December 11, 2011: Sunday Showdown!

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Clockwise from the bottom left:

• This may be some needless worrying by Leroy, odds are the Lockhorns won't have time to say goodbye as they are being abruptly thrown out of the party due to Leroy getting into a massive argument with another guest or drunkenly molesting a random bimbo on the dance floor (or perhaps both). Problem solved. It's interesting to note in this panel how de-emphasized the Lockhorns are in favor of the dashing looking couple at the door. Although I have to admit that serious mustache does deserve some top billing. It's a push.
• Sometimes when Loretta throws out a particularly clever word pun, you have to take a step back, take a moment, and sort out your understanding of it. Often times this is jointly due to its cleverness and because it doesn't really much sense if you think about it. This is a pretty good example of that. I do like it though. One of the main character traits about both Lockhorns would be that they have "issues"; many, many, serious, varying "issues". Loretta gets the point and strikes the first blow.
• If you want a clear example of why Leroy is currently trailing Loretta on the year and is quite likely going to lose out to her, it is this scene. Here you have Loretta with a container of her rancid leftovers (complaining about the quality of it no less!) and Leroy just lets it go. Time and time again, missed opportunities and lack of focus have doomed Leroy down the stretch. There is no reason why he should leave this scene without a point. It all comes down to taking advantage of every break and scoring on those panels you're supposed to score on; something Leroy has to improve upon if he wants future success. It's a push, Loretta still leads 1-0.
• Leroy's evaluation of Loretta's second frame would seem to indicate that she only knocked down the lead one pin in her first frame. I never bowled enough to get all the rules and nuances of the game but if that's the case, is it even possible to exclusively knock the lead pin over without disturbing the others? That must have been a ridiculous throw! Secondly, this highly unlikely second frame would still be easier to split than any other split situation I can imagine. So given the unusual scenario, Loretta appears to be in the best possible position to attempt a win. It's still technically taunting by Leroy so I'll give him the point. It's all tied up 1-1.
• I am going to assume that the "Peter's Beauty Salon" being referenced in the panel is "Anthony Peters Hair Salon" on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow. It is geographically consistent with the Lockhorns' location. While one of its two reviews on Yelp does criticize the quality of their hair styling service, there is no mention of the aggressively mean-spirited lady at the front counter making jokes at your expense when it comes to account balances. Although it hasn't been reflected in their Yelp ratings, a negative portrayal like this in a Lockhorns panel will ultimately lead to a lot of PR damage, just ask the surly crew over at the Lawrence Hill Service Station. Another push leads to an uneventful 1-1 overall stalemate.

Official Count:

Leroy - 115
Loretta - 134

Push - 96