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?

Linda so wrote that review.
Exactly what I thought, I hope she gets found out.

When Lynda was shutting up whoever it was (Ed?) by saying her magic was stronger, I so wanted him to come up with something on the spur of the moment about the special powers given to the good fairy which would always be enough to overcome whatever the baddie did - apart, obvs, from the one leaving Sleeping Beauty asleep.

Are we destined for years of comedy confusion between goat Lynda and person Lynda?

PS I'm almost exactly Pip's age and I think she's dreadful in every way. What's more, Lily is incredibly irritating, inaccurate and it's very obvious it's a thirty year old actress doing a baby voice.

I think the story arcs are terrible at the moment. Why have a big storyline like Pips pregnancy and then make no reference to it for several episodes?! The annual “ Will they / won’t they have a panto? Ooh it’s a triumph! “ is getting so tedious. Adam and Ian’s baby storyline is ridiculous with Adam changing his mind ..he doesn’t want a baby..he wants to adopt an older child..he doesn’t want to adopt.. now he’s desperate to father a baby..Both actors sound utterly miserable about it

Just noticed the SW's dig at Peggy's class pretensions.

'Pardon' indeed.

(Done, Cecile!)

Hating Lexi is probably in her 40s she's got 2 teenage daughters that she mentioned she had too young.

I don't get how Pat could be bored, they own an organic farm, veg box scheme (all those veg which need planting etc.), farm shop, cheese and yoghurt business, the grandkids, the house etc. etc. IIWM I'd be wanting to have a rest for a month NOT a pair of goats to look after

Thanks Gruach

Surely she could be mid thirties if she had her daughters young?

The TA website doesn't give her age.

'Pardon' indeed.

Yes, Gruach, I was thinking we haven't had a pardon / what thread on AIBU for a while - where people are shocked to find that posh people say "what" (or something else), and only the pretentious lower middle class think "pardon" is better. (I was one of those people once ).

Surely she could be mid thirties if she had her daughters young?

Indeed. I am 54, with an 18-year-old DS. One of Ds's friend's Mum is, however, 38!

Just caught up with the film. God, Pat was so unbearably sanctimonious with her smuggery over helping out at The Elms on Christmas Day, and then coming home to Christmas dinner all cooked for her, bathed in a rosy glow of self-righteousness, and patronising Tony to the max.

As for Lynda and the panto, I give up. I'm beyond done with her numbingly predictable 'hilarious' theatrical antics year after year after year.

I didn't realise Lexi had them young - in my head, she's mid if not late 40s. And while I know people do have babies at 45, I'm not sure it's ideal in surrogacy cases due to increased risks. Perhaps the SW could go back to the child-with-a-disability storyline: Ian is so set on getting his perfect, dream baby - what would happen if things don't go to plan? It's a moot point anyway, surely, she said "in another world" - i.e. there's no way she would want to do it.

Perhaps 'in another world' meant 'if only I weren't here just for a short time'. (But we can be pretty sure she will be staying, so ...)

On the other hand - I'm not sure there's much point to Roy any more. Now that his family is scattered and there's not much mileage in parental spats over Phoebe - who could visit him anywhere. Perhaps he'll be the pre-Brexit emigration story?

(I do find the Kirstie/Roy living arrangement incredibly clunky. The SWs really need to take the bull by the horns and re-join one of them to an Archer, while getting rid of the other.)

It's a bit clunky but with even rents being so out of reach of 'average earner ' single people nowadays, it makes sense. The SWs are on the button there.

Lexi doesn’t seem overly maternal. I know quite a few Eastern European and Asian mothers working here who are always FaceTiming their children and talking about them while they are separated. She never refers to them or talks much about them. Bad SWing?

Also ..can we please have a proper storyline for Jazza? I know he’s one of the “ comedy “ characters but I think he is overlooked

The problem with Jazzer (IMVHO) is that his existence is only justified by his closest relationships being with Archers (Bridge Farm) or, at a pinch, Archers at one remove like Jim.

I long for him to meet a nice woman and discover he's saved enough for a deposit on a cute abode - but there are no Archer women suitable and if he paired up with an outsider he would effectively lose his point in the village. The SWs would move him to Penney Hasset or wherever.

Poor man is rapidly approaching retirement with no life plan in place. (Nor do I, but no one has to listen to me for entertainment.)

Yes I want romance for Jazza too! He was lovely to Kirsty and I hoped he would have a relationship with the new vet whose name escapes me but no joy.

Well there goes Pip's big secret. We didn't see that one coming.

It always annoys me in fiction when pregnancy is discovered because someone isn't drinking ... surely IRL people don't drink all the time for various reasons and most people's friends aren't pushy about it. You're not drinking, no big deal.

Yes, I was pissed off with Alice because there are loads of reasons for not drinking, not just pregnancy. Pip could have come up with some story about meds after the bug she'd had. Or driving. But just not wanting to should be enough. Pip was quite right that it's incredibly irresponsible -but it is regardless of pregnancy.

And people like Kate and Alice who can't have fun without alcohol tend to be the least fun people ever. Alice used to be a good character, too.

Do we have any idea who overheard Pip and Alice's conversation? That was the only bit of dialogue I heard, right at the end.