Page 115 – Trigger’s Big Book On Pranks
It’s funny. I have friends who are the sweetest, kindest, most polite and considerate people you’ll ever meet, but they can still come up with some ASTOUNDING things to inflict on each other. Humans are funny that way.
Oh, and I’m in the middle of watching MANY hours of 30 Rock as I write this. That has absolutely nothing to do with this page, but me and a sampling of those friends I mentioned are having a BALL.
(Historical Note: Sweet Candy-coated Christmas, Past Me, STOP ADMITTING TO ENJOYING THINGS PRESENT ME IS TOTALLY SICK OF! Anyway, the whole “Trigger loves pranks” thing doesn’t get too many chances to show up in the comic, so I can imagine people more used to his final incarnation finding it a bit out of character. Surprisingly, despite all the stuff Trigger says and does in these early comic that feel odd, I still think that this trait works. Yes, Trigger is a million times more innocent and naive now, but the thing about “innocence” is that it’s not always harmless. I still think it’s in character for someone as gentile and soft-hearted as Trigger to get so wrapped up in his sabotage conditioning that it wouldn’t occur to him that acting on it might upset anybody. After all, he’d never WANT to hurt anybody, so why would he ever think that anything he does might?)
Just reread this, and have to comment on the historical note. Honestly, I feel like this page explains Trigger’s position on Pranks perfectly well, even if future Trigger became more innocent and naive. He is primarily willing to do it to friends, and only things that he knows they will shrug off. Basically, everyone he’s willing to prank is on the ship right now, and doesn’t include The Captain or Vengeance. The Captain because he would take any prank too seriously, and Vengeance due to Trigger being too scared of him to learn what he would/wouldn’t be able to emotionally shrug off.
Really, the only thing that’s “off” about this page is just the depiction of Trigger being eloquent enough to actually explain himself to someone else this way. Otherwise, yeah, it’s spot on.
Wouldn’t the next page showcase the reason why Trigger is able to explain himself so eloquently on the subject of Pranks? I mean, Sticking It To The Man 101 would, as an introductory class, give explanation to why Pranks are perfectly reasonable things, wouldn’t it?
I can say from personal experience that hearing words said by somebody else and being able to get those same words out on your own are two VERY different things.
You DON’T think that Layla would have, forcefully, made him explain to her why he thought pranking her was a good idea the first time he did it? And then refused to see him for at least a week? Trigger could have EASILY been given a good reason to memorize that line while in the bunker.
That actually brings up an interesting point. Layla wasn’t supposed actually know what Trigger was being trained for down there, just that she was in charge of looking after him. But you quite rightly point out that it’s… unlikely Trigger would make it that whole time without revealing SOMETHING. We may have to investigate this further at some point down the line…