Just throwing out possible Mar scenarios…. Mar has always chosen to surround herself with exciting free-spirited people (Will, Hanna, Jane,…) but has always known in her heart that she has never been able to fully identify with being free either because she is not honest with herself or because she realizes that if she doesnt pretend to be free-spirited she will lose a huge portion of her friends. Mar dating Jane is just Mar looking for adventure. Unfortunately, Mar realizes that Jane is a human being who wants a genuine romantic relationship and is now feeling bad for using another human to feel hip
Like how when someone coughs they must have cancer right? I have bipolar disorder. It is not the same thing as being in a shit mood one time. I really hope you don't use chronic illnesses to belittle people in the real world.
And that's me done with the comments section, though part of me is interested in how a person gets down voted for opening up about and defending a challenge they live with daily in response to an ignorant and thoughtless remark. Sorry about all the assholes, Sherbie.
Sherbie
Downvoted? Me? When? By who? Let me at em! Haha, don't give up over one jerk Luke, there's loads of awesome people in here.
Addressing the ignorance, I actually see no problem with people reacting to mental differences with humour as long as their jokes meet the following criteria:
a) they come from a place of knowledge and understanding.
b) they are told with affection, not indifference or aversion.
c) they are funny. The thing about humour is that it is defined by being humourous. A mark that Jasmine tea has sadly missed.
well, it's not terribly nice, but I think that comment is underrated. Can't you say that someone is showing "manic" or "psychotic" behavior in one particular situation, without actually implying that person has a mental condition?
Sherbie
Also, I've been both manic and psychotic. Neither of those are displayed by Marigold here. Imagine you only have one leg and someone stubs their toe and tries to relate it to your one leggedness. It is not understanding and not very cool.
Hm. Sometimes I think friend breakups are harder than romantic ones. Seems like when friends break up, the hurt is worse because while pain is kind of a 50/50 shot in a romantic relationships, friendships aren't supposed to hurt you like that.
I think she's been stewing over what happened with Hanna since Marek brought it up just getting madder and madder remembering it. Now she's taking her anger and frustration with that situation out on Jane because Hanna's not there, which is a deeply shitty thing to do.
Yeah and? Just because someone making their bad mood the world's problem is not an unusual thing to do that doesn't somehow make it an okay way to treat their partner or anyone really.
I get what you're saying, but foe's interpretation allows me to cast judgment on a completely fictional character and feel superior to her, and that seems like a better use of my time than trying to understand the situation in the comic and possibly gleaning some insights I could apply to my own life.
foe
I feel like my interpretation was very much attempting to understand her and the situation as well as leaving something to be learned. I can see why she's lashing out. I can understand it. The lesson to be learned is that this isn't the best way to deal with your anger or treat people.
Ah mar, you can organize your life, but fixing the outside doesn't fix the inside. I hope you learn anything from this, but I doubt it. Jane will probably just get her little gay heart beat up, because that's would probably happen in real life, I guess
Maybe now that Hanna is sober she might reconsider the kid situation and she and Marek will live happily ever after. This is coming from an ex-stoner who didn't want kids then and doesn't want them now so maybe not and that's just fine too. I just love Hanna and Marek.
I think you are right. She's had a lot of demons she's been running from (anyone who gets high all the time does). Now that she's faced some of them she may feel more positive about having children…or maybe she'll simply come to terms they want two different things, become good friends with him, and move on with someone who wants what she does.
People get high for loads of different reasons; fun, spiritual, medical, social, avoiding the much worse health risks of boozing, escaping demons (in my case it was 5 from 6, I'm not paticularly spiritual) and more that I'm too wiped out to think of right now, but I do believe in most cases, sobering up inevitably leads to clearer thinking. One way or the other Dotcom, I agree this leads to Hanna coming to terms with the Marek situation.
ok honestly jane has been continuously asking marigold if she wants a cigarette for awhile and marigold has said no, because she QUIT. i smoke and i know if my gf kept offering to bum me cigs after i quit id pretty much want to flat out murder her, doesnt matter how cute she is. you dont JUST have ONE for funsies jane have some consideration babe. tho i am also afraid this is marigold blowing shit up to turn complex shit into shit shes familiar with marigold no dont do it
she probably feels like she's regressing, hanging out with all these old friends she thought she'd surpassed & maybe it's symbolized by the smoking. but like eve she can't see how far she's come
Could it be possible, that Hanna isn't trough with the Marek story? Welcome back Meredith, I could say we all missed you from the bottom of our hearts!
I dunno guys, I feel like we can be hard on Marigold sometimes. If Eve or Jane blew up like this, would we be so quick to judge?
My money's on the theory that Marigold's been stewing on something to do with Hannah, or maybe her entire friend group, or maybe she's just realized something about herself in relation to either of those things that she doesn't like.
She's become a bit of an outsider in this group, because of her interests and ambitions.
Although it seems like she's pulled herself up by the bootstraps and is totally fine now (seems like her friends think so too), if I'd had a friend break up with me in the vicious way Hanna broke up with her (and I have) some small, secret part of me would feel awful for a very, very long time, no matter how much my other shit was together. Maybe, for Marigold, it's all just exploding now. We've never seen her fall apart over it (although maybe it was off-screen).
That being said, blowing up at someone who only wants to help in the freaking subway station is still really mean. I hope she and Jane are okay after all of this, because I do genuinely think they could be good for each other.
…Marigold makes me think and ramble a lot. Sorry for the long comment 😛
I think there might be a fight (The "WTF?" will probably be reiterated) and they for now won't really resolve anything and leave being upset, but I think this is far from a deal breaker or grounds to ending their relationship.
It's a significant bump in their relationship, if only because this is the first time they've butted heads, but I have faith that they'll be able to get over it and move on.
It's not the blowing up. It's the 180 blowing up her shit at the person she just said the "L" word and had sex with for the first time. The one person of the entire cast who cares about her most. That's what I'm reacting to. And I was equally put off by Hannah when she was flipping out at Marigold. Eve's a hothead, but I don't think she's ever lost it in such a nasty or explosive way. She just was a yeller—and she grew out of a lot of that (minus the ferris wheel incident which is much more human as she wasn't screaming directly at people).
Sometimes I think we blow up at the ones we love the most because they're the ones who are there. I'm not saying Marigold did the right thing, but I do think she's blowing up in Jane's face because, well, Jane's there, and she cares enough to ask her about how she feels and stuff.
Dotcom
"I do think she's blowing up in Jane's face because, well, Jane's there, and she cares enough to ask her about how she feels and stuff."
Some people might do that, but that doesn't mean it's healthy or okay. That's pretty class A fucked up behavior—especially that early in a relationship.
Laura
Oh yeah, I never said it was a good thing to do, I was just positing that that's why she it. People often seem to blow up at those who are around to hear them, rather than those whom they are actually mad at (who usually aren't there).
Alleged "Cares about ( her needs?) the most" Yet , ignores Mars needs when shes sick, cold and ought to be in bed.
In My experience you do that with a girl you get a fight or dumped.
I've been there – fighting for those meet ups, but they don't amount to anything. Being fine on the outside, but aching on the inside, yet your closest friends don't notice. You don't say anything, of course… Don't want to bother them. But then everyone leaves, and you just feel so much more alone than you were this morning. Like, was it even worth trying?
Hmm… I need an Eve plushie, so I can squeeze it and tell it (me?) that it's okay.
-And an old Eve plushie, so it can scowl at everything else. Heh, that one can come to work with me. >:J
Mar’s worked really hard to improve herself the way she saw fit. She got a better job, she quit smoking, started going to fancy spas, etc. I think she might be starting to feel like her continued association with Eve and co. might be a slip backwards. Being around Jane has had her smoking again, and it seems all this trip did was bring up bad memories. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to her cutting everyone off entirely.
I really feel bad for Eve. Her attempt to recapture the magic of their last group outing pre-Hanna and Marek breakup has just left everyone super uncomfortable.
66 thoughts on “#864-865 – what serendipity”
Ira
Matching cups :/
Charlie Lobo
Since she's looking at old pictures, couldn't it be the same cup?
bryanew710
That would be my bet.
dinner roll
The image in panel 9 can be seen on Hanna's laptop screen in panel 10. 😉
Sev
Either way that's an amazing touch
Edamessiah
Does Hanna have a framed picture of Mary Berry above her PC because if so I might just die of happiness right here and now
thistemporarylifeblog
on your marks
get set
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE
phillipnessie123
Nah, it's her mom.
OTNIPAI
Nah iIT IS Mary Berry! Just look at this smile! It has to be her!
phillipnessie123
Touche. I didn't know who Mary Berry was before, I just assumed the photo was her mom.
msdalfo
I get this reference now.
Guest
Oh, damn. 🙁
bryanew710
What the heck, Mar?
adamrocketblack
Exactly. Her Girlfriend should have asked if she was alright long ago, and taken her home. Shes sick and now Bullshit
peakpointmatrix
Reaching emotional pain threshold here guys
Bomes
I guess Mar isn't just tired…:/
adamrocketblack
No shes sick. She already said so.
Dotcom
Jeezus, Marigold!!! What is eating her?! Will be so sad if she completely unravels into her old, insecure self and break's Jane's heart!
Hannah looks super cute in the last panel.
Rei
having a cigarette after a fairly lengthy time being a non-smoker can be part of it. It makes you feel like crap for a lot of reasons.
wykstrad
That's a good point, I hadn't thought of a chemical comedown influencing Marigold's mood, but I could definitely see that.
dcj
Just throwing out possible Mar scenarios…. Mar has always chosen to surround herself with exciting free-spirited people (Will, Hanna, Jane,…) but has always known in her heart that she has never been able to fully identify with being free either because she is not honest with herself or because she realizes that if she doesnt pretend to be free-spirited she will lose a huge portion of her friends. Mar dating Jane is just Mar looking for adventure. Unfortunately, Mar realizes that Jane is a human being who wants a genuine romantic relationship and is now feeling bad for using another human to feel hip
DoubleW
Ah, yes, the one-eye-closed maneuver, a sure sign that you need to shut the computer down and get the fuck to bed
Copycat
Eh, my wife screams at me like that in public sometimes too.
No big deal.
Jasmine tea
BipolMar.
Sherbie
Like how when someone coughs they must have cancer right? I have bipolar disorder. It is not the same thing as being in a shit mood one time. I really hope you don't use chronic illnesses to belittle people in the real world.
luke
And that's me done with the comments section, though part of me is interested in how a person gets down voted for opening up about and defending a challenge they live with daily in response to an ignorant and thoughtless remark. Sorry about all the assholes, Sherbie.
Sherbie
Downvoted? Me? When? By who? Let me at em! Haha, don't give up over one jerk Luke, there's loads of awesome people in here.
Addressing the ignorance, I actually see no problem with people reacting to mental differences with humour as long as their jokes meet the following criteria:
a) they come from a place of knowledge and understanding.
b) they are told with affection, not indifference or aversion.
c) they are funny. The thing about humour is that it is defined by being humourous. A mark that Jasmine tea has sadly missed.
Phatnes
well, it's not terribly nice, but I think that comment is underrated. Can't you say that someone is showing "manic" or "psychotic" behavior in one particular situation, without actually implying that person has a mental condition?
Sherbie
Also, I've been both manic and psychotic. Neither of those are displayed by Marigold here. Imagine you only have one leg and someone stubs their toe and tries to relate it to your one leggedness. It is not understanding and not very cool.
Red Chase
I still ship it (it being Hanna and Marek)
Linda
WTF!?
Jennifer
Hm. Sometimes I think friend breakups are harder than romantic ones. Seems like when friends break up, the hurt is worse because while pain is kind of a 50/50 shot in a romantic relationships, friendships aren't supposed to hurt you like that.
foe
I think she's been stewing over what happened with Hanna since Marek brought it up just getting madder and madder remembering it. Now she's taking her anger and frustration with that situation out on Jane because Hanna's not there, which is a deeply shitty thing to do.
robintl
… and by "a deeply shitty thing to do" you mean "a thing that 88% of real people in real relationships regularly do", right? 😉
foe
Yeah and? Just because someone making their bad mood the world's problem is not an unusual thing to do that doesn't somehow make it an okay way to treat their partner or anyone really.
wykstrad
I get what you're saying, but foe's interpretation allows me to cast judgment on a completely fictional character and feel superior to her, and that seems like a better use of my time than trying to understand the situation in the comic and possibly gleaning some insights I could apply to my own life.
foe
I feel like my interpretation was very much attempting to understand her and the situation as well as leaving something to be learned. I can see why she's lashing out. I can understand it. The lesson to be learned is that this isn't the best way to deal with your anger or treat people.
wykstrad
Haha, exactly! They're so irrational! Not like me, I make sense and am awesome B)
Musculus
Let's link that number to the fact that most relationships end badly
Arianod
We'll, she's been looking sad since the subject came up, so you're probably right.
hsabibi
nonsequitur, but i like your subway/city-scapes much more than any of the ones they've put on the trains as art. thassafact
Joe
Top panel is Atlantic Av. But then where is Eve going?
David
Better believe there's whiskey in that mug.
JAC
Ah mar, you can organize your life, but fixing the outside doesn't fix the inside. I hope you learn anything from this, but I doubt it. Jane will probably just get her little gay heart beat up, because that's would probably happen in real life, I guess
Never trusted Hannah's character.
Sherbie
Maybe now that Hanna is sober she might reconsider the kid situation and she and Marek will live happily ever after. This is coming from an ex-stoner who didn't want kids then and doesn't want them now so maybe not and that's just fine too. I just love Hanna and Marek.
Dotcom
I think you are right. She's had a lot of demons she's been running from (anyone who gets high all the time does). Now that she's faced some of them she may feel more positive about having children…or maybe she'll simply come to terms they want two different things, become good friends with him, and move on with someone who wants what she does.
Jay
Apparently I've been running from a lot of demons. News to me! 🙂
Sherbie
People get high for loads of different reasons; fun, spiritual, medical, social, avoiding the much worse health risks of boozing, escaping demons (in my case it was 5 from 6, I'm not paticularly spiritual) and more that I'm too wiped out to think of right now, but I do believe in most cases, sobering up inevitably leads to clearer thinking. One way or the other Dotcom, I agree this leads to Hanna coming to terms with the Marek situation.
Ashley
she gets "intense" sometimes
bbb
ok honestly jane has been continuously asking marigold if she wants a cigarette for awhile and marigold has said no, because she QUIT. i smoke and i know if my gf kept offering to bum me cigs after i quit id pretty much want to flat out murder her, doesnt matter how cute she is. you dont JUST have ONE for funsies jane have some consideration babe. tho i am also afraid this is marigold blowing shit up to turn complex shit into shit shes familiar with marigold no dont do it
retroberrii
When did Mar quit though? Because she was smoking 4 pages ago.
angfdz
she said she quit in the spa arc.
she probably feels like she's regressing, hanging out with all these old friends she thought she'd surpassed & maybe it's symbolized by the smoking. but like eve she can't see how far she's come
Hedgewolf
Could it be possible, that Hanna isn't trough with the Marek story? Welcome back Meredith, I could say we all missed you from the bottom of our hearts!
Nathan
Hah. Is the last panel a throwback to Eve's reaction to Bake n Bake?
http://www.octopuspie.com/2007-07-09/025-well-duh…
liander
wow, nice catch
Laura
I dunno guys, I feel like we can be hard on Marigold sometimes. If Eve or Jane blew up like this, would we be so quick to judge?
My money's on the theory that Marigold's been stewing on something to do with Hannah, or maybe her entire friend group, or maybe she's just realized something about herself in relation to either of those things that she doesn't like.
She's become a bit of an outsider in this group, because of her interests and ambitions.
Although it seems like she's pulled herself up by the bootstraps and is totally fine now (seems like her friends think so too), if I'd had a friend break up with me in the vicious way Hanna broke up with her (and I have) some small, secret part of me would feel awful for a very, very long time, no matter how much my other shit was together. Maybe, for Marigold, it's all just exploding now. We've never seen her fall apart over it (although maybe it was off-screen).
That being said, blowing up at someone who only wants to help in the freaking subway station is still really mean. I hope she and Jane are okay after all of this, because I do genuinely think they could be good for each other.
…Marigold makes me think and ramble a lot. Sorry for the long comment 😛
Faye
I think there might be a fight (The "WTF?" will probably be reiterated) and they for now won't really resolve anything and leave being upset, but I think this is far from a deal breaker or grounds to ending their relationship.
It's a significant bump in their relationship, if only because this is the first time they've butted heads, but I have faith that they'll be able to get over it and move on.
Dotcom
It's not the blowing up. It's the 180 blowing up her shit at the person she just said the "L" word and had sex with for the first time. The one person of the entire cast who cares about her most. That's what I'm reacting to. And I was equally put off by Hannah when she was flipping out at Marigold. Eve's a hothead, but I don't think she's ever lost it in such a nasty or explosive way. She just was a yeller—and she grew out of a lot of that (minus the ferris wheel incident which is much more human as she wasn't screaming directly at people).
Laura
Sometimes I think we blow up at the ones we love the most because they're the ones who are there. I'm not saying Marigold did the right thing, but I do think she's blowing up in Jane's face because, well, Jane's there, and she cares enough to ask her about how she feels and stuff.
Dotcom
"I do think she's blowing up in Jane's face because, well, Jane's there, and she cares enough to ask her about how she feels and stuff."
Some people might do that, but that doesn't mean it's healthy or okay. That's pretty class A fucked up behavior—especially that early in a relationship.
Laura
Oh yeah, I never said it was a good thing to do, I was just positing that that's why she it. People often seem to blow up at those who are around to hear them, rather than those whom they are actually mad at (who usually aren't there).
adamrocketblack
Alleged "Cares about ( her needs?) the most" Yet , ignores Mars needs when shes sick, cold and ought to be in bed.
In My experience you do that with a girl you get a fight or dumped.
( OR I dunno, maybe shes jealous. ?)
NemoProprius
Oh, Hanna… 🙁
She-Pudding
Oh, Eve… you look so empty.
I've been there – fighting for those meet ups, but they don't amount to anything. Being fine on the outside, but aching on the inside, yet your closest friends don't notice. You don't say anything, of course… Don't want to bother them. But then everyone leaves, and you just feel so much more alone than you were this morning. Like, was it even worth trying?
Hmm… I need an Eve plushie, so I can squeeze it and tell it (me?) that it's okay.
-And an old Eve plushie, so it can scowl at everything else. Heh, that one can come to work with me. >:J
Copycat
Marek puts a mug of tea on a book that's sitting on the bed, but keeps a mug of pencils and pens on the windowsill right in front of him.
What if Hanna decides to run into the room and tackle-hug you? Gotta think about these things.
Elyse
Mar’s worked really hard to improve herself the way she saw fit. She got a better job, she quit smoking, started going to fancy spas, etc. I think she might be starting to feel like her continued association with Eve and co. might be a slip backwards. Being around Jane has had her smoking again, and it seems all this trip did was bring up bad memories. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to her cutting everyone off entirely.
I really feel bad for Eve. Her attempt to recapture the magic of their last group outing pre-Hanna and Marek breakup has just left everyone super uncomfortable.