Archers thread #114: Bull banished, Bali beaches beckon, bickering bullshitters burgeon

[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 Gavin to stay around, or other 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 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 for all thread title suggestions! I've gone with a B theme which with a bit of luck will seem odd and irrelevant by the end of this thread. Here's hoping, anyway.

Haven't caught up with tonight's episode yet, so off to do that shortly.

Snap Captain!

I generally listen at 7.00pm. (Except last week.)

But sometimes (when there’s a deadline on my heels) I scroll through the thread and I’m every other post. Don’t want to look too eager.

But apart from Josh it all feels a bit underpowered and unconvincing at the moment.

And tomorrow Susan will declare herself willing to sacrifice their proposed holiday ...

My prediction with Kirsty, Philip and Gavin is: Kirsty and Philip do a secret wedding (I was wondering about MNers for witnesses...). My Ex had a boss who got married one lunchtime and he only knew because he went to lunch ringless and came back wearing a wedding ring.
They decide they'll tell people later, maybe after Gav's wedding. Then Philip dies.
Gavin thinks he inherits everything, but then Kirsty proves she's married (and maybe pregnant).

I don't like the idea that Hannah gets Neil's job and a pay rise, while Neil gets a demotion.

I think a pregnant widowed Kirsty would be much preferable to a bereaved childless fiancee being ousted from her home by a devious taff. (before you say anything I am 100% welsh - i'm just a bit peeved at the suspicion that TA might be portraying the welsh as dodgy)

Excellent plotline MollyButton, but I like Philip and would like Kirsty to have some lasting happiness.

As for Adam... I can't quite put my finger on it, but he seems rather detached from the firmly established relationship between Ian and Xander. That's just Adam. He's detached from life.

I don't like the idea that Hannah gets Neil's job and a pay rise, while Neil gets a demotion. Haven't heard the episode, but that's upset me as much as Bella ditching Johnny. Why are the SWs so determined to ensure the Bad prosper while the Good have calamity after calamity. I know it's supposed to be like real life, but they're going too far.

Hello you thread!

I caught up today on about six episodes and crikey what an emotional rollercoaster(and i mean that in a good way for once, all my emotions got to take part not just my cringe gland)

I was getting mighty sick of david huffing and puffing about literally every single sodding thing in his life. Yes david if you run a client facing business you have to be nice to the clients and give them your time. Yes, if you go to trade fairs it’s considered a courtesy to wear clothes that don’t have cow shit on them. Yes sometimes people are cheeky and ask for discounts, you can get round this by saying the word ‘no’ . Yes sometimes other people have different viewpoints about things in the world and sometimes they base those on factors other than whether doing something a particular way has been ‘your whole life’s work’. He is the centre of the universe and it absolutely stinks.

But then the impossible happened and ruth made him seem like a sympathetic character. Yikes ruth. The nationwide HRT shortage seems to be taking its toll a bit, is the kindest interpretation i can muster for that unpleasant outburst.

It’s funny, we’ve had two back to back storylines about how not keeping on top of your admin can seriously fuck with your business, we had natasha losing the plot a bit the other week and now josh having his collar felt. I wonder if this is paving the way for someone in the cast to become a freelance admin/bookkeeper type (i’ll be raging if it’s phoebe). Joy i believe was mentioned a while ago? What does Fiona do for a living? Like someone said there seems to be more about her visit than meets the eye.

Hmm, sorry these are random musings and i’ve forgotten which poster mentioned which thing. But TA has been such a drag lately and it was actually great to have some quality content this week, and i do find myself now thinking ‘oh i wonder what the thread lot are saying about this’ as things happen so i rushed to catch up here.

Good things: jim finding not the catharsis he expected, but the catharsis he needed

Kate still being kate but also being funny and sending herself up - that was some good writing. Characters not caricatures, more please

Kirsty’s ‘oh i do love you so much philip’ damn i had something in my eye a bit

Alistair not missing a beat when fiona said ‘angie - her name is angie’ and just being pleased and happy for his sister

Everything jazzer. I love jazzer, he is king of my heart forever

Vince casey shifting down a gear from fullblown pantomime villain and just discreetly heading off instead of (as i feared would happen) starting winding the dopeys up even more

Toby being an actual nice human to rex for bloody once

Keri davies knows how to bring the love. Wild applause this week

If you believe a blind thing Justin says (which I don’t) then Hannah’s being promoted to run the indoor pig unit (I really don’t want to hear her gloating) and Neil’s being moved sideways to look after outdoor pigs. Who then is the manager? Will both of them maybe end up on the same salary? That’s just about bearable I s’pose. Though on the whole it’s a regrettable state of affairs.

Anyway, I think Susan and Neil need their holiday, they’ve worked bloody hard, surely they have at least some of the money already earned. I’ll be really annoyed if they don’t get their week or fortnight in the sun. If nothing else they need a break from their adult child and 1 1/2 GC moving back in with them - that must have reduced the frequency of chilli nights if nothing else.

What the hell was that with the Board and Neil? Who does that?

@MadameButterface, I like your summing up of the last few episodes. I’m not a complete Ruth hater but she was awful this week. Part of it’s the acting, part of it’s duff lines. Urgh! I liked the exchanges between Jim and Fiona. As we’d all guessed Jim worked it out ages ago. Good old Jim.

You asked what Fiona does work wise. I think she’s an academic but I don’t know where the idea came from and I’m happy to be corrected. Just in my head I think she’s in the past mentioned semesters and so forth. I suppose she might have just had the end of semester 1 break though round here the week off is ending now.

I just don't understand the thing with Justin. Last time we heard him interacting with Hannah, he was telling her off. And now suddenly he wants to promote her, and was clearly doing his best to prevent some nasty facts about her coming to the attention of the board. Is that Justin doing something convoluted with ulterior motives, or just bad continuity?

Come to think of it, isn't pushing Neil to take a pay cut in the nature of breach of contract or constructive dismissal?

Justin mentioned there would be parity in their pay. I was surprised that they wanted to make her manager of the indoor pig unit though, after the tail biting was probably caused by the sudden change in feed, which was her idea.

I’m mildly outraged on Neil’s behalf - but, from what Justin said, I wonder if the secret longer term plan is to close the indoor pig unit - because it doesn’t suit modern sensibilities. (And he doesn’t like Hannah!)

Enjoyed your emotional rollercoaster, MadameButterface!

Come to think of it, isn't pushing Neil to take a pay cut in the nature of breach of contract or constructive dismissal?
I thought that, with the crime compounded by lack of proper procedure. But then I thought about so much that the SW get wrong - week in, week out - and decided that I couldn't be bothered to be bothered. If they don't care then why should i? (In case you are listening SW, that's not a good place for your audience to be in.)

I’m finding the whole pig unit story reminiscent of the mega dairy and Charlie taking the rap for Knob’s incompetence and being exiled to a fish farm in Scotland (something that was never satisfactorily resolved since that entire plot - along with his role in the flood and the disappearance of Stefan - was subsumed by the stabbing story). I’m also of the opinion that Neil will leave and go into business with Rex and then the pig unit will go the way of the mega dairy.

Just had a thought as LillianGish has reminded me of Charlie and the fish farm - might Charlie be brought back to help with Adam’s aquaponics? Someone else has probably thought of this on these threads.

But I’d quite like a bit of drama there - we know Adam can’t quite commit to being completely faithful and he might find life with Ian and Xander less thrilling and look for excitement elsewhere.... it’s more interesting when people interact with people rather than reacting to silly decisions like pub renaming or farm selling.

I was thinking about the fish as punishment theme - Charlie banished to a salmon farm, Jazzer torn from his beloved girls to look after Adam's fish, the dead fish in the Am that heralded the downfall of the House of Aldridge - and just to rub it in the new owners of Home farm are called Gill - not to mention the baked salmon and tuna bakes that have preceded other momentous events...

I was thinking about the fish as punishment theme

Oh, I’ve loved that mischievous strand of writing. Wonder what the paternity leave GG chef will be serving for Xander’s naming ...

and just to rub it in the new owners of Home farm are called Gill

That made me genuinely lol, thank you LilG

'zander' or 'pike-perch' is a kind of fish as well

I do hope Neil goes off to Usha the omniscient lawyer and gets some advice on his legal rights.

Usha the omniscient lawyer

Omniscient, but strangely silent

Usa is busy with Josh. At least, Ruth said they were waiting to hear back from her.