1502 Your Special One.
Jo and Jess are going to have a very, very, complex relationship.
It’s my experience that humans dislike complexity. Gray areas are terrifying. I was much the same when I was young. Black and white all the way. Absolutes. There are fewer absolutes than we want to admit.
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Your last sentence reminds me of the song “The Fence” by Tim Minchin.
I love how much Jess looks like her brother in this scene.
Frowning and serious, yep thats Ed :P
Good catch! I hadn’t really noticed it, but there are definite similarities. Nice subtlety in this comic.
Man, I am loving seeing this side of Jo!
It’s great to see Jo with that sort of attitude. That sort of attitude hits me a bit hard, as it’s one I wish more people close to me had.
Complexity can be fun.
Indeed – just look at how much people get into the math under RPGs, people who pause TV shows for little Easter Eggs or plot clues, basically any and all good puzzle games, competitive fighting games…
People like finding threads on shirts and then pulling at them to see it all unravel before them.
It is possible that Jo has just become my absolute favorite character out of all the 400+ webcomics I read.
Yes it is.
More and more with each new page, I’m feeling like Jo, the character who seems most out of touch with reality, is actually the most mature one who understands things the most. And I love that.
Sometimes, we use the fiction that correlates most with reality to make sense of it. It is what allows us our observations into reality. Those who lack imagination are the most easily fooled.
the hidden maturity behind her seemingly out of touch behavior, means jo is certainly an enjoyable character.
typo in panel 4 second bubble: “Exaclty”
High five for the title referencing ‘Don’t Hold Me I’m Scared’
Jo is one of those people who have their shit together when they go to tell you how something is to the point that you want to say they’re naive, but then realize that you have no arguments. Not a single one. And then you realize that you’re clinging to your own naivety because you want to believe that things are black and white and that something complicated can’t be explained simply.
Because when something that confuses you can be explained simply, you realize that you aren’t as smart as you thought you were. Nobody likes that, but it’s something that life throws at us quite a bit. Trouble is, we tend not to pay attention until we look back on it. Jo has that special gift of being able to see some of these things in the now.
I think that insight of not liking greys explains a lot about the people voting & campaigning for Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump right now.
Chill, Jess. Jo is holding up the mirror so you can see yourself, not to beat you over the head with it.
I remember seeing the world as black and white, then gray. I’m starting to see it as black and white again in the sense that black and white don’t make gray, they make a checkerboard and you have to own up to both sides. For example, Jo is very bold around Jess and very shy around strangers. Her temperament is not average, it’s both bold and shy. Same for Thomas who is manipulative but is helping the store and he most definitely own up to both.
Jo is smarter than she looks
My guess is that her insecurities made Jo very introspective. She might not be very knowledgeable in everything, but she’ll have a natural knack for philosophy and psychology. She also doesn’t have much reason to worry about Jess being attracted to so many people, because many of them Jo likes as well. Jo loves many of the people she deals with, either via crush or like family. She has even entertained ideas of a polyamorous relationship with several co-workers at once in conversation with Alex. So Jess being flirty feels less like betrayal and more like solidarity.
Of course, these are just my guesses.
Only a Sith deals in absolutes! …Wait…
*quietly checks Wannabe Elf’s saber crystal color, then realizes that if only a sith uses a red crystal, it’s an absolute…*
Actually, if you look at it, the Jedi dealt in absolutes just as much as the Sith. They were perfect foils for each other. Their balance came not from within, but from conflict.
Ooo, such a good page! So much information in such a tiny space! Jess being vulnerable. Jo being insightful and influential! *updates his character analysis notes*
…and then they make out…
Well obviously. But that’s Patreon level stuff I believe. ;)
The older I get, the fewer absolutes I believe in. Which is quite a feat given US politics. I like to think I’ve grown as a person.
Also, panel 4, word bubble 4, the T and L in “exactly” switched places.
How funny that you post a comic like this a make such a simple commentary like just after my girlfriend breaks up with me.
You spying on my life bub?
Nope, just happenstance. I hope you find someone who can share your love again
You know, I tried that with a girl, once. It was very similar to the way Jo describes: “You tell me who you want while holding my hand. So I know I’m the most important one.” I didn’t have a problem with it, because I thought being poly was an intrinsic part of her personality, and I didn’t want her to change for me. I didn’t think I had the right to ask that of her.
As it turned out, it wasn’t quite as important for her as I thought. She found someone that was more important to her than me, and before I knew it, she left me for this other guy. The two of them have been married for years.
Please don’t let Jo and Jess end the same way.
No promises.
PolyJo? To be fair they haven’t explicitly talked about it , and it’s weird to hold out hope for it but y’know.
Re: black and white and gray….
Oh, god, yes, I hated finding that out….
Still not real tickled with it….
Jo is wise beyond her years and sees deeply, a common trait for people who are extremely introverted. Also, full on dawww moment