The Archers #109: Pulp Fiction! Hammer Horror (Tracy), Carry On (Brian & Neil), Call the Midwife (Adam, Ian, Lexi) - but no political thrillers, Ambridge remains Brexit-free. Nitpick here!

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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 unusual views. grin

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 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3439443-keep-it-to-yourself-the-archers-spoilers-thread-4, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Thanks to Bucking Frolics and LillianGish for the title ideas, which I had to edit down a bit to get under the character limit.

I wonder if Lily will have gone back to Manchester by the time we've filled this thread.

Yesterday an advert for Pension Wise came on the telly. Voiced by Leonard

Jim (John Rowe) was in an Afternoon Play a week or so ago, being Irish. I recognised him immediately but ‘twas most odd to hear him out of normal context.

I think I missed something this week - what was the problem / joke with the scrap cakes that meant no-one should eat them?

Jenny is definitely one of those MILs that posters write about in AIBU, "AIBU to not want my MIL at the birth of my baby?". The OP would be advised not to tell her when they go into labour. Unfortunately, it looks like Adam did tell her.

Re the cakes, Jill had planned to enter them into the show, but was then asked to be a judge, so she couldn't enter them. Leonard, as a surprise, baked them instead, but when he told Jill, she wasn't happy about it, because the family had already been accused of nepotism when Freddie won the church art thingy. So she arranged with Ian, who was judging that category (Unusual Bakes) to not let them win, but then Lexi's waters broke, so Peggy took over. Jill tried to tell Peggy, but Peggy did the usual thing of talking over Jill, so didn't know the situation. Hence why Jill was going on, making out they were greasy, etc.

Thanks Motoko for the summary, I’m not getting it though. I’d heard that but it didn’t really make sense. Why would Jill get so flappy about that? I wondered if ingredient xxx was something dodgy like making hash brownies. But surely Doris wouldn’t have had such a recipe!

As for Jenny - she would absolutely be a MIL that gets slated on here, and poor Lexi, she’s got to endure Jenny and she’s not even her family / in law. I imagine Jenny is going to try and be a proxy mother to the baby.... not liking this SL much.

Well, because Jill was a judge, and didn't want to be accused of nepotism if Jim won.
I wondered about the xxx ingredient, because it wasn't in the recipe, and Jill didn't tell him what it was, when she mentioned it, she was very coy about it. But it seems like the SW have forgotten all about that.

I also don't like the way they're writing the Lexi/Jenny SL.

I bet Lexi banishes Iain and Adam from the room and calls on Roy before it all gets really messy. I can hear Jenny wailing already.

I’d be really surprised if Lexi has not already agreed with Adam and Ian that it is not appropriate for either of them to be in the room while she gives birth. And if the script says they were I suspect that it will not be reflecting what gestational carriers usually do. There is a huge difference between carrying an IVF child for someone and allowing them to see you in such an intimate setting.

I must say, Jill seemed to reach peak giggling/mooing/cooing in that episode. Can't someone tell her to tone it down?

I was also not impressed at Ian panicking at a four mile journey with a woman who wasn't even in labour, let alone telling her to breathe appropriately once she was. If I was Lexi I'd definitely chuck all of them out.

'Gestational carrier' makes the baby sound like a commodity and Lexi a vessel.

Anyway, Adam would be happier with a couple of lambs and a new combine.

I must say if, when I was in labour, someone had reacted to a reference to my being tired by saying "Aren't we all", I would probably have hit them.

hahahah she wants Kirsty
well done Lexi

Also, hasn't JD heard of male obstetricians?

me too Tonnerre

Oh for heavens sake! Someone please send Jennifer home

or just slap her

Has Jennifer actually lost her mind? Disgusting woman. I never could stand her but now.....good grief.

Someone throw Jennifer out, quickly.

she's trying to erase Lexi

How can someone as maternal as Jennifer have so little empathy?

Jennifer is being dreadful.

I will never forgive Jenny for that. Could she not have brought herself to say 'well done', 'thank you' or even 'how are you' to Lexi? Awful that the baby was not put straight into her arms after birth.

Continuity Announcer summed Jenny up beautifully.....

It was as if Jennifer had never given birth herself. I've had an odd feeling since the episode, which I have identified as hate for her.

Yes Lexi should have held the baby straight after the birth. Surely it wasn't in the birth plan that she wouldn't. Jenny was worried Lexi might want to keep the baby if she bonded with him, but this was so heavy handed.

I was somewhat reminded of The Handmaid's Tale.

ppeatfruit Will is Poppy's biological father, she is Nic and Will's child. Its Mia and Jake who are Will's stepchildren. They both live with their Dad now.

Gestational carrier' makes the baby sound like a commodity and Lexi a vessel.

And that is just how JenniD sees her. I want to smack her so so hard. I too will never forgive her.

I hope Lexi takes that baby back to Bulgaria with her.