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

[DadDadDad]

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.

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

Wahay, I'm back! I don't know what happened to my i-player. I could get TV but not radio. I went round in circles on the 'contact us' webpages so gave up and phoned them instead. The lady wasn't much help and referred me back to the website. In the end I decided to try the trusted 'turn it off and turn it back on again' method i.e. I cleared my browsing history and then signed back into the BBC. And it worked.

Was it significant that Keira was blooming in the absence of her elder brother? Did it signify the same for Ed re Will? Is Oliver supposed to have this thought and do something about it? Also, Oliver was chatting to Emma instead of his usual mate Ed - did that have significance?

Also, Oliver was chatting to Emma instead of his usual mate Ed - did that have significance?

I saw it as a generational shift R4! Broadening out of the relationship with Oliver to include Emma kind of passes the baton of Grundy matriarch from Clarrie to Emma. (Because in the past it would have been the "proper" grown ups who comforted him.) Essentially, whatever happens with Grange Farm - it will be about EdMa rather than Joe/Eddie/Clarrie.

kind of passes the baton of Grundy matriarch from Clarrie to Emma.

Nooo! I still haven't got over Jill passing on the Stir Up Sunday baton to Clarrie. This is all happening far too fast.

Thanks Vango

I am getting adverts for kéfir. I hold everyone on this thread responsible.

How can anyone not just love Ian? Love, love, love him. So nice to hear him. I want to be his friend. He's one of the few actors who makes me believe that his character's a real person these days. I know what I mean .

Loved the passing reference to Mistress of the Paddocks tonight!

I don't love Ian.

I don't love Ian either. What is he expecting Adam to do?

Agree Bertrand. Ian preferred to get into a massive snit with Helen and abandon her rather than confront Adam about the snog with Charlie. Self-serving. And now it seems he wants Adam to force the issue with Justin in a way that he (Ian) deliberately avoided. Wouldn't Adam just talk to Lillian anyway?

I m not that keen on Ian and as I am Team Justin I should be.

I love Ian too Vango and I know exactly what you mean about him sounding like a real person.

Cromwell Ian fell out with Helen precisely because she'd never said anything to him about what she herself had witnessed. Which is why he thinks Adam should speak up.

Ian was giving Adam dreadful advice! What would be the consequences for Adam if he told Justin?

1. Justin believes him and dumps Lilian, Justin may or may not disappear off and Lilian never forgives Adam - family feud
2. Justin believes him but Justin and Lilian reconcile - both resent Adam
3. Justin doesn't believe Adam - both resent Adam

Either way there is bad blood between Damara and Home Farm, and between Adam and Lilian.
The only thing Adam can do is speak to Lilian.

Maybe. But from Ian's point of view, what hurt him as much as the betrayal was his belief that everyone knew while he himself was kept in the dark.

Ian fell out with Helen because she confided in her husband Rob about what she'd seen rather than talking to Ian - exactly what Adam has done, so Ian obviously can see what a reasonable thing that is to do (the fact that Rob was an abusive bastard is not part of the actual geometry here - Helen didn't see it at the time) whereas at the time, he fabricated a bunch of bullshit outrage with Helen for not telling him. And then, once apprised of this piece of information, Ian opted for an easier life and look the other way. Classic Jenny (without the jewellery of atonement). He was weak - not terrible in itself, many of us often are - but then chose to throw Helen under the bus by exaggerating her 'fault' and excuse his weakness under the cover of principle. Very unattractive.

Adam in a quandary is really tiresome to listen to. God, he's a drip, that man. It's so obvious that you'd either STFU forever or talk to Lillian. And having talked to Lillian, you then STFU forever.

I don't agree. Ian felt that Helen should have told him too. Just as he thinks Adam should tell Justin too. What Justin chooses to do with the information is up to him. Just as it was up to Ian to decide what to do, when he finally found out.

And worse for Ian was the fact that he regarded Helen as his best friend at the time.

Ian and Helen were best friends and he supported her through so much even before rob. Adam is far closer to Lillian than Justin so it makes more sense for him to speak to her.

Also, when rob told Ian about Adam the implication was that Helen knew that Adam was having an ongoing sexual affair with Charlie - not just the kiss she did witness

Mapleleaf ref. Joe's new pony, she was dumped in a field with other abandoned ponies and was the most injured one, nursed back to health by Alshula, then given to Joe as company for Bartleby. who was lonely.

If Lilian, silly bxxch, was a man we'd say "he couldn't keep it in his trousers" though of course we don't know that they actually dtd. he may not've been up to it

I don't think they actually did anything, I think we are supposed to think that. Adam doesn't really know Justin, his loyalty is with Lillian. If my best friend was having an affair I wouldn't talk to get husband I would talk to her.

From my listening I don't think Lilian and Matt dtd, but it just looked like they might of to Adam.

Lilian and Matt had a good day at the "property". She eventually agreed to going to his room for Champagne. And it was kind of obvious the Champagne had just been delivered and nothing untoward was going on - by the way the "waitress" told Adam about it and offered to phone up, assuming it was Matt and Lilian who expected him. Lilian has lost track of time and is late for Adam. Adam sees her coming out of Matts room - he jumps to conclusions. Lilian is upset, probably full of "might have beens" and maybe even realising how much more she loved Matt compared to Justin. Lilian texts Adam, not realising its too late and he is there.
I don't think anything actually happened (or maybe a kiss).

To be honest if Adam was my husband - I would tell him to talk to his aunt, not the possible cuckold who Adam also has a business relationship with. Its not like Adam was on the roof and saw them having wild sex on a balcony.

He saw his aunt leave a mans room and cry.

backing down thread a bit.. I saw Oliver bonding with Emma as setting up for future storylines about housing for Emma and Ed.

I don't think he saw her cry, did he?