For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for June 04, 2010

That was quite kind.

Sounds like part of a good marriage!

But he still is not getting any.

and that is exactly how i feel about mine. Sure once in a while we disagree on things, and god knows i get pretty bleeep cranky, moody, irritable, and [in my mind] unbearable. And that’s NOT during “that time of month”

But he loves me, and i love him, we are certainly each others best friend. <3 ahhh yes gotta love those sappy moments :)

Finally, a sweet moment.

Okay, I can handle John’s eyes changing so much - but why has his hairline receded dramatically in panel 3??

@ SchmoozeMinkey

Sure Brain! But where are we going to find propeller beanies at this time of night?

I don’t think Calvin is using his any more.

\\//_

Sweet!

My best friend encouraged me with words to go to my stupid blues concert last night. “Why are you showering and shaving?” Why are you wearing that?” Are you going to dance?” “With who?’ “You know you did go last year.”

As years go by, the sofa gets harder. I wanted to stay home and watch TV. At least I was with my best friend.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

amongthestars–it would appear that Lynn is showing a progression of time within the 3 panels. While John’s hair changes in each panel (and he has bags under his eyes by the last one), his wife remains ageless. The point being, that he has always been her best friend.

there goes the blood sugar level again

That was sweet… (Hopefully that will ease his insecurities.)

Well, yes, it’s very sweet, but it doesn’t really reflect the way we’ve seen either of them behave towards each other up until now. There’s the occassional moment of near-normalcy in their relationship, but so often they come across more like roommates rather than a married couple, let alone “best friends.” It’s not as heartwarming when it feels more like the author is just going, “See? They have a wonderful relationship because I SAY they do, not because I actually show it in their day to day interactions.” The author does seem to make their relationship more solid and believable later on, as I recall, but at this early point in the strip this kinda doesn’t ring true for these particular characters. ;)

I wish I could say this is my experience.

It actually looks like Elly has a different man in bed with her in the middle panel, doesn’t it?

I wonder if John will say something totally stupid tomorrow and ruin the mood?

eocene said this scene is not consistent with behavior we see from the couple. It doesn’t reflect the way we them behave, but they know and believe it. They are best friends. How often in the “heat of battle” raising young children, running from work to school event to home disaster, does a married couple have the chance to look and act like a married couple as seen by anyone outside the couple? They spend more time apart than together. More important than how they behave for us as observers is what this statement tells us about how they see each other.

The middle panel; Jon has his eyes closed; that’s why he looks “different”

And while Jon and Elly may not always appear to be “friends and lovers” as well as man and wife - or room-mates…

They wouldn’t have three kids, otherwise. They appear to have a sound marriage. Everyone makes mistakes; the trick is to realize that regardless, the heart’s always in the right place. All too often, one partner or the other forgets that - or their heart wasn’t in the “right place” to begin with.

Awww!

John, you should feel much better after Elly mentioned about you as a best friend. Don’t get bruised on your and Elly’s marriage. :-)

That’s just awesome! ;’-)

It is awesome. My husband and I started out as best friends and after spending time to get to know each other love was kind enough to bring us together.

Awwwwwww!!!!! This strip is just so sweet today!

That’s exactly how I feel about my husband too! We’ve been married for almost 22 years now and I still consider him my best friend in the whole world!

John is saying he feels a lack of emotional intimacy. Elly needs to take note. They need to spend more time together, just the two of them, doing things they enjoy. They need to rediscover the spark that brought them together to begin with.

Lovely strip. Yup, the way marriage should be, at the heart of it.

They DO have a wonderful relationship because the artist says they do – if it wasn’t for the artist, they wouldn’t exist at all. She can do anything she wants with them – it’s called “artistic license.”

@lewreader, no comment. well, one - my sympathies.

That’s the best of everything. Friend, Lover & Wife. What else could a man want.

I realize I’m my husband’s best friend, but there are times that I really wish he’d have a male best friend again. It is an awful burden, especially when he’s depressed, to not have anyone else in his life to help encourage him.

It’s funny that this once, when the author says they have a wonderful relationship, which she didn’t, you people making comments did, well thats all fine and dandy, but every day when she says and shows otherwise in the interations and words of these people, you just don’t want to believe it no matter what, when people keep trying to point it out.

I dare say most of us here disagree with you, Duke. We don’t believe that there is anytrhing wrong with the relationship between Jon and Elly that isn’t shared at least occasionally by most married couples. Life is not perfect, and what Lynn shows us in FBOFW is how to laugh at those imperfections. We just don’t appreciate those who want to continually rub our noses in them.

lindz.coop,

No, it’s a hallmark of poor storytelling. She may tell us that they have good relationship, but she doesn’t show us. Most of what she chooses to show us in the daily strips is negative behavior, regardless of how she chooses to describe it after the fact. Half the time these two act like they can barely stand or understand each other. How often do we see them happy? How often do they ever act like “best friends,” let alone a married couple? It’s like if an author says that character is the hero, but then only has the character do evil things; which is true? Your interpretation, or what the author tells you your interpretation should be? An author/artist’s job is to communicate. If she shows us a dysfunctional marriage but keeps telling us they are happy when they clearly aren’t, that is poor storytelling, not a fault of those who point out the disconnect between what we’re told and what we’re shown.

Is he still yapping about “being lonely”? Loser…..