A junior engineer working for a small engineering firm in Cocoa Beach. The firm focuses mostly on NASA projects.
Neil is Jean’s best friend. When Jean was turned into a genie, Neil became Jeanie’s master.
You may be surprised to learn that I agree. To Rodge, Natalie is something of a genie–she protests, but ends up doing whatever he wants–then he takes credit for it. He gives her nothing in return. Like Jean, given a real genie, he’d ask to be King of his very own pleasure island.
Besides, what I want, of course, is for Neil to learn how to be a true, but benevolent, Master to Jeanie.
I agree, Rodge is a taker. Prior to the Vegas trip, Rodge basically blackmailed Neil so that he could get a date with one of Neil’s babes (page 192). When he learned that she was an engineer he blew off Neil’s assistance and used her to win his slot to the engineer’s conference (pages 207-208). I’m fairly certain he was planning on a romantic evening with Natalie (pages 213-214). Really, only 1 bed?
Aside from the fact that we know very little about Rodge, there’s a reason all of Natalie’s romantic fanfiction encounters involved someone else. Comedic impact aside, Rodge is creepy and could easily go the route of Jean Nessman.
I agree that the way Rodge met Natalie was sleazy, but Rodge wasn’t ignoring Neil and using Natalie to win the trip to the conference. Rodge’s attraction to Natalie made him pay closer attention to her than he was capable of paying to Neil and that resulted in his actually learning the material. (205) Winning the trip wasn’t Rodge’s goal, seeing Natalie was, and Neil took advantage of that when his efforts at work failed. Sure, Neil had a good motive– saving Rodge’s job– but he did so by becoming Natalie specifically to date Rodge in order to do it. (207) Winning the trip was an accident, but when it did happen, Rodge invited Nat to join him (210) and she said yes. At that point, is it that unreasonable for Rodge to think that romance might be involved when the woman he’s been dating regularly agrees to spend the weekend with him across the country in Vegas? Whether they were really out of rooms with two beds is certainly in question, but seeing the lingerie Jean packed for Natalie misled Rodge into thinking Natalie had romance in mind, too. (214) Thankfully, his attempt at romance didn’t get further than a failed attempt at a kiss. (217) (I know he later grabbed her breasts, but that was under the mistaken belief they weren’t real. (219)) And since the Vegas trip, while it is clear Rodge remains attracted to Natalie (shown quite strongly in 417 as the thought of hitting on other women is seen by Rodge as cheating on Natalie) his interactions with her had generally come across as teasing . (such as in 286-287) Or they had until now, anyhow.
It’s occurred to me that Jeanie off-handedly granted Rodge’s wish to take Natalie along on this boat ride, while ignoring her Master’s well-known and obvious distaste for Rodge. Her contempt for Neil is evident.
Yet Neil makes not a single wish to the contrary, allowing himself to be cowed by his genie.
Yup, no sympathy for Natalie from me. Neil earned this.
Neil doesn’t have any wishes left. He hasn’t since the first chapter of the comic.
Also gonna just point out that Neil made it clear that he didn’t want to go, but the petty brat with cosmic powers decided that, if they can’t be King of Incel Fantasy Island, he doesn’t get a choice.
Neil has no MANDATORY wishes left, after he pissed away his last one on a ham sandwich, to Jeanie’s disgust. He is, however, still her Master, and she would likely grant any wish that was at least trivial, and ideally interesting to Jeanie. Look how thrilled she was to get him a hamburger. (With disastrous results, because Jeanie went far beyond his simple wish.) Instead, he has consistently avoided any interaction with Jeanie at al, building her contempt.
I think it’s time for Araceli, the nanny, to poof the angry ” couple ” To a more distant island to work out their differences in private. It’s not good for children to see angry adults fighting.
I’m pretty sure she won’t do that. Liam and Dominic don’t know about genies so two people vanishing might create some interesting questions Araceli won’t want to answer.
It occurs to me that there was a second fantasy (or sort of fantasy) show set on an island in the 1970s/1980s. Could it be that it’s not Gilligan and the Skipper waiting on that island, but Mr. Rourke and his “little buddy” Tatoo? Just a wild, left-field guess, of course. But Roge’s “I’m in love with a girl who doesn’t appreciate me” would make a great Fantasy Island fantasy. So would Dominic getting to spend more time with his Dad or wanting his parents back together.
An interesting thought.
I wonder if Mr. Roarke’s powers are limited by Haji’s edict about affecting a mortal’s will. Even the Blue Djinn seemed to avoid killing mortals directly (note her comment on page 563, panel 3). If they aren’t (and I don’t think they are), Natalie might find herself married to Rodge in an island ceremony officiated by Mr. Roarke.
Is it wrong that I want to see Natalie and Rodge get together? I really think Rodge would be a good match for her.
In my experience, most women don’t enjoy being treated like that. Even if Natalie decides to embrace her feminity she deserves better than Roger.
You may be surprised to learn that I agree. To Rodge, Natalie is something of a genie–she protests, but ends up doing whatever he wants–then he takes credit for it. He gives her nothing in return. Like Jean, given a real genie, he’d ask to be King of his very own pleasure island.
Besides, what I want, of course, is for Neil to learn how to be a true, but benevolent, Master to Jeanie.
I agree, Rodge is a taker. Prior to the Vegas trip, Rodge basically blackmailed Neil so that he could get a date with one of Neil’s babes (page 192). When he learned that she was an engineer he blew off Neil’s assistance and used her to win his slot to the engineer’s conference (pages 207-208). I’m fairly certain he was planning on a romantic evening with Natalie (pages 213-214). Really, only 1 bed?
Aside from the fact that we know very little about Rodge, there’s a reason all of Natalie’s romantic fanfiction encounters involved someone else. Comedic impact aside, Rodge is creepy and could easily go the route of Jean Nessman.
I agree that the way Rodge met Natalie was sleazy, but Rodge wasn’t ignoring Neil and using Natalie to win the trip to the conference. Rodge’s attraction to Natalie made him pay closer attention to her than he was capable of paying to Neil and that resulted in his actually learning the material. (205) Winning the trip wasn’t Rodge’s goal, seeing Natalie was, and Neil took advantage of that when his efforts at work failed. Sure, Neil had a good motive– saving Rodge’s job– but he did so by becoming Natalie specifically to date Rodge in order to do it. (207) Winning the trip was an accident, but when it did happen, Rodge invited Nat to join him (210) and she said yes. At that point, is it that unreasonable for Rodge to think that romance might be involved when the woman he’s been dating regularly agrees to spend the weekend with him across the country in Vegas? Whether they were really out of rooms with two beds is certainly in question, but seeing the lingerie Jean packed for Natalie misled Rodge into thinking Natalie had romance in mind, too. (214) Thankfully, his attempt at romance didn’t get further than a failed attempt at a kiss. (217) (I know he later grabbed her breasts, but that was under the mistaken belief they weren’t real. (219)) And since the Vegas trip, while it is clear Rodge remains attracted to Natalie (shown quite strongly in 417 as the thought of hitting on other women is seen by Rodge as cheating on Natalie) his interactions with her had generally come across as teasing . (such as in 286-287) Or they had until now, anyhow.
I can agree with many of your points, but the look in Rodge’s eyes on page 213 panel 5 clearly suggests that the single bed was intentional.
Hell, a snake deserves better than Roger.
weeeeeelllll, s/he wanted Rodge to treat him like he was still Neal, NOT Natalie. Sooooo…..
No one deserves Roger.
Jeanie and Rodge deserve each other.
Neil doesn’t get a genie, he is one; one of Veblen’s
“Children with magic hands”, as he called the technorati
It’s occurred to me that Jeanie off-handedly granted Rodge’s wish to take Natalie along on this boat ride, while ignoring her Master’s well-known and obvious distaste for Rodge. Her contempt for Neil is evident.
Yet Neil makes not a single wish to the contrary, allowing himself to be cowed by his genie.
Yup, no sympathy for Natalie from me. Neil earned this.
Neil doesn’t have any wishes left. He hasn’t since the first chapter of the comic.
Also gonna just point out that Neil made it clear that he didn’t want to go, but the petty brat with cosmic powers decided that, if they can’t be King of Incel Fantasy Island, he doesn’t get a choice.
Neil has no MANDATORY wishes left, after he pissed away his last one on a ham sandwich, to Jeanie’s disgust. He is, however, still her Master, and she would likely grant any wish that was at least trivial, and ideally interesting to Jeanie. Look how thrilled she was to get him a hamburger. (With disastrous results, because Jeanie went far beyond his simple wish.) Instead, he has consistently avoided any interaction with Jeanie at al, building her contempt.
Is this the Gilligan’s Island arc?
There certainly seem to be a number of hints in that direction.
Did we find out the name of the boat? Is it “Minnow?”
I think it’s time for Araceli, the nanny, to poof the angry ” couple ” To a more distant island to work out their differences in private. It’s not good for children to see angry adults fighting.
I’m pretty sure she won’t do that. Liam and Dominic don’t know about genies so two people vanishing might create some interesting questions Araceli won’t want to answer.
Dominic may know something, in that the nice nanny transported him to safety when the rocket took off.
True. Forgot about that.
They need a time out.
It occurs to me that there was a second fantasy (or sort of fantasy) show set on an island in the 1970s/1980s. Could it be that it’s not Gilligan and the Skipper waiting on that island, but Mr. Rourke and his “little buddy” Tatoo? Just a wild, left-field guess, of course. But Roge’s “I’m in love with a girl who doesn’t appreciate me” would make a great Fantasy Island fantasy. So would Dominic getting to spend more time with his Dad or wanting his parents back together.
An interesting thought.
I wonder if Mr. Roarke’s powers are limited by Haji’s edict about affecting a mortal’s will. Even the Blue Djinn seemed to avoid killing mortals directly (note her comment on page 563, panel 3). If they aren’t (and I don’t think they are), Natalie might find herself married to Rodge in an island ceremony officiated by Mr. Roarke.
Or Caley’s Parents who are always absent.
More likely it’ll be Natalie since she’s a lead character in this melodrama.
Roarke’s powers seemed to verge on God-like, in the twisting of reality. He might be on another level entirely.