(From Ctrl+Alt+Del. Click for full-sized revenge.)
So Ted’s plot isn’t world domination. Instead, he remains what he was from the start: a version of the Linux penguin.
This story arc continues to be reminiscent of the early days of Ctrl+Alt+Del, right down to looking to involve versions of real-life high-profile figures being invaded by the CAD cast. Most people have probably forgotten or are only dimly aware of CAD‘s pro-Microsoft stance, with the main relic of it being Zeke’s being made out of an X-Box.
There’s a part of me that wants to wonder how far back Tim had this story line planned out, probably before the evolution of the comic… except that Tim hinted around the time of the miscarriage that that story arc had, itself, been planned out fairly early in the comic’s history, perhaps as far back as Lilah’s introduction, which was probably less than halfway through the first year. This storyline, then, may be continuing the trend, previously noted, of Buckley trying to get away from the grimdarkness of the immediate post-miscarriage era and back to a more fun-loving time in CAD‘s history, with Ethan getting involved in wacky, out-there plots.
Given where the comic has gone since those early days, I still can’t help but shake the feeling that this plotline will leave long-lasting impacts on the cast. However, at this point I’d be far from surprised if it doesn’t.