Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for May 27, 2020

Oh Oh. – “not yet or not never” ?

Jeez, projecting much? Own your feelings, don’t try to make it his fault that you feel whatever you feel.

anyone know of any game inventors who won at their own game? (as for Brad and Toni, this is quite a discussion they’re having)

So, is Toni saying she should have the deciding vote RE a child as she’s the one who gets to carry it to term? Tune in tomarrow, boys and girls, and see if there are going to be any boys and girls in the offering.

Enough obfuscation as to who is you and woe is me.

Wow I thought Shannon would use one of her tricks

A conversation that they need to have. Or should have had before the wedding.

Brad, go play Shannon’s game. You’ll have a better chance of winning than this discussion with Toni.

Get moving, Brad. She isn’t getting any younger.

Inventors don’t always win. Look at Nicola Tesla.

I didn’t know it was “Talk in second and third person” day!

Toni’s way of guiding that she’s already pregnant.

Okay, who’s else thinks today’s whole strip is foreshadowing a certain character’s future living arrangements?

Toni having a baby.

DOES She or DOESN’T she?

Because if she DOES, look out Brad. Toni is going to harangue you with “Look what You DID to Me!” for the next nine months. But all kidding aside, this is Toni’s choice. If she doesn’t want a child, end of story Brad.

But if Toni DOES? Rather than having Brad quit work, how about Grandpa Frank DeGroot looking after the baby? H3LL, he could change diapers. He’s done it before, at least twice with his own kids. And Frank SHOULD be getting close retirement. He’s HAD his career. Brad is just starting his. And Nancy can’t do it, because she just starting work at the Fuse.

And Luann? Well She can’t because…., because…., Hey, there’s REALLY no reason Luann couldn’t look after a baby.

The other alternative is Tiffany dropping out of college, moving in with the DeGroots and offering to babysit Brad and Toni’s baby in exchange for free room and board.

You know. Like a 21st Century version of “The Nanny?”

Yeah, Yeah. I’m “tripping” again….., ;)

The game is meant to keep shannon distracted while brad and toni discuss an adult matter. They don’t want shannon constantly interrupting with difficult questions about reproduction.

I think Toni is apprehensive about getting pregnant, especially with the hard time she’s been having with Shannon. If she has a child, she’s not going to be able to deal with a baby and a bratty toddler.

Because of her childhood, losing parents young and having to raise Jonah, Toni has always been afraid to have her own family. She struggled about marrying Brad for the longest time. Kids? She has a biological clock ticking. Women have a limited time to reproduce. Hopefully she will not take too long as she had about marrying Brad. It’d be nice for Shannon to have some cousins to play with – more likely she’d babysit given the age gap anyway. It’s likely Shannon would be in middle school or even high school before Toni finally decides to have kids given her history. She will find every reason not to have kids until there’s no more reason left except "I don’t want any kids. " If that’s the reason, she best say it now.

OK – Ready for a little adult drama in Shannon’s arc.

Why is everyone in such a hurry to have Toni get pregnant? There are actually couples that don’t have kids at all, or at least wait until they are more financially stable.

Both Toni and Shannon are trying to establish their positions of authority. Toni is taunting Brad, trying to goad him into having a fight that he can’t win. Poor, good guy Brad doesn’t even realize that he is being put on a training leash, with a choker chain, and Toni just gave it a yank. Bottom line, Toni is telling Brad that he ain’t getting any tonight, or until he learns to be properly submissive to her wishes. This is not a cartoon anymore, it’s social commentary, and not at all funny.

TJ and Shannon are a distraction for the adult commentary.

Well, we’ve been clamoring about a B&T Degroot baby arc. Now it has started! But apparently it hasn’t gotten to the talking stage yet.

My guess is that we will be regaled with the talk of it for awhile with TJ and Shannon run a parallel episode of game playing nearby.

Perhaps Shannon will overhear some tidbit and provide some hilarity, Luann1212 style!?

Still can’t understand how he ended up with Toni. He’s still in high school, mentally.

I am not going to try to discuss the logic in the panels but it is obvious what I for one felt was a probable back story, pregnancy, is coming around the Luannverse corner. It is Shakespearean in a way, like Midsummer Night’s Dream, where the main story is being played out in front, while the minor characters play theirs out behind (well Brad and Toni are drawn behind, and Shannon’s frustration with her game is cute, but she and TJ are minor characters in the main story). I know, in spite of my distinction that Shannon is always a continuing big story, but here I think she and TJ are comedic background. So much in three panels!

Looks like the tables have turned – TJ is now winning. Same rules?

Sure, start a family. I don’t care. You already have two children living in your house all the time anyway.

Impressive. Shannon has broken the laws of statistics.

“Aha! Pronoun trouble!” — Daffy Duck, “Rabbit Seasoning”, 1952.

Shannon, the inventor wins by SELLING the game to others…. move the merch!!

I hope for Brad’s sake the issue does not lie with “not trying often enough”….. Hey Brad: “Happy Wife = Happy Life”!

The laws of probability don’t apply to TJ. Improbable events have occurred in TJ’s favor. TJ will win “the game” that Shannon created.

Meanwhile, while Toni and Brad are in the middle of a pretty heavy conversation, TJ is cleaning up at Shannonball….

You are all reading too much into this. Toni is saying that if Brad assumes she isn’t ready to start a family he’s wrong.

So exactly how does Brad think they’ll pay the mortgage is they go down one income and lose their tenant? He’s an adult, but he’s still mentally banking with mommy and daddy. Toni knows people who operate like Brad lose their homes. Ok, sure, Grammy and grand pops can take over raising the baby (assuming they want to do full-time childcare— we know Nancy is done with that and Frank never did), but what then? They never see each other now. It’ll get better once they take on extra shifts to cover TJ’s share of the mortgage? What’s the point of having kids if you never see them?Toni gets it — she married an idiot.

Are you annoyed with him because he is wrong or because he is right?

Perhaps Toni is about to reveal that she will not be able to get pregnant. This is the beginning of the adoption of Shannon arc that many have predicted for a long time.

In some languages/cultures they don’t use ‘you’ and ‘me’ much – they just call out names, including one’s own. Sound like they’re speaking in the third person but they’re not

Given that they still rely on TJ to some extent to split rent and expenses and still can’t say no whenever Jonah wants to dump Shannon on em, I have to agree with Brad that they are not ready to add a baby to this mess.

It looks like they already have a kid. Or two, unless TJ is the live-in nanny.

Is this the beginning of “THE GREAT FIGHT” between Toni and Brad? Meanwhile, Shannon has learned that it’s impossible win against TJ.

I can see why Toni might be reluctant to start a family. Brad had a normal, happy childhood. Toni and her brother didn’t. Toni doesn’t yet realize she’d be a great mother judging by how she treats Shannon. And yes, I have a feeling Shannon will someday become part of Toni and Brad’s family permanently.

I love that T.J. is not “letting” Shannon win. He is teaching her that sometimes life just isn’t fair.

But you are not Kirk, trying to outwit a couple of ‘wise’ guys, by making up a new card game.

There’s no sin in not having kids, but that decision should be mutual, and Brad’s desire should not be marginalized.

Meanwhile, TJ got the better of Shannon at her own game. She still has a lot to learn.

Here comes the big one….I was starting to wonder when Toni and Brad would take up this issue. There’s only so long you can be an occasional parent.

Is Toni ready or not? We will know by Saturday.

Oh this is sad. Brad is turning out to be like Frank. Self absorbed, clueless…too bad.

After occasionally watching pain in the butt Shannon for the last few years, I would have thought the idea of having their own kids has been squashed.Oh, maybe they will decide not to have any because Shannon’s dad will run off for good and they get stuck with Shannon, who they will adopt.

This is interesting. If they do decide to go ahead with a pregnancy with Toni, it would be a huge jump in the timeline. Sometimes it feels like we can go months going through one week in the characters’ lives (not complaining though!), so I wonder what other changes will happen in the characters’ lives (like one more year of college done for Luann and co)!

Despite Shannon’s setback here I can imagine her teaming up with T.J. when she’s older to run a casino.

there is baby sitters and the grandparents does have an extra bedroom now.

Something tells me that Toni might be hiding something.

These two have never had a home of their own and are not ready to be parents. And they can’t have a coherent conversation about it, either.

Ahhhhh. Marital bliss.

Most women do not want to have kids at age 24 or 25. Most of them do want children by the time they are in their early 30’s. No need to rush having children until both partners are ready.

I love the way TJ interacts with Shannon. He doesn’t let her get away with too much, but he really seems to enjoy playing with her. TJ is good for Shannon.

Shannon is a great cure for any urge to reproduce.

It sounds like negotiations are taking place.

TJ has patience because he’s not invested in her above and beyond the level he’s involved in here. He gets to walk away when the game is finished. But the happy couple will get it all if they decide to start a family. It’s not all peaches and cream. If you’re willing to take that step, fine. It’s not for everyone, though.

Shannon should be a reason to never have children. It is time to write her out of the story. Mom and dad get together and move far far away.

Is it time for the first baby in the Luanniverse after “Lindy”?

LEST we all forget, Toni is most likely still carrying some TRAUMA from her parents untimely DEATH! Given her risky JOB, there is FEAR that she may die and leave her CHILD as well.

I’m glad to see Shannon paying up.

I’m not sure whether it is Brad or Toni who is reluctant to start a family.

Toni if you’re not ready, we’re not ready that’s how being married works. You’re not individuals anymore.

Adapt Shannon: instant family!

Huh? I got lost. Who’s on first?

If its Toni, its probably because she’s not ready to give up her career just yet. Buuuut… then again, she may have a limited window to get pregnant due to age. Not right now but she can’t wait forever. Couldn’t they take turns being off with the baby for a year or two. That way, they both could keep their careers and not shortchange Baby DeGroot. (Yeah I thought about Baby Groot too.)

I’m tellin’ ya…. they should get a dog! They don’t want to borrow the car. Don’t want an increase in their allowance. Won’t flunk algebra. You can have’em spayed/neutered at about six months and you won’t have to worry about unwanted grand dogs. Dogs will never use drugs or get drunk and wipe out the car. Dogs are a much better solution to the family thing.

Bwad – you opened the door and now you are going to have to tread lightly…really lightly…

Shannon seems to have lost control of the Rule Book.

3

A foolish argument for a couple who is married or in some other committed relationship to have…… AFTER the marriage or the commitment. They should be on the same page (kids or not kids, and when desired) BEFORE they commit. To not have that similarity BEFORE marriage or commitment just exponentially increases the likelihood of rancor and discord.

Sorry Shannon it does not work that way.

Brad opened a conversation with someone who had a traumatized childhood. The trauma might get “compartmentalized” , but it really doesn’t disappear. Toni needs to be a firefighter. It normalizes her and provides purpose to her reality. Introducing changes to her life is a challenge. She probably thought she can “compartmentalize” , the concept of motherhood. The conversation will probably be dropped from the strip on Saturday.

I’m ready to go through the motions of starting a family with Toni any time she is.

“I’m the Inventor. I should be winning!” That’s just what Lee DeForest, Preston Tucker and The McDonald Brothers once said! Didn’t work out too well for them, either.

Oh boy, here we go…

Well, well, well… and away we go !

What Would Dirk Do

Games, games! Everyone is playing games!

Toni and Brad are playing wordgames, because he is (or is pretending to be) too dense to get it that Toni isn’t yet ready to become a mother (by her own statement).

TJ and Shannon are playing her board game, but he (unfairly!) is winning, so she is getting bored of the board.

Nothing is as it seems….

fine carriage woman, someone actually wrote that