🏘️ Archers thread #129: Casey, Macy, Lily, Alice – Decent types or full of malice? Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads, which has now passed 125,000 posts! (See below for further details.)

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 lust after Russ, or other unusual things.

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.)

For the thread title I was very tempted to go with @R4's title suggestion of Come follow the exploits of Brine, Lily, Elizabeth, Usha, Ruari, George and Helen. Know collectively as bleurgh. because on the last thread @DadDadDad, our invaluable statistician, identified a post from @ILoveShula as the 125,000th. Many of us felt it was fitting that the post simply said Bleurgh!.

However, feeling that was a bit niche for the casual listener, I adapted @MayIDestroyYou's title suggestion in the end. Thanks, MIDY!

Back to Ambridge this week, after our enjoyable sojourn at Lower Loxley last week! Will we go with Alice to rehab? (Hope not.) Will the petulant Adam make good his threat to leave Home Farm? (Hope so.) What will Jennifer say? (Lots, I hope, and preferably to Brian.) Will the fete be a triumph? (Of course it will.) Will we ever return to Brookfield, or have they all fallen unnoticed into the slurry pit? (Let's hope Pip did, anyway.) WHERE IS PAT? (Can't answer this one.)

Over to you!

And to Alistair.

I kinda wish we could have somehow seen his face though....

But nice to hear Amy and I hope we hear more.

'Disrespectful to Martha'?

The 🔮 opines that Shagula Smugula should Beware The Wrath of Horrobins.

Also, that she will unburden herself to Alan.

Just done mega-catch-up.

Just as well Shula isn't a Catholic, though then she couldn't be a priest, as the RC is red-hot on sins of thought. She's committed adultery in her heart. :o

I found her telling Alistair unconvincing. I liked Brian's reception of Riuarrrrrrruidh's bisexuality and wonder if it will be worked into the SL later as tension when Adam inevitably compares it to his own coming out.

I think Alistair took it very well but would you really confide in your ex in that way? Seems very unlikely - surely it’s more likely she would tell her sister. Probably not her twin though. I can’t imagine we’ll be looking at a full on affair - just an opportunity for more dull, guilt-induced angst for even considering it.

Susan sounded such a nice mother to the Neanderthal yesterday. The Memory Box is a bit of a weird idea as no one has died but I can see what she was driving at.

Neil had no business telling Shula he'd be available to help whenever she needed it. She has local relatives in abundance, and his first responsibilities should be to his job and to helping with Martha.

Why were JD and Brine needed to babysit when Ruari was at home anyway?

Also, can I just ask do people IRL ever have a realisation moment, when it dawns on them they are in love with someone they have known for ages? It’s obvs a good device in films and soaps when they see someone through different eyes but does it actually happen?

And if she was so in love with Neil why did she object to him changing her damp sling? I would have thought that would be just the ticket as it would allow you to be close to the object of your affection without being inappropriate in any way.

Ok. I’ve probably spent enough time on Shula and Neil for now.

They would have ended up being inappropriate though. That's why she sent him away.

Bleurgh!

Why did she think she was going to die when she’d fallen off a pony and broken her arm?

She was unconscious for a while.

Shula really is Looking for Something and still hadn't found it. Not Alastair, not the stables, not Philip, not not being with Alastair, and not the church. After the Neil infatuation what will be next thing she can simultaneously decide is her passion and wring her hands over?

It was SO predictable that staying with Amy wouldn't provide the answer for Alice, I can't understand why she or anyone else would have thought it might. So presumably we go full circle with Alice going back home still drinking, still saying she can sort it all out herself. What happened to that moment of realisation Alice had when JD said she was terrified she was going to die?

I’m sorry - I don’t want to say it, but they could have made a far better story if she had broken her boring neck and died.

Dan would have returned and there’d be a new vitality to the Stables story.

Neil could have donned widow’s weeds and wailed all over the village, until Susan resorted to patio therapy.

We could have had weeks of her siblings picking over her belongings, reminiscing about their childhoods and discovering (hastily written) long hidden secrets in her cupboards.

Would have been lovely ...

I’m disappointed that neither Amy nor Alan realised that Alice going there was not going to work, and quite how serious Alice’s alcoholism was. You’d think they’d both have a bit of professional experience in the area. Crap writing once again.

I’m sorry - I don’t want to say it, but they could have made a far better story if she had broken her boring neck and died.

I’m more than happy to say it. TA would be a more interesting place without her, for all the reasons Edmontine has listed.

I haven’t heard the latest episode yet, but this discussion makes me think I won’t be enjoying it.

Ha Edmontine I can’t help but agree. Doubtless though she’ll now feel the need to Atone and with any luck she’ll decide to sod off and help Those Less Fortunate for a bit, ideally very far away.

Or more tediously she’ll feel the need to confess her feelings to Neil or Susan. Can’t bear to listen.

I do find it quite funny though that she doesn’t even think she’s in love with Neil and his many excellent qualities, his manly eyebrows or whatever - she just quite openly fancies him because he’s fussing around her like a slightly pig-whiffy nurse-handyman.

There is always the chance that they missed a significant head injury which will suddenly take her from us…

🙏🏽

I have a bit more sympathy for the N&S storyline. Both decent people, both set on doing the right thing, competent, both a bit stoic... They would have been a good match.

Neither wants a quick bunk-up.

What I can't get over is that Shula was made Master of the Hunt and now that is never mentioned. Did they run out of foxes?

They would have been a good match.

They would have been a terrible match! 24 hour hand wringing and overthinking. I’ll never forget Neil’s long ago speech to Susan about how he wouldn’t have become even a zillionth of the man he was without her. How she put fire in his belly and continually pushed him out of his comfort zone despite his protestations. Shula would never have done that. He’d have lived the dullest life ever with her.

I think Shula would have done that differently.

I think Neil and Susan have had a good marriage. Susan would drive most people crazy though.

I'm not buying the idea that Neil makes lasagne from scratch. He strikes me as a Dolmio man.

It might be a bit late for this year, but Shula needs to go and do a pilgrimage (Camino de Santiago will do). She really should have gone to New Zealand and stayed there.

The accident was a good opportunity to get Dan and a new partner back to take over the stables.

On the plus side, it's nice to hear from Amy.
Perhaps the cereal cupboard is going to get a deep clean.

To be fair I think, when exes are on good terms, it’s not unusual to tell them about a new (potential) relationship - they’re the ones you’re used to confiding in.