💥 Archers thread #119: Has the Bull reopened? Will Ambridge pull through? We’ve all dozed off and haven't a clue. Moan about the monologues 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 think we should have monologues all the time from now on, 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/3853783--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-5-Cant-wait-for-7-02pm-Join-us-here, 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 PPE on the last thread for the title suggestion, which I tweaked a bit.

As for the current state of affairs: here's how it could have been done. www.youtube.com/channel/UCvRSVdfQWAjNhNu1AtABYjw Nigel Pargetter returns, albeit in spectral form. I loved these.

I don't love the current set up. Very, very hit and miss for me - but I am too much of an addict to give it up. Looking for a silver lining, maybe the rather clunky trot through the Aldridge family tree last night was helpful to newer listeners. It is rather convoluted. In 12.5 minutes they managed to explain that Adam and Debbie are Jennifer's children by different fathers, that Debbie's father Roger Travers-Macy adopted Adam, that after he and Jenny divorced she married Brian and that he (secretly) loves Adam and not nearly so secretly adores Debbie. I don't think they explicitly stated that Kate and Alice are Brian's children with Jenny, but they did manage to squeeze in a mention of Siobhan and Ruairi, and explain that Xander is Adam's son by a surrogate and has no genetic connection to either Brian or Xander's other father Ian. Phew!

I really wish we didn’t have to keep hearing about the Snells’ sex life or lack of. It’s too much night after night

It hasn't felt quite so repetitive to me, possibly because its acted a lot better. I think Lynda/Robert have done well capturing that uncertain dynamic, between long term partners after serious illness.

I loved Lynda's horror at the thought that she might have revealed her and Robert's code for sex. Beer fear!

Though having said that it is ludicrous for someone as well-versed in Chaucer and Shakespeare would come up with such an insipid eupemism.

not improved by several bursts of Lilian’s vile cackle
Never trust anyone who only laughs at their own witticisms or jokes.

I'm not really feeling sympathy for Lynda. Last week she was ordering Robert to go out and stay out, to stop smothering her. This week she is wondering why he's keeping his distance. I do wish that people in Ambridge would actually talk to each other.

I'm not really feeling sympathy for Lynda. Last week she was ordering Robert to go out and stay out, to stop smothering her. This week she is wondering why he's keeping his distance

But this is entirely normal in their situation. So much so that at least one of the LSWs must have seen it/experienced it first hand.

Sorry posted too soon. Robert fussing around her to do "stuff" but keeping his distance physically are part an parcel of the same problem. He is being over protective (probably with some justification) she is desperate to get back to some normality (again with justification).

The concerns about no longer being attractive to a partner are also totally normal.

I really wish we didn’t have to keep hearing about the Snells’ sex life or lack of.

But it's really not about their sex life, is it? The writers seem to be exploring the nuance and difficulty of communication in a long term relationship after a challenging change in circumstances. I don't think it can be easy to write - but, compared to most of the rest of their lockdown offering, I'm finding it fairly fascinating.

Shula did her very best to have a bitter divorce from Alistair, but one got the feeling his heart simply wasn't in it -- he couldn't be bothered to attack her as she clearly longed for him to do so she would be the Wronged Woman for having thrown him over for no reason whatever and then refused to talk about it.

And both the men who have divorced their wives in order to shag Lilian have had ill-feeling and downright acrimony involved in the process, as well as the discarded spouses wickedly demanding their rights in the matter of division of wealth rather than killing themselves in despair at losing these prizes in the Lottery of Life.

I will be very disappointed if Alice's struggle with alcoholism is not a realistic struggle. I would expect a very bitter divorce and for her to reach rock bottom before finding sobriety.

I suspect you are all right though and it will be over and sorted by Christmas and rarely spoken about again.

I thought Lillian and Lynda’s chat was fun. A bit of light relief. But I like Lillian. Alice’s internal whinging was grim.

But what would there be to engender bitterness? Alice seems to be falling out of love - and will soon cease to be lovable, even for her besotted husband. They're both relatively young; no offspring. Is there some financial complication over Chris' business that might be difficult to disentangle?

By bitter divorce I don't mean three or four screaming matches and slammed doors followed by in-laws not speaking for a couple of months. I mean more than a year of throwing money at lawyers, at least one party losing their career through distress, someone crying every day for at least two years, regrets reverberating for decades ...

Ooh! The BBC is offering us a binaural sound experience this afternoon!

So not as good if you listen through loudspeakers instead of headphones. Progress!

I don't want to hear about the Snells' sex life. Yuk.
I quite like the Alice bits.

Well done, Ed! Most people would have lost it being spoken to like that. Good for him.

Yup. I was certain the episode would end with him sacrificing his job.

For once he's exceeded my expectations.

(Though I won't be surprised if his good intentions lead to Emma harbouring suspicions about his unexplained concern for Alice.)

He could talk to Shula or Kate

I bet Brian and Adam have yet to discover that Ed is on double time. And I also bet that this turns out to be Ed's fault.

Chris working away on Lynda’s hanging basket...

I can't believe that no one has noticed yet. Surely if Chris has been off booze he would have noticed her secret boozing?

I think we are supposed to believe he's so consumed with guilt about the beer with Ed that he's missed what is in front of his very eyes.

I bet Brian and Adam have yet to discover that Ed is on double time.

Yup.

I am guessing it's about yo come up as they work out the month's pay to everyone (always fun at harvest, with all the extra hours.) Brian or Adam will have to sign it off, and will point out Ed's got the wrong rate.

Am I right in thinking we haven't heard from Shula on the monologue front? It seems a bit odd given that they would have had to set up all the equipment etc for Charles Collingwood anyway. Has the actress been OK?

SparklingLime
Chris working away on Lynda’s hanging basket...

That would explain why it has taken him three days to make it, certainly. He was working on the thing on Monday! If he is that slow, he really is going to struggle to make a living at it.

Poor Ed. After the way she's been treating him.