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.

Ah well ... Whatever message we were supposed to draw from Jim’s keyboard has been lost.

Am still absorbing the full horror of the redundancy notice Shula has handed to her (employee) husband. That was more than BOOP-worthy; one of the most stunning bits of dialogue I’ve heard on TA.

Well, I suppose it was famously used on the soundtrack of Platoon, but the SWs really are getting a bit too subtle if they're trying to shoehorn in some wordless allusion to imminent total war between Shula and Alastair

Why can't that boy find a nice -quiet- way to earn some money, like an ice cream van fr'instance, since he does have at least one useful qualification, his driving licence!

Didn't we have enough of that on the '80s with his father?

Ah well ... Whatever message we were supposed to draw from Jim’s keyboard has been lost.
The only message that I could draw was that it was typical Jim, wanting to play some classical piece. Shouldn't a novice be practising scales?

I was so pleased to see Dan siding with Alistair, not Shula. Not so pleased to hear Will whining about Jake defecting going over to Andrew's when it seems that Will has done little parenting and has delegated most of it. I'll bet Emma was cock-o-hoop at the news!

Shouldn't a novice be practising scales? Seriously? How many people would get anywhere with an instrument if the early years were occupied solely in practising scales? Even JS Bach wrote a book of simple pieces for his wife.

Here’s Alison Steadman on joining the cast. From the BBC site.

And ... I don’t even need to listen to the end to know where this is going ....

KENTON!

"Getting to know you" playing in the background ...

A bit behind here.
Loved Shula’s line to Dan about finding him a dad.

Regular name changer here.

Mmm..how old is Dan meant to be? He sounds like a whiny adolescent rather than a soldier. (Or is he still training? Not sure?). Anyhoo, he sounds immature and a bit too verbose for a squaddy. Good acting from "Elizabeth" though!

He’s just been made a Captain, he was born in November 1994 so he’s 23.

Thanks Eastpoint old enough then to appreciate that not everything is about "me me me". Although, having said that, I do know some fairly immature 23 yr olds... .

I don't think Dan sounds immature, just bewildered. He's having to reassess the last few years and ask himself why, if his mother hadn't been happy in the marriage for years, didn't he realise?

Yes, perhaps I'm being unfair Puremince it's bound to be upsetting, whatever age you are I suppose. I just think they have written him as a bit younger than his actual age ifyswim.

I know quite a few 23 year olds and he doesn't sound young to me. I think he's been written well. Though I'm a bit surprised he knew nothing about Alastair's gambling.

Aren't any of Dan's uncles or aunts going to gently point out to him, in one of these "we're all grown ups" chats, that the private workings (or not-workings) of his parents' marriage are ultimately none of his business? Shula doesn't actually owe him all the intimate details. He doesn't seem to be regarding her as a separate autonomous human being. I am not a Smugula fan but I did feel sorry for her in that conversation.

Shula doesn't actually owe him all the intimate details.

That argument might hold more water if Shula had felt that she owed Alistair the intimate details. All she has said so far is "I have decided it's over, therefore it's over" as if she lived in a hermetically sealed bubble and her actions have no consequences for anyone else.

Why is Will being so possessive of Jake? Surely it's understandable that Jake wants to spend time with his father? It's self evident that the situation isn't working for Jake. He was nasty to Keira when she was in his room messing with his stuff. What he said was horrible but Keira shouldn't have been touching his stuff, though if she's used to going into George's room, it might be hard to keep her out. He's having to share a room with George. The two boys are scrapping. The lap top he borrowed to do a school project has been broken. How can Will possibly think that this is working for Jake? Jake has no peace, nowhere to go to get away from it all.

Also, given that Will has crowed about providing well for his family, why does Jake need to borrow a laptop to do school work?

Also, given that Will has crowed about providing well for his family, why does Jake need to borrow a laptop to do school work

That is a devilishly good point.

And George has just had his 13th birthday. Surely he (even more) is likely to have his own - so unlikely to be messing about with a laptop borrowed by Jake. (Though perhaps Will and Nic had been bringing them all up to share nicely?)

I do think it’s wickedly clever that Nic’s hastiness with George when she first moved in with Will is now being mirrored in Emma’s frustrated anger towards Jake.

I'm a bit behind with this but it's no wonder Fallon (and we) thought Harrison was going to propose. During the initial conversation when he came in shaken up after work, and talking about next of kin etc, the background music was Don Williams, Story of my Life, the culmination of which is

There's one thing left to do
Before my story's through
I've got to take you for my wife

Very funny scriptwriters!

I know Ambridge has a bedroom fairy, but even she must be struggling. I assume Greenwood Cottage had 3 bedrooms. One for Will and Nic, one for Jake, shared with George when he was there, one for Mia and Poppy.

How many bedrooms does Grange Farm have? Jake and George are sharing George's bedroom, are the three girls sharing one room? How is Keira coping with having Mia and Poppy in her room? Keira's just turned seven, if she's sharing her room with Mia, who is about 11, and Poppy who is not yet 5, it must be difficult.

What I don't understand is why, given that George is Will's son and is currently living with Will (and Emma and Ed), Ed and Emma feel it is their responsibility to pay for the laptop anyway?

George is Will's son. Jake is Will's stepson. They are living(ish) with Will. The issue is between the 2 boys. Doesn't that make it his responsibility?

I can see why Will is possessive of Jake though. Jake will remind Will of Nic - he has lost her, he won't want to lose Jake too. (Plus he likes being in control).

How would Will react if Clarrie pointed out that they had kept telling him there was a problem between Jake and George but that he hadn't listened? He could hardly deny it. How would he manage to make it all someone else's fault then?