I think he’s dumb enough that he’ll either continue being preoccupied trying to “swipe as straight as he can” as he put it or follow Blaine’s advice and pray.
Marsh Maryrose
It would not surprise me if, as he is praying, he realizes that God wants him to do exactly what it is he himself wants to do (funny how often that happens).
Which, in this case, is to rescue Becky from the crowd of deceivers she is mired in (as he sees it).
Tan
If he attempts to kidnap Becky he will have to face:
Dina, who has been shown to be willing to resort to biting.
Becky, who is far more inclined to put up a fight than last time.
Ethan and Joe, who are both pretty buff.
Ruth, who has not tasted femurs in weeks.
Sarah, who beat a dude with a bat
Billie, who despite not feeling well can power through for the sake of being head cheerleader, problem solver
Walky, who for all his laziness, is unpredictable and usually has his heart in the right place.
Linda Shaver-Gleason, who by Word of Willis is great.
Robin, who is probably desperate not to lose her campaign’s only lifeline.
Possibly Grace, Meredith, Mandy, and Sierra, who were still there last we checked
CianM1301
And don’t forget Joyce, who has glassed a guy in the face, uppercutted Ross so hard it injured her hand, and now has a resentment towards parental figures.
A few kg difference in weight already makes a pretty big difference for max speed with go-carts, and those have way more power than those scooters. So yeah, Blaine won’t be catching Mike on one unless Mike’s scooter is really low on battery.
Felian
Yep. That is likely to be the showdown. Wild chase at 12mph, until one scooter’s battery runs out. Let’s hope it’ll be Blaine’s.
I’m pretty sure that Blaine’s scooter isn’t significantly slower than Mike’s scooter, for much the same reason that Mike did circles around them while waiting for them to install the app. But that just means Mike gets to conserve his battery a bit… just in case the police don’t set an ambush up at the destination he’s been telling 911 he’s going to.
To be pedantic, those are not the words to “Yakety Sax”. This is merely a set of lyrics Chet Atkins uses to the same melody; he calls his version “Yakety Axe”.
I’d call blasphemy, but that’s not even a real song. That’s just your typical drunken college frat boys trying to sing.
BarerMender
Bicycle Bill, you must be the king of hair splitters. The tune is the tune, no matter what instrument it’s played on. And Merle Travis set the words to that tune, not Chet.
Worth noting that Lime scooters (one of the two brands associated with the scooters in the real world location the comic is based on) have an estimated top speed of 20mph, a typical set top speed of 15mph, and have been demonstrated in videos to be able to reach 30mph under favorable conditions.
None of which creates motion blur in real life (and thereby, probably shouldn’t receive speed-lines in comics), as that’s something that really starts in the 50-60mph range, due both to the limits of typical human motion perception and due to the air resistance in front of the object diffusing around it.
That said, it’s still decidedly more than what Google results list for typical running speed (average casual run speed is listed at 8mph, high speed running at 15mph, and Olympic Champion Usain Bolt caps out at just under 28mph).
Seeing that speed lines can be used in comics just when a character moves very suddenly, to indicate high speed relative to typical human motion, it’s reasonable that the scooters could receive such as well, to indicate the same.
I wanted to link to the scene in The Fall Guy which used the song, but while the clip IS on YouTube, the footage has different music. I guess the production had the BROADCAST rights but not the HOME VIDEO rights. Common problem with TV series in general.
It’s mainly a problem for TV series produced before the home video market for them was opened up. Both The Wonder Years (licensed broadcast rights for the show in ’88, but no distribution rights) and Daria (relied on broadcast rights MTV already had) took many years to come out because of that and in the former case was much more expensive for it at first and in the latter case just jettisoned most of the music even though some of it was critical to the narrative and/or humor at points and it’s removal made it a weaker series.
*cues up Nature Trail to Hell to follow Born to be Wild as he’s talking before fading into the background*
And isn’t that the case for all of us. (Sigh) Realizing he’s being manipulated would mean he did something stupid sooner rather than later, so that’s my biggest hope too.
Yep. I am worried if he wanders off here, though – he’s still close enough to the apartment he might cause trouble. But doing so with Robin and a lot of witnesses present may just be enough to stop this whole scheme in its tracks.
I think what’s good about this series of strips is that it plays Blaine and Toedad as… well, inept. That was what was kind of scary about them before, that they’re very real and very much a ‘threat’. It’s why Ryan is still scary.
I feel like Blaine might end up losing Toedad’s favor over this little ordeal. I’m not sure, but in my gut I’m feeling that even Toedad can see how entirely scummy Blaine is from his actions here. I’m hoping anyway…
Ross is not the brightest guy in the webcomic, that’s certainly known, though Blaine’s a snake and Dina, who also fooled him, happens to have a hell of a poker face. That being said, Blaine definitely let a lot of cracks show in his facade here, so, I guess it remains to be seen if Toedad’s going to process it.
I’d like to hope so, but Ross is so easily manipulated that I wouldn’t be surprised if Blaine somehow explains away his behavior enough to convince Ross to stay with him.
When he loses favor it’s going to be a dramatic moment, Something like Blaine trying to use that hammer on Amber. Or otherwise slap her around.(amazi-girl can kick his butt however her Regular persona is still psychologically helpless)
Ross for all his faults, does care about his daughter Becky. Plenty of Dads simply disown children who come out as gay.
Blaine doesn’t care about Amber and thematically I don’t think Ross will turn on him Ross realizes that.
Not to dispute the larger argument, but it was always Amber who beat up Blaine. Both when she slugged him in her room on family weekend and when she stomped him into the ground when he kidnapped Danny. (It was also Amber who gutted Ryan.)
She’s not psychologically helpless – Amber’s just the persona without the control to stop.
Zee
Also, toedad smacked Becky in the face. He might, maybe lose trust for Blaine if he savagely beats Amber, but he clearly doesn’t have any issues with using violence to get your daughter “back in line”
Clif
If he runs into Amazigirl, he might wind up in jail. If he runs into Amber, he might wind up dead.
thejeff
Pretty much the point. Either way, he won’t be slapping her around.
Judging by previous history though, whichever he runs into, he’ll be running into Amber. When AG confronted Blaine last time, Amber wound up in control immediately. Their relationship is different now, so that might not happen this time.
Okay, the way Mike is announcing where they’re going? More evidence that someone is monitoring this conversation. Either that or he doesn’t want Blaine to lose him and wander back to the party.
Oh, that’s true— I haven’t been closely following the comments, so I don’t know if this is well-established theory, but all signs do seem to point to Mike having this conversation monitored in some way.
He’s mentioned a lot of specific details (Blaine’s full name (plus a distinguishing feature with the nose splint), the presence of the hammer, Dunn Woods, and he also tried to coax Blaine into saying Ross’ name); his repeated circling of Blaine and Ross while they struggled to install the app could also be to keep them in earshot.
And now that we have a theory, and evidence to support it, it is mandatory for the author to whip the rug out from under us and move the story in a different direction. 🙂
But until then, I remain convinced.
Clif
It’s Mike. He could equally have announced his destination as Dunn Woods and be headed for the police station.
127 thoughts on “Installed”
Ana Chronistic
Then it turns out Blaine in fact is on one with a bad motor so it goes slower than the top speed
Dr. T
Those scooters aren’t exactly powerhouses, so the fact that Blaine simply is larger than Mike means that his scooter would be slower by default.
Additionally, the fact that Mike waited for Blaine and keeps shouting tells me that his phone is on. Why else shout his destination?
The real concern is the fact that Ross might now decide he must make a move on grabbing Becky RIGHT NOW before Mike brings the cops down on him.
DarkoNeko
…he very well may 😐 Blaine barely stopped him from doing that earlier after all
Tacos
I think he’s dumb enough that he’ll either continue being preoccupied trying to “swipe as straight as he can” as he put it or follow Blaine’s advice and pray.
Marsh Maryrose
It would not surprise me if, as he is praying, he realizes that God wants him to do exactly what it is he himself wants to do (funny how often that happens).
Which, in this case, is to rescue Becky from the crowd of deceivers she is mired in (as he sees it).
Tan
If he attempts to kidnap Becky he will have to face:
Dina, who has been shown to be willing to resort to biting.
Becky, who is far more inclined to put up a fight than last time.
Ethan and Joe, who are both pretty buff.
Ruth, who has not tasted femurs in weeks.
Sarah, who beat a dude with a bat
Billie, who despite not feeling well can power through for the sake of being head cheerleader, problem solver
Walky, who for all his laziness, is unpredictable and usually has his heart in the right place.
Linda Shaver-Gleason, who by Word of Willis is great.
Robin, who is probably desperate not to lose her campaign’s only lifeline.
Possibly Grace, Meredith, Mandy, and Sierra, who were still there last we checked
CianM1301
And don’t forget Joyce, who has glassed a guy in the face, uppercutted Ross so hard it injured her hand, and now has a resentment towards parental figures.
ValdVin
What trophy would Ruth mount on her wall: Femurs or moustache?
He who hears Voices
Femur with the Mustache taped on.
thejeff
Dina, who is now armed with a raptor claw!
Wraith_Ferron
Of course he wants to swipe as straight as possible. He thinks it’s sacrilegous to swipe gay.
Sunny
A few kg difference in weight already makes a pretty big difference for max speed with go-carts, and those have way more power than those scooters. So yeah, Blaine won’t be catching Mike on one unless Mike’s scooter is really low on battery.
Felian
Yep. That is likely to be the showdown. Wild chase at 12mph, until one scooter’s battery runs out. Let’s hope it’ll be Blaine’s.
Charlie Spencer
I’m starting to wonder if Mike isn’t recording, he’s actually on an open 911 call.
Eve
Yeah, Mike is luring away the only person who manages to keep Ross from doing anything stupid.
Some Ed
I’m pretty sure that Blaine’s scooter isn’t significantly slower than Mike’s scooter, for much the same reason that Mike did circles around them while waiting for them to install the app. But that just means Mike gets to conserve his battery a bit… just in case the police don’t set an ambush up at the destination he’s been telling 911 he’s going to.
Doctor_Who
Could totally be soundtracked by the Benny Hill theme at half speed.
BarerMender
Did you know that tune had words? https://youtu.be/BK7T4LHjln4
Bicycle Bill
To be pedantic, those are not the words to “Yakety Sax”. This is merely a set of lyrics Chet Atkins uses to the same melody; he calls his version “Yakety Axe”.
HeySo
Tsch. Next you’ll tell us that the Game of Thrones theme song doesn’t have lyrics. 😛
Victor
That’s not the real lyrics.
HeySo
I’d call blasphemy, but that’s not even a real song. That’s just your typical drunken college frat boys trying to sing.
BarerMender
Bicycle Bill, you must be the king of hair splitters. The tune is the tune, no matter what instrument it’s played on. And Merle Travis set the words to that tune, not Chet.
Shane
I don’t know why, but that makes me think of the Snuffle-uppagus Theme.
ValdVin
Panels 3-5: Are those speed-lines really necessary, or for comedic effect?
bodmans
Absolutely necessary. Even more necesarry is the Eurobeat-party that they’re going to pass in tomorrow’s comic while rounding a corner.
Someguy
RUNNING IN THE 90’S
Needfuldoer
lol, Internet
Rotunda
Autumn weather in Bloomington is famous for its midnight stripe-storms. It can get very messy when fallen speed-lines clog the street drains.
HeySo
Worth noting that Lime scooters (one of the two brands associated with the scooters in the real world location the comic is based on) have an estimated top speed of 20mph, a typical set top speed of 15mph, and have been demonstrated in videos to be able to reach 30mph under favorable conditions.
None of which creates motion blur in real life (and thereby, probably shouldn’t receive speed-lines in comics), as that’s something that really starts in the 50-60mph range, due both to the limits of typical human motion perception and due to the air resistance in front of the object diffusing around it.
That said, it’s still decidedly more than what Google results list for typical running speed (average casual run speed is listed at 8mph, high speed running at 15mph, and Olympic Champion Usain Bolt caps out at just under 28mph).
Seeing that speed lines can be used in comics just when a character moves very suddenly, to indicate high speed relative to typical human motion, it’s reasonable that the scooters could receive such as well, to indicate the same.
Tandel
This is a masterpiece. Webcomics have hit their peak with how this bit of story-line is panning out.
Stephen Bierce
*plays Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild” on the hacked P.A. speakers*
Stephen Bierce
I wanted to link to the scene in The Fall Guy which used the song, but while the clip IS on YouTube, the footage has different music. I guess the production had the BROADCAST rights but not the HOME VIDEO rights. Common problem with TV series in general.
vlademir1
It’s mainly a problem for TV series produced before the home video market for them was opened up. Both The Wonder Years (licensed broadcast rights for the show in ’88, but no distribution rights) and Daria (relied on broadcast rights MTV already had) took many years to come out because of that and in the former case was much more expensive for it at first and in the latter case just jettisoned most of the music even though some of it was critical to the narrative and/or humor at points and it’s removal made it a weaker series.
*cues up Nature Trail to Hell to follow Born to be Wild as he’s talking before fading into the background*
BBCC
Oops, right, speed limits.
And I like to pretend Ross is deciding Blaine is a dick and is going to say ‘screw him’.
…Look, Ross deciding Blaine is awful because he messed with him personally is as optimistic as I get about that gangrenous toe.
PB
And isn’t that the case for all of us. (Sigh) Realizing he’s being manipulated would mean he did something stupid sooner rather than later, so that’s my biggest hope too.
Regalli
Yep. I am worried if he wanders off here, though – he’s still close enough to the apartment he might cause trouble. But doing so with Robin and a lot of witnesses present may just be enough to stop this whole scheme in its tracks.
Nono
I think what’s good about this series of strips is that it plays Blaine and Toedad as… well, inept. That was what was kind of scary about them before, that they’re very real and very much a ‘threat’. It’s why Ryan is still scary.
thejeff
I guess. There was a lot of set up for this, if it’s all going to end in a comedy scooter chase. Kind of anti-climatic, imo.
I suspect this isn’t actually the resolution and they’re going to be back to scary before this plot arc ends.
Someguy
This is why this benny hill stuff just took me completely off guard
NinjaNick
Hoping Blaine would collide with a passing vehicle, but I don’t know how late at night it is, so I doubt it’ll happen.
Bicycle Bill
When Robin came into the party, she noted that it was “after midnight” and no longer Dina’s birthday.
Ray Radlein
Big truck, driven by Ruth. Acting with integrity.
Booker
And Ross continues to accept all of Blaine’s words as gospel truth. Is it bad I feel kinda bad for how easily he is manipulated?
Rikunda
When Blaine starts saying “God told me that you need to kill this kid to save your daughter’s soul” and he tries to kill Mike… Then you can feel bad.
Booker
Noted and logged.
DaveM
I’m kind of worried that ToeDad will decide to go back to plan A. Kidnap Becky from the party and drag her away to be
curedbrainwashed.Some1
we got a real Zeno’s Paradox situation going on here.
Lanie
I feel like Blaine might end up losing Toedad’s favor over this little ordeal. I’m not sure, but in my gut I’m feeling that even Toedad can see how entirely scummy Blaine is from his actions here. I’m hoping anyway…
Lanie
And reading that again, I feel that “scummy” was entirely too weak of a word to describe Blaine…
DailyBrad
Ross is not the brightest guy in the webcomic, that’s certainly known, though Blaine’s a snake and Dina, who also fooled him, happens to have a hell of a poker face. That being said, Blaine definitely let a lot of cracks show in his facade here, so, I guess it remains to be seen if Toedad’s going to process it.
Geneseepaws
Is it canon that Dina’s smile/ toothy grin, is as persuasive as Florence’s?
(Florence, a Bowman’s wolf)
Keulen
I’d like to hope so, but Ross is so easily manipulated that I wouldn’t be surprised if Blaine somehow explains away his behavior enough to convince Ross to stay with him.
Vukodlak
When he loses favor it’s going to be a dramatic moment, Something like Blaine trying to use that hammer on Amber. Or otherwise slap her around.(amazi-girl can kick his butt however her Regular persona is still psychologically helpless)
Ross for all his faults, does care about his daughter Becky. Plenty of Dads simply disown children who come out as gay.
Blaine doesn’t care about Amber and thematically I don’t think Ross will turn on him Ross realizes that.
thejeff
Not to dispute the larger argument, but it was always Amber who beat up Blaine. Both when she slugged him in her room on family weekend and when she stomped him into the ground when he kidnapped Danny. (It was also Amber who gutted Ryan.)
She’s not psychologically helpless – Amber’s just the persona without the control to stop.
Zee
Also, toedad smacked Becky in the face. He might, maybe lose trust for Blaine if he savagely beats Amber, but he clearly doesn’t have any issues with using violence to get your daughter “back in line”
Clif
If he runs into Amazigirl, he might wind up in jail. If he runs into Amber, he might wind up dead.
thejeff
Pretty much the point. Either way, he won’t be slapping her around.
Judging by previous history though, whichever he runs into, he’ll be running into Amber. When AG confronted Blaine last time, Amber wound up in control immediately. Their relationship is different now, so that might not happen this time.
Charlie Spencer
The last three years have taught me how much Fundamentalists are willing to sacrifice their principles in order to achieve their goals.
Geneseepaws
Remember; the word Fan comes from fanatic.
DarkoNeko
You better hope yours has more battery left.
oh no
I laughed at this in public and can’t even adequately describe why
bryy
That “….okay ” gave me life.
foamy
*RC car noises*
DaveM
Okay, the way Mike is announcing where they’re going? More evidence that someone is monitoring this conversation. Either that or he doesn’t want Blaine to lose him and wander back to the party.
Catullus
Oh, that’s true— I haven’t been closely following the comments, so I don’t know if this is well-established theory, but all signs do seem to point to Mike having this conversation monitored in some way.
He’s mentioned a lot of specific details (Blaine’s full name (plus a distinguishing feature with the nose splint), the presence of the hammer, Dunn Woods, and he also tried to coax Blaine into saying Ross’ name); his repeated circling of Blaine and Ross while they struggled to install the app could also be to keep them in earshot.
Count me as on board with this theory.
DrWattson
Plus he gave a distinguishing feature for Ross by calling him “Mustache”.
DaveM
And now that we have a theory, and evidence to support it, it is mandatory for the author to whip the rug out from under us and move the story in a different direction. 🙂
But until then, I remain convinced.
Clif
It’s Mike. He could equally have announced his destination as Dunn Woods and be headed for the police station.
DSL
And there’s a record of Blaine’s and maybe eventually Ross’s credit cards on those scooters.
Positron
And also their accounts in the app’s logs
DarkoNeko