Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for February 05, 2021

ain’t it something, Luann?

Luann is like a modern-day Robin Hood, if Robin Hood stole from his own parents, that is.

“Intoxicated.” ✨

Giving her the keys to a business not owned personally by Luann herself is a huge risk. Not smart.

Her one and only set of keys.

The Fuse closes at ten.

So Les finishes cleaning at…..

Oh well. At least Gunther knows Han Solo shot first.

Luann, you have no idea what kind of person Tara is. She has a cousin who is a criminal. She herself has done criminal stuff. And you handed over the keys? Bad idea. But then kids that age don’t think things through and put too much trust in people they barely know.

Hopefully, Tara is not a grifer. Will see on tomorrow’s strip if Luann is becoming an andrenaline junkie. Also will Bernice confront Luann about Jack?

Umm, she gave her the keys to the Fuse? That isn’t kindness it is foolishness. What lesson will Luann learn? What happens if anything goes missing?

This arc will be a disaster like the camping trip was.

Tara’s expression in the third frame: “Uh – Honey……”

And so the transfer of the keys to the kingdom has occurred. Very disappointing Luann.

All this conspiratorial c**p! This behavior seems to be very close to the conspiracy between Tara and her then roommate at Mooney U. resulting in break ins and theft of a TV.

Luann has absorbed some of Tara’s character; and not the good ones. Question is; Has Tara absorbed any of Luann’s character; hopefully the good ones!?!?

So what’s luann going to do to keep up the thrill?

wait till the cash register disappears

We began the week with “Please! Luann! Run away! Run away!”

As of yesterday, it was, “Please! Tara! Run away! Run away!”

Maybe these two deserve each other.

Wouldn’t it be a hoot if Tara and her friends backed up a truck and cleaned out The Fuse overnight.

@Schrodinger’s Dog So it looks like your thought that TJ with his opening and/or closing duties will likely be the one to discover Tara.

So one possible arc I wouldn’t like to see: Bern has been snooping – Bern spots Tara and two guys stealing from The Fuse at night – Bern calls the police, which saves Luann’s butt. I like Tara – so hopefully not something like that.

Wow. Beyond irresponsible. Luann should be thinking more of how much her parents have invested in this than thinking about her “ friend”.

Mum’s going to have lots of words when she finds out

What could possibly go wrong?

This will end bad.

Yeah, Tara’s a career criminal. I’m looking for this to take a dark turn. After Tara and the guys tie up and pistol-whip TJ, Luann’s parents will kick her out of the house and she’ll turn to drugs and prostitution. The Fuse will go broke and they’ll wind up living in a box under a bridge. Or TJ will blow it up, killing Ox.

And all because Lu wanted to help a friend. /s

“Doing good by doing bad…” Is Luann Catholic?

I said in my last Saturday comment that I had foreboding about the upcoming week. I predicted Tara was a possible person in Luann’s room, and lo and behold she is the person? Now the drawing of her, with her problems, her past, her cousin, her homelessness seems to presage something bad, I mean a “bad” “criminal” minded girl, being given the keys to the Fuse by a big-hearted, possibly bored loving a thrill, not really naive Luann. Accept, and this is projection I admit, don’t think the bad thing will happen, Tara may be a messed up rebel, but she is not a criminal, and while there will be surprising twists and turns I think the end will be much more positive, but weird, than it seems to be leading. Lets try the light side.

Oh yeah luann, you’re such a bad girl—-providing shelter to your college friend who’s homeless.

Next you’ll be donating to the church, going commando, and secretly getting brazillian waxes.

I’m telling you. Fire, the place get robbed, or someone has a party/rave.

Does Luann mean the PIN for the alarm panel is 6-8-6-7? “Ellipses” was the word in Casino Royale…

The Fuse closes at 10, that means there could be some late eaters who ordered at 9:30 still in there and perhaps a Uber Eats driver or 2 making a pick up. Then Les has to finish cleaning up in the kitchen, either Ox or Tiff has to square up the dining room and Nancy or TJ have to run the X or Z reading from the cash register and count the till. I am guessing they will not be out of there until 11:00 on most nights. I am going to guess TJ or Nancy will catch Tara sooner rather than later, maybe Nancy or TJ leaves something in his office and comes back at 11:30 or Tara oversleeps and is caught by him in the morning when he is opening up. However, G&K could jump to another arc next week and we might not know until Frank get a call from the security company about an alarm being tripped at The Fuse or Toni and Brad are sent out to the Fuse as smoke is seen at the establishment etc. etc.

What no one knows is, the supply room is haunted! Oooo weee eee ooo.

Smile for the security cameras!

Maybe Tara will just stay in the storeroom for a couple of days until she is back on her feet again. She will return the keys and leave a nice plant as a thank you.

This can’t go well.

Luann is the Madd Hatter? Robin Hood had no imagination.

Luann….The Antihero.

Judging by her expression, the rush Luann is experiencing is the wind whistling through her ears.

This don’t end well.

right up until someone calls the police about the mysterious firgure seen entering the building

Pretty goofy expression in the last panel. Maybe Tara and Ann can unite to run a night time scam out of the Fuse. Maybe Quill or Piro can drop by for some night time fun and games. Looking for adventure here.

What could possibly go wrong – I am sure that we will soon find out!

Anyone else’s computer not rolling over to today’s comics? Mine all come up as yesterdays, and I have to click the forward arrow. Kinda like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, Deja Vu all over again.

Why am I thinking of the old phrase, “No good deed goes unpunished”?

You are going to get caught.

Oh yeah and here’s the meth I promised ya.

yup, what could possible go wrong.

Occasionally Luann shows a little maturity… This isn’t one of those times. Only in a comic strip could this possibly come out good (Tara calls cops when she hears burglars breaking in), but I’m hoping the strip goes with showing how stupid this idea is.

This is how Kim Wexler got her start.

I wonder about giving a restaurant key to Tara might be a big mistake.

Luann will eventually wake up from this dream she’s having.

Does she know Tiffany? Tiffany’s house has plenty of rooms and she would probably appreciate a roommate.

Hmmm. So any guesses as to how long the karma of panel #3 is going to run? I think with the various other plot lines (eye roll), it will be 4 weeks.

This will fail spectacularly…..

Stuff at The Fuse disappears, TJ gets blamed……….

Why does she even have keys?

Does anyone else have a really bad feeling about this?

I’m just waiting for the story arc where someone sees evidence of her presence, assumes it’s a break-in, and calls the cops.

That this may not end well is to state the obvious.

Methinks this does not end well.

Luann is lucky. I only learned this important fact when I was much older than her. Tara is now safer than before and seems really grateful to her friend ♡. But I have a bad feeling that Bernice will find out and make a big fuss about it.

Let’s see Tara at the local hardware store having keys made.

The Fuse closes at 10? So it’s just a restaurant now, and no longer a bar, a club, or an event space? And even so, closing at 10 implies lingering customers and cleanup duty probably stretching past 11, I would think.

If the authors had any creativity, this plot would lead to the discovery that TJ has been letting Ox live in the storeroom for years (and charging him rent).

it is very possible that Tara (after thinking a bit.. it was pointed out that she previously said she loves the place…) will just use the arrangement as stated, maybe eat a little of the food but not steal in order to acquire cash, that she’ll be discovered but no damage will have been done. But Luann will have allowed a friend (with questionable motives) to live off the resources of the Fuse in a clandestine way without asking Frank and Nancy who have put years of effort and capital into building the business; it belongs to them. G&K don’t usually go for the worst possible outcome but as usual they keep us on pins and needles.

Yep, this, too, will turn out well.

While her heart is in a good place, her head isn’t.

This won’t end well

Will there be a party tonight? Free booze and food !!!!

of course, this isn’t going to end well…

What could possibly go wrong?

I wonder whether Luann would have thought of a more sensible, less dangerous option if she weren’t getting such a rush out of the idea of being “bad”. Is this choice what’s best for Tara or what’s most fun for Luann?

This could go in many directions, but will probably end up with the question “Luann, what were you thinking?”

Luann, this may be the single worst idea you’ve ever had.

Luann should just seek her parents counsel on this matter. They are compassionate caring people. I have no doubt they would come up with a solution that isn’t quite so…stupid.

Gee, what could possibly go wrong?

“No-body knows,”

“The trouble Tara’s seen!”

“No-body knows, but Jesus. And Luann. And (Maybe) Tara’s parole officer.” – Traditional Spiritual.

Tara takes the keys.

And with THAT, what might been the last opportunity to dodge a “self-Inflicted” bullet, has just been DASHED.

All that’s left is to pop some popcorn, brew the COFFEE and ponder “who” is going to catch Tara, first?

In the meantime, a heartbroken, suspicious, confused Bernice is headed toward the dog park, looking for Jack with leash in hand. ;)

My prediction is that Tara will unlock the door. The alarm will go off and the police will show up. They will arrest Tara who will not tell on Luann. Etc.

Luann is such an idiot. You would think her inner alarm would work even a little bit, but NOOO…she thinks it’s fun and cute to play around in the adult world and give away things that don’t belong to her. Not to mention, betraying her family (who love, house, feed and support her). Sad. Her character has become even more entitled than Tiffany used to be. She just doesn’t have the dough to back it up.

This isn’t just “bad”, it’s stupid. Luann has no idea what she’s doing and she knows she can’t trust Tara.

Luann doesn’t even work at the Fuse and isn’t familiar with how things work there so how does she even know the daily routine or when it’s safe for Tara to be there?

Being “bad”? How sheltered is Luann anyway? This is a ridiculous ploy to help her “Friend” – why isn’t she doining normal college student stuff like making TikToks boozing it up?

The restaurant closes at 10. And everyone without restaurant experience thinks they will lock the doors and walk out.

Except if there is a fryer in the kitchen that has to be cleaned (an hour minimum), and the grill to be cleaned, and an inventory to be taken, and a cash drawer to be counted, and silverware to wrap, these people won’t leave before 11-11:30. And first shift will show up at 8-8:30.

I know it’s a comic. But not being able to think about these situations critically is what causes entitled people to walk into a restaurant at 9:55 because they close at 10:00.

Warning Luann! Tara herself related she got in trouble by “doing something really stupid with some dumb ‘friends’.” And then there was this: “Be careful who you hang out with…”

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2017/08/30

The path you’re on is suspiciously similar.

I had a young, foolish ex-girlfriend who gave the keys to the shop, where she worked, to a “friend” she had known less than a week, so he could substitute for her. Hundreds of dollars of merchandise went missing, yet the “friend” did not confess when confronted Perry Mason-style. She was so surprised.

Does anyone foresee a TJ-Tara thing about to start up? ‘Cause you know she’s going to get busted. TJ’s never had a girlfriend here, and the bad boy-bad girl chemistry will be too strong to ignore. Or so I hope.

Tara could be working with Ann Eiffel, who is eager to get back at Nancy, who tossed her out of the Fuse, and Tiffany, who tossed Ann out of her father’s life. Tara is not best friends with Luann, but she calls her late at night. Tara says she is in danger and has no place to stay, but won’t stay at Luann’s house. Tara knows Nancy and Frank own the fuse and their daughter might have a key. This sounds like a scheme that Ann could dream up.

gateway drug

All the people who get huffy when I’ve called Luann dumb, you can go ahead and apologize now. Because this is an unbelievably idiotic idea. For starters, just because the place closes at 10 (which seems really early for a restaurant with a bar) doesn’t mean all the employees leave at that time.

Had to search for this. “The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.”― Leon Trotsky, Their Morals and Ours: The Class Foundations of Moral PracticeThe problem is – we don’t know what the end is. Like Bernice’s staying at DeGroots. Whatever “authority” discovers Tara staying at the Fuse and Luann’s role in this, may have a better solution, or they may complicate it further. IMO, it’s time for both Bernice and Tara to solve their own life situation and problems, and stop taking advantage of friends.

Cartoonist eyes of yore.

I see this going bad when things start to disappear and Ox is blamed…or Tiff…or Les. Probably Les.

What is Greg thinking???????

We should start a betting pool for which of the following happens first:1. Tara gets discovered by Luann’s parents.2. Tara gets discovered by TJ, Ox, Les, Tiff, etc. Pick one.3. Tara causes damage and/or fire at the Fuse.4. Tara sets off the alarm and is arrested.5. Tara is actually involved in illegal activity and she starts to steal from the Fuse.6. Someone steals from the Fuse and they blame Tara.7. Other options.

What could possibly go wrong!??

What about showers?

This could go so very, very wrong. Security guards could shoot first and ask questions later.

I notice on the 3rd and the 4th, everything in the storage room is a pale, custard yellow. Careful, Tara – by entering and staying there, you, too, will assume the pale, custard yellow color.

This won’t end well.

OK, help please. Why is Luann letting a young woman bed down in a storeroom? This seems weird.

Luann has never heard the story about the young girl who found a half frozen snake in the snow. Girl takes pity on the snake. Puts the snake inside her coat to warm up. Snake bites girl!! Why?! He had to. It’s his nature. He is a snake. Moral of the story. Leave the snake alone.

7

This has been a rather intriguing and “cringy” week simultaneously. Lots of meandering thoughts:

1. Luann is being very foolish with her choice to give Tara keys to “The Fuse” and giving her the “ok” to stay there. It is not her right to do this, and it does add a level of jeopardy to the whole DeGroot family.

2. Tara, while in some ways is a nice person, has a track record of making some very, very poor decisions over time we have known her. The worst actions related to her involvement in the dorm that led to her expulsion… and that was quite bad. But, in other choices, she has done things that while not illegal, are quite risky for herself, and those around her.

3. Yet, Luann is in some ways trying to help her friend, which is noble. And, from her account, Tara does seem to be in a bad space…. and she is in some fashion trying to do the right thing given her cousin’s issues. But, she is also being rather forceful that the help she does accept has to be “her way”…. which is turning out to not be the most legitimate way as far as she is putting her friend in a bind with her stubbornness about NOT being open to the DeGroot parents and/or Bernice.

* * *

While I suspect as this unfolds there will be a lot of “hilarity ensues” because that is Greg’s style of course…. in the real world, everyone here would be flirting quite substantially with the “danger zone”…. when it is NOT really necessary to do so. There are legitimate, safe options that could be employed to help Tara.

yeah Luann isn’t being smart here tara while being a nice friend doesn’t have a clean track record

Idiot plot, idiot plot, why does this place with a freaking bar close at ten, why does no one use that big storage closet, why does Luann feel good about doing this when she could actually help Tara instead, idiooot ploooooot…

Stupid, stupid, stupid. You hand over the keys to your parent’s place of business to a known criminal. Brilliant. I agree with pretty much everybody here. This will NOT end well.

Oh brother! I hope the worse doesn’t happen. I hope Tara just gets found out by a staff member. I hope no theft, fire, destruction as some have talked about here. But I have a bad feeling…..

This can only end in a bad way

Ok. Here’s how the story arc continues.Unknown to Tara, Luann, and the rest, Ann stumbled across some old dying mafia member who has partial dementia. The Degroots’ business is location of one of their hangouts, which seen all sorts of seedy events. As part of the story arc, the mafia member relates what happened and all the like. Ann is listening to him for a while but wants to leave but he starts talking about a bank heist with the contents of numerous safety deposit boxes were looted and the gold, jewels, and other high value items were hidden at the Fuse. Ann then does some quick cross referencing and sees the heist was real and so goes back for more information when the guy keeps relating events, but finally lets on in generalities where the loot is buried. Ann breaks in at night, since there is no alarm on the building, and proceeds to start poking around where she comes face to face with Tara, who does not know the history. At this point, Ann clocks her on the head, only to be discovered the next day and rushed to the hospital with Luann having part of her rump chewed off by her parents. TJ recognizes something particular about the masked intruder in the video footage and guesses it’s Ann. At which point makes him curious as to why she’s breaking in to the Fuse. Then he confides with Mr. Gray what’s going on, knowing he has connections. The two of them back track the history of the place, but come up empty, but the long demolished building across the street, which was identical to the FUSE, was a known mafia hang out and where loot was discovered. Putting two and two together, they quickly recognize why she may be poking around. Mr. Grays connections helps him cross reference the few surviving members of the gang and finds out that Ann has been talking to the demented man. Trying to keep everything on the hush hush, especially for Les’ sake, they lay a trap for Ann. The end.

Has Luann ever spend the night at the Fuse? Unless she spend the night with Quill? I bet that Luann is clueless about Fuse.

Something tells me this isn’t going to work out very well.

…this is gonna get ugly…

This will not end well.

She’s going to throw a party and destroy the building.

someone else has after hours access too

Yeah, you’re a regular Robin Hood of the homeless, Luann, and Tara is your Maid Marion….

It’s hard to do right by doing wrong, you usually by-pass a right in the process.

Panel one to panel two, Luann loses her tan coat. Back on in panel three.

Actually, back on in panel two, but indeed gone in panel 1. And when we saw her last Saturday about to leave her house, her coat was green.

Why would a under age person have the key to a place that sells booze.

Bad things are goona happen. Will Tara be accused of a break-in?

I can’t gripe at redheads, hardwired against it.

If something happens to the Fuze and the insurance company finds out that Tara was living there, they could deny the claim. If Tara gets injured, she could sue Luann’s parents. The city could dinner then for zone violations.

Doesn’t it have an alarm?