Anniversary Schmaltz

Finally: a respite from Les!

The titular character and his missus are celebrating their anniversary, at…where else? Montoni’s! And according to this news item, “Tom Batiuk, the cartoonist, specifically requested the use of the song as a loving tribute to his wife for their 40th wedding anniversary.” Awww! Happy anniversary, Tom and Cathy.

I have to give Funky (and TB) credit for musical taste: “Til I Gain Control Again” by Rodney Crowell is a pretty sweet tune (though it was never the “B” side of “The Rock of My Soul“, which was recorded 26 years later…

Career Sue-icide

TheDiva
June 19, 2011 at 2:01 pm

…[Batiuk] can indulge in Les heroically facing his strawman accusers, while Cayla stands by her man and Susan ultimately takes the blame and willingly sacrifices her career so Les’ will survive.

Not sure if TheDiva peeked ahead to today’s strip, but I don’t imagine there could be any other outcome, since Batiuk can’t allow our “Absen-teecher of the Year” to become embroiled in such scandal. I really want to interpret Susan’s dispassionate demeanor as a prelude to a psychotic episode where, realizing at last that Mr. Moore can never be hers, she takes out half of Westview before offing herself. But that would be too entertaining, not to mention it would also fullfill O.B. Dan’s TGF prophecy. Most likely, Susan Smith Westbrook will vanish from this strip just as abruptly as she reappeared.

Subordi-Nate

So Susan has also been summoned to Principal Nate’s office, and Nate’s waving a blank piece of paper and giving them hell, throwing in a completely random climate-change reference just to keep it 1/4″ from reality. Before Les can give his side, which I’d really be interested in hearing, Susan goes into her dead-eyed zombie mode and takes the fall.

Summoned

For lack of anything new or interesting to comment upon today, let us focus on Principal Nate’s messenger. I don’t know if it’s the custom in real-world high schools, but apparently students at Westview are pressed into various and sundry clerical positions.Which must really suck for students such as our Miss Generic Brunette, as evinced by her disdainful expression, terrible posture, and the way she’s holding the message from Nate like it’s one of Cody’s discarded Kleenex.