It’s not a conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories have a lot more structure to them. This is simply the observation that dozens, if not hundreds, of rich powerful people had the means, motive(!), and opportunity to kill Epstein, and that there were some funny things about the way he died.
Greebs
So… it’s a conspiracy hypothesis?
SpaceshipPilot
More like a conspiracy fact. I’m pretty sure it’s an open secret at this point.
clif
The real question is which of the many candidates was behind it.
Sombrero
A conspiracy. Full stop.
Zaxares
I normally don’t put a lot of stock in conspiracy theories, but I have to agree that Epstein’s death seems VERY suspicious. Leaving aside the fact that the two guards who were supposed to check on him didn’t, this simply isn’t the typical M.O. of these rich white-collar types. What people like Epstein usually do is drag out the case through the courts so long that their accusers have to drop out due to lack of funding (and Epstein certainly had the financial means to do this).
Wizard
I think it’s a reference to suspicious deaths while in police custody. Jeffrey Epstein would be a recent high profile example.
Like maybe start out with a littler subject, maybe like a little warden, …yeah, a Mini-warden. I’ll bet even a mini-warden could take Toe-Dad. Take him out with one hand tied behind his back.
Joyce, honey, I understand and sympathize, but Becky needs to know or this could end up a really unpleasant surprise really quickly, especially since you can’t be with Becky 24/7. She works full time and you’re a student. If you’re with her all the time, she’ll realize SOMETHING is up.
She does, and I think the last panel is frustration that yeah, she knows Dorothy is right. Doesn’t mean she’s any happier to subject Becky to that knowledge, though.
163 thoughts on “Required”
Ana Chronistic
I’d say bail on this discussion, that escalated quickly
Michael Chandra
I’ll be the judge of that.
Screwball
I don’t know, Jury is still out on that one…
Lokitsu
Joyce certainly raised the bar.
Slartibeast Button, BIA
Just take a brief recess.
Geneseepaws
I can’t release those documents without a sub-peener.
Needfuldoer
‘sa peener! ‘sa peener!
Bagge
Nah, see, ROSS brought a gun.
Joyce essentially threatening to shiv him is her DE-escalating by bringing a knife to a gun-fight.
TrueVCU
But the constitution doesn’t say anything about knives so
Agemegos
The US Constitution doesn’t mention hands, either. Presumably Congress can make gloves compulsory, but not sleeves.
Suet
Nah yeah, you should tell.
shadowcell
Dumbing of Age Book 10: This Is Indiana, So…
Keulen
DoA Book 10: Somebody Doesn’t Want To Be Eligible For Bail
Stephen Bierce
Does this mean that Ross is yesterday’s noose?
Nono
His relevancy is really hanging by a thread.
LeslieBean4shizzle
… huh?
The alt text and this (and another similar) discussion have me very confused. Did I miss a thing?
Jamie
They’re murder puns.
Marsh Maryrose
The alt text references a popular conspiracy theory. The thread is just puns, and no noose is good noose.
Screwball
So you’re saying if you get the reference, you’re killing it, but if you’re like me and don’t, you’re basically left to drown?
Marsh Maryrose
Eh, it’s a dead letter.
BrokenEye, the True False Prophet
Epstein can’t melt steel beams
Chris Phoenix
It’s not a conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories have a lot more structure to them. This is simply the observation that dozens, if not hundreds, of rich powerful people had the means, motive(!), and opportunity to kill Epstein, and that there were some funny things about the way he died.
Greebs
So… it’s a conspiracy hypothesis?
SpaceshipPilot
More like a conspiracy fact. I’m pretty sure it’s an open secret at this point.
clif
The real question is which of the many candidates was behind it.
Sombrero
A conspiracy. Full stop.
Zaxares
I normally don’t put a lot of stock in conspiracy theories, but I have to agree that Epstein’s death seems VERY suspicious. Leaving aside the fact that the two guards who were supposed to check on him didn’t, this simply isn’t the typical M.O. of these rich white-collar types. What people like Epstein usually do is drag out the case through the courts so long that their accusers have to drop out due to lack of funding (and Epstein certainly had the financial means to do this).
Wizard
I think it’s a reference to suspicious deaths while in police custody. Jeffrey Epstein would be a recent high profile example.
Lokitsu
Joyce wants to throw Ross a party…
A necktie party.
Tacos
She wants to see how well he does the Hemp Fandango.
Bicycle Bill
Another term is the “Spandau ballet”.
Doctor_Who
If anything could make Joyce finally drop an F-Bomb, it’s probably Ross.
Dana
The fact that she still calls him Mr. McIntyre in that context amuses me for some reason.
Needfuldoer
A lifetime of “Mr./Ms. Surname” inertia doesn’t go away overnight. Hell, I’m in my thirties and I still refer to longtime family friends as such.
Touchfuzzy
One of my teachers in high school had been teaching there for like 20+ years. One of the other teachers went to that high school 10 years previous.
He still referred that teacher as “Mr. ___” despite calling every other teacher by their first name.
thejeff
When it’s not just “so and so’s dad”.
Jude Deluca
Joyce I’m liking your enthusiasm but start smaller than a warden.
Geneseepaws
Like maybe start out with a littler subject, maybe like a little warden, …yeah, a Mini-warden. I’ll bet even a mini-warden could take Toe-Dad. Take him out with one hand tied behind his back.
Nono
Dorothy is all ‘ugh I bet I wouldn’t have to deal with this kind of stuff if I was in Yale right now.’.
Chris Phoenix
Yeah. She could just tell someone with a rich parent who had a discreet employee who could fix the problem.
Dean
Yale graduates get three free murders a year, it’s in the Constitution.
Tacos
Jeez that escalated quickly. Going from not wanting to tell Becky to thinking about bribing a warden to shiv Toedad.
Dunedon
So wait … if he didn’t kill himself, then who did? This gets potentially even more twisted.
ktbear
It was a really well known political family, obviously. And we don’t know too many of those in this reality.
brumagem
Wait is Ross dead? How did I miss that?
Tacos
He was dead all along.
ktbear
Schrodingers cat anyone?
Slartibeast Button, BIA
McIntyre was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.
Arian
The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk and the undertaker, but not the chief mourner because there were none.
Slartibeast Button, BIA
Carol, surely, would be there.
Needfuldoer
He was replaced by a doppelganger back in the 60s.
thejeff
There never was a Ross McIntyre. It was always a cheap Alien robot infiltrator.
Opus the Poet
He died when he pulled the trigger on the gun when he was trying to kidnap Becky the first time, he’s just too stupid to fall down right.
Agemegos
It’s a bluff. Ross is being held in durance at the bottom of a dry well in an abandonded house. Mike is making him put lotion on his skin.
MLE
It’s a joke about Epstein and the way the phrase got memed
BBCC
Joyce, honey, I understand and sympathize, but Becky needs to know or this could end up a really unpleasant surprise really quickly, especially since you can’t be with Becky 24/7. She works full time and you’re a student. If you’re with her all the time, she’ll realize SOMETHING is up.
Mollyscribbles
Nah, if you want it to be a shiv you bribe the cellmate. If the warden’s bribed, there are other murder options.
Agemegos
Failure to communicate, frinstance.
Geneseepaws
Are you saying that Ross – here won’t need a third sat of chains?
Agemegos
He’s gonna get his mind right.
Reltzik
Then again, if the guy gets shived, no one suspects the warden.
Bicycle Bill
There are two ‘V’s in “shivved”.
FacelessDeviant
He’s gonna get chived. Its gonna be delicious.
Reltzik
He’s going to get sour creamed.
Kamino Neko
Getting shived wouldn’t be bad as a punishment, though.
Getting Shived, on the other hand, would be awesome beyond belief, and thus should not be used on him.
Freemage
You’ve had that as an avatar for all this time just so you could make that joke when the opportunity finally arrived, haven’t you?
Kamino Neko
Heh heh heh.
Reltzik
I dunno. That was one cartoonist who always struck me as something of a goon. Well, kinda a goon. Goonish.
Reaver
NVM, not a flashback, just a dumb decision…
Jeezus Joyce she DESERVES TO PROTECT HERSELF.
DailyBrad
She does, and I think the last panel is frustration that yeah, she knows Dorothy is right. Doesn’t mean she’s any happier to subject Becky to that knowledge, though.
Reaver
NOT telling her subjects her to even MORE danger, what’s worse? The Danger you can know is coming, or the danger nobody wanted to tell you about? X.X
Adam Black
if Joyce answered the phone a few days ago she could have told Robin