👑 Archers thread #139: Who’s the Daddy? No ceremonial required to join us – 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 like the sound of Lilian’s Cinnamon Chicken, 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.)

I'm often struck by the time a thread ends how irrelevant the previous title has become to what's currently going on in The Archers. The Queen's death has only been mentioned very briefly in TA, of course, but I suppose that was to be expected in a time of budget constraints. In a few weeks when this thread fills up I wonder if we will still be thinking that, and about Chelsea and her pregnancy. That depends on what she decides to do, which at the time of writing is still up in the air.

As usual, I asked for title ideas and for various reasons then didn't use them. Sorry. Lillian Gish's was very witty - Will Chelsea stay mum about dad? Muddler made a more controversial one - Horrobins thread #139. As a new Great House of Ambridge emerges, come swear your allegiance here.

That's about all I can face saying about TA at the moment. I am expecting to have to travel north soon as my Dad is in hospital and I have to be with my Mum. (They're the same sort of age as Jill Archer, and up to now have been like her and Peggy, very active, managing very well with no help, but this may all be about to change ). So apologies if I'm more absent than present for a while. Will pop in when I can.

@stilldumdedumming , I'd say my DM was brilliant in lots of ways but not all, obviously, or I wouldn't be as I am.
Unfortunately, on MN it's quite easy to be a brilliant dad but that's a different story.

She hasn’t told him. Tracey’s suggestion was the next step was to see whether he’d want to be involved

She didn't say that, but as someone on Mustardland pointed out, is there anyone, even in Ambridge, who is so thick that they would not be a bit worried that a young woman they recently had sex with went missing for a week?

That's another pointer to Toby

She said she didn’t even really like him, it was just a one night stand. I’m leaning more towards George (although I still have money on Ruari).

Good point about him guessing but I don't think Toby and Chelsea ever move in the same circles.

Maybe the father was away when Chelsea went missing, and didn't know about it

Chelsea cuts hair, so might have cut Toe B's hair

Er, yes that's rather the point of suggesting Toby or possibly Ruari. Ben, Josh, Freddy and George are not away.

Although if someone had been on holiday/away when she went missing, given all the drama, they'd likely have heard about it when they got back. Chelsea has said the person is in Ambridge.

De lurking to say I think it’s Ben. I listened again to the episode at the rave (dedication, I know) & it seems to point that way as he had the opportunity.
Have to say I’m hoping for that outcome, if nothing else than to remove deathly boring Beth.

Do you have the link to the episode @Putthetulipsthere , please?

WTF is Tracey playing at?
”Hi X, do you remember the ONS we had? Surprise - I’m pregnant. Do you want to play mums and dads?”
YES (and he means it) = Chelsea is saddled with a baby she “ain’t no way ready for”.
YES (but changes his mind later) = Chelsea is now past the point of no return, too late/traumatic to abort and compelled to be a mother on her own.
Here’s hoping the idiot who couldn’t master using a condom says “no”.

Tracey needs to establish how far along Chelsea and Google what abortion options are available to her. If Chelsea was happy to take the MAP, taking two abortion pills isn’t exactly a giant leap. Chelsea fannying about and being a Kevin is not helping matters.

If she wants to have a miscarriage so that she doesn't have to make a decision, then surely she does not want to be in a position where she no longer can make a decision, other than the decisions she will need to make as a mother.

We seem to have heard the same scenes with Tracy and Chelsea over and over and over again.

Why has no-one asked for dates - if it's a ONS this should be accurate, at any rate?

How did we get from "let's talk through the hypothetical situation of carrying through with the pregnancy" to "go and talk to the father" in about 10 lines of one conversation?

@Putthetulipsthere thank you for your service! But please no! That will be more Ben and Beth airtime.

I agree, a savvy mum with experience of feckless partners, such as Tracey, is very unlikely to think telling the dad is a good idea until her daughter has her head sorted.

Here’s the link to the synopsis of the rave episode. I listened the other day, but it seems to have been taken off now, making me even more suspicious! The relevant part is in the last paragraph, describing how Ben disappears for a while, until Josh finds him

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0018p1q

Yep. Delurking to also call Ben. I mean Beth will be devo but I reckon Josh might step up with sage and practical advice. Also, Ben can help arrange hospital side of termination if that’s what they decide (I hope) and Jill can be all hand wringy and godly. Vince will go MAD. Such Happy days.

@ArseMenagerie devo about the preggo?

(This in my head is from Australian ninja warrior where they get devo about the trampo (trampette))

Didn’t he have a girlfriend whose voice we only heard on the occasion of her dumping or being dumped? Maybe that’s who I was thinking of.

Definitely something like that. I think he was still living at Bridge Farm and worrying about goinv bald, rather than living with Hannah and Tom at No 1 the Green. The name Jezebel comes to mind, either for Johnny's girlfriend or Josh's one whom Jill found semi-dressed in the kitchen - but I can't believe that's so for either othm. Unless I was the same girl anyway. It's all a bit of a lur back then.

Jazzer should remember he's not actually Chelsea's parent - and also that if she feels she can ask Alistair for advice, that's a good thing. He should recognise Alistair and Jim as good people, he lived with them for long enough.

The synopsis also links to Josh. Who I think will be kind, sage and then mournful

@EBearhug yes although Jazzer doesn't have kids so perhaps doesn't understand that it's important that your children have adults they can turn to other than their parents.

So I'm calling Toby or Josh and that's my final offer. I think tomorrow for the reveal.

The rave (yet again). Unfortunately I don't think it was Ben. I fear Boring Beth has been set up for the long run.

I don’t see Chelsea’s comment about ‘not even liking him’ as likely to apply to either Ben or Toby. It would certainly apply to George.

Well! All caught up after three weeks in the UK.

What I'm seeing in all this pregnancy SL is Chelsea won't have an abortion because too many people know about her condition. It's not out of the question, but such an unrealistic way of debating the pros and cons; in RL people are more private. It'll more likely go to full term followed up by dithering about adoption.

Ben's solid, even when sad and drunk. I'll be amazed if he had a quickie on the grass with a teen.

Also, it depends how she was using "don't like" - meaning abhor, or just not madly in love with.