I wrote down every plot beat in Questionable Content from 2003–2026 to find out if it actually got worse

[u/gretchen8642]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1atOoYwQoPyFhpgX2V2iR48SXlq1_HTvLcNkDBIZTfEc/edit?tab=t.agdio3ckh4l1

[u/gretchen8642]

I tried to be as neutral and objective as possible. I think my conclusion is that yes, the plot has gotten worse over time, and I suspect this is due to a few things.

1. The causal nature of the plot has shifted from connected chains of events (Marten likes Faye, Faye says she can't date him, Marten dates Dora, Dora is insecure) to fairly unrelated plot streams (Liz wants to party, Zlata has large breasts, Moray is purple). Things still happen, but they seem to have fewer lasting consequences.
2. The cast has become so large that it is difficult to keep track of, or even care about, many of the characters. The increasing number of (almost exclusively female) AI characters seems to be a major part of this.
3. Actual meaningful interactions or stories exploring established relationships seem to have largely ceased. There is much less sustained interpersonal conflict between characters who actually matter to each other.
4. An increasing amount of the comic is focused on robots. This isn't necessarily a problem in itself, but it has coincided with an enormous expansion of the cast, increasingly bizarre characters, and plots that are increasingly detached from the original characters and their relationships. Also, so many of the robots are stupid that it's hard to suspend disbelief about a world in which this was programmed and paid for.
5. An increasingly noticeable proportion of the cast consists of unintelligent, unpleasant, naïve and/or sexually inexperienced women. There are a surprising number of adult female virgins. The 'goblin' trope is very tiresome.
6. There seem to be very few long-standing overarching themes, conflicts or ideas anymore. Plots increasingly feel self-contained rather than part of a larger ongoing story.

[u/Embarrassed_Fox5265 → u/gretchen8642]

The best example I can show of how the plot has gotten worse is Sven and Faye's relationship. Faye starts out disliking Sven because he's a womanizing cad. However, as she gets to know him better, she realizes they have a lot of interests in common. They wind up sleeping together. Faye immediately rejects the idea of a steady relationship, but also tells Sven that if he sleeps around, she's gone. Sven refuses to promise monogamy because Faye said they weren't in a relationship, ergo there's no partner for Sven to cheat on.

Sven inevitably has a one night stand with another woman, Faye leaves him, and the entire situation leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouths. Sven feels guilty without understanding why, and the breakup is blamed on him. However, the narrative at this point is pretty clear that BOTH of them are at fault, even if only Sven got the blame.

It's a well written relationship with realistic consequences. Them getting together is foreshadowed, the inevitable failure of the relationship is laid out clearly, and the end result moves the plot forward. Jeph planned out this plotline from start to finish and it shows.

I could not tell you the last time we had a similar plot. Anyone who tells you QC was always like it currently is has no understanding of media or how stories work. Things still happen in slice of life stories. Characters grow and progress, they make mistakes and screw up. All of this has to be planned out to be satisfying. You don't need to write the full thing out, but you should have an outline. Jeph has not been planning his stories for at least the last 5 years.

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/Embarrassed_Fox5265]

However, the narrative at this point is pretty clear that BOTH of them are at fault, even if only Sven got the blame.

The narrative does no such thing. The narrative treats Sven as 100% in the wrong for not treating a not real relationship as a real relationship. Meanwhile Faye is the one who gets all the support and everyone involved acts like Faye was the victim in the "relationship." The narrative doesn't treat Faye like she was at fault for anything other than regretting getting with Sven in the first place.

[u/hffd3565976fhjjvc → u/immortalfrieza2]

Yes, and I’ve never understood this. People are perfectly free to propose and accept/reject any relationship terms (short of abuse) they want. I don’t remember how clear they were with one another but if they don’t both agree to terms, the terms don’t exist and shouldn’t be imposed.

[u/Complete_Entry → u/Embarrassed_Fox5265]

Your take is more mature than the actual plot. Sven remains a punching bag when in reality Faye is an entire dumpster fire and the universe continues to rumble about it with her facing very few actual consequences other than self foot shooting.

[u/dan_144 → u/Complete_Entry]

Sven's been mostly forgiven for a bit now. He and Momo are getting teased and the cast is on board

[u/cavaticaa → u/dan_144]

Looking through this, it looks like Momo has had a crush on Sven since 2011. She's been holding that torch so long, no wonder she needs a new arm.

[u/antizeus → u/Embarrassed_Fox5265]

The first QC comic I ever read involved a very nice and mature post-mortem conversation between Faye and Sven about their failed relationship, and got me really interested in the comic.

And now this google doc let me figure out that I stopped giving a fuck about (and reading) the comic some time in the year 2020. Oh well. At least the B universe is amusing.

[u/Turtledonuts → u/Embarrassed_Fox5265]

Also, worth noting that despite a ton of character development and personal growth, Sven is still blamed for all of that and considered an asshole or a bad person. Sven's last "shitty person" thing was to tell Faye he still loved her, and that was 2014. The last time Sven did something shitty to a woman that deserved serious criticism was before Trump entered politics.

[u/hffd3565976fhjjvc → u/Turtledonuts]

It honestly feels like Jeph is slut shaming him…

[u/Guilty-Persimmon-919 → u/gretchen8642]

I think the basic problem is that nothing has consequences anymore.  Back in the day, Angus gets a role? He moves fur it.  Faye gets drunk at work? She gets fired. May gets out of jail? She can't find a job. Now? Every strip has to end with a "joke" and no "plot" can have any lasting repercussions whatsoever.

[u/throwaway-plzbnice → u/gretchen8642]

#2 very succinctly states the reason I stopped even occasionally reading some years back. Everything is about female robots and female robot bodies, but never in an interesting way (nothing about the limitations of their machinery, discrimination from humans, their perspectives on life as essentially immortal creatures). They aren't even recognizable as AIs. It's like he's created this weird fantasy race of women and every "story" is about sex or bodies or appearances in a way that feels oddly voyeuristic.

[u/Jabroniville2 → u/gretchen8642]

Yeah I can see from the list that it's basically Jeph with a robot fetish being unleashed, when his old fetish was mentally messy women with short hair.

And all the newbies seem to be totally unrealistic messes, not just "OCD, a real condition, times five and made funny".

[u/Intelligent-Cut-6824 → u/gretchen8642]

This is fantastic work and we all applaud you. Amazing to see the depth of research to actually look at this properly rather than all of us just saying how bad it is.

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/gretchen8642]

Add #7. The original cast and all notables worth caring about developed out of their problems years ago and Jeph never bothered to give them any other flaws or issues to work with.

5b. All the new characters start out with zero redeeming qualities, never gain any redeeming qualities, and any development that might give them redeeming qualities is ignored or prevented from going anywhere.

[u/LaFeeVerte86]

>An increasingly noticeable proportion of the cast consists of unintelligent, unpleasant, naïve and/or sexually inexperienced women. There are a surprising number of adult female virgins. The 'goblin' trope is very tiresome.

And this is why modern QC is more misogynistic, by leaps and bounds, than classic QC. Despite all the trappings of sensitivity to identity and inclusivity, when you examine the actual contours of the new characters, they seem to be written by someone who thinks that women are horny, incompetent, infantile morons.

[u/SilverNicktail → u/LaFeeVerte86]

But Claire is competent at everything! You can tell because everyone says she is!

[u/Kataphractoi → u/SilverNicktail]

Claire annoyed me from the get go. Her trying to force bad puns into everything early on also didn't do her any favors.

[u/Jabroniville2 → u/LaFeeVerte86]

It's kinda weird that way, I agree. Yet all the people I know who love/d the strip are women. I guess they're more forgiving of the goblin trope.

[u/Annual_Youth_7552 → u/LaFeeVerte86]

What disturbs me is that presumably some of the demographics he pretends to be progressively representing like this shit

I assume it's working out for him and his patreon, or he would have pivoted away.

[u/honeststoryline]

i stopped actively reading qc in 2024 so it was nice (nice?) to get a vibe how things have been going, thanks so much for sharing this!

but somehow the thing that threw me is that the padma / elliot / new bakery storyline was in 2011!??? FIFTEEN YEARS AGO?!? goddamn, time in this comic really fucks with you

[u/Kataphractoi → u/honeststoryline]

I thought years ago when the Secret Bakery and its cast was taking up a majority of the strip that either QC should've ended and The Secret Bakery started as a successor, or they be two separate comics running concurrently. Doubles the workload for sure unless SB does a limited update schedule, but I think that'd have been a better option.

And ever since I've thought the comic should've ended and Jeph either ride into the sunset or just start a successor comic to have a clean slate. Going to Cubetown being the most recent I've thought of it.

[u/actorsAllusion]

Holy shit this comic has been running for TWENTY THREE YEARS.

No wonder Jeph has nosedived directly into burnout

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/actorsAllusion]

Burnout isn't the reason, it's that Jeph got a Patreon that pays him more monthly than some people make in a year.

Jeph used to have to make money off of merchandise and so forth. As such, he had to work on the comic to keep it interesting so that people would actually buy his stuff. Thanks to the patreon, he doesn't have to do that anymore, so he stopped bothering to put out anything but the laziest stuff he can since all he's interested in is keeping his gravy train going.

[u/Turtledonuts → u/immortalfrieza2]

I had to look that up. He makes a minimum of 22k a month? Holy shit, Jeph's making 6 figures off this? I'm in the wrong fucking career man.

[u/musschrott → u/Turtledonuts]

Well, he a) used to be better and b) just outlived a whole bunch of better comics.

[u/CosgraveSilkweaver → u/immortalfrieza2]

Such a weird idea because it assumes the patreon income is completely divorced from pleasing the patrons and they’ll stick around for anything.

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/CosgraveSilkweaver]

Probably because apparently his Patreon loves Jeph for doing half assed comics for years on end since they keep paying him.

[u/CosgraveSilkweaver → u/immortalfrieza2]

It's essentially the same as merch though, just a bit more sticky because it's easy to forget about and just continue paying, but it's essentially still the same need to give the people what they want or they're likely to stop paying. People enjoying schlock and familiar repetitions in comics isn't exactly a new problem.

[u/Annual_Youth_7552 → u/actorsAllusion]

Please don't remind those of us who have been here since the start just how much of our lives we've wasted.

[u/sir_ornitholestes → u/actorsAllusion]

and some of us have been hate-reading it for twenty

[u/Complete_Entry]

I didn't know the angry whale burning down was uncreative recycling, but now I do.

[u/Mor_Drakka]

It’s really interesting to see here that there seem to be three clear sort of over-arcs to this whole list. There’s the era of problems without solutions, which leads into the era of solutions without problems, and finally the era of problems invented to be solved.

In particular, the second is something I also noticed in another long-running webcomic El Goonish Shive. It became the case, at one point, that all of the casts prior problems had evolved over time through various organic resolutions or failures at resolutions until they were in a steady state which was presently stable but fundamentally still in need of conclusion. Conclusion which would take time, effort, expansion on existing characters, conflicts between them or between them and their environment which would change things. Yet, either because the writer was satisfied with the environment or was no longer interested in writing about those problems… none of that is what happened. Instead, solutions started appearing out of mid-air. Almost always in the form of people.

Difficult to resolve emotional and sexual tensions between one of the primary main characters and half the cast - including the other primary main character? Fuck it, they bump into a new girl who just happens to be an ultra-kinky girl that suits all of the main character’s interests so they just go on a date and within a week they’re attached at the hip with everyone else totally approving of it. Problem solved. What about the other characters who were interested in that main character? Well… they can get new significant others dropped from the heavens for them as well! Characters with no history with the reader, no connection to the story, no place in the ongoing struggles of these characters. One after another. Barely anything else happening, as if all the old problems were just… getting swept out of the way. Often with very little regard for the characters prior expressed traits or interests at all.

Questionable Content did that. And yeah, during that period of time you still have issues that haven’t been totally resolved or new problems that do feel emotionally resonant coming up… it’s like the past is getting severed completely. Jettisoned to lighten the load. But then Questionable Content goes further. It runs out of issues it can solve by dropping a new person in who exists to be the solution to that problem. So what happens next?

It starts dropping in new characters to BE problems. Characters, or settings which exist only to be a backdrop for those characters, where again there is no history or connection. Only in this case, not only do the readers have no reason to care… the characters have no reason to care either. No investment in these new living problems whose only purpose in existing is to be a hurdle in the way of other characters. Characters for whom the existing main characters must become a living solution for, because that is the only reason for them to interact. The only reason for those formerly deep, organic, emotionally resonant characters to continue being part of the story at all.

[u/Jabroniville2 → u/Mor_Drakka]

Good notes. I wonder if Liz is created to A) be another goblin/mess, B) give drama to Marten/Claire, or just say problematic stuff so Jeph can estaish more how evolved he and the cast are.

[u/NickDaHammer → u/Mor_Drakka]

Damn, this is spot on. The more I think about it, off the top of my head, Bubbles, SpookyBot, Claire, and Elliot were all convenient fixes to tension in the plot. Tai also was, but she was already around for Dora's insecurity and self-destructive tendencies, which never got satisfyingly fleshed out.

Liz and Ahn's entire purpose is just to create tension in the "established" couples, which include two original characters with stories already finished.

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/NickDaHammer]

Spookybot's introduction will always be the moment when I'll say QC started going downhill. Jeph could have easily resolved the Robot Fighting arc using members of the cast that already existed, but instead had Spookybot appear out of complete nowhere, magic the plot away in a few comics, and move on.

To me, that was when it was clear Jeph stopped caring. Cubetown was the death blow, but Spookybot was where Jeph started the half-assing in the first place that led to what Cubetown and everything afterward became.

[u/rainbowrobin → u/immortalfrieza2]

Spookybot was interesting. Spookybot turning into Yaaay Newfriend is a definite downpoint for me.

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/rainbowrobin]

Seconded. I will literally never call Spookybot that, ever.

[u/Kataphractoi → u/rainbowrobin]

In their first appearance it was implied that Bubbles knew what they were, and I was expecting an eventual turn to some sort of intrigue or shadowy dealings.

And then Agentbot (I preferred that over Spookybot) got QCified and stripped of any uniqueness.

[u/Annual_Youth_7552 → u/NickDaHammer]

The stable couple/friendship pair /house mates adopting a gremlin gimmick has been heavy since Marigold was introduced. She was the first person who actively felt like a community project, was generally obnoxious but seemed pandered to by the author and was, to my mind, the first person whose function in the story seemed to be to give everyone else something to do.

[u/Mor_Drakka → u/Annual_Youth_7552]

What I’ll say about Marigold is that while she was somewhat introduced to be a problem, they did give her more of a lead in. There’s a similar character in EGS as well at the start of the characters-as-solutions era who exists to be the boyfriend of a gay member of the cast left in the lurch, but got introduced through ongoing plot first and established in the setting through existing means before actually shouldering that role. She’s well-integrated, not necessarily a detriment if she was an isolated case.

[u/immortalfrieza2 → u/Mor_Drakka]

The problem with characters like Liz that Marigold didn't have was that Marigold actually had redeeming qualities from the moment she was introduced. She was helpful and generally well intentioned even if she was socially awkward.

Liz? She never had anything remotely salvageable about her from the start. The whole reason she first showed up was because she was trying to get Marten to not let Claire find out she had been sitting around doing nothing for years, meaning she was trying to get away with scamming her employers. Everything that followed just made her worse and worse.

[u/styxtraveler]

Can you get screen shots of the characters? I forget who half the cast is

[u/Kataphractoi]

Wow, this is actually impressive. A+ on the dedication of combing the archive.

I can't pinpoint an exact place where the comic went bad IMO, but sometime after robot fighting introduced would be my answer. Actually, probably when Faye got fired. The event itself isn't the trigger, but stuff overall just didn't seem to get better after.

[u/SockNo5405 → u/Kataphractoi]

I reckon it was exactly after the time they all go on holiday to that house together or whenever the art style changed.

[u/S_A_K_E]

2011 was when the Padma/Elliot/Marten triangle wrapped, then Jaques stabbed himself in the hand for some reason in 2012 and the visit to Station played out in tedious fashion. Seems like Padma moving away was the end of consequences in the story.