Page Commentary No. 318

Gunwild: Who wrote this stuff, it's starting to make me feel bad and I don't like it...

Psu: I was just gonna say, someone should throw a pie!

Gunwild: I think recently a lot of people have kind of turned on the humor-in-the-face-of-the-extraordinary thing that storytellers often fall back on, because they feel like it robs things of their weight or significance. It probably can.

Psu: Is that an oblique reference to what the internet calls "marvel writing?" Writing that, let me be clear, I actually think is overall very good and has produced many fine films.

Gunwild: I guess? I think that's an accusation you can level at a lot of things where characters may have a level of irony or cynicism in their nature. But in real life, in my experience, some people will try to joke even on the worst day of their lives.

Psu: We can call it M.A.S.H. writing, and then you'd be in very fine company indeed! Anyway, sorry for the tangent. This is a pretty serious scene and we had been wanting to get it right ever since we decided it was going to happen. Which... I think we agreed on it happening sometime shortly after the Casino episode. Ideally these stories to go on forever but I think both of us wanted to progress this comic in some ways before forever set in.

Gunwild: Oh yeah, it's nice when a story establishes that the status quo is not to be relied upon. That way people don't get ultra-mad at the story for not sticking to it! Well. SOME people don't.

Psu: Well, on a more philosophical level we've changed a lot since we've started this comic. It's just been that long. And sometimes you gotta move to your next job. Like Maddy. I imagine though Maddy hoped there'd be more ceremony when she retired from the navy.

Gunwild: Yeah, she didn't plan to "get quit" like this. But she's not really the same person who got into the job in the first place I imagine.

Psu: Well after you discover a couple clues that might lead you to believe the job isn't as "noble" as you thought... maybe you shouldn't be the same person anymore! It's good to be able to change! Like Russ. And Maddy. And uh... well no one else in this scene changes.

Gunwild: It's the ones who won't change that you gotta watch out for...