2016/12/19 - Don’t Bring Me Down

Post by **D-Rock** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:05 am

[2016/12/19 Don’t Bring Me Down ]
Title Text: of course, if you're going for summer action blockbuster, try more for Avengers rather than Grand Budapest Hotel

Come on, summer action blockbusters are more fun to watch!

Also, for saying that animals should be free of human interference, strange how their training them like that.

GameCobra · Post by **GameCobra** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:07 am

so is Orwell Johnson the guy that was partnered with Joel all the way back in Sinister Shadow? And he ran a school?

Gbr23 · Post by **Gbr23** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:09 am

So the lesson is "We are a team, and we should work as one"... right ?

Iceheart · Post by **Iceheart** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:09 am

Because it's winter, Fox. You can't have an Summer Action Blockbuster in winter.

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:17 am

D-Rock wrote:Also, for saying that animals should be free of human interference, strange how their training them like that.

Well It's Peta. It's not surprising they would do something like this.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:19 am

Xane wrote:Well I don't remember anyone sharing that information with him (or Mungo) over the radio so that admonition goes both ways.

Not exactly like Fox & Mungo gave him the chance.

Can you hear the message, young one,
That’s coming from the ages?
The truth is that police work honestly
Isn’t like in Ed McBain pages.
One person cannot do it all, my boy,
No matter how it may seem;
What I’m trying to impress on you here
Is that we act as a team.
You pulled your partner out of position,
Investigating a total bust;
If you’re going to have a future here, child,
You have to learn trust.

K K Slider · Post by **K K Slider** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:26 am

You started it, Fox.

rzltb · Post by **rzltb** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:12 am

Hey! Grand Budapest was a charming film with an engaging story and a distinctive and delightful visual style!

Urocyon · Post by **Urocyon** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:28 am

Wow! That police station has very high ceilings!
And since Orwell certainly looks like King's friend from his human days, I wonder how he got out of jail?

John-056 · Post by **John-056** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:47 am

Hey! It's Joel's Chunky Partner!

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 4:23 am

Xane wrote:Well I don't remember anyone sharing that information with him (or Mungo) over the radio so that admonition goes both ways. All he knew was that Sasha was (probably) being unjustly framed for it somehow.

No, he shouldn't have done what he did and he was being really stupid, but he was trying to protect her, not for thrills.

Well considering he "borrowed" a police vehicle to do unauthorized questioning and started a steak out not ordered by anyone but himself, we have good reason to believe that he was intentionally maintaining radio silence. It is established that people were in fact looking for him and Mungo, they WERE trying to get in contact with him, he was the one who didn't try to contact them because he was trying to avoid their knowledge of his actions. WE only knew Sasha was being framed because that's all Fox LET us see. Mungo didn't know because he was trusting Fox, but he did in fact try to contact HQ when Fox was talking to Sasha's dad. He never had the opportunity to contact them again until Fox was apprehended, and even then that was cut short.

And about the thrills thing...

He himself already gave his motive: "I feel like I've lost control of my life! I never learned to deal with my negative emotions, so I bottle them up and channel them into stunts like this!". This is, in act, a way of venting. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions, so he's looking for any way to either get rid of them or ignore them away, and this happened to be through a "Thrill Seeking" action. He was going out of his way to make this dramatic, out of his way to make this about him, just to make himself feel better. He was not thinking rationally, and he himself has admitted to that. None of his actions were justified, and now he is learning his lesson. Do I feel bad for him? Kinda, but in the end of the day there's a lot less justification for him and a heck of a lot more sympathy.
Long story short: The dog should see a therapist, or at least find someone to talk to. He's got some problems he needs to work out, it'd really do him some good. Maybe Mungo, he's a certified therapy dog after all.

Naro Rivers · Post by **Naro Rivers** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 4:28 am

Title wrote:Don't Bring Me Down

BRUCE!

HundKatzeMaus · Post by **HundKatzeMaus** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:01 am

CHAOKOCartoons wrote:
Xane wrote:Well I don't remember anyone sharing that information with him (or Mungo) over the radio so that admonition goes both ways. All he knew was that Sasha was (probably) being unjustly framed for it somehow.

No, he shouldn't have done what he did and he was being really stupid, but he was trying to protect her, not for thrills.

Well considering he "borrowed" a police vehicle to do unauthorized questioning and started a steak out not ordered by anyone but himself, we have good reason to believe that he was intentionally maintaining radio silence. It is established that people were in fact looking for him and Mungo, they WERE trying to get in contact with him, he was the one who didn't try to contact them because he was trying to avoid their knowledge of his actions. WE only knew Sasha was being framed because that's all Fox LET us see. Mungo didn't know because he was trusting Fox, but he did in fact try to contact HQ when Fox was talking to Sasha's dad. He never had the opportunity to contact them again until Fox was apprehended, and even then that was cut short.

And about the thrills thing...

He himself already gave his motive: "I feel like I've lost control of my life! I never learned to deal with my negative emotions, so I bottle them up and channel them into stunts like this!". This is, in act, a way of venting. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions, so he's looking for any way to either get rid of them or ignore them away, and this happened to be through a "Thrill Seeking" action. He was going out of his way to make this dramatic, out of his way to make this about him, just to make himself feel better. He was not thinking rationally, and he himself has admitted to that. None of his actions were justified, and now he is learning his lesson. Do I feel bad for him? Kinda, but in the end of the day there's a lot less justification for him and a heck of a lot more sympathy.
Long story short: The dog should see a therapist, or at least find someone to talk to. He's got some problems he needs to work out, it'd really do him some good. Maybe Mungo, he's a certified therapy dog after all.

I agree with you in most points, but I don't think he needs therapy, maybe just a sandbag to punch against or a squeakybone to chew on it.
Also I have the feeling Ralph didn't said anything earlier on purpose to teach Fox a lesson. I don't know why but I can really imagine it.

Legotron123 · Post by **Legotron123** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:40 am

Wait, you mean we don't get to see how the chunky dude brainwashes them? I was looking forward to that! Did he drug them and make them watch films filled with subliminal messages? Did he use magic, like Fox seemed to think earlier? How did he convince pet owners to give him their pets for weeks or even months, since brainwashing isn't something you can accomplish through weekly sessions every Thursday? I want answers, and I'll keep making pouty faces at my screen until I get them!
P.S. I'm kidding.

Welsh Halfwit · Post by **Welsh Halfwit** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:48 am

Legotron123 wrote:Wait, you mean we don't get to see how the chunky dude brainwashes them? I was looking forward to that! Did he drug them and make them watch films filled with subliminal messages? Did he use magic, like Fox seemed to think earlier? How did he convince pet owners to give him their pets for weeks or even months, since brainwashing isn't something you can accomplish through weekly sessions every Thursday? I want answers, and I'll keep making pouty faces at my screen until I get them!
P.S. I'm kidding.

"Watch the shiny coin spin, Lego" <Puts Lego under in five minutes> "When you wake, you will be satisfied with the conclusion to the story, understanding hypnosis can take different times to break through will. Sasha has little will so it took no time at all. When I count to three, you will wake. One, two.... three."

CHAOKOCartoons · Post by **CHAOKOCartoons** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:01 am

HundKatzeMaus wrote:I agree with you in most points, but I don't think he needs therapy, maybe just a sandbag to punch against or a squeakybone to chew on it.

Well no, that would just be the same thing he was already doing: Taking his frustration and putting it elsewhere. Sure it keeps the emotions at bay for a while, but it doesn't solve his obvious problem. And it's not like therapy is a "OH YOU MUST HAVE SERIOUS MENTAL ISSUES OH NOOOO!" thing, it's literally just talking to someone

. You're venting, while also taking apart and understanding what's troubling you at the same time. It helps calm you down so you can rationally figure out how to get through a troubling mental barrier. Fox's issue isn't even that big, so just talking it out with Mungo once or twice would probably be enough to figure things out again.

...but yes, a Squeakybone would help too.

gamepopper · Post by **gamepopper** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:09 am

Basically, what Fox was worried about would have been dealt with, without Sasha being imprisoned, if Fox and Mungo went back to the police HQ.

You'd figure after four or five years, Fox would have learned about his life not being like an action blockbuster.

Legotron123 · Post by **Legotron123** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:21 am

Welsh Halfwit wrote:
Legotron123 wrote:Wait, you mean we don't get to see how the chunky dude brainwashes them? I was looking forward to that! Did he drug them and make them watch films filled with subliminal messages? Did he use magic, like Fox seemed to think earlier? How did he convince pet owners to give him their pets for weeks or even months, since brainwashing isn't something you can accomplish through weekly sessions every Thursday? I want answers, and I'll keep making pouty faces at my screen until I get them!
P.S. I'm kidding.
"Watch the shiny coin spin, Lego" <Puts Lego under in five minutes> "When you wake, you will be satisfied with the conclusion to the story, understanding hypnosis can take different times to break through will. Sasha has little will so it took no time at all. When I count to three, you will wake. One, two.... three."

Look I take this sorta thing very seriously, so I'm going to object when I see something wrong. Hypnosis can not make you do something you do not want to do, regardless of how much willpower you have. All those guys you see doing weird things? The hypnotist has to specifically pick them out. They're the kinda of person who'd do that kinda stuff for $20, even without hypnosis. They're perfectly fine with doing that, given the proper motivation. I'm pretty sure Sasha hasn't been secretly into getting arrested this whole time, so it couldn't have been hypnosis. I'm sorry if I'm being rather aggressive, I just take this stuff very seriously.
P.S. I don't care how shiny the coin is, if I don't want to be hypnotized, I won't be hypnotized.

IceKitsune · Post by **IceKitsune** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:03 am

And there is the fat guy again. Surprised it took this long for him to come back.

Not A Furry · Post by **Not A Furry** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:25 am

I just love Fox's face in the second panel

Also now I understand what rick meant by "imply everything promise nothing" regarding how he keeps his stories being surprising. This arc was too long though.

HellishK9 · Post by **HellishK9** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:39 am

Well Fox, what you did was for nothing.
It seems like the K9 unit has suddenly become super detectives and Fox wasn't invited to the party.

Legotron123 · Post by **Legotron123** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:53 am

HellishK9 wrote:Well Fox, what you did was for nothing.

That really has to hurt. He risked his job, his freedom, and technically betrayed his partner...... And it was all meaningless. You can tell he was desperate and panicking earlier, but he went through with it anyways, because he was certain that Sasha would go to jail for something she didn't do if he didn't. Only everyone else was already one step ahead of him, and even figured it out before him. What exactly he's just done should be hitting him any strip now. I really wanna hug him. He needs it. Plus if I'm hugging him, it means I'm in the same universe as him, and then I can explore and find out all the differences between our world and theirs that we don't get to see in the strip.

HundKatzeMaus · Post by **HundKatzeMaus** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 10:45 am

CHAOKOCartoons wrote:Fox's issue isn't even that big, so just talking it out with Mungo once or twice would probably be enough to figure things out again.

Oh you just wanna see Mungo as a therapy dog more often

Well....me actually too

Well let's hope Fox won't get too much of a hard time after this, while he did many things wrong, in the end he did just wanted to help out a friend...okay AND he had to deal with some personal problems.
Honestly for me Fox the character in Housepets I personally can mostly relate the most to, it makes him so charming

Adoring Fan · Post by **Adoring Fan** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 11:43 am

I am actually dubious of this.... Wasn't that the guy who was with king? If i remember correctly he WANTED animals to be equals. So whats his motive? he seems to be someone who would support the Milton's actions. I mean, not that he couldn't just be unstable, which would make sense but i sorta think hes being framed as well.

Plus.... while i am SUPER happy this line is being wrapped up at last... I sorta feel like it pointless in the first place now because all it amounts to is a 6 month long smear of a beloved character. After all, if they caught the right guy all the way back then it means that the last 3 months of comics are essentially moot. Nothing would have been different had they never happened at all, and they existed only to make fox look bad.

Mmmmmm.... My greatest consolation is that perhaps now we can at last end this.

biddyfox · Post by **biddyfox** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:17 pm

Adoring Fan wrote:I am actually dubious of this.... Wasn't that the guy who was with king? If i remember correctly he WANTED animals to be equals. So whats his motive? he seems to be someone who would support the Milton's actions. I mean, not that he couldn't just be unstable, which would make sense but i sorta think hes being framed as well.

The PETA guy didn't exactly want equality between humans and animals - actually, he wanted animals to "be free from their enslavement" and live in the wild.

Post by **D-Rock** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:37 pm

Adoring Fan wrote:Plus.... while i am SUPER happy this line is being wrapped up at last... I sorta feel like it pointless in the first place now because all it amounts to is a 6 month long smear of a beloved character. After all, if they caught the right guy all the way back then it means that the last 3 months of comics are essentially moot. Nothing would have been different had they never happened at all, and they existed only to make fox look bad.

Mmmmmm.... My greatest consolation is that perhaps now we can at last end this.

Yes, I'll admit that this was long, but I view it as an opportunity to see deeper into Fox's character. We finally get a glimpse into the deeper root of his flaws, and how they finally manifested. One could look at those months as an opportunity to see into Fox. We know he's ultimately a great guy, we know he has some issues, and here we finally get a look at why and what happens when it reaches a tipping point. We also see that he puts loyalty to his friends above all else, even if that wasn't the best route to take. Mistakes are made on his part, because the greatest of people still make them. Flawless characters have a tendency to lose their appeal

Fee Radikal · Post by **Fee Radikal** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 12:49 pm

People who talk about this arc having no purpose are, in the very act of doing so, proving its value. It's all well and good for folks to talk about these characters as if they are real (that's a testimonial to Rick's exceptional writing), but y'all should never forget that we are on the other side of the fourth wall, reading a story. The purpose of said story is to entertain us and touch us and make us think, and in the process of watching this arc, we have been entertained, touched, and made to think. Rick wins.

Some of the best comic stories ever written have had no lasting effect on the characters involved in terms of their outward situation having changed. Their value came from providing the audience with insight into the characters themselves... insights that would help the audience better understand what came next for the characters. But even that doesn't need to be referenced here; this arc actually did have an impact on the future of the strip, and of Fox. If nothing else, we've gotten to see the evolution of a number of characters (the Zach we knew in the last arc was a fair bit different than the Zach we saw in the forest), and gotten to meet Mungo, the trope-averted musclebound mook who actually has more than two brain cells to rub together. (Well, actually that's a trope itself, but you know what I mean.)

Fox and King are probably my favorite characters in the strip simply because they are complex, layered, and take time to understand. There were points in King's long-unfolding story where people wondered why a particular arc happened because it seemed to have no immediate benefit or purpose, only to discover months or years later that a tiny hint planted in said arc had long-running consequences. I am confident that years from now, one of the Poindexters in this forum will be gleefully point back to one random strip in this arc and show the tiny seed where something vital got started. And if not, well, it was still a good story arc that taught us more about Fox, and one can simply accept it as such.

Macsen · Post by **Macsen** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:26 pm

Woo! ELO!!!

https://youtu.be/z9nkzaOPP6g

HundKatzeMaus · Post by **HundKatzeMaus** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:44 pm

I think it's still to early to judge this arc, I feel the next strip (or the strip after that) will give us some good pay off and we will smile at it.

Still I also want to say something:
This is the kind of arc Fox deserved.
No, no, I don't want to say, he deserves to look dumb or anything, but he never got an arc that was really "his".
Sure there was "Love and War" but that was more about his relationship with Sasha and maybe Bino.
But I think it's this arc, where he truly shines. It's here where we can see, how his mind really works. At least I think so.
In every other arc, he was a supporting character, even in Love and War, he was more about supporting first Bino and later Sasha and thought too late about his own desires.
Here we really see him trying to kick out of the role of the guy, who supports, and tries to become someone with a bigger impact on everything. We see here, how hard it actually is. Even if you mean it well.
It looks like this will be the beginning, where he will really becomes more and more with the time, even if he had a hard start.
Althought if we look back how Joel started and King ended, I'm sure Fox will also find his happy ending.
Hey maybe after some time, Fox will be a really professional super K9 and ends up in the Housepets version of Die Hard (Dog Hard would be an obvious title), which would fit with the whole "Summer blockbuster" theme

About the length of the arc:
I think it was alright. Honestly I think I would had felt kinda betrayed if something was cut off.
The pacing was good.
The humor was really funny.
The characterisation was awesome as always.
I found a new favourite character (Mungo)
I found some new deep respect for a character (Fox) and we really see him struggle and try his best.
Sure the whole thing could had just ended some strips ago with Mungo or someone else saying "Oh hey, Fox. By the way we already have all evidence we need to proof Sasha is innocent and even got the REAL criminal," and everything would had been fine and dandy...it would had felt really pointless.

I still say it's too early to judge this whole arc, but I think it was really good. One of my new personal favourites.

Adoring Fan · Post by **Adoring Fan** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:00 pm

Fee Radikal wrote:People who talk about this arc having no purpose are, in the very act of doing so, proving its value. It's all well and good for folks to talk about these characters as if they are real (that's a testimonial to Rick's exceptional writing), but y'all should never forget that we are on the other side of the fourth wall, reading a story. The purpose of said story is to entertain us and touch us and make us think, and in the process of watching this arc, we have been entertained, touched, and made to think. Rick wins.

Except it didn't do any of that, people are complaining because it didn't entertain them and actually hurt there opinion of the franchise. I know it did mine. So much so that the times i didn't leave a comment here were because i didn't care enough to read it anymore. I have 3 friends who don't read this comic anymore and ask me every now and then "Has it gone back to being good"? I doubt i am the only one who can say that but in the end that's ad revenue that rick has lost.

Being touched? That might apply to some but in truth i stopped being touched by this arc way back in September. Now its just a long wait.... Make us think? Sure, its made me ponder why this arc was added.

One comment i left a few times was the simple phrase "brevity is the soul of wit" which really just means "don't wast my time". Something that this last arc was doing nothing but. In the end the only reason i am here still is because the arc seems about to end and i am giving rick the benefit of the doubt that this is a mistake he is unlikely to repeat. Otherwise? well there are several other web-comics i like.

Backlash · Post by **Backlash** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:14 pm

Called it!

Cesco · Post by **Cesco** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:22 pm

Very good, they already captured the culprit, and he did everything.

So, he's a PETA member... Nothing really new here.

Fox already had a bad experience with them in past.

Yeah, Keene is fighting to extend those rights also to animals. Eh, Fox, you're still a newbie in police...

Anyway, great work, Ralph.

guru4567 · Post by **guru4567** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 2:53 pm

HundKatzeMaus wrote:I think it's still to early to judge this arc, I feel the next strip (or the strip after that) will give us some good pay off and we will smile at it.

I agree with this one. I've been Fox many times here -- spending a lot of time researching and working on something that was already solved by my coworkers or boss -- communication is SOOO important! I am interested for the closure of the threads of this arc (THE LETTER) and a possible reveal of someone whispering in the PETA guy's ear.

Leomon2004 · Post by **Leomon2004** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:08 pm

Bit off topic but I'd like the Houspets cast do this song. Seems like it'd work well for a Halloween thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezUDALDXKcI

Saturn381 · Post by **Saturn381** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:06 pm

Okay, I'm just gonna say this right now. To those going on about how this arc is "making you not like the franchise anymore", you guys are blowing this way out of proportion. This whole "This arc was too long and it was pointless!" First of all we've had arc that were just as long as this one, some of them (like this one) even staring in the summer and ending is December. So this is nothing new. And second the whole "It was pointless!" thing, uhh... no it wasn't. The point this arc was trying to make was not only to show that all of this could've been fixed so easily if Fox didn't try to prove that we was right (which was the reason why this arc "dragged"), but also to show that Fox has issues and they really need to be fixed. I know someone will go "But he was trying to do what he thought was right!", but let's be honest, they stuff that people feared before hand (like Sasha going to jail or getting executed) wouldn't be as bad as anyone thought it would be and again, it could've have easily been fixed if Fox did what he was told instead of trying prove that he was right. And to those who were trying to vilify Mungo in the last few strips, I feel some of you are giving Fox way to much credit and Mungo far to little credit.

Mod edit: You're welcome to disagree with people but directly insulting/attacking them and their opinions is not allowed on these forums.

HellishK9 · Post by **HellishK9** » Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:16 pm

I would like to thank Saturn, for the truthful comment.
I think that the length of this arc is fine since every little thing that happens could lead up to a very exciting end.

Frost SF · Post by **Frost SF** » Tue Dec 20, 2016 6:25 am

My suspicion was right! It was the fat ginger!
*does a little happy dance*

FancyHat · Post by **FancyHat** » Tue Dec 20, 2016 9:05 am

...Ya know that kinda says something about that police force if they haven't caught a guy that probably has 10 different arrest warrants out for him considering that the police already have an entire file on the fella..

Also Hurray it's the PETA guy who ditched Joel once the cops came, way-back-when! And he's FINALLY been caught and arrested! We got one guess right about the prep being PETA on the suspect list. Let's just hope Twiddle dumb doesn't escape a second time.

Not A Furry · Post by **Not A Furry** » Tue Dec 20, 2016 9:15 am

I just wish King had a re-encounter with the "glandular" PETA guy

Backlash · Post by **Backlash** » Tue Dec 20, 2016 4:33 pm

I see a lot of people down on this arc for being overly long. It wasn't the actual length, its that Rick dropped down his weekly updates from 3 to 2 for 2 months, which made this arc DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGG...

As for the actual content, I wouldn't call it bad. It definitely made Fox a lot less likable, but gave us Mungo, an absolute gem of a new character. I think what really hurt this arc was coming off of arc 100. As much as it was overall good, I can't be the only one who thought it was a bit of a cop-out that Keene wasn't actually dead. Then all the intrigue and mystery got bogged down with what felt like mostly filler, and spending probably a bit too much time looking for Sasha.

I'm hoping that now the updates are back to their normal pace and this arc is coming to a close, things will pick up again.