Annotated 27-19
Phil looked at the end of the last page, where Carol uttered the word “magick,” and was like, Are we sure we want to go here? But to be honest, that was a bit of a fake-out. It doesn’t really matter what Carol discloses about HR’s sorcery, because Shanna is the last person on Earth who would believe in such things without irrefutable evidence, and even if she got some, she’d spend a lot of energy trying to refute it first.
Right now, it’s very very easy for her to believe that Carol’s fragile emotional state has made Carol a bit hallucinatory and irrational. But, with effort, she bites her tongue about that. When your hostile interview subject is breaking down and spilling their guts, you don’t want to say anything that might make them close back up again.
“Things in the basement” is an interesting word choice. Carol might not be referring to the Five. Sorcery can take strange shapes.
Shanna’s compulsive nerd-trolling is something you just have to accept about her at this point, like it’s Tourette’s or some other disability. She’ll never fully lose it, at least not in this universe. But I find it hilarious that she makes noise about never having seen Lord of the Rings and then, one panel later, summarizes that story’s main theme in eleven words or less.
🤣 midgets in new zealand movies !
Even reading this today and knowing what to expect, I still let out a groan reading that comment from Shanna xD
Lets put a pin in this moment because it establishes that from what Shanna knows of the universe, magic (or magick) doesn’t exists in the ‘real’ world. Carol is obviously delusional for believing this as far as Shanna is concern. So what Shanna what will see later in story should be a hug revelation and change her entire view of the world or at the very least, leave this inquisitive reporter with hug questions, right!? Well… I’ll save the rest of my thoughts for when we get to that part of the story.
Whats really important in this page is that Carol cannot abandon H.R. Shanna’s tone may not have helped matters (making it clear you don’t believe someone makes it hard for them to trust you in return) but Carol has become totally dependent on HR. Carol’s reaction to that text mirrors that of so many other unhealthy relationships, you can’t really see this ending in any other way than tragedy.
Thankfully there are many unhealthy relationships that don’t end in tragedy, but you’re not wrong about the hallmarks of this being a toxic relationship. Right down to Carol putting herself far enough out of H.R.’s control to actually talk to someone about this (even if she didn’t think that’s why she was coming here). The victim’s need to talk, to share with someone what they’re going through, is common, as is their sudden reflexive rejection of any further assistance from an outsider.
It can be very difficult getting through the barriers put up between them and the world, to give them the aid they need.
“Hug revelations” and “hug questions” — that put two smiles on my face. I suppose those could actually accomplish some of what Carol is trying to…
Agreed — Shanna should have her view of the world shattered comprehensively at the end. This should be much bigger than having actual gamer friends as an anti-gamer person, and still bigger than the fallout from the sepia-world violence she experiences towards the end.
Anyways, Shanna gained a huge advantage but she’s lost most of it before Carol’s phone goes off. That would totally be the same mistake I’d make. She realizes she’s got the upper hand now, and fails to realize she doesn’t understand half of what’s going on, which immediately puts a wedge between the two of them.
Even now knowing which movie Shanna’s talking about I still had to go back, reread the dialog, and be like “/That’s/ what she was talking about?” All this time I was assuming it was a horror movie I haven’t seen or I dunno… one of the really weird episodes of Xena.
Agreed. I can’t/couldn’t even make the connection myself. I don’t associate movies with the physical locations in which they were shot (unless it’s supposed to be representative of that location like Fargo or something).
Funny you should mention a William H. Macy movie.