I'm just having trouble establishing time and space in Mary Worth this week. In yesterday's strip, Jeff got a call from Adrian. It appears to be morning now, so Adrian waited until sun-up to call her dad who was having a formal breakfast with Mary. Jeff took the call on a cell phone, which means they aren't at his house, and it is clear today they aren't at Charterstone. Judging by the door handle in today's strip, it looks like they are sneaking out the back door of La Rosa, which makes sense because its breakfast buffet includes an immensely popular omelet station. Regardless, hours have passed since Dr. Good, in anguish and despair, resigned Scott's fate over to divine providence. I guess all this is to say, "Scott isn't dead yet?"Today's Full Strip
"Jeff took the call on a cell phone, which means they aren't at his house...."
ReplyDeleteAnd this is why I moved from Santa Royal -- that absurd new city ordinance which prohibits receiving cell phone calls at one's own house. Now I am free to take them at home any time of the day or night. No more cap and trade plus lower taxes.
Now Paul, this is Dr. Jeff we're talking about. I'm pretty sure that, whenever possible, he tries to talk on his rotary phone through his land line. He just doesn't trust those new-fangled cell phones - ever since Mary made him attend one of Terry's personal seminars on dropped calls.
ReplyDelete"How badly, Jeff?" Gosh Mary, he told you all he knows.
ReplyDeleteI think we are looking at the front door of Jeff's man cabin, but the frame has been colored (once again) by a member of a third grade art class.
Wanders,
ReplyDeleteI had the same thought about the time frame when I read yesterday morning's strip! Today's confirms my suspicions even further -- Jeff and Mary are now spending the night together! Sheesh, Mary and Jeff ... do you think we just fell off the pickle truck?? We can read between the lines here...
The only thing dying more slowly than Scott is this comic strip.
ReplyDelete"Was there any mention of his vital areas, Jeff?"
ReplyDeleteYawn...
ReplyDeletePoor Joe Giella. He gets a day or two of fantastic action shots... now he's busted back to an oh-so-boring yawn-fest like today.
They should just put him out of his misery... or change Mary Worth to stick figures. That might be more interesting for him.
...and us.
ReplyDeleteAnon:
ReplyDelete"The only thing dying more slowly than Scott is this comic strip."
Strip's been dead and shambling aimlessly about the surface of the earth for quite some time now. In its dim little zombie brain, it yearns for ... something.
Brains, perhaps, with which to write an interesting comic for a change..?
At any rate, the best "plot" this undead fiend of a comic ever had was the 'final' one it clawed its way out of.
Snark and anon - I agree with your points about this strip dying slower than poor Scott.
ReplyDeleteAs for remaking the Mary Worth strip, what ideas do you have? It's sort of an interesting notion and maybe we can disinter Moy and Giella from their graves and give them some ideas.
Kingfeatures.com tells us that Karaen Moy holds a bachelor's degree in studio art. I'd ask that she study writing.
ReplyDeleteShe could improve depth of character, spend more time building up to the conflict, practice the use of allegory, mood, tragic flaw.
But since she hasn't quit her day job, I don't see her doing that.
I live in the hidebound. behind-the-times Midwest, far from the centers of fashion innovation in New York and Los Angeles (and Santa Royal?). It appears that the latest rage on the West Coast for men is orange suits. Now, I've never ever seen an orange suit on the streets of Chicago and I'm wondering whether they'll finally make it here by next season. I also wonder whether they're all the rage in New York as well. And, what color tie goes well with orange?
ReplyDeleteJeff and Mary don't really seem that concerned that Scott is "badly hurt." They're strolling to the car so nonchalantly, you'd think they were heading straight from breakfast (wherever they are) to a lovely Santa Royale restaurant for brunch.
ReplyDeleteAt this point in the pointless story line, I am as didinterested as I was when Mary went to Lake Placid, er Tranquil.
ReplyDeleteWe need Toby back to make a really dumb mistake and we can all pick on her.
As long as the regurgitated For Better or For Worse manages to survive, Mary will too. At least Mary provides me with good snark and laughs. FBOFW, on the other hand, just leaves me feeling depressed that schlock like that manages to make it into the comics pages.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see more advanced storytelling skills. Or even rudimentary ones.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see a storyline where Mary ends up speaking before the full body of the United Nations, lecturing THE ENTIRE WORLD ("And would it kill you to sit up straight once in a while, Zaire?"). Diplomats sit like sulky, chastened children.
I would like to see Mary take a blow to the head and think she's someone else. Wait, two blows.
I would like to see Dr. Jeff come out of the closet in a Very Special Episode Of Mary Worth.
I want Mary to have an arch-nemesis and be forced to transform into Mecha-Mary to save the world.
But most of all, I would like to see Karen Moy's paycheck deposited into my account.