Original Commentary

Slightly based on Iron Chef, of course. The home of trout-flavored ice cream. Fortunately, Brisbane won't need to buy black truffles or pate de fois gras for anything on this show. I'm sure you've noticed that we've had a moderate number of references to the Food Network or, at least, the abstract idea of TV shows about food. Why is this? Firstly because we watch a decent amount of it, and secondly because it's hard to write comics about the abstract idea of watching sitcoms - Terrence

Modern Commentary
When we say "Iron Chef" in the original commentary, we mainly meant the original Japanese show, not "Iron Chef America". "Iron Chef America" had just premiered that March and was in heavy rotation as well, though.

The other cooking show that we'd watch back then was Dotch Cooking Show, a Japanese program. Elite chefs would prepare two dishes. They'd spend the first ten minutes talking two different bespoke ingredients, hand-prepared by an elite master artisan. He (or sometimes she) prepared salt or bamboo or soy or what-have-you the way they did it hundreds of years ago, without your modern machinery and shortcuts; he'd be the last person in the world who did it this way and was usually in his 60s or 70s or 80s.

A celebrity panel would, briefly, talk about how amazing these things were and how much love and care was put into this.

Then they'd spend ten minutes talking about how the chefs would prepare dishes to bring out the flavor of these high-quality ingredients in ways that went far beyond normal food. One dish would have the first special ingredient and the second dish would have the other.

Then the celebrity panel would vote on which dish they want. If you voted for the dish that got the most votes, you got to eat it. If you voted for the other dish, you got to sit and watch the winners eat.- Terrence

Original Commentary

Terrence and I talked about the comic after it was all said and done... he remarked about how long it's been since we've last seen Brisbane and Kimberly get sweet and cozy like this. Truth be told, there really hasn't been a time when the two could act this way, considering all the crud that's been going on with Emily, her guy, and Robert and Jane... the two have really put their relationship on the back burner.

Comics like this really make me miss having a cozy couch. -Isabel

Modern Commentary
"Two people being cute together" is its own genre of comic. There are some strips that do just that and nothing else. I don't think we could keep that up for long, but I'm glad we do this sometimes.

I wish we'd done a bit more of it, though. Brisbane and Kimberly can be cute together when we're not throwing problems at them.- Terrence

Original Commentary

It's surprising that Kimberly doesn't try to market that rainbow-coloured shampoo. I'd buy it. For a dollar, at least - Terrence

Modern Commentary
Brisbane is communicating in Kimberly's love language - money.

It's not a great plan and it's probably three bucks worth of trouble just to save a quarter but he obviously went through the effort to try to please Kimberly. He wouldn't do that on his own. - Terrence

Original Commentary

Yes, as you can tell... Brisbane is getting really, really bored just hanging around the apartment... we all get a little bit of cabin fever on those weekends where you have a little too much time and not enough to do (although admittedly, it's been about six years since I've personally had a day like that... but I have memories of those days, at the least).

I bet it's humid over in Hippedown... don't ask me how you can tell, I just get this feeling that it's really humid out- one of the reasons they are not going out. - Isabel

Modern Commentary
You can get a coffee maker for $20. I didn't know that at the time. I probably resisted getting a coffeemaker, myself, because I saw the $80 ones that stores display prominently and decided that I didn't want to spend that kind of money on it.

Instead, we used a french press for a few years but washing the various filters and plates got to be a hassle. Sometimes it's easier just to buy a coffee maker.- Terrence

Original Commentary

Yes, Brisbane can fix a VCR, but not a toaster. Good thing, because otherwise they wouldn't be able to watch that tape. What would they rent? Not sure. Hopefully Kimberly will pick, because Brisbane would try to pick something that would make the delivery boy think he's an allright guy. Probably something popular and recent - Terrence

Modern Commentary
So I don't know what I mean in the original commentary. Brisbane has shown a tendency towards weird, artsy movies. The kind that the video rental place probably doesn't carry.

Anyhow, if you're ordering takeout in a storm, you ought to tip generously. Even if the guy doesn't swing by an unrelated business on his way over.- Terrence

Original Commentary

This is how most of our weekends go. If I kept track of where my time went, I bet I could get twice as much done. If. - Terrence

Modern Commentary
I joke that the go-to You Say it First storyline is "Brisbane and Kimberly plan to do something fun, but stay home and do nothing instead".

I think this is the first time they've done that in-comic, but it'll be a recurring theme. It's based on our own lives. If you don't do anything, the important thing is having someone you're happy doing nothing with - Terrence

It's more true now than ever. The more things change, the more things stay the same. - Isabel