🎭 Archers thread 125: Ambridge Mysteries! The Case Of The Missing Pandemic. Where Is Pat? What Is Lynda Snell's Kompromat? Follow the clues and discuss The Archers 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’d love to be in the Mysteries, 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 for thread title ideas to @Roysnewshirt and @Witchwife. Apologies if I’ve forgotten anyone else.

Do we think the Mysteries replace the usual fun storylines around giving things up for Lent? Light relief while we wait to see if the SWs go for realism and tragedy when Alice’s baby is born, or bottle out (as it were) and go for everything being fine? Will Jazzer and Tracy get back together again? (No bookie in the land would take money for that, of course they will.)

Over to you!

I think the new baby should be called Jazzerella, after her deliverer.

@SparklingLime

Emma’s vehement insistence that Chris not drive to Alice seemed really odd. It could have been totally the wrong thing to do.

It seemed like a sensible decision to me, given that it sounded as though Alice would get to the hospital before the baby was born, however it did strike me as a decision that Emma might pay for later... (as soon as Emma said they should go straight to the hospital I knew the baby wouldn't be born there!).

@SparklingLime

I meant later when C & E were at the hospital and Emma insisted that they not drive to Jim’s car, *@CaptainMyCaptain*.

I wasn't sure where C and E were when they were talking but, as far as they knew, Alice was on her way to the hospital. They didn't know Jazzer was delivering Magna in the back of the car.

Jazzermine?

Hmm I think driving around practically chasing ambulances is generally a bad idea so probably Emma was right. I was in a situation with dp and an ambulance and they made it really clear that I shouldn't rush to meet them and definitely said it more than once - so presumably it's a cause of accidents.

@Nith

I think the new baby should be called Jazzerella, after her deliverer.

I love this. If anything it's too good a name for the Carter spawn.

Re: chasing the ambulance, what I couldn't understand is why nobody thought to get Chris up on speakerphone at least when Alice was crying out for his support.

Presumably because Jazzer was on the phone already.

I don't recall Rob ever saying "out loud" that he was going to go on have sex with her unprotected - although he might have implied it that fateful evening.

Emma's insistence did seem a little laboured, but maybe the point was to emphasise how concerned Chris was because of Alice's hidden vulnerability.

@ILoveShula

Presumably because Jazzer was on the phone already.

Yes but I presume Alice has a phone. And where the flip did Jim go?

JanFebAnyMonth
I don't recall Rob ever saying "out loud" that he was going to go on have sex with her unprotected - although he might have implied it that fateful evening.

There was more than one fateful evening written by Stimpson.

I'm fairly sure it was something she said, so it may not be reliable, but it was definitely said.

Jim went to the shops to try to find a first aider or someone to help. I think that’s quite reasonable given that he and Jazzer are up there with the least qualified cast members to deliver a baby! Jazzer was a little bit too busy to fiddle around finding Alice’s phone, get her to give him its code or open it with face recognition and then call Chris, I think, he as concentrating on what the 999 operator was telling him to do and trying to help Alice.

Jim ran away very fast to avoid becoming the designated primary carer in the delivery suite.

(And probably to leave room for Jazzer's epiphany ...)

Jazzer's epiphany
How many stitches!

Presumably because Jazzer was on the phone already. Didn't Jazzer mutter something about his phone being out of battery when Jim told him to call an ambulance? So presumably he was using Alice's and Jim's futile search for a first aider was merely a SW device to get Jim's phone out of the car, so there wasn't a second phone available to get Chris on. Thus paving the way for Chris's enduring anger at Jazzer being there, and anger at Emma for not letting him be there.

Didn't Jazzer mutter something about his phone being out of battery No he didn't, he said "where's my blooming phone gone?"
But I still think getting Jim away was mainly to get his phone away.

@WitchWife, I don't think Alice was in a position to reach for her phone and Jazzer was probably to busy with being a makeshift midwife.

too not to. When i was listening I did think why don't they put Chris on the phone but I thought Ah yes, Jazzer's on the phone.
Jim had gone to fetch help I think

Martha Carter???

Martha Aldridge-Carter??

Riley Carter after her birthplace.

@ILoveShula

Jazzermine?

Excellent guess!

Nearly Jazzermine!

Sulking. Not Magna. Not dedded.
Quite like the name though. Martha isn't one I'd pick but it's ok and -Jazzermine- Jasmine is pretty.

MARtha CARter (by God, Sir, what a farter?) isn't exactly euphonious to my ear, though Martha is an ok name in itself. Jasmine doesn't go with it, imo. But I'm inclined to believe it won't matter for very long. Being an optimistic soul.

I think Martha Carter might be OK but it's Alice that will go awol. She didn't want to hold her.

I know Alice didn’t want to get pregnant but hearing the absence of love for her daughter was horrible. She doesn’t want to hold her, doesn’t care what she’s called. I liked Jim and Brian together, I don’t recall hearing them together before but hope they can strike up a friendship.

Martha Aldridge would be lovely but Martha Carter sounds awful.