Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for December 17, 2021

And the 5000 pound elephant has entered the building. didn’t see that coming

[narrator: everybody saw that coming.:]

Ha, there’s a fly in the ointment

Oops! Looks like Les has a thing or 2 to say about Bets living there.

Like I said, Les is more of a problem.

There’s always a cost. ✨

Gunther is living off of his mom and Mr. Grey, and he’s under his mother’s thumb. He isn’t grown up enough to move in with Bet.

Life is too simple for Gunther, still needs to take responsibility for himself!

Hi, Les.

Bets seems pleased with the idea.

Les says he wants some of what Gunther has been smoking.

First question: Where’s the cat? Second question: Is Bet’s a cat person? Third question: Is Bet’s a ….; well you get the idea.

Les is not the problem he is actually the salvation.

Leslie Knox, a young man without a future unless Tiffany…….

right on cue…the opposition speaks!

Les doesn’t agree about Betts living there for free. She needs to share the expenses when it comes to groceries and cleaning supplies. The house may be on the same meters as the big house, so they might not have those expenses.

And reality rears its head.

Even if there’s no financial toll, the emotional toll will be quite punishing.

Leslie Knox is not wearing a suit, Leslie is wearing a bowling shirt. Leslie Knox likes to wear black attire to match his “tough guy” image.

Beatles suits during the "Ed Sullivan’s Show were collarless.

How does one forget about Les?

Alright children, how do we spell “RIDICULOUS” ?

Why is Gunther wearing a white shirt with a pullover sweater? Where did the plaid shirts go ?

Dun-da-dun-dun-DUUUUNNN!

Well, Bets answered the question who paid her dorm room. She paid for it. Well, Bets has to decide if she wants to waste money or ask for partial refund. I’d not do that, Bets. What if cohabitation doesn’t work out? And Les HAS the right to put a stop to Gunther’s fantasy of moving in Bets.

“Aye – there’s the rub !” – Hamlet

Hard to believe Gunther & Bets would go over all this personal stuff with Les sitting right there.

Leslie Knox is holding a game console. Did Leslie win something?

https://www.gocomics.com/luann/2017/02/17. Leslie Knox not wearing a suit.

Bets has lots of excuses ready. Why does she want out of the dorm for the break?

So many questions.

Is Les saying “Hah!” about the idea of Bets moving in rent-free? Or is he saying it about the Vobonexian’s he just zapped in the video game he’s playing?

Will Bets react to Gunther’s idea by …

a) … saying, “I need to think about this …” and disappearing for weeks?

b) … calmly suggesting that they should see how winter break goes before deciding about her moving in permanently, or that they should put finishing college ahead of any potential wedding plans?

c) … saying, “Greatest idea ever! Let’s quick find someone to marry us before winter break starts, so that when I move in with you, socially conservative fans won’t drop their subscriptions to my channel and socially conservative readers won’t drop their subscriptions to newspapers that carry the comic strip we’re in.”

d) …?

Will Irma say that it’s okay for Bets to move into the guest house, provided she lives in a different wing? Will Al offer to add a wing to the guest house for her? Since buildings in the Luanniverse can be bigger on the inside than on the outside, will the new wing include an immense, complicated labyrinth separating Bets’s suite from the boys’ section? Or will a foot-thick steel door with a time lock suffice?

Will we even get to the conversation with Irma (and maybe Al) by Saturday? Or will we have to wait until next week? Or will the strip switch to a different arc and not pick this one back up until next December, which, through the weirdness of Luanniverse time, will be the same as this December?

Where’s Punk?

Does Bets get to stay or no? I say we let Punk decide.

Gunther just jumped into the drop end of the pool

Mighty generous of Gunther to offer up Mr. Gray’s financial largesse and Les’ half share of the guest house to grant Bets free rent.

Les Miserables is always in the future of Gunther (and others)

In this situation, “less Les would mean more amore.”

So, she changes her tune about giving the homeowners orders when she finds that Gunther wants to make their relationship permanent. And her back pedaling was done quite skillfully, I might add, almost like she’s been there before. I’ll surmise that tomorrow we’ll find out what Les has to say, then we’ll be put on hold for who knows how long when the writers jump arcs again on Monday. This was an interesting ride, though.

I wonder what Les is thinking about Gunther’s idea.I don’t think Les will be against her moving in with his step cousin, he looks amused by that. So, maybe he’s mocking him because he thinks uncle Al will never permit that. Or he thinks Bets will totally submit Gunther.

The Joke for this week is that Bets and Gunther have only talked about how Irma would react without once wondering how Leslie would react. And he’s the living there in the Gulag.

Doesn’t Les already live there for free?

“HAH!” is right… did Gunther just forget that 1) He doesn’t own the guest house and 2) Les may nor want someone else crowding the place??

The plot sickens

It’s Les you should be worrying about.

Gunther seems to have forgotten 1. the house isn’t his and it’s not up to him who lives there and whether they pay rent or not and 2. he has a roommate.

Ah yes, the fly in the ointment!!!

Boy, does this ever bring back memories… At one point in my life, I was renting a house with two other guys. Then one of them got a girlfriend and she was hanging around all the time… Staying overnight, hogging the bathroom, etc.… essentially living there for free. The two of them started acting like real jackasses and things got nasty… Then one time, the two of them went away for a weekend. Me and the other guy moved out while they were gone… and that was that. We had about five months left on the lease. The rent was pretty high, so I’m not sure what they did because I never saw them or heard from them ever again… Which was just fine with me!

This is not going to work!

Yeah, I think we all saw that coming.

Les moves to the dorm. A new reality series on cable TV airs at 2 AM. “Living Arrangement Swap” Where living locations are swapped for various unspecified time-frame. Brought to by an insurance company where you see the same ads over and over again.

Even if you’re paying no rent, sharing a residence with Les isn’t “free”.

I think this is an “I knew it hah, rather than a dismissive or no Hah.” Whatever, hilarity will ensue. I don’t think there is any relationship possibility with or between Les and Bets, she dropped him like a hot rock before she knew Gunther. She has been in the Gulag numerous times, based on past panels but staying there is a new idea.

There’s just one little catch…

He’d have to be enrolled in Moony first.

Any one else feel like this arc is jumping? It begin with Tiffany’s woes about her roommates not respecting space or boundries…

At this point, all Bets are off! :D

Gunter Gunter Gunter. Put your raging hormones away. Gain Control. Recognize when you are being misled buy this oversexed woman. No need to live together. Date. Remain Chaste. Remember to do the right thing.

Les does have the right to an opinion on someone else moving in with them. Mr. Gray may have an opinion also.

I’m with Les. Pretty damned clueless for Gunther to not realize that someone else lived there.

Let’s hear it.

That is not what I expected from Gunther.

The fewmets have hit the windmill!

I think Les was responding to the game. He still gets to hear what these two nitwits have up their sleeves. If sure hope this doesn’t turn into a story that forces Les and Punk out of their home to benefit Gunther and Bets. One question is answered though, the tv is community property, so their little fantasy about privately watching science fiction together is the first bubble that can be popped.

I want you to meet my worst enemy and my best friend. This is my brother, Les.

Time for Rosa to appear with Gunther’s son.

As I speculated yesterday. We’re about to see where Les fits in to this scene of clandestine domestic bliss.

Les is up on the free part.

Well this is a switch. Gunther was all gulps and sweats about informing Irma that he and Bets were cohabiting for a couple weeks over break. Now he’s all pish, tosh about her moving in permanently!?!? I don’t get it!

It may be just a lame gag set up to infer that beyond Irma, there will be another potential impediment to this pseudo-wedded bliss in Les. But since everybody was anticipating this, it fall flat.

This is not a done deal… yet! Bets has made it overt that she has had to pay for her dorm room for the whole year. The fact that she even mentions it may indicate that it would not be “free.” Also, Gunther is making promises that he may not be able to keep; somewhat out of character. She may be considering the services she will miss, like the change of sheets and general cleaning services afforded.

Then again, cohabitation for the winter break may be all that Gunther and Bets (and Les) can stand.

I see a blackmail plan coming.

He’s right.

And no proposal of marriage… so far!

Gunther and Bets are a couple of real jackasses. It’s a me me me world for them with no consideration for others. But I guess that’s typical for their age group.

And reality intrudes on a beautiful dream. ;-)

Even if Betts is ready to move in with Gunther full time (rent free, or, not rent free,) is she ready to deal with Les full time?

Wait, so after a week of “You can’t stay over for Christmas break; what would my mom think?” it suddenly switched to “You should move in with me for good; who cares what my mom thinks?” The plot switched gears so fast I think I got whiplash. Not to mention how the Tiffany thing seems to have been abandoned altogether.

The elephant in the room.

Another storyline that makes no sense. How does Gunther go from “how do I explain to my mother” in five minutes comic time to “move in permanently” ?

There’s the monkeywrench, Les. I do wonder what will Gunther’s mother has to say? I will wait and see.

About time someone remembered that Gunther doesn’t live alone.

I’ve been on this ride before. The room mate’s girlfriend moves in, all the utilities bills go up quite a bit & they only want to pay half.

What the heck is Les doing in the guest house? Things are getting to goofy.

Why does this seem like a sick version of the Toni and Brad situation?

did anyone not see this coming?

Too bad……

This isn’t logical: first Gun is worried about what his mom will say about Bets spending two weeks with him. Now, he wants her to move in and “don’t worry about my mom”. Gunther is jumping the gun. He should wait until he sees how it is living with Bets for two weeks before he invites her to move in. Should Les have anything to say about this? I’m sure he will, but Bets moving in shouldn’t be a real problem, as Les works evenings and the two kids go to school during the day, there won’t be that much time that they’re all home at the same time.It’s not clear that Gun and Les are paying rent. As I remember Mr. Gray built the cabin so the boys, who were each living at home, would not expect to move in with them. I would guess no one is paying rent. Does Gun have any income?Bottom line is Bets and Gun need to clear it with the adults that she will spend the break with them, then see where this will lead.

Love that p’shaw! hand gesture from Gunther in panel 2. What a rude, inconsiderate doofus he has turned out to be.

Les could move into her dorm room….win, win!

What he said is what I say as well. Les sees trouble coming, and is more than willing to speed it along himself. At last an arc I can enjoy.

And the fly in the ointment shows up.

Actually, the danger was there all along regardless.

Forget about Leslie, did we, Gun?

Pets don’t get a say—-and get off the furniture!

Gunther you can not throw Les out when he already lives there.

”Hah,” hell.

I don’t know Les is going to say.

I don’t care what Les is about say.

Because We all know darn well that if the situation was reversed, and it was Les bringing a lady to sleepover, everything would have been right with the World and Gunther would have had NOTHING to say about it.

So settle down, and take a breath.

And Hee-Haw and Merry Christmas! – Sam Wainwright ;-)

It doesn’t seem like Bets has met Irma yet. If she had, Bets would be turned off by the way she treats Gunnie. It is a huge turn off to see Mommy treat your husband like a baby.

We haven’t heard from Mordy yet.

Talk about rain on their parade

Looks like there is a slight flaw in Gunther’s plan, as so many here predicted.

It might work out the way it does Brad/Toni/TJ.

Les knows his uncle won’t put up with that “free” stuff.

Sublet your share of the quad to Kip, Bets.

Is the look on her face in the last panel because of Les or because she’s not ready to move in with Gunther?

Gunther: Les! I was so enamored with Bets, I forgot all about Les.

Well, I say finish out the year for Bets and use that time to find an apartment/rent house for you and Bets and leave Les alone in the Gulag. Its not like Gun can live there forever. And I do have to say I am proud of Bets for not running.

And the shoe drops…

The fly in the ointment…

How can Gunther be worried about what his Mom would say about he and Bets spending a week together but not worried about what she would say about them living together?

And there is Les to save the day! And Gunther from himself.

Three is one to many

You forgot about Oscar, I mean Les my friend.

Looks like there will indeed be a price to pay for Bets moving in…

Poor Gunther is in full non-rational panic mode. First he was afraid to ask Bets over for a night, now he is offering, trepidatiously, to shack up long-term.

And then there is Leslie Knox, to throw very Cold Water on either version!

Bets and Gunter got so involved with planning their future – that they forgot all about “the roommate”. It’s never going to happen.

Whoops. He forgot about Les.

Clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades.