Of course. Because the Baroni family is Italian. And all New York Italian families witness gruesome mob-related killings all the time.
I am not much for predicting where a storyline may be headed; I mean, what's the point? But in this case, I'm hoping that the Baroni family moves to California, and Gina, totally blown by Fate's cruel hand, never sees Bobby again. But fortunately, Fate's other hand, the kind one, has introduced her to Mary Worth. And Mary Worth knows Wilbur Weston. And Wilbur Weston knows a little something about a thing called Facebook.
Today's Full Strip
51 comments:
Did he leave the gun and take the cannoli?
Of course, this now explains all the hand gestures. Not Jazz Hands - just expressive I-taliens.
So Gina and her family have been in witness protection in S.R. since she was 14? But her mother died recently, and her father isn't around. Maybe he was rubbed out when Gina insisted on going back to New York to visit Bobby.
This is what a gag reflex looks like.
Geez, that darn Mob!
Can't they ever just kill someone the old fashioned way? Why does it always have to be gruesome? It's always over-kill <--I punned
Don't people in witness protection programs usually attempt to change their appearance...you know for..protection? Nice job Gina..you probably got your mom killed with your insistence on wearing that ponytail your whole life!
Spooky thought, based on Tony's comment. What if EVERYONE in Santa Royale is in the witness protection program? That would explain a lot.
Enjoyed seeing "Finally, my father told us" in today's strip. Never has the use of the word "finally" been more appropriate.
The expression on Papa's face in panel three is hilarious! He looks like the saddest basset hound ever.
So why exactly does Gina the Waitress need Mary's advice? Maybe she does want to look up Bobby on Facebook. But I think Mary should force Gina to pair up with Dr. Cory.
Not only does Gina's father look like the saddest basset hound ever, examine the face of Mom is the first panel - holy mackerel!
I think the residents of Santa Royale are in the Witless Protection Program. That's why Mary has an endless supply of situations to meddle in. (Endless - like Gina's flashback.)
If, prior to this storyline, I had been informed that the upcomimg plot would involve a "gruesome, mob-related killing"... well, I wouldn't have had any idea what to expect. But I wouldn't have expected it to be as bland and unfulfilling as this.
What if Karen Moy had been a guest writer on The Sopranos. She would have written an episode where Tony and Paulie sit by their pool and and eat potatoes for forty minutes and then Tony suddenly remembers he had an appointment with his therapist, so he takes off and reminds Paulie to go whack a guy ("and make sure the killing is done in a fashion that is gruesome!")
Argh, I meant to type "in the first panel" in my previous post. Contemplating the carnage in the gruesome mob-related killing has affected my keyboarding skills.
Oh no, now WE are going to know about the gruesome mob-related killing, we're all in danger! Thanks, Moy, you're ruining our lives...
@punky - I love the idea that SR is a haven for witness protectionites. No wonder they're all so dysfunctional.
Hold it, do we KNOW Gina's last name is "Baroni" and that Moy is typecasting here?
And I like the idea that Santa Royale is one big witness-protection-agancy-dumping ground.
That's an odd place to put a chair and a reading lamp. If you're in "grave danger," would you gather your family directly in front of a large, open window?
The colorist also must also have been quite shaken by the gruesome mob killing. Aren't Gina and Mom supposed to be resting their hands on Dad's knees? But one knee is yellow and the other knee is white.
Good point, kathyo. Also, one might not want to have that chair there to begin with to lessen the possibility that one might witness even more gruesome mob-related killings. Surely people in this neighborhood know better.
Re the colorist: I don't usually cross post things but here's part of a comment I posted over on the comics curmudgeon:
(The colorist ignored the memo: Knees, should be the same color as the hair)
Ginas family was very poor, they couldn't afford a TV, so all their chairs faced the window.
Haha Tony@ 7:50A
I thought you said that Gina was in the "WAITRESS protection!" and that got me laughing.
But my original comment was going to be:
What father in his right mind would tell his 10 year old, skateboarding daughter about a gruesome, mob-related killing??
I guess they're now going to be a way other than happy.
I just know this is going to be the best mob story since "Kill the Irishman".
Well at least she got to the point today. I feared for a minute that Gina would still be talking about her father's ashen expressions.
Okay, so I guess now the family will go in the Witness Protection Program, she'll be forced to leave Bobby Black, and thus fate will have dealt its hand.
But remember, Bobby Black might be related to Jill Black. Perhaps Gina and Bobby might be reunited! :)
Now, is that a lamp behind them in panel one?
It looks more like one of those wall-mounted toilet tanks behind which you might hide a gun.
Tuffenuf: I wish I had thought of WAITRESS protection! Good one!
Oh my gosh! Clearly, Gina's father witnessed Cousin Richie's brutal murder! He knows who done it!
Now, if only Gina can talk to Mike Roberts, telling him at last the identity of the man who killed his father's best friend a long time ago, Dr. Roberts can at at last take up the mantle of vigilante laid down by his father Lonnie...heralding the end of all evil in Santa Royale!
It must be!
OK, so that was fate's cruel blow ... but why is love not for Gina? Even people in the Waitress Protection Plan can find love, can't they?
I am so loving the Waitress Protection Program idea. And what better place to hide Gina in plain sight than a generic diner named... DINER?
@phoebes - Karen Moy slipped in a mention of Gina's last name at the beginning of a Sunday strip earlier this month: http://tinyurl.com/3zxk5ql
I guess we were being subtly set up for the facetouchingly-awful mob hit that was coming our way.
In the nine days since we were introduced to Gina's parents, they have transformed physically from 1950s "Father Knows Best" Episcopalians of no readily identifiable ethnicity to early 20th century Ellis Island Italian refugees. And the exterior of their home has transformed from a peeling stucco to wooden plank siding. At least we can see now where those punks were getting their skateboard material.
The Bobby Black Facebook page is hilarious. Has anyone had Bobby confirm them as a friend?
Since Wilbur isn't the only one that knows a thing or two about facebook, I have embarked on my own personal Bobby Black search. There are a lot of them, and I've been able to rule a lot of them out. Too old, too young, ethnically different...but one I haven't been able to rule out is Bobby Black porn star. Would Mary Worth ever turn to a situation like that?
OMG - I love the FB page and I sent Bobby a "friend request". I'd like to know when it will be accepted???
"Of course. Because the Baroni family is Italian. And all New York Italian families witness gruesome mob-related killings all the time."
- Either that or we're the ones doing the killing.
But isn't this the same strip that showed Mary flying to Viet Nam and the plane was filled with blonds?
It's like a 1960's television show, be very very careful not to show anything that will piss off our sponsors.
WHOA! Things happened "very quickly"? I don't think I can handle this breakneck pace!
Love the "Well, duh" face Mary's making in panel 2. Even she's getting fed up.
In case Wanders doesn't post a Saturday column, I'll write this here.
Did the family go into the "official" WPP, as sponsored by the Feds, or did they just go into hiding in that same haphazard way most people do things in the Worthiverse?
..."but you can keep your ponytail"
I logged onto Facebook to find the hilarious Bobby Black entry but there were so many Bobby Black's that I gave up looking. I didn't know how to filter them.
Mom@5.37p - just go to the Facebook link in Wanders' column - I think it's in blue - and click. It should take you to the right FB page.
"We'd have to leave what we knew (being happy) behind." How sad.
thanks, Phoebes!
I realized while contemplating Bobby's FB page, that the reason Gina's Dad was so horrified by the gangland murder, was because it was committed by Bobby Black who then quickly escaped on his skateboard.
Bobby's Facebook Wall is a riot as well. And he's up to ten friends now, all of whom had better go into hiding pronto.
I suppose it's too much to ask that we would ever be told how he happened to witness this gang murder? Exactly where was he and what was he doing to witness such a thing?
I'm FB friends with Bobby but now I'm scared because he's 14 and so much older than me! I thought for sure he was only 11 at most and had gotten his parents' permission to set up his FB account. My parents aren't going to like this and are going to make me de-friend him!!
Thoughts from recent strips:
Sunday: Touchdown!
Monday: I love how Gina tells her elaborate story, blows her witness protection cover, then gets up and leaves. Mary has a look of horror at losing a meddlee!
@Dave in Parma - I completely agree about Mary's look on horror in Monday's strip. Look at the body language in panel #2 - Gina is clearly trying to flee, which Mary is grabbing onto Gina's arm in desperation. "We can get together another time," says Gina, trying to tug her arm free. Gina, dear, give up. You're stuck tight in her trap now.
WF: votessi - what Gina's people do during elections back in the Old Country.
I hope our host is all right. You don't suppose he witnessed a gruesome mob-related killing, do you?
WF: datiner
Said Bobby.... "I was really happy datiner till her dad witnessed that gruesome mob-related murder and then I never seen her or that ponytail of hers again"
@ Gina 2:19pm: He may have become a vigilante.
I'm not too familiar with the Witness Protection Program (despite having lived the first 26 years of my life with an Italian last name), but aren't you supposed to keep it a secret?
We may never know the details of what Gina's father saw, but judging by the artwork it seems to have happened in broad daylight, perhaps at rush hour.
"The feds told us they'd help us change our names"...so what was your name before--Tina Maroni?? Nice job staying undercover.
And, why is Gina's mom gnawing off her fingers? Did the feds suggest this so she wouldn't have any fingerprints?
I'll admit to occasionally being mystified by the MW storylines, but Monday's "I have to go now, Mary," break in the action, followed by Tuesday's resumption back at the diner, has me completely bewildered. Was Moy trying to slow down the torrid pace of this story?
Is it just me, or does Gina's mom look positively chipper about the move?
Ha, "Gina Baroni" is feeding Mary a story. Gina the woebegone waitress is really the daughter of Aldo, Mary's stalker of several years ago who perished in an alcohol-induced car crash. "Gina" is bent on avenging her father by eliminating the meddlesome Mary. Long-time denizens of the Worthiverse may recall Mary's exceedingly temporary anguish, which evaporated when Mary smugly assured herself that she was completely blameless in Aldo's fiery fate.
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