Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT 2101-2105 (January 16-20, 2012) - A New Hope
Harlequin:
--- Quote from: Carl-E on 16 Jan 2012, 07:23 ---OK, here's a thought for all the "Marten did the right thing" folks.
If it's right, why the bitter acrimony? Why the self loathing? Why does he feel like he was being an asshole (his words, not Faye's)?
He should have seen Padma one last time, to talk. To say goodbye to a person who'd opened up to him. To ask what had happened that she decided to step back. I think her call to "hang out" was at least partly her wanting to talk, to explain, to seek some kind of resolution for/with this guy she'd inadvertantly hurt by her own bad choices. To understand a potential friend a little better.
It didn't need to be a roll in the hay, and maybe he wouldn't be feeling so much self loathing right now that he goes and gets Faye to metaphorically whack him upside the head (it really was self inflicted, if you think about it).
To carry the metaphor someone started, he didn't need to try kicking the football again, OR to ignore it. The football was never the issue. he needed to have a heart-to-heart with Lucy. It may not have worked out, but maybe he'd find out what the hell she was thinking, and not hate himself so much for his actions!
--- End quote ---
1. "Opened up?" How? If anything she closed herself off. She made her choices. Time to live with them. Her feelings and peace of mind aren't Marten's responsibility.
2. Lucy's on a plane leaving the state to never be heard from again (hopefully).
3. Who cares about Lucy's motivations? She does what she does. Lucy either doesn't know what she does to Chuck or doesn't care. The football isn't the issue. The issue is Lucy pulling the football away from him after setting him up for the kick. It's not Chuck's responsibility to initiate a heart-to-heart with Lucy. It's his responsibility to do what is best for him in the face of someone who is hurting him. Either way, it's not good for Chuck. Good riddance to Lucy.
4. Switch roles and Marten would be earning the ire that people are expressing for Pad... just more intensely. Yay for gendered expectations of men always being in the wrong.
quix0te:
--- Quote from: Emperor Norton on 15 Jan 2012, 22:42 ---Ok, so... just one question.
If Faye realised all the stuff she said in the first panel... why in god's name did she not tell him that back in 2095. or 2098?
It seems an oddly specific analysis if it just hit her right then. And if it did hit her right then, why would she have expected it to hit him earlier?
--- End quote ---
That was Jeph doubling down on 'Marten's a jerk.'
He tried to put the jerk hat on Marten, but encountered two problems. The first is that it wasn't consistent with who Marten is, and the second is that it wasn't consistent with what he'd done. So he had to hammer home why Marten was a Bad Guy for leaving poor Padma sad and forlorn instead of... what, going to talk to her?
What would they have talked about? What are the odds this talk would have left them feeling better? Really.
Best case, he's the Best Guy In The World (tm) and she leaves feeling like he's a really sweet guy.
This is a good outcome? Would she feel worse leaving the Best Guy In The World (tm), or a guy who turned out to be, at the end, just a guy.
Worst case, he gets angry at being avoided for a week and then having her spring this on him last minutes. He's human and people get angry when they are hurt.
Both of them are hurting.
There is no possibility of the relationship continuing.
Should he drag it out?
Oh, and on that 'both of them are hurting' note. Both are hurting, but one of them has a 'friend' slapping him repeatedly when he already feels terrible.
Milesb:
--- Quote from: Carl-E on 16 Jan 2012, 07:23 ---OK, here's a thought for all the "Marten did the right thing" folks.
If it's right, why the bitter acrimony? Why the self loathing? Why does he feel like he was being an asshole (his words, not Faye's)?
--- End quote ---
Because sometimes the right thing isn't emotionally pleasing. Because sometimes, as much as I'm sure we all wish it wasn't, the right thing to do isn't always particularly nice.
There is almost always a better way to do things. He could have handled it better I entirely agree, but what he did doesn't seem out and out wrong to me.
My argument is that Faye is a environmental factor that only reinforces his current behaviour - She's not drawing out his reasoning and breaking it down in a constructive way, she's essentially pushing him until he gives in and bottles it up again.
And then, somewhere down the line it'll all come flooding out, and if Faye is there to facilitate it, he'll bottle it all up again.
She's not actually helping him at all. Nobody says she has to (although I think as his friend, we'd hope she would) - Faye is quite clearly capable of thinking situations through, as with her resolutions with Dora and her relationship issues with Angus - she just doesn't seem to want to extend that to Marten.
It sucks.
Edit/Quote:
--- Quote from: NotAwesomeAnymore on 16 Jan 2012, 07:00 ---tl;dr There's a balance between a person's personal issues and their external environment, and sometimes it's really hard to tell the difference, and sometimes the answer is surprising!
EDIT: This isn't to say that Marten's current environment (i.e. his friends, etc.) need to change themselves, but that it would be interesting to see him in another environment.
--- End quote ---
I completely agree man, and I don't see how Marten -can- develop in this circle of people without it turning into a blood bath. I think writing Marten out for a few months would be a breath of fresh air for character development (Marigold and Momo especially) and would give Marten the ability to come back with some peace of mind and some belief in himself under his belt.
But that'll never happen, yo!
Is it cold in here?:
The weirdest future I can think of is that Marten gets a wise and inspiring talk from Pintsize.
Why is everyone acting like this was the last chance to set things right with Padma? I haven't checked this myself, but it seems likely that there is phone service in LA.
themacnut:
Why would Padma even take his calls after all that's gone on between them? Her past behavior suggests she won't.
Still, Faye better be careful. Marten might decide, if moving one time worked out, to do it again. And Faye would NOT like that....
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