Brian is over a barrel, Alice has drained the barrel and Shula has given it to Alistair with both barrels - The Archers is not exactly a barrel of laughs at the moment.

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to @LillianGish for the thread title.

Yes ... I couldn’t remember whether the wider Archer family (or Jim) knew anything about the gambling issue, Matt’s role in that years ago, or the having to re-mortgage the house.

It strikes me that if Shula has kept all this hidden for years it would have been very hard. (Though I’m sure I remember some conversation about it. Did she tell Caroline at the time? No ... She told Lilian! Who iirc was no help.)

So years of feeling disappointed and humiliated and the fact of the cut-back in their standard of living ... I think I’m talking myself into understanding her pov!

I don’t think it’s intrusive of Jill to ask Shula what’s going on - she’s not a distant parent who knows nothing of what goes on in her daughter’s life, their relationship is based on intrusion (in the nicest possible way) they live in each other’s pockets and always have. I think it would inconceivable that Jill wouldn’t ask what was going on. It might help Shula to put it into,words herself: “I fancy other people, I want to be swept off my feet, I’m sick of being sensible and dull - my best friend has just died suddenly and I realise life is for living, but I can’t say any of this out loud as I will no longer be entitled to be smug about anything and I’m not sure I can live with that.”

That might help Shula if she articulates it, agreed. But I have a horrible feeling that Jill would dismiss any and all reasons and just tell her she has to 'brace up and soldier on', or whatever she came out with yesterday.

Shula told Alistair she no longer loved him. She has given a reason. I think shula is actually being quite polite I would have told Jill to go and jump.

Just musing on the 'my son' Vs 'your son' battle

I don't know how big the crossover is between Game of Thrones fans and Archers listeners, but I don't see how Adam v Ruairhi (sp?) could be anything other than the Battle of the Bastards.

Maybe a bit un-pc for Radio 4.

Shula’s problem is that she has spent so much of her life on the moral high ground - she’s not known as St Smugula for nothing - that Jill will take a bit of convincing. Kenton understands because all his life he hasn’t been chalk to Shula’s cheese and can’t understand how she stayed up there for so long in the first place. Shula isn’t just leaving Alistair, she’s trying to leave her old self.

has been chalk

Alastair being so dismissive of Shula’s desire to live outside Ambridge was the death knell. He has lived in different places, went to university, actively chose to move to Ambridge. She has stayed within a couple of miles her entire life.

Honestly if I was Shula I would shag the entire cricket team just to prove a point.

Eastpoint I see your point, but I also see Alistair’s point. A veterinary practice and a riding stables are not jobs you can do from anywhere - they’ve spent years building them up, invested in them, worked hard to make a go of them. It has been a positive choice to stay in Ambridge not something that happened through any lack of get-up-and-go. They could have set up their businesses elsewhere, but they are the kind of businesses that would have been rooted in a particular place - not something that can be done remotely from a computer terminal anywhere in the world. Caroline and Oliver had effectively retired from running Grey Gables when they took off and had a lot more spare cash floating around in the first place. Shula may well resent Alistair’s gambling debts from denying them this luxury, but she should at least be honest about that rather than brushing it aside with a smug “I forgave you” as she did last night.

Lilian yes you’re right, they couldn’t go away for an indefinite period. It’s much easier for people to justify leaving a spouse for a new relationship than to simply up and leave.

she’s not known as St Smugula for nothing

Yes quite. I can see why Jill is reacting as she has (and its only fair - Jim immediately took Shula's part!).

Shula doesn't have to stay with Alastair but she is making it painful by dumping him without even a few counseling sessions to help him understand. She has made a unilateral decision about a partnership (and they have business partnerships as well as the marriage).

One thing struck me from the conversation last night. I got the impression that Shula had not thought through divorce - just separation. Does she think they are simply going to separate and not divorce?

I would shag the entire cricket team just to prove a point.

Will, Tom, Roy, Adam, Joelene, Anisha, Tracey Horrobin, Fallon...

Not sure I'd be that self sacrificing to make a point!

She has stayed within a couple of miles her entire life.

But that was her choice - she can't blame Alastair for that! Plus her proposal that they both leave businesses to run themselves for months on end at a time where both businesses have been in trouble was bonkers.

All excellent points Caffeine. It’s almost as if Shula can’t bear to face up to what she’s doing herself. That’s why she doesn’t want to put it into words or have any counsellor “raking through” her marriage, as she put it. She just wants it to be over and no more said about it, though how she thinks that is possible when they run businesses together from the place where they live is anyone’s guess. I’m still looking forward to hearing Usha on the subject.

increasingly impassioned hootings

Love that phrase!

Fair enough maybe just the women then.

It pains me to find myself sticking up for St Smugula, I must say, as I'm certainly not her greatest fan let's face it, I loathe her - but I'm equally unimpressed by Jill, and Jill's really getting on my wick now! I just think she could show a bit more sensitivity and tenderness towards her own child.

But then tbh I've often thought Jill can show a very cold side, cf the extremely slighting way she often talks about Kenton. And she makes her partiality for David and Lizard rather too obvious at times.

Halsall

I find I can successfully dislike both of them at the same time

I regularly have to remind myself that Favourite Son is married to Ruth rather than Jill.

increasingly impassioned hootings

Oh god, now I’m thinking of Jill having a chilli moment...

“I fancy other people, I want to be swept off my feet, I’m sick of being sensible and dull - my best friend has just died suddenly and I realise life is for living, but I can’t say any of this out loud as I will no longer be entitled to be smug about anything and I’m not sure I can live with that.”

Excellent analysis of Smugula's dilemma! RRRRrespect.

Also enjoying Brine's brooding petulance. Wondering what he's cooking up, as he's not going to go down gracefully, is he? And much as I enjoyed Jenny's cold revenge, I think her attempt to pass it off as 'for your own good, Brine' is a bit rich, even for a marriage which survives on convenient untruths. Brian is a business man, why doesn't she just keep presenting the business case for her vote - the good of the farm. Surely Brian would respect that more?

Will is nutty as a fruitcake. He's going to out himself at this rate.

Have caught up and agree Thursday’s episode was very good. However I had assumed we might actually hear Ruari rather than just have him mentioned. I’d love to know if he’s lost his Irish / Bavarian accent yet.

I know Will is on edge because he has told Ed but to me this just flags up the weakness of the plot. During the investigation of Matt's accident , there was not a single suggestion that Will was anxious or guilty. I just don't believe this SL. Also I have never liked Will but he appears to be turning into a psychopath. It's quite difficult for a character to remain in a show once that happens!

Also I have never liked Will but he appears to be turning into a psychopath.

He's a gamekeeper.