Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for April 13, 2019

where no dork — a handsome, gentlemantly dork — has gone before

Luann isn’t going to like that Gunther’s phone is off. I can already see it.

Yay, off to Trekconnek. What could go wrong? Go wrong, go wrong, go wr…

Scene change on Monday?

We all know he’s going to screw this up.

no, it’s a new relationship and they’re setting their boundaries…still healthy up/down so far

Man only Gunther can screw this up. Bets has had plenty of patience and has believed his answers. At least he’s not lying to her, that we can all atest to here. Hope they can at last enjoy the date. I just wonder if he won’t chicken out and kiss Bets.

Wouldn’t it be funny if Rosa was trying to contact him?

Did Bets not check her phone while in the ladies?

Oh, thank heavens. I thought this was about to be over before it started.

Gunther, make a mental note of the lesson you should have learned from this: Phone is turned off when on a date.

Well it TOOK you long enough Gunthy…..and Bets had to TELL you what to do…….

For all of you who say Bets it too bossy….SOMEONE’S gotta be in charge of this relationship, and lil Gunthy is clueless. :D

When the moment comes that she wants a kiss from him. He better not forget that she’s a romantic date, and not Lukhann.

Well Now! Looks like those 50-50 Odds I gave Gunther yesterday on actually pulling this off, WORKED!

And Bets! What a Woman! So far, She’s EVERYTHING I wanted for Gunther in his next girlfriend. Not only is she Voluptuously Drop Dead Gorgeous, but an Angel to Boot! Because NOBODY but an Angel would have put up with Gunther’s Jackassery of this past week and not walked out on him. (Remember, Tiffany DID)

Plus, Bets is Understanding and Patient. She is just what Gunther NEEDS to teach him those much needed Social Skills. If Gunther is as smart as his SATs show, he’ll let Bets take lead, and he’ll put her FIRST. All she asks for in return (so far) is RESPECT.

I hope this arc ends right here, for now, on a high note. And when We check in on Gunther a month later, he’s coming home to the Gulag the next morning, bedraggled and missing one Spock Ear, to a Stunned Les, who wonders where the H3ll he’s BEEN all night.

At any rate, it looks like Bets is the new member of the “Gang!” She is indeed a Keeper!

And I, for one, Bid her WELCOME!

Well, it could have been worse. He might have been wearing a combadge.

YES!!! Bets is being straight-forward. No drama. Gunther is on board. And Bets is warm and sweet…(not controlling as some have expressed). This just might be a really nice development…for Gunther…and for the strip.

Just as I was hoping that Gunther might met someone who can detach him from Luannverse. Not completely, after all he is a major character, but he needs to be affirmed somewhere else with someone else. Then he will be free to be who he can be, but of course Bets will find a way to accommodate Luannverse. And hilarity will ensue. Or not. Right now though I like it.

She’s not wrong. And you should always pay attention when an attractive woman tells you she wants to be with you.

Bets can sure swing from one mood to another very quickly. Keep your nose clean, Gunth.

.

Monday, we change gears and see that Shannon has locked TJ in the hall closet. Hilarity ensues.

Now Gunther should look into getting a place of his own, AWAY from Leslie.

For the rest of the evening, all hailing frequencies closed!

Gunther will have to get the horseshoe removed after this.

there you go Bets! Communicate! (lol this comic has people at times forget its a comic, it gets serious so easily)

So, this strip returns me to a question I had before…

Why does Taco (the) Town have a boomerang over the door?

Is it because its so good you keep coming back for more?

I forget who it was that called this “irony” a couple of days ago. I think whoever-you-are was spot-on about the connection (L on phone to P’s annoyance is what led to bedroom fooling with G), but I disagree about the irony. I think this whole date-pic arc has been 1 part “Gunther meets a Girl” and 2 parts our esteemed author giving commentary about our society’s love affair with their smartphones. And, for once, I could not agree more…

#Teambets

I’d dump Bets like a bad habit. She’s too controlling.

Awwww.

Good.

Gunther deserves happiness.And so does Bets.

On one hand, nice to see this working out. Bets must really, really like Gunther to overlook all that. And it’s easy to see why she doesn’t like liars, ‘cause she’s giving the benefit of the doubt to an extreme. Fortunately for her, it’s deserved in this case.

Maybe we’ll get to know more about her background now. Pobody’s nerfect, so there’ll likely be a shoe to drop along the line…but at least till Monday, we seem to have a happy ending to this arc.

On the other hand, Luann interrupted the date at the Fuze and again (with Gunther’s assistance but she started it) at Taco the Town, was overly familiar with Bets, was hands-on with Gunther, and called Gunther sweet and made a double entendre about his bedroom…directly to Bets. All that sounds like a setup for Luann to suddenly realize that she does want more from Gunther, and for eventual conflict.

Meantime, though…on to TrekCon and an opportunity for Gunther to somehow salvage a successful date. GuntherSpock…buy BetsUhura a tribble. Series Uhura thought they were cute.

We all know someone will show at the convention. Sorry Gunth, but I predict an asteroid storm ahead.

She not controlling. She set the rules for Gunther. I can you one thing when Gunther lays out the rules to Luann she will be a category 5 hurricane.

Okay, a nice point to leave the arc hanging. Hope Gunthie would have made some serious moves by the time G+K get back to him and Bets!

Okay, gonna say it right here – Bets might be too good for Gunther. She made her point without being a total b*tch about it… and she seems to be understanding and level-headed. Too much of a woman for ol’ Gunth to handle, given his limited experience…? Only Luanniverse time will tell…

Gunther please don’t screw this up!!

Your phone should have been off to begin with

Bets no -- How about Gunther – Tiffany or Bernice or for last resort LUANN!

Smart lady. It’s about time.

The third panel is the geekiest looking man I’ve ever seen in this comic.

…aaaand smash-cut to Tiffany putting the finishing touches on her Beverly Crusher costume.

Bets is far too perfect for Gunther. She’s the dream girl that nerds fantasize about meeting. A hot girl who is into nerd stuff and overlooks all his social awkwardness.

…where Gunther’s never been before.

Run Gunther she is a nut case

Gunther’s statement in frame 2 worries me. Not sure why though.

I was hoping this potential relationship wouldn’t be dashed due to the stupid shenanigans of Gunther’s friends. Now, let’s see where this takes us.

Hum … is the beginning for a beautiful love affair or for Gunther’s fall into a sick story with a jealous girl, who will control all his life even worse than his mother do?

She was in the ladies’ room. If she wants to control what Gunther is allowed to do while she’s not there, then that should be a big red flag for him. He should get out before this goes too far.

Bets is more patient than I am.

And a confident girl with a strong personality may be just what Gunther needs.

I have a friend who is a lovely woman with two great daughters and she is in an interracial marriage. They have very dark tinting on their car windows so as to have privacy when they travel – possibly from prying eyes / comments of people who are bigots. It happens. I wonder if this hot-button issue will be addressed in the Luaniverse? In the TrekConnect convention there will be no doubt a preponderance of liberal minded people for whom this is a total non issue (this is Star Trek after all!) but to pretend that the whole world (or the whole USA) is nonjudgemental would be naive. Up to you, Greg & Co! I wish the best for dear Gunther and Bets!

Thank God. Everyone should turn their phone off……..permanently.

She’s a little clingy, but still likable. Might get old later on.

Good thing he’s not going as a Ferengi

I’m not liking Bets’ attitude at the moment. The first date should be a “getting to know you” and “sit back and observe” time to see if there should be a second date. She is being way too demanding on how she wants this date to be. From leaving the Fuse, to demanding ALL of Gunther’s attention…I see some needy issues developing.

Way to save the day Gunth! The Kobayashi Maru is saved!

Gunther, time for you to boldly go where you have never gone before….apologies to all those who already made similar comments that I didn’t see…..

Bets is proving she is really interested in Gunther and she’s communicating well her (reasonable) need for boundaries. And Gunther has made a good faith effort by (FINALLY) turning off his phone! Can these two actually TrekConnect at last? Or will Luann show up at the Con dressed as Nurse Chapel with Ox in tow as Engineer Scotty? Will Les show up as a Klingon? Stay Tooned…..While this looks like the end of this arc I personally would have loved to have seen them at the Con. It sounded like a lot of fun.

One Tip Gunther,,,, Turn off that #$# Cellphone.

As I predicted yesterday. “Time for Bets to bring Gunther up to date on dating “grown ups.””

Again with the ears. “Fascinating.”

So Gunther may qualify as intelligent life after all.

Betts is kind of controlling and assumes a lot. Watch out Gunth!

Good for Bets. Time for Gunther to shut them out of his personal life. Them to enjoy some time together. Gunth deserves it. Yeah, one for the nice guys!!!

oooooo!! shes gonna be jealous!!

With a TREKCONNEK episode, Greg has an opportunity for this relationship to develop without the difficulties encountered so far. Let’s see if he can pull that off!

Though my bet is that we’ll be back in some Pitts CC class on Monday!

With a TREKCONNEK episode, Greg has an opportunity for this relationship to develop without the difficulties encountered so far. Let’s see if he can pull that off!

Though my bet is that we’ll be back in some Pitts CC class on Monday! It’s too early for more of the Tiff/Bernice/Dez triumvirate.

I’m the only one hoping that this strip restarts on Monday

Yay! Mischief Managed.

“All or nothing” after knowing someone personally for a couple of hours would be terrifying. Cue the Jaws music.

8:30 AM Mountain Time, 172 comments into the day, making this very late in the day!

I have a lot of things going on today, so I don’t have time to read the almost 200 comments already written. So, I don’t know if any of you have had the same I idea I had when I first saw this strip moments ago:

She thinks he’s a ferengi

I called it. Not because Bets’s reactions and dialogue were necessarily the most likely in real life (overly complimentary in the beginning and a bit too forgiving in the end) but because the structure of the arc was leading to this being a teased conflict that was going to be resolved by Saturday.

Only Siths deal in absolutes…

Why do I have this sinking feeling that somehow this date will end early? I hope I’m wrong.

maybe Gunther will have gotten his face painted like Darth Maul when he returns late to The Gulag.

Took him long enough.

WHATAGURL!!!! Forgiving of minor faults!!! Giving him another chance.

“I’m all yours” — He meant to say “I ’m all EARS”

Where is Jack? I want him back. Luann and Jack belong to each other. Hoping she’s not getting jealous of Bets.

Okay – I dig this. :)

A bit possessive, ins’t she?

Maybe Gunth should ghost or cloak her…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/04/10/daters-have-you-been-cloaked-its-newest-term-particular-dating-app-annoyance/

Go forth… make geeky babies…

See? How hard was that? NOW you’re thinking…

just because you met through your phone doesn’t mean it needs to be a third wheel on your dates.

I didn’t expect a happy ending to this arc, but I am happy it ended that way.

Bets has performed her ‘Communications Officer’s’ duty … and has conveyed to Gunther how she wants this date to go. Remember, she couldn’t STAND Les, and she left! She COULD’VE left Gunther, but she did not!! She’s giving him a solid chance, here! I hope they have FUN on this ‘mission’! ;)

Bets looks super hot in the last frame. Could wake up a dead man…

Gunther, lend me your (pointy) ear! But be careful: van Gogh never got his back!

Lets boldly go where Gunther’s never gone before

Personally, I think Bets has shown a LOT of patience with Gunther

Love the honesty! Yes! Turn off the darn phone and be with the person you are with.

I used to have a friend who would call and say that she wanted to come over to my house and visit with me. After speaking about 10 words to me…she would get on her phone and speak to others 99% of the time she was sitting beside me on my couch. This was how all of her visits with me went. Because of that and other bad things that she did…our 25-year friendship ended.

“I’m all yours, Bets”!?!?!? WOOHOO!

“…to boldly go…” Probably the most famous split infinitive in the civilized world.

PHEW!!!! Nice recovery! Glad Bets laid the ground rules with him. She seems like a fun character I’d like to see join the cast. not a a one-off.

Good lesson about dating here.

Next week: Bets decides Gunther doesn’t have the lobes to satisfy her and ditches him for a Ferengi.

is there more to Bets besides the uniform..I would bet we would all like to know.. Gunth is losing the ears now, what is coming off next..

tomorrow; Shannon returns!

Goody goody goody goody goody goody!!!!

This I am liking.

When I was younger(several centuries ago),I always left my land line at home when I went out on a date.

I like that last panel. Ferengi ear lobe stroke.

Time to leave, Gunther. Feets do yo duty…

So, now they call the Police because his Phone is OFF.

I’m not sure if someone else mentioned it above, but people, please note that Bets is putting the Vulcan ear BACK ON Gunther’s ear. She’s not taking it off. The ear is on the table in front of Gunther, and she picks it up and places it back on his ear.

Quelle releve. Bets lays down the line. No funny business; !00% means no room for Luann. lets see how this plays out. In the mean time Gunther should get 100% of Bets and will have no time to be texting Luann every five minutes.

Make it so!

But why do I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that Gunther’s pledge of loyalty will hold true only for a brief time?

Gunther reacts well to straight talk. He did so today with a simple response “understood” and a couple days back when he caught on about Bet’s “friends w/ benefits” remark; his response was direct and instant. Bets looks good but she’s not a tease or a flirt. So there’s nothing for Gunther to be nervous or confused about. The boundaries are clear. So far a good match.

Now, why couldn’t space boy figure this out himself?Why did it take an ultimatum from his lovely date to get his mind right?

Yeah! Boldly!

I’m liking Bets more and more. This is how it is, Gunther. Take it or leave it. So far, so good. Now hopefully Gunthie’s “friends” won’t get concerned about him and go looking for them at the Trekkie convention!

What exactly has happened on this date so far for her to still like him?

Go, now. Leave. And don’t take any of your friends, and that includes us. Cheers.

tough on Luann!

I agree with the whole not texting/calling someone else while on a date, but I don’t like “100% with me or not at all” thing. All she had to do was ask him not to be on his phone while he’s supposed to be spending time with her. It’s just the way she phrased it. As a woman, if a man said that to me, I’d be calling a ride. I really hope this isn’t going to turn into a female version of Dirk thing…

Gunther you lucky dawg.