#102: Fatted calf is off the menu - will the Easter Bunny save Lower Loxley's bacon, or will there be egg on Russ's face? Will Tom's sausage business get the chop? Join us here to discuss The Archers!

[GabrielleNelson]

Thanks due to @PseudoBadger for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads and to @DadDadDad for being our resident statistician and keeping the ball rolling when Pseudo stepped back a bit. Thanks also to all those who contributed to the thread title, principally Dumdedumdedum and MikeUniformMike on this occasion.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed. We don't all agree on all points and most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you'd like to be Susan's best friend or other odd unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please. We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from this thread, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

So, to business: will Helen's new cheese be a success? Will Kate succeed in keeping her visiting Brummies under control? Will Pip, Toby, Tom and Natasha fall into the slurry pit, leaving Rosie to be brought up by Anthony Head Robin Fairbrother? Will we ever hear Lee again, and will he casually drop in a mention of his fine collection of framed Bruce Lee posters?

What about someone who takes a very fact-based literal view of the world

Autistic tendencies don't automatically present that way in everyone.

Natasha is quite fascinating really. It’s all a bit unnerving and gaslighty but you can’t quite put your finger on it. Abusive? I’m not sure. I think the bewilderment she brings about is key. Tom will have a light bulb moment when he realises he doesn’t really know the first thing about her.

I think Natasha will be around for a while. Many couples work through their differences and they do seem to love each other. In their way.

It would be really great if Tom would confide in Helen about how Natasha is treating him. There are so many parallels in the way she is trying to muscle in on the business. It will never happen though as he’s too proud and she’s probably not yet in a place where she can give others advice.

Do you think the dairy will be Natasha’s next target “Do you really need Clarrie andSusan”? “You might have a point- and Susan is a bit of a nightmare” all carefully staged so that Susan overhears......

I hope Fallons tea room doesn't get compromised.

Also, as Lily is such a 'great recruiter', and the kitchen sellers are 'always looking for new people', I assume her mum will suggest Freddie gets a job there too?

It's going to take about 10 milliseconds for the news that there is trouble in paradise to get round the village once Tom and Natasha move into the flat above the shop. I'm sure Susan will be spending extra time there for stocktaking, as it were.

I was going to say some of her behaviour and personally traits remind me of Rob but agree it's unlikely they have the siblings go through the same ordeal. Also think Tom and Helen have very different personalities.

Rob groomed the whole family and took his time about it. Natasha's approach is much less nuanced - she spends a bit of cash and dishes out advice, but she's upset people with her approach.

However, there are plenty of parallels - rushed wedding, interfering in the farm business.

I bet her downfall will be trying to sideline Johnney.

I'm very late to this thread, but many thanks to GabrielleNelson for starting it

Apologies for Daily Mail link, but I've just discovered where Natasha is moonlighting with her makeovers www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6927683/Kates-faithful-aide-Natasha-Archer-NOT-ousted-shiny-ex-Vogue-stylist.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ico=taboola_feed

CallMe sounds very Severus Snapish.

What did I tell you???

Emma. Oh Emma ...

Good old Susan. I'm tempted to pop in to buy some stamps.

I bet her downfall will be trying to sideline Johnney.

Yeah, I thought that when she asked Tom why Johnny couldn't do the pig's straw yesterday. Johnny's job is the cows, without Jazzer, Tom's the one who needs to deal with the pigs, they're his responsibility.

Emma. Oh Emma ...

yeah.

Oh no, what has happened to Emma, please don't tell me it relates to the house .....

If one of the Tea Room staff has gone off to sell kitchens then doesn't that mean that Em can do more shifts (or have a larger profit-share, not sure what the arrangement is).

Emma's encouraged Ed to go for the driving job, or at least make out he's interested, in order to get Tim to start offering more fencing jobs.

Can I just say Tom is an idiot.

And a very reluctant boop for CMR both on dealing with the delivery and driving Freddy.

I don’t know... I felt Russ used Freddie’s discomfort and desperation to take him down a peg. Freddie is being insufferable but even so.

I don't understand. Freddie said there had been a crash at Loxley Barratt, but that isn't on the way to Borchester from Lower Loxley; it's in the opposite direction. It isn't even on the direct road to Ambridge. Why was any traffic hold-up there stopping them from driving straight up the road to Borchester?

Why don’t we ever hear Bella?

I'm wondering who's been involved in the big crash.......

Natasha..........

A returning Rob........

Massive catch-up on my return from the temperate rainforest. Where I saw a superb lyrebird (how splendid that that's its real name as well as being utterly spot-on).

Tom is still stupid..

YY to Natasha always deflecting and turning things around. Also not fit to be married to an (erstwhile) farmer of animals when she doesn't get what's involved. But then that may be her game, get rid of the pigs. Or go into pig makeovers.

Chris Carter has gone all oo-arrrr. Again. Did think there might be a gay moment there with Jakob. Anyway, some historical stuff to rear its compromising head at the right moment.