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The Archers: The Crook, the Vet, His Wife & Her Lodger - discussion #80

985 replies

DadDadDad · 16/08/2017 13:14

In full acknowledgement of PseudoBadger's great achievement in providing the previous 79 threads over the past 4 years (and credit to R4 for this thread's title)...

Discuss TA (The Archers). New posters encouraged - it's not (too) cliquey here and plenty of regulars are happy to answer questions. Archers

One rule: no spoilers (ie no mentioning future plot teasers from Radio Times listings etc) - there's a separate thread for that.

So, is Phoebe pregnant? will Anisha dob in (dobbin - geddit?) Alistair?

PS I don't presume to take on PB's role permanently - hopefully the job of starting new threads will rotate among regulars until she returns

OP posts:
Vango · 23/08/2017 18:00

Matt's most recent disappearing act was provoked by Lillian's affair with his brother. Rob had not a single reason to justify or explain his relentless abuse of Helen. I'm not justifying what Matt did - just explaining what he believed were his motives. We never found out why Rob was the way he was.

MrsKwazii · 23/08/2017 18:02

I'm a bit worried that Anisha might be biting off more than she can chew with Matt - really hope I'm wrong, and that Alistair's honesty will negate any potential nastiness that Matt could create with Latif and others

Vango · 23/08/2017 18:06

Mrs Matt and Lillian are long term partners, romantic first then business when he went bankrupt. Lillian was having an affair with him when he was married years ago. There's not much difference between Justin and Matt really - apart from the accent. Oh, and Justin's more sinister.

Ceto · 23/08/2017 18:14

The disappearing act definitely wasn't provoked by the affair with Matt's brother, that was just the excuse he came up with when he was discussing it with someone. The affair was done and dusted and sorted out well before Matt effed off.

Vango · 23/08/2017 18:18

I don't think it was Ceto? I seem to remember a conversation when Matt was trying to get her to tell him and she almost did but didn't. She'd been grieving Paul's death and they'd grown apart a little.

Mrsemcgregor · 23/08/2017 18:28

Thanks Vango, when did Matt go to prison?

Vango · 23/08/2017 18:38

2009 apparently (had to look it up!). He and Lillian ran off to Costa Rica to escape the law but she couldn't face staying away so they both came back. True love.

birdsdestiny · 23/08/2017 18:58

I am not equating Matt's financial abuse with robs behaviour. But Justin isnt Rob, he didn't do those things Rob did. Matt also spends his life blackmailing people. And he is not even a good villian. He never has any money or at least not for any period of time. Lillian likes the finer things in life. At least Justin has money and as far as I am aware is legal in his business affairs.

R4 · 23/08/2017 19:04

The disappearing act definitely wasn't provoked by the affair with Matt's brother

True. The disappearing act was provoked by a disagreement between the actor and the editor. People started saying "Where's Matt? We haven't heard his voice for about six months" so they had to write him out (the actor had left in a justifiable huff).
There are blogs here: when he left, when he came back.

Vango · 23/08/2017 19:13

Ah but we're mixing fact and fiction now! In the fiction, Matt left because of Paul's affair.

R4 · 23/08/2017 19:19

I'm still not convinced. It has never really been explained. Matt might use the affair with Paul as a reason but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was because he knew that some nasty heavies were due to pay him a visit.

Vango · 23/08/2017 19:21

birds did you not say Matt abused his wife? Justin happily carried on his affair under Miranda's nose. We don't know yet what the terms of his divorce will be. Justin happily paid off (warned off?) Stefan to avoid taking responsibility for the flood that devastated the village and led to the death of one of its residents. Employing someone who'd been accepted as Lillian's niece's rapist is a clear indication of his ruthlessness I think. Not entirely law-abiding in my opinion.

EBearhug · 23/08/2017 19:23

At least Justin has money and as far as I am aware is legal in his business affairs.

On the surface. He wasn't totally against Rob using whatever methods were necessary to deal with staff who weren't totally on board with how things should go. He's got enough sense not to get hus hands dirty himself, but I don't think he's got too many scruples about others doing it, as long as he can claim his own innocence.

Vango · 23/08/2017 19:31

At least Justin has money

I don't think even Lillian's that mercenary. Her horrified reaction to Justin's marriage proposal is an indicator of her true feelings. Those feelings will out. Brace yourselves Justin-lovers.

birdsdestiny · 23/08/2017 20:06

Yes I did say Matt abused his wife. He stole all her money. That's financial abuse. Justin had an affair but are there any long term characters who haven't. Even lovely Caroline frolicked with Brian but I am too young to know if Brian was married at the timeGrin

Vango · 23/08/2017 20:13

Yes I did say Matt abused his wife. He stole all her money.

And Lillian was complicit in his attempts to hide his assets from Yvette (if I remember correctly). Not to mention the dodgy Amside set up. They're all corrupt. I just can't see how Justin is 'less bad'.

Vango · 23/08/2017 20:17

Brian was married....pre-Alice.

TeenAndTween · 23/08/2017 20:51

Brian was definitely married when he had the affair with Caroline. And Siobhan(sp) (and I think a number of others too).

Cromwell1536 · 23/08/2017 20:52

Oh...did Caroline have an affair with Brine, married to JenniDarling? What, proper knickers-down affair? What a slaaaaggg.

TeenAndTween · 23/08/2017 20:58

Yep I think so - years ago.

birdsdestiny · 23/08/2017 21:03

I was only using Caroline as an example, lots of archer people have had affairs, I blame Brian even though I have never heard the storyline. Hasn't Matt also been gaslighting Lillian in terms of the dower house, or possibly I have been on MN too long.

Ceto · 23/08/2017 21:09

My recollection is that Lillian had the big affair with Paul, Matt found out about it and put the frighteners on. Paul dropped dead, we had Lillian weeping over Jolene for bloody ever but trying to hide it, ultimately Matt let on that he knew, Then there was some tedious Ambridge Extra thing where he disappeared off to Russia, and when they came back it was all sorted. Paul died early in June 2013, Matt disappeared in January 2015. He clearly wasn't nursing a broken heart for all that time.

Vango · 23/08/2017 21:18

There's no doubt it's a bit of a holey story but we have to accept it I think. Another of SoC's unwelcome legacies.

AuldHeathen · 23/08/2017 21:48

That's a good timeline abou Emma and her 2 husbands. I'd forgotten a fair bit of it. Btw does anyone remember here Will's flat was? Above the shop maybe? Not many other flats in Ambridge.

Ceto · 23/08/2017 23:04

But, to be fair, SOC never suggested that Matt disappeared because he was heartbroken over Lill's affair - it's only Matt who has claimed that was his reason, and only to one person - and, face it, he has every reason to lie. He hasn't tried to say anything like that to Lill's face, so far as I recall, probably because he knows it just wouldn't work.