I don’t think Liz was all that pissy…and Paul doesn’t look innocent, in fact, he sounds a bit guilty! No, Hi. baby, I’ve missed you, just, what are you doing here early? Susan doesn’t even invite her in, just brings Paul to the door…folks, it’s cold out! And if they’ve been emailing as often as you say and he hasn’t mentioned spending time with Susan, then maybe she’s right…it is too late.
Ok, I lose. I was hoping for something more nuanced and interesting. Alas, no. I kind of liked that character.
Crosses fingers for Warren.
Yeah. I thought it would turn out differently. Ditto on Warren. Anthony’s a nice guy, but just too needy, and Liz would end up “settling” if she winds up with him.
Yeah, but Liz is pretty needy herself. She bounces from one man to the next and doesn’t have the best judgment about them, so she NEEDS to be in a relationship, and I don’t think she particularly cares about who that relationship is with; in fact, the worse she’s treated, the more she likes it. But that’s just me.
In fact, in today’s strip, Paul’s pulling the whole
It just happened! I didn’t want to hurt you!
bit. It doesn’t get much more stereotypical than that. So Liz is going to mope and whine to good old Anthony before she moves on to the next loser.
Robin
Yeah, I thought the reveal (it just happened) was pretty disappointing. Could have gone so many different - and more interesting - directions.
I’m wondering if, in Mtigwaki, one walks everywhere in town. So seeing his truck outside of her house (I can’t be bothered to remember their names!) means he’s staying there, not just playing Scrabble.
That’s just plain bad writing. This guy who was so courteous before is now a lying, cheating scumbag who didn’t mind letting Elizabeth make that long-ass trip up north instead of going to her home (or at least calling) and letting her know beforehand. God, I hope she doesn’t end up with Porn Star Anthony.
Team Warren!
Why do people hate Anthony so much?
To describe Anthony as a wet noodle would be a disservice to wet noodles everywhere.
All I ask is for a twist that isn’t telegraphed so far in advance that [insert simile involving Western Union that I’m not clever enough to come up with].
I think it’s the pornstache.
He’s just not attractive. Johnston has never drawn him or presented him in a way that would make him attractive to the readers or – since the readers impose their own tastes on the characters – to Liz. He’s wishy-washy. He’s not sexy. He made a complete hash of his first marriage, though Johnston gives him a big shiny gold star for raising his own child. He’s obviously been in love with Liz for years, yet he’s never done a thing about it. His job is boring, his life is boring, there’s not one single thing about him that’s interesting or attractive. He’s just this schlubby guy she used to date in high school, but Johnston keeps flinging him at Liz’s head until it does appear he’s going to be the “winner” for Liz’s hand.
And it’s not just him, it’s what it means to Elizabeth’s character. She had all these dreams of seeing the world, and making a difference teaching, and learning about the First Nations, and living in the North – and it looks like she’s going to end up in a Toronto suburb, married to the dial-tone she dated when she was fourteen. Her wings will be well and truly clipped, and I think people don’t like Anthony because it looks like he’s the means by which they will be clipped.
Do you think Anthony would stand in the way of Elizabeth going north to teach? I think not.
I wonder how the Anthony hatred is distributed across men and women. Some men complain about women not be attracted to nice guys, and here is a perfect case. Anthony seems like the only guy Elizabeth has ever been interested in who isn’t a total rat - but that doesn’t matter because he has an ugly mustache.
I don’t find any of the characters in this strip particularly attractive myself, which makes it more realistic.
He’s a Nice Guy ™. No…he’s THE Nice Guy ™.
A laundry list of his fecklessness after they graduated high school would take too long. Suffice it to say that his eternal pining after Elizabeth, even while married to Teresa (bitch though she may have been), his whining about Teresa’s career and then her wanting a divorce after he basically nagged her into having his child, his completely inappropriate declaration of devotion to Elizabeth literally hours after she was almost raped, the REALLY inappropriate behavior of Elly and John in advocating for him so strongly with Elizabeth…all of it paints an unpretty picture.
Besides, he’s a whiny, lovesick idiot with a martyr complex and a pornstar mustache…
I agree with this - though I do hope that the artist plans to grow Anthony a spine. If he wants Elizabeth he needs to get off his ass and go for it!
My thoughts exactly. I think the author is trying to wrap up all the story arcs with a heavy-handed “there’s no place like home”/“families ought to live in the same block” moral. I don’t hate Anthony, but I’d like him a lot better if he didn’t live in the good ol’ home town. If he were elsewhere, Liz winding up with him would represent developmental progress. As it stands, everybody going back home looks to me like developmental failure.
I hope she becomes a man-hating lesbian, moves to Toronto, and becomes involved with a dyke folk singer who will luv her for ever and ever. The End.
Next plotline: April’s online topless chat business really takes off!
How old is April supposed to be now? (Translation: how guilty should I feel about really wanting to see that plotline?)
I will pay good money to see these strips! 
“Nice Guy” does not equal spineless wuss, and it’s my observation that many people don’t seem to appreciate the difference. I’d go into specifics, but I’d basically just be repeating jayjay’s post. Anthony is passive. He lets life happen to him.