic. See more Monday.

Bernice might be right on both counts.

Jack’s immediate guessing that it could very likely be Tara wasn’t magical thinking or a ridiculous leap of logic at all. Jack has proven himself to be a guy who calls it like he sees it, and he pretty much sees things plainly as they are. He immediately assumes, correctly, that Luann isn’t the type of girl to sneak a guy into her bedroom. That’s not a Sherlock Holmes-level observation, it’s plain as day. He then indexes through his known associates of Luann’s using the filter of “who would sneak into someone else’s bedroom” and top of the list is Tara. That’s not rocket science, either.

Well, it turns out that Jack is pretty sharp. Intellectual engagement can overcome a large amount of emotional turmoil.

Luann’s had guys in her room before. When she had Oz help her with the paper mache mask, she laid flat on her bed and said (direct quote) “You’re gonna do me”

Can you imagine if Burnice would’ve heard that?

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/3015/04/06

Geez, people sure like to insult other people behind those people’s backs in this strip. Like “nice guy™” (I am being sarcastic) Gunther did with Tiffany, for example, and like others gosipped about Gunther’s boring relationship. (And why did Tara steal that TV, anyway?)

I’m guessing something will end up missing from the restaurant and everyone will suspect Tara, mostly because of Bernice, and it will turn out that Tara is innocent.

Well that wrapped up quickly! Now we can proceed directly to the Fuse to find Tara.

Okayyyyyyy…. now we see Bernice sinking even lower. For those who said earlier (including myself) that B was not explicitly lying in saying that she “heard them”, both Jack and Luann (allegedly) in Luann’s bedroom…this time B doesn’t get off the hook. She’s definitely, positively LYING to Jack. Ben got down to the bottom of things, and Jack’s genuine puzzlement SHOULD be telling Bernice something. Bur she’s looking in another direction and denying everything she said out of the corner of her mouth.

My Bernice-O-Meter is now moving from “dislike” to “loathe”.

Well Gee Whiz.

These three “detectives” have figured it out all by their lonesomes!

So. Now that the proverbial “cat is out of the bag,” are they going to follow up on this theory?

The two gents? Nah. Ben doesn’t care, and Mr. Jack seems to think that Public Enemy #19, Tara Starr “ain’t all that bad.” Kinda like the way some public officials think about porch piracy.

“R.A. Bernice” is going to be the “problem.” Especially if Luann returns to sneaking Miz Starr back in her bedroom, because Lu suddenly got cold feet about Tara staying in the Fuse storeroom.

That bedroom scenario would be a better outcome for Lu. She’d only get a mild rebuke from her parental units, when Bern finally ratted her out. As opposed to Lu be grounded until she’s 24 if word got round that she was “Harboring a Fugitive” at the Fuse.

It would be a pity too as I was really hoping Les would be the one who finally caught Tara in the storeroom.

Oh well….., (Fleetwood Mac reference)

I’d like to take this moment to thank Ben for finally ripping the band-aid off when he realized dancing around the question wasn’t working, though I gotta say I’m not looking forward to the fight between Luann and Bern that’s probably gonna kick off next week. I have two predictions of how this’ll go: either after a huge argument, Bernice will agree to keep quiet about Tara until something happens at the Fuse just because she doesn’t want to fuel the idea of people thinking of her as a downer and/or snitch, or it’ll blow up to epic proportions that ultimately result in Bern moving back home with Ben (even if she has to sleep on the couch) and Tara taking the spare bedroom at the Degroots.

It probably won’t go that far, but a part of me hopes for the latter. She and Luann clearly aren’t getting along with living together, and we know from the end of last year that Bernice actually started really enjoying spending time with her brother and his kids, so maybe having some extended time as “Aunt Bernice” will help mellow her out.

So we know Bern is going to do something, but what and by herself or with the help of one or both of these gentleman! If she confronts Luann directly, it is going to be interesting to see Luann react and try to figure out how Bern learned the biggest secret since the Los Alamos Project as far as she is concerned. Also it is interesting how Ben got right down to brass tacks with the “So Luann is harboring a thief,” blast. In addition, we see that Bern dislikes Tara about as much as Tara does not like her. So the wild card in the arc is Tara, is Bern making a mountain out of a molehill or will her fear be confirmed when we find that that Fuse was cleaned out after closing one night and no one has a clue to how it happened……

With friends like Bernice, you dont need enemies !

I haven’t commented all week but Bernice still needs to chill

I was ready to go to sleep on this arc – however G & K just added fuel to the fire.

BERNICE !?!?

I love how the two of them just kind of tune Bernice out… Despite her yelling!

“I mean, it’s not like Luann would be stupid enough to give Tara a key to her parents’ business knowing that Tara has a history of stealing things and allow Tara to crash in a storage room thus violating local ordinances that could result in her parents losing their business.”

This is two weeks into an arc that should have taken 3 days and still no end in sight

Good dialog. The writers are doing their jobs. This is refreshing.

Tara claims to be reformed. We’ll wait and see. Clearly Luann hasn’t learned anything by giving Tara a key to a business and not telling her parents. I’ll give Bern one and zero on her assertions.

I don’t remember what Tara stole.

How nice. Telling somebody that your “BFF” is a dummy.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when denouncing people is our pet peeve.

And yes you are too!

I like Bernice, really a lot. But all these prejudices she has towards people are too much! She was jealous of Tara because Luann has started spending time with her and is completely obsessed with the idea that Tara is a dangerous thief because “Once a thief, forever a thief”. She’s sure that her BFF Luann is a dummy just because she want to help others. She’s worried about Luann, but this is because she assumes her inability to look after herself! I really hope that all of her precious prejudices will been soon smashedby the reality. That she finally sees that Tara has real problems with her cousin/family and needs help, not to be feared. If this happens, she will truly become a good therapist and not a caricature.

Bernice doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.

Bernice, you are digging yourself into a hole here that you may not be able to get out of unscathed. You’d better just be quiet, Jack doesn’t seem like the type that would like gossip mongering.

Bernice actually jumped to the right conclusion for once.

And we confirm that Tara was right to want to avoid Bernice.

Stories need drama and conflict so that heroes can overcome obstacles and evolve, grow up, learn, change… Ann Eiffel was the scheming evil woman impacting the life of the characters because of her greed, now Bernice is taking this place but out of what she believes are good intents, and also a (wrong) sense of moral superiority.

It could end here, but it will be more interesting dramatically (and I believe that’s what is being set-up here) if Bernice’s suspicions on Tara and Tara’s innocent but illegal and secret stay at the Fuse connect to create a big suspicion of robbery on Tara and put Luann in an awkward position with her parents and in direct conflict with Bernice. (Who would have a chance, at last, to learn a lesson and changer for the better.)

Jack suffers from the same prejudice a pretty blonde does. They’re both viewed as stupid because that’s the stereotype that bitter Hollywood writers like to sell.

What gets me is that without any prior knowledge, Jack guessed right.

Jack NAILS it!

Now Bernice is going to start another conspiracy theory. She ought to join Qanon.

Here’s comes Beeswax Woman— Her Super Power? No situation so ‘none of her business’ that she can be stopped from intervening!

I’m starting to think Jack is the nicest and most mature person in this strip.

Anyone else getting tired of Bernice"s drama ?

So the first guess Jack makes is the right one?

Here comes self-righteous Bernice.

Just let these 3 keep talking! At this rate, all the gaps will be filled for the last few years. We may even find out that Jack is gay.

the plot starts to come around here

I am so tired of Bernice…

I think there are a lot of characters here who need some physical attention.None worse than Bernice. She really is hitting the “B*%#!” Button today!

Wow, what a guess?

Of course, there’s no cousin. Tara is the one hiding from the law. Luann is aiding and abetting a fugitive, but would likely not be charged since she naively believed Tara’s story.

Jack seems to know the score.

I like this brother. To the point! Unlike everyone in this comic!

Good Lord, judgmental much there, Bernice? I’m glad those two girls aren’t there to hear your REAL opinion of them.

Just how political this strip has gotten.

No matter how ill-advised Luann and Tara’s actions have been, Bernice is still “worse.” And in the hands of the script writers, they’ve made sure we know which one they intend to be the “bad guy.”

Honestly, this has become just like reading Prickly City.

Kind of like, no matter how bad the man who refuses to call himself “former president” and the party who enabled him, it’s the current president who is somehow “illegitimate.”

Sorry. The parallels are just too obvious.

I confess, I’m not a fan of how Bernice is handling herself, either.

But dag nab! She’s the one who’s actually right! And yet, G&K have positioned her as the person we’re supposed to “hate”!

That’s the parallel I’m seeing here.

Sunday: Shannon finds a new toy in Aunt Toni’s nightstand!

Tara, Ann Eiffel, Les and even Gunther have helped to keep the stories interesting – because they have not always acted as nice people. Somebody like Dez – who seems totally sweet – doesn’t add much drama – therefore she doesn’t fuel many stories.

Bernice really needs to cut the attitude and self absorption. Between classic Luann and this comic, I’m starting to think Bernice isn’t that great a best friend and it might be time for Luann to consider whose true and whose not.

Wow, the appearance of these characters has led to cultural forum…of sorts. Holy Crap!

So the burning question comes in the third panel. Is Tara THAT bad?

Similarly, is Luann being played for a dummy!

Interesting how Jack rightly guessed Tara. In this case, I agree with Bernice, until there’s a better explanation. I used to be able to turn my head like Ben, no more. :-)

but still leaping to decisions.

Questions. Is Tara hiding from the cops or a relative as she claims? Is Luann gullible enough to get conned by Tara? Will Tara rob The Fuse(owned by Luann’s parental units), Luann did give her a key?

Bernice lies again! Why wouldn’t she admit she heard Luann sneaking someone out of her room? Jack already let on that it was not him.

Wow. This is a side of Bernice I don’t care for, at all. She really dislikes Tara and she doesn’t seem to be the good friend of Luann either.

Ben and Jack probably wonder what awful things Bernice says about them behind their backs. She is really an awful friend to Luann.

Technically Bern is not lying because while she heard the actual event, she didn’t hear anything “about it” and doesn’t know anything about it because Luann denied everything.

Bernice is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

I wish Jack would have said “hey, you want to gossip and run Luann down?” “You got the wrong guy”..I am not defending Luann’s decision on Tara. I am getting tired of Bern and Bro and their continued childlike behaviors. Who would want either for a friend?

That’s how rumors get started and reputations are ruined. Like my learned Dad would say, “Just mind your own business.”

Leave it Bern… everything you want and need to know is there. Walk away from this now.

Next week poor little Shannon has regressed to wearing pampers.

I don’t like Bernice. She’s not a real friend.

What was it Tara stole, again? Can’t remember.

my goodness, what an uncharitable little gossipmonger Bernice is becoming. The long nose twitching the curtains, making it all up and spreading it wide

Bernice has great judgment skills and no leadership skills. Uggg. My sympathies to Tara.

For all the Bernice “dislikers” out there. I take Bernice’s final comment today as exhibiting care and concern for Luann, her BFF! Greg has paired Luann and Bernice over the decades as BFF’s because they work! Her her sharp and forthright character offsets Luann’s uncertainty and vague angst toward life – and yes, a bit airheadedness, like this arc with Tara.

Who else would work as Lu’s BFF? Dez? Tiffany? Toni? Pru? Viper??? The dynamic just isn’t there.

As far as being Bernice being “snarky”… This is snarly! https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2019/11/15

I like Bernice as a character in this strip. I’ll defend her role as BFF because they truly are BFFs!

Jack is this strip’s nicest, happiest, most even-keeled character. Evans can’t possibly be planning on putting him together with Bernice – the strip’s most neurotic, unhappy, and insecure denizen. She’s needs therapy and medication, not a boyfriend. She’d make his life miserable…

I agree with Bernice.

If no one heard anything about Luann sneaking someone into her room, WHY is Jack guessing anyone? If No One heard anything then there is no reason to guess.

It just dawned on me that Bernice is a total prig. No wonder she doesn’t have a life.

Yo BURN-ice, you only have a roof over your head because of Luann’s generosity. YOU are the one who screwed Tara over, and if you try it again, you’ll be out on your @$$!

Miss holier-than-thou self righteous Bernice decided long ago that she did not like Tara, therefor no one else should like her either.

Especially Luann.

Go back to the strip starting 9/11/2017. When Bernice finds out Tara is Luann’s new lab partner, she’s outraged. She practically orders Luann to ask for a new partner. Luann just laughs at her. Then Dez comes up with tickets to a Body Art Expo, which Bernice typically sneers at as a waste of her precious time. So they decide to ask Tara, which further outrages Bernice. SHE declared such an outing a waste of time! Her “friends,” (and I use the term loosely) especially Luann, should agree with her and not go! And now they’re taking Tara—-someone she (Bernice) has already passed judgement on and condemned? How DARE they do such a thing!

So you see, it really doesn’t matter what Tara is or isn’t caught doing. Bernice will use the opportunity to heap scorn and criticism on Luann, sneering at, and belittling Luann’s every thought and action. Just like she always does.

Wow, Bernice, nice way to talk about your best friend. I am liking this thread less and less.

Oh, that’s too bad. They took Bernice beyond concerned friend to blazing hypocrite. Acting so concerned about a best friend. One that she then goes about belittling in public. If she thinks Luann’s so stupid why does she stay friends with her? Other than the free room and board. I mean. Maybe Bernice needs to realize that Luann just aggravates the he!! out of her and get some distance. They took her way over the top on this Tara thing. We can chalk the other Jack thing up to hormones I guess, and that was getting cute, but now she’s being a raving maniac about Luann possibly being with Tara. Isn’t is hard to rule the world from that pedestal Bernice? You look exhausted.

This story is going in an odd direction. See you Monday.

Tara and Luann can improve or worsen each other.

I had really hoped that Luann would meet women at her Community College (other than Tara) who would become supportive friends, instead of sticking with a former friend who constantly belittles Luann. Maybe if Luann gets more involved with that after school place for kids, she can meet some better friends…

Oh, good lord, now she’s shrieking.

Please, sir, may I have some character development? So sick of Bernice the Shrew.

Does Jack notice that Bernice has been checking him out?

next week we find out where Luann was driving madly off to (I hope), another Tara problem, another fire to put out.

Bernice should change her name to HateFace McHateFace…

Berniece has serious control issues she needs to address.

Jeez! Jack figured out the identify of Luann’s midnight visitor faster than the resident “genius”.

I’ve really come to not like Bernice and her judgmental self-righteousness very much.

Again, now that Bernice knows it wasn’t her potential heartthrob, she needs to back off. It’s none of her business how Luann conducts her life.

Luann has a kind side. But is Bernice correct?

—Andddd, Bernie melts down completely, revealing how the Green Monster has utterly consumed her! She is henceforth among the Psychologically Disabled of this comic strip….

WOW! It’s getting pretty tense between the Luann haters vs the Bernice haters around here.

How about a chorus of Kumbaya all round? 8^ D

Yea! Drama!

Hey, are we sure Jack’s straight?

Ben knows something that we don’t know!

Bernice is right in everything she said!