Les the Wimp gets owned again, this time by Funky, who has usurped Les’ triumph on behalf of all Westviewvians.
What is with the staging of today’s scene? Funky asks a question from behind the counter, Les replies, and Funky races around the counter to exult? Susan is so startled that in panel 2, she retracts her head like a turtle.
Sure, she’s mentally unstable, but there is a method to Station Wagon Susan’s madness: allow her rival to reply first, and then give the exact opposite response, knowing that Cayla will sheepishly concur.
It was Memorial Day when TB left off with the Les/Cayla/Susan triangle, and after a summer of time-travel and PTSD-afflicted dating (but ironically, no Summer), he picks it up again. The top-right panel is quite well-drawn, and portends much drama. Taken by itself, there are many ways one can go with it: is Cayla driving past Montoni’s when she happens to spy Susan walking in? Or is she parked outside, lying in wait? In the next panel we learn that both ladies have been summoned to the pizzeria by Les, “The Man”. Of course, Susan has made it a point to arrive first.
Note the ladies’ astonished expressions in the penultimate panel at Les’ un-ironic use of the phrase “long and hard”.
And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?” But Satan answered the LORD and said, “Is it for nothing that Job is God-fearing? Have you not surrounded him and his family and all that he has with your protection? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock are spread over the land. But now put forth your hand and touch anything that he has, and surely he will blaspheme you to your face.
The Book of Job, 1:8-11
In the story of Job, God, at the Devil’s urging, singles out a good, decent guy, upon whom he visits misfortune after misfortune, just to see how much poor Job can take without losing faith. Despite having all his possessions destroyed, his offspring wiped out, and a hideous case of boils, Job hangs tough. His words to his wife sum up his attitude: “[S]hall we receive good from God and shall not receive evil?” Job’s friends come to visit and all wonder what Job has done to deserve this treatment. After his ordeal, Job is rewarded by God with double his riches, more offspring, and another 140 years of life on Earth.
Our modern-day Job understands and has come to accept his role as God’s Punching Bag. “I used to go years without stuff like this happening to me (Shall we receive good from God…) and now it happens to me every five minutes (…and shall not receive evil?)”
That’s our sermon for today, folks! Thanks again to David O for guest-blogging in this space last week.
“It’s Susan Smith, grown up and pretty! She’s winning Les away from me by reminding him that he saved her life when she attempted suicide!”
I think today’s space would have been put to much better use depicting a wild cafeteria catfight to the death between Cayla “the Crusher” and Susan “the Snake”, as Les appreciatively looks on, wearing that smug smirk we see on his disembodied head at the top of today’s comic.
Son of Stuck Funky 