First Comic Previous Comic Random Comic Next Comic Current Comic
Comic!
First Comic Previous Comic Random Comic Next Comic Current Comic

There's a reason that Ellen specified that she was talking about computer game lemmings. As we all know, real lemmings don't actually throw themselves off of cliffs. Throwing yourself off a cliff - for love, for politics, for a nature documentary, because the cursor told you to - is a purely human idea.

Reminiscent of Simon's metasubmission or John's to-do list, Ellen seems to have finally stumbled across the proper sequence of programming instructions to get the desired result. All she had to say - and mean - was "Please do me a favour by doing whatever you want".

Much like myself, Jamie's natural internal morality is almost entirely focused on self-sacrifice and altruism. It's why he (and, frankly, I) have no compunctions against telling a lie or breaking and entering, as long as it's in the service of helping another person. Also like myself, Jamie occasionally has self-esteem issues, and, as such, can't initiate smooching with someone he actually likes or respects, because it would constitute imposing himself on them. Somewhat ironically, until now, he liked Ellen too much to be able to kiss her. Max was right - Ellen needed to be proactive.

0865-------------------------------------
(Wednesday night, INT, EB and JH's apartment, on the couch.)

JH: ...and then I called for an ambulance using his phone, but I got out of there before they showed up.
EB: You didn't see if they...?
JH: No. And I'm confident I didn't leave fingerprints on anything, but the Halligan bar kinda makes a distinctive break-mark on the doorframe, and... and Andre saw me with the mask off.
--------------
EB: Why would you take the mask off?
JH: I thought he was dead!
EB: Why would you take the mask off if he was dead?
JH: Because I was kind of having an emotional moment, and I didn't care what happened to me, okay?
--------------
EB: Jamie, you are a beautiful, sensitive, talented, moral person and I love that about you, but you have the self-preservation instincts of a lemming. Like, from the computer game where they literally blow themselves up if you tell them to.
JH: I'm sorry.
EB: Don't be sorry! Just... for once in your life, Jamie, please, take your own wants and needs into account! Do something healthy, do something selfish, do something for you, do something, anything, without apologizing for it!
--------------
[JH leans in and grabs EB, kissing her]