👑 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.

Anyone else doing a bit of a double take at the notion of the Dopeys doing B&B? Neither are exactly domesticated, and when do they have time to fit cooking breakfasts etc around all the work on the farm? Or are they planning on Jill doing it all?

It’s a good question, Novum!

I’m sure I remember Phil and Jill doing B&B in a previous century - was it in the house or in a cottage or two? Didn’t Jenny ask Jill’s advice when Home Farm embarked on the same project? (It could have been the other way round but I think P&J were first.)

I guess David and Ruth might be planning the sort of Air B&B where no breakfast is offered. ( Let’s not speak of it …) So either they provide breakfast making facilities (kettle, toaster?) or direct people to the nearest cafe or pub. I agree frying bacon wouldn’t be a good use of a farmer’s time.

They're being set up with a home.

They are being set up for a tedious competition for the affections of the tedious beyond words Bethly Bore.

Dropping in to share the speculation on the Baby Father. I wonder if the status of the Horrobins as village untouchables would deter whoever from admitting to a relationship with Chelsea. If Josh or A N Other has been shagging her it has been a secret relationship and they may be unaware of her pregnancy. In times of Tess of the Durbevilles the Squire could deny everything and walk away but nowadays DNA reveals all.

There are very few candidates of her age left apart from Josh and Ben. Chelsea despised Jake because he didn’t have a motor, and George is her cousin. I will be really cross if they suddenly introduce a character now.
It’s a great storyline though. I’m enjoying Tracey’s over the top reaction to it all.

Remind me who Jake is?

Jake is Will Grundy’s stepson, brother of Mia the Vegan, and has gone to live with his father Andrew.

Jake is Mia's brother, Will Grundy's step son. He lives with his father, and visits Ambridge occasionally.

How old is Jake? Mia is 16 and Jake is older, but how much older? 18? 19?

He lives far enough away to be unaware of Chelsea's disappearance, unless one of the Grundys told him.

Jake is Chelsea's first cousin once removed's step brother.

I think Phil & Jill used Rickyard for B&B - that's unavailable because of Rosie and Pip.

My money is on George. We've been building up to him doing something illegal/unethical/immoral. Clarrie and Susan will not be happy.

George? But there’s no way that would have been consensual, as Chelsea affirmed it was.

And apart from “Eeeeew, almost incest!” there’s no purchase in creating a Grundy / Horrobin child. Look at the return on investment the SWs got from pairing up Sharon with An Archer all those years ago.

oliver?

As the father?! No way. I would boycott the show forever if the SWs did that. Oliver is a lovely, genuinely good, man. There's no way he would sleep with a 17 year old, ever.

Ruari has been lurking around the village a bit (and has recently started having sex with Julianne). Surely he makes the listing?

Perhaps the father will be a star player in the Darrington team.

Everyone else we know of (not mentioned a couple of posts ago) seems a bit too old these days, surely?

I have a nasty feeling we won't be told.

no lanourers on a farm me tioned either (was is lily a few years back?)

Yes. I will be very cross if Russ & Lily get back together.

I've been annoyed about Russ for ages. He was absolutely presented as coercive, manipulative, utterly horrible to Lily who was in thrall to him. Then he was forgotten about as was the storyline & he just became accepted.

It's so stupid. It will be even more so if they get back together.

On the Chelsea pregnancy thing, I find the whole 'who's the father' really off and non-Archer's.

It's silly to be dangling it as a plot device. If I were Tracey, I'd be asking clearly.

The disappearing thing was also stupid - it hasn't been explained why she randomly went off? She had already told Tracey & knows she had support. It seems uncharacteristically selfish of her.

Chelsea very clearly can't stand him but was also adamant it was concensual.

It's a stupid story line for gazillions of reasons.

And wasn't he showing his true colours tonight?

Where is this storyline going?

Maybe they'll briefly get back together (after he's made her beg a little more) and then something will happen to make her truly see?

To be clear I meant the SW's storyline is stupid, not your suggestion.

Ugh, Russ is so deeply unpleasant. Whingeing about how he had to leave the job he loved. Well, yeah, because you were a senior member of teaching staff who hit on a student, left your wife and proceeded to leech off said student (completely incidental that she happened to live in a stately home and owned a Gwen John 🤔).

And wasn’t there a little issue over drugs, Freddie, and blackmail? Hmmmmm?

Well, yes, Russ is awful. But Lily was incredibly entitled in tonight's episode. As well as not believing he got Chelsea pregnant, she told him she cheated on him. What's she on about, begging him to forgive her?

If she'd an ounce of sense she would realise that the fact she was so ready to believe the story about Chelsea means she basically doesn't trust him, and she'd move on.

Also didn't Russ have children? What happened there? Does he see them - they're never mentioned.

No, he doesn't have children.

I am fed up with characters saying "sorry" all the time

Oh Russ, come back 😢