❓ Archers thread #126: It’s a mystery why we’re all still listening.

[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 on the Parish Council, 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/4197199--The-Archers-spoilers-thread-6-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 @LillianGish and @Taswama for thread title ideas, but I felt most in sympathy with @R4's suggestion. Is it me, or is the programme in the doldrums at the moment?

Haven't heard the 31/3 episode yet. Perhaps it's a gem.

@ILoveShula

I don't understand why people who aren't Christian have their children christened, or why people who aren't Christian become godparents.

I suspect Alice will be doing a lot of 'drunking'.

Presents. Work experience opportunities when they're older. Gifts in wills.

What did Kate just say? The end bit?

Weren't Alice and Pip quite close at one point? I certainly remember them meeting for a drink at least once (the time when Pip wasn't drinking and Alice spiked her drink, only to find out Pip was pregnant...).

And where's the religion in that?

The people I'm thinking of would not be able to offer work experience, and only possibly gifts in wills, and would not be able to, IMO, give any meaningful spiritual guidance.

Kate's an odd one isn't she.

What did Kate just say? The end bit?
She hissed, almost as a threat, "I'll always be your sister". Coming after PC Plot's Don Corleone / Godfather impersonation.
Was tonight's episode written by the same person as yesterday? It was a million times better. And lovely to hear JD again.

Thanks @R4. And yes, it was nice to hear Jenny!

Glorious! Kate is a monster!

And things seem to be progressing nicely on the Alrrison (or should it be Halice?) front too...

@R4

What did Kate just say? The end bit? She hissed, almost as a threat, "I'll always be your sister". Coming after PC Plot's Don Corleone / Godfather impersonation. Was tonight's episode written by the same person as yesterday? It was a million times better. And lovely to hear JD again.

R4 Was tonight's episode written by the same person as yesterday? It was a million times better.

There are two writers each week, doing two episodes each, and in the weeks Keri Davies has told us what days he did on Twitter he has not written two episodes in a row. So if they follow the same pattern for each pair, probably not.

(I can't see the reason for this new arrangement: each writer used to be able to do six episodes at a time, so why can they not do four now?)

Always good to hear Jennydarling.

Always good to hear Kate too.

I looked ahead and the writers this week are Liz John & Tim Stimpson. I completely agree that tonight's episode was much better. I really enjoyed it. Sadly, I have no idea which is which if they are doing alternate episodes.

I fell asleep in yesterday’s episode. Kate is SO CONSISTENTLY annoying.

It's dreadful to admit, but Kate's impotent affrontedness and familial paranoia rather struck a chord with me. It's quite hard, once you've taken on the role of black sheep, to ever really shrug it off. Some of her spat with her Ma was verging on sparkling. () BOOP.

Poor Alice, though. Eventually she's going to be having desperate, whispered conversations with every single person in Ambridge, earnestly begging them not to breathe a word to anyone else.

She knew that Harrison already knew, and I don't think she has herself told anyone about her drinking. I'm not sure whether she knows about Alan and Peggy.

I think Alice being so appalled that anyone find out reflects her lack of commitment that she will never drink again. I think they are leading up to a horrific event (like a christening) where everyone close / with significance will bear witness to her problem. Whether this will be her rock bottom and she'll miraculously recover with an unlikely and easy path to sober earth mother extroadinaire remains to be seen.

As hard as the listening will be I would prefer a long term battle that addresses the true impact of how excessive drinking is effecting more and more in our society.

I wonder if she will get totally trashed at the christening.

How did Kate end up as she is? Debbie and Alice are so different. I know Debbie is a half-sister but she's so sensible in comparison.

How did Kate end up as she is? Debbie and Alice are so different

I can confirm it is definitely possible for sensible women to have zany, crazy sisters...

@ILoveShula

I wonder if she will get totally trashed at the christening.

How did Kate end up as she is? Debbie and Alice are so different. I know Debbie is a half-sister but she's so sensible in comparison.

Sets of siblings can be so varied! And in some ways it'd be weirder growing up with a Kate if Alice had been able to become a second Kate! All of that family are quite "authoritative" except JD. Often happens in a family where the mother lays herself down as there merely to serve Her Family, as Jennifer mainly has.

I am starting to wonder if Alice is gearing up for a vanishing act, after Martha is safely embedded in the community with substitute parents. I can imagine her note "don't try to find me Chris, you know Martha is better off without me".

I am starting to wonder if Alice is gearing up for a vanishing act

What an awful punishment for being the only woman in Ambridge with a postgraduate degree in engineering ...

Is there anyone else in Ambridge with a postgraduate qualification, other than Jim?

I'd say Usha and Richard Locke, but are they still in Ambridge?
**Not sure how GPs and Vets' qualifications work.

I was thinking Jakob. He's the sort of person who would do an actual PG qualification in horses or something rather than rely on gaining experience.

cameocat
I think Alice being so appalled that anyone find out reflects her lack of commitment that she will never drink again.

She was also very opposed to anyone, even her parents, being told that she was pregnant. That went on for about three weeks after she'd told Chris.

Lilian guessed, and then Fallon guessed, and eventually Chris told Susan and there was no point trying to keep it secret any longer.

And didn't Kate do some masters (sustainable development or something,?) at Felpersham? Dunno if she finished, though.

@EBearhug, yes, Jakob would. I used to work at a company where quite a few had PhDs. Some had more than one PhD.

@EBearhug

And didn't Kate do some masters (sustainable development or something,?) at Felpersham? Dunno if she finished, though.

Kate failed her GCSEs and ran away. Many years later she took a diploma at Felpersham University and claimed it was a Master's degree, but therewais no way she would have been able to take a Master's with neither A-levels nor a degree nor even any qualifications of some sort. Then she thought at yet another later date that she would now take a Master's there and managed somehow to get on a course of some sort, but didn't last a term because her tutor kept on insisting that she hand in work on time and she didn't like him.

The second time was an excuse to come back from RSA without having to admit that her husband had thrown her out of the house for adultery, which Noluthando then told Phoebe on a Skype call.