#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?

He's having problems with his relationship, so I'm wondering if he wants him and Natasha to try again.

Give the angst a rest, Shula!

Poor Ruari.

BOOP for the articulation of awkwardness!

Maybe the bailiffs have paid Trev a visit or he has a pile of final demands for her.

Having a bit of a catch up from the last fortnight so apologies if this has been covered.

When Will found Mia and Ruari mucking around, Mia called him Dad, several times over. But her Dad is someone she sees regularly, surely she doesn’t call Will Dad too?

My thoughts too ConstanzaAndSalieri
And why is she called Grundy? You can't change a child's surname just like that.

BOOP for Emma talking so naturally about Nic to Mia "you are so her girl"

Why does George need a babysitter? He’s just turned 14! Keira has just turned 8, unless it’s for the whole day wouldn’t he be able to look after her for an hour or two at home on their own?

And enough of Will being psycho and grumpy, as for Shula - so saintly images having a crisis of faith in herself, not God.

I believe that Jake and Mia took Grundy when Will and Nic got married, or possibly when Poppy was born, so the whole family had the same name, and it was done by agreement with everyone, including Andrew. I think they may have had Nic’s name before anyway.

The actor playing Mia is pretty good I think.

Dull episode overall though, and scenes between Shula and Alan always make me clench with irritation.

Tasha and Emma won't last long as mates, surely?

So frustrating that Shula’s crisis of faith is getting so much microphone tune while we still don’t know about any fall out from the Christening, what’s happening on Jolene’s tour, anything about the Whatsits who bought Brian and Jenny’s place, how the surrogacy’s going, how Mike and Hannah are getting in at the pig unit, what’s happening with Amside, who blocked the culvert, who stole the bunting and the church collection.........

Why has Usha become a silent character? I'm afraid I can't bear the scenes between Shula and Alan discussing her spiritual crises and earnestly quoting scripture (but then I'm a heathen so you'd expect me to say that, I suppose). She always sounds as though she enjoys the breast-beating a bit too much to me.

Usha is now spending all her time watching Game of Thrones.

Shula LOVES the breastbeating. It's her way of getting attention. She really is an unattractive character. Still, anytime I am in danger of moaning too much to be good company, I think, "don't go all Shula now," and I shut up. So in that way, the character is useful for me. I wish she would bog off though.

Shula would feel a lot better if she just grabbed the bunting and handed it straight to Fallon in a brown paper parcel. #BuntingAmnesty #noquestionsasked

I never quite understand why people dislike Shula so much. The only awful thing she ever did was not telling the police about Rob hearing up that hunt saboteur- and that always struck me as out of character. She’s a bit dull, but she’s conscientious and hard working, she incredibly supportive to Alasdair for years. She takes her faith really seriously. She’s always kind. She’s just a normal middle aged woman, really.

Shula used to be my favourite character. She seemed competent, independent and kind, in contrast to her siblings. But there is something quite self-deluding about her. I think this is what is unravelling now and I'm interested to see how it works out.

I’m several episodes behind so enjoying guessing the action from the thread, but I’m quite looking forward to Shula being allowed some kind of inner life.

George, aged 14, needs to be looked after while Ed n Em are working, but Mia, aged 13, has arranged to take Poppy to have her hair cut, in between buying bread and other general household duties.

From what we've heard, Mia is far more responsible and trustworthy than George, so I can see how he needs watching when she doesn't.

I agree about Shula Bert She's ok very normal IMO. The Gill's were mentioned as not joining in with the village by Emma who was buttering up Tash. Funny how much time she's taking off work now.

Notice our councillor is supporting and lying in her teeth for Ed. Shame she has to. for the SW's bit of extra "drama".

I really felt for Mia when Will said he hadn't got any bread in. Surely Poppy lives there FT so it is pretty rubbish of him not to keep on top of this sort of thing. Lots of people faling over themselves to help for the sake of the children

Yes, maybe if he didn't spend so much time working, he could do some proper parenting.