Thursday, 7 July 2011

Since Phil is less focused on why Connie is in her current emotional state than he is on how it might affect him, I'd say that Lynn has generously afforded us an insight as to why Mike was a dick himself; it's genetic.

(Strip Number 4198, Original Publication Date, 8 July 2011)

Panel 1: As she holds her silverware in an unusual manner, Connie tells Phil that his rival was something of a child and was less interested in her as a lover than he was as getting a new mommy.

Panel 2: She then makes a huffy remark about how she wanted someone to lean on as well; she'd already had one dependent and didn't need another, thank you very much. (Nice to see what she really thinks of Lawrence, isn't it?)

Panel 3: Since Ted was incapable of feeding her seemingly bottomless need for approval as Greg would later prove to be, she makes a sweeping generalization about how all men everywhere are stupid, weak, manipulative and demanding.

Panel 4: Since all Adult!Child!Phil heard as "Men, bad!", he thought-bubbles that he doesn't think that he belongs at this table.

Summary: What he should be thinking is that he's being a bit of a jackass here; it's not everyone who can get dumped by a basket-case and blame her for his not paying attention to how crazy she is but, as a Richards, he's more than oblivious and insensitive enough to do it.