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Discuss your favourite podcast, radio show or The Archers episode.

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)

960 replies

PseudoBadger · 02/03/2018 11:47

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.

OP posts:
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LillianGish · 16/03/2018 06:37

Just to add, as with Will, I don’t particularly like St Smugula and my sympathies lie with Alistair at the moment (I also found the scene where he was directing Kenton round her wardrobe quite touching) but I think if she actually bothered to sit down and talk to to him about it he’d realise he was the author of his own misfortune all those years ago when he took up gambling (presumably to liven up his dull life with her) most marriages wouldn’t have survived that and I think ultimately this is the case for theirs.

JeNeSuisPasVotreMiel · 16/03/2018 06:48

Was that Kenton who Shula was talking to? I couldn't place the voice and thought it might have been Phillip. (Was distracted while listening).

Bekabeech · 16/03/2018 07:24

In her youth Shula went off on a round the world trip and only came back after she was robbed (in Thailand I think). I think at nearly 60 she has been thinking of all the things she wanted to do, and it has been obvious for the last couple of years that she was dreaming of one last adventure.
To be honest Nic's death could be yet another "trigger", a reminder that life is too short. Then there is her 60th, Caroline's death, Dan leaving home and having adventures etc. And Alistair whilst knowing her clothes so well has totally missed how she was feeling.
Even the Ice Hotel was compared to Lilian's trip to India.

FrancisCrawford · 16/03/2018 07:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

birdsdestiny · 16/03/2018 07:32

I agree absolutely, this is not out of the blue, Shulas marriage had been collapsing for years. Staying with alistair out of duty would be awful.

LillianGish · 16/03/2018 08:01

I think Caroline’s death and then her voice from beyond the grave telling her to use the money to do something she wants to do has been a massive trigger for Shula. Obviously, being St Smugula, doing something she wants also includes a charity venture, but essentially she wants more than a home-cooked curry. The idea that she and Alistair can’t take time out of the business only goes to emphasise what his gambling has cost them - had they not had to remortgage to bail out Alistairs debts all those years ago then at 60 she might reasonably have expected to be able to do something for herself. I think she’s watched Elizabeth being wooed by Dr Lock and Kirsty by Phillip (and been asked for advice by both), Caroline going off to Italy with the love of her life and realised that life is short - and Nic’s death has only served to emphasise that fact.

EBearhug · 16/03/2018 08:03

Staying with alistair out of duty would be awful.

It still seems odd that she has just left for the Bull's crisp stores, rather than at least attempting marriage guidance or something.

We haven't had Jill's response yet, because she probably doesn't know. So far, it's only Shula, Alistair, Kenton, Jolene and Jim. And the boy in the riding lesson.

LillianGish · 16/03/2018 08:11

I think Shula has stayed with Alistair out of duty ever since she found out about his gambling - that’s a long time.

ppeatfruit · 16/03/2018 08:49

Perhaps ( as an OP hinted) it's just that Al can't 'get it up' The SWs are probably loathe to underline it!

Adam in his green herbal leys haze is forgetting that he sprays and sprays nasties on the other crops every season so not quite the organic paragon that he thinks he is!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 16/03/2018 08:53

Shula's never been satisfied with anything. She likes the idea of adventure but bottles out at the last minute whenever she's found herself straying out of familiar territory.

I can't now remember why she and Nigel didn't make a go of things, but it's always seemed to me that Shula was jealous of Elizabeth's later involvement with Nigel and her status as lady of the manor. I think she belatedly realised that she could have had that. She'd have loved playing Lady Bountiful over at Lower Loxley, but she'd never have made such a good job of running LL as a business concern as Elizabeth has.

She wasn't very happy with Mark, who was exceedingly dull, but dependable, just like Alistair. She was consumed by her desire to have a child - remember when she lost the plot with Elizabeth after her decision to have an abortion rather than go through with her pregnancy by Cameron Fraser, and hand over the baby to Shula and Mark so they could adopt?

She behaved shamefully all those years ago when she got involved with Richard Locke at the same time as Alistair, in spite of the fact that Richard was living with Usha, who was Shula's friend and had been Mark's business partner. She bottled out of leaving Ambridge with Richard because it would have meant moving to Manchester and she found it unthinkable to be so far from her family. It was very clear back then that she was settling for second best by marrying Alistair. Dreadfully unfair on him, although he did also behave very badly over the gambling which was actually not very plausible, but let's pass over that.

I don't think Jill will be impressed by Shula's behaviour at all. I will be furious if we don't hear her reaction on air! Peggy will probably have some choice words too. Rather hoping for some bitchy comments from Usha as well. Alan will struggle with this.

Gruach · 16/03/2018 09:00

Oh, I would love to be inside Usha’s head when she hears the news!

I doubt the SWs will be able to do full justice to such a satisfyingly cold dish.

ppeatfruit · 16/03/2018 09:01

The Jill actress may be unwell ( I don't know I just wondered).

Halsall · 16/03/2018 09:24

Yes, Shula was gruesomely holier-than-thou and possessive over Alan and St Stephen's, and iirc made all sorts of tiresome sanctimonious fuss when he wanted to marry Usha - as if she hadn’t behaved appallingly enough towards Usha in the past.

'St Smugula' is a richly-deserved nickname, I feel.

LillianGish · 16/03/2018 09:29

Excellent analysis re Shula GaspOde.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 16/03/2018 09:36

As was yours, Lillian!

Divorces in later years are becoming more common, I believe. I expect the SWs have seen news reports/think pieces about this over the last couple of years, just like me. They bottled out of having Brian and Jennifer divorce over Siobhan, which I think was a pity, but it seems they've decided to have another go at divorce now.

BoreOfWhabylon · 16/03/2018 09:44

I despise Smugs and Alistair - can never forget him lusting over the work experience teenager on Ambridge Extra: "So fresh". Bleeeurghh.

However I despise Smugs more. For all her pious sanctimony she would have disregarded her marriage vows for any number of men, e.g. DocLocke, Alan, Philip had any one of them shown the slightest inclination toward her. It'll be Oliver next, mark my words.

And C8 I think you are right about PatNTone getting the soil thing.

C8H10N4O2 · 16/03/2018 09:49

I agree largely with both Lillian and Gasp0de but would add I think she is a coward.

To say to dull Alastair that she hasn't been happy for 20 yrs and walk out without even talking to him, sending Kenton to collect her knickers as if he was some kind of abusive spouse was horrible. She should at least look him in the eye and talk to him.

Mark was also very dull. I agree she would have loved to play lady bountiful but would not have run the business as well as Elizabeth.

The more I think about it, cowardly undercurrent is a theme of Smugula's life and decisions. Usually followed by envy of those who make braver or riskier choices

BertrandRussell · 16/03/2018 09:49

I remember feeling very sorry for Shula when she behaved so oddly over the cricket tea sandwiches. Was that the first indication that she was feeling unfulfilled? Rather than just a bit sanctimonious as she was over Usha and Alan?

BoreOfWhabylon · 16/03/2018 10:06

And remember what an absolute bitch she was to HeWhoMustNotBeNamed after inviting him into her home to show what a good Christian she is, then bullying and browbeating him unmercifully until he took refuge with the Grundys in the caravan.

She would fit well into a Dickens novel.

R4 · 16/03/2018 10:36

I feel sorry for Shula. She tries to do the right thing but it doesn't work out. I think the lesson with Anton was telling: she thinks that if you just obey the rules then life life should turn out well. It doesn't, you just get people telling you that you are smug and sanctimonious. Shula has tried to do the right thing and stand by her man (despite him being weak and a charisma-bypass) and it's got her nowhere. Lilian has behaved abominably and end up with (from an external view) a dynamic man, big house, pots of money, social whirl, etc.
Mother's Day was another blow. A lovely gesture from Dan emphasised (a) that he is his father's son, so makes her wonder what-if about Mark, (b) that Alistair never gets the thoughtful-surprises right [c.f. goat curry when she was expecting a night out] and (c) that Dan wasn't home for Mother's Day and he really has left the nest.

RubyLennoxExists · 16/03/2018 10:58

I agree with everyone on here except R4 Grin
Shula doesn't try to do the right thing; she tries to do the thing that will make her look right to the outside world - that is, when she's not attempting dalliances with other men, and when she's not overlooking Rob's violence to a hunt sab, and when she's not having issues when the woman whose relationship she previously helped break up (Usha and Locke) decides to marry outside her religion and race.
I also remember around the hunt sab incident how she referred to Harrison as "Burns" - that is, the man who lives in the same village as her and is in a relationship with her twin's step-daughter. She's a snob as well as everything else.

ppeatfruit · 16/03/2018 11:02

Yes I agree Ruby I just remembered how unpleasant she was about Usha's statue of a Buddha (sorry if I got it wrong) In Alan's house after they married. Approaching racism.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 16/03/2018 11:42

She used to have a terrible whiff of burning martyr about her when she ran the Estate Office for Rodway's. She had made tremendously heavy weather of studying for and taking her professional exams (land agency? chartered surveyor?) but got there in the end. Then instead of being delighted to have the responsibility of being Estate Agent and the chance to work in the village so close to home and family, it was all 'oh there's so much to do, oh dear there are some difficult situations to contend with'. She agonised for weeks when Simon Pemberton decided to evict the Grundys and then for once did the right thing and stood up for them in court, and of course we all heard all about it when she got sacked.

Dementor is a very apt term for her. She's like a fun magnet. Nothing positive or lighthearted about her. Working with someone like her would be a nightmare.

Peartree17 · 16/03/2018 11:52

I am loving the hate for Shula on here at the moment! Such a joy when that happens. The unifying power of popular culture in action.

What is surprising is that no-one, over the years, has ever said to Shula, "you're being an absolute ass. Have a fucking word with yourself, dear.' All that fuss over Alan and Usha - flouncing off to a different church (wasn't it the cathedral?), criticising the statue. She's a racist outrage, she really is, and NO-ONE says a word! I assume we are supposed to take her point of view and agree that tiptoe-ing around her 'issues' is the correct thing to do - properly tactful and careful. Which makes TA a racist outrage as well. (I am currently reading Stamped from the Beginning and it's opening my eyes to how much of my education has been racist.)

R4 · 16/03/2018 11:53

Yes I agree Ruby I just remembered how unpleasant she was about Usha's statue of a Buddha (sorry if I got it wrong) In Alan's house after they married. Approaching racism.

It wasn't Alan's private "house". It was in a public part of the village Vicarage. And the First Commandment is "I am the Lord thy God, thou shall not have any gods before me". So it wasn't very culturally sensitive of Usha to the parishoners.
Usha is Hindi, by the way, not Buddhist.