🎭 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 am also v surprised at Kirsty’s preoccupation with this archaic play and digging Roy’s vegetable patch this week. She really has other things she could be doing - and I don’t mean chasing around the homeless hostels again.

Well, quite. I'm still puzzled about what on earth she is living on. It's not as if she had such fantastically well paid jobs when she was working previously.

Displacement activities- I'm not surprised at Kirsty at all.

I did laugh when one person said to the other (can't remember who/ whom, maybe Kirsty and Harrison) - you didn't need to come round specially, you could have just phoned. As we have pointed out there's a lot of in person conversations that would be a phone call / text message in real life.

It was Harrison and he explained he had official news as well, though I am not sure why that couldn't have been by phone too.

Jade really is unbelievably horrible. Is anyone really that rude in real life?

And this is what they hired a black actor for?

Ffs.

Although she may be well suited for Jazzer. I'm going off Jazzer. I really hope this isn't the long way round to getting him back with Tracey. Tracey deserves better.

@MissBarbary

Jade really is unbelievably horrible. Is anyone really that rude in real life?

Nope, it’s the stuff of jackanory aibu threads about ‘cheeky fuckers’ or horrible sils.

Ridiculous. No one would behave like that. Total caricature.

And if she is meant to be in her twenties, she certainly wouldn’t be referring to Alistair as Delia.

she certainly wouldn’t be referring to Alistair as Delia

Mebbe not, but I think I shall in future. Or 'Delilah'. He could cut off Shula's cardi while she sleeps and deprive her of her vicaring strength.

What the hell is an 'over-stuffed plate', by the way? One does not stuff a plate, it being a flat thing made of china. V bad writing altogether tonight. 'Gramps'? ODFOD. No One Speaks Like This

Well, that was a very peculiar episode

Jade would have called Jim Boomer not Gramps

Where I used to live they (before COVID) did a mystery type play every year in the grounds of a private estate and that took place in June. Much better weather then.

Molly, I'm sure it was you I meant to reply to - possibly on the last thread - about this year's Academic Archers. I didn't go, and feel a tiny bit sad about becoming so distanced from the whole phenomenon, after live tweeting from the inaugural event. That was quite fun ...

love the thread bit bored with the programme - just to be clear

especially after tonight's tedious caracatures.

Jade is meant to be Johnny’s age - early twenties and fun, when a silent character - but the actor sounds about 50 to me. I missed snotgate as my family will persist in speaking despite it being Archers O’clock, and after reading about it on here I had no burning need to listen again. WTF is going on?

Absolutely unbelievable, nobody is that rude. Pathetically bad writing. Why is Jazzer suddenly a fool and a disloyal friend? I’d prefer Shula wittering on about her many crises of faith than this drivel. At least Brian put a in an appearance.

So, interestingly Keri Davies said on Twitter that he wrote Monday and Wednesday’s episodes this week. I am surprised he wrote Monday as it was very leaden but presumably there simply wasn’t that much he could do with it given the very turgid SL he had been allocated.

I don’t know enough about the writing process to know how much freedom he would have had to change it.

May be tonight he will be back to form...

One of those times when I was glad there was no non-listener in the room with me. Dear me. Abysmal.

I agree nobody would be so rude to Jim and Alastair's faces, it was just ridiculous. I could have accepted her saying those things to Jazzer after they'd left but then I wouldn't believe that he would agree with her, he would have defended Jim and Alastair.

My mum once asked a dinner guest, a man in his 40s, if he would like some broccoli. He laughed incredulously and said 'No, broccoli's horrible!'. My mother still talks about it a quarter of a century later. I shudder to think how she'd have reacted to Jade.

It seems a pity that having stuck with TA through the monologues and reduced number of episodes per week sustained poor writing is turning people off. Surely if they only have four episodes a week to write they should be able to do them better? I think the intern could do better than the current standard .

I’m nearer to Jazzer’s age and even I struggled for a minute with why she said “Delia”. Nigella would be more like it or even Gordon Ramsay or Nadiya.

Drivel (programme not thread). It just feels so forced - both the Jazzer thing and the rewilding story which limps improbably on.

It doesn't ring true. Johnny is keen on Jade, and I can't see him putting up with rudeness to Jim and Alistair, or his own grandparents, and I think even away from them he would be busy defending them. I know they only spent one night together, but that's more than we have spent with her, and we're clear on her character. I don't think Jazzed will be too comfortable with the constant dissing of his adopted family, either, and I hope we don't have to endure too much more pantomime villain before we get to the point where he snaps.