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[Nepiophage]

Satellites can't be friends?  Why not?  That sounds like a good thing!

No, you might get OUR military satelites fraternizing with THEIR ones. Then they might refuse to obliterate THEIR cities on command -- and THEN where would we be?

[hedgie]

I just don't want this to devolve into serious mental issues flippantly masquerading as cute eccentricity, and have that be the end of it. This comic takes characters seriously enough that if Emily is actually mentally ill she should be given a story that realistically addresses that problem instead of just dismissing it as "oh Emily, she so craaazy". This behavior goes a shade beyond eccentric for me.

I doubt it would.  Jeph has had to deal with a lot of that stuff himself, so I don't think that he'd casually dismiss it, not to mention the depictions of Hanners and Faye.  If there's something odd going on in Emily's brain, I'm sure it'll be dealt with appropriately.

[bucky_2300]

Yeah, this is actually just shitty writing of the "LOL SO RANDUM XD" variety that got tiresome after the second repetition. It's not insensitive to the mentally ill, it's not turning a character into a funhouse mirror version of herself, it's just bad writing. Which, if I'm frank, is getting far more common than it used to be. I'd be happy to see QC go back to the old thrice-weekly update schedule if it meant that it didn't go down the same road as SNL.

[jwhouk]

Uh, yeah, right.



Of course, you could take the simpler route - a lot of her "issues" is because of what happened to her computer project.

[JLM]

Two things:

1) Panel 4 Emily is the best Emily face.

2) I actually knew someone kind of like this when when I was in college. In probably the only moment she was ever serious with me, it was inferred that there was some serious trauma in her past that she wasn't capable of dealing with, so she decided to go full on weirdo.

[ysth]

I don't get the response of some.  Nothing she's done is crazy.  She just has very individualized responses.

[Natswash]

I still hold that it's a plot on Claire's part, then Emily and Clinton will actually get to like each other and it will all come out

[SubaruStephen]

Or Claire could have forewarned her of Clinton coming, and asked her to kick it up a few notches

Oh PLEEEEEEASE let it be this!

[brown paper bag]

I don't get the response of some.  Nothing she's done is crazy.  She just has very individualized responses.

If someone like Emily joined my group of friends and behaved exactly as portrayed by the last two comics, I wouldn't be thinking "Wow, Emma's so random and imaginative! She must not care what people think of her. She's such a free spirit. That's someone I want to be friends with!".

I'd be thinking: "Whoa. This girl has some kind of mental and emotional issues. She's telling stories about hacking satellites and some kind of magic coming from her laptop in school. She thinks the government is going to kill her parents if she explains more. Something is seriously wrong with her."

You see, I once knew a guy at university in student residence who completely lost his shit. He actually believed he had invented a universal software interface which could interact with and hijack anything electronic or electrical, and he said he controlled it via a bluetooth headset. He actually believed this and he was scaring the other students. He offered to show me how it worked and thumped a couple of keys on a keyboard to prove it and acted sincerely like he had just achieved some technical marvel. I don't know if he had schizophrenia or some other disorder, but I do know that he had a complete mental break from reality and we were afraid he'd hurt himself or others. I got hold of the building manager and we called his parents to come and pick him up. He never came back and I never saw him again.

It's not cute and innocent. It's not "individualized". It's not deep or profound. It's not even funny. Please pardon my language, but it's fucking terrifying.

[greekstreek]

I don't get the response of some.  Nothing she's done is crazy.  She just has very individualized responses.

See, I think this is more my point - I disagree with you. I think her current depiction goes beyond weird and into the realm of (oddly depicted) mental illness. I think your response is probably the one Jeph intended, I.e. He is going for cute eccentric not legit psychosis, but I think he's missing the mark, and that's troubling me a bit.

[brown paper bag]

Okay, this perfectly describes what I'm talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYNa7OtmGzY&list=UUuInCtO3ampjhV_PYd1qJCA

[BenRG]

Emily isn't crazy, she's just childish almost to the point of developmental delay. This is combined with a genius-class intellect and a total lack of understanding of social norms that screams 'auteur' to me.

Either that or the interrogation she underwent after the EMP incident unseated her mind a bit. It might explain why she doesn't really 'get' the threat made to her family.

My feeling is that her project would have hooked all satellites, including reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering spacecraft, onto the internet. The objective was to allow their CPUs access to chatrooms. The unanticipated side-effect was that anyone could access their raw data feeds. You can understand why the NRO might be a tiny bit upset.

[Pilchard123]

Maybe really did encounter a Great Old One that day.

[snubnose]

Kinda like Sven. He's the one immutable object in the comic. His character has grown the way slime grows on raw meat in the hot sun. He started as a selfish and dishonest philanderer, and after his long absence during which he reflected on his life (meaning Jeph spent a long time scratching his head about what to do with him), Sven came back as a full-blown sociopath who couldn't even get the basic concept of other people having minds and desires and plans of their own.

Err, I never liked Sven, but even I wouldnt call him "sociopath". Also, I dont see how Sven has been inconsistent, yet. He is simply very skilled in one area of social interaction - but not that good in other areas.

Is there any pairing in this whole comic that would be a "good long term match"?

Even Sven and Faye had been a better match.

I agree and as a person who has dealt with mental illness myself I don't really appreciate a craaaazyy character being played for humor.

Seriously ? We kill characters for political correctness now ?! You have fun with that, but I'm sorry, I wont participate.

[Nyithra]

How is what I said in anyway implying political correctness and killing character? I have had no problem with how Emily has acted up until these last two comics. It seems as though she is just acting 'random' in order to play it up for laughs.

[Natswash]

I had this fun idea where the satellites ganged up and tried to stop war via the "bigger stick" argument. Obviously the DoD couldn't have that and sent Agents back in time to EMP the project before the Satellites could take over

[osaka]

The "High as Hell" point is the one I'm going with right now. That, or she's spent 40h reading about insects again.

[BenRG]

It's cute, really and oh-so in-character.

Emily thinks of all the satellites up there and is sad because they are lonely. So, she decided to do something about it! The silly men in black suits said that it was bad but she doesn't really understand why. Because it is part of the game, she'll keep their secret; silly people! Pretending that they would hurt her parents! Tee-hee-hee!

She is one of those powerful but vulnerable minds that could be misused by the unscrupulous. I think, eventually, she'll be imprisoned on the space-station to protect her from misuse.

P.S.: I think Emily sees Claire's secret in the same way: She'll keep the secret because Claire asked her to but she may not understand why.  I do believe that Emily is aware that she is unusual and that may be why she wants to be more like Claire, who is the most normal person that she knows.

[Akima]

Maybe really did encounter a Great Old One that day.

It would explain a lot. She climbed the Mountains of Madness.

[FacelessDeviant]

I'm hoping we'll find out why she's this strange. Could be Old Ones, could be mental issues or even drugs?

Anything is possible, I suppose.

[osaka]

Maybe really did encounter a Great Old One that day.

It would explain a lot. She climbed the Mountains of Madness.

She stared at Cthulhu. And he only wanted some milk and cookies.

[TinPenguin]

She is one of those powerful but vulnerable minds that could be misused by the unscrupulous. I think, eventually, she'll be imprisoned on the space-station to protect her from misuse.

Yeah, a lot of people in straitjackets think they are geniuses.

[BenRG]

She is one of those powerful but vulnerable minds that could be misused by the unscrupulous. I think, eventually, she'll be imprisoned on the space-station to protect her from misuse.

Yeah, a lot of people in straitjackets think they are geniuses.

That's the point, I think: Emily doesn't think she's a genius. She knows that she doesn't really fit into most people's definitions of 'normal'. However, writing computer programs that casually shred the most advanced security systems on Earth so that spy satellites can be on Facebook is just something that comes to her intuitively. It's no more noteworthy to her than talking or writing is to someone else.

[brown paper bag]

Emily doesn't think she's a genius. She knows that she doesn't really fit into most people's definitions of 'normal'. However, writing computer programs that casually shred the most advanced security systems on Earth so that spy satellites can be on Facebook is just something that comes to her intuitively. It's no more noteworthy to her than talking or writing is to someone else.

Or, if we go about this by applying the standards of reality rather than fiction to Emily, she might be out of her goddamn mind and hallucinating that she wrote that program and not a text file full of nonsense.

If her behavior is fleshed out as a manifestation of a real mental imbalance, that would be good character development. If it's just quirky old Emily who can smell music and write world-destroying software with no real emotional depth or reality attached to what she does, then it's flanderization.

[Natswash]

If she hallucinated it and wrote a text file of nonsense, why did the Govt. EMP her computer from orbit?

[brown paper bag]

If she hallucinated it and wrote a text file of nonsense, why did the Govt. EMP her computer from orbit?

Clinton saw her laptop melt from overheating and heard outlandish rumors, probably started by Emily.

[osaka]

A compiler wouldn't even parse a text file of bullshit, so it probably was code.

[Thrillho]

This is adorable.

[brown paper bag]

A compiler wouldn't even parse a text file of bullshit, so it probably was code.

Now it's just quibbling over details. Point being, it could have been code that summoned Cthulhu, or just badly written convoluted code that overheated the cpu. If you want to take the comic at face value (and one should never be so dull as to take a fictional story at face value), then Emily is just a manic pixie dreamgirl in a world of magic and wonder and thus far has no actual relatable character to her.

It would be like Jeph deciding Claire has a working uterus and ovaries and can have babies despite being trans without at least developing the story and her character to explain how and why that could be plausible. "Because magic" is a lazy literary tool.

[Natswash]

I think we have passed the point of over assumption/analyzing the three recent comics,\. if she remains this way for the duration of the week, I'll jump on the bad writing boat. At this point I think Emily is just acting a little stranger than usual.

Beside, I don't think Jeph would hand wave with magic, "Hanners Dad" maybe

[Baphomet]

Why is she mentally ill, now? Clinton says her program displayed eldritch runes, then prompted government agents to show up and EMP it. She says the program made satellites be friends and that the government threatened her family if she revealed its secrets. Outlandish though it may sound, her story checks out. I mean, this is also the comic where a perverted robot got access to a military laser chest cannon because a sentient truck was having sex with another truck. I could buy "The satellites' view from the stars gives them insight into the dark horrors of space undreamt-of by man" about as readily as "an A.I. achieved apotheosis and magically put a farewell message on all computers, even those not connected to the internet, as it ascended to a higher plane of existence," which is also another thing which has been established as part of the history of this comic universe.

Her "Clinnnn-tonnn" thing is weird, yeah. I knew people in high school who behaved similarly. Most of them disappeared by college, but I suppose I could see some having kept the "quirkiness" that long. Especially if she's playing the "so smart she's dumb" archetype, which she might be given her apparent skill at...artificial orbital intelligence psychology? Let's just say "programming".

I dunno. I don't exactly like her character, but I don't think she needs some kind of clinical diagnosis to belong in the world the comic takes place in.

[MrNumbers]

She is one of those powerful but vulnerable minds that could be misused by the unscrupulous. I think, eventually, she'll be imprisoned on the space-station to protect her from misuse.

I'm seriously thinking of Leonard of Quirm from Terry Pratchett's Discworld right now.

Doodling things like guns and bombs in the margins of automatic vegetable peeler patents because nobody could be horrible enough to actually use one. Of course not. Just an interesting mental exercise.

Of course, Emily is more of the Pinkie from My Little Pony flavour of this brilliant madness, or Nora from RWBY, both of which I believe are incredibly polarizing but whom I love dearly.

[hedgie]

And the real secret is that Emily, despite being a bit odd is actually trolling everyone.

[brown paper bag]

There's a quote from Alan Moore which kind of describes my issue with some of Jeph's writing. I think he does extremely well with 99% of his characters and story arcs, but sometimes he throws something (or someone) in which strains credibility for me:

"In my work as an author, I traffic in fiction. I do not traffic in lies. Although I'll admit the distinction is a nice one, and perhaps not easy for the layman to make. With fiction, with art and writing, it's important that even if you're dealing with areas of complete outrageous fantasy, that there is an emotional resonance. It is important that a story ring true upon a human level, even if it never happened."

[ZoeB]

Why is she mentally ill, now? Clinton says her program displayed eldritch runes, then prompted government agents to show up and EMP it. She says the program made satellites be friends and that the government threatened her family if she revealed its secrets. Outlandish though it may sound, her story checks out.

This is not funny. It's as unfunny as someone's father blowing his brains out in front of his daughter.

If we're lucky, there will be a serious story arc exploring psychosis, and how psychotics can be helped by understanding and compassion.

If we're very lucky, the Elder Gods will be involved instead.

If we're unlucky, the QCverse has a dark side, where parents of those who know too much really do get killed by the "good guys", and prisoners get tortured.

[TinPenguin]

Eh, but is there seriously anyone here who's never said "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." in jest?

[BenRG]

Eh, but is there seriously anyone here who's never said "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." in jest?

Yeah, I get where you're coming from. However, given that the NRO actually decided to annihilate her laptop, I think we are behoved to at least wonder if she's being serious!

[cesium133]

If we're unlucky, the QCverse has a dark side, where parents of those who know too much really do get killed by the "good guys", and prisoners get tortured.

If we're unlucky the QCverse is just like the real universe?

[osaka]

There's a quote from Alan Moore which kind of describes my issue with some of Jeph's writing. I think he does extremely well with 99% of his characters and story arcs, but sometimes he throws something (or someone) in which strains credibility for me:

"In my work as an author, I traffic in fiction. I do not traffic in lies. Although I'll admit the distinction is a nice one, and perhaps not easy for the layman to make. With fiction, with art and writing, it's important that even if you're dealing with areas of complete outrageous fantasy, that there is an emotional resonance. It is important that a story ring true upon a human level, even if it never happened."

But me, a Computer Science student, and quite possibly not the only one around, is quibbling over details because I simply say that a compiler wouldn't parse a text file of bullshit.

Actually, cthulhu-summoning code is something I've had to hand in a couple of times. Surprisingly enough, it passed grades.

Eh, but is there seriously anyone here who's never said "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." in jest?

Me. But that's because, if I were to do it literally, I wouldn't tell either. Whatsapp exists, mobile telecoms exist. The information can be out of my control much faster than I'd want it to.

[Zebediah]

Am I the only one who interpreted the laugh in the final panel as a sign that Emily is just messing with Clinton? She knows people think she's weird, so she's having a bit of fun at Clinton's expense.

[osaka]

Emily's expression through the whole comic is weird enough for me to think that "messing with Clinton" is not her MO. I'm still buying the "High as Hell" premise, and upon a more lucid reading, "I just had one too many CAF-POWs" is also plausible.

[hedgie]

Well, this is in MA, perhaps she did her undergrad studies at Miskatonic university.

[Somnus Eternus]

I think we have passed the point of over assumption/analyzing the three recent comics,\. if she remains this way for the duration of the week, I'll jump on the bad writing boat. At this point I think Emily is just acting a little stranger than usual.

Beside, I don't think Jeph would hand wave with magic, "Hanners Dad" maybe

AC-tually, if Emily is really secretly a savant who developed that kind of technology, then would it be beyond the realm of possibility that she'll end up at some point working with HannerDad on the space station?

And I don't think she's being crazy - we've seen stranger.  I think she's a little flighty, but I don't think I'd put her into the "psychotic" box just yet.

[dexeron]

Is it possible that Emily's neither quite as "crazy" as depicted, nor intentionally trolling?  I mean, yes, Emily is actually, still, well... EMILY, but maybe she's also just nervous and is blabbering without a filter.  I know I've said some pretty idiotic things when nervousness took over my talking, to the point where an hour later I've thought back and said: "Wait, did I actually SAY that?!  Out LOUD?"

(Although I do think it would be hilarious is this is all just a test for Clinton, and Emily's way of seeing if someone is worth dating.  "Survive the whackiest I can throw at you, and you are worthy of a first date.")

[MooskiNet]

The title of the comic suggests that the over-the-top nature of the last two panels is not accidental, so I'm going to assume Jeph has a plan that doesn't involve psychotic breaks on Emily's part.

[starkruzr]

Maybe this is what she does when she detects a guy is hitting on her and she's not interested (or wants to test them to see how mentally flexible they are)? Let's face it, it would keep most men away. As evidence, I submit to you this thread.

[snubnose]

[...] Let's face it, it would keep most men away. [...]

Really ? I find her behavior most amusing. I would probably only hit even harder on such a woman, would I meet somebody like that in reallife.

[A Duck]

Okay, something's up.
Claire game Emily a heads up or something.
Emily is weird, but not THAT weird.

Or maybe she IS that weird. We haven't actually seen much of her.

[osaka]

She's been holding back on weird, but since Marten and Claire got kinda late she proceeded to get high as hell and watch Adventure Time with Miss Hubbert.

[NilsO]

Why is Emily staring at the roof? Maybe it is just her way of concentrating or associating; or recalling her previous interactions with Clinton. It could also be that she just thinks the name is funny. But it sure looks weird.

My guess is that Clinton is quite desperate for a girlfriend, so he is not scared away (yet). But I also think Emily will be quite oblivious to his interest in her. She will happily agree to Clinton's suggestions, at least until he tries to kiss her. Perhaps the previously suggested camping trip will become a reality? Let us see if Clinton can pitch a tent!