🐠 Archers thread #135: An Everyday Story of Fishy Folk. 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 would be delighted to be given a goldfish named after your ex, 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.)

Apologies for ignoring the various title suggestions on the last thread. However, here they are, plus a couple of other pithy observations, to kickstart the new thread. I think it's fair to say nobody is looking on this as a Golden Era! Goldfish Era, though ...

@Roysnewshirt: Everyone wants more! Chris wants more Amy; Jazzer wants more Tracey; Alice wants more time with Martha and Amy wants more space… Very true. And now we know Kirsty wants more farming expertise in the rewilding project, but not Pip (thank the lord) so does that mean approaching Adam? Currently under-employed.

@LillianGish: I tune in to hear birdsong and bleating in the English countryside not hammy acting and suggestive grunting.

@stilldumdedumming: Archers is good at the dynamics of family, farming, what it means to have your job, your home and your inheritance so closely aligned etc etc not this nonsense!

@DoctorTwo: Like fuck would Pheobe buy her parents a goldfish each. The Ambridge character transplant fairy has been working overtime this past few weeks, it's been absolutely fucking appalling bar a couple of exceptions.

Can't disagree with any of that. I want to hear more about the pigs and any other effects of Brexit. A topical insert about the war in Ukraine must surely be on the way.

Any happy listeners out there? Any disgruntled listeners with even more grumbles? Over to you!

Only a pervert would be pissing around in an Easter Bunny outfit this early.

I was under the impression Lily was pranking Freddie to win the £10? have I got it wrong?

@TheSilveryTinsellyPussycat

I was under the impression Lily was pranking Freddie to win the £10? have I got it wrong?

It's a nonsense story line, but yes you have got it wrong. Lily doesn't know whose bottom she patted. She lost the bet.

Whatever has happened to Ed and Emma? No reference to them for months. There must be a big SL planned for them in the pipeline as we haven’t heard a peep since long before Christmas.

In that case, Kathy is due her own spin off series, @Roysnewshirt…

@Roysnewshirt

Whatever has happened to Ed and Emma? No reference to them for months. There must be a big SL planned for them in the pipeline as we haven’t heard a peep since long before Christmas.

And Helen, Lee, Joy and Johnny.

Really hoping Joy takes in Ukrainian refugees at some point, but then I think I'm the only person on the planet who actually likes Joy (including our Rochelle.)
Lynda surely will too?

I like Joy too!

And I did enjoy tonight's episode

So, are we soon to welcome a new Vicar?

Was the whole ‘return of Amy’ thing just a mechanism for the removal of Alan and Usha? (They’ve both been there for a very long time, doing jobs they must have mastered years ago. Can’t help thinking that in real life they’d both have been keen to seek out new challenges long before now.)

Seems a bit sneaky, but who knows.

What could have been a lovely Mother's Day episode the SW decided to fill with two loud shouting arguments
I didn't enjoy it at all.

Poor Susan.

In a way this was inevitable. The moment she transferred a large part of her identity to her Aldridge-in-law status she guaranteed an apocalyptic break-up, whenever it happened. And now she feels she has the entire wider Aldridge clan coming for her family with pitchforks.

It’s intriguingly messy …

I could have done without quite so much sermon.
But did like the episode on the whole.

Another one who likes Joy

Well it takes all sorts
I did like the sermon, really didn't like the shouting especially if it was in the church?!
And I dislike Joy.

@suzyscat

Really hoping Joy takes in Ukrainian refugees at some point, but then I think I'm the only person on the planet who actually likes Joy (including our Rochelle.) Lynda surely will too?

I like Joy. She's kind- hearted and lonely.

I enjoyed tonight's episode. Kate's hypocrisy is jaw dropping.

Kate was her usual lying self. The first words out her mouth about Alan were lies: "hellfire" and damnation indeed.

Unsurprisingly, as a blow-in to church services, she knows nothing about Christianity, but even I'm amazed at her calculating determination to spite Alan.

What prize-winning, Ambridge show cow.

I liked that they managed to slip in a reminder of the clocks changing. I thought, that's classic Archers. We almost got some change counting too but Neil must have paid by card.

That reminds me, clocks go back in Victoria next weekend. Time to check the fire alarm batteries and switch the ceiling fans to winter setting. It's all go.

Keri Davies is this week's writer. He always manages to have a scene in the shop, which in past times would involve change counting. Thing of the past now, though, even in Ambridge. I can't remember the last time I paid for something with cash.

I've led a very sheltered life, but do people really make scenes like this because A, who has recently separated from B, has a one night stand with C, who is a friend of B's? I thought this sort of thing was extremely common. I find Amy's constant breast-beating about it very tiresome indeed, but then I don't take to Amy, as currently portrayed.

Actually, I can remember - the window cleaner. Nobody in Ambridge ever refers to a window cleaner. You'd think that would be a useful fill in job for someone.

I was surprised Amy went crying to Susan, and that Susan wasn’t more taken aback by the news - surely she can’t think it paints Chris is a good light to have been shagging Alice’s best friend? And as for encouraging a relationship the whole conversation was wholly unrealistic.

I can’t imagine Alice is going to be very pleased with Kate - and she’s going to be furious when she discovers Fallon knew and didn’t tell her.

I really dislike this storyline - Alice’s recovery has been pretty realistic so far, and I felt it would be more appropriate to have dug into the reasons why she drank and tackling those issues next. I hope we don’t see a relapse.

Alan was the worst for me. Sermonising about patience etc and then roaring at a parishioner (however annoying) in church. Surely in his job he would have more emotional resilience and perspective than to be riled into losing it by Kate.

Surely in his job he would have more emotional resilience and perspective

I’d been thinking the same about Amy. They really are portraying her as the most ridiculous, soggy wet tissue of a woman. It’s no surprise she struggled to cope with employment in the current NHS.

I don't think they're going to remove Alan for asking someone to stop bringing up loud personal grudges in church, however definitely he did it. It isn't the place at all!

I really liked Susan asking if Neil wanted a receipt . Very profesh and reminded me of the people I know who work in shops.

I thought Susan favouring Amy as a post-Alice partner for Chris was quite realistic. I can't be the only one whose mum used to shop around for partners for them "ooh that Ben would make you a great boyfriend, why don't you go out with him?". Plus of course Amy is porridge in human form - sustaining, dull, good for you. Or at least that's how she's being portrayed - I'm sure she has many terrible characteristics and habits of her own (apart from ill-advised shags) but we haven't heard about them yet because she only exists as a foil to the "real" characters.

Also don't forget everyone expects single dads to want/need a "replacement woman" immediately to share the burden of parenthood. And it makes sense that Susan would want to recruit Amy to Team Chris.