🐷 Archers thread #127: Discuss the boars and sows of Ambridge here - or should that be bores and soused? You decide.

[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 live opposite Joy, 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.)

These threads normally last around a month. When I started the last one, we were bracing ourselves for the Mystery Play, but that storyline, which had never exactly set the airwaves on fire, fizzled out and has (I hope) gone away, never to return.

@LillianGish proposed a new thread title which I'll use instead as a scene-setter for this thread. What a carry on - Nurse (Ben), Sergeant (Harrison), Camping (Kate), Jack (either one of them), Regardless (all of us for continuing to tune tune in)

What a carry on, indeed! Other storylines sputtering away:

• Alice, Chris, Martha - Have they split up, and if so where is Alice living? Will there be a christening and who will be godparents? When will the Aldridges and Carters find out about Alice's drinking? Too much to hope that Alice will get blind drunk at the christening party in full view of the entire village, I suppose. I'm still clinging to my hope that she lamps Alan after a suggestion that they pray together.

• Will Rex find a new home for his pigs? If Elizabeth weakens, will the pigs escape and disrupt the Lower Loxley life drawing event on Monday? Might they stampede, knock Ross out and devour him?

• Will Jazzer go to work for Neil? (This isn't exactly a cliffhanger. Of course he will.)

• Will Justin bury Lilian under the patio? Not a jury in the land would convict him, I feel, if they were played a recording of that appalling cackle and her gloating about the daffodil photograph.

• Will the life drawing event on Monday be a brilliantly amusing interlude, exemplifying how to write character-driven drama, with both comic and more serious moments? Answer: No, obviously. I may have to listen from behind a cushion.

There are more. I find myself struggling to care.

Oh, and one final mention - I've proposed a webchat with the Archers editor. @MayIDestroyYou's idea. You'll find it here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4231475-Webchat-idea-The-Editor-of-The-Archers-Or-another-Archers-production-team-representative

Over to you!

weevils you are clearly Dweezil Dweevil Zappa and I claim my $5.

Definitely BOOP for Neil. His compassion for Brian was remarkable, but then he knows that fathers are not altogether responsible for their daughters' faults.

Good episode, Neil great. At first I thought he had got behind with the figures Brian wanted to see, but no, and mentioning Hannah with a slightly amused undertone at Brian's expense was excellent.

And making clear to Emma that she is not helping by ranting, Emma agreeing, then Emma almost immediately starting a rant again, because she couldn't help herself. Something I have done myself

Top firm but fair advice from Neil all round. Completely deserves a BOOP.

Emma can be so spiteful. It was interesting that she dragged Ed getting sacked into her list of Aldridge sins, yet wasn't prepared to acknowledge that he might have been at fault in any way. She's a bit hypocritical about her support for Poor Chris, too, it's not as if she hasn't fallen out with him more than once. It was good to hear Neil putting a stop to it.

His compassion for Brian was remarkable, but then he knows that fathers are not altogether responsible for their daughters' faults. This. But Emma was absolutely spot on in her criticism of Kate and Alice (neither of whom had the benefit of having a father like Neil). She was also spot on when she said: "and if I clocked it then someone on their side must have had an inkling" because of course they did. When is Peggy going to reveal her hand?

When is Peggy going to reveal her hand?
I think Continuity last night mentioned something.
How refreshing to see that the Character Transplant Fairy is missing from proceedings (ignoring her inflicting a temporary bout of hands-off-ness on JD).

Just getting onto the new thread.

And totally agree with all the praise for last night. Who's the writer? As @TheSilveryPussycat says, the ranting, agreeing to stop ranting and then re-ranting was very realistic.

Really felt for Neil. The "Yes poor mum" bit from him was really so well done as well, he's a good actor. You really feel this usually slightly hard-done-by but solid family is going through the absolute wringer.

Well done, @TheThermalStair! It's only a touch over halfway through.

Five episodes a week! How will we cope?

Yet another BOOP for Neil. What a he is.

Thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g I'm the mid-episode drama right on cue.

TheThermalStair
And totally agree with all the praise for last night. Who's the writer?

It was either Liz John or Nick Warburton, who are both credited as writers for this week.

Oh goodness, poor Neil!

(It's warming my old heart to see the resurgence of BOOP-ery ...)

Just listened to Monday's episode again. Neil was brilliant, Emma awful. She's incredibly judgemental and needs to take a good hard look at herself. There was a time I thought she was starting to mature a bit, but nope.

I wanted to give Neil a big hug. What a great episode!

Emma is one of those unfortunate people who wear their heart on their sleeves. In times of stress her mouth bypasses her brain.

I know she hates Alice with a passion but she must be feeling really guilty that she didn't try harder to make people realise that Alice was a drinker.

She is merely feeling furious because people didn't immediately accept her unsupported word.

Although the people who didn't are Susan and Chris, her ire is entirely aimed at the Aldridges.

It's not up to Chris whether Alice can see her child or not

It is if she has allowed it. And possession is probably nine points of the law at this point.

Which is why I suspect Alice is going to snatch the baby and try to vanish with her, to prove how responsible and sensible she is.

Doesn't matter what she's "allowed" him to do, under duress. A parent can't legally keep the other parent from seeing their child, or limit their access. Only a judge can do that.

And possession is probably nine points of the law at this point

That makes no sense whatsoever. You don't "possess" a child!

JD and Brine should start threatening Chris with lawyers.

And that will be sure to help Alice dry out, won't it.

I don't think Chris is the right person to superintend Alice's contact with the baby, but I am certain that somebody should; her carry-ons this evening made it clear she is not stable, and I seriously doubt she ought to be left alone with a baby. Just not Chris, because she seems hell-bent on attacking him.

Now would be the perfect time to discover that one of the Gills is a hotshot lawyer, but was at Uni with somebody who trained locally. Alan seems to have buried Usha under the patio.

Alice doesn't need to "dry out". Alice needs to be supported to overcome her alcoholism, and making her despair by denying her access to her baby isn't going to help that process.

Chris totally buried his head to her condition, but now he's defensive and has turned on her, and is illegally stopping her from seeing her own child.