Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for March 11, 2021

Have fun, girls.

Well, seeing that the gals are now all clustered together, let’s hope that whatever that is that’s coming is not Cousin Stella, returned to “finish the job.” ;)

Then, the cops will ask to call the owners of The Fuse where the robbery took place. Luann will be in a world of trouble.

Need to focus on Tara, instead of focusing on Luann’s consequences.

I hope Bernice pays better attention to her clients when and if she becomes a therapist than she is to what’s going on here.

Are there people like Bernice in real life that are that uptight!?…

Bernice never listens to what people are saying. She is more intent on what she thinks someone should do.

Tara seems confused. Having to have her hurt knee pointed out to her is not a good sign.

I’ll admit I’m glad to see the girls taking care of Tara.

As already stated yesterday if not earlier, Tara has no right to declare herself OK.

Wait a minute…is that blood on her side, darkening her jacket?

Maybe the cops are chasing the Cuz back toward them. Maybe they will all be a target for the speeding auto. Maybe the parents will arrive. Maybe Brad will patch Tara’s knee. Maybe they’ll have a chance to finish the banana pie. Maybe…

In her haste, Bernice accidentally called “911 Pizza”, and that restaurant delivers using retired ambulances. Turns out, the “Womanslaughterer” is their chorizo and rose hip pizza.

This may seem unbelievable to some posters here, but often there are crimes that happen in a parking lot that serves a building, and the crimes are responded to without necessarily looking into what is going on in the building. An unfortunate number of shootings take place in parking lots after someone has been thrown out of a bar for fighting or being drunk, but a significant number of robberies and worse take place in parking lots because someone is lying in wait for a bar or business customer who is leaving. So police don’t automatically check on the building, especially if someone just calls in the attack and not a robbery in a building…

Unfortunately when people get nervous and afraid they spring into overt and often unnecessary action. She will have to get past that if she is going to work with people in crisis…

I have a question does the Fuse have camera’s that work.

Kudos to Greg for highly effective use of limited computer graphics for the waving phone

By shining the light isn’t Bernice drawing attention to the girls.

You’ll probably need stitches, Tara.

I look for a lighthearted romance story about teens experiencing young love. And, what do I get? I get crime in an alley off the mean streets of Pitts, the urban jungle, the war zone, the 3rd. world

I have a bad feeling about her “beacon.”

“Tara, you have a slight scratch on your knee, but don’t worry. I know CPR.”

I guess the writers got bored with Bernice’s absurd freakout.

Anyone else notice the buttons on Bernice’s coat disappeared after the first panel? They’re probably sick of her uptightness too and split. LOL

Bernice is obviously having “eye trouble”. Each of her sentences starts with “I”. Nothing about Tara.

I hope the police catch you’re cousin too, Tara. Are you still going to Utah to live with your friend?

Wonder if the First Responders will be Brad & Toni…

Are we forgetting Al Gray? He built the bar, got the liquid license and hire the first barkeeper. And why does Nancy keep cash in the till?

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/1992/05/22. Bernice fell and cracked her skull. Bernice was unconscious and Luann gave Bernice CPR.

Bernice is doing the correct things: getting medical attention and help the emergency services with locating the correct area. I’m surprised Tara wants her cousin caught, but Bernice’s action will help with that.

I see this part of the Tara arc wrapping up but stay tuned for more. I hope Tara stays and if so where and how. I think Luann and Bernice did great here so far, and whether many can see it or not in the midst of all this trauma hilarity ensues.

Why is she standing? She just got ran over by a car!! Just because it’s a comic does not mean real life does not apply in cases like this.

Current technology is good for Bernice here. In a bye=gone era, she may have been to panic-stricken to use a payphone, or run to a nearby place to ask someone to call EMS.

That was an exciting arc, like a whodunnit, So much analyzing and over analyzing.

As I said yesterday, Bernice was on the phone.

A counsellor (what Bernice claims she wants to be) must have the ability to show some empathy. Is today’s strip meant to show (what so many other strips have hinted at) that the empathetic portion of her brain is missing? She is trying to do what the intellectual portion of her brain tells her is appropriate (which is nice… limited, but nice) and missing the human element.

And Luann, you idiot, don’t get Tara up until the doctors look at her.

I love how Luann and Tara seem to have some kind of Special Bonding Moment by totally ignoring Bernice and she seems unable to notice it. Bernice seems so distant from reality. Sure, she called for help, but she doesn’t ask Tara if she’s hurt while Luann is totally worried about this. I wonder why she’s so. It’s like Bernice is trying to avoid dealing/selling bad things. At least, Luann and Tara are now closer than ever.

I didn’t think so…until Covid…

It doesn’t matter if Tara is okay, she needs medical attention at once.

So I see a lot of people suggesting that the Fuse won’t be part of the police investigation because the assault happened in the parking lot. Are they suggesting that these three girls are going to lie and try to hide the fact that the business was robbed?

Here’s my prediction: Because of this incident, Luann and Tara come closer as friends, while Luann and Bernice grow apart to some degree. There may even be some big blowout between Luann and Bernice, causing Bern to move out of DeGroot Manor…. And opening up a spot for Tara to move in.

Waving a phone can get you shot.

Bernice is like modern-day France… struggling to stay relevant. The only thing that matters is that she matters..

Careful! It might be the Crazy-Cousin coming back to run them all over!

El espíritu del Dr. Ian Malcolm de Parque Jurásico se manifiesta en Bernice

Yes! You finally get it! As a woman, “My Body, My Choice!”

Warning, Bernice. Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourselves while in the “mean streets of Pitts,” as Airman referred to them. I have a feeling that this “adventure” has not yet played out!

Bernice’s behavior does raise eyebrows. She’s more interested in taking care of business instead of inquiring about Tara. Then again, somebody has to keep their eye on the ball.

It seems like all three of them are on different pages.

Bernice won’t have the cool to be any kind of therapist..she will just need one…on speed dial!!

Natasha Richardson got up and went back to her ski condo after falling and hitting her head. She died a few hours later.

Looks as though Bernice’s hunched shoulders was a sign of..nothing, but her phone call. Again we’re skipping through logic and off to the races! Still wondering if Tara will stick around for the police or run. Luann looks like she’s ready to panic. Wonder what story will be told and if it’s anywhere close to the truth. There have been a lot of coverups, from Bern about Ben/family, Bern about feeling for Jack, Luann about Tara and Tara about herself and cousin.

Bernice to the rescue. That’s all she cares about.

Gee Bernice, you sure you can wave the phone and pat yourself on the back all at once!?

I really don’t like Bernice. Like Tiffany, she seems oblivious and smug with her morality and pride.

Tara’s probably more upset about the torn pants rather than a skint knee. If she’s anything like my 4 sisters.

Yesterday, I went out on a limb and guessed that, after relieving the suspense by showing Tara conscious and cogent, G&K would ramp it back up at least a little before switching to the next arc. I could be wrong, of course. But if I’m right, how will they ramp it up?

(1) Tara, now up and talking, suddenly feels faint / passes out. (?)

(2) Tara, now speaking coherently, suddenly starts babbling gibberish mid-sentence. (“When you were cutting the pie and the zergons flew past …”). (?)

(3) The three amigas decide not to tell the whole truth to the police or to Frank and Nancy, and we can see that it will somehow lead to no good. (?)

(4) On Saturday, we see Nancy telling Luann, “Young lady, you’re grounded for … Puddles! Get away from that!” We wait for Monday, desperate to find out how long Luann is grounded, but on Monday action switches to a different arc. (?)

(5) EMTs we don’t recognize respond to Bern’s 911 call. Commenters go wild wondering what happened to Brad and Toni. (?)

(6) The EMTs (Brad, Toni, or other) persuade Tara to let them take her to a hospital. Luann and Bern follow in their cars. As they all drive off, we see the back door to The Fuse still open. (?)

(7) Luann’s phone rings. An anonymous male voice warns that nobody had better say anything about “you know who” to the police “or else.” The call comes from Tara’s phone, which was in her backpack when Stella swiped it. (?)

(8) Bernice’s phone rings. An anonymous … (?)

(9) The first person to respond to Bernice’s “beacon” isn’t exactly a “first responder.” (?)

(10) The first person to respond to Bernice’s “beacon” isn’t exactly a “person.” It’s the pilot of flying saucer from the planet Zerg. (?)

(11) … (?)

Luann, Bernice, Why is she up and walking? Basic first aid does not move the victim if the site is safe. She has a knee injury and a head injury. She should be lying down.

Bernice biggest fear is losing control. and her family.

Huh. On second thought, maybe Bernice is still freaking out. Maybe there are five stages of Idiot Plot Freakouts: First there’s denial (not able to witness crime or check on victim until victim’s back on her feet), Hyperactivity (chattering frantically about how freaking helpful you are), and then, perhaps Anger (blaming Tara and Luann for what went down)? Bargaining (“Look, officers, if you just pretend I was never here with these clowns you can have a banana pie”)? And last, Acceptance? (Bernice goes back to being afraid of Jack; we go back to reading about Shannon’s wacky antics.)

The sirens Bernice claims she hears are not responding to her 911 call.

They’re on their way to the major crash that was cousin Stella hitting a lamppost.

Or a building. :D :D :P

It’s time to “Un-Family” that cousin!

Scam alert!

I just don’t see how they can report the robbery and then the assault without some kind of explanation as to why they are at the Fuse and how all the players are related – other than a “late night pie party” which is going to sound really suspicious. I guess they could just say “we were having a going away party and my crazy cousin showed up to rob the place and tried to kill me”. That would work. We shall see!

I read a few comments, but no one mentioned Berniece’s smile. She is obviously enjoying her role as “assistant rescuer”. I think maybe it makes her feel needed, and so not the loser she had thought.

Things are just getting started for Luann…

Hi, I’m Joannie. I’m new here.

I had a crazy theory, so I hope people don’t take offense to it. I know we should always give people the benefit of the doubt.

But I keep thinking—could this all be a set-up? Could Tara have been working with her cousin to steal the money from the Fuse? Did things just go awry with their plan?

Luann (the strip) makes a lot more sense if you assume it was written by Shannon for Shannon….

I just want to make a comment about Bernice, too, although it’s unrelated to this specific comic. She majored in psychology and wants to help people. I work in mental health and I can tell you, Bernice doesn’t know what she’s in for. I worked with people discharged from state hospitals, sexual assault victims, and obviously people who are suicidal. All these issues affect people with mental illness of any age. She seems really sheltered.

I’m not sure from Bernice’s academic personality she understands what the field entails and the kind of empathy you need for people at the lowest times at their lives. Obviously she’s not dealing with Tara’s situation very well. I think it would be an interesting comic arc to see Bernice experience what the mental health field is really like. I think it might be beneficial for Bernice to meet a Certified Peer Specialist, who is a mental health worker with lived experience. She could work with someone with an extremely stigmatized illness like borderline personality disorder.

Luann has this expression of concern on her face in the last panel and I’m trying to figure out what she is responding to; is it 1) Tara’s knee 2) Tara’s comment about wanting the cops to catch her cousin or 3) the fact that Bern has summoned authorities to the situation and Luann is pondering the eventual consequences e.g. that her parents will hear about this.

I find it odd that Tara keeps referring to her as “my cousin.” Usually once a name is established, description is no longer needed

Bernice better watch out the Cops don’t mistake her Phone for a Gun.

From Cop’s testimony, the two items apparently look a LOT alike. Especially in an Alley.

There is also that dark splotch on her jacket. Is that Blood or Dirt from the alley?

Because it seems to be Growing.

No one (Bernie) is paying attention to anyone else (Luann) here. Tara is still, it seems, in shock, not realizing her knee is battered and bleeding until Luann points it out….

Stella must pay!

Bernice is behind helpful by waving her lighted phone towards where she “thinks she hears sirens”. Hopefully the vehicle coming towards them isn’t Stella with Round Two.

Report it to the police and use a sketch artist for ID and car. Hit and run is a serious thing.

Even if she’s acting weird, Bernice has done and is doing the right thing. It would not be useful to have both Luann and Bernice hovering over Tara yakking. The first thing to be done is to CALL AND GET THE PROFESSIONALS on their way! That’s not cold or uncaring – that’s smart.

Just for the record. I will call you out every time you put your needs above the needs of everyone else. If you refuse to wear a mask, stay home.

This could be my last post. if some, anti-masker flags me. I have had it with self righteous idiots who think they know more than disease experts, medical professionals, funeral home directors, deceased victims, and their families.

Usually “men” who complain about a mask while women, the ‘weaker sex’ have to strap their bodies into supporting garments and wear them in 100+degree weather. Until you are willing wear a bra and not complain ‘MEN’, shut up about the mask. At least you are still here to bitch about it, you selfish jerks.