Huh? Two-way hostage?
SPOILER AHEAD!
The cartoon, like most of the Nick and Zuzu panels, was published to accompany a Carolyn Hax advice article at WaPo. (Hope you are not over your free-view limit!) In this case, while it doesn’t fully explain that phrase, it does give away the situation that could lead Nick to think of it that way.
Comics I Don't Understand 
In a hostage video, the hostage is given a script to follow, with punishment if they fail to do so. Both parties to this video are under restrictions.
They are both getting a chance by video to see their loved one who is being held hostage by the pandemic.
Okay, I accepted the warning and looked at the linked Carolyn Hax column. It does complicate the situation, I guess, but probably not helpfully.
I get the feeling (from the comic alone) that neither wants to be there, but neither knows how to end the conversation. Or even what to say in the first place, but it’s their ‘duty’ to do SOMEthing together.
I saw it more as we’re all being held hostage by the pandemic, and both want to escape.
This makes sense to me.
I notice my grandkids often get bored talking to us, and then need frequent reminders from their parents to continue to interact (with Grandma; I let them off the hook).
On the other hand, when my grandaughter (4) launches into one of her long monologue stories which are difficult to understand, I don’t want to cut her off, but have to continue to show interest even though I only occasionally can follow the flow of her thought and she can go on for quite a number of minutes.
But — Zoom/Facetime calls are a vast improvement over phone calls.
zbicyclist – most people have the same problem following my conversations on the phone – or even in person – as you do when your granddaughter is in one of her monologues.
The cartoons with Carolyn Haxes’ columns must be limited to the WaPo – as we do not get them with her columns in “Newsday”.
I am not sure how often she writes columns – we get her column Saturday to Thursday- for some reason there is no column on Fridays – it being an odd assortment of days, I presume the same in not true elsewhere.
Hubby says I go from A to Z, and skip everything in between. Stream of consciousness, to the max.
Going from A to Z … In case anyone hasn’t noticed this, that’s the message of the arrow in the Amazon logo:
Wow, you’d think this would be more of a thing, like pointing out the FedEx arrow. I only ever noticed the smile.
One that really surprised me when pointed out is the bear in the mountain in the Toblerone logo — yep, it really is there, and I’d never noticed it…
Yes, I do see the bear now, and never knew about it!