MAR'S gonna be at Foodtown tomorrow... 23/01/07

[Freemage]

It's not calculating, manipulative or selfish to wonder if your boyfriend's stepping out. However, it is extremely calculating, manipulative and selfish to use two girls to get ahead and then dump them, jettison all your old friend for prettier ones, deliberately use a girl from another school to do your spy work, show your significant other no respect on numerous occasions, and try to publicly shame people at a party.

So, you think Penny is manipulative and selfish, huh? (Or did you miss her motive for going to the party?

Mind you, I do agree with your core point that what Karen needs (and this goes for a lot of controlling, needy people in general) is some time where she learns how to stand on her own. And that this is likely to result in her getting it.

On the other hand, she is manipulative and calculating, so it's not totally impossible that she'll do something truly vile, and then talk her way out of it. Or maybe just wank her way out of it--depends on which brain Marshall is using at that point.

[Gisele]

And although not as stunningly beautiful as the characters in the last strip... man, this is a nicely-drawn one. I love her eyes in this one. Gisele, have you ever read any of Yukito Kishiro's works? He always draws such gorgeous eyes on his character Gally/Alita, and this really reminded of it.

I have the first two Alita books. I've had them for a while. They're actually the flipped version that VIZ released in the early/mid '90s. His work is stunning

[sopdet]

Sopdet that's a great summary, but you're missing a few key points, mainly being Karen's reaction to both Penny AND Aggie's presence.

(& the rest of your post, hee)

I originally had started typing out every conceivable direction the storyline could take, but it was just getting crazy. LOL. Like I said, it depends whether P or K arrives on the scene first, and how the quartet is faring at that time. After all, if K gets there first and jumps in on the situation, P might decide to stay in the shadows (again, unlikely as this is boring, but still plausible). If N&C don't ever leave the table, P and/or K might be forced to make less of a deal about what they find than they might without parents around.

In the end, my intent was mostly just to suss out what everyone's motivation for being at Foodtown at that time is. I'm the kind of person who doesn't try to guess at what's going to happen next as much as understand what's lead us to the most current moment.

[isobel]

Freemage, I get your point about Penny and the party, but one thing made it a draw for me: her reaction after the showdown. She realized her action at the party was wrong, and that this was deeper than just a petty "pretty-princess pantheress" cat fight. She knows why Karen hates her, and realizes it is something more like hate than a spat. Plus, that she seems sad about it showed to me that however she went into the "project," she did think of Karen as a friend. Penny might play the games, but she keeps enough distance from them (Weeell, usually...we'll see how this Aggie thing pans out) that she's not quite as scary as Karen. Penny's got a heart behind all those school politics, and while she might be spiteful, she can usually see it/check herself. 'Course, I'm saying this as she appears to be coming unhinged, but as yet we haven't seen her act insane, so I'll say this is still at least technically true.

[Ollie]

She realized her action at the party was wrong

She did?

[tyggyr]

One thing I haven't seen clear yet - does Karen actually know that Charisma is Marshall's mom?

Granted Karen's seen the two of them at the health club, but I don't think I've ever seen a strip where Marshall identifies Charisma as his mother...

So, when Karen shows up at the dinner party, she's more likely to think that somehow Mar and Aggie are paired up other than just being there because of the 'rents...

[Black Mantha]

One thing I haven't seen clear yet - does Karen actually know that Charisma is Marshall's mom?

Granted Karen's seen the two of them at the health club, but I don't think I've ever seen a strip where Marshall identifies Charisma as his mother...

Well, no, but they were talking about her here, and I think it's safe to assume Marshall told her.

[BossMuro]

It's pretty obvious how this is going to turn out, you know. Karen's going to show up, possibly even without a plan, and whatever she does is going to blow up in her face. Marshall's going to break up with her in disgust, and, being on the rebound, is going to simply fall into the arms of the nearest possible person.

Which will of course be Nick.

Think about it. It'll make things unbelievably akward for Aggie, Karen and Charisma. Penny will have a "holy crap" moment, and Nick and Marshall will both feel pretty stupid when Nick realizes Mar isn't a woman.

Seriously, T and Giselle have got to hide what they're going to do at least a little better.

[daanton]

It's pretty obvious how this is going to turn out, you know. Karen's going to show up, possibly even without a plan, and whatever she does is going to blow up in her face. Marshall's going to break up with her in disgust, and, being on the rebound, is going to simply fall into the arms of the nearest possible person.

Which will of course be Nick.

Think about it. It'll make things unbelievably akward for Aggie, Karen and Charisma. Penny will have a "holy crap" moment, and Nick and Marshall will both feel pretty stupid when Nick realizes Mar isn't a woman.

Seriously, T and Giselle have got to hide what they're going to do at least a little better.

Or I try to keep quiet my plot speculations...
But so far that's the only thing I seem to contribute to this forum, as everyone else has been saying everything else.

No, I think T____ and Gisèle are doing alright so far on this plotline.

[Kina]

I cannot wait for the explosion (or perhaps implosion on Marshall's part) at the dinner. I have this gleeful image of tears, rage, and humiliation. I want to see all their little lives fall apart and then try to figure out HOW they are going to put them back together.

Of course, with my luck, the situation will be diffused - Penny will realize her mistake and leave to plot something to do to Aggie at school. Karen will show up post-Penny and see Marshall, his mother, Aggie, and Aggie's father. This will of course cause jealousy and she may drag Marshall off for some more molestation. Couldn't let his mother get what she wants! Only Karen gets that! ;)

The only thing that has really bothered me is ... why is Marshall upset that his mother is thinking about settling down? I thought he hated the fact that she was loose and "smummy." From the way Karen speaks about it, Marshall whines like and emo bitch to her about his mother. Sure, it could be the whole Oedipus complex, but I don't want to bring Freud into this.

[ Edited because I realized "off" has two fs! ]

[Lamey]

It could be as simple as the fact that her previous relationships have always eventually hurt him.

So either some new jerk is entering his life - or maybe she's found a decent guy, a worthwhile father figure.

In which case when she eventually breaks it off with him it'll hurt even more.

[Freemage]

Marshall has issues, in short--I pointed out this little disconnect back when he first started whining to Karen about how his mom actually is hooking up with a decent guy, AND is serious about him. How dare she steal his emo-privileges!

(No, he really is NOT my favorite character in the strip. I think I like Scientology chick better.)

[iRobot]

Marshall has issues, in short--I pointed out this little disconnect back when he first started whining to Karen about how his mom actually is hooking up with a decent guy, AND is serious about him. How dare she steal his emo-privileges!

I think it has less to do about impinging on a potential whine-fest and more to do with anxiety related to entering a completely unknown situation. Charisma's lack of stability has become a point of stability for Marshall--he knows what to expect. This introduces a new variable--one for which he can't account for, so yeah, he's apprehensive. Also, he probably fears that this guy could be an utter jerk, or as Lamey suggested, that the guy could be really great and his mum screws it up.... There are plenty of valid reasons why Marshall is freaking out about some complete stranger his mum is dating entering his life.

[Freemage]

Marshall has issues, in short--I pointed out this little disconnect back when he first started whining to Karen about how his mom actually is hooking up with a decent guy, AND is serious about him. How dare she steal his emo-privileges!

I think it has less to do about impinging on a potential whine-fest and more to do with anxiety related to entering a completely unknown situation. Charisma's lack of stability has become a point of stability for Marshall--he knows what to expect. This introduces a new variable--one for which he can't account for, so yeah, he's apprehensive. Also, he probably fears that this guy could be an utter jerk, or as Lamey suggested, that the guy could be really great and his mum screws it up.... There are plenty of valid reasons why Marshall is freaking out about some complete stranger his mum is dating entering his life.

I'd buy that if he wasn't, you know, obviously dissatisfied with the status quo, as well, to the point that he, himself, shows all the physical intimacy capabilities of your average marble statue.

You can complain about change. You can complain about the way things are.

When you complain about both, you're wallowing in emo-ville, and deserve a kick in the tush. Maybe it'd dislodge that stick he keeps up there so that it could serve as a replacement spine.

[Papuasblya]

Maybe it'd dislodge that stick he keeps up there so that ....

I'm not going to say it. I'm mature.