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.

Shula did try to "do more" she spoke to Dr Locke, and to Philip, but they didn't take the hint.

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!?

Thanks Bore and Abra!

Passion? There was a thread on MN last night about steak and BJs, tho l read very little of it. We know Shula and A have tried the steak. We don’t know if they’ve tried the other lately. Sorry, folks, bringing down the tone. I find l just don’t care about S n A anyway.

TBF I've never liked Alastair as much as when he knew which not going out jeans and cardigans she'd want.
Seriously though 'I've got some ingredients for a curry to spice up our lives'. Useless.

And Will is a grade A cap doffing dickhead. He'll end up without any of the kids.

Shula’s favourite cream cardigan has a collar 😬. Her entire character summed up as an item of clothing

Just what I thought! 😂

I quite enjoy Shula’s banal, hair-shirted existence.

I think Shula is being utterly vile over this. I wouldn't mind her giving an ultimatum about things changing or its over, but to up and leave without any discussion is so disrespectful.
The naming of Shula sounds so out of character. I know mumsnet frowns on the use of the word 'chavvy', but seriously, making up names on the spot is about as Vicky Pollard as it gets. Jill is so traditional, I can't get my head around her doing that, especially when David and Elizabeth got proper names.

the dementor of Ambridge is how Shula shall henceforth be known.

Adam is indeed a pompous twerp. He irritates the shit out of me with the same smug intonation in every. Line. He delivers.

And oh god, I have not one but two cream cardigans - big chunky, Aran merino affairs. I should probably go and shoot myself now.

When I googled the names before they both do have a meaning so are not just completely made up IYSWIM. Shula is Hebrew I think, and Kenton actually something to do with Kent?

Which makes it even weirder as a SL I think

The old BBC photos of Phil as a young man are basically someone wearing a tweed jacket and tie but without facial wrinkles denoting middle age.

Don’t worry, Hating, Shula’s will be an easy-care, polycotton medium-knit.

moofolk: Adam is indeed a pompous twerp. He irritates the shit out of me with the same smug intonation in every. Line. He delivers.

I couldn't agree more!

His smug drone combined with Ian's constant angst and whining... please stop!

Wow I think I hate Shula more than Pip

I thought that last scene of Adam's was quite good - someone has managed to irritate him out of his usual barely-awake drawl.

He has to be arrogant with an overinflated sense of his contribution to farming in order to hold his own against Brian's constant pooh-poohing of his ideas.

Ooh, Shula is insufferable!

Yes, Francis, we may not agree on all TA characters but Shula is an insufferable, smug, self absorbed, hypocrite. I particularly laughed at her "one small thing" she asked aka months away from businesses still in recovery.

I'm looking forward to her posting in relationships.

"I've just told STBeX that I've been unhappy for most of our 20+yr marriage. This was really because I preferred Shagger Locke but thought Alastair was a better bet. He was surprised. His psychic powers must shurely have made it plain that I thought he was a boring tosser. Now he expects me to actually tell him why I'm leaving. AIBU to think he is unreasonable to want a reason? "

He seems to genuinely believe he has got to where he is on his own merits

To be fair, Adam had built up a track record in agriculture and farming before coming to Home Farm and Brian is not the kind of landowner to put someone in a critical position without them being competent.

None of which stops him being a twat. That comment about "noone has done more for the soil" was gobsmackingly arrogant. I'm hoping they ask Pat'n'tony to take the roles instead as the real pioneers of soil management

I think the writing’s been on the wall for Shula and Alistair since his gambling debacle so I think it’s fair to say she’s been feeling like this for 20 years and that the reappearance of Matt reminded her of this. I don’t think there’s a single person on this thread who hasn’t noticed what a dull relationship they have lacking in any kind of spark. I initially thought it was a bit unlikely that Shula would just walk out, with her churchgoing pedigree and Christian principles I thought she’d be sticking with Alistair for better of for worse etc. On reflection I can see that she’s been trying to do that since she ‘forgave’ him for the gambling so, in her eyes, she has given it her best shot. He is astonished because in his eyes he’d been forgiven, moved on and had become fully accustomed to, if not reassured by, the dullness (because Shula is dull). He thought The damage remains was over for their marriage years ago. The more I think about it (and I seem to spend a completely disproportionate amount of time thinking about The Archers these days ) the more realistic it seems that Caroline’s death and her impending big birthday have focussed Shula’s mind on the issue. Kenton, of course, completely understands because he has always put himself first and has never in his life done anything out of duty. I like the fact that this is a story that has been brewing for a long time, what is disappointing is that it has been crammed in with Nic’s death, the Matt Whodunnit and the land contamination so it feels like a drama too far.

Sorry that should say : He thought the risk to their marriage caused by the damage he’d done was over years ago.