Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for July 15, 2021

Bernice and Nil, sittin’ on a bench. They’re about to kiss in a style that’s…you know.

What privacy?! Bernice, Nil, explain yourselves!

Busted

Now THAT’S what I call a GOOD PLOT TWIST!

first Bernice lies!! about there she’s going, the lying liar. Secondly, she goes to the one place Luann was most likely to go. Of all the places in Pitt where they could have gone for their privacy (including the library, the one place Luann was least likely to go to) they meet at the dog park. Why would anyone be that stupid? Because their relationship had to be discovered.

Puddles es un buen rastreador, encontró a Bernice con facilidad

That’s an interesting setting for a library. Lol! I am happy to see Bernice and Nil together.

And congrats to those who called this yesterday (even if the library was the more likely rendezvous spot)

Puddles needs a better collar and leash.

Puddles. The other type of Rescue Dog.

“Rescue me from Luann, please.”

“Rescue me from Luann, please.”

“PLEASE!”

Aha

In Panel #2, a silhouette of a couple kissing?

So now GnK has shown us why we had the pointless scene with Puddles and the dialogue RE Puddles’ lack of discipline. There was a reason for it after all. Typical misdirection of the beginning of a GnK arc.

Now the question is whether Luann simply collects Puddles with a short; “Hey Nil” or does she stand there for an “awkward period of silence” in which Bernice will probably babble something about heading to the library and running into Nil…. Of course what fun would it be if Bern and Nil logically chose to go somewhere that Luann never frequents? Well, maybe Jack can turn up and make it a “four some”….

Gunther and Bets, Bernice and Nil, go ahead and hook up with Jack, Luann.

Bernice is felling that Burn of Nil.

Ah, Puddles misses Bernice, despite what some readers thought – that he’d be happy to see Bernice gone and have Luann all to himself. And, Bernice and Nil – why are you sitting so far from each other? Come on, sit closer, like hip to hip!

Who saw this coming.

So Luann’s BFF just lied to her about going seeing Nil? Why? I thought that is the kinda stuff girls share with their BFF?

Puddles Oh, fer Gawds sake!

Bernice seems to be making out okay. Explains the not frumpy outfit that she wore to the “library.”

Bernice came to the dog park… Wow, she’s a freakin’ genius. Like no way Luann would ever go there.

Bernice knows that Luann is a snoop, so she said “going to the library” to throw her off knowing luann would go there. This was meant to allow Bernice a chance to meet with Nil, have a make-out session then maybe take it to his place.

Luann, it’s a park, a public place. where do you see a spot that fosters “privacy?”

(Continuing Namrepus’ verse) First comes love, then hesitation, typical introvert love situation…

Puddles the interloper. While Puddles does not realize it, he just saved poor Nil from a lifetime of misery…

Get a room!

“Oops. Hi Nil, sorry for interrupting. Come on Puddles, we’ve got some serious training still to do.”

A week’s worth of Sunday strips, I see.

The good news: Seeing Bernice and Nil.

The bad news: The Bernice Luann character assassination that went on earlier this week.

OK – Those who were patient with G & K in the last few days are now rewarded. Bern & Nil did not connect at all during Luann’s bowling alley disaster. The kinda fake dialogue with Bern and Nil during Nil’s recent art exhibit didn’t fly for me. But what do I know? People have hooked up with even less interaction. It’s now interesting.

Bernice’s body language: Yep. See, the legs are crossed. Door’s closed. Nothing going on here.

There once was a Nil with a paint brush

Gave Bernice benediction via Saint Crush

Then Puddles interrupt ed,

Luann’s thoughts corrupted.

And wound up her face with a faint blush.

From one romance to another. I wonder what happened to Hunkula, or whatever his name was.

Next week, Luann happens to walk Puddles past the Planned Parenthood Clinic….

Don Puddles. Ever the mastermind.

This is not at all a surprise to me. Interesting plot device with the dog park, and of course the patented misdirection play. Why Bern needed to five about where she was going and to whom she was going to see has to be tied up. That will come.

CAUGHT!

BUSTED! Funny to see how Bernice’s remarks about Puddle’s misbehavior backfired on her. GOOD DOG♡! Now someone has some explanation to do. Because it’s okay to be shy or insecure, but hiding from your best friend that you go out to see someone you like doesn’t make any sense, it just shows a total lack of trust in her. I hope Luann doesn’t take it badly and she will be happy for them. But a tiny bit of me hope she’ll feel hurt and angry, because it is offensive!

Busted!!!

Bernice isn’t trained very well. Luann told her to sit and stay yet here she is.

That seating looks like a COUCH in the middle of the park!

Awww Bern, library seems loud today haha

Puddles uncovers a secret.

Bad dog. Bad collar, too.

“Forget, what I’ve just said…”

For Puddle’s sake Jack could show up and give Luann some tips on training the little guy…like training treats for one especially since he’s not had any formal training. Then awkward sparks start to fly from Luann for Jack’s “dog whisperer” abilities and…and… nothing. Next?

I hate to keep harping on the same subject, but it’s really refreshing see Luann featured in a “Luann” comic strip. And the last two Sunday strips did not feature her messy bedroom, that’s kinda cool.

It that a bench, or someone’s discarded sofa they’re sitting on? Must be an interesting park.

Look who bumped into me at the library!

Okay, I did not see that coming… but who dumped a couch off in the middle of the park?

If Bernice wanted to lie about where she was going, (“I’m going to the library.”) why go to a public space she knew Luann and Puddles visited?

“Library” my sweet patootie!

Puddles is a good dog. He spotted an awkward silence and inserted himself into it, giving them something to talk about.

Called it!

Is that an extremely hefty cement couch instead of a park bench, in the park?

Ah Hah! I new it would be the “Unsaid”.

The bench looks like an old sofa…romantic

Some say pets unite. Yet when Pud appeared, B and N shot apart.

I called this correctly yesterday that she was going to meet with Nil, not the library. But this makes me like her even less. Hopefully Nil realizes that she thinks so little of him that she is too embarrassed to tell her friends about him.

ohhhhhh

Looks like Puddles wants to hear more from Bernice about dog training.

So much for going to the library. You got caught fibbing Bernice

To quote Jim (Gomer Pyle) Nabors; Sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise! Shazam!

Puddles gets it. So does Monstro, but he’s kind of limited in his movements, so Puddles gets to do most of the legwork.

Luann must be shocked to see that Bernice lied to her, but we aren’t shocked.

Ain’t no one stealing that concrete colossus of a park bench.

notice in the 2nd panel they were MUCH closer together ?

Well this is way too stupid. Bernice and Nil meet at the dog park, and Luann can’t recognize her BFF and Nil (who both have very unique appearances) from what, fifty feet away? She must need glasses. And having two people, who evidently don’t want their romance to be discovered, go and make out in a public park is especially genius. “Kissing? We weren’t kissing. Why would you think that?” I can hear it now. Why they feel like they need to be secretive is beyond me. Maybe it’s that No Kissing Within City Limits ordinance that has them scared. If they have Bernice get all mad and defensive it will elevate the story to idiotic. This one feels like the Evans’ enjoy insulting their readers’ intelligence but the excellent drawings always make up for the silly stories.

So.. Bernice LIED to Luann about going to the library. This should be good!

Tomorrow, somehow Bernice will make this interruption all Luann’s fault by accusing her of following her and not trusting her. Typical projection of one’s own behavior or feelings.

Good to see Bernice & Nil are still snogging! Bernice needs this to loosen up a bit; well, she needs more than snogging but this is a family site.

No more daydreams of Jack?

Animals have an instintic to know who are the nice people. We had cats and dogs that always hung around me and ignored my wife.

Kiss in a style that’s…you know? No, what style is that?

So, yeah, I kind of figured that she wasn’t really going to the library. But she and Nil couldn’t find any better, more inconspicuous place than going to the DOG PARK immediately after rudely ragging on Luann on how to train her DOG? Not too bright.

Does anybody else find it strange that Puddles appears out of nowhere when Bernice is secretly meeting with Nil and she has no reaction except to pet the dog ?

7

This was well done by Greg! I like how Greg has brought Luann into the picture successfully without having to resort to reuse the recently used plot device of having Luann purposefully follow Bernice (like happened when Bernice followed Luann). This will allow Luann to be a part of the dynamic in an unanticipated fashion for Bernice and Nil, just like it was used to bring Bernice into the Luann and Tara arc.

In regards to the location…. it is a park setting…. it could be a park by the library, or it could be a different park. There is no suggestion that it is the DOG PARK and it may or may not be near the dog park. All of the location talk, however is immaterial.

The important question is…. how will Bernice, Nil, and Luann respond? It is likely both Bernice and Nil will feel a bit “embarassed” at being “discovered” when they had intended a private time at the park. It is not that they are doing anything wrong…. but it is still likely that they may feel this way based upon their personalities. Luann may feel either a bit of embarrassment at intruding or may just be happy to run into them:

1. Will Bernice and/or Nil act non-commital and pretend that they just happened to run into each other?

2. Will Bernice and/or Nil become defensive?

3. Will Luann tease her BFF about this chance meeting?

4. Will Luann feel a pang or remorse because she isn’t currently in a relationship?

5. Will Bernice and Nil just “come clean” to Luann that they are “dating” in some fashion?

Panel 4 of yesterday’s strip showed Luann staring at the closed door and appearing as if she has lost her best friend. Displaying existential angst as I described it yesterday. Lo and behold, the whole setup with the training of Puddles shtick turns out to be a lead-in to why the three principals in today’s strip wind up at the dog park.

I predict Luann will react with hurt over losing her BFF to a boyfriend; anger over the fib Bern told about the library; jealousy if Bern and Nil carry this to nocturnal activity, as she did with Gunnie & Bets; and, despair over her lack of a love life. (And yes, Argythree, the creators want Luann to have a romantic interest eventually.)

Now all we need is for Bernice’s old heartthrob, Jack, to show up. Hilarity should ensue.

Woo look at those bare shoulders! Bernice, you hussy! :)

That’s correct, Luann— “privacy”. Have you been taking lessons from Tiffany?

Uh Oh their secret will be out now thanks to loose lips Luann

Good for them

Why does Bernice look guilty in the last panel? She is single and allowed to date. She is really messed up if she thinks she has to sneak around to date Nil.

This being Thursday I am pretty confident this arc will continue next week. So much setup to this point with no kind of easily discernable outcome yet. By the way only Luann, of the main characters (she being the name character) has no burgeoning love interest) and for some reason I think Quill might return soon.

If Bernice was really trying to keep her dating Nil secret, she did a very poor job, going to the dog park when she knows Luann frequents it.The whole crew needs to be more mature as they approach 20. While Luann had multiple boyfriends, I think Bernice had maybe 2. For being a psychology major, Bernice should show some growth, considering the weird family dynamic of finding a brother who suddenly has kids that she never sees, she has some interesting issues to work through.

Everyone has someone except Luann.

G—-

Wait until Tiff finds out they didn’t go to the pagoda of peace.

I would have found it more believable if Luann followed Bern and caught her and Nil together than this. Out of all the possible places for Bern and Nil to meet up on just happens to be the one place that Luann brings Puddles to. But the main question is, why did Bern feel the need to lie. She could have just told Luann she was going to meet up with Nil. Why the need to lie to your BFF? Is she ashamed she is seeing Nil or she didn’t want Luann to know. I really hope Luann picks up Puddles and just leaves. No words, no apologies, just gather Puddles and go. Luann, you are BFF with a memory, not the woman Bern has become. Accept it. Its part of growing up. Luann, even if you are just a fictional character, I hope you pick up your phone, call Jack, Tara, heck even Dez, Bets, Tiffany or even Toni. Go hang out with friends that don’t blatantly lie to your face over something so trivial as this. In the end, Bern doesn’t have to explain anything to you. You don’t have to explain anything to her.

The Temptress strikes again!

Wow, let’s see: Bernice is acting like her having a boyfriend is somehow this huge scandal that needs to be kept secret from her supposed best friend (while Luann IS a nosy nellie, “Bernice has a boyfriend” is only hot gossip to a 13-year-old. And who would Luann gossip to anyway?) And so her brilliant plan to keep this secret is to hang out at her friend’s favorite spot? Is there literally nowhere else in town for a couple of people to spend time? I know this strip relies on absurd plot contrivances, but this is a little more transparent than usual.

It’ll be interesting to see tomorrow’s confrontation, since as I said there’s nothing unusual or scandalous whatsoever going on here. Any confrontation between normal adults would fizzle out immediately: “You have a boyfriend!” “Yeah, I do. So?” “Um… well, great. See ya.” But instead, these two will act like a couple of children because that’s the only way to wring any drama out of this.

Still though, I’d sincerely enjoy it if Luann grew a spine and used this as an opportunity to throw Bernice’s “water-glass-to-the-door” spying right back in her face. That lady is the last person who should be whining about wanting privacy, and it’d be nice if her previous jerkass-ness wasn’t brushed aside for once.

Did Bernice not think this was not the best choice if she wanted privacy?

And just yesterday I said they are not good best friends because they lie to each other.

Bern knows full well that Luann takes great interest in the love lives of others; she broke in on a private conversation between Nancy and Bern so it’s not surprising Bern would try to hide her relationship with Nil. kissing on park bench at a time of day when people might be at work is a reasonable choice for two college kids, and i don’t think this is the dog park.

Rut-roh! Puddles is one strong dog! Well, this is embarrassing, lol! If Luann is smart, she’ll collect Puddles, say hello and goodbye and leave. But, that would mean nothing happens for the rest of the week. So someone will put a foot in mouth and say what should be unsaid. ;-))

while Bernice has been annoying over the last few months….she’s figuring this one out…what would be appropriate would be for Luann to say hi and tell Puddles they’re off on their walk…and let Bernice and Nil be…of course that won’t happen at all because you see there is a space on the seat so Luann will put her butt right in between them…i’m for Bernice being granted strip time to figure this one out…she might want to hide the potential relationship or like I’ve said twice already, she’s just trying to put the pieces together so that she understands the relationship and herself better…a time when I will saw Luann just needs to get out of the way etc

I thought so…

Bernice and the Cyclops.

Maybe this isn’t the dog park. I don’t see those two prancing dogs silhouette in the background.

The jig is up!!!! I thought Berniece looked awfully dressed up to be going to study at the library. But WHY would she keep her budding relationship with Nil a secret from her supposed BFF. Just proves my point that these two are no longer close. They are friends but not BFFs.

Seems like Nil would be awfully warm in that outfit.

Hey…. THAT doesn’t look like the library!

Time for Luann to follow her own advice and leave those people alone.

Library huh?

Maybe she WAS going to the library…later.

Solid stone bench, borrowed from The Flintstones set……

Nil, like Les, are unappreciated characters. Dez, too.

Caught in the act! Busted!! The hussy…..

And, being Luann, she cannot leave well enough alone.

Well, well, well… Personally, I’m happy to see Bern with Nil. I also completely understand why she didn’t tell Lu where she was going. That being said, subconsciously I think Bern WANTED Luann to find her and Nil together. It’s the same reason cheaters always manage to get caught…because they WANT to get caught. But, that’s a whole other conversation.

So, here we have Nil and Bern, sitting quietly together in a public place, probably discussing art or some such thing. Now, I don’t think Lu is interested in Nil. I’m not sure Lu is interested in anybody at this point. But I think she may see Bern’s not confiding in her as a betrayal. Bernice and Luann may have been BFFs in their early days, but I think they’ve grown apart. Well, I think Bern has grown up, and Lu still has a high-school mindset.

Oh, and Puddles? Totally expected and normal dog behavior.

I confess I am interested to see where this goes from here.

Oh! I forgot. I don’t think this is the dog park. If it were the dog park, Puddles would be off-leash, playing with other dogs. I think this is just a regular park.

Ever notice that Puddles looks a lot like Luann’s father?

I think it’s sad that Bern continues to lie to and keep secrets from Luann. This is not BFF behavior. Luann should collect Puddles and simply leave. And later ask her to go home already. Bern has outstayed her welcome.

KISSING

Puddles party pooper!

Just back off and keep your mouth shut, Luann….

Nil is actually twiddling his thumbs. Ha!

Well, I can’t fault Bernice for telling Luann a white lie. Luann hasn’t shown her to be all that mindful of other peoples’ privacy.

Raise your hand if you saw this coming yesterday! Uh-huh.