Wouldn’t Pru need Luanns parents permission before giving the key to Les and run the whole situation by them? This whole plot seems unrealistic. I thought Pru was a street smart girl form NY??
As a Fuse employee who arranged this event, Pru would have a right (if not an obligation) to attend, even if Ann says they’re “full”. Pru is just so star-struck and mesmerized by Ann that she wants to accommodate all her wishes.
I hope that the DeGroots have that place and contents insured. I have a feeling it will be a “cleaning” party! ie: Ann & Les will clean the place out!! :-(
Looking at Ann’s expression in the last frame – I am now suspecting there will be some kind of damage – and it is Ann’s revenge on TJ. Of course her check will bounce.
This seems like a lot of pretext just for Les to get the key to the Fuse. You would think he could just as easily get it by asking to close or open, if the key is the “key” element of the plan.
This feels very forced to me. Somebody somewhere would see the name on the contract and the whole deal is blown. Presumably they are going to destroy/clean out the FUSE to get back at TJ and it will all be very dramatic. But it just defies common sense.
ARYE: TJ worked under Anne at Wienie World and caught her up to no good, if memory serves me correctly. Somebody here can surely point you to the thread, I’m sure.
Pru – "Hello, Chief? It’s Pru. Yeah Eiffel took the Bait and wrote me a check! Yeah, the so-called "Lingerie Party’ is on! Get the Tech guys down here to set up the hidden cameras and have the SWAT Team on standby, ready to raid the Fuse, on My mark. And Remember, Her “son” Les Knox will be at the front door letting people in. So in addition to Illegal Gambling and running a after hours Strip Joint, We can also bust Ann for “Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor! Gotta Run, I got another call to make!”
“Hello. Gunther? Thanks for the Tip on Les Knox and His “Mom!”
Gunther – “Oh No Problem! Just doing My part to take Annoying Dangerous People off the Streets!”
I just gotta wonder what part Mr. Gray plays in all this—he is the one that financed the Fuse for some unknown reason. Then Les comes on the scene and now Ann. Maybe some elaborate plot all set up by Mr Gray?
A while back, when Les fibbed to Pru about something, she was nice about it, but she told him that her rough upbringing had taught her to recognize when people are lying.
But unless Pru is doing some kind of undercover thing, as some have speculated, it looks like all her lie-spotting abilities took flight to the back of the moon.
Big news is always saved for a Saturday presentation. (An old pre-internet tradition to boost sagging weekend sales.) Saturday may be when Luann reads the name Ann Eifel on the contract. Then we’ll probably have a whole week of pre party prevarication, suspected incrimination, and party of the first part intimidation. (Tension, apprehension , and dissention have begun. [Thank you, Alfred Bester.])
Mr. Gray’s part, if not a part of the scam, is to remind all parties that a signed contract is a valid contract. And you can not call in the police on a mere suspicion.
Predicted Deus Ex Machina for the night of The Fuse and far between ever-ready steady teddy settee.
not enough work at The Fuse?I’d love to see Pru drive for Uber or Lyft. Gawd the stories I could feed to Greg.
Doesn’t The Fuse have a liquor license? In my state, if you have a venue with any sort of liquor license, you better be careful about how it’s used, and it’s incumbent on the license holder to make sure certain things don’t happen at the licensed property.
Is there an actual manager for the Fuse? I seem to remember reading that the only money making portion was the restaurant and TJ runs that. Who takes care of everything else? I don’t remember a strip where they had a staff meeting or a planning meeting or anything at all.
How could it possibly be full already? Ann just booked the party and she hasn’t even told the regulars when it will be. Certainly there is room for ONE more woman.
It’s really hard to believe that Pru is this stupid. Even if she believe and sympathized with Ann, she shouldn’t be cutting rates and agreeing to an unsupervised event and giving the keys to the business to Les without the OK of the business owners.
Pru should just say, “I’m sorry, Ann, but our rules are that a manager needs to be present at all times whenever the business is open. I’ll be in the office and not at your party, but I need to be here. It’s our policy and not negotiable.”
…Aaaand… there they are, those shifty and devious eyes of Ann’s!
-
….probably appropriate, her getting into a “Big Yellow Taxi” (♬), given her likely desire to “pave (this here) ‘paradise’ (and) put up a parking lot”(♪)…….
How’s this for a scenario? Les has a last-minute change of heart. His abiding love for Pru, cannot stand to allow her to suffer the tragic outcome planned by his mother, Ann. In a love pact, he and Pru escape to New York to an unknown and uncertain future. HEY! It could happen!
Ann’s look in the last panel says it all. I really hope this plan gets thwarted. Hopefully, TJ is, secretly, somewhere in the building when they try to pull it off, and busts Ann again (he being the one the busted her at Wienie World)!
As I’ve seen it laid it in the last few weeks, it appears TJ manages the restaurant and Pru manages the theater… now if this had come up before Greg started establishing Pru being responsibility in the camp plotline then I’d probably question it as well.
I’m also curious, while many see doom and gloom coming from Ms. Awful (for those of who remember her) I find it interesting how Greg’s choosen to connect the dots and re-use a low end protagonists as background for Les.
Les also appears to still have a soft spot for Pru… He’s still sweet on her and is probably more accepting of having no chance because she don’t swing that way rather than just being turned down by a girl for being a creep… I don’t see him doing anything that would get her fired or even severely upsetting her.
And let’s not forget and Mr. Grey is still in this as well, so far as I know he’s somewhere between the DeGroots and Pru / TJ on the org chart…
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if this will be a redemption story arc for Les… After all we know he has little love for mom… Don’t forget Mr. Grey either, I seem to remember him getting on Les about not helping his mom out.
Even if Les doesn’t make a turn for the better, I have a feeling Mr. Grey would step in to protect the DeGroots or make up for any damages.
Turning away a potential customer. Another warning flag. And Pru has not even asked about the suppliers or for a view of the goods. As Frank is led away in handcuffs he will be yelling, “What were you thinking?!!”
Ann may have gone off the deep end. Whatever she is plotting, it would easily be traced back to her, so it might be something so dramatic she doesn’t care if she’s caught. My guess is arson to get revenge on TJ, with something dramatic happening with Brad and/or Toni responding. I think Les is an unwitting dupe in all of this— he doesn’t strike me as too bright.
OK even if Pru does the event bookings at the Fuse, she needs to run it by with Frank and Nancy. To have an unauthorized event and something goes wrong, it’ll be Frank and Nancy who gets hit with the lawsuit not Pru.
@JPuzzleWhiz: From my possible scenario yesterday about a fire during Ann’s ‘event’ – I was meaning the guy in the FD who keeps smiling all the time! (the one who wanted to order extra pizza at their party for B&T) … but I can see the confusion, description-wise between him (don’t know his name), and TJ.
I’m not going to get started on the fact that Pru gave away the keys, but what sort of criminal activity would indeed happen at The FUZE? Are they going to steal lights? Chairs?
This is a late comment, as I could not think last night before I went to bed, but I am going to present my contrarian view on this arc. I think precisely because this seems like such a slam dunk for Ann Awful, with the supposed son Les being in league, and Pru being totally clueless that Greg and company have a surprise in mind here. Something totally unexpected, but something in which there will be drama, but in which Ann will get her comeuppance in the end. Just me gut telling me. Time—Luannverse time—will tell.
FROM YESTERDAYSALLYMARGARET ABOUT 24 HOURS AGOPru says, “I’m renting MY space.” Even the room where she’s sleeping isn’t her space.
So if you are renting an apartment, and you tell someone about it, do you say you are renting YOUR apartment. or the building’s aprtment? Or do you say I am renting ‘an’ apartment. I mean what difference does it make in context?
Whatever happens it con’t be good for the business and it’s license. Places that sell alcohol are generally held to a high standard by local authorities (unless those in power are getting a cut).
Let me guess, TJ and his fausse mère are going to steal everything that isn’t bolted down. Then, Dirk (Tony’s ex and now graduated from the police academy) will be the one to arrest them?
Mr. Gray is the nominal building manager of The Fuse, with TJ, by dent of his food truck insurance investment running (owning?) Kafe Kablooie.Prudence was hired as bartender and “helps” run the theater at Mr. Gray’s suggestion.
http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2016/03/01
Now, whether that allows her to independently book the theater space and sign binding contracts with no input from the building manager or the owners, Frank and Nancy DeGroot, we don’t know.
Pru…. come on! You are being FAR TOO lackadaisical and trusting about this venture. This is even more so because you are only an employee (not owner) of The Fuse. You need to be far more careful and discerning…. especially with your unfortunately poor performance related to the Drama Camp. You are definitely skating on THIN ICE!!!
The big question in my mind this morning still is….. WHAT IS THE SCHEME?!?! After today’s entry and in culmination with the last several days, here are my new thoughts:
1) REVENGE/DESTRUCTION SCHEME – while I think both Ann and Les have some folks they would like to seek revenge upon (Ann → TJ for the Weenie World incident; Les → perhaps a misguided feeling of need for revenge against Pru for not accepting his advances), the problem I see in a revenge scheme is that BOTH Ann and Les would be too blatantly identifiable as the cause of the destruction. Say if they were to steal everything in The Fuse or sabotage the K2…. they would both be the primary suspects. So I cannot see a reason for them to use this technique to seek destructive revenge.
2) GAMBLING SCHEME TO RAKE IN CASH – This is promising on some levels…. Schrodinger’s Dog suggested a high stakes poker match, which is plausible, but I do not see a clear benefit for Ann and Les to hold it in The Fuse. A broader, wider ranging “Casino” gambling scheme could also fit…. and would be big enough to need the space of The Fuse…. but I think the problem with the “Casino” idea is that there would have to be known to Ann and Les a large clientele of gamblers that they can round up to the destination of The Fuse to make it economically viable. So, at least IMO, gambling, while technically possible, seems to have some problems as well and I suspect it will not be gambling.
3) PORNOGRAPHY – as I mentioned yesterday, I tend to doubt Greg would advance the story into that realm in any way, so I am discarding this idea.
4) METH LAB – I thought of this idea this morning. I guess it is possible that they could use The Fuse like this in some sort of “Breaking Bad” story type arc. But, truthfully, I doubt it would steer in this sort of direction. Even with Ann’s and Les’s past history of nastiness, this does not seem to fit their persona. So, I say not likely.
5) ?!? Again, I am flummoxed. The scam has to a) be something that has the potential to bring both Ann and Les a whole helluva lot of cash, b) it has to be something that both would believe they can get away with, without repercussions, and c) it still has to be something that fits within the nature of the “Luann” comic.
* * * *
The only thing I can say is that I still feel that Ann is only playing the “part” of being Les’s mom. I think she would not be trying this scheme, whatever it is, at The Fuse if she were related to Mr. Gray (even if only by marriage). That seems too risky a proposition even for Ann. I think she has NO IDEA that Mr. Gray is involved with the Fuse, does not know Mr. Gray, and thinks she is flim-flamming Pru (and the DeGroots) with scheme.
Trouble, trouble, trouble, folks, right here in River City. In Monday’s strip, Ann said she wants to rent the Fuse so she can have a bigger, more profitable event than the ones she has done before. Yet today she says Pru can’t come because “It’s a regular group, Hon, and we’re full.” In other words, absolutely nothing she has told Pru is true. Is Pru smarter than this? Will someone else find out what’s going on before it’s too late? Tune in tomorrow.
Most likely a Poker Party; lets hope TJ hears about it so that he can give everybody the inside scoop on Anne Eiffell and lets hope that the party is not part of Mr Gray’s plans.
Either Pru is by far the single most stupid person in the Luannverse or she is a great actor and has things set up to bust those scum. I vote for the former but the latter would make a better story.
I worked at a dealership that allowed a porn film to be shot there at night. (years before I worked there) They lost one of their franchises over it. I think this is one of the most plausible ideas because the Evanses have been taking the comic strip into more adult topics as Luann has grown up. The Fuse has a lot to lose, like the whole business. Unless Pru happens to tell the family when she gets home tonight and they are able to thwart Awful’s scheme. Or maybe Mr. Grey with his connections, gets word of it and saves the day, again. Either way, Pru will probably go back to NYC and make room for a new character.
Full? Unable to attend? Pru, you have “sucker” written on your forehead. You KNOW that check’s gonna bounce like a rubber ball. Note the last panel…Ann’s WAY too happy…
Looks like Ann is going to get revenge on Luann and Brad. But why punish her parents? And why is Les a part of this? Sure he’s not a nice guy, but this sounds like a really big crime in planning. And is Ann REALLY Les’ mom?
A smidgeon over three years ago, a dramatic event happened in this little universe. TJ’s food truck exploded, the sound being rendered as >>KA-BLOOIE!!<<. The resulting insurance settlement led us to where we are today, with TJ as a major investor in Kafe Kablooie. Though many, (including, briefly, Brad and Toni) thought that TJ might have intentionally blown up his business to collect the money, the strip of August 1, 2014 depicts him as surprised and escaping alive only by a stroke of luck. I, and others, always assumed a propane leak, probably ignited by a lit stove burner, was the cause. I don’t think this was ever definitively established. Today, Ann seems to be planning a different kind of “KA-BLOOIE” for the current situation. Or is it different? Mayhap she somehow engineered the food truck explosion. Maybe she thought TJ would be blamed and sent to jail over it. Maybe she’s about to try the same trick again, but this time leaving more durable and definitive planted evidence to incriminate TJ. If this strip were as over the top as some wish it were, she might even plant a heat shrunken skull in the rubble to fake her own death. [Remember the infamous “Dennis the Menace” panel? The one where he’s saying to his mother, “I see your little petrified skull… labelled and resting on a shelf somewhere.”] Light the Fuse and KA….!!!
Got to be serious $$ involved. She couldn’t have known in advance that it would be so easy to play Pru. I haven’t heard anything plausible yet. Vandalism would make no money, would waste a good arc in the making and seems inconsistent with what we know of Annie. A brothel seems un-Greglike and actually would not generate (in one night) as much income as folks here seem to think. Illegal drugs would leave a crumb trail directly to Ms. Eiffel, and doesn’t seem like her style. Anything massively illegal has the same pitfall. Maybe my hopes are too high.
I am not convinced that Les is innocent in this scheme whatever it is; folks here have thought that he has undergone some kind of redemption since working at the Fuse but I am not sure. He referred to a "pile " of $ that the Fuse could make. There is no pile of $ to be made selling lingerie… to my knowledge. He must know something of what his mother is up to.
Already having the lingerie guests pre-enrolled should be a red flag to Pru. How exactly would Ms. Eiffel do that, without folks in town knowing about it. Or are the attendees flying in from out of town. Smells like a two week old carp.
You can’t con a con if the original con knows a better lawyer than the ersatz part time con. Breach of contract awards can be huge.
But in this long stream of commentary, it has been established that Pru has been given the power to book The Fuse. Albeit with a prefilled contract. Now, has it been previously established that all employees are to be treated like family, and family never gets charged the full price?
I still see a full week’s worth of strips of pre-party zeitgeist, but without Pru being in the role of job ending serious trouble.
The Ann scam?If Les runs security at the door, and is only at the door, and never goes inside, it would be fun to have Pru recognize a few of the cars in the parking lot from that time she went to a certain local bar—-once and only once.
My guess is that once the illegal activity begins, both Ann and Les will split and call the cops. The Fuse will then be raided and the DeGroots will be blamed.
“Bad publicity is still publicity.” We keep commenting on the implausibility of this arc and a certain discontent with the strip as a whole as of late. But we’re still reading. This is supposed to be a strip about LUANN…seems to have strayed from that big time. I’m losing patience with the direction the Evanses have taken. After a decade+ of reading, I may have to delete it.
Templo S.U.D. over 6 years ago
A real pleasure.
Namrepus over 6 years ago
Reading this arc is like watching a plane crash in slow motion, if that were physically possible.
PhilipB over 6 years ago
Wouldn’t Pru need Luanns parents permission before giving the key to Les and run the whole situation by them? This whole plot seems unrealistic. I thought Pru was a street smart girl form NY??
TexanAtHeart over 6 years ago
what do you think they will be doing at the Fuse? Pop-up Gambling Casino?
Wizardgoat over 6 years ago
As a Fuse employee who arranged this event, Pru would have a right (if not an obligation) to attend, even if Ann says they’re “full”. Pru is just so star-struck and mesmerized by Ann that she wants to accommodate all her wishes.
DaJellyBelly over 6 years ago
I hope that the DeGroots have that place and contents insured. I have a feeling it will be a “cleaning” party! ie: Ann & Les will clean the place out!! :-(
BJShipley1 over 6 years ago
Something tells me that check is gonna bounce….
DaJellyBelly over 6 years ago
PS: Even if Pru and the others can’t attend. They could still stake out the joint!!
kenhense over 6 years ago
Looking at Ann’s expression in the last frame – I am now suspecting there will be some kind of damage – and it is Ann’s revenge on TJ. Of course her check will bounce.
Lord Hearteater over 6 years ago
Hmmmmmm….clandestine gathering after dark, no staff other than Les around. I smell a major drug deal.
31768 over 6 years ago
Hopefully the $400.00 are not counterfeit. How naive can Pru(ne) be? I dont get it! I hope Anne gets caught. It smells like a brothel to me.
Argythree over 6 years ago
Ann might just vandalize the Kafe Kablooie as her revenge against TJ…
howtheduck over 6 years ago
This seems like a lot of pretext just for Les to get the key to the Fuse. You would think he could just as easily get it by asking to close or open, if the key is the “key” element of the plan.
phoenix0401 over 6 years ago
This feels very forced to me. Somebody somewhere would see the name on the contract and the whole deal is blown. Presumably they are going to destroy/clean out the FUSE to get back at TJ and it will all be very dramatic. But it just defies common sense.
arye uygur over 6 years ago
@KENHENSE: Please fill me in: What has Anne to do with TJ that there’s a “revenge”?
blunebottle over 6 years ago
ARYE: TJ worked under Anne at Wienie World and caught her up to no good, if memory serves me correctly. Somebody here can surely point you to the thread, I’m sure.
Mordock999 Premium Member over 6 years ago
Pru – "Hello, Chief? It’s Pru. Yeah Eiffel took the Bait and wrote me a check! Yeah, the so-called "Lingerie Party’ is on! Get the Tech guys down here to set up the hidden cameras and have the SWAT Team on standby, ready to raid the Fuse, on My mark. And Remember, Her “son” Les Knox will be at the front door letting people in. So in addition to Illegal Gambling and running a after hours Strip Joint, We can also bust Ann for “Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor! Gotta Run, I got another call to make!”
“Hello. Gunther? Thanks for the Tip on Les Knox and His “Mom!”
Gunther – “Oh No Problem! Just doing My part to take Annoying Dangerous People off the Streets!”
mavinminx over 6 years ago
I just gotta wonder what part Mr. Gray plays in all this—he is the one that financed the Fuse for some unknown reason. Then Les comes on the scene and now Ann. Maybe some elaborate plot all set up by Mr Gray?
Wizardgoat over 6 years ago
A while back, when Les fibbed to Pru about something, she was nice about it, but she told him that her rough upbringing had taught her to recognize when people are lying.
But unless Pru is doing some kind of undercover thing, as some have speculated, it looks like all her lie-spotting abilities took flight to the back of the moon.
Vilyehm over 6 years ago
Big news is always saved for a Saturday presentation. (An old pre-internet tradition to boost sagging weekend sales.) Saturday may be when Luann reads the name Ann Eifel on the contract. Then we’ll probably have a whole week of pre party prevarication, suspected incrimination, and party of the first part intimidation. (Tension, apprehension , and dissention have begun. [Thank you, Alfred Bester.])
Mr. Gray’s part, if not a part of the scam, is to remind all parties that a signed contract is a valid contract. And you can not call in the police on a mere suspicion.Predicted Deus Ex Machina for the night of The Fuse and far between ever-ready steady teddy settee.
not enough work at The Fuse?I’d love to see Pru drive for Uber or Lyft. Gawd the stories I could feed to Greg.
JohnnyGLyon over 6 years ago
Doesn’t The Fuse have a liquor license? In my state, if you have a venue with any sort of liquor license, you better be careful about how it’s used, and it’s incumbent on the license holder to make sure certain things don’t happen at the licensed property.
Brdshtt Premium Member over 6 years ago
Ann will be hosting a witches’ sabbat and there will be dancing, cavorting, and sacrifices, of course…
.
Perhaps they will change Les back into a toad.
Meh~tdology, fka Pepelaputr over 6 years ago
And next Monday we’ll be back to Frank wanting a cut of Luann’s mentoring money.
Meh~tdology, fka Pepelaputr over 6 years ago
@ARYE UYGUR –
Originally, Ann Eiffel fired Brad for fraternizing with Toni on the job, so TJ decided to avenge Bradley. It’s all over the place, but start here:
http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2011/12/05
A week of torture:http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2012/03/19
http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2012/04/16
through
http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2013/01/11
Lyons Group, Inc. over 6 years ago
Okay, I don’t care for the look on her face.
The Old Wolf over 6 years ago
I just can’t watch.
forestkat2015 over 6 years ago
Mr Gray is Les’s Uncle. Does that make him Ann’s brother?
Aqsnt over 6 years ago
I wonder…………..is there a bank near by?
electricpostcard over 6 years ago
Well now we see where Les got his “abilities”. More like a family trait.
Rocknaww over 6 years ago
Is there an actual manager for the Fuse? I seem to remember reading that the only money making portion was the restaurant and TJ runs that. Who takes care of everything else? I don’t remember a strip where they had a staff meeting or a planning meeting or anything at all.
Barry1941 over 6 years ago
Pru needs a dunce cap
locake over 6 years ago
How could it possibly be full already? Ann just booked the party and she hasn’t even told the regulars when it will be. Certainly there is room for ONE more woman.
sueb1863 over 6 years ago
It’s really hard to believe that Pru is this stupid. Even if she believe and sympathized with Ann, she shouldn’t be cutting rates and agreeing to an unsupervised event and giving the keys to the business to Les without the OK of the business owners.
Pru should just say, “I’m sorry, Ann, but our rules are that a manager needs to be present at all times whenever the business is open. I’ll be in the office and not at your party, but I need to be here. It’s our policy and not negotiable.”
wreck it ralph over 6 years ago
I hope the Fuse has CCTV so Frank and Nancy can see what’s going down.
GaryF.Mooney over 6 years ago
When Les bought Pru expensive jewelry, Mr. Grey scolded him, as Les had a debt to his mother. — Payback time?
JayBluE over 6 years ago
…Aaaand… there they are, those shifty and devious eyes of Ann’s!
-
….probably appropriate, her getting into a “Big Yellow Taxi” (♬), given her likely desire to “pave (this here) ‘paradise’ (and) put up a parking lot”(♪)…….
Tyge Premium Member over 6 years ago
How’s this for a scenario? Les has a last-minute change of heart. His abiding love for Pru, cannot stand to allow her to suffer the tragic outcome planned by his mother, Ann. In a love pact, he and Pru escape to New York to an unknown and uncertain future. HEY! It could happen!
JayBluE over 6 years ago
“Game Of ‘Owns’ "
“Bait And Switch”
“Got To Give The People What (They Think) They Want” (♪)
“Who’s Zooming Who?” {♬)
“Games People Play” (♬)
“Cat And Mouse At Work”
“Easy Peasy! Now Start The Squeezy….”
“A Fox In Fleece Closing”
“Glasses Made Of Wool”
“Little Pru, Little Pru, Let Me In!”
“Of Titanic Proportions”
“The Poor Rent Trap”
or
“Deal ’Em In!”
Glen.A.Zerbi over 6 years ago
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”
TORAD_07 over 6 years ago
Ann’s look in the last panel says it all. I really hope this plan gets thwarted. Hopefully, TJ is, secretly, somewhere in the building when they try to pull it off, and busts Ann again (he being the one the busted her at Wienie World)!
james28602 over 6 years ago
As I’ve seen it laid it in the last few weeks, it appears TJ manages the restaurant and Pru manages the theater… now if this had come up before Greg started establishing Pru being responsibility in the camp plotline then I’d probably question it as well.
I’m also curious, while many see doom and gloom coming from Ms. Awful (for those of who remember her) I find it interesting how Greg’s choosen to connect the dots and re-use a low end protagonists as background for Les.
Les also appears to still have a soft spot for Pru… He’s still sweet on her and is probably more accepting of having no chance because she don’t swing that way rather than just being turned down by a girl for being a creep… I don’t see him doing anything that would get her fired or even severely upsetting her.
And let’s not forget and Mr. Grey is still in this as well, so far as I know he’s somewhere between the DeGroots and Pru / TJ on the org chart…
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if this will be a redemption story arc for Les… After all we know he has little love for mom… Don’t forget Mr. Grey either, I seem to remember him getting on Les about not helping his mom out.
Even if Les doesn’t make a turn for the better, I have a feeling Mr. Grey would step in to protect the DeGroots or make up for any damages.
Chuck374 over 6 years ago
Turning away a potential customer. Another warning flag. And Pru has not even asked about the suppliers or for a view of the goods. As Frank is led away in handcuffs he will be yelling, “What were you thinking?!!”
Cuckooman Premium Member over 6 years ago
Ann and Les are still area residents. Unless they are skipping town, they can’t just gut the place and get away with it.
Cashie over 6 years ago
It’s got to be a gambling operation. That’s how Mr Gray gets all his contacts.
Partyalldatyme over 6 years ago
Ann may have gone off the deep end. Whatever she is plotting, it would easily be traced back to her, so it might be something so dramatic she doesn’t care if she’s caught. My guess is arson to get revenge on TJ, with something dramatic happening with Brad and/or Toni responding. I think Les is an unwitting dupe in all of this— he doesn’t strike me as too bright.
GirlGeek Premium Member over 6 years ago
OK even if Pru does the event bookings at the Fuse, she needs to run it by with Frank and Nancy. To have an unauthorized event and something goes wrong, it’ll be Frank and Nancy who gets hit with the lawsuit not Pru.
Code the Enforcer over 6 years ago
@JPuzzleWhiz: From my possible scenario yesterday about a fire during Ann’s ‘event’ – I was meaning the guy in the FD who keeps smiling all the time! (the one who wanted to order extra pizza at their party for B&T) … but I can see the confusion, description-wise between him (don’t know his name), and TJ.
GovernmentCheese over 6 years ago
I’m not going to get started on the fact that Pru gave away the keys, but what sort of criminal activity would indeed happen at The FUZE? Are they going to steal lights? Chairs?
My money is on an illegal gambling operation.
luann1212 over 6 years ago
This is a late comment, as I could not think last night before I went to bed, but I am going to present my contrarian view on this arc. I think precisely because this seems like such a slam dunk for Ann Awful, with the supposed son Les being in league, and Pru being totally clueless that Greg and company have a surprise in mind here. Something totally unexpected, but something in which there will be drama, but in which Ann will get her comeuppance in the end. Just me gut telling me. Time—Luannverse time—will tell.
Terminal Frost Premium Member over 6 years ago
FROM YESTERDAYSALLYMARGARET ABOUT 24 HOURS AGOPru says, “I’m renting MY space.” Even the room where she’s sleeping isn’t her space.
So if you are renting an apartment, and you tell someone about it, do you say you are renting YOUR apartment. or the building’s aprtment? Or do you say I am renting ‘an’ apartment. I mean what difference does it make in context?
Terminal Frost Premium Member over 6 years ago
RINGO. Quill isn’t gay. never was.
Pointspread over 6 years ago
Whatever happens it con’t be good for the business and it’s license. Places that sell alcohol are generally held to a high standard by local authorities (unless those in power are getting a cut).
Joliet Jake over 6 years ago
Let me guess, TJ and his fausse mère are going to steal everything that isn’t bolted down. Then, Dirk (Tony’s ex and now graduated from the police academy) will be the one to arrest them?
Meh~tdology, fka Pepelaputr over 6 years ago
@ROCKAWW –
Mr. Gray is the nominal building manager of The Fuse, with TJ, by dent of his food truck insurance investment running (owning?) Kafe Kablooie.Prudence was hired as bartender and “helps” run the theater at Mr. Gray’s suggestion.
http://www.gocomics.com/luann/2016/03/01
Now, whether that allows her to independently book the theater space and sign binding contracts with no input from the building manager or the owners, Frank and Nancy DeGroot, we don’t know.
bookworm0812 over 6 years ago
I smell a disaster.
Pipe Tobacco Premium Member over 6 years ago
7
Late morning pipe and coffee break time:
Pru…. come on! You are being FAR TOO lackadaisical and trusting about this venture. This is even more so because you are only an employee (not owner) of The Fuse. You need to be far more careful and discerning…. especially with your unfortunately poor performance related to the Drama Camp. You are definitely skating on THIN ICE!!!
The big question in my mind this morning still is….. WHAT IS THE SCHEME?!?! After today’s entry and in culmination with the last several days, here are my new thoughts:
1) REVENGE/DESTRUCTION SCHEME – while I think both Ann and Les have some folks they would like to seek revenge upon (Ann → TJ for the Weenie World incident; Les → perhaps a misguided feeling of need for revenge against Pru for not accepting his advances), the problem I see in a revenge scheme is that BOTH Ann and Les would be too blatantly identifiable as the cause of the destruction. Say if they were to steal everything in The Fuse or sabotage the K2…. they would both be the primary suspects. So I cannot see a reason for them to use this technique to seek destructive revenge.
2) GAMBLING SCHEME TO RAKE IN CASH – This is promising on some levels…. Schrodinger’s Dog suggested a high stakes poker match, which is plausible, but I do not see a clear benefit for Ann and Les to hold it in The Fuse. A broader, wider ranging “Casino” gambling scheme could also fit…. and would be big enough to need the space of The Fuse…. but I think the problem with the “Casino” idea is that there would have to be known to Ann and Les a large clientele of gamblers that they can round up to the destination of The Fuse to make it economically viable. So, at least IMO, gambling, while technically possible, seems to have some problems as well and I suspect it will not be gambling.
3) PORNOGRAPHY – as I mentioned yesterday, I tend to doubt Greg would advance the story into that realm in any way, so I am discarding this idea.
Pipe Tobacco Premium Member over 6 years ago
4) METH LAB – I thought of this idea this morning. I guess it is possible that they could use The Fuse like this in some sort of “Breaking Bad” story type arc. But, truthfully, I doubt it would steer in this sort of direction. Even with Ann’s and Les’s past history of nastiness, this does not seem to fit their persona. So, I say not likely.
5) ?!? Again, I am flummoxed. The scam has to a) be something that has the potential to bring both Ann and Les a whole helluva lot of cash, b) it has to be something that both would believe they can get away with, without repercussions, and c) it still has to be something that fits within the nature of the “Luann” comic.
* * * *The only thing I can say is that I still feel that Ann is only playing the “part” of being Les’s mom. I think she would not be trying this scheme, whatever it is, at The Fuse if she were related to Mr. Gray (even if only by marriage). That seems too risky a proposition even for Ann. I think she has NO IDEA that Mr. Gray is involved with the Fuse, does not know Mr. Gray, and thinks she is flim-flamming Pru (and the DeGroots) with scheme.
GaryCooper over 6 years ago
Trouble, trouble, trouble, folks, right here in River City. In Monday’s strip, Ann said she wants to rent the Fuse so she can have a bigger, more profitable event than the ones she has done before. Yet today she says Pru can’t come because “It’s a regular group, Hon, and we’re full.” In other words, absolutely nothing she has told Pru is true. Is Pru smarter than this? Will someone else find out what’s going on before it’s too late? Tune in tomorrow.
comicboyz over 6 years ago
Most likely a Poker Party; lets hope TJ hears about it so that he can give everybody the inside scoop on Anne Eiffell and lets hope that the party is not part of Mr Gray’s plans.
Cattus99 over 6 years ago
Either Pru is by far the single most stupid person in the Luannverse or she is a great actor and has things set up to bust those scum. I vote for the former but the latter would make a better story.
Argy.Bargy2 over 6 years ago
Maybe Ann intends to use The Fuse to process stolen goods (taken from elsewhere) and ship them to new ‘owners’.
Scoutmaster77 over 6 years ago
One word… strippers! Male or female, your choice.
ObsidianGeek over 6 years ago
Who’s the better actress? I still believe Pru sees right through her act and is planning the perfect time to catch her. We’ll see.
TexanAtHeart over 6 years ago
I worked at a dealership that allowed a porn film to be shot there at night. (years before I worked there) They lost one of their franchises over it. I think this is one of the most plausible ideas because the Evanses have been taking the comic strip into more adult topics as Luann has grown up. The Fuse has a lot to lose, like the whole business. Unless Pru happens to tell the family when she gets home tonight and they are able to thwart Awful’s scheme. Or maybe Mr. Grey with his connections, gets word of it and saves the day, again. Either way, Pru will probably go back to NYC and make room for a new character.
rhonda Premium Member over 6 years ago
Mother-son grifter team. He’s looking to pay Pru back for his embarrassment and Mom’s looking to lift everything not nailed down.
Moon57Shine over 6 years ago
Full? Unable to attend? Pru, you have “sucker” written on your forehead. You KNOW that check’s gonna bounce like a rubber ball. Note the last panel…Ann’s WAY too happy…
SukieCrandall Premium Member over 6 years ago
http://www.luannfan.com/who-is-ann-eiffel-p-1/
oldcomicsfan over 6 years ago
Looks like Ann is going to get revenge on Luann and Brad. But why punish her parents? And why is Les a part of this? Sure he’s not a nice guy, but this sounds like a really big crime in planning. And is Ann REALLY Les’ mom?
Nick Danger over 6 years ago
I see a burglary in the future
Schrodinger's Dog over 6 years ago
it’s only Thursday and Anne’s about to depart. 2 days left for something to be explained or additional exposition.
jimmjonzz Premium Member over 6 years ago
A smidgeon over three years ago, a dramatic event happened in this little universe. TJ’s food truck exploded, the sound being rendered as >>KA-BLOOIE!!<<. The resulting insurance settlement led us to where we are today, with TJ as a major investor in Kafe Kablooie. Though many, (including, briefly, Brad and Toni) thought that TJ might have intentionally blown up his business to collect the money, the strip of August 1, 2014 depicts him as surprised and escaping alive only by a stroke of luck. I, and others, always assumed a propane leak, probably ignited by a lit stove burner, was the cause. I don’t think this was ever definitively established. Today, Ann seems to be planning a different kind of “KA-BLOOIE” for the current situation. Or is it different? Mayhap she somehow engineered the food truck explosion. Maybe she thought TJ would be blamed and sent to jail over it. Maybe she’s about to try the same trick again, but this time leaving more durable and definitive planted evidence to incriminate TJ. If this strip were as over the top as some wish it were, she might even plant a heat shrunken skull in the rubble to fake her own death. [Remember the infamous “Dennis the Menace” panel? The one where he’s saying to his mother, “I see your little petrified skull… labelled and resting on a shelf somewhere.”] Light the Fuse and KA….!!!
booga over 6 years ago
They don’t know what Mr. Gray is going to do to them…
chris_weaver over 6 years ago
BWA-HAHAHAHA!!
RSH over 6 years ago
OY OY…..AARRGGHHH…. two more days of this week for Pru to get a clue.
Luanaphile over 6 years ago
Got to be serious $$ involved. She couldn’t have known in advance that it would be so easy to play Pru. I haven’t heard anything plausible yet. Vandalism would make no money, would waste a good arc in the making and seems inconsistent with what we know of Annie. A brothel seems un-Greglike and actually would not generate (in one night) as much income as folks here seem to think. Illegal drugs would leave a crumb trail directly to Ms. Eiffel, and doesn’t seem like her style. Anything massively illegal has the same pitfall. Maybe my hopes are too high.
jr1234 over 6 years ago
to JPUZZLEWHIZ : did’t you make an off topic comment about Glen Campbell yesterday? Was it removed b/c you went off topic?
STACEY MARSHALL Premium Member over 6 years ago
They need a spare key, or stowaways to stake the place out and to call the police in time.
RSH over 6 years ago
I am not convinced that Les is innocent in this scheme whatever it is; folks here have thought that he has undergone some kind of redemption since working at the Fuse but I am not sure. He referred to a "pile " of $ that the Fuse could make. There is no pile of $ to be made selling lingerie… to my knowledge. He must know something of what his mother is up to.
nathenleeturner over 6 years ago
As Ann Eiffell is supposedly Leslie’s mom, does that make Mr. Grey her brother?
Luanaphile over 6 years ago
Already having the lingerie guests pre-enrolled should be a red flag to Pru. How exactly would Ms. Eiffel do that, without folks in town knowing about it. Or are the attendees flying in from out of town. Smells like a two week old carp.
Sisyphos over 6 years ago
This does not look good.
But, let’s fantasize: just maybe Pru has conned the con, taking in $400 and not giving the key to Leslie! We shall see what develops….
David over 6 years ago
Cue sinister music…
Vilyehm over 6 years ago
You can’t con a con if the original con knows a better lawyer than the ersatz part time con. Breach of contract awards can be huge.
But in this long stream of commentary, it has been established that Pru has been given the power to book The Fuse. Albeit with a prefilled contract. Now, has it been previously established that all employees are to be treated like family, and family never gets charged the full price?
I still see a full week’s worth of strips of pre-party zeitgeist, but without Pru being in the role of job ending serious trouble.
The Ann scam?If Les runs security at the door, and is only at the door, and never goes inside, it would be fun to have Pru recognize a few of the cars in the parking lot from that time she went to a certain local bar—-once and only once.
ritakay48 over 6 years ago
My guess is that once the illegal activity begins, both Ann and Les will split and call the cops. The Fuse will then be raided and the DeGroots will be blamed.
kittysquared Premium Member over 6 years ago
“Bad publicity is still publicity.” We keep commenting on the implausibility of this arc and a certain discontent with the strip as a whole as of late. But we’re still reading. This is supposed to be a strip about LUANN…seems to have strayed from that big time. I’m losing patience with the direction the Evanses have taken. After a decade+ of reading, I may have to delete it.
Lizard Lass Premium Member over 6 years ago
No, Pru! Nooo! Don’t get involved with that woman! Run awaaaaay!!
tracybsmith over 6 years ago
Sad to see Pru being so oblivious.