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Comic Discussion => QUESTIONABLE CONTENT => Topic started by: BenRG on 17 Dec 2017, 23:39

Title: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 17 Dec 2017, 23:39
Okay, a couple of weeks early but I'm running dry and the new year is close enough that this is a valid poll. I'll leave it open until the new year or beyond just so we get as many responses as possible. So, what would you like to see in Questionable Content in the year ahead? I don't pretend to have given every possible option so I will welcome 'Other' comments.

I, for one, would be really interested in seeing how young AIs live and how they decide on their first jobs. It might work well as part of Hannelore's focus on working to support the rights of disadvantaged AIs. I'd also like for Jeph to perhaps pull a surprise or two out of the hat with Faye and Bubbles. One idea that really appeals to me is the possibility that maybe they get too successful too quickly. Not only is there the pressure to live up to their reputation, there is the very real logistical issues of having customers literally waiting around the corner. It turns out that neither of our principals really knows how to be a boss!

As for this week, I'm expecting either the next phase of Hannelore's story this week or, possibly a week of fillers so that Jeph can really focus on the next major narrative arc from the start of next year.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: shanejayell on 18 Dec 2017, 00:39
Bubbles/Faye goes canon!

Tilly gets eaten by a dinosaur.

Angus comes back and ALSO gets eaten by a dinosaur.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: shanejayell on 18 Dec 2017, 01:58
New comic up!

A perfect example of 'Don't make that face or it may get stuck that way.'
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 18 Dec 2017, 02:10
I think that we can safely say that Hannelore has finally had enough of her mother's amoral and selfish behaviour. It's just impacted on her personally too strongly and I also suspect that she feels enough sympathy for Tilly that she feels aggrieved on their behalf too. Panels 1-3 all suggest that Tilly is more than a little worried about what's going on in Hannelore's head and what she is going to do to Beatrice when she confronts her.

I expect Hannelore to simply tell Beatrice that she's done with her shit, that their relationship has to change or they'll go their separate ways and never interact again. I expect Beatrice to throw around money and maybe threaten to cut off Hannelore from her allowance (which I am not convinced she would have the power to do - she's probably need Dr John's agreement and I don't think that would happen). However, I strongly suspect Hannelore would invite Beatrice to do her worst because there is nothing worth being her mother's plaything any longer.

FWIW, what I would like is for Hannelore to walk in and announce: "I am Hannelore, daughter of John, Princess of the Space Station. Now, in the name of all that is good in this world, your wrath on this world is ended!" She then shrugs off her coat to reveal a suit of Hellenic armour and pulls out the CoD under-counter sword.

A perfect example of 'Don't make that face or it may get stuck that way.'

This has happened to Hannelore before, specifically her 'SQUEE!' expression when Marigold agreed to date Dale. Repetition makes me wonder if it is a real physiological problem on Hannelore's part! :wink:
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 18 Dec 2017, 02:23
That outfit looks familiar. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3613)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Clovis Man on 18 Dec 2017, 02:39

Tilly gets eaten by a dinosaur.


Bad dino! Bad, bad, bad!  No eating Tilly!

Yes, Tilly started out badly (not entirely her fault), and they're a too enthusiastic. Given a chance, I think they'll settle down.

I've seen a lot of trainees like Tilly - graduates from technical training, going into their first real-world assignment.  They generally worked out well.  The few that didn't, well...

BTW, I've seen their spiritual sister working as a waitress in a local restaurant - down to the big glasses.  She's probably a young college student at the nearby university.  Pleasant, efficient, eager to please and yes, cute as a button.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: blt on 18 Dec 2017, 03:13
Clearly Hannelore hasn't heard the old saying "She that fights Beatrice must take care that in the process she does not become a Beatrice."
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Technoir on 18 Dec 2017, 04:39
Don't make Hannelore angry...you wouldn't like her when she......oh who am i kidding. Hanners adorkable no matter what mood she's in.

GO KICK MOMMY'S ASS, HANNERS! 

(and if you wanted to lay further emotionally traumatizing smackdown on Tillitaff, that'd be ok, too. They need a beatdown, for being so naive and weak as to allow themselves to be placed into such a position of manipulative behaviour.)

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 18 Dec 2017, 04:44
Hanners looks like Spookybot, only with blond hair...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Milayna on 18 Dec 2017, 04:54
I'd really like to hear for myself exactly what Hanners wants to say to her mother. From the context of their last conversation it sounded like it'd be something like "How dare you jerk other people around at your whim like prop for your bullshit selfish reasons!" But the problem with that is...she immediately called up Tilly, had them drop everything and organize a sudden flight, and is dragging them into a confrontation with her mother like a prop for her long-running parental issues.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 18 Dec 2017, 04:57
@Milayna,

My guess is that Hannelore's plan is to drop Tilly in Beatrice's lap in a sort of 'return to sender' gesture to make double-sure that Tilly is not in Northampton being instructed to interfere in her life. However, I suspect that it is going to be made abundantly plain that doing so is putting Tilly in danger, so Hannelore may bring them back home with her to protect her from her mother's cruelty.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Technoir on 18 Dec 2017, 05:47
But, presumably, Tilly is a legal adult and should be perfectly capable of advocating for themselves, thus mitigating the need for Hannelore to "bring them back" like some sort of stray puppy that needs protecting from the evil she-bitch pitbull (aka Empress Beatrice).  Hannelore has Winslow. She doesn't need another subservient being hanging around her, especially one who is not above using emotional manipulation to achieve their goals.

Speaking of emotional manipulation...   At what point should I just cut the cord on a "friend" who has, several time in the past couple years, whenever her life goes to shit, told me that if i ever stopped being her friend, she'd probably just kill herself?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 18 Dec 2017, 05:55
@BenRG, I really want to know how your brain goes from Point A to Point Q-832-Alpha...

The most likely explanation as to why Hanners has taken Tilly with her is quite simply, it involves Tilly too. They are a negotiating tool between their father and Beatrice. You can't treat people like that and that is something Tilly needs to hear. It might hurt them, but they'll need to know as well.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: maneyan on 18 Dec 2017, 06:23
But, presumably, Tilly is a legal adult and should be perfectly capable of advocating for themselves, thus mitigating the need for Hannelore to "bring them back" like some sort of stray puppy that needs protecting from the evil she-bitch pitbull (aka Empress Beatrice).  Hannelore has Winslow. She doesn't need another subservient being hanging around her, especially one who is not above using emotional manipulation to achieve their goals.

Speaking of emotional manipulation...   At what point should I just cut the cord on a "friend" who has, several time in the past couple years, whenever her life goes to shit, told me that if i ever stopped being her friend, she'd probably just kill herself?

Legally yes, but morally? Honestly Tilly strikes me as a house elf in some ways; I doubt they'd be able to function in regular society. And of course the thing about being a good person is that sometimes you do things even if they're not strictly needed. Hanners could definitely have called the cops on Tilly and had them dragged off, problem solved, but then she wouldn't be Hanners, would she?

EDIT: Also, have you discussed it with her? Has she been open to change? I'd honestly say that there's no better time than the present if it is clear that she'll never change her ways.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 18 Dec 2017, 06:36
The fight between Hanners and her mother could be epic and interesting, if there wasn't Tilly the embodiment of boredom and dullness in between them...

Tilly's father seems to be someone powerful, so all the speculations about Tilly being in danger are just pointless. So throw them out already.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Technoir on 18 Dec 2017, 06:40
But, presumably, Tilly is a legal adult and should be perfectly capable of advocating for themselves, thus mitigating the need for Hannelore to "bring them back" like some sort of stray puppy that needs protecting from the evil she-bitch pitbull (aka Empress Beatrice).  Hannelore has Winslow. She doesn't need another subservient being hanging around her, especially one who is not above using emotional manipulation to achieve their goals.

Speaking of emotional manipulation...   At what point should I just cut the cord on a "friend" who has, several time in the past couple years, whenever her life goes to shit, told me that if i ever stopped being her friend, she'd probably just kill herself?

Legally yes, but morally? Honestly Tilly strikes me as a house elf in some ways; I doubt they'd be able to function in regular society. And of course the thing about being a good person is that sometimes you do things even if they're not strictly needed. Hanners could definitely have called the cops on Tilly and had them dragged off, problem solved, but then she wouldn't be Hanners, would she?

EDIT: Also, have you discussed it with her? Has she been open to change? I'd honestly say that there's no better time than the present if it is clear that she'll never change her ways.

That's an interesting view of the situation, and yes, I can see Tilly as somewhat house-elf-like. 


Sidebar: Yes, we've had discussions. She does well for a while, but then something triggers a relapse into unhealthy behaviours. ie she'll be dating a guy, and he ends up being a jerk, and she spirals into substance abuse and dangerous activities (like banging random dudes off Tindr and Craigslist) and wishing she'd just dated me when she had the chance 10 yrs ago.  Meanwhile, I get to be her emotional tampon since, despite my rough edges and lack of patience for a lot of things, i do care about her wellbeing and want her to be happy.   
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Zebediah on 18 Dec 2017, 06:44
I picture it going down like this:

Hannelore: "Mother, this has got to stop." * ignites lightsaber *

Beatrice: "Strike me down, and your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete."

Hannelore: "Stuff it, mom. My journey to the Dark Side was complete a long time ago." * slice dice fillet *

Beatrice: "That's my girl!" * dies *

 :evil:
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 18 Dec 2017, 07:42
The question I have is, if Tilly's aware of their role as a mere pawn in someone else's power play? So far I'm willing to say they aren't, because I just can't see them as being intentionally backstabby towards Hannelore! But who knows...

So, if no, and they come to realise it (especially because one of the players is their own father) → Poor Tilly! (Yes, I said it...)

If yes... well... I'd like to see them (Tilly and Beatrice) explain that to Hannelore..!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: swapna on 18 Dec 2017, 07:43
@BenRG, I really want to know how your brain goes from Point A to Point Q-832-Alpha...

The most likely explanation as to why Hanners has taken Tilly with her is quite simply, it involves Tilly too. They are a negotiating tool between their father and Beatrice. You can't treat people like that and that is something Tilly needs to hear. It might hurt them, but they'll need to know as well.
Agreed. The alternatives aren't really great: Hanners could go alone, and exclude Tilly from negotiations/discussions they will be the central topic of, or Tilly goes alone and Hannelore can't explain to her mother in person why her behaviour is problematic.

As far as we know, Tilly doesn't know that they're used as a bargain chip.

Also, concerning inheritance: We know Beatrice is rich as hell, and the lion's share of Hanners' inheritance is probably hers. So if she wants to cut off Hanners from that, she absolutely can - not just because the company is hers and Hanners' father has his own ventures, but also because Beatrice is a shark who abuses every single loophole if she has to.

But, tbh, I really hope the focus shifts from the Tilly-Drama to the Chatham family drama, because if Tilly never actually managed to be a sympathetic or even interesting character.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Marco on 18 Dec 2017, 07:46
I picture it going down like this:

Hannelore: "Mother, this has got to stop." * ignites lightsaber *

Beatrice: "Strike me down, and your journey towards the Dark Side will be complete."

Hannelore: "Stuff it, mom. My journey to the Dark Side was complete a long time ago." * slice dice fillet *

Beatrice: "That's my girl!" * dies *

 :evil:

Oddly enough, Hanners wearing black reminded my of Luke's outfit in Return of The Jedi. Looks like The Last Jedi messed up with more people's minds than my own. Maybe even Jeph's?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: oeoek on 18 Dec 2017, 07:46
This has happened to Hannelore before, specifically her 'SQUEE!' expression when Marigold agreed to date Dale. Repetition makes me wonder if it is a real physiological problem on Hannelore's part! :wink:

Had to look that one up; yessss....
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2545 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2545)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Thrudd on 18 Dec 2017, 07:51
By the comments so far, the story seems to be getting intriguing BUT Tilly is still here so I will hold off putting up with the character till Friday as I promised myself.

I really, really, REALLY hope that there will be a new story arc with less in-your-face ..... I have no idea how to word it .... JarJar Binks?
It is just as tiresome as having to be socially active for hours at a time.

Beatrice: "That's my girl!" * dies *
As Hannelore stands over the now defunct Beatrice, Beatrice walks in through another door, well out of lightsber range.

Beatrice: "Do you know how expensive android drones are?"

Hannelore: "...."

Beatrice: "Then again it was worth it to confirm that my girl has what it takes. Oh, and the negotiations are complete and the papers signed so just one more thing to do."

Hannelore: "...."

Tilly: ".. ? ..."

Beatrice: Pulls out cellphone and activates an app. "Oh, and Taffy. I really don't care for corporate spys that don't see things my way. You're fired."

Tilly: "Ma'am? ..."  Tube drops from the ceiling, evacuates Tilly with a FOOP, followed a few seconds latter by a deep rumble and the sight through the bay window of an ICBM being launched.
 :-D

Beatrice: "Say hello to your father for me." Puts away cellphone.

Robohorse enters behind Hannelore with a tray.

Robohorse: "Tea Miss Hannelore?"

Warning - while you were typing 2 3 4new replies have been posted and the sun has entered the early red stage. You may wish to post now before the sun engulfs the earth.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Magniras on 18 Dec 2017, 08:13
Hell hath no fury like a daughter who has finally had enough of her mother's shit.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 18 Dec 2017, 08:26
This has happened to Hannelore before, specifically her 'SQUEE!' expression when Marigold agreed to date Dale. Repetition makes me wonder if it is a real physiological problem on Hannelore's part! :wink:

Had to look that one up; yessss....
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2545 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2545)

So it seems it takes 4 panels for Hanners' face to get stuck...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 18 Dec 2017, 08:51
Welcome, new person!

You've seen eager new trainees, but like Tilly??

Btw Tilly asked once to be referred to with they/them pronouns. It turns out that if we honor that on the forum, it's a meaningful gesture of respect and welcome to real life non binary people. And that is very very important to us.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: A Duck on 18 Dec 2017, 09:35
Hannelore right now:
(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/powerlisting/images/d/dd/Super_Saiyan_2_Gohan.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140409173433)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Case on 18 Dec 2017, 09:40
Uh-Oh!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: brasca on 18 Dec 2017, 10:12
Hannelore has come a long way if she can fly on a commercial jet without freaking out over recycled air and potential security pat downs.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Clovis Man on 18 Dec 2017, 11:06
You've seen eager new trainees, but like Tilly??

Eager, yes. But not that bad.  Tilly's an amplified (UP TO 11!!!) case.

Btw Tilly asked once to be referred to with they/them pronouns. It turns out that if we honor that on the forum, it's a meaningful gesture of respect and welcome to real life non binary people. And that is very very important to us.

I know.  I've been following the forum, and this arc in particular, for a while now.  The singular references were to Tilly's spiritual sister.

On other things: Beatrice v. Hannelore will be close.  Hannelore has several metric tons of righteous anger,  but Beatrice has had decades of pracrice in the Dark Arts.   
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: miados on 18 Dec 2017, 11:09
likely not just me but does hanners look a lot like her mom in todays (mondays) comic?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 18 Dec 2017, 11:18
I think that Hannelore's costume is deliberate, much as was the fact that Luke Skywalker wore black throughout The Return of the Jedi.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mof920 on 18 Dec 2017, 11:33
Maybe this will push Hanners to do more with the Ellicott-Chatham Empire!! She did mention about how she still doesn't know how or when she'll be using her responsibility of taking the reigns and it's possible, just a teensy bit, that she might not return to Northampton when she sees her mother. Honestly, I'm quite excited about Beatrice being back in the plot.
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Marco on 18 Dec 2017, 11:46
Maybe this will push Hanners to do more with the Ellicott-Chatham Empire!! She did mention about how she still doesn't know how or when she'll be using her responsibility of taking the reigns and it's possible, just a teensy bit, that she might not return to Northampton when she sees her mother. Honestly, I'm quite excited about Beatrice being back in the plot.
(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Roborat on 18 Dec 2017, 11:49
This has happened to Hannelore before, specifically her 'SQUEE!' expression when Marigold agreed to date Dale. Repetition makes me wonder if it is a real physiological problem on Hannelore's part! :wink:

Had to look that one up; yessss....
http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2545 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2545)

So it seems it takes 4 panels for Hanners' face to get stuck...

And it seems Tilly's eyes are also stuck. Must be hard walking like that and not run into things.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 18 Dec 2017, 11:54
likely not just me but does hanners look a lot like her mom in todays (mondays) comic?
Absolutely.  That's Jeph's point.  Whether it's happened as she planned or not, Beatrice has succeeded in manifesting herself in Hannelore.

As for Bea threatening to cut off Hanners's allowance, go for it, you manipulative bitch. 

Hanners has been receiving a huge allowance but has taught herself to lead a college town barista's lifestyle.  Even supporting multiple charities, she's got enough in her savings account to retire now and live in what any of us would consider luxury for the rest of her days if she's so inclined.  Beatrice might consider it squalor, and Hanners may just rub her Mom's nose in how skewed her perceptions are.  Hannelore doesn't even come close to needing her parents' stipend for survival.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Cornelius on 18 Dec 2017, 12:09
 Could this be leading to the point where Hanners realises, that she, together with Station, own a controlling interest in ECI?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 18 Dec 2017, 12:29
Could this be leading to the point where Hanners realises, that she, together with Station, own a controlling interest in ECI?

0.76% of Station's shares in ECT are worth roughly $4.6 million (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2119), which means that his total shares are worth over $600 million. For a company that owns a space station, that doesn't seem like it would be anything close to a controlling interest. Moreover, I had assumed this was primarily John Ellicott's company. Beatrice probably has significant shares in it but I would have thought that her own business dealings are entirely separate.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 18 Dec 2017, 12:33
And it seems Tilly's eyes are also stuck. Must be hard walking like that and not run into things.
I wish my dog would pay that kind of attention when I tell her to heel (collision avoidance is the human's responsibility).
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Cornelius on 18 Dec 2017, 13:59
Moreover, I had assumed this was primarily John Ellicott's company. Beatrice probably has significant shares in it but I would have thought that her own business dealings are entirely separate.

Personally, I thought they were in the together in the company, with Beatrice just more interested in the business side of things.  I would have included John, but I'm not sure he'd be much help. I think, confronted with a conflict between his ex and his daughter, he might just freeze up, when some one finally got his attention for long enough to point out what is going on.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Akima on 18 Dec 2017, 14:24
Hannelore has come a long way if she can fly on a commercial jet without freaking out over recycled air and potential security pat downs.
There appear to be no other passengers in the cabin but Hanners and Tilly. Did Hanners book all the seats in the plane, or is it a corporate-jet kind of bird (though the seats look a bit low-rent for that)?

Angry Hannelore is scary!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 18 Dec 2017, 14:45
There are passengers on the plane, check out the left side of the third panel. You can just see a part of a person.

From the looks of it, Hanners and Tilly are sitting in the first row of First Class.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: SubaruStephen on 18 Dec 2017, 17:05
Angry Hannelore is scary!

She's got her War Floof on!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Gyrre on 18 Dec 2017, 17:24
Considering all of Hanner's neuroses as a child, I'm guessing nobody warned her about that.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: lawoot on 18 Dec 2017, 19:01
On other things: Beatrice v. Hannelore will be close.  Hannelore has several metric tons of righteous anger,  but Beatrice has had decades of pracrice in the Dark Arts.
Hanners has device that she can bombard Beatrice with pizzas from orbit!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: ChipNoir on 18 Dec 2017, 21:07
I almost feel an itty bit sorry for Beatrice.

Almost.

Hurricane Hanners has touch ground, and there will be a reckoning.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 18 Dec 2017, 22:03
I almost feel an itty bit sorry for Beatrice.

Almost.

Hurricane Hanners has touch ground, and there will be a reckoning.
"Good God, what have i spawned?"  She'll be trying to decide between hiring Veronica to spank her or becoming a nun.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Torlek on 19 Dec 2017, 00:35
Hanners does not fear.
For fear is the mind killer.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: citizenfive on 19 Dec 2017, 00:43
COMIC!

Oh boy, the showdown has begun! *grabs popcorn*
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Storel on 19 Dec 2017, 00:46
Hanners does look a lot like Spookybot with her hair like that plus the suit.

I think her mom is going to be astonished. Maybe even flabbergasted.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: maneyan on 19 Dec 2017, 00:50
Please put me down for "eager glee". This is gonna be awesome.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Near Lurker on 19 Dec 2017, 00:52
The nerd looks like a cross between Dr. Ellicot-Chatham and Dr. Case...

...you don't think...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Case on 19 Dec 2017, 00:54
The nerd looks like a cross between Dr. Ellicot-Chatham and Dr. Case...

...you don't think...

Slander! Rumour and Slander!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Case on 19 Dec 2017, 00:55
ZOMG The red pumps!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: dreed on 19 Dec 2017, 01:07
Woho.  Hanners channelling her mother right now.
Gloves are off.


By the end of it Beatrice will be so proud.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 19 Dec 2017, 01:14
Hurricane Hannelore has touched down, and it looks like Beatrice didn't pay proper attention to the Hurricane Warning.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mof920 on 19 Dec 2017, 01:33
Maybe this will push Hanners to do more with the Ellicott-Chatham Empire!! She did mention about how she still doesn't know how or when she'll be using her responsibility of taking the reigns and it's possible, just a teensy bit, that she might not return to Northampton when she sees her mother. Honestly, I'm quite excited about Beatrice being back in the plot.
(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

Well, at first, it started with light bondage, but at the end of my last relationship, we were fucking around with electosex toys. I say, don't dis it till you try it!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mercykills on 19 Dec 2017, 02:06
.......

That was the sexiest, most boss, most BADASS thing I've seen in...3 hours and 23 minutes.

It begins. Everyone start munching on their pop-ped kernels now:

(https://static.tumblr.com/37b9bb387529b92b626af707b94b0279/dc3f38k/PI0nlmab5/tumblr_static_13rt24wnlthc84g00k08o848s.gif)

Bonus: It looks as if Tilly is staying outside for this one. Yay.


Tilly gets eaten by a dinosaur.


I can get behind that. I can get behind that in a major way.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Timemaster on 19 Dec 2017, 02:08
Dune reference!  8-)

Will Hanners put her Gom Jabar to Beatrices neck?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 19 Dec 2017, 02:42
My headcanon is that the two identical men-in-suits are called Frank and Brank and they have never met before this day (and neither do they notice anything unusual now that they have).
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 19 Dec 2017, 02:49
Am I the only one who hears the "No, Luke! I am your father!" variation of The Imperial March after reading and digesting panel 4?

We know that Hannelore has a significant dark side; violent, unforgiving and selfish. She's learned to control it nearly perfectly but I think that she feels able to give it rein when she's confronting her mother. However, fighting fire with fire is difficult at best even for a master and I think her lack of experience in controlling herself under stress may be her undoing. It will be very interesting to see how Hannelore will react when Beatrice idly waves aside her demands (because she will). I don't think Hannelore will succumb to the temptation to do violence but I think it will be a near run thing.

My guess? Hannelore will disown Beatrice, renounce all connection to her (and of being her heir) and will storm out with a parting crack along the lines of: "Goodbye, Miz Chatham."

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: DaiJB on 19 Dec 2017, 02:52
Entered "Other" in the poll again, mostly just for the hell of it...  :wink:

Let's see...We will find out what Hannelore intends to do with the proceeds of her sale of Chatham Enterprises after kicking her mother out and taking over...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 19 Dec 2017, 03:29
I can't remember any real conflict happening before in QC. Am I wrong?

I'm really curious to see what will happen now...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Marco on 19 Dec 2017, 03:54
For an instant, I thought I've seen Ardent.

It's not him, though. No tail, and the nose is not right.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: badbum61 on 19 Dec 2017, 04:03
ZOMG The red pumps!

There's no place like home!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Cornelius on 19 Dec 2017, 04:19
I think the staff is terrified for their future, right now. Hanners bringing the voice and the attitude... Then again, there's something like Stockholm syndrome...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 19 Dec 2017, 04:44
Or lionesses clearing out of the way when two lions fight.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 19 Dec 2017, 06:19
When I saw that, I just had to copy that here...

https://www.google.fr/maps/place/Tilly/@48.8785004,1.5588499,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x47e6bab01c387549:0x40b82c3688c36b0!8m2!3d48.881929!4d1.575533
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Nepiophage on 19 Dec 2017, 06:56
And this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Tserclaes,_Count_of_Tilly
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: shanejayell on 19 Dec 2017, 07:03
Bea, "I have NEVER been prouder of you!"

Hanners, "What."
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Case on 19 Dec 2017, 07:06
Dune reference!  8-)

Will Hanners put her Gom Jabar to Beatrices neck?

If Hanners is channelling St. Alia of the Knife, she'll be wary of crossing Atreides' Gom Jabbars ... (What's the plural of Gom Jabbar?) - possessing a full set of her mother's memories within her ancestral "other memories" since birth, along with e.g. the Prana-Bindu training the latter received, she'd rather go for a contest of brute strength & speed than one of cunning.

Tilly gets eaten by a dinosaur.

I can get behind that. I can get behind that in a major way.

It's traditional on this forum to reference Allosaurs in connection with the "sadly fell prey to timeline non-compliant Jurassic fauna"-method of putting a character on a bus.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Welu on 19 Dec 2017, 07:32
Bea, "I have NEVER been prouder of you!"

Hanners, "What."

That's exactly what I'm expecting too.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 19 Dec 2017, 07:40
.....Why the hell is Nightcrawler on Beatrice's staff?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 19 Dec 2017, 07:40
Hannelore in full Righteous Anger Mode is really cool to see, but... Beatrice is no pushover. I'm sure she handled much worse situations than Hannelore throwing a fit, being the leader of an international corporation and such. Sure, in her own way she loves her daughter, but this time it's about the company..! I hope she faces the "temper tantrum of an unruly child" like the cold and calculating corporate exec she is!

Oh... I'd like to see Beatrice go Agent Smith on Hannelore...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JimC on 19 Dec 2017, 08:05
I'm reminded of Hannermon in 927...

http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=927

So yeah, I think shanejayell has it right...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: tustin2121 on 19 Dec 2017, 08:10
I saw the room Beatrice was sitting in and I thought "Oh no, are we getting closer to that hypothetical situation where Hannelore releases the killer virus on the world?" (The comic of which I can't seem to find right now?)

...Also, I really need to watch/read Dune sometime...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: hakko504 on 19 Dec 2017, 08:31
I saw the room Beatrice was sitting in and I thought "Oh no, are we getting closer to that hypothetical situation where Hannelore releases the killer virus on the world?" (The comic of which I can't seem to find right now?)
2443 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2443). It's a part of the arc where Angus starts to talk to Faye about her five year plan, because he's off to an audition.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Gyrre on 19 Dec 2017, 08:51
Hanners does look a lot like Spookybot with her hair like that plus the suit.

I think her mom is going to be astonished. Maybe even flabbergasted.

The outfit was Tilly's idea, but I'd wager that Hanner's knows what Spookybot looks like and chose to fashion her hair as such.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: hedgie on 19 Dec 2017, 10:12

Bonus: It looks as if Tilly is staying outside for this one. Yay.


Apparently they have some level of self-preservation.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 19 Dec 2017, 10:31
My headcanon is that the two identical men-in-suits are called Frank and Brank and they have never met before this day (and neither do they notice anything unusual now that they have).
I was wondering about that pair as well.  They're obviously a matched set.  Twins?  Clones?  HiFi AI bots?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 19 Dec 2017, 11:05
Hmmmm.....

The inventor of "Miss Shilling's orifice" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Shilling).

I know "Tilly" is a traditional diminutive of "Matilda," but this is news to me.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Roborat on 19 Dec 2017, 11:17
Oh noes! Now they all have eyes stuck disease.  It is spreading, activate containment procedures.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 19 Dec 2017, 14:15
For an instant, I thought I've seen Ardent.

It's not him, though. No tail, and the nose is not right.
Nope, just some drudge who's been into the Spice.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: A Duck on 19 Dec 2017, 14:47
I do wonder if this whole Tilly situation wasn't planned by Hannelore's mother to achieve precisely this result.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: blt on 19 Dec 2017, 14:49
I bet BlueGuy is Tilly's dad.  It all makes sense to me.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Clovis Man on 19 Dec 2017, 15:09
"Mother, you and I have unfinished business..."
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 19 Dec 2017, 16:45
I do wonder if this whole Tilly situation wasn't planned by Hannelore's mother to achieve precisely this result.

I think you're giving Beatrice too much credit.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 19 Dec 2017, 16:53
I do wonder if this whole Tilly situation wasn't planned by Hannelore's mother to achieve precisely this result.

I think you're giving Beatrice too much credit.

Yeah, its been established that Beatrice doesn't know that much about her own daughter that she really can't play psychological games that will work in her favour. You can see the surprise in Beatrice's face, that's the face of a woman who is having an "Oh Crap! (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OhCrap)" moment. This is a plan backfiring.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Thrudd on 19 Dec 2017, 17:09
Hannelore in full Righteous Anger Mode is really cool to see, but... Beatrice is no pushover. I'm sure she handled much worse situations than Hannelore throwing a fit, being the leader of an international corporation and such. Sure, in her own way she loves her daughter, but this time it's about the company..! I hope she faces the "temper tantrum of an unruly child" like the cold and calculating corporate exec she is

The venn diagram for business leadership and intelligence has as little overlap as scruples or a conscience compared to lets say, cunning or Machiavellian tendencies.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Marco on 19 Dec 2017, 17:58
.....Why the hell is Nightcrawler on Beatrice's staff?

Again, no tail...

Wait, where the Praeses reading X-Men comics when they created Alice Grove universe? Any parallel in QCverse too? I know Jeph is more into classic Sci-Fi like Herbert or Gibson, but...

(Yep, Neuromancer is a classic now. I'm feeling horribly old.)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mof920 on 19 Dec 2017, 19:43
Hannelore in full Righteous Anger Mode is really cool to see, but... Beatrice is no pushover. I'm sure she handled much worse situations than Hannelore throwing a fit, being the leader of an international corporation and such. Sure, in her own way she loves her daughter, but this time it's about the company..! I hope she faces the "temper tantrum of an unruly child" like the cold and calculating corporate exec she is

The venn diagram for business leadership and intelligence has as little overlap as scruples or a conscience compared to lets say, cunning or Machiavellian tendencies.

I don't know about that one. I work in a corporate environment, currently, and have been submerged in it since 16. I've seen the company president dance circles around people that he sees as intelligently inferior, milked them for each last dime or service and cackle maniacally for it. I've also seen him outright yell and fire people on the grounds of being an idiot (including his grand daughter who he has no patience for). He's also one of the most amazing leaders I have ever met and I will follow him until the day he keels over (which might be soon, sadly :-( )

A woman like Beatrice didn't get to a position of power by playing by the "rules" (I know some of my bosses dirty secrets and they're not pretty) and you're right, she'll be far from a pushover in a situation like this. I could see her wanting to compromise in some way and getting what she wants in one way or another. Still, I'm sure that Hanners will not hesitate to throw the EC Empire under the bus in the sake of social justice; Tilly is being used really badly here and there's a word for that in my office: fucked up. I'm sure Hanners will have no part in this and demand that Tilly be taken care of for this. I can't wait to see what happens~

If Bea does indeed have any sort of heart, Hanners will bring it out in this situation (quick note: my corp VP's and President don't bring emotion into work at all and for good reason)

-OR-

Bea will handle the situation as she did when Hanners starting freaking out over trying out clothes, although, it most probably won't work as it did then. Hanners has changed significantly since then.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Elder Sign on 19 Dec 2017, 20:03
I really, really want this to turn out as awesome as the setup hints it will be.

That said, that's all the more reason for me to expect a nasty subversion somehow, and that this will get bogged down in an ugly mess long before it gets any better.  And all because the Rule of Drama demands it.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 19 Dec 2017, 20:25
O--kay now... Which of these mooks is TillyDad?
Not that I feel sorry for them or anything. When the self-forging tungsten rods start dropping from orbit---

... Ya know, we haven't heard from Barry in quite a while. Wonder how he's doing?

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Storel on 19 Dec 2017, 21:19
It will be very interesting to see how Hannelore will react when Beatrice idly waves aside her demands (because she will). I don't think Hannelore will succumb to the temptation to do violence but I think it will be a near run thing.

I'm envisioning Hanners getting so beside herself that she starts speaking in eldritch runes (again)... at which point her mother surrenders.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: QuestionableIntentions on 19 Dec 2017, 21:33
Hanners is about to face the Mom Jabbar.


Also, Hannermom keeps male twins around, hm?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mof920 on 20 Dec 2017, 00:16
Oh. Fuck.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 20 Dec 2017, 00:22
New Comic Up
Yeah, I called it. Hannelore is out of there. Her mother is in last chance saloon and it'll take something pretty spectacular to heal this particular wound.

You see, the thing is that I can't see Hannelore initiating any contact, at least not for a very long while. Every time she's tempted, she'll remember these events and decide that she can't trust her mother and she doesn't want to 'reward' her in any way, no matter how convenient it would be for her to accept mother's help. Oh, I expect some passive-aggressive attempts at manipulation or coercion on Beatrice's part but that will only hurt her cause, not aid it.

So, what's next? Next, Hannelore has to sit down with Tilly and they have to decide what Tilly does next. My concern is that I don't think that Tilly's dad is any more forgiving of the perception of failure than Beatrice is. Things may be hard for them, at least for a while.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 20 Dec 2017, 00:41
Well, that was anticlimactic...  :-\
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 20 Dec 2017, 00:53
That was probably cathartic, but kind of disappointing, from the point of view of narration...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: omgpuppies on 20 Dec 2017, 01:00
Personally, I think I'd be more upset with someone for forcing me to adopt an assistant "for my own good" than I would be if they were doing it for selfish reasons.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 20 Dec 2017, 01:10
Anticlimactic? Disappointing? Did we see the same comic?

Because I don't watch sports, but I just roared like my favourite sports team sportsed real hard.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: WoaLG on 20 Dec 2017, 01:18
I suspect Beatrice will try to stop Hanners from leaving. This argument isn't over yet.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 20 Dec 2017, 01:26
I'm expecting Beatrice to threaten Hannelore's friends - Calling in loans, getting pet police officers and other bought-and-paid-for authorities to harass them and the like.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mercykills on 20 Dec 2017, 01:31
Nice. Good for Hanners for shutting this complete shit show,  that Beatrice calls "parenting", down. Bea won't realize it, but that was a long time coming.

Though, if that was all there was going to be to this, I'm still confused as to why Hannelore couldn't have booked her own ticket and came alone? Bah! Whatever. >.>

O, and I'm one hundred percent sure Hannelore shoving Beatrice will be accepted by everyone and won't prove controversial in the least.  :roll:
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: pwhodges on 20 Dec 2017, 01:43
That was too easy; Beatrice can't be down yet, even though she seems to be reeling.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 20 Dec 2017, 02:18
Well, that was anticlimactic...  :-\

What makes you think thats the end of the story. Its still only Wednesday. We've still got the denouement to see.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 20 Dec 2017, 02:32
Well, that was anticlimactic...  :-\
That was probably cathartic, but kind of disappointing, from the point of view of narration...

Didn't go the way you expected, huh?

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 20 Dec 2017, 02:42
Yes, I for one expected something a little more exiting.
Hannelore going to confront her mother was a very nice setup for what I hoped to be a great conflict. You know, the young heroine taking on a much more powerful villainess… Both parties exchanging vicious (verbal) blows… Todays comic could have been a very cool and dramatic moment. But for me it was a total let-down in that regard.

You’re right of course, this week isn’t over yet. So maybe there’s still hope.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 20 Dec 2017, 03:04
Bear in mind that it is in character for Hanners though.

She doesn't do confrontation. She does outbursts. Its actually telling that Hanners was able to keep angry through a lengthy process like taking a flight, but its also better for her to briefly confront Beatrice, get the message across and leave before Beatrice could say anything in response.

You're expecting a drawn out verbal brawl, when really its a one punch knockout.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Dec 2017, 03:15
New Comic Up
Yeah, I called it.

Nah...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: blt on 20 Dec 2017, 03:23
I'm in the camp of tomorrow being Hannelore talking to Tilly.  This looks like it's Jeph saying it's over.

Actually the first thing I noticed is the difference in facial shape when they're nose-to-nose.  Is that weird?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 20 Dec 2017, 03:43
Hanners cutting off ties with her mother was plenty dramatic, IMO.

I think the issue here is that some folks have been building Beatrice up as some kind of Bond villian, with spies everywhere, and intricate plans to enslave her daughter and take over the planet.

When actually, she's just a driven businesswoman who's neglected her daughter (to the point now of exploiting her for personal gain). This is a wake-up call for her.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 20 Dec 2017, 04:01
Don’t get me wrong. I like Hannelore. I really do. She’s easily one of my favourite characters. And, yes, she has shown considerable determination and strength this week, given her usual way of dealing with things. At the beginning of the Tilly-arc she even said to Dora that she doesn’t have the energy to confront her mother about this whole Forced-PA-Thing. Obviously that is no longer the case…

It’s Beatrice who I’m disappointed of.
Yes, I envisioned her as being more of a Magnificent Bastard.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagnificentBastard (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagnificentBastard)

Not on a Bond-villain level, but still… She’s a successful strong-willed business woman who makes deals on an international scale. Is she really just going to stand there, frozen and dumbfounded, and take it?

We still have two more comics this week to find out…
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: dexeron on 20 Dec 2017, 04:07
O, and I'm one hundred percent sure Hannelore shoving Beatrice will be accepted by everyone and won't prove controversial in the least.  :roll:

That was actually my first thought. Hanner’s actions might be understandable, but they are still assault. Hannelore has every right to be furious at how her mother has manipulated and treated her, that that doesn’t make shoving her right, and it certainly doesn’t make it legal.

If her mother is anywhere nearly as manipulative and conniving as we’ve been led to believe, I can see her turning around and using this against Hannelore.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Cornelius on 20 Dec 2017, 04:08
So, what's next? Next, Hannelore has to sit down with Tilly and they have to decide what Tilly does next. My concern is that I don't think that Tilly's dad is any more forgiving of the perception of failure than Beatrice is. Things may be hard for them, at least for a while.
I'm not so sure about that; their phone call seemed a lot more good natured than anything we've seen between Hanners and Beatrice.

I wonder what Station's reaction will be.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Dec 2017, 04:33

Hmmm...

So, "Don't speak to me!" is the be all of this, really.
No "I have no Mother!" or "I renounce this whole situation!" not even a "I don't need you or your money!"

Just a shove and a "Don't talk to me!"

I kinda expected more...

Except... Hanners isn't out of the office yet... and it's only Wednesday!

This could go many ways...
As has been mentioned above the, "Eeexcellent! Your hatred has made you strong!" moment.

Or a "Just you wait a minute, Missy!" moment.

Or an even more anti-climactic, 'Back-at-Hanners' place' -  "So, Tilly, this is how things are gonna go..." moment

I'm praying this is the end of the Tilly arc...
But, as we all know, prayers are pointless.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: dutchrvl on 20 Dec 2017, 04:42
O, and I'm one hundred percent sure Hannelore shoving Beatrice will be accepted by everyone and won't prove controversial in the least.  :roll:

Yeah, no. Strangely enough I posted on Jeph's Patreon site that I felt it was not only an unnecessary shove, but also a bit out of character for Hanners, and immediately people disagreed with me, so over there it seems to be almost universally accepted, which I find very odd.

How was a shove necessary here? I get that she's angry and wants to sever ties with her mom, but all that could've easily been handled verbally.
As much as I love Hanners as a character, she was out of line with her physical attack (yes, it was 'only' a shove, but still).


Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: dutchrvl on 20 Dec 2017, 04:48

This could go many ways...
As has been mentioned above the, "Eeexcellent! Your hatred has made you strong!" moment.

Or a "Just you wait a minute, Missy!" moment.

Or an even more anti-climactic, 'Back-at-Hanners' place' -  "So, Tilly, this is how things are gonna go..." moment

I'm praying this is the end of the Tilly arc...
But, as we all know, prayers are pointless.

Other options:
-Beatrice going after her and realizing how she's behaved, leading to a 'moment' between the 2.
-Beatrice commenting on how proud she is of Hanners right now, leading to Hanners' shocking realization that she has more in common with her mom than she would like
-Beatrice threatening Hanners about suing her for the shove unless she cooperates in this negotiation ploy

etc., etc.

The most interesting to me would be if after a while it comes out that Tilly was in on it all.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 20 Dec 2017, 04:56
O, and I'm one hundred percent sure Hannelore shoving Beatrice will be accepted by everyone and won't prove controversial in the least.  :roll:

Yeah, no. Strangely enough I posted on Jeph's Patreon site that I felt it was not only an unnecessary shove, but also a bit out of character for Hanners, and immediately people disagreed with me, so over there it seems to be almost universally accepted, which I find very odd.

How was a shove necessary here? I get that she's angry and wants to sever ties with her mom, but all that could've easily been handled verbally.
As much as I love Hanners as a character, she was out of line with her physical attack (yes, it was 'only' a shove, but still).

The problem is that you're interpreting this rationally when 'rational' was in no part any element of Hannelore's mind-set at the time. The shove was 'necessary' as the end point of a lifetime of condescension and manipulation during which Beatrice has made it very clear that she perceives Hannelore as a disobedient child whose mental health issues are just her acting out for attention. Hannelore has had enough of her mother thinking that she can impose her will and agenda on her and anger drove her actions.

FWIW, I interpret events as this way:
Onto the subject of rest of the week, I'm expecting at least one reaction strip for Hannelore, possibly her crying on Tilly's shoulder about the fact that "I don't have a mummy anymore." Friday will almost certainly be Beatrice's reaction, possibly talking to her PA in a deliberate mirror of Hannelore's reaction.;
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: hakko504 on 20 Dec 2017, 05:00
We still have two more comics this week to find out…
And since Jeph tends to do fillers in the week between Christmas and New Year, I expect this to be fully resolved by then. One of those strips will be Hanners talking to Tilly. One may be Beatrice trying to understand Hanners.
How was a shove necessary here? I get that she's angry and wants to sever ties with her mom, but all that could've easily been handled verbally.
It's OOC (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OOCIsSeriousBusiness) yes, but that's basically what was necessary for Bea to actually shut up. A simple verbal notice would have left her with an opening to come back that the shove prevents.

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.
Damnit, Ben, you beat me to the point
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Dec 2017, 05:00

This could go many ways...
As has been mentioned above the, "Eeexcellent! Your hatred has made you strong!" moment.

Or a "Just you wait a minute, Missy!" moment.

Or an even more anti-climactic, 'Back-at-Hanners' place' -  "So, Tilly, this is how things are gonna go..." moment

I'm praying this is the end of the Tilly arc...
But, as we all know, prayers are pointless.

Other options:
-Beatrice going after her and realizing how she's behaved, leading to a 'moment' between the 2.
-Beatrice commenting on how proud she is of Hanners right now, leading to Hanners' shocking realization that she has more in common with her mom than she would like
-Beatrice threatening Hanners about suing her for the shove unless she cooperates in this negotiation ploy

etc., etc.

The most interesting to me would be if after a while it comes out that Tilly was in on it all.

Ah yes... I forgot the "moment of maternal introspection'
(maybe it's cause I can't see such a schmaltzy thing happening, but yes, it is an option.)
(I think the other two you mention above are sort of covered in my 1st and 2nd possibilities... :)   )

As far as Tilly being in on it.. well, yeah, possible, But doesn't seem *too* likely (to me!)

(I'm SURE I made a post last night (but cannot see it, and can't quite remember the thrust of it) ...something like going on about the call Tilly had with Daddy Dearest, and how that call shows that he was going against "The Deal" and Tilly would blow it wide open by mentioning it, and Beatrice would use it to sue his arse off, and somehow this would lead to Tilly becoming a regular "Hanner's friend"...

And again.. praying such a thing does NOT happen!)  :)

Aye, tomorrow will be interesting...

Oh... and  re:
Quote from: dutchrvl
Yeah, no. Strangely enough I posted on Jeph's Patreon site that I felt it was not only an unnecessary shove, but also a bit out of character for Hanners, and immediately people disagreed with me, so over there it seems to be almost universally accepted, which I find very odd.

I wouldn't be *too* surprised at that...
Seemingly those same people LOVE Taffy!  :)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 20 Dec 2017, 05:24
Anticlimactic? Disappointing? Did we see the same comic?

Because I don't watch sports, but I just roared like my favourite sports team sportsed real hard.

Yeah, sure, but it just started, and it's already over. The whole fight, if I may call it that way, takes only 4 panels...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 20 Dec 2017, 05:26
Well, that was anticlimactic...  :-\

What makes you think thats the end of the story. Its still only Wednesday. We've still got the denouement to see.

Hmmm... Hanners walking out, maybe?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tub on 20 Dec 2017, 05:42
Finally, two (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2146) for two (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3638) on parental physical contact. It took five years, but hanners is getting things done.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 20 Dec 2017, 06:00
Well, that was anticlimactic...  :-\

What makes you think thats the end of the story. Its still only Wednesday. We've still got the denouement to see.

Hmmm... Hanners walking out, maybe?

She's not out of the office by the end of the strip, though... :)
(In fact, given the size of the office and her distance from Beatrice, she's probably not even half-way to the door in the last panel.)

It's a great set-up for a "Columbo" moment..

"Ahhh... just one more thing, Hannelore..."

(None of which suggests this *will* happen however!)  :)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2017, 07:05
Yeah, I'm expecting something to come up Thrs or Friday.

Or Jeph will surprise us & jump to Union Robotics or something...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Shjade on 20 Dec 2017, 07:58
How was a shove necessary here?

In addition to points about this already brought up above: Hannelore doesn't touch people unless she feels it's necessary. She avoids it if at all possible.

ANY hostile contact sends a very strong message when it comes from her.

"This is how much you've fucked up. I'm physically pushing you away because of your bullshit. Think on that."

As for all the folks who are apparently convinced Beatrice had plans in place to deal with this and is some super-intelligent corporate mastermind: this is the woman who had such an incompetent file put together on her own daughter that it was worse than useless, blew two thousand dollars on a bet about whether or not someone would touch a toilet seat, and has - by my memory - demonstrated no particular acuity for...anything, really, other than being rich and ruthless on-page. She's a trash fire. A wealthy trash fire who will happily burn you down with her, but a trash fire none the less. I don't know why anyone was expecting a different outcome.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Welu on 20 Dec 2017, 08:02
I'm in the camp of this strip being a Big Deal. Cutting out a toxic person can be so hard. Even if the practice is telling them to leave you alone, that is the culmination of years of bad treatment in Hannelore's case. After years of backing down, it's a huge thing to finally say, "I won't take this."
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: tustin2121 on 20 Dec 2017, 08:06
Finally, two (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2146) for two (http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3638) on parental physical contact. It took five years, but hanners is getting things done.

Hm, yes, I hadn't considered how impactful Hanners shoving Beatrice was until you pointed it out. That's probably why Beatrice is reeling so hard right now. Beatrice is definitely not done with this argument yet, imo...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: A Duck on 20 Dec 2017, 08:51
WHOA That was a bit more intense than I imagined it would be!
I don't think we've ever SEEN Hanners like this! She's "asserted herself" (her words) before, but this is just a new level.

She SHOVED her mother! Hannelore Ellicott-Chatham USING PHYSICAL VIOLENCE (although light) AGAINST ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.

Now, given that Hanners was the big driving force behind Dora rekindling her relationship with Sven, I'm sure we'll get Dora's input on the situation as soon as the scene shifts back to CoD.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 20 Dec 2017, 08:51
I'm in the camp of this strip being a Big Deal. Cutting out a toxic person can be so hard. Even if the practice is telling them to leave you alone, that is the culmination of years of bad treatment in Hannelore's case. After years of backing down, it's a huge thing to finally say, "I won't take this."

It IS of course a big deal. But in terms of narration, it's really short. I, for one, can't see what Beatrice could possibly reply to her daughter, so the argument seems to be over. I awaited something more... developed and lengthy.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: fenrec on 20 Dec 2017, 08:53
The most fun thing about this comic is all the projection going on in the forum.   :-o
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: blt on 20 Dec 2017, 08:57
Hanners cutting off ties with her mother was plenty dramatic, IMO.

I think the issue here is that some folks have been building Beatrice up as some kind of Bond villian, with spies everywhere, and intricate plans to enslave her daughter and take over the planet.

When actually, she's just a driven businesswoman who's neglected her daughter (to the point now of exploiting her for personal gain). This is a wake-up call for her.

The shark tank and wood chipper sort of did the building for us. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=994)

And the volcano cannon. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=961) Although that could be hyperbole.  Or normal in business.  Who knows.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheBiscuit on 20 Dec 2017, 09:55
That was too easy; Beatrice can't be down yet, even though she seems to be reeling.
I absolutely understand why you say this, but does she have any moves to make? Cordial relations once cut off by one party aren't exactly something which may be forced by the other party.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Cornelius on 20 Dec 2017, 10:37
I'm in the camp of this strip being a Big Deal. Cutting out a toxic person can be so hard. Even if the practice is telling them to leave you alone, that is the culmination of years of bad treatment in Hannelore's case. After years of backing down, it's a huge thing to finally say, "I won't take this."

It IS of course a big deal. But in terms of narration, it's really short. I, for one, can't see what Beatrice could possibly reply to her daughter, so the argument seems to be over. I awaited something more... developed and lengthy.

Thing is, I don't really see how developing and lengthening it, would make it better. A short, clean break, allows for greater intensity, than one drawn out over a week or so. Drawing it out, would potentially provide more drama, but more of the lukewarm will-they-won't-they type. The approach that's been taken here, however, delivers a punch.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mercykills on 20 Dec 2017, 10:38
O, and I'm one hundred percent sure Hannelore shoving Beatrice will be accepted by everyone and won't prove controversial in the least.  :roll:

Yeah, no. Strangely enough I posted on Jeph's Patreon site that I felt it was not only an unnecessary shove, but also a bit out of character for Hanners, and immediately people disagreed with me, so over there it seems to be almost universally accepted, which I find very odd.

How was a shove necessary here? I get that she's angry and wants to sever ties with her mom, but all that could've easily been handled verbally.
As much as I love Hanners as a character, she was out of line with her physical attack (yes, it was 'only' a shove, but still).

Well, here's the thing. Hanners is a (deservedly)favorite character of many. So, yea, if the roles were reversed and Hannelore had done nothing but yelled and screamed in Beatrice's face and then, Beatrice had been the one who had done the shoving, you'd have been able to hear the collective rage-screaming from space. But, since it's Hannelore doing the clearly wrong thing of using unnecessary physical violence....to justify it, you can expect people to do mental gymnastics so fantastic it'd make Simone Biles blush.  :-)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: brasca on 20 Dec 2017, 10:44
Well somebody just lost access to the Castlery Rock beach house.

Beatrice is probably feeling a mixture of pride that her daughter stood up to her and blinding rage that she defied her and doesn’t know how to react.  She’ll feel better later when she beats to death a televangelist at her private golf course.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 20 Dec 2017, 11:06
Do we have textev that Hannelore gets an allowance? Her counting business could have met her modest needs.

Station would help her financially at need, for certain.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Voran on 20 Dec 2017, 11:22
Hm.  My concern is this.  Hanners just assaulted her mom, tho technically I think its battery.  Worse the argument could be made she intentionally traveled all those miles from her residence, on a plane, to her mother's workplace, disrupted the work of OTHER people beyond her mom and then intentionally used force on her mother.

Hm, and if she immediately jumps back on a plane and returns home, would that be considered fleeing? 

I also think its kinda cheap that the author managed to get everyone out of the room conveniently before Hanners could commit her crime. 

I am curious to see if there will actually be consequences for the ridiculous choice Hanners just made, or if the trend of the main chars never really getting consequences and just moving on to the next story event continues.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 20 Dec 2017, 11:29
Maybe this heinous incident will be adapted into an intensely overacted Australian TV drama: "The Shove".
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: RMc on 20 Dec 2017, 11:36
Yeah, not buying it.

This series is good example of the character inconsistencies rife throughout the strip.

*First of all, nobody maintains that level of anger for days on end unless they're sporting some serious mental illness. (And I don't mean the cutesy OCD she supposedly has; more like full-on schizophrenia.)
*Second, how was Hannelore able to burst into the boardroom like that? Don't they have security? Wouldn't she have to sign in at the front desk or something? Wouldn't they let Beatrice know her own daughter was coming, and loaded for bear?
*Third, the idea that Hannelore could simply scream GET OUT and Beatrice would tell everyone to leave the room is laughable. More likely, she would simply tell her daughter to cool her jets, and, if Hannelore persisted, call security.
*Lastly, Beatrice is supposed to be a hardened woman who's been in corporate America for a long time. Women in corporate America face a lot of unwanted touching, as The Reckoning has taught us. Getting rudely shoved would probably be Beatrice's berzerk button; in reality, Hannelore would've gotten about half-way through the first sentence of her tirade before being interrupted by a vicious slap to the face, followed by an even-more vicious dressing-down.

But, no, we all have to listen to Hannelore's little foot-stamping screed, bleating about her tiresome mommy issues, followed by an even more tiresome "Good *day*, madam!" bit. In real life, people who pull stunts like that get tackled from behind and seriously messed up.

I don't know how this gets resolved, but I'm sure it will be a silly cliche or two, 'cuz that's how this comic rolls.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Roborat on 20 Dec 2017, 11:55
Holy crap, Hanners is scary when she is pissed.  Waiting to see where this goes.  I have no idea but I anticipate I will enjoy the ride.

Also, all the talk about assault and battery, etc.  Are you forgetting where they are?  They are on a space station, in international space.  there are only legal issues if the laws of the station say there are.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Storel on 20 Dec 2017, 12:07
Also, all the talk about assault and battery, etc.  Are you forgetting where they are?  They are on a space station, in international space.  there are only legal issues if the laws of the station say there are.

No, no, her dad is on the space station. Her mom is in... California, I think? They divorced a long time ago, so Hannermom wouldn't have stayed on the station.

Besides, we saw Hanners taking an airplane ride to get to her mom, not a space shuttle.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Milayna on 20 Dec 2017, 12:27
Kindaaaa wasn't going to say anything at first but then decided fuckit, I'm doin it?

RMc: Not serious mental illness? "cutesy OCD she supposedly has"? http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=959 Are we reading the same fucken strip? http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2134 Or are you the kinda person that finds a immobilizing-strap gurney "cutesy"? As someone who has mental illnesses themself: Fuck off!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 20 Dec 2017, 12:39
Lighten up, folks, people do unnecessary things like that all the time.  If they didn't Roko and her colleagues would be out of work.  Not to condone shoving matches and worse, but this is about as low as things go on the contact violence scale.

Yes, by pushing her mother, Hanners committed a misdemeanor assault (whether or not it's termed "battery" will depend on state law where it happened).  Yes, it was unnecessary in-universe, but probably necessary to Jeph's plot.  It's classed as domestic violence in most states.  If the parties are separated by an airliner flight, the local police aren't going to be too concerned about it starting up again.  Unless Beatrice bruises very easily, she's uninjured.  The cops aren't going to chase a misdemeanor across state lines. 

However, the odds of Beatrice calling the police are slim.  Bigshots like her do NOT like the cops in their space - even if she's Mad-as-Hell she'll think twice about summoning them to the Ellicott-Chatham Mordor Tower.  If she calls her lawyer, and presuming said lawyer isn't just a yes-person, the advice will be, "There's more to loose by making this public.  Don't involve the cops."

No injuries + no damage = no civil case to sue for.  Even Judge Judy would consider it a waste of time.

If Hanners is interviewed, odds are the officer will refer the report to the city attorney or whoever for action.  The city attorney will take one look at Hanners's non-existent criminal record and decline prosecution.

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mercykills on 20 Dec 2017, 12:45
Kindaaaa wasn't going to say anything at first but then decided fuckit, I'm doin it?

RMc: Not serious mental illness? "cutesy OCD she supposedly has"? http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=959 Are we reading the same fucken strip? http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2134 Or are you the kinda person that finds a immobilizing-strap gurney "cutesy"? As someone who has mental illnesses themself: Fuck off!

Thank you.

That was one of the grossest things I've read on these forums, to date. >.>
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 20 Dec 2017, 12:46
Maybe this heinous incident will be adapted into an intensely overacted Australian TV drama: "The Shove".

I was going to react to the previous posts but then I read this.  :-D
Well played.

(This is what this post is referring to (https://www.wikiwand.com/en/The_Slap_(TV_series)), for the benefit of non-Australians)

Follow up post, edited in to avoid double posting.

I'm surprised at the number of people who think that there will or should be serious consequences to the shove.

What are you imagining exactly? Beatrice thinks: My daughter just cut off ties! What should I do? I know! I'll press charges against my own daughter! For a shove! That will repair our relationship.

Seriously?

Anyway, it's still possible that Beatrice will say something before Hanners can get out the door.

I'm going to head to Patreon right now and find out.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 20 Dec 2017, 14:40
To the people who believe that Hanners is in the wrong about pushing her mother, consider this.

Hanners can barely hug her own father, to the point where her gift for his birthday was one. Where he teared up at so simple a gesture.

Because Hanners really can't handle touching people, yeah, she's gotten better about it over the years, but her neuroses are such a defining and central part of her character that any act of contact with another person is a huge deal.

Hanners pushed her mother. That's how angry she's gotten thanks to her mother's schemes. Because this isn't just bringing in Tilly under false pretences. This is the culmination of everything that Beatrice has done throughout Hanners' life. Beatrice has never seen her daughter's illnesses as such, just responding to them as "grow up" and making choices for Hanners' without any consideration for her own daughter. Imagine living your entire life under that abuse. Imagine spending your entire life not being seen as a child of someone, but as a commodity or resource to be used when the time is right. The only time we've ever seen Beatrice say she loved her daughter was when she was drunk and the only time she said she was proud of Hanners was when Hanners was passed out drunk. No matter how you slice it, that is not a healthy relationship.

Why did Hanners essentially snap? It wasn't because of everything Beatrice has done to her her entire life, it was that she dragged in an innocent person into the mess. We can say whatever about our parents when they act in an abusive manner to us, but the instant that behaviour is seen done to another person, well, Beatrice is probably lucky that Hanners only pushed her.

I'm not condoning what Hanners did but you can see from her point of view - that was the final straw and the end of her relationship with Beatrice.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Scarlet Manuka on 20 Dec 2017, 15:02
Does it bother anyone else that Hannelore has been all "I'm not your boss, I don't need a PA" since Tilly arrived, but AFTER the two days has ended and she's shown her the door, she has no problem with "oh hey PA, book us some plane tickets"?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 20 Dec 2017, 15:06
It's a recognition of Hanners' realisation that Tilly is not her persecutor. Rather, they are a fellow victim.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 20 Dec 2017, 15:20
Does it bother anyone else that Hannelore has been all "I'm not your boss, I don't need a PA" since Tilly arrived, but AFTER the two days has ended and she's shown her the door, she has no problem with "oh hey PA, book us some plane tickets"?
Not at all.  This arc is about Hanners transforming, in many ways into her mother, something she does not want to do (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2443).   And Tova is very correct, Hannelore is seeing Tilly as a weaker victim of the same tormentor.
Title: Way out there, but???
Post by: ToodleLew on 20 Dec 2017, 16:06
Beatrice knows both how difficult Hannelore's childhood was, and how far she has come since maturing and leaving the station.  Here's a hypothesis for you: Tilly is not the naive "personal assistant" they put on to be. Instead, Dr. Tilly Birch is a well-trained psychologist involved in an elaborate effort by Beatrice to establish exactly how "well" Hannelore has become. Beatrice, having seen the progress that Hannelore has made since becoming earthbound has requested professional assistance in determining the extent of that progress, leading to  an "experiment"; Dr. Birch would pose as an over-eager personal assistant foisted on Hannelore by Beatrice, and (in concert with Beatrice) would "push" Hannelore. How Hannelore reacts to this push would permit Dr. Birch and Beatrice to evaluate Hannelore's stability and resiliancy. 

Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 20 Dec 2017, 16:14
I would hope that would result in an ethics complaint.

OK, I see reasons to take Tilly along on the trip, I see reasons to leave them outside for the meeting, but those two sets of reasons do not overlap. Why take them along and then leave them out?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: peacetokengy on 20 Dec 2017, 16:24
I really miss Angus. Every day I hope to get a hint that he will be back.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Gyrre on 20 Dec 2017, 16:33
Bea, "I have NEVER been prouder of you!"

Hanners, "What."
So much for that.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2017, 16:34
Yup, I was wrong.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: zmeiat_joro on 20 Dec 2017, 17:27
Everything seems completely normal to me, I would have reacted the exact same way Hannelore did in her situation.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Shjade on 20 Dec 2017, 17:43
The shark tank and wood chipper sort of did the building for us. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=994)

The shark tank that had whale sharks in it because she doesn't even know the difference between sharks that are dangerous to humans and sharks that aren't?

Not really building anything more for the Beatrice-is-a-competent-villain case there.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: zmeiat_joro on 20 Dec 2017, 17:54
I get your point, but...  yeah, they're different kinds of shark. Can we go back to the character of Beatrice?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 20 Dec 2017, 17:57
The shark tank and wood chipper sort of did the building for us. (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=994)

The shark tank that had whale sharks in it because she doesn't even know the difference between sharks that are dangerous to humans and sharks that aren't?

Not really building anything more for the Beatrice-is-a-competent-villain case there.

Note though that Beatrice's immediate response to finding out that whale sharks weren't dangerous to humans was to suggest the Fargo way doing things and feed someone into a wood chipper. Beatrice might not be the competent villain but she's definitely got the psychotic part down pat.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: zmeiat_joro on 20 Dec 2017, 18:08
Why are all the comments after Castlerook's suddenly deleted?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Smallest on 20 Dec 2017, 18:19
Daaamnellore
Title: Re: Way out there, but???
Post by: Smallest on 20 Dec 2017, 18:21
Beatrice knows both how difficult Hannelore's childhood was, and how far she has come since maturing and leaving the station.  Here's a hypothesis for you: Tilly is not the naive "personal assistant" they put on to be. Instead, Dr. Tilly Birch is a well-trained psychologist involved in an elaborate effort by Beatrice to establish exactly how "well" Hannelore has become. Beatrice, having seen the progress that Hannelore has made since becoming earthbound has requested professional assistance in determining the extent of that progress, leading to  an "experiment"; Dr. Birch would pose as an over-eager personal assistant foisted on Hannelore by Beatrice, and (in concert with Beatrice) would "push" Hannelore. How Hannelore reacts to this push would permit Dr. Birch and Beatrice to evaluate Hannelore's stability and resiliancy.

Speaking as a mentally ill person, that's super fucking gross. If Jeph went with that story (and I think he knows better to, but if) I'd actually stop reading.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Shjade on 20 Dec 2017, 19:07
Note though that Beatrice's immediate response to finding out that whale sharks weren't dangerous to humans was to suggest the Fargo way doing things and feed someone into a wood chipper. Beatrice might not be the competent villain but she's definitely got the psychotic part down pat.

Until we actually see one of her wood chipper/volcano/sun-launch victims, I'm going to continue assuming she's all bluster, no blast.

I mean, it's a comedic webcomic. She's a funny caricature of the extreme amoral CEO, but that's all she's ever seemed to be to me.

Spookybot's the closest thing we've had to a legit life-ending villain in QC. That is someone I'd be thinking serious thoughts about re: oh shit what's going to be the fallout from this?

But it's just Beatrice, so nah, not worried.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 20 Dec 2017, 20:38
A day without Tilly is like a day without sunstroke.

But maybe (just maybe) Tilly will justify their existence by putting the finishing move to this arc.
(holding my breath...)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: shanejayell on 20 Dec 2017, 20:51
Or in a twist Tilly goes in after Hanners and goes to Bea. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Things didn't go as expected."

Implying there WAS a plan but Hanners going off wasn't part of it.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Milayna on 20 Dec 2017, 21:05
I'm kinda surprised at the level of Tilly hate. I don't like them very much myself cause they're annoying but not as strongly as the other people here...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: MrNumbers on 20 Dec 2017, 21:21
You gotta think of it in terms of spotlight and screen real estate.

Every panel with Tilly in it is a panel not being given to literally any other character.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 20 Dec 2017, 21:45
Every panel with Tilly in it is a panel not being given to literally any other character.

Okay, that's not true now, is it? Tilly hasn't been giving monologues in every panel they have appeared in.

Anyway, can we not slip back into this discussion? This thread has (generally) been enjoyable so far.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: maneyan on 21 Dec 2017, 01:07
Aaaand there it all came crashing down, the enormity of what she just did, the fact that she hoped so long for something that wasn't there... Poor Hannelore.

Also, I wonder what it says that she actually is OK with touching Tilly. I wonder if maybe they got better along than it initially seemed after the boundaries were put up.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bollthorn on 21 Dec 2017, 01:13
Poor kitten Hanners :(
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Near Lurker on 21 Dec 2017, 01:17
I think Tilly just aced the world's hardest job interview.

...also holy fuck Hanners is hugging 'em?!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Dec 2017, 01:19
She's just told her mother that she doesn't really want her to be part of her life. That isn't the easiest thing to do and it is certainly not an easy thing to live with.

Tilly? If you want to prove your PA credentials, get her home and call her friends. That's all that she needs right now.

I think Tilly just aced the world's hardest job interview.

...also holy fuck Hanners is hugging 'em?!

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how afraid you are of contact; you just need to have someone to physically be there for you.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: traroth on 21 Dec 2017, 01:28
Does it bother anyone else that Hannelore has been all "I'm not your boss, I don't need a PA" since Tilly arrived, but AFTER the two days has ended and she's shown her the door, she has no problem with "oh hey PA, book us some plane tickets"?
Not at all.  This arc is about Hanners transforming, in many ways into her mother, something she does not want to do (https://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2443).   And Tova is very correct, Hannelore is seeing Tilly as a weaker victim of the same tormentor.

I don't see Hanners transforming into her mother, in those strips. Confronting someone who is making your life miserable is not being bad. Hanners hasn't done anything wrong. Even more, she actually somehow seems to care about Tilly. After firing them, she just could have moved on with her life, but she choose to confront her mother because of the way Beatrice treated Tilly, not her. Granted, it was just the last straw, but it's obvious Hanners care about people, which is a major difference with her mother.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: ChipNoir on 21 Dec 2017, 01:34
I'm just kinda side eyeing the speculation and kinda wanna go "Shut up, this is an emotional moment."

Buuuut I know that's what discussion forums are for. All the same. Geeze. Emotions, they're deep on this one. I've seen this kinda thing unfold before, and it's never pretty.

So I got the deepest feels for Hanners on this.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: WoaLG on 21 Dec 2017, 01:52
I've been where Hanners is. (Though my parents aren't a space scientist and a corporate overlord. Just a teacher and a car parts salesman) It's incredibly painful to tell your family that you don't want them in your life
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 21 Dec 2017, 02:27
Does it bother anyone else that Hannelore has been all "I'm not your boss, I don't need a PA" since Tilly arrived, but AFTER the two days has ended and she's shown her the door, she has no problem with "oh hey PA, book us some plane tickets"?

It seems like deliberate irony. She ends up needing the PA her mother assigned her, to help her confront her mother about assigning her a PA against her will.

What happens to Tilly now is unclear. Could be a "this was your last assignment" situation.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 21 Dec 2017, 02:45
I've been where Hanners is. (Though my parents aren't a space scientist and a corporate overlord. Just a teacher and a car parts salesman) It's incredibly painful to tell your family that you don't want them in your life

Maybe it's because I'm lacking this "You Had To Be There"-Factor, that made this week's arc not have as deep of an impact on me as it obviously had on some of you. But that's cool. It just means that I could not connect with Hannelore as much as you could, in this situation.
Her internal conflict was the main driving force, not the external conflict (the one I was hoping for) with her mother. Another error in judgment on my part. I expected more of Beatrice.
Oh well… let's see now, how the QC crew deals with the emotional fallout. I think Hannelore can use every bit of support she can get right now.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 Dec 2017, 02:56

I see nothing here that justifies Tilly sticking around.

The only thing that has been done PA-wise was buying the plane tickets.
Which, as others have stated, does kinda go against Hanners' initial "I don't need a PA"...
(and she still doesn't... she works in a coffee shop).

As for the emotional collapse, I wouldn't read too much about Tilly being the one she collapsed upon... Tilly was the only one *there*.

There's no 'need' for this to turn into any kind of friendship, because Tilly hasn't been a friend. Tilly's been an employee.
Even here, after being told not to, Tilly is STILL calling Hanners "Ma'am"... which isn't what you want when you're letting down all your barriers in such a manner.

BAD Tilly... No biscuit!

(Oh.. and Hanners 'shoved' her mum?  B.F.D.!)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 03:02
Okay, so I have a genuine question for those who expected more from Beatrice.

What did you expect Beatrice to say in this situation?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Dec 2017, 03:20
What did you expect Beatrice to say in this situation?

I, for one, expected Beatrice to be more aggressive with Hannelore - Make threats about making her friends 'pay' for her daughter's defiance and make it clear that their suffering would be Hannelore's fault. I wasn't expecting Beatrice to be so shocked at Hannelore coming at her so aggressively that she was shocked into silence.

FWIW, I still think that it is possible that tomorrow's strip will be Beatrice instructing her own PA to begin some kind of 'special project', the exact details of which will be unstated but which is heavily implied to be retribution against Hannelore.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 03:22
What did you expect Beatrice to say in this situation?

Make threats about making her friends 'pay' for her daughter's defiance and make it clear that their suffering would be Hannelore's fault.

Seriously?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 21 Dec 2017, 03:23
What did you expect Beatrice to say in this situation?

Hm… depends…
She could have tried to justify her action ("If the deal with Taffys father vanishes, almost 5.000 people will lose their jobs!"), or have a sudden moment of realisation and regret ("OMG, Hannelore! I didn’t know! I’m so sorry!"). A worst case scenario would have also been possible ("How dare you threaten me?!? Security! Throw those two trespassers out! If they try to get back in *ever*, taser them!"), or even something completely crazy (*sigh* "Okay, this one was a failure. Tell the lab to thaw out the next one, and give her the new programming we talked about...")

From my point of view, any reaction from Beatrice would have been better that no reaction at all. But there's still one comic left for this week…
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Dec 2017, 03:36
Seriously?

Yes. There's precedent; the last time Beatrice was a significant character, she idly threatened to ruin Marten's credit rating if he didn't take the money she staked when she bet Hannelore couldn't touch a toilet seat. This is a petty woman capable of petty acts of revenge if she thinks she's being disrespected.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: RMc on 21 Dec 2017, 03:44
I don't know how this gets resolved, but I'm sure it will be a silly cliche or two, 'cuz that's how this comic rolls.

Yep, called it. Sigh.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Wildroses on 21 Dec 2017, 03:50
It'll be interesting to see how Beatrice responds when she gets over her shock. I don't think she realised Hannelore could be pushed too far and has a spine. Maybe she'll be shaken and realise she actually wants her daughter not to hate her, maybe she'll turn around to get revenge, maybe she'll do her inept best to make it up to her daughter with unhelpful gifts.

I'll also be interested to see if Tilly becomes a semi-regular character or not. I don't mind if she does. I don't really get the people who dislike her because she is taking screen time away from the current regulars. If Jeph never introduced new characters, a lot of beloved regular current characters would never have been introduced in the first place (such as Hannelore).

But from a story perspective I'm not sure how an unwanted personal assistant could stay. I get the impression Tilly thinks having a job is important long term, although short term she'll want to get Hannelore comforted and home. Maybe her father will come into play. From the way he asked about espionage in that  phone call on the first day on the job, I wonder if he had been hoping for Tilly to be a plant in Beatrice's empire, and seeing as that is obviously not happening maybe he'll send her somewhere else.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 03:56
Seriously?

Yes. There's precedent; the last time Beatrice was a significant character, she idly threatened to ruin Marten's credit rating if he didn't take the money she staked when she bet Hannelore couldn't touch a toilet seat. This is a petty woman capable of petty acts of revenge if she thinks she's being disrespected.

I'm sure she's capable of it. But what do you think she would achieve by doing so?

"Hanners has cut off ties. How to fix it? I know! Threaten to hurt her friends! Makes perfect sense." :psyduck:

It would be a completely self-defeating move.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Dec 2017, 04:00
I'm sure she's capable of it. But what do you think she would achieve by doing so?

It's simple enough. After all, she's doing nothing illegal other than ordering companies she owns to be extra zealous about calling in debts, extra aware about people's credit histories and the like. So, the only thing Hannelore can do to stop it is re-open contact with her mother and do whatever she tells her to in order to persuade her to call off her minions.

removed by moderator
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 04:03
I asked what it would achieve, not how she would go about it. And I'd appreciate it if you'd lay off the condescending insults, please.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: pwhodges on 21 Dec 2017, 04:14
she's doing nothing illegal other than ordering companies she owns to be extra zealous about calling in debts, extra aware about people's credit histories and the like.

That only works for people who are in debt and have a dodgy credit history - not the case for Hanners, surely!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Dec 2017, 04:14
Okay, that last paragraph was uncalled for and is withdrawn.

Just in case you missed it, though, I did explain what it is supposed to achieve:

So, the only thing Hannelore can do to stop it is re-open contact with her mother and do whatever she tells her to in order to persuade her to call off her minions.

Even this isn't unprecedented. Apart from the unusual means, abusive parents commonly use coercive means to get their way. It's just that they normally don't have the means to target their children's associates as well as their children themselves. It makes narrative sense in this case because Beatrice actually has very few levers to use on Hannelore herself (mostly because her ex-husband would certainly get in the way). However, through her personal commercial power, she has lots of means to attack Hannelore's friends and she knows that this would be just as personally coercive to Hannelore as any direct attack.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 04:23
I saw that, so I think I am not explaining myself well.

I can see how that might persuade Hanners to "do whatever Beatrice tells her" (although I think it's more likely that what would actually happen is that she'd call in Station).

But the issue is that Hanners has cut off ties. That is, their relationship has been destroyed.

This action might persuade Hanners to resume communication, but it would permanently destroy their relationship. Thus, it would be an entirely self-defeating move on Beatrice's part.

That is what I am trying to say.

I can see what you are saying about abusive parents, but I don't think that what you've suggest is the method she would choose. Some form of emotional blackmail would, in my opinion, be more likely, if she was to try anything and if she were in fact abusive.

But in fact, I see Beatrice more as a grossly neglectful parent, even though the effect is that of abuse. Thus, I don't think she would reach for emotional blackmail either.

I think Beatrice was blindsided because she honestly had no idea of the seriousness of the effect her actions were having on Hannelore. Thus, her reaction is exactly what I expected.

Am I explaining myself better?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Dec 2017, 04:30
But the issue is that Hanners has cut off ties. That is, their relationship has been destroyed.

This action might persuade Hanners to resume communication, but it would permanently destroy their relationship. Thus, it would be an entirely self-defeating move on Beatrice's part.

That is what I am trying to say.

Ah, I see the problem here.

I think that the problem is that we see the character of Beatrice Chatham in entirely different ways. I see her as a "Let Hannelore hate me so long as she fears me and obeys me" person. She won't care if their personal relationship is totally destroyed so long as their professional relationship remains in the way she wants it to be. To me, Beatrice sees Hannelore as essentially just another possession to use as she sees fit. I've seen no indication that she in any way consciously craves Hannelore's love and an emotional connection with her; her only goal is that Hannelore be the child and heir she wants her to be.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 04:36
Yes, you're right. We do.

I see her as being so driven in her business that she has completely forgotten that her relationship with her daughter is something she also needs to put some effort into.

So, I guess you're seeing her expression in the last panel of yesterday's comic as her being upset that Hanners no longer obeys her.

Whereas I see it (very loosely speaking) as a "cat's in the cradle" moment.

Edit: to back up my position, I present comic #922 (http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=922). Maybe you think she's being dishonest? I think she's being honest. She's just... a bad mother.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 21 Dec 2017, 04:41
So, I guess you're seeing her expression in the last panel of yesterday's comic as her being upset that Hanners no longer obeys her.

More shock. Not only was Hannelore's behaviour broadly unprecedented in their relationship (they've argued but never to that point). Also I doubt that Beatrice is used to not getting her way and the experience is bizarre and new enough to stun her into inaction.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 04:46
Well, actually, I do agree with you there. Absolutely.

But I also think it's more than that. She's lost her daughter. And I think she does care.

At least we've both reached a point where we each have an explanation for Beatrice being stunned into silence rather than returning serve, which was the initial point of the entire conversation, so I guess I'll settle for that for now.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 04:50
What did you expect Beatrice to say in this situation?

Hm… depends…
She could have tried to justify her action ("If the deal with Taffys father vanishes, almost 5.000 people will lose their jobs!"), or have a sudden moment of realisation and regret ("OMG, Hannelore! I didn’t know! I’m so sorry!"). A worst case scenario would have also been possible ("How dare you threaten me?!? Security! Throw those two trespassers out! If they try to get back in *ever*, taser them!"), or even something completely crazy (*sigh* "Okay, this one was a failure. Tell the lab to thaw out the next one, and give her the new programming we talked about...")

From my point of view, any reaction from Beatrice would have been better that no reaction at all. But there's still one comic left for this week…

Sorry I didn't respond to this immediately, but thanks for this response - I see what you were after now. I wouldn't have expected the last one personally, but the others would certainly be plausible.

I think what happened is actually more dramatic, but that's just me.  8-)

Cheers!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Technoir on 21 Dec 2017, 04:58
Ignoring the Tilly persistence in the strip and moving on to an observation/question...

Anybody else think Hanners looked a lot like Ellen DeGeneres in that outfit?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Prestwick on 21 Dec 2017, 05:28
I've been where Hanners is. (Though my parents aren't a space scientist and a corporate overlord. Just a teacher and a car parts salesman) It's incredibly painful to tell your family that you don't want them in your life

I can echo this. I've been in the room or in on the conversation when this has happened. I've seen people literally reduced to tears and their knees because their family or parents are so impossible or infuriating that they have no choice but to cut ties.

Beatrice in this case is someone who in my view is insistent that mother knows best and so far mother believes that her daughter's interests are best served weaning her away from her current life and job and towards what Beatrice believes is her destiny of assuming the reigns of a highly successful business. Hanner's opinion - up until this point - frankly did not come into the equation hence why her increasingly angry and frantic protests had fallen on deaf ears or been batted away and rationalised as those of a spoilt brat or someone being overly dramatic.

Hence the breaking point and the raw anger and emotion from Hanners on Wednesday. I was one of the - admittedly few - people who believed that the argument was going to be left there primarily because Hanner's outburst was so out of character and so out of the ordinary for her that it would have shocked any of the characters in this story into silence.

What Beatrice most certainly isn't is a tyrant. Not towards her own flesh and blood anyway. Yes we have seen evidence of her cruelty and casual malice but what we haven't got is any evidence of abuse - physical, verbally vindictive or sadistic anyway - towards Hanners and the emotional abuse we've seen thus far appears to be on the "misguided parenting and child neglect" side of the scale. She doesn't appear to be the person to take deliberate vindictive action to actively hurt Hanners, Tilly or any of their friends in order to settle scores.

Therefore I really do not see any reaction from Beatrice apart from either trying to insist on business as usual - and being met by silence or a refusal to communicate from Hanners - or some kind of hamfisted and botched apology followed by another attempt to rationalise what was really some bloody awful parenting over the years.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 21 Dec 2017, 06:03
Is that a crying towel Tilly's carrying?  Nevermind, it's just their* jacket. 

Would Beatrice actually follow through with ruining a plebeian?  All of Hannelore's Northampton friends are otherwise below her notice.  She had to be damn near on-her-lips drunk (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=927) with her mountain of inhibitions dissolved in ethanol to even joke about doing it.  Beatrice is silent because she's having flashbacks to the emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her own mother.  Child abusers were almost always themselves abused and it takes confrontation and conscious effort to break the cycle.  Perhaps this will segue to Bea's backstory.


*("It's just zir jacket"?  I like that better - doesn't leave me thinking "Are Tilly and Hannelore both supposed to fit into that thing, or do they take turns wearing it?")
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: bhtooefr on 21 Dec 2017, 06:18
They've said that their preferred pronouns are the "they" family, not any of the neologisms for gender-neutral pronouns, so it is their jacket.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Prestwick on 21 Dec 2017, 06:23
Would Beatrice actually follow through with ruining a plebeian?  All of Hannelore's Northampton friends are otherwise below her notice.  She had to be damn near on-her-lips drunk (https://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=927) with her mountain of inhibitions dissolved in ethanol to even joke about doing it.  Beatrice is silent because she's having flashbacks to the emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her own mother.  Child abusers were almost always themselves abused and it takes confrontation and conscious effort to break the cycle.  Perhaps this will segue to Bea's backstory.

This I agree with. People could bring that up as an example of Beatrice's general cruelty but not of her ability to or likelihood of deliberately cause serious harm to Hannelore or her Northampton set of friends.

What Beatrice is guilty of is of emotional abuse and abuse through neglect and I agree that could be Beatrice having a eureka moment of some kind after being made by her own daughter to dip her face in her own vomit and look in the mirror...figuratively speaking of course.

But what I really do not see happening is some kind of Enemy of the State schenanigans or grand threatening gestures more fitting of Ernst Stavro Bloefeld than of Steve Jobs going on because Hannelore said no to her mother.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Thrudd on 21 Dec 2017, 06:32
Okay - This discussion has gotten me to actually read the weeks strip one day early despite the continued presence of Tilly.

Yeeeup - the observations about logic being thrown out the window on how easily Hanners had access to her mom holds true.
I can chalk that up to artistic license for dramatic story flow

:psyduck: I can't see Hanners crying on anyone's shoulder. Ever! :psyduck:

She even went out of her way to turn towards Tilly instead of just doing the drop and bawl.
I am sorry but it is just so out of character for Hanners.
All I can see is a ham handed attempt to keep Tilly relevant and that is really irksome and annoying.
That artistic license is now under suspension and is under review for possible revocation.

Logically I could see Hanners drop to her knees between panels 3 and 4 as dramatic effect to show just how devastated and vulnerable she is.
Having Tilly standing behind her unable to effectively console her [because Tilly knows no touchie by now, right? right?] and that would have been true to both characters as we know them up till now.

This is JarJar all over again.
I hope we don't end up with an on the fly rewrite and end up with a Dooku and ongoing JarJar antics while Darth Maul lies bisected at the bottom of a power shaft :facepalm:

Warning - while you were typing 1 2 3 4 5 6 new replies have been posted. You may wish to hit post before the week is over.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 Dec 2017, 06:45
Okay, so I have a genuine question for those who expected more from Beatrice.

What did you expect Beatrice to say in this situation?

To be honest, pretty much ANYTHING... other than nothing.

Even just "Who do you think you are talking to, Missy!?" would have been better than the blank stare.

Parents don't usually let their children away with the kind of rant Hanners threw at her, without a word of response, no matter what their age.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 21 Dec 2017, 06:57

There are so many ways things could go from here.
Here's a couple I'd hate to see...

Tilly storming back into the office to shout at Beatrice. "She's your DAUGHTER!!..... Ma'am!"
Hanners having some kind of bonding session with Tilly over this. (No logic I can think of would canonically justify such a thing.)
Basically, anything which keeps Tilly in the strip's focus after tomorrow...

I do feel for Jeph here.
Tilly is clearly his flavour of the month, but the whole build up about the *cutie* has just drastically failed, with a major majority disagreeing on his opinion, with what he clearly feels is a compelling and worthy character.

(The 'Jar-Jar' comparison has been raised already, and others have raised the very cogent point that far more interesting and worthy characters have been left in the cold for a LONG time, or simply vanished without a word.)

But then, the dilemma of the artist is do they stay true to their vision, or do they go with "what sells".
Integrity would say one thing. Human nature would say another...

Yeah... I don't envy Mr Jacques right now...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Eyes_of_Heaven on 21 Dec 2017, 07:36
I'm not really understanding the Tilly hate as of late. I mean, sure, she definitely has that "Came out of nowhere" thing going on, but I'm honestly thinking a lot of the resentment going on towards her right now is grossly out of proportion, or being done because everyone else is.

Is she the perfect character for this or any arc? At the moment, no. But we're not giving her a chance to really be able to have any kind of development, or learn anymore about what made her the way she is.

I've seen several cases of the "Always wanting to help" mindset in some people, and what I usually end up finding out is that these people have been in multiple situations where friends and family have been abundantly over-critical of everything they do, or constantly put down any efforts on their part of trying to help. I've heard cases of lectures or verbal abuse over things as small as putting the bow on a present in a "Incorrect" spot, or them being belittled because they didn't do a extremely specific thing that they were never told but "Should have just known".

This builds a self destructive personality of "It was my fault. I should be a better person and think of others more than myself". The end result is that they over-extend in trying to be useful to others, not just because they want to help, but because of some subconscious desire for SOMEONE to look at what they did and say "Good job" instead of pointing out another very minor flaw. Maybe the same case is happening to Tilly? She even said that she believes that "A task should be done right, no matter how quixotic is may be". Quixotic meaning exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic, or impractical. She even takes the suggestion of being used as "Corporate Espionage" with a mindset of "I can't do that! Not because it's wrong, but because it's just a coffee shop!".

Most people would accept that they'll make mistakes, and sometimes certain things isn't worth the absurd amount of effort that would need to be put forth. Tilly however may have been raised on a self destructive "Do it all right, or it's wrong." mindset. In a practical sense, such as for a business, it's perfect. They're constantly seeking to improve and never take mistakes lightly. In a mental or emotional sense? You get someone breaking down over realizing they've been a inconvenience: http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3617

What I'm trying to say is: Give her a break. Give Jeff a chance to actually develop her character before screaming about putting her on the noose. There's been plenty of other characters that have been introduced to the comic, everybody screaming for their blood, and then us realizing "Huh, they're not so bad after all".

Just... Let her learn to chill, and be a person instead of "Something to be used", alright?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 21 Dec 2017, 08:13
:psyduck: I can't see Hanners crying on anyone's shoulder. Ever! :psyduck:

[snippage]

Logically I could see Hanners drop to her knees between panels 3 and 4 as dramatic effect to show just how devastated and vulnerable she is.
Having Tilly standing behind her unable to effectively console her [because Tilly knows no touchie by now, right? right?] and that would have been true to both characters as we know them up till now.
People overwhelmed with emotion don't always pay any attention at all to logic. 

By and large Jeph's main characters are dynamic.  You're correct, Thrudd, Hanners would never initiate physical contact, until this event.  She's changing - that's what dynamic characters do.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 21 Dec 2017, 09:05
Welcome, new person!

Your ideas about how Tilly got that way are insightful.

I believe much of the negative reaction was to their refusal to take no for an answer. That reminded people of pushy salesmen at best, consent violations at worst.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: cloudatlatl on 21 Dec 2017, 10:53
Beatrice apparently runs the Empty Brown Corridors international empire... after Tilly's longest two-day internship stretched on for weeks, this feels rushed and wanting for detail, not unlike how I felt about the conclusion of the Corpse Witch/Spookybot story.  At least it looks like we'll get to see some other characters soon?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: haikupoet on 21 Dec 2017, 11:08
Her love for her friends.

Her father's compassion.

Her mother's daughter.

THIS

IS

HANNELORE.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: A Duck on 21 Dec 2017, 11:10
People always tend to have a negative reaction to new characters. Wasn't Claire, in particular, incredibly rejected at first?

And look where we are now  :claireface:

I think it's a somewhat natural reaction to how "slow" QC is. People get attached to older characters and tend to feel wronged if they lose the spotlight. But that's how QC works, Jeph himself has said that this has been 2 or 3 different comics over it's story already.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 13:27
I feel for Jeph right now, too.

His fans have very strong ideas about where they want the story to go, which is a good indication of how strong a following the comic has attracted.

But when those expectations are subverted, those fans dismiss the outcome as bad story telling.

At least QC has something in common with star wars, so that's something.  :mrgreen:
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 13:57
It's okay, not everyone likes porgs. ;)

I think that it it is becoming more common now for Hanners, in moments of great emotion, to momentarily overcome her aversion to physical contact. And I actually quite like the symmetry of starting with "I don't do hugs" and ending with a hug.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Voran on 21 Dec 2017, 15:42
My concern is that other than the pursuit of drama, there wasn't a need for Hanners to nurse her grudge/anger, carry that across states, force a disruption of business and then use offensive physical force (even if relatively slight) against her mother.

Consider what the scenario would have been if her mother had hit the desk awkwardly, hurting her back, or clipping it and taking a fall and striking a table or something.  Suddenly all that stuff Hanners did becomes way more damaging to her case.  Alternately, flip the scenario, if Hanners had cut mom out her life over the phone, and her mom traveled to her, yelled at her and then shoved her...is it ok because its Hanners but totally f-u to mom if she had done that same scenario to Hanners?

The problem is that in the scenario, Hanners is the aggressor.  No self defense here, shes not under current or imminent fear of harm, she took her anger and outrage, and used it against someone.  Intent? Not clear, but again, from an external view you could go, "Huh, traveling on a plane for the purposes of breaking into your mother's office seems kind of focused intent."  Sure she feels justified.  I'm sure someone that lost their home to a bank feels justified in barging into a bank and demanding to see the manager and then forcing their way into their office.  But it doesn't make it the right way to do it.

She could have let her mom finish, based on the text mom had like...4 words left.  But Hanners felt she needed to physically establish dominance and stun her mom with fear.  She could have done her same speech, even with the finger touch at the end and it would have been fine.  Instead she wanted to make absolutely sure her mom couldn't interrupt her, so she chose force.   

I'm not saying Hanners should get arrested, and yeah, realistically unless mom is a super dick, no charges are going to be filed.  But that shouldn't negate the consequences of the choice Hanners used to use force to punctuate her point.

But for those thinking this approach was right, ask yourself, how is this any different from shoving your girlfriend or slapping her to make her shut up so you can yell at her?  Just because it is between two family members doesn't make it any less worse.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: A small perverse otter on 21 Dec 2017, 16:39
*("It's just zir jacket"?  I like that better - doesn't leave me thinking "Are Tilly and Hannelore both supposed to fit into that thing, or do they take turns wearing it?")
I'll give you the same advice that either of my amab daughters gives to anyone who asks: "If you want to know what pronoun to use, ask me." Tilly prefers they/them. They are entitled to that choice, and it's impolite to override it.

In this case, many genderqueer people prefer they/them precisely because they're already English words. The word 'zi' is not, and so its correct usage is unknown. Who knows what verb forms go with 'zi'? What is the proper form of the possessive? What about the objective form? By contrast, we know exactly how to use 'they/their/them' -- they're third person plural pronouns, and we know how to use them in text and in speech because we use them every day.

This really isn't as far-fetched as it sounds at first blush. Modern English does not have a second-person singular pronoun; we use the plural form in all cases. ('Thee/thou/thine' is a complete archaism: modern speakers can't actually enumerate the ways to use its forms in speech. When do you use 'thee' versus 'thou'? I certainly don't know, and I don't know anyone who can correctly handle the corner cases. I've tested people by using older text before the form left usage.)


Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Penquin47 on 21 Dec 2017, 17:02
So it's not as simple as "Use thou when you would use I/she/he, thee when you would use me/her/him, thy when you would use my/her/his, and thine for mine/hers/his"?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 21 Dec 2017, 17:32
Voran, what do you think the consequences ought to be for a shove in the heat of the moment provoked by a lifetime of parental neglect cumulating culminating in an act of exploitation?

You don't think that under the circumstances it's maybe understandable? A little bit?

No one is advocating physical shoving as a method of communication, don't worry.

Ideally she would not have done it, but this is not an ideal situation, and she's human.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Shjade on 21 Dec 2017, 17:34
But for those thinking this approach was right, ask yourself, how is this any different from shoving your girlfriend or slapping her to make her shut up so you can yell at her?  Just because it is between two family members doesn't make it any less worse.

How is this any different?

Well, my (hypothetical) girlfriend hasn't been a controlling influence in my life from the day I was born, doesn't act as though she still maintains a controlling interest in my life despite having minimal contact for most of my adult years, and lacks the power - both financial and emotional - to heavily influence my life beyond my control and without my consent if she chooses to do so. She also doesn't have a history of talking over me and ignoring my clearly stated positions on matters of conflict between us, so there's never been a need to escalate an argument beyond verbal sparring just to be taken seriously at all, regardless of how poorly thought-out such an escalation might be.

This comparison is asinine.

Warning - while you were typing a new rep yeah yeah whatever z.z

Edit: sidenote, I wouldn't really call what Hannelore's doing in that last panel "hugging." She's literally crying on Tilly's shoulder. Emotional breakdown ahoy. This isn't the first time she's forgotten her hangups in the heat of the moment, and this moment is certainly heated. I wouldn't be surprised if she freaks out, apologizes, or both once she recovers.

I have to admit I'm surprised Tilly wasn't involved in the confrontation though; I was expecting it. Now I'm not sure why she brought Tilly along for the ride either...hm. I was going to say "if she needed moral support she could've asked one of her friends," but her friends all have day jobs and other responsibilities, where Tilly's only responsibility is "stick with Hannelore," so I suppose it could've been a simple matter of convenience: she knew Tilly would be available and happy to go, and Hannelore just felt like she needed someone along for an anchor? Not the most satisfying reason, maybe, but it makes sense.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: brasca on 21 Dec 2017, 18:17
Glad it was just tears.  Something that emotionally wrenching might trigger vomiting and that would be more fluids than Hannelore could handle.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 21 Dec 2017, 19:30
Welcome, new person with challenging thoughts!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Magniras on 21 Dec 2017, 19:56
Poor Hanners.  Though that's a perfectly healthy reaction to cutting someone you care about out of your life.

Even if that person is a manipulative ball of slime and you're going to be better off without them.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Gyrre on 21 Dec 2017, 21:23
We still have two more comics this week to find out…
And since Jeph tends to do fillers in the week between Christmas and New Year, I expect this to be fully resolved by then. One of those strips will be Hanners talking to Tilly. One may be Beatrice trying to understand Hanners.
How was a shove necessary here? I get that she's angry and wants to sever ties with her mom, but all that could've easily been handled verbally.
It's OOC (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OOCIsSeriousBusiness) yes, but that's basically what was necessary for Bea to actually shut up. A simple verbal notice would have left her with an opening to come back that the shove prevents.

Warning - while you were typing a new reply has been posted. You may wish to review your post.
Damnit, Ben, you beat me to the point
The shove gives an added bit of emphasis to everything Hanners said. Where Hanners hugged her father as a sign of gratitude and affection during the Station arc, here Hanners is using physical contact (something she has massive hang-ups about) to show just how much disdain she has for her mother at that moment.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 21 Dec 2017, 21:52
So it's not as simple as "Use thou when you would use I/she/he, thee when you would use me/her/him, thy when you would use my/her/his, and thine for mine/hers/his"?
But we (all English speakers, not just non-binary folk or the denzians of this forum) are struggling with third (spoken of) person pronouns and thee/thou/thine is second (spoken to) person.  Using "them" just shifts the awkward bit from number to person.  (I can still hear Sister Mary Knucklewhacker making us chant, "Person, Number, Gender, Case.)

No one faction gets to declare changes to languages, especially English - the larger community will have to arrive at consensus. 
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JimC on 22 Dec 2017, 00:15
Tilly is clearly his flavour of the month, but the whole build up about the *cutie* has just drastically failed, with a major majority disagreeing on his opinion,
A majority of the noisy posters here, which must be a tiny minority of his entire readership. I've also seen comments which suggest that the character has not been nearly so negatively received elsewhere. Probably a mistake to put too much emphasis on our ramblings. Remember the poll on Tilly didn't come down nearly as negative as the postings seemed to.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: pwhodges on 22 Dec 2017, 00:34
I've also seen comments which suggest that the character has not been nearly so negatively received elsewhere.

OTOH an acquaintance of mine who reads QC but not this forum has asked me whether Tilly is being received as negatively here as he's seen in other places (unspecified).
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Reaver on 22 Dec 2017, 00:35
I like Tilly, they are really cute, and are trying really hard (and are overeager, and tries too hard, but when they did wrong they apologized and I don't see what the hate is for, Faye is way worse....
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Magniras on 22 Dec 2017, 00:37
Aw.  Damn.  Tilly's idealism and hope getting crushed somehow hurts a bit more than the death of a family relationship.

Sure Tilly might have been a bit annoying, but no one deserves to hear that they got used.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: WoaLG on 22 Dec 2017, 00:52
I can't help but read the "f l u i d s" at the bottom of the page the same way that Faye says "Face meats"
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 22 Dec 2017, 01:07
SO if you hated Tilly because they hurt Hanners, and now not only has Tilly expressed remorse for doing so, but Hanners has also clearly forgiven them, my question to you is - can you do the same?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 22 Dec 2017, 01:19
The thing that I got from this strip is that Tilly is obviously a lot younger than I thought. 'Straight out of school' means probably 21 or 22 to me; younger than any of the human main cast (except for Sam) who are mostly in their late 20s and even approaching the 'big 3-0'. I honestly thought that she was closer to the others' age and this was a 'big break' to get out of the lower echelons of ECI. I'm wondering if Jeph is planning to play on that with Tilly being the 'baby' of the cast whom the others feel obliged to act as protectors/mentors.

It should not come as no surprise that Hannelore did what she did here. For all her fears and neuroses, Hannelore is a tremendously empathetic and compassionate personality. She would not be able to remain detached when someone is in pain, no matter what difficulties that would impose on her later on.

Maybe any Patreon donors on this board can answer this for me: Are the bonus strips 'non-canon' one-off jokes or 'extra stories for colour', filling in the characters' personalities and relationships in ways that don't contribute to the narrative in any way?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: MrNumbers on 22 Dec 2017, 01:29
I just don't like them as a character. It's not a forgiveness thing, because they're not a real person, they're a literary device, and I didn't think they were effective as one.

It's not hatred. It's not big or pronounced. She's just boring and mildly irritating. And it's annoying because this comic wasn't otherwise lacking for a cast of more interesting characters to use.

I get why a character was introduced here. Hannelore needed something to be inciting action to cut ties with her mother, and the best way to do that was for her mother to use her and hurt an innocent person in the process. That's a brilliant plotline, and I enjoy it immensely.

I'd just rather a character more like, say, Jonah from Bojack Horseman be used. A quiet, calm, competent and very respectful PA who actually read the dossier, and just did a lot of small unobtrusive things that were weird but made Hannelore weirdly happy.

I'm thinking gags like when she's in the shower, he opens all the really difficult jars for her while wearing sterile gloves, then leaves again without a word, just to go out of the way to be unnoticable. Weird enough to be uncomfortable, but genuinely helpful and beneficial to Hannelore's life to make her feel conflicted about the situation.

Instead we've had Hannelore be the backup spoon drawer for a new character that hasn't earned it, because they need to steal spotlight to jumpstart their position in the story. It's trying to power-level a character by forcing a dynamic -- which happened rather literally -- and that's a really... obnoxious form of storytelling to me. Because instead of just being able to focus on the really interesting Hannelore storyline, it's now the Hannelore and Tilly storyline, and I couldn't possibly care less about a full half of that, and it makes me resentful for having to sit through it to be able to focus on the Hannelore parts I do like.

It's not Pinkie, Elmyra and the Brain bad, nowhere near the levels of what Fairly Odd Parents has become, but it still annoys me on a mechanical level.

EDIT: These paragraphs brought to you by the letter "I"
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bollthorn on 22 Dec 2017, 02:06
Tilly did grind on me at first, but the emotional payoff in this last issue has made up for that.

Also people complaining about Hanners hugging someone but not about shoving Beatrice? Its still physical contact.

And as it was previously stated, people tend not to think logically when overcome with emotion. Especially after something as devastating and heavy as that.

So just give poor lil' Tilly a chance, eh? If Hanners finds them huggable, who are you to complain? :P
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 22 Dec 2017, 02:20
Tilly is clearly his flavour of the month, but the whole build up about the *cutie* has just drastically failed, with a major majority disagreeing on his opinion,
... Remember the poll on Tilly didn't come down nearly as negative as the postings seemed to.

??

That's certainly not how *I* read it...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Absimilliard on 22 Dec 2017, 02:32
The poll is missing the option "Tilly goes back to their home planet and is never seen again".
I'm delighted that Hanners ended the year with two major breakthroughs (confronting her mother and chosing to hug someone), but I wish the companion would've been an established character, not a new one I hope I'll never see again.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: bhtooefr on 22 Dec 2017, 02:54
The thing that I got from this strip is that Tilly is obviously a lot younger than I thought. 'Straight out of school' means probably 21 or 22 to me; younger than any of the human main cast (except for Sam) who are mostly in their late 20s and even approaching the 'big 3-0'. I honestly thought that she was closer to the others' age and this was a 'big break' to get out of the lower echelons of ECI. I'm wondering if Jeph is planning to play on that with Tilly being the 'baby' of the cast whom the others feel obliged to act as protectors/mentors.
FWIW, Hannelore's close to her in age - she was 22 as of strip 1069 (March 2004 per AprilArcus's timeline), I'd guess it's circa 2006 in-strip now, making her ~24 now.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: gopher on 22 Dec 2017, 04:28
SO if you hated Tilly because they hurt Hanners, and now not only has Tilly expressed remorse for doing so, but Hanners has also clearly forgiven them, my question to you is - can you do the same?

No. Tilly still doesn't feel like a person. They are a collection of aggravating traits designed to move the Hanners story on. Giving them the armour of being non-binary, a trait that has not  moved any plot on by one iota, feels manipulative.

Terrible character, unengaging plot.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 22 Dec 2017, 04:48
I just don't like them as a character. It's not a forgiveness thing, because they're not a real person, they're a literary device, and I didn't think they were effective as one.

It's not hatred. It's not big or pronounced. She's just boring and mildly irritating. And it's annoying because this comic wasn't otherwise lacking for a cast of more interesting characters to use.

^ This, pretty much.

This story was "Beatrice does something extremely shitty, thus forcing Hannelore's hand once and for all."

Tilly was basically a human MacGuffin whose introduction into the comic was slow, heavy-handed and unnecessary. For me, they added nothing of substance to the story arc. It felt like they were being used to fill a weeks worth of pages, but nothing beyond that. Tilly may become a part of the QC crew, but me personally, I don't see any benefit in keeping them.

That being said, todays comic made even *me* want to hug Tilly. MacGuffin or not, no one deserves being used as a pawn and have their dreams crushed with so much... indifference, as Beatrice did!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 22 Dec 2017, 04:51
Instead we've had Hannelore be the backup spoon drawer for a new character that hasn't earned it, because they need to steal spotlight to jumpstart their position in the story.

Can you explain this sentence to me? I don't grok what it is saying.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: bhtooefr on 22 Dec 2017, 05:24
In disability and mental illness culture, there's a metaphor based around "having spoons" - spoons effectively being a sort of currency that has to be spent to go through the day, and have a variable daily allocation.

So, someone being "out of spoons" is mentally unable to continue doing anything that day, and on a bad day (when their disability or mental illness is particularly severe), they'll have a low allocation of spoons to begin with - maybe not even enough to get out of bed.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Neko_Ali on 22 Dec 2017, 06:03
This entire year has absolutely wrecked my spoon drawer for instance... Between idiots in office actively trying to make the world a more miserable place, enhanced work stress and an atmosphere of hostility both for people in general and against people like me in specific I've really not got a lot left to deal with day to day life. Another way I've heard to describe this sort of 'mental fuel tank' in a more geeky way is describing like the D&D (Vancian) magic system. You only have so many 'spell slots' per day to do things with and you have to manage them carefully. Little things like brushing your teeth or getting your mail might be first level slots. Bigger things like calling strangers might be higher levels. Cutting an abusive parent out of your life might require expending several high level slots that will wipe you out afterwards leaving you not able to deal with anything for a while until you get to take some 'long rests' and recover.

SO if you hated Tilly because they hurt Hanners, and now not only has Tilly expressed remorse for doing so, but Hanners has also clearly forgiven them, my question to you is - can you do the same?

It's an important distinction that I didn't like Tilly not because they harassed Hannelore, but because of their push 'won't take no for an answer' attitude. Because they actively refused to respect boundaries even when they were clearly outlined for them. Now that Tilly has recognized, acknowledged and is remorseful for what they did maybe I can move past that, so long as they change. And not just to Hanners, but everyone.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: RMc on 22 Dec 2017, 06:26
No. Tilly still doesn't feel like a person. They are a collection of aggravating traits designed to move the Hanners story on. Giving them the armour of being non-binary, a trait that has not moved any plot on by one iota, feels manipulative.

Tilly's that way to inoculate the character from criticism. ("How DARE you criticize them, you horrible bigot!")

Terrible character, unengaging plot.

Yep and yep.

And, hey, for a "corporate demigod", Beatrice is quite the pushover, isn't she? But, of course, she's not allowed to push back against the beloved Hannelore; if she did, fangirls would burn down the entire internet. (Not that that would necessarily be a bad thing.)

So...no resolution, just hugging and dull-as-dishwater dialogue. Geez. Forget taking a week off, Jeph...sounds like you need a year or two away from the drawing board.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: shanejayell on 22 Dec 2017, 06:55
Eh. Well, hopefully with this arc over (?) we can move on to Union Robotics bits, or Coffee of doom or whatever.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: pwhodges on 22 Dec 2017, 08:49
Jeph...sounds like you need a year or two away from the drawing board.

Global Moderator Comment Criticism is one thing, but no personal insults are allowed here
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Dec 2017, 10:00
So it's not as simple as "Use thou when you would use I/she/he, thee when you would use me/her/him, thy when you would use my/her/his, and thine for mine/hers/his"?
But we (all English speakers, not just non-binary folk or the denzians of this forum) are struggling with third (spoken of) person pronouns and thee/thou/thine is second (spoken to) person.  Using "them" just shifts the awkward bit from number to person.  (I can still hear Sister Mary Knucklewhacker making us chant, "Person, Number, Gender, Case.)

No one faction gets to declare changes to languages, especially English - the larger community will have to arrive at consensus.

But moderators can set an example and pass along what we have learned from non binary people about how much this means to them.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Dec 2017, 11:32
Quote from:  Faye
Snot on my shirt. That's what friends are for.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: gajatko on 22 Dec 2017, 11:44
Honestly I was suprised how well Hanners handled Tilly's fluids in the last panel of #3640. Seems like she's making some serious progress with her OCD, a few years ago she'd run out in panic if somebody as much as hugged her. Face fluidssss. I hope that she will make up with her mother eventually. #3638 was a really depressing strip.

Ring in the Year to Come Your 2018 Wish List:
OGLAF creator's guest strip. It's risky... but I think Pintsize is ready to take it ;)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Smallest on 22 Dec 2017, 11:51
Giving them the armour of being non-binary, a trait that has not  moved any plot on by one iota, feels manipulative.

Hate or dislike or be bored with Tilly and this arc all you want, but fuck that. Diverse genders should exist independently of whether they further the storyline.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 22 Dec 2017, 12:03
Giving them the armour of being non-binary, a trait that has not  moved any plot on by one iota, feels manipulative.

Hate or dislike or be bored with Tilly and this arc all you want, but fuck that. Diverse genders should exist independently of whether they further the storyline.
Agree.  It's Jeph's universe - he gets to people it with whoever or whatever he wants (here we have magic bandicoots,  yelling birds, and sentient turkeys).  If you don't like it, read something else or draw your own strip.  There's lots of web comics that seem to do okay with shitty art as long as the writing is clever or good, so "I can't draw" is no bar.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Smallest on 22 Dec 2017, 12:28
Giving them the armour of being non-binary, a trait that has not  moved any plot on by one iota, feels manipulative.

Hate or dislike or be bored with Tilly and this arc all you want, but fuck that. Diverse genders should exist independently of whether they further the storyline.
Agree.  It's Jeph's universe - he gets to people it with whoever or whatever he wants (here we have magic bandicoots,  yelling birds, and sentient turkeys).  If you don't like it, read something else or draw your own strip.  There's lots of web comics that seem to do okay with shitty art as long as the writing is clever or good, so "I can't draw" is no bar.

Respectfully, this was less of a 'it's Jeph's world' thing and more of a 'we [trans and NB people] don't exist to further cis plotlines' thing.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Reaver on 22 Dec 2017, 12:34
I really don't care what Tilly identifies as, that's just a characteristic like "they  have  blonde hair and brown eyes" I don't get the vemom that people are spewing about them, nor do I get why people are being so nasty as to imply that  Jeph needs to take a break from the comic because they don't like where it is going.

I mean I didn't like the "check your privilleges"  arch, but respected Jeph's right to tell the story he wants with his characters 8I
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: snufflebottoms on 22 Dec 2017, 13:21
I mean I didn't like the "check your privileges"  arch, but respected Jeph's right to tell the story he wants with his characters 8I

Agreed. I was not a fan of that arc at all. And honestly, I really don't like Tilly. I do think Tilly's gender is meant to be a statement (one I happen to disagree with) but ... BUT it is Jeph's arc, Jeph's characters and the world he created with his views, idea, etc.

If Tilly stays around and continues to dominate the comic, I might stop reading because they are super annoying (for a multitude of reason - not just because they bring up the issue of whether gender is binary or not) but that really doesn't affect Jeph one way or the other. I'm not going to tell him stop writing, especially not on his own forum. I mean, other people will still enjoy the story so it should continue. It's life. Sometimes, a work stops appealing to a particular fan and that person can move on.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: hakko504 on 22 Dec 2017, 14:33
Question: As Tilly refers to herself with neutral pronouns, what is the proper word for them in a relationship? Neither boyfriend nor girlfriend seems right, and I'm stuck thinking of a word that would be suitable in this situation.

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Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 22 Dec 2017, 14:43
So it's not as simple as "Use thou when you would use I/she/he, thee when you would use me/her/him, thy when you would use my/her/his, and thine for mine/hers/his"?
But we (all English speakers, not just non-binary folk or the denzians of this forum) are struggling with third (spoken of) person pronouns and thee/thou/thine is second (spoken to) person.  Using "them" just shifts the awkward bit from number to person.  (I can still hear Sister Mary Knucklewhacker making us chant, "Person, Number, Gender, Case.)

No one faction gets to declare changes to languages, especially English - the larger community will have to arrive at consensus.

But by the same token, the community doesn't get to decide how to define how a person gets referred to. If someone wishes to be referred to as "They/Them", that's okay. Its certainly easier than to use that than to force another word to be used.

English, as with any other language, is not set in stone. It is a dynamic construct, subject to various outside influences, more so considering it is the lingua franca of the world right now. The meaning and use of words change constantly, so what if someone wants to use a neutral term? Why should we force them to use another term? What right do we have to ask that of them? I should imagine that we can be mature enough to realise when we should go with the flow when dealing with anyone.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: gajatko on 22 Dec 2017, 14:47
Uhm I'm a long-reader of the comic but new to forum and I'm amazed what's going on here. It's second time I'm here. Previously there was a discussion whether Sam will be raped or not, now some gender-related stuff which I wouldn't even think of. Tally's clearly a girl and grammar-nazi or whatever. IMHO plot's nice but tiring a bit and I feel that it's good it comes to an end finally.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: snufflebottoms on 22 Dec 2017, 14:48
Question: As Tilly refers to herself with neutral pronouns, what is the proper word for them in a relationship? Neither boyfriend nor girlfriend seems right, and I'm stuck thinking of a word that would be suitable in this situation.

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significant other
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Perfectly Reasonable on 22 Dec 2017, 14:54
I guess that's less awkward than "They're my themfriend", which is what I was about to offer....


Relentless Onward!
Hannelore has strengthened her spine and burned a bridge.
Beatrice has had  'using people as tools' thrown in her face. To put on the mantelpiece with 'neglectful parenting'.
Tilly is absorbing fluids.

But wait! What do I hear? Out of the sunrise... It's...
Sara! Riding an allosaurus! Yay!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Wombat on 22 Dec 2017, 14:58
Uhm I'm a long-reader of the comic but new to forum and I'm amazed what's going on here. It's second time I'm here. Previously there was a discussion whether Sam will be raped or not, now some gender-related stuff which I wouldn't even think of. Tally's clearly a girl and grammar-nazi or whatever. IMHO plot's nice but tiring a bit and I feel that it's good it comes to an end finally.
Tilly isn't a girl; that's kind of why the whole conversation is occurring. They're non-binary and use they/them pronouns.

Personally I haven't been into this arc, but that happens sometimes. I'm just more interested in other characters and the relationships between them.

As far as terms for NB people in relationships, "partner" is pretty popular, and there are other ones like SO, datemate, sweetheart, beloved, etc. which really depend on the person/relationship. But generally I hear "partner" for a variety of relationship configurations.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Welu on 22 Dec 2017, 15:18
Note: There is a thread in DISCUSS about gender and language. (https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,33936.0.html)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Dec 2017, 15:22
Uhm I'm a long-reader of the comic but new to forum and I'm amazed what's going on here. It's second time I'm here. Previously there was a discussion whether Sam will be raped or not, now some gender-related stuff which I wouldn't even think of. Tally's clearly a girl and grammar-nazi or whatever. IMHO plot's nice but tiring a bit and I feel that it's good it comes to an end finally.

Welcome, new people!

The guy who was creepy about Sam has been sent flying through the exit door. I do not remember whether we opened the door before throwing him through it.

Talking about gender variance is much more of a normal forum thing. I urge listening with an open mind. Tilly is clearly in a girl type body, but what got put into that body seems not to have been a girl.

Oh my. This is a weird thought. Tilly never actually said they are non binary. What if they are just using non gendered pronouns on principle? Or to be a grammar troll?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: gajatko on 22 Dec 2017, 15:31
This was my exact though. She likes language puns and refers to Hanners as "ma'am". I guess she thinks that "they" is more formal or sth like that. I don't know anything about LGB so I always look for the most simple and straight-forward explanation of things. (I didn't know any non-straight person in my 28 year life experience, except one gay who was a complete moron).
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Dec 2017, 15:42
I think my idea is weird and that the most simple and straightforward explanation is that Tilly is non binary and chose their pronouns to fit that.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Shjade on 22 Dec 2017, 15:56
Question: As Tilly refers to herself with neutral pronouns, what is the proper word for them in a relationship? Neither boyfriend nor girlfriend seems right, and I'm stuck thinking of a word that would be suitable in this situation.

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significant other

Alternatives: partner, lover (if applicable), spouse (if married), soulmate... there's actually a fair range of names and titles people give their intimates if you just stop and think about it for a moment from a perspective other than "but why don't you call them what I expect you to call them?"

It's generally helpful to think about these kinds of things from a perspective of openness rather than one of negatives, ie: "not-boyfriend." Encourages different thought processes.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 22 Dec 2017, 16:39
But by the same token, the community doesn't get to decide how to define how a person gets referred to.
The person spoken of, the third person, is assumed to be absent.  Referring to a person present in the third person is usually rude in the extreme and meant as an insult.  Only extremely weird or pompous asses (true, lots of overlap there) refer to themselves in the third person unless it's done with humorous intent.  The Community of Speakers of the language in question does indeed settle on how the person spoken of is referred to.

Meet me in the thread Wulu pointed to if you'd like to continue.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: cloudatlatl on 22 Dec 2017, 17:09
While I've been no fan of this story arc so far, today's was the first comic in a while that felt emotionally real to me.  Did anyone else get that sense?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 22 Dec 2017, 17:32
Hmm. For me the anger felt real. Hannelore breaking down crying on a stranger's shoulder was unusual enough to jolt my suspension of disbelief, though it makes emotional sense.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JimC on 22 Dec 2017, 22:46
significant other
Except that in the Social work trade that has an entirely different meaning.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: pwhodges on 23 Dec 2017, 03:12
Tally's clearly a girl and grammar-nazi or whatever.

Respecting people’s wishes (how to be addressed or referred to in this case) is nothing to do with being a grammar-nazi. Nor is it affected by Tilley’s “obviously” being a girl.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Zebediah on 23 Dec 2017, 05:11
Exactly. Tilly’s body may be female, but Tilly’s mind is apparently... something else.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Mr_Rose on 23 Dec 2017, 06:33
As someone pointed out on Twitter, if you’re the sort of person that gets annoyed that people still call Aragorn’s reforged sword Narsil when it’s actually called Andúril then you can surely use someone’s requested pronouns. Or, hell, how about their name? It’s Tilly, not Tally or Tolly or Tiffy or….
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: MrNumbers on 23 Dec 2017, 07:04
You mean Toffee?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: snufflebottoms on 23 Dec 2017, 08:29
significant other
Except that in the Social work trade that has an entirely different meaning.

???
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 23 Dec 2017, 10:23
You mean Toffee?
"The slightly less abrasive than before One," or, alternatively, "The slightly more sympathetic than before One."

Seriously, for as clueless as they was [that's as euphonic as fingernails on a slate but I'll admit it does flag "they" as singular], acquiring even one clue is a major change for Tilly, thus making them [nowhere near as grating as "they was"] a dynamic character.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Gyrre on 23 Dec 2017, 10:24
Aaaand there it all came crashing down, the enormity of what she just did, the fact that she hoped so long for something that wasn't there... Poor Hannelore.

Also, I wonder what it says that she actually is OK with touching Tilly. I wonder if maybe they got better along than it initially seemed after the boundaries were put up.
I'm guessing that's to show just how emotionally distraught Hannelore is.

We did have that comic where Hanners came home from a particularly stressful day at work and actually contemplated just going to sleep in her work clothes without showering.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Case on 23 Dec 2017, 11:32
Tally's clearly a girl and grammar-nazi or whatever.

Respecting people’s wishes (how to be addressed or referred to in this case) is nothing to do with being a grammar-nazi. Nor is it affected by Tilley’s “obviously” being a girl.

It's depressing that this actually needs to be said ...
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Case on 23 Dec 2017, 11:33
...
Meet me in the thread Wulu pointed to if you'd like to continue.

FYI (https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,33936.msg1396266.html#msg1396266)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 23 Dec 2017, 11:41
...
Meet me in the thread Wulu pointed to if you'd like to continue.

FYI (https://forums.questionablecontent.net/index.php/topic,33936.msg1396266.html#msg1396266)
Most curious.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Wombat on 23 Dec 2017, 12:29
You mean Toffee?
"The slightly less abrasive than before One," or, alternatively, "The slightly more sympathetic than before One."

Seriously, for as clueless as they was [that's as euphonic as fingernails on a slate but I'll admit it does flag "they" as singular], acquiring even one clue is a major change for Tilly, thus making them [nowhere near as grating as "they was"] a dynamic character.
I feel like this may upset you, but, uh, when using the singular "they," you still conjugate as you normally would with "they." "They were," "they like to read," "they laugh often."

This is making me think about character introductions where I liked the character right away vs. character introductions where it took a while. I feel like unfortunately Tilly doesn't seem overly similar in introduction style to any character I've ended up particularly fond of, but I think if they continue to develop like they have over the last few pages, I wouldn't mind them continuing to appear. I just don't see them becoming a fav.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: OldGoat on 23 Dec 2017, 13:11
You mean Toffee?
"The slightly less abrasive than before One," or, alternatively, "The slightly more sympathetic than before One."

Seriously, for as clueless as they was [that's as euphonic as fingernails on a slate but I'll admit it does flag "they" as singular], acquiring even one clue is a major change for Tilly, thus making them [nowhere near as grating as "they was"] a dynamic character.
I feel like this may upset you, but, uh, when using the singular "they," you still conjugate as you normally would with "they." "They were," "they like to read," "they laugh often."
Please, cite an authoritative source for this ruling.  Have we instituted L'académie anglaise?  If so, do they get spiffy uniforms with gold collars and swords, too, like the French?  Seriously, even if the NY Times Style Book says to write it that way, it's still awkward as hell when spoken.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 23 Dec 2017, 13:15
I feel that the current arc contains two major themes.

The first is obviously Hanners' ongoing relationship with her neglectful mother. This story has been simmering in the background and will likely continue. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

The other is this ability Hanners has to empathise with someone who is initially unlikable. This is a good insight into her character. Incidentally, had Tillly been likeable upon their introduction, this story obviously would not have worked.

The spilling out of this theme onto these forums has only added an extra dimension to the story.

P.S. there is no "ruling" on any of this, as I'm sure you know. It's the most common usage at this time.

P.P.S. Why are you even asking for a source when you go on to say you'll ignore it anyway?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Zebediah on 23 Dec 2017, 14:07
You mean Toffee?
"The slightly less abrasive than before One," or, alternatively, "The slightly more sympathetic than before One."

Seriously, for as clueless as they was [that's as euphonic as fingernails on a slate but I'll admit it does flag "they" as singular], acquiring even one clue is a major change for Tilly, thus making them [nowhere near as grating as "they was"] a dynamic character.
I feel like this may upset you, but, uh, when using the singular "they," you still conjugate as you normally would with "they." "They were," "they like to read," "they laugh often."
Please, cite an authoritative source for this ruling.  Have we instituted L'académie anglaise?  If so, do they get spiffy uniforms with gold collars and swords, too, like the French?  Seriously, even if the NY Times Style Book says to write it that way, it's still awkward as hell when spoken.

The “authoritative source” is the English language itself. “You” in modern English is both singular and plural, even though it originally was plural only. At some point “you” also became singular, replacing “thou”. But - and this is the important point - it is still conjugated as plural even in the singular form: “you are”, not “you is”. And this is the closest parallel that exists to singular “they”. So therefore, if we’re going to be consistent, it should be “they are” even in the singular form.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Thrillho on 23 Dec 2017, 16:18
Please tread lightly around the subject of pronouns, folks. We're all for discussion and education and understanding, but we are primarily a safe space.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Gyrre on 23 Dec 2017, 18:03
Ja ja, other forum, I'm posting this in both.


For all the people arguing about conjugation; take the side of your palms opposite your thumbs and place them on the sides of your head in front of your auricles (the wedge bit in front of your ear holes). Now say "they is" alloud.
.
.
.
Did you just cringe? How bad was it?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Shjade on 23 Dec 2017, 19:03
Did you just cringe? How bad was it?
Considerably less bad than the cringing that occurred when I read a post about someone's condescension toward "non-standard" vernacular.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Wombat on 23 Dec 2017, 19:06
Ja ja, other forum, I'm posting this in both.


For all the people arguing about conjugation; take the side of your palms opposite your thumbs and place them on the sides of your head in front of your auricles (the wedge bit in front of your ear holes). Now say "they is" alloud.
.
.
.
Did you just cringe? How bad was it?
Well, no, I didn't cringe; I believe "they is" is a proper construct in AAVE, which is not a dialect I speak, but also not one that's cringe-inducing. I suppose my main view is, "you continue to conjugate for 'they' in the way that you normally do," and what that means may vary for the speaker.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 24 Dec 2017, 02:17
I feel compelled to post this joke I just read. I take no credit.

Why did the non-binary prospector move west in 1849?
Because there was gold in them/their hills.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 24 Dec 2017, 03:36
I think the random puns thread beat you to it. :)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: pwhodges on 24 Dec 2017, 08:39
Please, cite an authoritative source for this ruling.  Have we instituted L'académie anglaise?  If so, do they get spiffy uniforms with gold collars and swords, too, like the French? 

It’s not a ruling. It’s usage, both current and back as far as Chaucer.

Quote
Seriously, even if the NY Times Style Book says to write it that way, it's still awkward as hell when spoken.

I expect you’ll get used to it.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TinPenguin on 24 Dec 2017, 08:46
I think the random puns thread beat you to it. :)

Well now, having a dedicated thread for puns is taking the fun out of life.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: bhtooefr on 24 Dec 2017, 08:56
Would you say that it's tying up your fun time?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: blt on 24 Dec 2017, 10:07
How long did it take you to weave that one in there?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: bhtooefr on 24 Dec 2017, 11:05
All I know is that if we keep it up, the moderators will be looming over us.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Bad Superman on 24 Dec 2017, 13:10
Sooo... in the poll I took:

1: An exploration of AI childhood
I'd love to know more about this. How do AIs fit into different human societies? Do they have full human rights everywhere? They can fall in love, but can they develop a yearning for physical intimacy too? (I'm asking this mostly in relation of what could and could not develop between Faye and Bubbles) And what does an AI-prison (like the one May spent some time in) look like?

2: After an unspecified issue, Marten, Faye, Bubbles, Claire and Hannelore have to move into a new house
This one could actually be the start of many storylines. Will they search for a apartment together, or will they (be forced to) split up? Can they afford to do this? (Especially Faye and Bubbles are not exactly swimming in cash at the moment.) Such an event could serve as a shake-up, or even a soft reboot if you will. Lots of possibilities...

3: Other (please describe in comments)
Hmm... We haven't heard from Tortura in a long time... just saying...
Also, Bubbles past, maybe..?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 24 Dec 2017, 15:02
All I know is that if we keep it up, the moderators will be looming over us.

They won't be too concerned. Eventually we will run out of material.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: blt on 24 Dec 2017, 15:14
I know.  I'm having to pull out some old jokes and they're getting  a bit threadbare.

On topic, I think Bubbles's past is a closed case at this point unfortunately.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: pwhodges on 24 Dec 2017, 15:15
Loom .. loom .. loom...

(probably something to do with the nine wines I just had with dinner.)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Thrillho on 24 Dec 2017, 15:19
Let's put a pin in this :mrgreen: and save it for the pun thread, eh?
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 24 Dec 2017, 16:13
What a wet blanket.  :mrgreen:
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Is it cold in here? on 25 Dec 2017, 07:13
Re: AIs --

We know they have libidos and network based ways of expressing them.

That is a really good question about what their childhoods are like.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: mephron on 26 Dec 2017, 06:02
I've seen several cases of the "Always wanting to help" mindset in some people, and what I usually end up finding out is that these people have been in multiple situations where friends and family have been abundantly over-critical of everything they do, or constantly put down any efforts on their part of trying to help. I've heard cases of lectures or verbal abuse over things as small as putting the bow on a present in a "Incorrect" spot, or them being belittled because they didn't do a extremely specific thing that they were never told but "Should have just known".

This builds a self destructive personality of "It was my fault. I should be a better person and think of others more than myself". The end result is that they over-extend in trying to be useful to others, not just because they want to help, but because of some subconscious desire for SOMEONE to look at what they did and say "Good job" instead of pointing out another very minor flaw.

This is me, basically, and I have been sitting there looking at Tilly and going "Oh, hon, this is just going to be painful for you later, because you're stuck between someone who really doesn't need your help and someone who sees you as nothing more than a mobile iPhone, not even sentient, just expecting you to do something and being angry when it's a task you're not suited to".

But this is the best comment on Tilly and why she seems to be doing things that I've seen, so.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on 26 Dec 2017, 08:53
I have to say that the two 'confrontation' comics - #3637-3638 - greatly satisfied me.  We've known Beatrice to be cavalier with her daughter, and we've seen Hannelore put up with it basically because 'she's my mother and a total spaz but she's trying in her total-spaz way' - essentially, like I presume she thinks a good daughter ought to do.

It is extremely pleasing, however, to see that Hannelore has developed to where she well and truly cares about people and will not put up with her mother's overbearing crap when she's using both Hannelore and someone else for her own amoral purposes.

... on consideration, I think it possible that in the near future Hannelore may well act to remove her mother from any position of power or influence within Ellicott-Chatham Enterprises.  I do not think she would take her mother's place, but Hannelore is absolutely smart enough (and, I hope, wise enough) to expand her understanding of her mother's actions to her and Tilly into 'she does this to everyone; this state of affairs must not stand.'  It will be interesting to watch going forward.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 26 Dec 2017, 17:48
Welcome, thoughtful new person!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on 27 Dec 2017, 23:12
Thank you, courteous longtime poster!
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: JoeCovenant on 28 Dec 2017, 02:01
Thank you, courteous longtime poster!

Oooo you have a LOT to learn...

 :parrot:

(Love Ya, Tova, Honest!)  :)
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Tova on 30 Dec 2017, 19:24
Shhhhh spoilsport!   :laugh:  :-D
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: TheEvilDog on 30 Dec 2017, 20:33
Let the newbie find out all the horrors of the forum for themselves.

It'll be fun to watch.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: The Wyrm Ouroboros on 31 Dec 2017, 04:20
*drily*  A newbie to forums I am not; the horrors to which I have been witness, yea indeed that which I have perpetrated, would fain make thee retire in mind-crushing despair, like unto witnessing the full regard of He Who Waits Dreaming In His Sunken City.

:-D
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: Pilchard123 on 31 Dec 2017, 04:29
I think you'll fit in juuuuust fine.
Title: Re: WCDT Strips 3636 to 3640 (18th to 22nd December 2017)
Post by: BenRG on 01 Jan 2018, 00:35
Poll Results Post
Ring in the Year to Come - Your 2018 Wish List!

1. An exploration of AI childhood - 29 (11.2%)
2. Emily's origin story - 28 (10.8%)
3. First night at the new (and LEGAL) Ultimate Robot Fighting League - 26 (10%)

4. After an unspecified issue, Marten, Faye, Bubbles, Claire and Hannelore have to move into a new house - 23 (8.9%)
5. Canon polyamorous relationship - 22 (8.5%)
=6. Faye and Bubbles' big break in publicity terms may be a problem in disguise - 19 (7.3%)
=6. Angus returns and wants Faye back - 19 (7.3%)
=6. Corporate shenanigans at Ellicott-Chatham Incorporated - 19 (7.3%)
9. Lots of Spookybot cameos pointing towards an Agenda of some sort - 15 (5.8%)
=10. Hannelore seriously working on her AI charity - 14 (5.4%)
=10. Sam IS struggling at school; the main cast try to help - 14 (5.4%)
12. The Daligold Wedding!!! (With Momo and May as bridesmaids!!!) - 11 (4.2%)
13. The Claireten Wedding - 9 (3.5%)
14. Other (please describe in comments) - 6 (2.3%)
15. Crisis at Coffee of Doom (financial or staffing) - 5 (1.9%)
 
Well, that's an interesting trio of winners! I wasn't expecting so much potential interest in highly philosophical and not-obviously-comedic storylines like AI childhood and Emily's origin!

I think that this poll also shows the broad interest base of the Questionable Content fandom. Most of the options are pretty closely spaced with no large gap between favourite options and those that follow. I... do think that I can see a definite interest in romcoms though! :wink: