So I guess Marigold never learned from mistakes in her previous relationships, because she was never given the chance. Damn Hannah, that is one f*cked cookie!
This could really explain the (seemingly) widely held opinion that Marigold is somewhat an undeveloped person and is less likeable than the others. She seems to lack character, is more immature and shallow because she really is underdeveloped. She hasn't been able to evolve as a person since she met Hannah in college!
(Meredith, is there a double meaning to this? or is is just the cookies…)
I kinda really wish I had that cookie sometimes. I think we wish it sometimes.
But yes, that cookie is pure evil and should be destroyed. I pity Marigold for never getting the chance to mature from a breakup, but envy her "trick" to skip the process, unwilling as it may be.
I'm surprised the ruthless businesswoman in Hannah didn't see the monetary opportunities behind a recipe like that- I mean, there's no way she hasn't seen "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," right?
Hannah's way beyond the pale here. I thought it was bad enough that Hannah's motive for "helping" Mar had more to do with her own sense of guilt and responsibility, but she's essentially keeping Mar in a state of arrested development with a goddamn fucking cookie. Do the right thing, Eve. Mar needs to hurt to grow.
And changing direction entirely, this is why Octopus Pie is one of the best comics out there today.
Yeah, I kinda loved Hannah's easygoing nature. I don't know if she changed as a character or it's something that's been a little less obvious until the past few months, but Hannah is kinda insane now and really needs to be in control of everything.
Also, Octopie is one of the best comics out there because it's incredibly relateable. I've always found myself with a little of Will's hopeless romanticism, Hannah's insanity, Marek's quiet acceptance, and Eve's pessimism.
Of course, that's oversimplifying it but the point is we've all found ourselves to have different portions of each character within us. I can even definitely sympathize with what Marigold is going through right now.
It also helps that Meredith really makes the characters believable, and the art style alluring, and the stories charming.
I noticed Hanna being progressively manipulative for a long time, now. It just seems more prevalent as we see more of how she interacts with the other characters. By all means, Hanna is easygoing, but perhaps that's because she rests assured all her schemes will be self-sufficient. Knowing her, we see quite a few instances where she has been at work, like Eve and Will et al.
Just hypothesizing. Oh, and the rambling is actually refreshing.
sorry I thought that was a question =P Yes I agree, this one fragment of the story arc is phenomenal. If I owned a credit card (also, some money) I would purchase the original, frame it, and put it on my wall.
Yes but remember, it's implied that Mar might've hurt/killed herself because she was so upset? If you had to choose between a tragedy or a manipulative plan with serious long-term issues, wouldn't you choose the latter?
Obviously Hannah didn't go about it the right way here but she did have kind motives, at least.
See, I think that while maybe back then the thought of Mar doing something horrible to herself may have been real, a friend doesn't just block it all out with a magic cookie (well, if they could do so in real life) – they keep watch, they call a suicide prevention hotline, they call and drop by unannounced to check on the friend, and if it's SERIOUS they call in the pros. Then the friend hopefully (usually, to be honest) doesn't kill themselves but learns a lot from the hurt.
Suspending my disbelief way up high…this explains a LOT.
That's exactly how I felt about Hanna's motives and what she's doing now. I've never really liked her character, but I was starting to get used to her, before the current story line. This is just…unforgivably evil.
Poor Marigold—crippled with an emotional mentality that is inferior to both her experience and age. It explains a lot. How can she ever figure out what she really wants in life and a partner when she can't remember the things that didn't work out, regardless of how much she thought she wanted them initially? She'll just have the same bad relationship over and over, and end up alone. 🙁 I hope she gets her memories back or something, (though, realizing you've made the same dumb mistakes multiple times with different men, and your good friend has been drugging you, might drive a woman insane).
On the up-side, I like Marigold a lot more, thanks to this story arc.
Liz, is that a serious question? I'd choose plan "C", where I don't scramble my friend's egg salad and do what any normal person would do for a loved one in distress– namely be supportive, be present, and do what I can to get them the help they need. As far as I know the recommended tactic to approaching a friend who may be suicidal does not involve a roofie cookie.
I agree that Hannah's heart was in the right place– to an extent– but man oh man, her brain certainly was not. I mean we've got the chess board out but she's all playing Whack-A-Mole.
Liz
>___>;; Yes it was serious.
The whole point of my question was that Hanna didn't think there WAS an option "C." I'm not saying she's right, I'm just saying she isn't EVIL, just misguided.
Liz
Also, you can see in the last page that Hanna TRIES to be supportive and present and all that happened is they made Mar freak out and yell at them, demanding to be left alone.
Alright that's the last time I try to defend a fictional character. I'm out.
Oh absolutely she's not pure evil, but there's something way wrong with your thought process when the options are "mindfuck cookie" or "let friend commit seppuku". I'm not saying she's bad, either, mind, but like you I think she's incredibly misguided– which I think is putting it lightly. I don't know if anyone here would immediately think to do a mind wipe on a friend if that friend was suicidal. But that's Hannah. She's a loyal, if not especially logical or rational, friend.
And yeah, I agree her heart was in the right place but for all her effort she wasn't really all that supportive. Being supportive isn't necessarily doing what you think you SHOULD do for your friend, but what they NEED you to do, and Hannah never stopped for a second to consider that Mar might not really benefit from being gang-pressed into gallivanting around NYC. Which I think works because again, hey, that's Hannah's character.
you know, it was rumored that the original script for Eternal Sunshine revealed the endlessly cyclical nature of Joel and Clementine's breakup
this context was meant to be reflective of reality, where romance is temporary and true love only comes from the acceptance of practical reality, something the two of them were never able to do with each other
Not sure about everyone here who says they'd want one of those biscuits. Why? Everything in our lives happens for a reason. We experience pain as much as pleasure because both have meaning and importance. Simply erasing it means you can never learn the lesson of how to get over it….without more brownout biscuits.
Neat thing I noticed while rereading the archives: in strip# 302 (http://www.octopuspie.com/2009-06-15/302-unfathomable/) Hanna makes a reference to dealing with one of Marigold's exes "swiftly", and Mar says she can't remember him. Pretty crazy!
… Why is this not a real thing? Coulda used some of that hardcore after my last breakup.
But like people have said, you wouldnt get to learn from your mistakes and become a better person from it. So I guess thats the "dark side of the force" of baked goods…
108 thoughts on “#421 – the brownout biscuit”
dood
crikey. she'll be lucky if will is all she forgets.
Cisco
I'd like to place an order for a dozen brownout biscuits, please.
StJason
Only a dozen? I need one for every other day of my life it seems sometimes.
Lessie.. that would be… oh, god.. that's a lot.
..hey, how do you remember if you've eaten the brownout biscuit or not?
CLR
You don't… That's kind of the point.
Ryan
Kind of like a roofie?
spade
thats like a small slice of death right there. be careful with that mmkay?
Daniel
Love the Joy Division joke! Also, I could have used one of those treats myself about two years ago. Great emotion in the last panel 🙂
Alan X
Co-sign
Coronimo
So I guess Marigold never learned from mistakes in her previous relationships, because she was never given the chance. Damn Hannah, that is one f*cked cookie!
Cloots
This could really explain the (seemingly) widely held opinion that Marigold is somewhat an undeveloped person and is less likeable than the others. She seems to lack character, is more immature and shallow because she really is underdeveloped. She hasn't been able to evolve as a person since she met Hannah in college!
(Meredith, is there a double meaning to this? or is is just the cookies…)
Jackie
AHAHAHAH AHAH AHA HAHAHHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAH HAHA HA HAHA
AWESOME
Haunt
Um…
What?
mark
been trying to make a lame pun based on 'eternal sunshine of the spotless mind' for most of my lunch break and am thoroughly unable to do so
Mr. Pilgrim
Please tell me the brownout biscut are available for purchase at the OP store.
Nick
I kinda really wish I had that cookie sometimes. I think we wish it sometimes.
But yes, that cookie is pure evil and should be destroyed. I pity Marigold for never getting the chance to mature from a breakup, but envy her "trick" to skip the process, unwilling as it may be.
Josh
Deus Ex Muffin
Catgun
Deus Ex Macaroon
wykstrad
I'm surprised the ruthless businesswoman in Hannah didn't see the monetary opportunities behind a recipe like that- I mean, there's no way she hasn't seen "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," right?
Jess
gah, what lovely artwork! the look of horror on Ning's face in the bottom left panel is perfect ^_^
Nelg
I don't get the biscuit joke ._.
Danny
Ruh-roh.
StephenM3
Hanna is starting to be a little scary.
Sela
I feel like I'm watching an episode of Yakitate!! Japan.
kjeweler
now that you mention it, yes, it is very similar to yakitate. man…i <3 that show. let's see a crazy reaction from eating the brownout biscuit!
Sela
I just finished watching it last week, so it's still on my mind somewhat.
This biscuit is disgusting! Fuck, I'm in Hell!
That would be awesome.
hohmeisw
Wow… Hanna is real screwed up.
Bex
I'm afraid Eve will end up taking a bite. I don't know how, but I have a terrible sense of foreboding.
I love that Hannah knows where to find an alchemist.
Veganosaurus
Yeah me too! The way she was asking, "every time, Hannah?"
But even worse is the thought that Hannah might have already made her eat one before!
hohmeisw
Wait… oh god. Is this why she has such a "perfect" relationship with Marek?
jakob
oh god, please no! 🙁
MGreen
how would that work? she wouldn't want him to forget her.
Jeff
Taking bets, who ends up eating it by mistake?
Phasma Felis
I bet on "Eve and Marigold each eat half".
Andrew
Hannah's way beyond the pale here. I thought it was bad enough that Hannah's motive for "helping" Mar had more to do with her own sense of guilt and responsibility, but she's essentially keeping Mar in a state of arrested development with a goddamn fucking cookie. Do the right thing, Eve. Mar needs to hurt to grow.
And changing direction entirely, this is why Octopus Pie is one of the best comics out there today.
Nick
Yeah, I kinda loved Hannah's easygoing nature. I don't know if she changed as a character or it's something that's been a little less obvious until the past few months, but Hannah is kinda insane now and really needs to be in control of everything.
Also, Octopie is one of the best comics out there because it's incredibly relateable. I've always found myself with a little of Will's hopeless romanticism, Hannah's insanity, Marek's quiet acceptance, and Eve's pessimism.
Of course, that's oversimplifying it but the point is we've all found ourselves to have different portions of each character within us. I can even definitely sympathize with what Marigold is going through right now.
It also helps that Meredith really makes the characters believable, and the art style alluring, and the stories charming.
Sorry for rambling.
KB
I'm totally there with you Nick. Completely agree and can relate.
Sebastian
I noticed Hanna being progressively manipulative for a long time, now. It just seems more prevalent as we see more of how she interacts with the other characters. By all means, Hanna is easygoing, but perhaps that's because she rests assured all her schemes will be self-sufficient. Knowing her, we see quite a few instances where she has been at work, like Eve and Will et al.
Just hypothesizing. Oh, and the rambling is actually refreshing.
jenna
The characters yes…the storylines maybe not always (Like Santa Claus and most, possibly all, deities, I don't believe in the Brownout Cookie). 🙂
Nick
sorry I thought that was a question =P Yes I agree, this one fragment of the story arc is phenomenal. If I owned a credit card (also, some money) I would purchase the original, frame it, and put it on my wall.
Humps-Freely
The Fact That Hanna Makes Marigold Forget Everything Explains A Lot, She's Never Been Able To Grow From Harmful Experiences.
Liz
Yes but remember, it's implied that Mar might've hurt/killed herself because she was so upset? If you had to choose between a tragedy or a manipulative plan with serious long-term issues, wouldn't you choose the latter?
Obviously Hannah didn't go about it the right way here but she did have kind motives, at least.
jenna
See, I think that while maybe back then the thought of Mar doing something horrible to herself may have been real, a friend doesn't just block it all out with a magic cookie (well, if they could do so in real life) – they keep watch, they call a suicide prevention hotline, they call and drop by unannounced to check on the friend, and if it's SERIOUS they call in the pros. Then the friend hopefully (usually, to be honest) doesn't kill themselves but learns a lot from the hurt.
Suspending my disbelief way up high…this explains a LOT.
goldtoad
That's exactly how I felt about Hanna's motives and what she's doing now. I've never really liked her character, but I was starting to get used to her, before the current story line. This is just…unforgivably evil.
Poor Marigold—crippled with an emotional mentality that is inferior to both her experience and age. It explains a lot. How can she ever figure out what she really wants in life and a partner when she can't remember the things that didn't work out, regardless of how much she thought she wanted them initially? She'll just have the same bad relationship over and over, and end up alone. 🙁 I hope she gets her memories back or something, (though, realizing you've made the same dumb mistakes multiple times with different men, and your good friend has been drugging you, might drive a woman insane).
On the up-side, I like Marigold a lot more, thanks to this story arc.
tl/dr; Hanna = monster. Marigold = aw :'(
Andrew
Liz, is that a serious question? I'd choose plan "C", where I don't scramble my friend's egg salad and do what any normal person would do for a loved one in distress– namely be supportive, be present, and do what I can to get them the help they need. As far as I know the recommended tactic to approaching a friend who may be suicidal does not involve a roofie cookie.
I agree that Hannah's heart was in the right place– to an extent– but man oh man, her brain certainly was not. I mean we've got the chess board out but she's all playing Whack-A-Mole.
Liz
>___>;; Yes it was serious.
The whole point of my question was that Hanna didn't think there WAS an option "C." I'm not saying she's right, I'm just saying she isn't EVIL, just misguided.
Liz
Also, you can see in the last page that Hanna TRIES to be supportive and present and all that happened is they made Mar freak out and yell at them, demanding to be left alone.
Alright that's the last time I try to defend a fictional character. I'm out.
Andrew
Oh absolutely she's not pure evil, but there's something way wrong with your thought process when the options are "mindfuck cookie" or "let friend commit seppuku". I'm not saying she's bad, either, mind, but like you I think she's incredibly misguided– which I think is putting it lightly. I don't know if anyone here would immediately think to do a mind wipe on a friend if that friend was suicidal. But that's Hannah. She's a loyal, if not especially logical or rational, friend.
And yeah, I agree her heart was in the right place but for all her effort she wasn't really all that supportive. Being supportive isn't necessarily doing what you think you SHOULD do for your friend, but what they NEED you to do, and Hannah never stopped for a second to consider that Mar might not really benefit from being gang-pressed into gallivanting around NYC. Which I think works because again, hey, that's Hannah's character.
Hrm
I can think of a few times I wouldn't have minded having one of those.
wogzi
you know, it was rumored that the original script for Eternal Sunshine revealed the endlessly cyclical nature of Joel and Clementine's breakup
this context was meant to be reflective of reality, where romance is temporary and true love only comes from the acceptance of practical reality, something the two of them were never able to do with each other
wogzi
and by rumor I mean here's the script:
http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Eternal-Sunshine-of-…
Professional Mole
No, Eve, don't get dragged into this spiral of regret!
…well, ever further, that is!
just figured it out.
So this is why all of the pics of Marigold have the boyfriend 'removed'… to maintain the cognitive dissonance!
Sebastian
Ooh, well spotted!
CLR
THIS.
IS.
BROOKLYN!
SecretlyASuperhero
hahhahah i'm so glad you took that opportunity for a joke
parismio
"No… IT CANT BE". if it can be dreamed, it can be made!
parismio
whoops. "THIS CANT BE REAL". wow there goes my last comment
Nicholas
NO this is sparta!!!
CJ
That's…that's fucked up
cameronlj
no! not horny goat weed! :O
AlmostLiterally
Damn it, Hanna. God damn it, Hanna. I was on your side!
This comic just reminds me of how much I love Octopus Pie. It can have me rolling with laughter and thinking at the same time.
Southpaw018
Not sure about everyone here who says they'd want one of those biscuits. Why? Everything in our lives happens for a reason. We experience pain as much as pleasure because both have meaning and importance. Simply erasing it means you can never learn the lesson of how to get over it….without more brownout biscuits.
That seems sad to me. Sad, and pointless.
MerchManDan
Because pleasure is fun, but pain is considerably less so – to the point of not being fun at all.
I'm just guessing.
foodog
DOOOO IIIIIT HANNA
For awesomeness.
Grace
Ah, lemon tart.. Maybe that's what that yellow thing was. Damn, Hanna is a really awesome friend.
Beyla
Hanna is a true fiend
demosthenes
I can't tell if this is supposed to say "fiend" or maybe you meant "friend"
and for the record, I don't think I've ever done anything I would eat the brownout biscuit for
Realn
Neat thing I noticed while rereading the archives: in strip# 302 (http://www.octopuspie.com/2009-06-15/302-unfathomable/) Hanna makes a reference to dealing with one of Marigold's exes "swiftly", and Mar says she can't remember him. Pretty crazy!
Tessa
Well found!
Veganosaurus
And the alt text on that one refers to a cookie which was in no way relevant to that strip.
Bryy
Wow. This is so not making it right. This is soooooooooooo not making it right.
Brian
… Why is this not a real thing? Coulda used some of that hardcore after my last breakup.
But like people have said, you wouldnt get to learn from your mistakes and become a better person from it. So I guess thats the "dark side of the force" of baked goods…
Though I gotta say its right up hanna's alley.
slp
I'm confused– why would Will have to be "ditched"?