#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?

That would be good. This particular Northumberland loose end has more than outstayed its welcome.

And it would be very funny to see Kenton loaded with dosh, lording it over David.

Bert She didn't HAVE to go out to work, she was fed up moping round LL and Rex suggested she took a job which she was happy to do and seems quite content there.

I would've thought that Lewis is about 110 now and wants to\is retiring, Lizzie's attitude about him was rather odd.

Maybe the SW have a plan for CMR to disappear for 14 years like poor Lewis has done since Julia died. The gallery as a kind of Bermuda Triangle.

Elizabeth said that Lewis had been saying he didn't want to run the gallery any more.

Jakob sounds like the sort of man Pip would like ...

Not Kirstys’s type ...

Which other single women are there? Helen ... Hmm ... Kate ... Probably not Phoebe ...

Lizzie's breathy, intimate voice

This ^

She never used to talk that. So annoying.

I almost warmed to Russ when he gave Freddie what for. But then I slapped myself back to sanity.

But I think Russ is moving out because he’s got feelings for Lizzard.

I’m not sure Russ would be that thoughtful and unselfish honestly. Kirsty isn’t single. She has Phil

Well, I’m hoping that’s only temporary ...

Well, I’m hoping that’s only temporary ...

Me too!

The 🔮 is of the opinion that J'lene's tour will somehow prove very lucrative, allowing J&K to pay Dave's loan back.

Which would be plausible if the actress playing Jolene could actually sing, but what we've heard so far has been toe-curlingly weak.

I thought she sounded like a cat being strangled last time we heard her.

That Sadia who was on tonight. I thought they were supposed to be disadvantaged kids from Brum. She had no Brummie accent, and sounded quite middle class.

Also, her blatant flirting with Chris, was very overdone.

Lizzie's breathy, intimate voice, throbbing with unspokenstuffis giving me the screaming rage

Oh goodness yes.

Perhaps the twist in the plot will come when Lily goes back to Manchester and CMR announces he's staying at LL

I'm sure that will be the case.

I thought Freddie rather deserved those home truths from Russ.

CMR wasn’t the person to deliver those home truths, though. He wasn’t supporting Freddie as much as trying to please Lizzie.

Also if you are delivering home truths it is not effective if your own house is in order.

It is more effective.

Also I can't quite get over the creepy way he whined that Freddie wasn't giving him a chance over Lily.

This is how TA disappoints us.

Russ could have stopped Freddie from drug dealing very early on, while he was at the sixth form college. But he didn’t. Instead he exploited his knowledge to protect his relationship with Lily.

No-one is talking about this. He has pulled the wool over Elizabeth’s eyes to the extent that she’s now setting him up permanently at LL - despite Freddie’s obvious disgust and horror.

I’m really going to struggle to accept any editor led change of character on Russ’s part. He is a skunk.

I can't remember who knows what about the drugs. Freddie had a moment naming Wayne - maybe he'll get there with CMR. Of course its difficult for him with everyone trying to shield Elizabeth and reminding him not to upset her.

Completely agree George - Freddie knows this. This should be his trump card in his war on CMR. If CMR hadn’t covered for him to stop his sordid secret being made public - or better still had actively pulled him up on his drug dealing - Freddie would never have gone to prison, Lily would be in Manchester and LL wouldn’t be in this mess. Maybe Lily will be the one to eventually reveal this if CMR gets together with Elizabeth (although of course she is implicated in the cover-up too). I did wonder from the conversation yesterday if CMR’s new job wasn’t to get him into prime position to nick the Gwen John.

“I’m really going to struggle to accept any editor led change of character on Russ’s part. He is a skunk.“
Yes- I absolutely agree. Even worse than Peggy inexplicably sacking Emma. And the whole business of Toby and Brighton. And the utterly ridiculous Jolene on tour thing. And the insane business practices at Bridge Farm. And the vet practice nonsense. I wish I wasn’t an addict.....

I understand why Elizabeth initially tolerated CMR probably fearing that being opposed to the relationship would push Lily even more towards Russ. However looking back if Elizabeth had said fine off you go, but not in my house, then the relationship would already be over.

Agree Bird.

Sometimes it feels as if the stitching shows a bit too much when they are constructing plots - CMR esconced in the gallery seems to be a crucial step, but towards what?

He has pulled the wool over Elizabeth’s eyes
I still don't understand why Lizzie is/was so calming accepting of her teenage daughter's first serious relationship being with (a) one of the SMT at College and (b) a married man twice Lily's age.