We never thought we’d feel sorry for Will. Although of course it should have been Pip! Discuss The Archers here (Titled edited by MNHQ)

[PseudoBadger]

Welcome all! I was really touched by the potential for Ed and Will to reconcile. But wonder if Will can accept Ed’s support.

As ever, no spoilers here (there’s a thread for that) - discussion permitted as soon as the pm episode is broadcast.

Even allowing for all the red herrings we are routinely served, surely the only reason Joe would have for going to see Harrison to casually enquire about the hunt for the Matt-mower, would be because of whatever Nic gasped with her dying breath?

Options:

She dunnit
She thinks she must have dunnit
She saw someone else do it

I think the clues are pointing to Alice as the Matt-mower. Those little scenes with her and Nic highlighting Alice's drinking problem, Alice's behaviour since Nic's death ...
Plus the meal to come with Harrison and Alice, following hot on the heels of Joe's visit to Plod, will reveal more information I think.

The 🔮 agrees with you Ruby

Although I really really want it to have been St Smugula!

Ooh, maybe Nic felt guilty because she served Alice?

I think that there was a mention recently of Will having a LandRover, because I remember thinking that Matt wouldn't have made much of a dent in it.
Borsetshire's Finest haven't made any comment about tyre tracks.

Hmm, Nic stood up to Alice's drinking (sort of) after she didn't stand up to Matt that night*. I wonder if that's an element.

*IIRC she tried to stand up but was pathetic; Kenton had to intervene.

St Smugula would be very satisfying Mystic.
I think maybe they're setting Alice up to be her father's daughter - playing fast and loose with law and morals? It also means both she and Brian have big guilty secrets? And if it was Alice I think she knows that Nic knew and feels guilty, possibly, that she put pressure on Nic not to tell anyone? If this was Columbo we could have flash-backs of the night, and of Nic and Alice's subsequent conversations.

Flashbacks! I like your thinking Ruby

Borsetshire's Finest haven't made any comment about tyre tracks.

I thought they did at the time when they were investigating the site itself, on the road.

I think maybe they're setting Alice up to be her father's daughter

The complete redrawing of Alice from a hard working, successful and outgoing woman into a lying lush is one of the most irritating personality transformations in years. I hate it.

I'm also honestly bored to death with the whole "who shot JR" routine over Matt's hit and run. He isn't dead, he has buggered off, it should have been resolved by now or have a clear point were it could be reopened in the future (like Matt coming back to blackmail the driver).

does anybody really care who hit Matt? Especially since he survived and is not in the programme at the moment Couldn't agree more. Having listened to Nic's final gasps several times I don't think she said enough syllables to point the finger at someone else. I also don't think she'd have been so adamant that she'd done something terrible if that was the case. Personally I think that after the huge drama of the hit and run which fizzled out to nothing this would neatly tie it up for the SW without having to go through with hoo ha of a trial and consequences etc etc At the end off the day, Matt's not dead, he's living it up in Costa Rica with his ill gotten gains (presumably the contents of his suitcase). Nic's death and it's ramifications was drama enough - we don't need this.

The complete redrawing of Alice from a hard working, successful and outgoing woman into a lying lush is one of the most irritating personality transformations in years. I agree. If they wanted a storyline for Alice I'd much rather they'd got her pregnant instead of Pip to see how someone with normal job - i.e. someone who goes out to work rather than works at home on their own farm with lots of obliging family - managed to juggle motherhood and work.

If they wanted a storyline for Alice I'd much rather they'd got her pregnant instead of Pip

Yes absolutely. Especially as she works in such a male dominated industry, it could make for a great storyline. They would have local family support but it would be much more "normal" and a lot less annoying than GoldenPrig and the Dopeys.

I think that there was a mention recently of Will having a LandRover, because I remember thinking that Matt wouldn't have made much of a dent in it. What is this programme doing to our minds? The first thought on Will's landowner being, not "yes of course he would" or "I wonder if Nic has a car or do they all pile into the landrover for family outings?", but "Matt wouldn't have made much of a dent in that"!

If we'd had Alice pregnant, then Pip'd have to carry the alcoholic SL, and Pip drunk is too much of a horror to contemplate.

Or we could just not have an alcoholic storyline for now.

Sorry dint.

In my defence, it's a by-product of many years' of listening where we come to realise that an apparently throw-away line ("Oh, I appear to have scratched my wrist") is not always insignificant.

Throw away lines are never insignificant! It has only been shula and alice who have behaved weirdly since the hit and run. If it is not one of them then it woukd be nice to have an explanation for their odd behaviour.

If it is not one of them then ...

Ah, but remember my theory. We had two scenes: "dim your lights" and "help me" which could have been two different drivers. One had the sin of commission (Alice, hit Matt) the other had the sin of omission (Shula, discovered splatted Matt but didn't raise the alarm).
So it could be both of them.

I can't see either of them actually seeing Matt and not stopping to help, it's just a basic human response however much you may dislike the person.

Large But wasn't Matt in ditch?

Marking my place Iam on line now , you'll all be pleased to know.

Thanks for the fred psuedo

How about Nic saying 'Matt was my fault' or something like that?
So Joe construes it to mean 'I hit Matt' whereas actually she meant 'I knew Alice was getting drunk but I still served her and let her drive'

Mind you, I don't even remember where Alice was that evening. Was she in the Pub or at Grey Gables?

Alice if drunk wouldn't stop to help in self preservation and panic.

Shula I think would have stopped. (So it was probably her).

Alice was at the Hunt Ball.

Silly question - who is St Smugula?

St Smugla = Shula Hebdon-Lloyd nee Archer

CH8 Totally agree re. Alice. She was far and away my favourite of the younger generation. I really hope the SWs aren't going to have another marriage break-up storyline as per the crass 'starter marriage' comment made by, I think, Brian.

Hmmm ... I’d say Joe sounded worried about consequences for someone still living, in the event of the hit and run being solved. I mean - if it was Nic; or if he believed it was Nic there wouldn’t really be much else to say or do.

But I can’t see why, right now, Joe would be motivated to any action to protect Alice. It would be someone closer to home ...