I don't think it's boring at all. It's necessary if we're EVER going to get Faye off her rut and moving things forward (with Marten or anyone else for that matter). I much prefer this over some two-day *blip-this is all you get, now we get a new Faye/Marten relationship* We knew whatever it was was a big deal, she has real issues, with men, with Marten, with relationships/friendships in general. Her hang-ups have been such a big part of her character and a big part of the interplay between her and the rest of the cast that to move things forward requires a fair bit of follow through to make it believable.

It is difficult when you try and convey something as traumatic as suicide in this format though. I fear not so much that Jeph will bore the audience and I know he`s not trivializing it from the comment in the sideblog but as with soap operas, I feel the short term entertainment driven nature of the medium is ill-suited to the task. An explanation for Faye`s hang-ups was probably overdue and I get the impression that Jeph had something he wanted to get off his chest for which the character of Faye became the vehicle. It`s just not like her to break down like that and the dialogue sounds stilted.

Miho, I have to disagree with you on a couple of things. First, I do think it's within Faye's character to completely break down. I mean, she's been on the edge of revealing this for quite a while, and it only makes sense that sooner or later she'd finally have to explain herself to Marten. I get the impression that this has been bubbling under the surface for some time now, and she was just looking for a good moment to talk to Marten about it, and a good way to bring it up.

Likewise, I disagree that the dialogue here is stilted. The topic at hand is not an easy one to discuss, so it's going to be awkward. Marten's bit about sitting there until he could think of something to say that didn't make him sound like an ass is dead on--many times people just don't know how to respond to these kinds of confessions. I've personally been involved in these kinds of conversations (on both ends, with varying people about varying aspects of tragedy/trauma/mental illness), and in my experience, what Jeph has presented here is more or less how it goes a fair amount of the time.

I think he's done it very well actually. The prelude in the first part of The Talk - "I realize this is like interrupting a delicate waltz with a sledgehammer to the knee" - is a wonderful lead up, I agree with Circus that Faye has been needin to say this for quite some time. That's one of the beautiful things about QC, it transcends "the short term entertainment driven nature of the medium" in favour of fun things like character development! Plot exposition yay!

Err.. I forgot what I was thinking. Nuthin, probably.

i just think it was too long of a build-up, and personally i don't ever want to see Marten and Faye getting together, also because it's been so frequently discounted by Faye and for so long that i think it would be lame and predictable and anticlimactic. i realize it's only been a few months in comic-time since Marten and Faye met, but really i think he should have been working on getting over her, and any romance should be out of the question by now. any of the other female characters would be preferable romantic targets.

i just think that this kind of serious topic doesn't seem to translate very well -- i know that when Something Positive started getting all soap opera-ish, really in the last year or so, is when i noticed the quality really beginning to decline. same thing seems to be going on here.

Maybe we now know too much about this character? To me wondering what was behind Faye`s angst was what made her interesting as a person and now we have the reality there`s nowhere else for her to go unless we`re going into the bizarre realm of daytime soap. Personally I`d like to see some of the secondary characters like Ellen, Nat and Steve take a more prominent role with newer folk being introduced as others are `written out`... After all, it`s the humour that`s meant to be central.

I don't know which way it's going to go from here, but Jeph did promise a return to humor and silliness. And I have to agree with Circus about how it's written. Also, I think it's a bit too early to say the comic's going soap opera. It might be, but I think it's just a temporary mini-arc, I don't think we'll see permanent soapiness.

This is exactly what Marten needed to get over Faye. I suspect that we'll start to see some more fun/flirty interplay between him and Dora (god I sure hope so), and what that does to Faye could be interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by St.CountZero:
Also, I think it's a bit too early to say the comic's going soap opera. It might be, but I think it's just a temporary mini-arc, I don't think we'll see permanent soapiness.

I totally agree here. I think if it were jumping the soap opera shark, it would be far more over the top than it's been.

Maybe I've just had some odd experiences, but this two-week arc really doesn't seem like anything that couldn't (or doesn't) happen between two people who find themselves in such close quarters. I think there's a point in most relationships where people confront some awkward truth--and this confrontation either brings them much closer or they find themselves completely embarrassed and start to drift apart.

Not quite sure which way Marten and Faye will go, but I figure his feelings for her aren't going to die because of this. I'd wager they become stronger.

once again I agree with you, Circus.

And yes, when two people live that close together and are such good friends, the truth eventually comes out. Mostlt when, like here, there was obviously something hidden. It's not like it came out of nowhere, we knew something bad had happened to Faye in the past, and I don't think Jeph could keep it secret forever if he wanted the comic to progress. In my opinion he brought it up in a way that makes perfect sense with the characters.

I really like how he handled that little arc, and how he is handleing the after effects. It shows, to me at least, that he really cares about this story and the characters, and that the characters care about each other... except pintsize... but everybody knows hes just a horny little bastard so I don't count him.

He cares about Faye. If her boobs or butt got smaller, he'd show genuine concern.

and probably wreak some more havoc in the protest.

Ok, I'll concede the point that he cares on a shallow level. and it saddened me greatly when they took his laser away. that helped his havoc wrecking in so many good ways.

Oh my god, the laser was great, and the story line surrounding him losing it was hilarious.

(I was going to post that earlier, JP, but had to be ejected from the computer. great minds and all that)

and seriously, who wouldn't want a laser in their belly button. I know I do. that would be fun.

Any opinions on this new girl Marten`s going back to her place with?

It should be interesting... or awkward, especially since they live in the same building...

Heh, my shot at a story line ... Marten comes out of this gal's apt. just as Faye, Dora, Raven and Dora's bro are headed up to Marten & Faye's apt., and the brother recognizes the blonde as one of his "best relationships", just as Faye sees Marten leaving the apt. of a strange woman, and hilarities ensue.