Annotated 22-4
Huh. That “We’re not gonna let POLITICS ruin this weekend” bit plays even better now to my ear.
Somewhere around reading this page, I made a suggestion to Phil that he used much later in the story. You might be able to guess what my basic idea was just from that, but we’ll get there when we get there.
When it comes to how Phil selected this particular title, I got nothin’, except to think that maybe it’s to do with the “unity in nihilism” these two have going on. Which we sorta foreshadowed a few chapters back!
‘S funny. First time around, there were a couple people shipping Ashok and Ulak, when they first showed up, who abandoned ship as soon as they were revealed as Cultists.
But this strip (specifically ‘we agreed we wouldn’t let politics ruin this weekend’, which is so an ‘old married couple’ line) is the first that made them seem shippy to me.
“We’re not gonna let politics ruin this weekend” does fit with the times! Race relations is politics, killing everyone on the planet isn’t
Yea, I mean, killing everyone is just what The Market wants, and if you don’t go along, you crazy.
To be fair, cultists also fit with the times.
Are you going to tell us what that idea was when we get to it? ‘Cause I can’t figure it out.
Yep!
Isn’t the title a pun? “Universal” in the sense that beings from all different races and factions are united in their nihilism, but also “universal” in that HR is about to do evil things with multiple universes?