Jess Knows Best

Since Batiuk has so haphazardly laid the groundwork for his latest epic narrative, it’s up to us readers to try and connect the dots; for example, why Frankie knows so much about not only his estranged son Darin, but seemingly everyone else in Westview. As for how much Darin knows about his Bio-Dad®…

Charles
May 9, 2013 at 3:23 pm
It’s so easy to believe but still so appalling that Les simply used everyone’s real names in “Lisa’s Story” and passed on a lot of personal information on them that probably wasn’t relevant to…Lisa’s story.

But I’ll be willing to bet that Les doesn’t take any heat for this whatsoever. “Hey Blabbermouth, the state keeps adoption records sealed for a REASON, you know. But who cares about that, you have a book about your dead wife that must be written!” And, you know, it’s absolutely essential for that book to recount every single detail exactly as it happened, because it happened, you know.

Then I’ll assume that, if he didn’t hear it from Lisa herself upon their reunion, Shrimp Sauce learned from Les’ book that he’s the product of an unintended pregnancy (at best; pending the coming retcon). Yet Jessica insists that Frankie’s side of the story be heard. If Jessica never got around to reading Les’ book about her own father, it’s likely she hasn’t bothered to read Lisa’s (and Darin’s) Story either. No wonder she won’t let this go.

Mo' Tell

Act III’s most confounding, incomprehensible story arc continues apace. Back at the motel, Frankie discusses with the mysterious Lenny his sinister plot to… to do what, exactly? Help out Fred and Ann Fairgood with their expenses? Assist Jessica in completing the documentary about her father, John Darling? And where does Frankie, who apparently lives in squalor, get the money for an extended stay at a motel (albeit one that still uses actual metal room keys), let alone to fly his partner in for “some back-up”?

Nerve

I may be forced to create a tag
for “baleful expression”!

Darin arrives home from work (that is, walks upstairs) still in a fit of pique following his phone conversation with his long-lost biological father, Frankie. Jessica appears at first taken aback at first by her husband’s display of emotion, mainly because they both spent most of their strip time these past few weeks simpering like morons. Then she turns on the charm, which makes her eyes look weird…in panel 3, Jess’ whiteless eyes remind me somehow of “Lizz” from the Dick Tracy strips of the 60’s, whose eyes used to scare the hell out of young me.

It's No Joke, Son

Charles
May 9, 2013 at 3:23 pm
So we’re to conclude from this that Dying Lisa never told Darin anything about his biodad, so when Darin called “Frank Pierce”, he had no idea who that was or why he was trying to contact him.

Well, maybe Lisa shared with Darin the circumstances of his conception, which would explain why a young man who obsessed over finding his biological mother would be so scornful of a man claiming to be his “Dad”. But hey, since his adoptive dad Fred is now damaged goods, you think Darin would opt for the upgrade.

Great punchline today from an author who knows a lot about “coming a long way for nothing”!