🍾 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]

I think Kirsty is going to have to give evidence against Philip. Police were called to their house for a disturbance - something Philip can easily talk his way out of. I can’t imagine him sitting down with Harrison (because I’m guessing it will be he however unlikely in RL) and confessing to running a slave ring. No one else in the village has the least clue of what has been going on - they are all going to be as shocked as Kirsty (I still think she came to terms with it more quickly than was realistic). The biggest implication will surely be for the Grey Gables inquiry - even if the slaves have disappeared that is still very much ongoing and Blake’s position in the workforce explains a lot (it also puts Gavin in it up to his eyeballs). I find the suggestion by a PP that Philip genuinely thought he was doing the lads a favour is ludicrous - selling them on, ignoring Blake’s injuries, the need for total secrecy, the planned flit to Wales all point to the fact that he knew exactly what he was doing and didn’t want to get caught.

I think it was her bosses she had found to be uncongenial, wasn't it? And the job had turned out not to be what she'd thought it would be, involving a lot more paperwork than she had expected.

it would be nice if that manifested for her somehow in a way that doesn’t involve a thrilling future of washing roy’s cricket kit and helping him use his new phone

Always so down on poor Roy...

I expect you're particularly interested in keeping Roy's cricket whites pristine, aren't you, @Roysnewshirt? Especially the garment worn to cover the upper half of the body.

Ahhh i know i’m hard on Roy he’s just so dull, i know there’s worse things to be, but i feel myself slipping into a coma every time he has anything to do with a storyline

Hello, first post, just came to lurk to find out why I couldn't get last night's episode on the iplayer, now realise there was no last night's episode. I read with concern that there is a "Big Episode" coming up. I do hope we don't get Shocked To The Core, but just in case there is some murderous rampage and just in case we get to nominate who might be for the chop, here are my suggestions:
Jazza. Nobody I've ever met from Glasgow (and I've met many) has an accent like that.
Will. Same reason (although not Glasgow this time)
Shula. She's so whiny and selfish.

Everyone else can stay and in particular:
CMR. I find him delightfully sleazy, more please.
Ruth. I like Ruth
(controversial opinion coming up): Pip. Not sure why, but I have a soft spot for Pip, maybe because I started listening just before she was born.

On the subject of Roy, I believe that he has been described as extremely good looking. I try to picture him that way but confess it's quite hard.

Jazzer mostly grew up in Borchester rather than Glasgow, so his accent is something best not queried too closely.

Welcome, @SnapSnapDragon! I see you've taken my invitation in the OP not to worry about having unpopular opinions extremely literally.

I love Jazzer. If you listen to With Great Pleasure (on Sounds, first broadcast on Christmas morning at 7am) you'll hear the actor and that really is more or less his accent, even though he grew up in Corby, not in Scotland. As another expat Scot, I feel great solidarity with him.

Kate must have seen something in Roy. Though why Alternative Kate would have fancied Roy of the naff trousers I have no clue.

I wasn't listening at the time but had always imagined that part of Kate being different and alternative was to go out with someone utterly opposite from her and her background. I think that is probably because it was what I did so how it makes sense to me.

Here's the CPS on spousal competence and compellability. (Unless the law has changed since 2018?)

www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/competence-and-compellability

I'm saying nothing. The very best thing about having left the Law far behind me is that I never have to think about it again. (Fingers crossed.)

Great to see some new posters!

I think Kate is pretty happy to shag anyone, I say that in a nonjudgmental way 😃
I think kirsty would be settling with Roy she doesn't fancy him.

Kirsty and roy have had long periods of being single and very close friends, there’s definitely no ‘shag me’ spark or they’d have done it by now.

I was babysitting a DN when Pip was a baby. Pip was screaming her head off. I have never liked her. I may have mentioned it once or twice.

But she is a fool. High time she noticed the fact. She assumes people are decent until proved otherwise, which makes her vulnerable to the Philips of this world. But the world is a nicer place when people give other people the benefit of the doubt than when everyone treats everyone else with suspicion.

always imagined that part of Kate being different and alternative was to go out with someone utterly opposite from her and her background. Where's Jakob? Is he still around?

@MereDintofPandiculation we haven't heard that Jakob isn't around so we must assume he still is. We had that rather awful monologue from him admiring Kate during an online yoga session if I remember correctly. I have tried to forget these so may not be entirely accurate.

Yes, welcome @SnapSnapDragon!

Just an early warning - while contrary and controversial opinions are generally welcomed on this thread, you will run the risk of being shot at dawn for criticising any of the following:

• Lynda and Robert Snell
• Ed
• Susan
• Ben (new entry with surprising number of supporters)

...and obvs Jazzer as you are already finding out...

I have had a go at three on the list before now and have learnt to wear a suit of armour whenever I hit the post button with comments about any of the above.

Surprised (understatement) that you have a soft spot for Pip but it takes all-sorts...

So Fri must either be Alice -loses baby due to own actions in some kind of weird public way - or a plane clash/flood type soap scenario.

Or perhaps someone in the village will actually have a Covid test. (Cliffhanger could be receiving the result?)

I am unreasonably excited about tonight's episode (sad life). Or will they keep us on tenterhooks and make it all about Eddie and Clarrie or something?...

It would be unreasonable not to be excited about tonight!

Will Kirsty realise that by dobbing Philip in she's also sending Gavin to prison?

Has Kirsty dobbed him in though? Or did she only ask Rotaboy to call the police?

Hello, another delurker here... listening tonight I wondered if it could (finally) be Kirsty and Roy’s time?! Or is that a very unpopular opinion?

Tonight left me with three questions.

How (and why) does Rhiannon have Kirsty's cellphone number? They have never had anything at all to do with each other.

Can the police forbid someone to go to his own residence, a house which is held in his name?

How does someone in England file for divorce less than three weeks after marrying someone?

(That's not even mentioning all the Covid regulations being walked through: two households (Helen and Lee) going on holiday together, Tracy, Jazzer and Susan foregathering in an enclosed space, Kirsty casually moving into another household...)