🍾 Archers thread 123: Goodbye & good riddance to 2020 – to Philip too? The Archers is 70 on New Year’s Day – celebrate or vent about it 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 wish we heard more from Shula, 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.)

So! 2021 beckons. Big anniversary next Friday, 1.1.21 (and to mark that we have episodes Tuesday-Friday next week). What would we like to see happen? I may be in a minority of one, but I'd like a nice gentle character-driven episode. I don't think we'll get that, but I really, really hope they don't kill someone else off, just for the headlines.

[Title edited by MNHQ at OP'S request]

The aspirin was mentioned twice. I fear it may be as a preventative measure, anti miscarriage, after she lost that baby some years ago. Poor Kirsty, with that and the biscuits, up the duff I fear. How tedious.

Ugh. What sanctimonious prick Brian is. Good on Jim - TA's moral compass, as ever.

He was vile twice in one episode - is he being set up for something?

I'm surprised Jim restrained himself from pointing out that Brian was actually guilty of his crime.

It would be outrageously bad luck for anyone to have lost a baby that would have bound them forever to an Archer, but to keep one that ties them to a Moss.

Did Brian have a personality transplant tonight? The scene in the shop sounded very clunky. Obviously a plot device.

I'm beginning to dislike Harrison and his self righteousness too

It does make sense that Brine would hold a grudge against Kirsty. But the whole loss of the farmhouse thing is odd and unconvincing. They don't seem to hold it against Kate at all, and the new owners of the farmhouse are never mentioned any more.

I'm beginning to dislike Harrison and his self righteousness

But isn't it wonderful that one of the Moss dominoes has toppled onto Plod's brilliant career?

Agree the Home Farm house thing remains strange and unsatisfactory.

Lillian darker and tallish, both quite slim

Lilian is 5'3" , a bottle blonde size 16 squeezed into a 12 wearing expensive but hideous animal prints.

I'm beginning to dislike Harrison
Better late than never, but what took you so long?

oh, and Ambridge needs new road signage - along the lines of those deer ones and the hump-backed bridge: "Alice possible for 3 miles" .

'along the lines of a cross between those deer ones...'

Lilian is 5'3" , a bottle blonde size 16 squeezed into a 12 wearing expensive but hideous animal prints.
This is exactly how I see Lilian too.
I hope Kirsty told the police about the teddy. I bet Blake said something that gave away their situation to the person at the petrol station when he bought it that can be used as evidence.

I thought Gavin bought the Teddy on their behalf.

I missed the biscuit reference last night but could Kirsty just be comfort eating?

Characters must be comfort eating during pretty much every episode. The production people don't usually go to the effort of making us listen to them chomping!

If she is pregnant I feel mortified for her. Decades wasted hanging around Ambridge aristocracy, or leaning on Roy (who clearly prefers the glamour of wealth or foreign-ness in women) and she picks the Second Worst Man in her world. (Completely failing to learn from rescuing her friend from the Worst Man.)

Ghastly position they've written her into ...

If Kirsty is pregnant I’ll lose any respect I ever had for the SWs - they’ve already done one traumatic pregnancy storyline with her, and we have another one running at the moment.

I have to say pregnancy didn’t even occur to me while listening - I assumed she wanted biscuits because she was miserable after going back to the house and aspirin because she had a headache (even before she was berated by Brian).

Also I thought Brian was entirely in character last night - he’s always been a bit luke-warm on Kirsty and she does have a history of being a bit self-righteous and straight-talking when she disagrees with people (which she has done plenty of times with Brian in the past). There is certainly no love lost between them and I can believe that he would be less-than-sympathetic to her in her current situation even if he doesn’t really think she was involved.

Oh yes - wasn't it Brian's GM field she and Tom trashed? (Or one next to his - I forget.)

It does seem odd. Two such generally affable people who just rub each other up the wrong way. Thing is, whereas Brian is very much live and let live, and therefore gets on well with most people around, Kirsty is weirdly morally overbearing whenever she gets the chance.

I suppose that Harrison wouldn't mention it out loud, because Chris told him in confidence, but he must have been wondering how he failed to spot that there was anything wrong with Alice. She must have been "three sheets to the wind" for several years, driving round Borsetshire.

I am glad that Brian has remembered that he had to sell his house. Maybe he will also remember that he promised Jenny that the cottage was a temporary move until they found a property that they liked.

I am pleased they included the conversation between Brian and Kirsty. Do the rest of the village really believe that Kirsty is entirely blameless?

Thing is, whereas Brian is very much live and let live, and therefore gets on well with most people around, Kirsty is weirdly morally overbearing whenever she gets the chance

Yes, I agree. I would far rather have Brian and Jenny as neighbours rather than Kirsty monitoring my recycling. I’m not surprised Brian had a go at her - she is always on her high horse and unless you are a close friend or a regular listener, it really is hard to believe she knew nothing. Also he was cross after the encounter with Harrison and she was simply in the firing line. I doubt he would have gone that far if he hadn’t just got a ticket.

Everyone is always down on Harrison too. I clearly have terrible taste in men as I’m afraid he’s another favourite of mine. Terrible actor and not exactly Inspector Linley but I have a soft spot - particularly after the Costa del Ambridge scene when he recreated southern Spain in the garden. I think his guilt at having let Philip slip through his fingers would be very real.

I can’t believe Kirsty will be pregnant - wouldn’t that be too much like the Knob and Myson story with both Kirsty and Helen having to explain to their children why they never see their unspeakable fathers and the permanent possibility of said unspeakable father making a reappearance?

All of that, Lil'G.

Would be hilarious!

Oh God, I hope Kirsty isnt pregnant, that would be so lazy, so obvious.
I love Brian and was cheering him on when he was winding Kirsty up I am afraid😁

Any Archers episode is improved when Brian is in it😉

Thing is, whereas Brian is very much live and let live

Hmm. I like Brian, always good to have him in a storyline. However he is "live and let live when it doesn't get in my way" rather than "live and let live" in general terms.

He comes from wealth and power, he can afford to be magnanimous with the small folks like the Grundys. If they crossed him in a way which cost him money they wouldn't last long.

Kirsty is much more comparable to Jenny - she is the innocent partner of a man comitting criminal acts. Brian can bluster all he likes but the reason he lost his house and a sodding great chunk of money was because he knowingly broke the law.

Brian can bluster all he likes but the reason he lost his house and a sodding great chunk of money was because he knowingly broke the law.

Absolutely, and I'm really hoping we get to hear Jennifer remind him of this when he proudly tells her about the encounter with Kirsty in the shop.

I was surprised by Brian, but then though back to how downriver rude Kirsty was to Jenny when B&J moved next door.
Ungentlemanly of Brian but believable in context.

Downriver! Freudian autocorrect

Should have been downright

'downriver rude' is beautiful, though ...

Kirsty dished it out to the Aldridges she can’t be entirely surprised that they take this opportunity for a bit of revenge. She was holier than thou and now I’m sure most people will harbour doubts about whether she really knew nothing About what Phillip was up to.