Dumbing of Age Book Twelve

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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phew, emotions diverted, good job walky
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May 12, 2026

Third act climax

by David M Willis on October 20, 2014 at 12:01 am
  • 01 - When Somebody Loved Me
└ Tags: dorothy, joyce, walky

Discussion (224) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. Jen Aside
    Jen Aside
    October 20, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    FREE FROM LOVE
    FREE FROM LOVE
    THANK CHEESE ALMIGHTY
    I’M FREE FROM LOVE

    …waitaminit

    • Cheryl
      Cheryl
      October 20, 2014 at 12:55 am | #

      And in true male fashion he digs himself a whole straight through the earth.

      • DSL
        DSL
        October 20, 2014 at 7:51 am | #

        It’s called an escape hatch.

        • Aeyt
          Aeyt
          October 20, 2014 at 10:04 pm | #

          I say he loves her, and he harbors no doubts. He just doesn’t understand the implications of what that means for her and her “life plan”. Silly boy.

  2. Camachri
    Camachri
    October 20, 2014 at 12:02 am | #

    Wow Walky. Way to… Anti-Dan it up?

    • Maveric1984
      Maveric1984
      October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

      He didn’t… but then he did. Saying it back (and I really think he means it too) was great, but then he made light of the fact that he said it, which was Danny all over.

      • Camachri
        Camachri
        October 20, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

        But I mean, he managed to Dan it up by saying a thing which was 100% un-Danny. That’s art in wordplay, that is.

      • Tunaro
        Tunaro
        October 20, 2014 at 12:11 am | #

        So he fixed a problem before it started, then just introduced a possibly worse one? How the Hell do you out-Dan Danny?!

        • Ahighfunctioningsociopath
          Ahighfunctioningsociopath
          October 20, 2014 at 12:19 am | #

          By being walky.
          Remember, the comic that replaced roomies was itswalky.

        • Itama
          Itama
          October 20, 2014 at 12:53 am | #

          Y’know what makes it worse?
          Not only is Walkiy out out-Daning Danny in his relationship with Dorothy, but Dorothy is also Danning herself by imitating Danny when he danned himself in his relationship with her…

          The circle has come full Dan.

          • Ancestral Hamster
            Ancestral Hamster
            October 20, 2014 at 2:32 am | #

            “The cycle is now complete.
            When I left you I was but a Dan, now I am a Walky.”

            “Only a Walky of Evil.”

          • lightsabermario
            lightsabermario
            October 20, 2014 at 3:20 am | #

            Don’t you know? You never go full Dan!

          • butting
            butting
            October 20, 2014 at 7:19 am | #

            Even worse, I think Walky just crossed the Dans.

            • anonymous
              anonymous
              October 20, 2014 at 1:23 pm | #

              If you never cross your Dan’s
              You never defeat Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man’s!

              • nkh
                nkh
                October 20, 2014 at 7:36 pm | #

                If you walk without Danny, you won’t attract the… uhh… Ethan-worm.

                (I’m not sure how I jumped from Ghostbusters to Dune, but whatever, I’m rollin’ with it.)

          • F
            F
            October 20, 2014 at 8:52 am | #

            Never Go Full Dan

          • timemonkey
            timemonkey
            October 20, 2014 at 2:49 pm | #

            No, she’s not yet the Danny, because she’s actually listening and living in the reality of her relationship. Her desires for the relationship have shifted and she’s letting him know, instead of just pretending they were suddenly super serious and he should know that already.

            • Itama
              Itama
              October 20, 2014 at 4:29 pm | #

              Except she kinda is doing that. Sure, she’s more aware than Danny was, but she’s still springing the love card without warning, and hoping for him to reciprocate. She’s yet to actually tell him she wants to get serious, so until she does that, she’s the Danny.

          • Suitora
            Suitora
            October 20, 2014 at 8:27 pm | #

            Meanwhile, Danny’s actually expressing some sense with Amber, was giving her some space, and actually took a hint to get away after she seemingly avoided him. He was wrong, but Danny actually didn’t Dan it up. What is the universe coming to?

        • Paradox
          Paradox
          October 20, 2014 at 1:15 am | #

          You do it by walkying it up. It’s like a meta version of dannying it up. Dannying simply causes problems. Walkying fixes problems and makes others worse. It’s multitasking!

  3. Tunaro
    Tunaro
    October 20, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    That was… anti-climactic. Good job, Walky? I guess?

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      October 20, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

      Truly Walky is a man amongst men. 😛

    • MrSirk
      MrSirk
      October 20, 2014 at 12:48 am | #

      He might be onto something with that one.

      • F
        F
        October 20, 2014 at 9:15 am | #

        It is always easier to say things you think using the word feelings rather than explain how men really work. Walky has done both… Oh well, better luck next girlfriend.

  4. TheZachariah
    TheZachariah
    October 20, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    um it doesnt work the way you think it works walky

  5. Hoboturtle
    Hoboturtle
    October 20, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    I cant tell if this is good or bad…

    • Black Drazon
      Black Drazon
      October 20, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

      It’s Walky.

      It… It’s Walky.

      • Hoboturtle
        Hoboturtle
        October 20, 2014 at 12:06 am | #

        Laugh track

        Roll credits

        • Tunaro
          Tunaro
          October 20, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

          What would be the theme song for this comic to run over the credits?

          • Jen Aside
            Jen Aside
            October 20, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

            Yakety Sax?

            • Wack'd
              Wack'd
              October 20, 2014 at 12:35 am | #

              I imagine more something along these lines.

              • MrBurrows
                MrBurrows
                October 20, 2014 at 12:45 pm | #

                Man, if I wasn’t Immortal, that would totally be my funeral music.

                • Hoboturtle
                  Hoboturtle
                  October 20, 2014 at 11:28 pm | #

                  Because of denial, I’m immortal!

            • Sambo
              Sambo
              October 20, 2014 at 2:38 pm | #

              I’m with Jen A. on this one

  6. astronomifier
    astronomifier
    October 20, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    that was suprisingly mature…

    • Saintslayer
      Saintslayer
      October 20, 2014 at 6:47 am | #

      This is Walky we’re talking about here, he’s actually pretty smart. That may have just been his cunning way of redirecting responsibility.

  7. Graq
    Graq
    October 20, 2014 at 12:03 am | #

    All I can focus on for some reason is Joyce’s face in the first panel.

    • Catullus
      Catullus
      October 20, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

      I choose to read it as “Damn, I guess I missed my chance”

    • Raye the Magic Lesbian
      Raye the Magic Lesbian
      October 25, 2014 at 11:30 am | #

      I know, she looks really upset. Maybe she’ll finally realize she’s totally in love with Dorothy, FINALLY

  8. Archivist
    Archivist
    October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Genre-savvy, but…wait…no.

    • Inlaa
      Inlaa
      October 20, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

      No, yes, genre savvy. Just… Uh. You know, saying the logic behind it afterward was the problem.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      October 20, 2014 at 12:23 am | #

      He went from Dangerously Genre Savvy to Wrong Genre savvy in just one panel.

      • Drunken Nordmann
        Drunken Nordmann
        October 20, 2014 at 1:05 am | #

        Wouldn’t Wrong Genre-Savvy imply that there’s a genre where it’s okay to spell these things out?

        • Robin
          Robin
          October 20, 2014 at 3:22 am | #

          Something where characters can break the fourth wall?

        • Anonymous
          Anonymous
          October 20, 2014 at 6:04 am | #

          Rational Fic?

          • Saintslayer
            Saintslayer
            October 20, 2014 at 6:49 am | #

            Is that a thing? Like where characters actually make reasonable decisions?

            • gwalla
              gwalla
              October 20, 2014 at 12:27 pm | #

              Sounds boring.

            • sun tzu
              sun tzu
              October 20, 2014 at 1:48 pm | #

              Sort of.
              http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RationalFic

            • Drunken Nordmann
              Drunken Nordmann
              October 20, 2014 at 4:23 pm | #

              Avoiding possible drama by saying “I love you, too” could count as a rational decision – but telling her about that is more in the Too Dumb To Live column, I think.

            • Aris Katsaris
              Aris Katsaris
              October 20, 2014 at 6:32 pm | #

              Try to read “Harry Potter & the Methods of Rationality” (a scientific-minded Harry Potter) or perhaps “Luminosity” (a take on ‘Twilight’ with an intelligent and introspective Bella) or “Worm” (or “Metropolitan Man”) for a a slightly more rational take on superheroes than you’d usually see…

              • sun tzu
                sun tzu
                October 20, 2014 at 9:37 pm | #

                I love “Methods of Rationality” (despite its preachiness), and I love “Worm”… but it should be noted that “Worm” is “rational” in the sense of “people with powers actually try to use them creatively, and the world actually has to deal with the sociological effects of superpowers”. Not in the sense of the characters behaving in an ultimately rational manner.

  9. Sensedog
    Sensedog
    October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Oh, the downward spiral.

  10. Itama
    Itama
    October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    WHY IS THERE HAPPINESS???!!!

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      October 20, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

      So it can be taken away from you afterwards, why else.

      • Arkadi
        Arkadi
        October 20, 2014 at 12:35 am | #

        Indeed!

    • Wack'd
      Wack'd
      October 20, 2014 at 12:36 am | #

      Because, of course, you are going to be sad later.

      • ninja_jesus
        ninja_jesus
        October 20, 2014 at 11:44 am | #

        Nice DW reference.

  11. Idon'tcarenomore
    Idon'tcarenomore
    October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    And that is a very good job of defusing an explosive situation.

    • liahansen
      liahansen
      October 20, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

      Not so much “defusing” as sitting on and farting.

  12. meghantheworldeater
    meghantheworldeater
    October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Hmmm, why do I get the feeling this isn’t going to work out as well as Walky seems to think?

  13. Cattleprod
    Cattleprod
    October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    Ooh, the tyranny of love, I think that could be the premise of the next YA dystopia series.

    • Robin
      Robin
      October 20, 2014 at 3:23 am | #

      “I don’t love you!”

      “That’s illegal. I should report you.”

      I’d read it.

  14. Plasma Mongoose
    Plasma Mongoose
    October 20, 2014 at 12:04 am | #

    I was hoping he would say those three important words.

    • Jen Aside
      Jen Aside
      October 20, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

      not THOSE three words???

      • Plasma Mongoose
        Plasma Mongoose
        October 20, 2014 at 12:13 am | #

        I’m afraid not. 😀

      • Ivan
        Ivan
        October 20, 2014 at 12:17 am | #

        I thought they were “Viagra’s Kickin’ In!”

        • Plasma Mongoose
          Plasma Mongoose
          October 20, 2014 at 12:21 am | #

          That or “Stop, Hammer Time”.

          • HeySo
            HeySo
            October 20, 2014 at 2:41 am | #

            These are always the correct three words.

            Especially if you’re inexplicably wearing parachute pants.

    • Tunaro
      Tunaro
      October 20, 2014 at 12:16 am | #

      Rocket Powered Fist?

      • Kennerly
        Kennerly
        October 20, 2014 at 12:35 am | #

        Mint Berry Crunch!

      • JustCheetoDust
        JustCheetoDust
        October 20, 2014 at 12:36 am | #

        Romantic fist attachment?

    • Wack'd
      Wack'd
      October 20, 2014 at 12:38 am | #

      *counts off on fingers* Your…twin…sister…

      Nope, too long.

      • Tunaro
        Tunaro
        October 20, 2014 at 12:50 am | #

        Your mom. Nickel.

    • ninja_jesus
      ninja_jesus
      October 20, 2014 at 12:49 am | #

      I’m a vampire!

    • Kelly
      Kelly
      October 20, 2014 at 1:17 am | #

      I am Groot

      • The Other Mike
        The Other Mike
        February 2, 2015 at 1:07 am | #

        I am Groot!

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      October 20, 2014 at 1:29 am | #

      Here, a puppy!

    • Robin
      Robin
      October 20, 2014 at 3:25 am | #

      Dang. I searched for cheese before making that same joke, but of course you don’t have to use the words… oh well.

    • gwalla
      gwalla
      October 20, 2014 at 1:24 pm | #

      Just Do It?
      Pants are awesome?
      Boom shaka laka?
      Chronic butts disease?

  15. caramelundqueer
    caramelundqueer
    October 20, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

    Dorothy seems let down by Walky’s unwillingness to make this into a big deal.

    • ele
      ele
      October 20, 2014 at 4:04 am | #

      Doroty problem is that she want the perks of a serious relationship while having clearly stated that she just wanted to have fun.

      • Marc in MN
        Marc in MN
        October 20, 2014 at 12:38 pm | #

        She also needs to reserve the right to change the terms at any point in time. Walky is simply expected to keep up when this happens.

        • timemonkey
          timemonkey
          October 20, 2014 at 2:46 pm | #

          Walky is free to object or call it off at any time. He’s even demonstrated his willingness to call the whole thing off if she crosses the line.

  16. HMRC4EVR
    HMRC4EVR
    October 20, 2014 at 12:05 am | #

    I want to say this makes a kind-of sense, but again I haven’t dated in a long time so me thinking that makes sense makes me not having dated much make sense.

    So…yay Walky?

    • Razzmatazz MacKenzie
      Razzmatazz MacKenzie
      October 20, 2014 at 12:25 am | #

      No, this only makes sense in Walky-world.

  17. arank11
    arank11
    October 20, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

    I’m not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed

  18. Rosicrucian
    Rosicrucian
    October 20, 2014 at 12:07 am | #

    But you do want to put him on the spot, Dorothy. You felt you had to say it.

    • Wack'd
      Wack'd
      October 20, 2014 at 12:39 am | #

      But she made it clear she didn’t feel he had to.

      At least at first. Slightly undercut by the second panel. Ah well. Least she cops to it.

    • hof1991
      hof1991
      October 20, 2014 at 8:09 am | #

      It was an asymmetrical gambit by Dorothy. Little risk with a potential high reward. Walky turned it right around and defused the bomb. She loves him and is planning to dump him later. Remember him fondly, but dump him anyway. Walky knows this and is a touch touchy about it. He’s seen this movie before.

  19. Kernanator
    Kernanator
    October 20, 2014 at 12:08 am | #

    Goddammit, I’ve been filled with so much tension from things going too right, and this made me crack up.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      October 20, 2014 at 12:17 am | #

      If only you had access to a massage recliner.

  20. chris73
    chris73
    October 20, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

    That was really impressive by Walky

  21. Barrage7667
    Barrage7667
    October 20, 2014 at 12:09 am | #

    Ugh walky take all the meaning out of saying “I love you too” why dont you?

    • Mass Confusion
      Mass Confusion
      October 20, 2014 at 12:33 am | #

      Been there, done that

    • Aris Katsaris
      Aris Katsaris
      October 20, 2014 at 4:20 am | #

      No, I think she was doing the “take all the meaning out” bit. She was doing the ritual “I love you too” which is supposedly ultra-hard to be spoken even when mutually known, as depicted in popular culture.

      Walky not only could say “I love you” and mean it, he could also present it in its purest and most honest form, removed from the ritual trappings.

  22. phroggonalog
    phroggonalog
    October 20, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

    I am shocked and appalled that people think this was a good move by Walky. Tears inc. next strip

    • Reboot
      Reboot
      October 20, 2014 at 12:15 am | #

      Thing is, yet again he is following her ground rules. To The Letter.

      Even when SHE isn’t.

      In other words, SHE’S the Danny in this relationship.

      • Razzmatazz MacKenzie
        Razzmatazz MacKenzie
        October 20, 2014 at 12:25 am | #

        Scary thought, isn’t it?

      • artemi
        artemi
        October 20, 2014 at 3:47 pm | #

        This. This right here. He’s taking ownership of the relationship. This is a temporary thing, and he’s not letting it get deep and emotional. If she wants to cry about him not taking it seriously, then frankly, that’s HER FAULT.

        He’s not the one making things awkward here.

        • chris73
          chris73
          October 20, 2014 at 10:42 pm | #

          Yes, exactly this.

    • MindLink
      MindLink
      October 20, 2014 at 9:36 am | #

      I can’t even understand how this could be taken negatively at all, he loves her and is mature about it, more mature than most people, including “grown-ups” .

  23. Calvin Coolage
    Calvin Coolage
    October 20, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

    The hell just happened?

  24. zebrathinker
    zebrathinker
    October 20, 2014 at 12:10 am | #

    a bit of an over-explanation there walky!!

  25. Friday
    Friday
    October 20, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

    For a moment there I thought he was going to stick the landing, then he somehow caught on fire. No points.

    • saltchocolate
      saltchocolate
      October 20, 2014 at 12:52 am | #

      Negative points.

      • Sam
        Sam
        October 20, 2014 at 1:52 am | #

        Imaginary points.

        • HeySo
          HeySo
          October 20, 2014 at 2:43 am | #

          This is the show where the points don’t matter!

          No, wait, this is the one where they do, but everyone keeps missing them entirely.

  26. Maveric1984
    Maveric1984
    October 20, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

    I guess Walky isn’t going to get a third act climax anymore.

  27. Hannah
    Hannah
    October 20, 2014 at 12:15 am | #

    Love is not just a plot device Walky!

    … Wait

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      October 20, 2014 at 9:11 am | #

      It’s a Drama Tag?

  28. Malchus
    Malchus
    October 20, 2014 at 12:16 am | #

    No trainwreck this time, then? Bah, many more trains careening dangerously on the tracks in this series.

    Only a matter of time.

    • Razzmatazz MacKenzie
      Razzmatazz MacKenzie
      October 20, 2014 at 12:24 am | #

      I don’t know what strip you just read, but this is careening hard around a corner.

      • Malchus
        Malchus
        October 20, 2014 at 12:51 am | #

        But not yet a trainwreck. Before then, I wait.

        • saltchocolate
          saltchocolate
          October 20, 2014 at 12:55 am | #

          The careening is in slow motion! This train wreck is practically a done deal.

  29. Rocketboy1313
    Rocketboy1313
    October 20, 2014 at 12:17 am | #

    Poor Danny. The girl leaves him to pursue academics, a few weeks in and she starts shaking up with some jerk off, and then loves him.
    Sure Dan has his own things going, but I would find that to be a serious personal wound.

    • Plasma Mongoose
      Plasma Mongoose
      October 20, 2014 at 12:20 am | #

      Maybe she will understand Danny a bit better after this… maybe…

    • Ivan
      Ivan
      October 20, 2014 at 12:21 am | #

      Shacking, not shaking.

      You shake a baby. You shack up with its mother.

      • 4th Dimension
        4th Dimension
        October 20, 2014 at 6:24 am | #

        How about shanking? He could shake fer world by shanking her while shacking with her? Or maybe as Chrome spellchecker suggests sharking?!?

        • Terry
          Terry
          October 20, 2014 at 8:08 am | #

          I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake.

          Shake it off. Shake it off.

          • gwalla
            gwalla
            October 20, 2014 at 1:26 pm | #

            Shake, shake, shake senora
            Shake your body line
            Work, work, work senora
            Work it all de time

      • I also teach math for a living.
        I also teach math for a living.
        October 21, 2014 at 12:03 pm | #

        Shaking(or shacking up with, or shanking for that matter) a baby is a very bad idea. Don’t do it, seriously. It can kill them or cause permanent brain damage, and is one of the most common deadly mistakes made by babysitters or young parents.

    • Kennerly
      Kennerly
      October 20, 2014 at 12:33 am | #

      I’m pretty sure having moved on to someone else himself probably lessens the wound considerably.

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      October 20, 2014 at 2:44 pm | #

      She left him because he was a clingy oblivious guy who didn’t really believe in her or her goals and hoped she’d abandon them and cling back to him to fulfill some romantic fantasy he made up in his head.

      • Rocketboy1313
        Rocketboy1313
        October 21, 2014 at 12:11 am | #

        So you are saying he will take it well?

  30. nothri
    nothri
    October 20, 2014 at 12:20 am | #

    Gonna give Walky the benefit of the doubt here and say he does legit mean what he said. Even though the way he phrases all of that made me think for a moment he just said it to “avoid” the drama of not saying it.

    • Wack'd
      Wack'd
      October 20, 2014 at 12:41 am | #

      Yeah, we’ve established that Walky has difficulty saying things that are not jokes, so there’s really no other way this could’ve gone.

  31. Emperor Kiva
    Emperor Kiva
    October 20, 2014 at 12:21 am | #

    I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. Walky, you’re an ass.

  32. takashid
    takashid
    October 20, 2014 at 12:21 am | #

    oh walky no……. she wanted you to actually mean it if you were gonna say it, not say it because you felt obligated or wanted to “get it out of the way”

    • Kennerly
      Kennerly
      October 20, 2014 at 12:23 am | #

      Have her walk past him in pajama jeans and he’ll say it and with the same emotional backing as when she said it to him.

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      October 20, 2014 at 9:14 am | #

      Walky meant what he said, he just found a way to defuse all of the gushy sentiment and tear-jerking that exchanging that sentiment usually evokes. It’s actually quite brilliant.

  33. Jacob Newburn
    Jacob Newburn
    October 20, 2014 at 12:21 am | #

    This is the part where someone sings a little song I like to call “Hey, why don’t you shut the fuck up? Whhhhhy don’t you just shut the fuck up? ‘Cause you’re gonna make her very angry.”

  34. newllend
    newllend
    October 20, 2014 at 12:28 am | #

    OK….

  35. JessWitt
    JessWitt
    October 20, 2014 at 12:30 am | #

    That was most awaringly self-aware. Walky’s channeling his inner Abed here.

  36. Morty
    Morty
    October 20, 2014 at 12:31 am | #

    Panel 1: Huh, maybe Joyce IS actually nursing a hugely unrealized crush on Dorothy
    Panel 4: Huh, I wonder if the next strip will be Joyce flipping a shit over Walky devaluing the meaning of ‘I love you” or whether it’ll be Dorothy being disappointed in Walky’s lack of emotional commitment

    • David
      David
      October 20, 2014 at 11:19 am | #

      Walky’s lack of emotional commitment. As opposed to Dorothy who uses him as her dressable boy toy until she is off to Yale.

      She has just been testing her standing out of vanity, and Walky called it.

      • Fit-to-freak
        Fit-to-freak
        October 20, 2014 at 4:57 pm | #

        Dressable boy toy I swear to god

    • Barrage7667
      Barrage7667
      October 21, 2014 at 12:12 am | #

      Apparently the answer was both

  37. Arkadi
    Arkadi
    October 20, 2014 at 12:37 am | #

    You know what other word can be powerful?

    Butts! 😀

    • Deanatay
      Deanatay
      October 20, 2014 at 9:16 am | #

      Not if we don’t give it…

      Oh, who am I kidding? Butts has power over us all!

      I butts you guys.

  38. Khaner
    Khaner
    October 20, 2014 at 12:39 am | #

    Damn you Willis
    for making me think drama was going to happen.

    • Catullus
      Catullus
      October 20, 2014 at 12:47 am | #

      Things are coming to a boil, I think. Shouldn’t be long before there’s all the drama you could ever want.

      • Gamaran Sepudomyn
        Gamaran Sepudomyn
        October 20, 2014 at 2:09 am | #

        Your avatar is very appropriate.

    • John
      John
      October 20, 2014 at 11:59 am | #

      There is totally drama happening. It’s just not the cliché drama years of romantic comedies have led us to expect.

      • EmbraceEvil
        EmbraceEvil
        October 20, 2014 at 12:02 pm | #

        Willis is the embodiment of drama. All praise David Willis the Drama Lord.

  39. horrorshow88
    horrorshow88
    October 20, 2014 at 12:46 am | #

    Ohhh boy. Oh, Walky. You may not give the word meaning, but she does. And this little speech is not going to help you.

    • Random832
      Random832
      October 20, 2014 at 10:12 am | #

      If she wanted a serious relationship she should have stayed with Danny.

      • artemi
        artemi
        October 20, 2014 at 3:49 pm | #

        Or at some point told Walky that things might have changed.

      • horrorshow88
        horrorshow88
        October 21, 2014 at 2:00 am | #

        Oh I agree completely. I just still can’t tell/decide if this was Walky acting like it was a joke because he has trouble with feelings and being serious (and he really did mean it) or if he really does want to “free them” or whatnot. I’m not support thrilled with Dorothy’s actions, but I also think he could have handled this better.

  40. Tealjoy Berry
    Tealjoy Berry
    October 20, 2014 at 12:47 am | #

    Ah no. No. Walky, no!

  41. Flimsyfishy
    Flimsyfishy
    October 20, 2014 at 12:57 am | #

    Odds on Joyce staying at the same spot she’s at while this drama goes down.

    Odds are currently two to one.

  42. Aolbain
    Aolbain
    October 20, 2014 at 1:10 am | #

    This is actually worse than I imagined

  43. Kelly
    Kelly
    October 20, 2014 at 1:19 am | #

    Almost right…then mega-fail.

  44. Ashley
    Ashley
    October 20, 2014 at 1:19 am | #

    Thank you, Walky.

  45. Drakkin the Alien
    Drakkin the Alien
    October 20, 2014 at 1:40 am | #

    love means: i´m jumping off whatever we have whenever the things i really care for come around, say better jobs, studies or childhood friends. ’cause love is not super serious or anything.

  46. Eisog
    Eisog
    October 20, 2014 at 1:49 am | #

    My favourite thing about this is Joyce’s look in the background

  47. Edrp
    Edrp
    October 20, 2014 at 1:52 am | #

    Wow walky… nice way to say the right thing… and then bungle it up by doing it for ALL THE WRONG REASONS.

    My GF would kill me if I pulled somethung like that

  48. Em
    Em
    October 20, 2014 at 1:54 am | #

    But after reading Walky’s explanations…where are the lies tho? Pretty sure this is how MOST PEOPLE feel.

  49. Swerve
    Swerve
    October 20, 2014 at 1:57 am | #

    Welcome back to Swerve’s! So have you been following the latest in “Dumbing of Age?”

    …

    “You haven’t? Well Dorothy opened up to Walky, and told him she loved him. And what does he do? He nonchalantly says, “I love you” back. But he doesn’t mean it; he’s just trying to avoid pulling the drama tag in their relationship.”

    …

    “Oh yeah. See, way I see it, Walky wants to keep the relationship going, so he tells Dorothy he loves her. But he then acts like he’s been hit by Brainstorm’s meta-gun, and proceeds to explain that he only said it to avoid complications in their relationship of the sort found in wacky romantic comedies.”

    …

    “Where do I see this going? Well, Dorothy’s shown a lot of patience with Walky. If she really loves him, she’ll put up with this too. Anyway, what can I get you to drink?”

    • Nono
      Nono
      October 20, 2014 at 7:06 am | #

      Is that a reference to the first episode of the second season of Friends?

  50. Kevin
    Kevin
    October 20, 2014 at 2:06 am | #

    Getting attacked by a script from pixel.mathtag.com when visiting DoA. I can’t say for sure that it’s malware but it’s trying to execute itself improperly. This happened a few weeks ago but I guess the ad’s still running.

  51. orangey
    orangey
    October 20, 2014 at 2:14 am | #

    i didnt see this coming, but walky’s reaction makes a lottt of sense. probably not the best way of handling it but its walky

  52. Anfernee
    Anfernee
    October 20, 2014 at 3:09 am | #

    Yeah, for some reason I feel like Walky just fucked up way more than he’s ever going to realize.

  53. beege
    beege
    October 20, 2014 at 3:11 am | #

    Walky has made an extremely valid point about how the words ‘I love you’ are used in popular media, but the only way he could have made the point at a worse time than this is if he’d proposed to Dorothy and then said this in his wedding vows.

  54. Robin
    Robin
    October 20, 2014 at 3:14 am | #

    He should’ve just said “Cheese is available“.

  55. Volkai
    Volkai
    October 20, 2014 at 3:31 am | #

    Pure 1000% Walky — both deep and shallow at the same time.

    • Dorje Sylas
      Dorje Sylas
      October 20, 2014 at 4:23 am | #

      It’s wisdom superposition. How will Dorothy perceive it now that its been witnessed?

    • Cybersnark
      Cybersnark
      October 20, 2014 at 10:33 am | #

      “Sometimes your shallowness is so profound it’s almost like depth.” –Jane Lane

  56. Ωmega
    Ωmega
    October 20, 2014 at 3:40 am | #

    Look, Walky, I agree with you, but saying this NOW is probably going to make Dorothy think that you don’t actually love her back and that you’re just saying it to avoid falling into a contrived trope. Good job.

  57. boomwolf
    boomwolf
    October 20, 2014 at 7:00 am | #

    Hail to Walky, our Savior and Slayer of Love! Also ‘third act climax’ sounds like a super long porn.

  58. Crumplepunch
    Crumplepunch
    October 20, 2014 at 7:12 am | #

    Walky you are a hero of the people.

  59. Ruck Bogers
    Ruck Bogers
    October 20, 2014 at 7:15 am | #

    He… he gets me.

  60. Seodra
    Seodra
    October 20, 2014 at 7:20 am | #

    I’m less concerned with Walky cracking a joke after saying I love you than I am with Dorothy acting like a jealous nut (with senior violent judgmental nut Joyce guest starring) then dropping I love you on him.

    She didn’t want a serious relationship, he reminded her of that, and now she’s ok with Mike being assaulted for the crime of not wanting them in his room and spouting proclamations of love. That just…yecch.

    Of course,this isn’t Rational Clear Decisions of Age is it?

  61. Alexis
    Alexis
    October 20, 2014 at 7:41 am | #

    Funnily enough the TV shows I see usually have the dudes say “I love you” and the girl be hesitant.

    Oh, Robin from an early season of How I Met Your Mother. You and your complicated insecurities.

    • Cephalo the Pod
      Cephalo the Pod
      October 20, 2014 at 9:58 am | #

      See also: The Big Bang Theory.

    • lejwocky
      lejwocky
      October 21, 2014 at 12:19 am | #

      I hate to break it to you but what people call “love” is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed.

  62. hof1991
    hof1991
    October 20, 2014 at 8:16 am | #

    Dorothy’s I love you is heard by Walky knowing that he is just a temporary thing for her. By her choice. He’s just reminding her of the terms of the relationship, terms she dictated.

  63. Chris
    Chris
    October 20, 2014 at 8:50 am | #

    So, first let me say I do not normally critique or cast aspersions, since I am not a creative (artistic) person, but… panel 3, Walky’s nose. Have they always been that way? It’s unfortunate, because now that I’ve seen the great black one-hole nose, I can’t unsee it, and it may have ruined the comic for me.

    • gwalla
      gwalla
      October 20, 2014 at 1:51 pm | #

      They’ve always been that way, and it’s shading, not a hole.

  64. Kent17
    Kent17
    October 20, 2014 at 9:03 am | #

    This is Walky’s defense mechanism, (although Dorothy probably wont see it that way) he does love her, but Dorothy keeps mentioning how things are temporary, or short termed.

  65. anonymsly
    anonymsly
    October 20, 2014 at 9:13 am | #

    I am probably alone here, but I see absolutely no problem with anything Walky said. I think he’s probably right, in fact. Regardless of what Dorothy said in panel one, she did want him to be on the spot, and she did want him to say it back: ‘I thought I’d have to extort it out of you’. If he didn’t say it back regardless of how he actually feels, it’d turn into a big thing, because she wants the words regardless of the reality. So for me, he actually gets bonus points for honesty by explaining where he’s coming from and preventing future misunderstanding.

    When Dorothy says that love can be a powerful word, she’s saying that she expected it to be powerful for him. Not necessarily for her, though that squishy expression in panel two tells me the feeling is powerful for her even if the word itself might not be. So Walky’s honesty complicates things for Dorothy, but he’s done a good job being loving to her: supporting her, believing in her, helping her with things that are important to her, in addition to the simpler physical affection. If Dorothy gets mad at him for this, I’ll think a little less of her good sense.

    • Railgun
      Railgun
      October 20, 2014 at 9:26 am | #

      You’re not alone at all. He’s not saying he doesn’t actually *feel* those things, or that they don’t matter to him. He prefers his relationship to be down-to-earth than live in a fantasy fiction with an idealized “star-crossed lovers” romance. His feelings are simple and honest, and I think that’s a good thing.

    • jams
      jams
      October 20, 2014 at 12:37 pm | #

      She didn’t *want* to put him on the spot but she was willing to. At least she tried to let him know that he shouldn’t feel obligated to say it if she didn’t want to, but she lets on in panel two that she privately very much cared what his response would be, to the point where she at least considered “extorting it out of him”, if necessary.

      While I agree with and understand Walky’s sentiment here, I don’t think his response to Dorothy was sensitive, nor was it very effective at diffusing potential drama. He told her that he only said “I love you too” so they could avoid making it into some sort of Thing, but he doesn’t also clarify that he said it because he did, in fact, love her. I think he likely does, but you can’t really tell from what he said.

      He could have said “Well, it’s true, so I don’t see why we have to make a big deal of it” and left it at that; the fact that he goes on a big spiel about it makes it pretty obvious that it *is* something of a big deal to him.

      Another reason why I think this is a big deal to Walky is because of Walky’s expressions. They seem so painful. I remember there was a similar expression several strips ago when Dorothy tells him she wants him to feel able to be honest with her and Walky reminds her she’s eventually leaving him for Yale. So I think this is about that, again. I think this will be an Ongoing Thing.

      • Lanval
        Lanval
        October 20, 2014 at 3:44 pm | #

        Walky is Walky. If he was very articulate, sensitive to feelings and aware of when to get super serious, we’d be dealing with a different character. I’m hoping Dorothy reads it as that herself since it would imply that they’ve gotten to understand eachother’s way of thinking through this. As I said below though, I’m sort of expecting her to get nervous about whether it counts and some drama to happen.

        That said, Walky’s painful expression comes out not when he says “I love you” but when Dorothy tells him that she expected to have to extort it out of him; At that stage it becomes a ‘big deal’ and Walky isn’t good at that. So he deflects it and rambles to be like “See, I didn’t want this to be a big thing”. Over all, I think Walky is fine with admitting that he cares for her and even loves her but not with Sentimentalist stuff that might come along with it.

        Over all, we can only watch how this plays out.

    • Lanval
      Lanval
      October 20, 2014 at 3:38 pm | #

      Nah, Comments are fairly split on it. I know both myself and my partners in the past have treated this sort of thing with a degree of levity and joking around since its a touchy and sentimental subject and some people deal with that best with humour (myself included). Usually, it’s something that you come to expect as a character tick in the person and if you’ve come to a stage where you feel you love them, you usually recognize it and maybe enjoy it; I’m willing to suspect Dorothy will be cool about it on that point. Though, she might also get a bit neurotic once she starts to think about it, but I don’t expect anger. I’ve been wrong before though.

      Also, in her defence, I read “I thought I’d have extort it out of you” as “I thought you’d be so awkward about expressing love (since Walky does have a view of “bleck, feelings) that I’d have to coax you into admitting it”. So I mean, more a matter of making him feel comfortable with the term and dealing with his inability to express it until then than holding him over a boiling cauldron and shouting “TELL ME YOU LOVE ME”.

  66. GodTierNickCage
    GodTierNickCage
    October 20, 2014 at 9:30 am | #

    that was Surprisingly deep for Walky, granted its based on his TV ideology, noting the fact that the word love is only as powerful as we make it. Thats why im always just in lesbian with people, that and the fact that im a lesbian soul in a man’s body

  67. AgentKeen
    AgentKeen
    October 20, 2014 at 9:34 am | #

    Well-played, Willis. I still don’t know if my ‘Oh shi-!’ from last strip is good or bad….

    • AgentKeen
      AgentKeen
      October 20, 2014 at 10:08 am | #

      Also, I’m not sure I believe you, alt-text.

  68. MindLink
    MindLink
    October 20, 2014 at 9:44 am | #

    He’s right though. Words are just words, it’s the feelings themselves that are poweful. Love is powerful, the word isn’t. But today we have a tendency to imbue words with powers just by being a word, even if they are just a jumble of letters after each other. We have never, as a society, been so preoccupied with words as we are today, words are used to empower, to belittle, to make a point completely apart from their ACTUAL meaning. Heck, we even DEBATE over which words to use. And it is all very, very silly. It seems to me we create a lot of drama just because we can, because we see people in stories and in stories there is always drama so we try to recreate that drama subconciously even if there is no *actual* drama, *actual* feelings involved. And since stories are made up of words, the words themselves become elated and eventually loose their meaning (namely, conveing thoughts, ideas and emotions). So, yeah, there should be NO hesitation over saying “I love you”. He loves her right now, but as with all emotions they fluctuate, maybe in 2 seconds he won’t, and in 4 seconds he will, that doesn’t mean that it is a lie nor that it implies commitment, neither should it.

    • ninja_jesus
      ninja_jesus
      October 20, 2014 at 10:04 am | #

      Very well said. I agree.

  69. Bagge
    Bagge
    October 20, 2014 at 10:02 am | #

    Good on you, Walkie. You and Dorothy are free to define your relationship however you want.

  70. Nerc
    Nerc
    October 20, 2014 at 11:37 am | #

    That moment in your life where you realize you should’ve acted like Walky and not yourself. When walky is better man you, then you have a big problem. :/

  71. Aolbain
    Aolbain
    October 20, 2014 at 11:56 am | #

    So… when did we decide we hated Dorothy? Was there some sort of meeting I wasn’t invited to?

    • Will
      Will
      October 20, 2014 at 1:13 pm | #

      For some people it started when she broke with Danny, by completely ignoring her actual reasons and instead using one coming from those people’s collective ass (just like Danny himself did. Basically, too many readers *are* Danny).
      It just went downhill from there; you can read the comments of every comic where Dorothy does anything at all and see people talking about some horrible character also named Dorothy only they can see.

      By the way, the moment she realized her love was when she saw how much notDanny Walky is.

      • a4lbi
        a4lbi
        October 20, 2014 at 7:43 pm | #

        Wow, I wasn’t aware Dorothy was hated.

        I need to read the comment section more thoroughly.

        • David M Willis
          David M Willis
          October 20, 2014 at 8:01 pm | #

          She’s generally not, but there are a small handful of individuals that hate her at a frightening pitch that suggests perhaps other factors are in play.

          • Adam Black
            Adam Black
            October 22, 2014 at 6:05 am | #

            Dave,
            I really don’t understand the Dorothy -hate myself. She’s almost
            always kind, compassionate, thoughtful, disciplined, and the
            very model of sincere integrity . She’s tolerant of differences,
            makes friends easily and sees past superficial differences. She
            is the character I would most like to be friends with…

            But she is not-perfect. Which is a fabulous thing for narrative
            purposes, or she would be seem like that Name Word-of-God
            has banned. She is also overly-controlled, cerebral, ambitious,
            and acts with extreme pre-meditation. I generally find you
            write her to be non-pretentious. Yet that characteristic is in
            tension to her other personality traits ( like discipline, and
            pre-meditation ) .
            Your writing is enjoyable for how you let these internal conflicts
            play out In all your characters.
            ( I am still hoping for a more flesh-out version of Mary. Given
            time I think you may write her as a villain we love to hate . I
            dont need you to make her decent. She could be a wonderful
            study of the “banality-of-evil” )

            One of the Defining feautures of Dorothy is her Stellar-high
            emotional intelligence. We see this in action in the last few
            days. Its also why her goal of being President isnt meritless.

            As someone whos met with and chatted with the Clintons; and
            witnessed separately their command of a room, and/ or
            personal space , I find your writing of Dorothy quite realistic
            and enjoyable. ( If anything, Hillarys extreme
            non-pretentiousness —I witnessed — might be a barrier
            she had to cross in her Poltical Career. )

            That is why I am surprised to see , what I believed were
            my thoughtful comments about Dorothys relationship to
            walky removed , and here, possbily Stigmatized, as
            someone who ‘hates Dorothy’ “at a frightening pitch” .
            ( Definitley, NOT! )

            That surprises me for multiple reasons, not least of
            which I dont remember the fever-pitch outright-
            hatred of other pro-social characters censored. I waited
            a year before first commenting , ( and despite this
            ridiculous book-length comment ) could easily feel
            my participation is unwanted. If I crossed a red-line
            I would rather know about it, then feel afraid to interact here.

            Given her thoughfulness, integrity, and high-emotional
            intelligence, I do think her inept handling of breaking
            up with Danny, is worthy of criticism. ( You titled this
            “Dumbing of Age” for reasons. ) Granted this was
            written for comedic value; and for all we know she
            dumped him all summer long , and he never understood.
            But the flipside is thats its practically the only thing she
            has ever done, truly worthy of criticism. Other than
            that, she is rather a wonderful human being. If you
            wish to ban criticism of how she handled Danny,
            ( or Walky ) it is your comic and your prerogative.
            But unless you write more flaws into her, its nearly the
            equivalent of placing Dorothy above criticism — which
            is also your prerogative.

            I did say I found her to be emotionally manipulative.
            Its possible in the context of the insane mysognistic
            gamer-gate bullshit * ( you interact with on twitter )
            my comment might appear to be loaded. It wasnt.
            Potential emotional manipulation , even accidentally,
            and unconscious, is the flip side of having a high
            emotional intelligence . Its actually a credit to you,
            that you are writing realistic characters with realist
            flaws, appropriate to their virtues. This isnt something
            I made up:
            Emotional intelligence and moral agency: Some worries and a suggestion
            http://philpapers.org/rec/RIEEIA-2

            *The ethics of managing affective and emotional states to improve informed consent: Autonomy, comprehension, and voluntariness*
            http://philpapers.org/rec/BRATEO-8

            http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/moral-universe/2013/11/07/using-empathy-to-use-people-emotional-intelligence-and-manipulation/

            Thats the thing. Humans arent born with Good and bait traits.
            Most of us simply have neutral personality characteristics
            that have virtues and flaws, depending on context, usage
            and behavior.

            Its also possible you dont intend to write her that way.
            But you can see this is a reasonable interpretation ( not loaded with bias or animus ) based solely on her strengths and virtues.

            Dorothy isnt perfect, and to me that makes her more likable and relatable. Joyce seems to agree with me. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/attitude/
            Adam

            * i am loathe to even use the term “gamergate” on social media;
            lest its Jnr High-school level of stupid, be reflected back to me,
            like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG__upqGgRY .
            YMMV

            • Adam Black
              Adam Black
              October 22, 2014 at 7:08 am | #

              Sorry Willis ( and everyone )
              The spacing on this came out so bad I want to poke out my eyes. My fault for overcorrecting text , which didnt properly wrap.

            • David M Willis
              David M Willis
              October 22, 2014 at 11:41 am | #

              I have searched the entire spam and deleted folders and cannot find a single post of yours having been removed.

    • timemonkey
      timemonkey
      October 20, 2014 at 2:32 pm | #

      Some people have decided that Dorothy is an evil woman devoid of real emotions who will fuck over everyone and anyone in pursuit of her goals. Even though they get proven wrong again and again they keep right at it.

    • Lanval
      Lanval
      October 20, 2014 at 3:56 pm | #

      The whole busting into Walky’s room and letting Joyce hobble Mike was something where I saw people commenting that it wouldn’t bode well. In their defence, it probably wasn’t the most soberminded thing to do.

      Another element which Timemonkey brings up is that she started this relationship as a casual one with Walky that she is planning on dropping in a couple of months so she can go to Yale. In that context, dropping an “I love you” on the other person is pretty unfair to them (Which Walky himself brought up). Though, these people aren’t seeing that Dorothy would probably be pretty conflicted about actually going to Yale at this point and in a lot of stories, this sort of thing would climax in her turning down an acceptance letter to choose to be with her friends. That said, I’d applaud Willis for writing her chasing her dreams but learning to have a bit more perspective while doing so.

      I sort of suspect though that what will actually happen is that she gets a rejection letter and shit goes crazy but the people who hate her will keep believing she’d have ditched them in a second given the chance.

      • A
        A
        July 16, 2015 at 7:01 am | #

        A) Dorothy is not Joyce’s keeper and in no way LET her kick a dude.
        B) Dorothy expressed disapproval of the kick, for the record.
        C) And most importantly, why are all of Dorothy’s “flaws” centered around hurting or upsetting poor, defenseless dudes, who apparently cannot take care of themselves? Especially when she is the most considerate, respectful, and aware person, in the student cast. Towards everyone, even those who do not deserve it.

    • anonymsly
      anonymsly
      October 20, 2014 at 5:07 pm | #

      I don’t hate Dorothy at all, I quite like her. I just think that for someone who is generally extremely clear-headed and sensible, honest and forthright, caring and kind in her dealings with people, she has a very difficult time being all those awesome things in romantic relationships.

      She should have broken up with Danny months before she actually did, and admitted as much to him, for one thing. How their relationship actually worked when they were both in it, we don’t know, because we only saw the end.

      And now she’s kind of whiplashing Walky back and forth, swinging between casual-mode (the established mode of this relationship right from the start) ‘cartoons and cuddle time, no more, because I’m leaving soon’ to varying degrees of serious ranging from ‘We should be able to tell each other everything because we are that kind of together’ to ‘I love you and I plan to extort it out of you if you don’t say it back’.

      It’s an understandable hole in her general awesomeness, but it can be a frustrating one in a webcomic centered generally around relationships between people.

      • tinfoil theory
        tinfoil theory
        October 21, 2014 at 5:54 am | #

        She has said she should have broken up with him earlier, for his own sake.
        She also could have broken up with him later, giving him more time. That she is spending the remaining months that they could be together with someone else (whose heart she may or may not plan on breaking) could be construed as insulting or selfish.
        Fortunately Danny is more mature about these things than people give him credit for. (He’d have to be, being friends with Joe, who treats other people’s feelings like toys.) No suicide attempts, no drunken phone calls, no petty vandalism, not even bad poetry (as far as we know). He just accepted it and moved on suspiciously quickly.

        Her actual reasons are never explicitly given, short of: It was ultimately inevitable anyway, so why wait. (Which is not really a reason.)
        She said she loved Danny, but didn’t expect him to love her back unconditionally (apparently every boy before him was sick of her), which is naturally why she had to break up with him. (Walky doesn’t disappoint in that respect, so naturally she is disappointed.)
        She said she was worried that he sacrificed his own life for her, which he absoultely was prepared to, if she wanted it, but made explicit that he hadn’t sacrificed anything so far, nor saw the need. Some people have read that as him not believing in her. Some people have read that as him being shallow. Some people have read that as him being sexist. Some people are looking for other reasons why Dorothy had to break up with him, and blame him for everything from indigestion to the bubonic plague. In short, people made up all kinds of reasons why she broke up with him.

        And some people blame Dorothy.
        &lt>hyperbole class=”unfounded”>Women like her are the reason the suicide rate among men is far higher than among women.</hyperbole>
        (But seriously, isn’t it better to have loved and lost that to have just lost never loved at all?)

        • Lanval
          Lanval
          October 22, 2014 at 1:22 pm | #

          “made explicit that he hadn’t sacrificed anything so far”: I don’t know about you, but I read Danny being in total denial as the punchline there.

          That said, I think the break-up was for the best and both of them are pretty decent over all. Both have some growing up to do certainly (Danny in particular) but as you said, neither are remotely as bad as anti-fans make them out to be.

      • A
        A
        July 16, 2015 at 7:02 am | #

        Christ.

  72. Yololo
    Yololo
    October 20, 2014 at 12:26 pm | #

    Actually, Walky has a point. Thank you man. Being blindfolded by words, and only words, it´s a stupid thing to do. 😛

  73. Gangler
    Gangler
    October 20, 2014 at 12:36 pm | #

    I think that’s pretty reasonable. If we’re throwing “I love you”‘s around a few weeks into knowing eachother, within the context of an agreed temporary relationship, then it’s pretty safe to say we’re not talking about one of the big time commitment moving the relationship into new territory sorts of love.

    He makes her heart go pitter patter. The feeling is mutual. No need to make it anything more than it is. They can both acknowledge and express their love without this devolving into Shakespearean hijinks.

  74. Heavensrun
    Heavensrun
    October 20, 2014 at 12:56 pm | #

    Joyce looks absolutely heartbroken.

  75. RahDream
    RahDream
    October 20, 2014 at 1:37 pm | #

    Wow, got a little whiplash from that one. Saying it back (assuming he really feels that way) is a great, avoid-the-unnecessary-dramatic-conflict-move. Actually a little surprising in the maturity coming form David “girls are gross” Walkerton. Then immediately implying that a) you are just saying it to avoid the drama of NOT saying it, or b) you may have meant it but you think its meaningless? Not so smart but more I’d expect from Walky

  76. Red5
    Red5
    October 20, 2014 at 1:46 pm | #

    He does love her, he just doesn’t want to be caught up in the endless drama of idiotically having a hard time saying it, is what I got from this.

    And he’s right, in a way. Why should it be difficult if that’s how you honestly feel?

  77. f0rming
    f0rming
    October 20, 2014 at 2:47 pm | #

    This is basically how I explained my relationship with the word “love” to my girlfriend at the time…
    it didn’t go over so well

  78. Arkadi
    Arkadi
    October 20, 2014 at 3:01 pm | #

    Dorothy freckles
    Ruth freckles
    Girl Genius and El Goonish Shive gravatars
    Things to be glad of ^^

  79. OmegaDez
    OmegaDez
    October 20, 2014 at 3:18 pm | #

    Strangely, with my couple, it’s the other way around… 🙁

  80. Robert
    Robert
    October 20, 2014 at 5:11 pm | #

    Congrats Walkie. You’ve shown Dorothy you wear the pants in this relationship by telling her that love is meaningless.

  81. FuryOfFirestorm
    FuryOfFirestorm
    October 20, 2014 at 5:32 pm | #

    Anyone can say “I love you”. It’s the people that say “I lesbians you” that really mean it from the heart.

  82. vangeln
    vangeln
    October 20, 2014 at 6:07 pm | #

    I don’t know how to feel about this.

  83. Ivy Injektion
    Ivy Injektion
    October 20, 2014 at 6:28 pm | #

    I think people are being uncharitable to Walky here. I don’t think he’s saying the words without meaning them; I think he’s recognizing that love can be real without being fairytale-style eternal true love. He understands that Dorothy can sincerely love him and still eventually move on to Yale and the White House, and he understands that he can sincerely love her and still not get butthurt about their relationship having a time limit.

    He’s just also really bad at expressing that and probably doesn’t fully understand his own wisdom on this point. He is, after all, Walky.

  84. a4lbi
    a4lbi
    October 20, 2014 at 7:57 pm | #

    Walky may have a point, but I still don’t see this ending well.

  85. Ben
    Ben
    October 20, 2014 at 8:27 pm | #

    Joyce has switched places with the Joyce from It’s Walky! for a split second–just long enough to see him say he loves someone else.

  86. ianperiwinkle
    ianperiwinkle
    October 20, 2014 at 9:39 pm | #

    Eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww “love”. Bleh. Yuck.

  87. Clif
    Clif
    October 21, 2014 at 12:45 am | #

    Walky gives her exactly what she wants and then takes away its value.

    Dorothy has a decision to make. It’s either just for funzies or it’s completely serious. Walky isn’t letting her have it both ways. Nor should he. Not if he wants more. If she wants more, she has to take the emotional risk of saying so.

    It would be fine to just give her what she wants if he wants to be a doormat and be Dannied when the time comes, or if he’s emotionally dishonest and just wants to keep her happy so the sex’n’stuff keeps coming. But the only one who can change the ground rules is her. Walky’s answer isn’t going to satisfy her but if she’s satisfied then she has no motive to change anything.

    The past tense of “When somebody Loved Me” is intentionally ominous. When we started out with the Sal and Marcie flashback we assumed it was about Sal. When we hit the development with Billie and Ruth, we assumed it would relate to their story. Now with Dorothy and Walky’s relationship evolving we have a tendancy to asume it relates to them. I’m going to go way out on a limb here and say I think the title probably relates to Ethan and his prior relationship with Amber.

  88. Halloween Jack
    Halloween Jack
    October 21, 2014 at 2:31 pm | #

    DAMNIT DAVE

  89. Late Nakagawa Ryo
    Late Nakagawa Ryo
    January 20, 2015 at 2:28 pm | #

    I’m far more worried about the tyranny of the word “honeymoon”

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