The Archers: Will Pip grow or Jill blow? Lil make her vow or Justin take his bow? Discussion #83

[DadDadDad]

TA (The Archers) annoys me intensely but I still have to listen
I think there is a possibility that we obsess about TA in a way that most listeners don't

If this is you (genuine quotes from earlier threads), or you're new and want to ask anything about The Archers, then this is the right place.

PseudoBadger started it, but we're going to finish it (er, will TA ever finish?)

The panto is meant to be Sleeping Beauty, but are you expecting farce (Mother Goose Pip) or tragedy (Puss Cat in Wedding Dress Boots )?

This should see us through to Christmas.

At the end of the last thread we were remembering recent successful marriages in Ambridge. How long ago was Ed & Emma?

The nurse was only asking Pip about her going home on her own without a helper.

No she wasn't. The scene went (paraphrased):
Are you sure
Yes
Are you sure that you're sure
Yes
Well I'm going to talk at you anyway ... (I know she said 'with' not 'at' but it was phrased as being all about what clinic-person was going to say, not what Pip had to say).

This article explains it quite well. The 1967 Act didn't make it legal, it just created an exception where with 2 doctors agreeing in specific circumstances you're not considered guilty of the offence. The exception doesn't exist in NI hence it's often referred to as illegal in NI but legal in the rest of the UK.

I have a theory about why Pip gets so much air time.

She's such a shit actor that she doesn't get any other work, so she's available all the time. And cheaper too.

Great article RnR .

What an awful episode. Lillian is so irritating.

Ooh Toebee "I can't deal with this". What wonderful parents the Piplet will have.

They are all hideous.

Jenny should volunteer at a soup kitchen for Christmas Day and stop moaning.

Dons lawyer hat

In English law any act is lawful unless it is prohibited by law.

The 1967 Act makes termination illegal, except in the situations it deems exempt e.g. two drs agreeing, in prescribed environment etc. So backstreet is illegal, post 26 weeks is illegal. So I’d say chimonette’s description was correct.

Umm this has got a long way off topic.
But IMO a) the episode wasn't as bad as I expected from your reactions, I just think they were trying to be informative as to what actually happens nowadays (rather than anaesthetic and an operation), and with any minor procedure involving bleeding afterwards they would advise someone being with you and with you afterwards (in my experience).
B) regardless of legal nitpicking most people in this country regard abortion as legal - if limited (again like other medical procedures).
There are other places more suitable to debate such things, and it would be nice to actually talk about the Archers.

I do agree that Pip's decision was a bolt from the blue.

I don't think it was a bolt from the blue! I thought it was entirely predictable!

Having twice been in abortion clinics (and no, I don't need to change my name), they don't say 'are you sure?' 'are you really, really sure?'. It's bullshit and it's typical of the crappy BBC at the moment. I'm surprised they didn't ask her what her preferred pronouns were.

I don't get the Johnny/Adam SL. Why didn't Adam give the work to Ed? Isn't A supposed to be a really nice and thoughtful person?

I'm quite glad Lil and Justin are marrying. Will at least provide a bit of end of year cheer

There wasn't much dramatic mileage in Pip having the abortion and no-one knowing about it, was there? Now the cat is very much among the pigeons-Toby, D&R,Jill (her reaction will be interesting ), the village,can all have their two penn'orth.

If D&R discover Elizabeth's part in this I can't see it going down well either.

Will she give them the news on Christmas Eve?

She will probably announce it just as Ben is about to hand out his carefully selected presents for his neglectful parents

they don't say 'are you sure?' 'are you really, really sure?

Thank you for posting this. Its many years since I went to a clinic like this but I didn't recognise that guild tripping speech just at the point of the final appt. I asked my 20's offspring if they had heard of this but their reaction was the same as mine. I am really angry at the BBC for promoting this guilt tripping image. I know the lovely George gave a large chunk of my tampon tax to anti abortion groups but this is supposedly public service.

Is Lilian going to bring Amside into the Damara fold (or whatever it's called?) Proving her love to him? Oh god, do I even care anymore....

Keeping the baby was completely predictable from a Soap scriptwriting point of view- BUT there was zero character driven justification. And that is something most other soaps do well - so by the time the woman goes to the clinic you are wondering if she will go through with it or not. Pip has zero interest in children/babies, no religious beliefs, and doesn't appear at all emotionally involved in this pregnancy. Now maybe a better actress could have spoken Pip's lines over the last few weeks and there would be a different mental picture.
I still didn't hear guilt tripping. It actually sounded very like the way the nurse spoke when I had a colonoscopy.

I cannot for the life of me see why Lillian is in love with Justin. He cheated on his wife, took her dog and took her beloved Dower House. He also stuffed over her brother in a land sale.

I thought it was quite funny that Toebee used Pip's own "I can't deal with this" line. I wonder if Pip has realised that, with a baby, flouncing out when you "can't deal with it" isn't an option?

I'd love to think the Dopeys will tell her she has full responsibility and they are not going to come running whenever she demands their babysitting services. But I fear it's never going to happen.

Imbrolgio you give good reasons why she IS still 'in love' with him

Oh and she hasn't bothered with being faithful why should Justin's peccadillo upset her. ?

I just had to come here to say I truly don't think I can stand a pregnant Pip.

Plus this pregnant-but-not-in-a-relationship-with-the-father storyline has surely been done to death hasn't it?