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.

TASWSMA It's been said before and I think it's fairly true. Neighbours and Home and Away are the exception because they're exports - I've been told they're not popular down under.
My parents are northerners and I grew up watching Corrie. I am a southerner and would have long phases of having EE on whilst doing chores.

Mind you, I'll get into anything if there's a good murder in the offing.

Anyone else thinking Kate is making it up about the boiler so that she can move in with Jakob?

Agree that Kate's sense of entitlement is at its usual stratospheric level.

A thought about the Neil/Hannah proposal. If Neil doesn't leave, and I hope he does, I think he'll encounter unethical practices by Hannah as his outdoor piggies, lovingly raised, go to the indoor hell that is Hannah's infernal domain.

I'm a posh southerner & my parents were totally addicted to Coronation Street in the 1970s ... back then it was only on twice a week, so was quite manageable.

What's going on with Susan? A visit from the character transplant fairy? A realisation that Emma let avarice kill her marriage? They've saved some of the managerial salary into a good pension pot?
You'd think, with the extra mouths to feed, that Susan would be worrying about the loss of income.

the building work to bring the Barn up to standard is going to overrun and there will be a huge panic before the wedding

Can't remember when this stupid, 20% discount wedding is supposed to be happening, but Josh dangling from the rafters would add that unique touch to the decor (especially if Stephanie forgot her 'something blue')

What's going on with Susan?

She cooked chilli to cheer Neil up. That's good old Susan.

Yes, there was obviously something odd going on with the boiler, given the way Kate went all cagey when Jakob asked her about it. My suspicion is that she told the repairman not to hurry back.

Sounds like good news that Peggy has twigged how empty The Bull is. Here's hoping for a quick return to sanity on that front at least.

I really, really, enjoyed last night's episode, which is something I haven't said for a long time! Loved Susan and her chilli, and Kate and Jakob are another match made in Hell! Piggoi was actually starting to sound her age, with her querulous fears of catching a cold - it's the first time I remember hearing her sound like an old woman with an intimation of her own mortality. The scenes with Lillian were all good, too, so all in all, a great episode, I thought. Simon Frith wrote it. The contrast with that Paul chappie is noticeable.

I thought Peggy was deliberately hamming up the poor old woman stuff to get some movement and sympathy from Lillian. I don't think she actually feels weak and feeble in herself. I could be wrong - but it sounded to me like she couldn't be bothered hearing Kate wittering her nonsense about the replacement baptism service and wanted Lillian to stop dithering about taking the cats in, so acted up the part of the vulnerable old lady.

Splendidly accomplished bit of PA from Peggy "If you can't take Hilda I shall have to go back to the house. I expect I can manage with a hot water bottle". it's the first time I remember hearing her sound like an old woman with an intimation of her own mortality - when I first heard her moaning about the cold, I thought they were paving the way for the end, then discovered the boiler was off, so she certainly would be feeling the cold. But there again, she'll have had long experience of power cuts, let alone living without central heating until she was 20-odd, so she'd know exactly what to do.

Well done to Jakob for standing up to Kate, not so well done for caving in at the end - or is he really planning to add steak to her vegan stir fry?

I though you could easily do a vegetable stir fry which could be served alongside a steak. But Jakob should be very wary about Kate trying to move in by stealth.

That episode made me laugh.

I don't think there is any stealth at all about Kate's decision to move in on I mean sorry with Jakob.

I cheered when Josh made his jibe at Pip's various cock-ups, then shouted at the radio (that's becoming a bad habit!) when he back-tracked and apologised. I know she's not done anything criminal but the lasting effects of the IBR breakout were huge and arguably had a greater negative impact on the farm.

I think he meant Rosie and realised if was a crass thing to say.

I think he meant IBR etc but realised Pip might think he meant Rosie.

Oof if he did mean Rosie then that was a low blow, but I think he meant IBR (and possibly breaking the Dopeys hearts with the rewilding)

I loved the scene with Susan and Neil, showing how much she does love him. I quite like Susan actually

I think Susan is a very well crafted character, she wants the best for her family, all of them and really loves Neil. She wants to have a better life than her mother and so works hard and encourages her children & Neil to do the same. She’s also kind and puts Neil first. Her only real flaw is her nosiness but it fits with her interest in people, she wants to know what’s going on.

Wasn't Dan Archer's brother Jack? I thought it was Ruth who had an Uncle Ben.

Is it wise for Susan to be offering Neil a chilli when there are young children in the house?

Dan Archer's brother was John Benjamin Archer, known as Ben because his father was John Archer. Phil Archer's brother was John Archer known as Jack.

I loved the idea of Ben reorganising the shed and being an absolute stickler for where everything went - clearly his time in the cereal cupboard has not been wasted

I felt very sorry for Carole Boyd tonight.

She must have winced when she read that script.