Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for May 22, 2010

BUSTED

So who’s busted, the one relaxing with the truth, or the one with the attitude?

Phil, you need to hire Baslim as your consultant - he understands the situation.

Surely she doesnt think he’s just been sitting around doing nothing his whole life - He’s a motorcycle cop for cryin’ out loud!

With spin, I’d say that could be taken as a proposal. If it’s not a deal breaker, it;s a deal maker.

Phil this looks like a good time to shut up.

\\//_

Yeah, talk about my old girlfriends. That sounds like a good idea.

Phil now repeat after me “HUH!?”

Yo, Phil, I thought the service taught you to secure your weapon in dangerous situations.

and, yeah, you should go with Baslim from here; that statement the best.

Note the emphasis placed on the word ”All” in the last panel. Val’s not simply reacting to the fact that he has a romantic history, but to the implication that it’s extensive.

There certainly comes a time in a relationship when past loves are discussed (first dates are notoriously bad times to do this, but Val and Phil are well beyond that). Baslim’s on the right track, although if you universally trash your past “others” (“significant” or otherwise) it looks like you’ve got bad taste and/or are demanding perfection. After all, Phil’s eventually going to want to know more about Holly and Alix’s father. She’s going to have to find mid-ground between “Oh, you’re an improvement in every way” (probably not true) and “He was perfect and there’ll never be anyone who measures up” (also untrue, and damaging to Phil).

They are supposed to be, what? In their 40s? Even if Phil only dated someone new every couple of years, that would be more than enough history for him to talk about ‘all the other women’.

Val’s naivete is a fixture of her personality and a constant in the strip, but sometimes it goes just a little too far.

Open mouth, insert foot!

NEVER mess up a relationship with a woman by even mentioning that you have dated before. Women are funny about things like that.

Unwise, Foxtrot. Eventually Val and Phil are going to be out together, and will run into a woman from Phil’s past. Even if Phil pretends never to have met her, Val’s going to sense that they’ve “been together”. Whether it was a serious relationship, semi-serious, a brief fling, or simply a flirtation that didn’t go anywhere, the worst scenario will be if Val believes Phil has been “keeping things” from her.

The difference in their expressions between panels one and three are hilarious. :-)

Be grateful for your lover’s past lovers. They’re largely responsible for making him/her the person that you’ve fallen in love with.

Men, particularly, need a lot of “training” to be ready for boyfriend duties, and if you can reap the benefits of another woman’s hard work, she deserves your thanks.

♪♫To all the girls I’ve loved before♪♫

I sense an overreaction imminent…