Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for June 29, 2021

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Yes!! Good Idea, Bets!!

Hol’ up-!

I’m sorry, but the punch line made me laugh. (Not wanting to be insensitive.)

Another girl down the drain. Poor Gunther.

Oddly …

Kinda/Sorta been there.

Almost note-for-note. ✨

It’s only Tuesday. There is a lot of week left and I’m sure this isn’t the final take!

…Now just ask him to sew a few costumes for you before you hit the road…

Bets is such a piece of work! Gunther deserves better.

Saved by the bell! Bullet dodged.

De acuerdo a la tira de ayer, daba la impresión de que Gunther rompería con Bets, pero nuevamente parece ser el tipo necesitado de una relación, esperando que las cosas fueran como antes.

Oh, dear. The Bets haters are going to have a field day.

Maybe I called Norman Rockwell too soon. Maybe this is going to be Code Of Honor after all.

But wait! Bets’ ended the third panel with an ellipsis! There’s still hope!

Keep the Faith of the Heart, PP. Keep the Faith of the Heart.

That should please a lot of commenters. Not me, though. Hope they work it through.

“I love you” and “We should break up.” In what world do these two sentences follow from one to the other?

Was that an observation or a question in the 3rd panel?

Poor Gunther has been controlled his whole life by a pushy mother, and he seems to gravitate toward women just like her. He never stands a chance.

That’s all you needed, Gunther. Tell her it was fun while it lasted and wish her good luck. Walk away.

Mind you, she wouldn’t have told you without Tiff wrangling her there. Walk away.

Take it for what it’s worth. Bets insecurities will just make you’re life miserable

Self fulfilling prophecy at it’s worse.

Ha ha ha!

Leave before he leaves you, Bets, just as Carrie Fisher left Paul Simon so she could leave before he left her. Does she relate to Carrie Fisher? Is that why she is such a Star Wars fan?

“I love Bets” I know you do Gunther but i really i’m not in a good place to start a serious relationship. But Bets can’t we just try and see how it goes.

June 12th, 2019.

Bets decides that she and Gunther are a “thing.”

June 29th, 2021.

Bets decides that she and Gunther are finished.

She’s not going to even give Gunther the chance to dump her.

She’s going to dump him, first.

After two years, she just wads him up like so much used tissue paper and dumps him in on the sidewalk.

And note. THIS is one of few times, she and Gunther have been together that she didn’t pull that damned phone out. And it’s when they are breaking up.

Well, she’s doing Gun a big, BIG favor.

I hope Gunther doesn’t beg. I also HOPE he graciously only wishes the best for Bets.

And I hope he leaves first.

And _DELETES that Stupid “date pic” app from his phone.

I will repeat what I have said before, “Sal si puedes” Gun!

I decided we should break up …

But now I know you’re not like the others

You would never hurt me. You would never leave me

No matter how badly I treated you

And I’m going to let you prove it.

And the cell door clangs shut.

For $50,000, is that your final answer?

Yes, and do not change your mind. Why did you tease Gunther with the L word yesterday? You should have kept quiet and simply told him you decided to break up and leave it at that. No need to confuse him or string him along. Do not say you changed your mind when you saw him again just now. Just be gone.

Uh….Bets met somebody else?

Great idea! Hasta la vista, baby.

Most of us are not buying Bets’s story. Hopefully the rest of this week gets interesting.

And another character disappears.

She’s damaged goods, likely to always be alone, Gunther is better off without her

Part of her power trip is getting him to grovel and cry for her to take him back. She may take him back because she will be able to do it again and again and again.

.

50 ways to leave your lover. She still has 49 left with you, Gunth…

She wants to break up because it will improve her social media traffic!

Gunther, life is too short to waste on neurotic girls.

“Don’t let the gazebo door hit ya on the way out”

Looks like I predicted it, not to brag. And I’m not really glad.

Gunther looks so hopeful and optimistic in panel 3 and then Bets drops the hammer! Ouch! While you might be disappointed right now Gunther, remember what Bets did to you while she was processing these feelings she has about rejection and abandonment.

Maybe in the long run this is best for you, she is unable to get close to anyone, Apparently since she has been burned emotionally numerous times in the past so she is unwilling to risk a close relationship for fear of it happening again. Okay, but by doing this Bets is simply doing to Gunther what was done to her, when it comes down to brass tacks, Bets comes first!

So Gunther, while it does hurt now, you may be avoiding much more pain and heartache later. That being said, I doubt Bets walks off into the sunset on Wednesday, this arc has a few more twists left in it.

Oh, and Gunther: please do not grovel or beg!

Dodged that bullet like Neo, Gunther.

CAN’T break up, else he truly would be another “leave”.

she has to because she doesn’t want to be left …… she will say…..and if G says OK then it’s a self fulfilling prophecy i.e. ‘every i love you leads to me being left’. is this some kind of test?……………….and it’s only tuesday.

See? I told you she was unstable and Gunth needed to get rid of her. He should have dumped her first. Now it looks like she’s in control….again!

So let me get this straight. Bets just said to Gunther that she loves him. But yet she thinks they should break up???? I’m having a hard time comprehending the logic behind this decision.

What the juice???

Can the women here please explain why you would leave a good man who you say you love and who loves you and is good to you in return?

I betcha if Gunther was a total jerk to her and treated her poorly she wouldn’t want to break up.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense…

Gunther should tell her that he is pregnant and she cannot leave him.

This makes perfect sense. You’re afraid, so you run away. Yes. So bad Gunther has do nothing for deserve this. I understand, Bets has issues in trusting people. But it’s sad to see her like this. Gunther can’t accept her decision. Even if Bets is a difficult person she need help. His help as a boyfriend and Tiffany’s help as a friend.

Gunther, in true fashion, will respond by jumping up from the table and start singing “All By Myself”

“Every new beginning is some other new beginning’s end” – Semisonic / “Closing Time”

These are not the words of a shallow woman who was just using Gunther as a fashion prop for her Instagram.

I am sorry, but Gunther doesn’t need unnecesary drama in his life!

YEA!!

Kinda expected it, but hoped it wouldn’t. I still think this is Bets’s version of running away to avoid risking any more pain (which is a bad thing). How do I know this? Been there, done that. If we actually truly talked it out instead of me looking for an escape route, there’s a chance things could have turned out for the better, but I never tried. Bets isn’t trying either. She WILL come to regret this. It’s a guarantee…

“Should” still hope?

Funny some of us thought about that too

Think about it, Gunther. This is a woman who has always put her own needs before yours and doesn’t care anything about you. You needed to study for important tests, but she made you sew pirate costumes instead. You wanted to have a nice romantic dinner, but she didn’t get her way so she dragged you away. She ran out of food at the hot dog place so she started eating your food without even asking.

Wish her luck and wave her off.

Gee! Whutta surprise! (Not). But, there is a (…) after her statement. I see a change of mind here.

I give Bets credit for realizing that she is not ready to be in a serious relationship. She’s got to work through her trust issues and anyone who would be her significant other should not be put in a position to be her therapist. She realizes it’s not Gunther’s job to fix her.

It’s a guess. They stay together.

Gunther loves Bets. Bets loves Gunther. Naturally the only thing to do is break up.

“Bill sings to Sarah. Sarah sings to Bill. Perhaps they will do other dangerous things together. They may eat lamb or stroke each other. They may chant of their difficulties and their happiness. They have love but they also have typewriters. That is interesting.” — RACTER, an early AI program

Seeing lots of “Gunth will beg her to stay…”

If they do break up, Gunth will grow a little by not begging. Otherwise, why have this story in the first place. I can see the possibility of Gunther and Luann going out, since he was always interested in high school. But we’ll see.

I predicted this very soon after Bets made her first appearance. She is totally selfish and she would never be able to commit to a real relationship.

This is the worst!!! Come on Bets!!

So, now it’s Tuesday and the end already? Not even Saturday yet? Hmmmm, something seems amiss. A lot of ground to cover between now and Saturday. Not buying into until then. Four days of dips, and curves on this coaster ride. Like the sign said, “Please remain seated until the ride has come to a complete stop”.

You may not see it now Gunth, but she’s doing you a huge favor. This poor girl has layers of unresolved issues that she needs to deal with before getting into any relationship. You can still be supportive, but at arm’s length.

“That we should break up…… but I still want to keep you around as my costume maker."

so gun shy-no pun intended- that she’s going to live her life in fear of relationships, unless gunther can get her to stay.

“That we should break up….. the friendship between you and Tiffany.”

Might be best. Gunther doesn’t need to be with someone so wishy washy about being in a committed relationship. She’s already shown that she has control and boundary issues, now she doesn’t want to be in a relationship because she’s afraid it’ll end badly? That’s like not buying a car because you’re scared it’ll run out of gas.

YES! Use your fear! (Sometimes you’ve got to embrace your Palpatine moments!)

Well, I have no idea what’s going through her mind, but she came to the right conclusion somehow.

Someone who plays games does not make a good lifelong partner

Good call; that hairstyle is really not working for you.

Bets needs serious help

Let her go Gunther—she is an emotional roller coaster ride that you don’t need in your life.

So, BETS is making all of the decisions in this relationSHIP? Gun should let the ship finish sinking. Despite being beautiful and bright, this girl is a control freak with anger and abandonment issues. I don’t see a happy ending without serious long-term psychotherapy.

I need a dose of Luann & Jack or Les & Punk & Tiff.

Translation: “I wanted the character of a boyfriend for my phony online life, not a real boyfriend in my real life.”

Utterly absurd.

and then get back together

Bets has serious trust issues. She’s afraid of loss, abandonment and being used. Thinks no one can truly love her.

i think i’ve met that girl… more than once.

Yep. All kinds of crazy in that woman.

And if my past experiences with women doing that to me are of any indication, she will regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of her life.

I had a woman instant message me on Facebook saying she still regrets breaking up with me more than 40 years ago.

D’OH!!!

Gee, Bets, maybe should run an online poll of your followers first.

Seize the opportunity, Gunther! You don’t want or need that kind of crazy in your life!

What a sad thought process that must be.

Roll credits. This story is over. Bye.

Hey Gun, Everybody gets lucky once! Congrats!

Well that’s sad

But she said she loved him too. Why break up if you have “I love you” from the two people involved with out giving Gunth the benefit of the doubt.

I am amused by all the “piling on” of the comments. Has GE created a believable scenario? I think not. But judging from the great interest, I guess his scenario is a winner.

Just say “I agree” Gunther. You’ll be far happier in the long run.

The one thing I can think of in her defense is that she is what, 20? She might really love Gunther but realizes that she doesn’t want to be in a forever relationship yet. Which is what Gunther wants. She has college ahead of her, then maybe she wants to travel and work on her career first. As far as ghosting Gunther as she does truly love him it may have taken this long to decide. Better than a five minute decision.

Good, they should break up! While I understand her perspective, she should recognize that she left him high and dry for almost a month.

if they did stay together is that what she would do every time they argue.

oh sorry, Gunny just gonna abandon you while I work on myself (and come to the conclusion that I have issues) while you sit around and wrongly assume everything is your fault.

I wouldn’t be surprised to find that he does genuinely love her but this is better for him overall…Rosa and Bets have pulled him from his comfort zone in different ways…he probably needs to date like Tara before he finds the “one (who is not Luann)”

Gunther is definitely not the schlob that Les tried to take down in high school anymore but he’s still socially developing in a positive way.

but by god i’m gonna be angry if he’s like why why why oh come back to me…please no with that

My friend Yoda and I discuss this strip from time to time. He cracked me up this morning, when he said, “The farce is strong with this one. Very strange, she is!”

Great idea so let’s move on to next story, wasting time on this bs

Greg Evans shows his limits yet again. It’s like he has decided that only Brad & Toni are allowed to have a meaningful, committed relationship, everyone else has to break up or fade away.

It’s a common but cheap trick in comics to show “development” by revealing a weakness or bad experience for a character. This happens when a writer has no idea how to show development through GOOD news or POSITIVE affirmation. It appears that Greg has his own deep-seated fears, that letting characters like Gunther get the happy relationship they deserve would somehow deprive him of a crayon in his box, one less character to show the bumbling, forced-comedy effect that Evans uses so much in his comic.

It got stale long ago, Mr. Evans. Let your characters enjoy some life, please.

I predict: We should break up… and then get married!!!

I feel a “but” coming on in that she realized that she did live him and to give the relationship a chance.

I’m sure that there are reasons for other guys having left her, even after pledging love and I would guess those reasons were made known… like…. " I love you but i’m tired of this one sided relationship, i.e. there is pressure for everything to be your way…." or “I love you but….I’m tired of my private life being made public on social media……….”. Is Gunther going to try to get to the bottom of this? plead for her to change her mind? cry? Funny how the pirate dinner theme issue has gone by the way side. But her behavior on that may be part of a larger general theme.

Yes! Maybe there is hope for this bleah story line.

Even though it’s on a storyline, this is still pretty confusing.

She had to run away, think and decide the two should break up … fine. Just one thing … were you ever going to tell Gunther or just leave him in limbo until he just moves on? Gunther, please just say okay, best of luck. Get up and leave. For once, you take charge of your relationship.

I can see two scenerios: Either she really has some security issues, which is where I lean for this comic strip, or she is reeling him in and taking control. She could use her “security Issue” to control the relationship. Glad that this is only a comic or I would be worried for him.

It’s ok, Gunther. You can go drown your sorrows at Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club with Charlie Brown and Peter Parker.

Yes, please!! She did not seem like a good fit for Gunther. And if she is this scared of commitment, better to find out now rather than later.

They made Bets into a fine actress (love the pleading hands in panel 2) but this has gotten so messed up and tedious it’s just annoying. They need to wrap this up and move on to some other story. Unfortunately, we will have to watch it drag on to a finale on Saturday, when maybe they will get engaged? Then we could see Bets (in her new personality) as a scared, timid, insecure bride to be! That would be so fun. Luann, Bernice and Tiffany will be her bridesmaids of course (each of them adding their own special touch to the preparations). Les will be best man (adding nothing to the preparations). Then, as their married life begins Gunther can abandon his education and become a full-time seamstress for their internet ventures. Eventually they become multi-millionaires and buy the Farrell mansion, as Tom has run away to find Ann and his child she delivered, leaving Tiffany to wonder “What the ****?”.

Look in her eyes. She doesn’t really want to.

She’s having the usual “cold feet” women and men have before the wedding.

Woman logic

From a practical standpoint: there will be no break up. Too much effort has gone into the drawing of Bets. She has believable eyes, mouth, and hair. She is drawn to be cute, not blatantly sexy like Tiffany, so she has a bigger stage to work on, more variety. But for me, I prefer the over-the-top sexiness of Tiffany. How far will Greg let her go? How high is the sky, how deep is her cleavage?

One. I don’t hate Bets. In fact, I think she’s been one of the better new characters that G&K have introduced.

Two. I’m not against the Gunther-Bets pairing. Do they have issues? Yes! But who among us doesn’t have issues?

Three. As someone said yesterday (I think it was Peter Pirate): If there’s to be a relationship, both have to work at it. If one wants out, that’s it. And at this point, I wouldn’t blame Gunther if he wanted out, too.

But as consistently pointed out yesterday (and probably today, too, I haven’t read a lot of comments):

The big disconnect for me was that she did not contact him with a decision, one way or another, for (according to G&K) “weeks.”

That said, this is Tuesday. A breakup today would mean four more days of nothingness – unless we switch to Bernice or Nil or Shannon.

So, my guess is, Bets being written out of the strip, or out of Gunther’s life, as Mark Twain once said, said reports are still, as yet, premature.

And the BOOM! comes crashing down!

pretty much what I figured would happen.

I get that Gunther’s attracted to ‘strong’ personalities, but really?

1 step forward 2 steps back.

Told you this was going to happen. Gunther is a throwaway.

Might be the best thing………or not?

Let her go. Move on.

Run Gunther run

Scenario 1: Bets will say she is breaking up with Gunther because she has come to realize she loves him. That she has treated him badly and is no good for him. They will then reconcile and her personality will change.

Scenario 2: Much like 1, above, however she will indeed leave, ostensibly to get her act together. Gunther will then continue as the poor pathetic sod we’ve come to expect from Greg.

Great art! The subtle imbalances in Bets’ face makes her look slightly crazy. Which she is. Wanting to break up because the relationship’s too good shows just how broken she is.

Gunther ain’t ready.

Betts is a HEARTLESS SHREW!

Ugh, EVEN IF her next statement is “but now I’ve changed my mind” I’m hoping that Gunth tells her “goodbye.” She’s toxic, selfish, self-centered, and is not a good influence on his life. This would be the time to take back his agency and tell her “too late. The ghosting showed me who you really are so goodbye and have a nice life.” PLEASE SAY HE DUMPS HER HARD, regardless of her sob story which totally disregarded HIS feelings.

That was before I changed my mind…..

First impressions: Gunther seems a bit over anxious and expecting a positive answer.Bets must have believed that he loves her and it wasn’t just a knee jerk response.She didn’t HAVE TO run away. Her decision is not an explanation, which I think Gunther deserves. She gives no alternatives, such as remaining friends.She said family as well as friends left her. Would like to know the why of that.

Wow- Nut case. Turn and run Gun.

GOOD!!! Go with it, Gunth!!

Q: Is it still a story arc if it ends in a crater crash?

Bye, Bets!

I have to say, that solves everything! Great work, Tiffany!

Can’t have a happy ending, that would be boring.

Who knew crazies existed??

The irony here is Tiffany, in her own special way has been a good friend to him.

“…. but i changed my mind, because I really do love you.” – Bets

sounds like she’s the one who leaves.

OK. … She was on the dating app. Through Luann, Gunther ‘responded’. Bets responded back, and all seemed blissful afterward, BUT! …

Bets got all smothering. First, they connected, but then she got possessive of him when he brought up that he has a background, and (OMG !!) Other Friends !! … She got into him – ‘wanting him all to herself’. Not the exact thing she said, perhaps, but you get it.

Then, she manipulated him to do things for her – All for presentation on Social Media ! … She’s addicted to that stuff, showing how needy she is!

Gunther expresses honest LOVE for her, and she concurs – THEN is breaking it off with him!

Gunther deserves better than this! This ‘Roller Coaster’ ride’s gotta end! … As George Jetson said, “JANE !! … STOP This Crazy Thing !!” …

Next- On the rebound, he gets Tara Starr to move in with him. Bernice gets jealous, forcing Gunther to do double duty for a while.

(sad trombone sound)

Is his daughter writing these things? Weak sauce.

she is SUCH a coward

At this point, she would be a major headache. I’m not one of the haters but she definitely needs counseling. Also her age doesn’t help. I could say something that could sound sexist that would complete strike three but people might take it the wrong way. All of the above has nothing to do with Gunther, it has to do with HER and her “mind” alone.

Does it strike anybody else is odd that she’s so afraid of real love yet is so into social media that gives love from everybody as long as they’re anonymous? Or maybe that’s exactly why she’s like that.

I know from experience that a woman with abandonment issues in a relationship can be somewhat crazy. They never stop testing and by that, I mean starting a huge fight to see if you leave. I know someones wife that admits this and its a strain on their relationship.

Hopefully Bets will end her sentence with

“. . . while I get intensive therapy to deal with all my issues. I shouldn’t date anyone until I am emotionally healthy.”

“What did you decide? That the Evans should retire.”

It ain’t over till it’s over. Irma Gray isn’t singing yet.

If Letty can survive in Fast & Furious, this relationship can survive in Luann. It’s just as realistic.

Put on an eye patch, put a parrot on your shoulder, put a knife in your teeth, and do something that gets her focused on you and distracts her from her negative self-doubts.

Move on, Gunther! Don’t spend the next four days begging for Bets back!

Gunny,run as fast as u can from her. She`s a nightmare!

Oh, Good Lord, woman!

Not commenting on today’s strip

I’m waiting for tomorrow, when she declares that she’s been abducted by aliens.

“OK, Bets… I’ll be around…You know how to get hold of me. Later..”

Saw that happening…

Bets is still seated. She has more to say. I think she will talk for a few more days and by Saturday Gunther will realize how unstable and cruel Bets is and tell her HE is done with her issues. And then he walks away.

“I love you” is one thing. “I’m in love with you” means something quite a bit more. I love my family, I love my friends. I’m in love with my partner.

Ok, ok, ok now… be content to take a day at a time. Today is safe enough to find very much comfort with. Or at least that’s the counsel of a skateboarding frog.

Someone should do a collage course on comments there good and for those that are not good like me.

Figures.

Weird doesn’t begin to describe this…

Finally, she said the right thing to Gunther, he needs to move on from her

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“I love you.” “I love you too…but let’s break up.” Run. Run fast, run far. She has to work on herself for now.

Bets, sooner or later your car might crash into a tree. So, why wait? Go crash into the nearest tree and get it over with!

How awful! Poor Betts!

She is too "wishy-washy for you, Gunther!Try dating a lady who sticks to her decisions instead of changing her mind every day!!!

I wouldn’t mind if both of them went over to Lover’s Leap and did what the sign says.

Good choice! Bail before the entanglements become more complicated.

I had hoped she would fight the fear, but I suppose Gunt is better off here.

I don’t comment often but today is special…While I feel bad for Gun…I believe he is much better off without Bets…That kind of mentality would only be high maintenance…as already demonstrated.

That is indeed for the best, Bets!

Oh for…..

Dodging the head case. Poor Gunther, not many choices in Luann world.

Oh, for cryin’ out loud…

“I decided that we should break up while I go into counseling. My lobotomy appointment is for Saturday. You understand”. Actually, I am still just mind blown about what a complete personality change Bets has morphed into – from sassy savvy to whiny cryey. Somebody please give her a valium or a stiff drink. She needs to calm the * down! Just because someone says they love you doesn’t mean you have to take it so seriously. It’s okay for them to love you while you’re still deciding how you feel about them. It’s just up to them if they want to stick around and continue to date or if they’re going to turn it into a big ultimatum. Just say “Thank You. Thank you for the love. Now where are we going to eat tonight?”

I agree. You already broke up, Bets. You would have continued to ghost Gunther until he was a former shell of his pathetic self, wait until he found another girl who appreciates him, then pop back in the picture to make his life miserable. Yeah. Do it. Do it now. Make it a clean break. Go back to wherever you came from and leave Gunther alone. He’ll get over you. Eventually.

Hold on. Just wait a bloody minute. What the heck are those ellipses doing there? I know a little grammar, and those little marks mean something else is coming. And I greatly fear Bets is going to say something awful, like “…but then I changed my mind. I love you, Gun, and if you’ll have me, I’d like to try again.” Or some such drivel. It is only Tuesday, after all. Yeah. I think we’re stuck with Bets. Gunther needs to polish up the “welcome” sign that seems to be painted on his back, and always have enough money for a taxi when Bets dumps you stranded again. Because, mark my words, it will happen.

Wow. Just. Wow.

Is there a good mental hospital nearby?

Will they break up? On one hand Bets is very problematic and has some real issues. However, the writers could fix this if they choose. But I suspect they will ditch Bets and find someone else for Gunther. They’ve been together for a while now.

It looks like Bets is the one doing the “Leaving”.

Yes, Bets, free Gunter from your manipulative persona

Generally, people are their own worst enemy.

Oh well…break up now or break up later on. Yank the band-aid off.

She will forever be alone because of that fear.

Gunther is a great guy. He’s an awesome friend to have. It seems like majority of readers of this comic want Gunther to be alone. Mainly because Greg and karen have the main female characters as being focused on themselves. In this comic there’s only two couples that have remained a couple: Frank & Nancy and Brad & Toni. All the other characters can’t keep a relationship for longer than a single story arc.

There is no life so terrible that it excuses mistreating someone else. That’s the oldest narcissistic trick in the book. People can and do have terrible lives. They deserve sympathy and help, WHEN they realize that they need it. Abusing an innocent person like Gunther is not the answer, and I hope he decides not to put up with it.

Well played, Bets! Inflate the Love Balloon, and then run a rapier through it.

Gunther, the kind of “love” Bets has for you is no love at all. It’s just a romantical fiction. Let her go. Don’t look back….

I say wait for it; too early to rush to judgment. I still project what I wish to happen, but given the surprises GnK like to pull out of their creative hats I would wait for the substantial woman to sing first.

Enter Tuvok “ready to go Bets?”

hahaha what a dingbat!

If you look up “hot mess” in the dictionary, there’s her picture. Just wave bye bye, Gunth…save yourself years of therapy.

I sure hope this is G’s way of writing Bets out of the strip, she is a leech

Thank goodness. I’ve hated her from day one, she’s so obnoxious and all of her storylines are equally so, as well as boring. Good riddance. Although I doubt that’s where this is headed, unfortunately.