So, this is not the first time that Mark reacts as if hearing something for the first time, when he already responded to it in a previous strip. In fact, from a normal reaction sequence, today’s panel 1 text would—should—precede yesterday’s panel 4. That is: First the reaction, then the moral teaching moment. But in the context of moving the story, it seems necessary to walk backwards a bit. I’m not so sure.
But speaking of sleeping on the couch, it’s clear that his conjugal issues go a lot deeper than Vampire Romance movies or what his mother-in-law thinks.
Finally, that “DVD” box in panel 3 suggests that either Ranger Shaw had to label it so he wouldn’t forget what he was abandoning in the woods or Jules Rivera thinks her readers are as clueless as Ranger Shaw and the Grungey Boys. Well, indeed! We certainly wouldn’t want to think that the box was just some random box of crap that happened to be in that clearing where Ranger Shaw is losing his mind. No siree Bob!
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