July 3, 2011: Sunday Showdown!

(Click to Enlarge)

Clockwise from the bottom left:

• The ever lazy Leroy gets a lucky "break" from doing his share of the Sunday chores when the lawnmower refuses to start. I think it's obvious to anyone familiar with Leroy that the lawnmower probably didn't just happen to breakdown at this particularly convenient moment. If I were Loretta I would start checking around the house for any missing mower parts. For now though, all Loretta can do is toil away at the dishes with the galling knowledge that Leroy pulled a fast one on her. Leroy gets the point.
• The incongruous caption box makes another unwanted return to a Lockhorns panel. The placement of the box this time makes it seem like Loretta is resting her arm against it. It's almost as if Loretta had created, ahead of time, this huge cardboard sign with her response to Leroy and brought it out at the proper moment. Kudos to Leroy for literally putting his foot down on Loretta's reckless use of his credit card by hiding it in his socks. My sympathies to the poor sales clerk who has to scan that credit card. Leroy roars to a 2-0 lead.
• What I don't quite understand in this scene here is that Loretta is mocking Leroy for not being able to solve a Fisher Price children's puzzle but it appears he is doing a pen and paper puzzle in a newspaper. Her line would make more sense is he was actually trying to solve some physical puzzle or toy. Shouldn't she have made some crack about Leroy not being able to solve some simple Jr. Jumble section of the paper? Unless of course Fisher Price just came out with a "My First New York Times Crossword Section" toy. Slightly off target but it's still worth a point for Loretta; it's 2-1 Leroy.
• It's July and another horrifying Lockhorn beach season has begun. As awful the prospect is of two full months of sporadic panels of the Lockhorns at their skimpiest, we can take some solace in the fact that Leroy has apparently gone away from the Speedo look he dabbled in a couple of years ago. Leroy wastes no time in ogling the a particularly fetching bespectacled bombshell (I have to say her proportions almost looks human) and Loretta is right there to chastise him. Also it would appear that Loretta's friend did not get the memo that everyone has to wear black at the Lockhorns' beach. Loretta's furious comeback continues with the score now tied.
• Leroy avoids another Sunday Showdown loss and what would have been an epic series collapse by gutting it out in the final panel. Interestingly, if Loretta was relaying to her friend about her admiration of Leroy's "quiet strength" it would have been a point for her. Leroy diffuses that bomb by proactively complaining about it. It's a pretty tricky maneuver to pull off, without the right tone and delivery it could also come out as a point earning testimonial for the other party. Leroy sneaks out a rare Sunday victory 3-2.

Official Count:

Leroy - 69
Loretta - 70

Push - 45