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.

Are we gearing up to writing out Shula and Brine at the same time?
Maybe they think it is time to retire.

Oh - that’s an interesting thought R4! Yes - had forgotten the connection. Perhaps they’re planning a round the world trip or volunteer sabbatical of their own?

Oh, I do hope they don't write out Brine! He and Matt are/were the best actors TA has every had.

ever had!

For those who don’t know, the actors who play Shula and Brine are married in real life.

I hope it’s not a joint exit. But it would be a bit much for alastair just to ditch his business, would probably be in breach of his partnership agreement with Anisha for a start.

I don’t think Jim likes Alastair enough to care whether he lives in the same village or not! I always felt that his motivation for coming to Ambridge was that he liked the village, having discovered it through Alastair.

In my (limited) experience of actors, very few want to retire. We have a near neighbour in his 80s who is still accepting any work he can get. I must ask him if he's ever been offered work in TA.

Yes Gasp The retirement laws don't seem to apply to luvvies. (especially pop stars!).

I was so cross with Shula last night. She's ditched her marriage and caused untold hurt to Alistair for no other reason than she's bored. She's supposedly a committed Christian, if nothing else she's a regular church goer. What on earth happened to "for better or worse, in sickness and in health" and so on. How dare she!

I’ve been wondering that too, R4, if the Brine/Shula actors want out too. There’s also scope for making Al a happy character, well a bit happier. With a different woman, Joanne maybe. Shula can go off and do her equine VSO, then maybe have a nasty accident. Lovely! At some point Jill will die - maybe she’ll come back then, for 24 hrs only. Unvoiced? Splendid!

Noooo this makes me worried for Brine! Find his character entertaining, and actor good. Would be v different without him...

With Shula cant they just get her a new head no that's soapland voice?

Yes Mere* I thought it was unchristian too. And while Shula is a hypocrite in other ways, She's the type to cleave to her marriage. Even if it does make her miserable.

A random question for those of you with long standing knowledge, why on Earth are they called Shula and Kenton?

Just quite unusual names... quite like them.

But there was a point where Al. seemed to have gone off Shula too, then he changed his attitude. She obviously has carried on the indifference.

I think that Phil and Jill were playing with some scrabble tiles and couldn’t think what to call the girl twin and kind of made up a name with the tiles. Or is that barking!?

The names were chosen at random - Jill'n'Phil threw some children's alphabet blocks with letters painted on the sides in the air and invented the names from how the blocks landed.

Ruby I think it was dads living with the mums in a nuclear family at the time of the mum’s death. I think I read it around the time of the changes to the spousal bereavement payments that were going to be reduced considerably. Or I might have heard a discussion on Women’s Hour —not helpful— .

I think retirement is unlikely, surely they could scale back their speaking parts if they wanted to.

I'm unkind enough to think that Shula would cleave all the more to her marriage because it made her miserable. Thus further validating her sense of herself as a valiant soldier of Christ. I really can't think of any redeeming features and I wonder why the writers wanted to invent such a joy-sucking egoist and inflict her upon us.

I was wondering the other day if the Brian and Shula actors are planning a sabbatical. Shula can go off to tame wild horses or whatever and Brian can go away at her maj's pleasure. Alternatively they could just silence them for a few years or months like Kathy?

Cheminotte that's very sad if the dad can't be relied upon after the mum has died

I missed parts of last night's TA but I don't see how Bev(?) can reasonably have any hope of having Poppy live with her; she's with her dad in the family home where she's always been.

Shula is very unhappy in her marriage, under no circumstances should she stay out of a sense of duty. She has done the right thing although whether she sees it through is another matter.

Is Shula very unhappy in the marriage? Or is she just finding the passion is flagging? In which case, should they not try all they can to revive the passion? There are other things they can try, in between the extremes going half way across the world and being thrown into each others company for 3 months, and cooking a curry together. They could even talk to each other - that would be something novel and exciting for them.

I don’t understand the Alisha thing, she rarely appears and got involved with Matt’s dodger racehorses. She persuaded Alister to invest a huge amount in equipment, when small practises usually refer patients to the nearest equine hospital for their superior equipment and knowledge.

I don't think she loves him so yes I think she is unhappy. I find him irritating for no reason I can put my finger on so I sort of sympathise with her.

I don't think this is an uncommon situation when the children leave home and the parents suddenly have time to reassess their marriage.

However, I think Shula would have done more, such as speaking to Alan or seeking counselling, before taking a drastic step as she did tonight.