Gunnerkrigg Court 8: Thrown for a Loup

[Willie the Duck]

I'm fine with it fixed, but I don't understand why (or how, other than 'Zimmy fixed it... somehow') this is where it gets resolved. I mean, was this tiny bit of them fighting over their mother the emotional conflict that defines their differences, and was this supposed to be the catharsis?

[Typewriter]

I'm fine with it fixed, but I don't understand why (or how, other than 'Zimmy fixed it... somehow') this is where it gets resolved. I mean, was this tiny bit of them fighting over their mother the emotional conflict that defines their differences, and was this supposed to be the catharsis?

That's the bit that sort of leaves me wondering. Is it temporary? Is this an illusion? Or are we going to see merged with both viewpoints and she'll come out the other side better able to understand conflicting points of view? Will she 'feel' both of the things she felt before? Fixed is fine, resolved... still needs resolving.

[Zazu Yen]

Yeah, I can't help but feel that we were "out of the room" when Annie's catharsis supposedly happened. We were off learning more about Zimmy while the two Annies confronted each-other about their mother, and that was an odd choice for Tom to make. But Tom likes to make chapters a certain size, and getting into Annie's catharsis so far into this one would have forced it to split over chapters. He could be planning to end this chapter and use Annie explaining the catharsis to someone (Renard and/or Kat) as a way to flashback to it and use it as the center of its own chapter.

[Max_Killjoy]

The slow pace of the webcomic format exacerbates issues of pacing or storytelling.

(See, when Annie's deadbeat dad returned... it wasn't that many pages until things resolved a little, but the "three pages a week" pace made it excruciating.)

Right now, I don't like this sudden "one Annie again".

[slayerx]

I'm fine with it fixed, but I don't understand why (or how, other than 'Zimmy fixed it... somehow') this is where it gets resolved. I mean, was this tiny bit of them fighting over their mother the emotional conflict that defines their differences, and was this supposed to be the catharsis?

Agreed. It really does feel like the wrong time, place and method. I mean, it feels kinda of off that Zimmy would be the one to fix it when she was completely unrelated to the problem in the first place. And feels even more off that this all happened in a chapter that wasn't even about Annie

I think what would have made it work is if The two annie's and their internal conflict was the focus. The two of them hash out their internal conflict with each annie taking a different side, they resolve the internal struggle thus becoming of one mind on their issues, and THEN zimmy's powers fuses them together. Still odd that Zimmy's the one that solves the problem, but atleast then the timing and place would make sense

[DaFlipp]

...Man, it wasn't until reading this forum I realized that Annie's two selves had been combined??? (I haven't watched Dragon Ball so the hint about the clothes was lost on me.)

Yeah, it does feel like something was... not ideal about the pacing of that resolution. And if this truly is the end of the two Annies thing (not that it necessarily is! The author isn't exactly shy about bringing back old things and making them super-relevant again!), I'm gonna agree with the folks saying that it really didn't seem to amount to a whole lot, huh?

[Max_Killjoy]

I hope we get something that goes over how this happened or what happened or something...

Right now this comes across as "writer was over the whole thing, time to move on".

[wingnutx]

I love Jones.

[Murk]

Huh. Same here.

I remember being disappointed by the last chapter, thinking "It seemed like important things were leading to a climax, and then in the end nothing happened and everyone just walked away?"

And now it turns out the two Annies were re-combined? I didn't even notice.

[Kornaki]

Panel 4 looks a lot like what an author would draw if someone was trying to hide something.

[wingnutx]

I don't think this is over. Not by a long shot.

[Kornaki]

Did Jones... Go over there to hook up with Anthony? That's Kornaki's Long Shot Webcomic Call of the Day.

She was just making small talk to distract Antimony from asking why she was there.

[Ellen]

Panel one of Friday's looks like Annie is going into panic mode at the idea of discussing what happened.

Just remember, denial is one of Annie's coping mechanisms. Nothing is wrong if she doesn't admit it's wrong.

My interpretation of Friday's last panel is that Tony thinks something is wrong. He told Jones. Jones feels she has confirmed his worries are valid.

Yes, Tony is a bad father. But, despite being absolutely, mind-numbingly horrible at being a father, he cares. And he knows something is wrong.

I'm guessing Annie's "confidence" and increased firepower are actually bad things. Again, Annie pretends everything is all right when it isn't. "Confidence" may really mean "denial cranked up by a power of ten that anything is wrong."

Increased firepower may mean that Annie is two people instead of being successfully merged into one. She has more power because it's the power of two people trapped together.

Ideas how this may work out:

1) Annie is at the beginning of whatever Zimmy started to help her. She will truly merge when she works out some of her issues instead of pretending they aren't there.

2) Annie is at the beginning, but this is just a between step. When she works out those issues, she'll switch back to two people.

3) Zimmy, who hasn't won any awards for her social skills, goofed. This isn't working the way she thought it would.

Side benefit: This may give an insight into how Loup, who is also a combined being, can be dealt with.

[Willie the Duck]

Did Jones... Go over there to hook up with Anthony? That's Kornaki's Long Shot Webcomic Call of the Day.

Based on today's strip, if that's not the case, then Tom is doing his level best to throw us a red herring.

[eee]

Harsh and somewhat inaccurate assessment of Tony's observational skills. Correct view of his parental abilities.

[Haruspex_Pariah]

Who would have thought Cvet and Paz regularly hang out and swap juicy gossip.

Meta point: this is how Jones will be caught up with all the stuff we readers already know so Tom doesn't have to spend more pages doing that.

[Iruka]

Jones knows that Cvet totally likes to gossip.

[Mith]

Jones knows that Cvet totally likes to gossip.

I have a mental image of the Court's Shadow Men constantly using Cvet as an information source.

[wingnutx]

Did Jones... Go over there to hook up with Anthony?

Jimmy Jims would explode.

[Vinyadan]

Maybe someone already noticed, but it's funny how there were one Annie and two gods in the forest, and then there suddenly were two Annies and just one god.

[wingnutx]

Maybe someone already noticed, but it's funny how there were one Annie and two gods in the forest, and then there suddenly were two Annies and just one god.

Good observation.

[RowenMorland]

I wonder if we'll find out when we next see Loup that what he did to get two Annie's was trivially easy to do and undo by breaking them like a chocolate bar over a point of inner contention. The fact it could be fixed by coming to terms with herself would be like a joke when she demanded he fix it and it turned out she could have done it all along. It seems like the subtle sort of trick Coyote would pull.

But the joke is that Loup didn't think she would be able to recombine but because Loup is part Ysengrin now the joke has fallen flat and is now on him.

[137beth]

Why does Jones want to "psychologically evaluate" Annie?

[Vinyadan]

Maybe she's worried she could be a third Annie (both Annies were shifted, if I recall correctly). Or maybe it's because she now has a powerful weapon at her disposal.

[sihnfahl]

Maybe she's worried she could be a third Annie (both Annies were shifted, if I recall correctly).

Both were shifted, but NEITHER is the correct Annie.

Or maybe it's because she now has a powerful weapon at her disposal.

Well, that and she has the experiences of effectively two different people. The months of Forest Annie merged with the months of Court Annie. That could lead to identity issues.

[137beth]

Maybe she's worried she could be a third Annie (both Annies were shifted, if I recall correctly).

That could be.

Or maybe it's because she now has a powerful weapon at her disposal.

But what would Jones need an Annie-strength weapon for, given how powerful she is?

[SZbNAhL]

But what would Jones need an Annie-strength weapon for, given how powerful she is?

There are reasons not to want a mentally unstable person to have a powerful weapon besides wanting it for yourself.

[Max_Killjoy]

Maybe Jones and some others are just legitimately concerned?

[Vinyadan]

But what would Jones need an Annie-strength weapon for, given how powerful she is?

I meant that Annie has a weapon, and she's very young, so it's best if she gets some psychological exam and/or support.

How did forest Annie behave towards Eglamore? I noticed that Annie's dad acts distant towards short-haired Annie, who acted disdainfully towards Eglamore.

[Squire Doodad]

Maybe Jones and some others are just legitimately concerned?

Someone suddenly has two instances of them, and then suddenly becomes one again. The Court probably wants a full analysis, and Jones is both the most qualified to handle this and to handle Annie specifically.
This is probably treating the situation a bit too calmly, even.