Archers thread #141: The nights are drawing in. Can we turn the clocks back to a time when The Archers was fun? Cackle or carp about 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, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you're hoping Ambridge has a pantomime again this year, 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/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-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.)

Many thanks to @TottersBlankly and @GoldenCupidon for the title suggestions.

Too much to hope, I suppose, that by the time we get to the end of this thread Chelsea's pregnancy is a distant memory and the Horrobins can gear up for a cheap and cheerful Christmas. I really, really hope she doesn't change her mind about the termination. It's a horrible and unrealistic storyline, as most of us have agreed over the past few weeks, but now I just want it to end and be forgotten about.

I do like the idea of Lilian taking on the role of witch in the woods. Much more fun to listen to than Mia sabotaging the Hunt Ball, which is surely bound to go horribly wrong, or the odd wrangling over the stained glass window which we know Peggy won't be contributing to on air , given June Spencer's retirement.

Not a peep out of anybody in Ambridge about all the recent political shenanigans, but that's hardly surprising. Nobody fretting about fuel bills or rampant inflation either.

Also, where's Jenny? I hope Angela Piper's OK.

Over to you!

Really great episodes this week.

Jill’s supposed turnaround - I don’t think Leonard misled, more, misread. I think he said “she took it in her stride” or words to that effect. I would imagine she didn’t say much, but was thinking lots and has been simmering about it.

Agree completely that she spoke to Ben with real classist/“her body not as important as MY great-grand-baby” nonsense.

Ruth’s reaction was brilliant and David’s reluctance to speak to his mother was infuriating.

I think Rurai hasn’t told J the full story - hence “mum”. He called her Jenny to Ben later.

I like the R and B friendship and am glad they’ve resolved things. Their friendly ‘banter’ always makes me smile - it’s nice to hear young men be supportive to one and other and that Ben had a chance to talk about how he felt. Also thought v interesting R said he had been missing home. The escort storyline must be coming to its conclusion.

Also thought v interesting R said he had been missing home.

Oh, good grief - another one switching to Felpersham uni? (I trust not.)

I wouldn’t mind an explosive Christmas climax to the Julianne story. Jenny will see her off … (If we ever hear from Jenny again …)

May be he will end it with Julie-Anne after falling in love with Paul the vet nurse. Then he will move back and definitely transfer to Felpersham.

Although that doesn’t fit with my preferred plot line that involves R going silent for 10 years and making lots of money and then coming back to Ambridge to claim the farm after the death of - whisper it as it’s unthinkable - Brian.

I agree they done themselves proud this week.

The Ruth/Jill/David dynamic was so believable.

Loved Ben and Ruairi farting about, probably just what Ben needs - and sounds VERY likely judging by male friendships I know that someone would suggest mental torment could be fixed with a night on the town and probably another random shag. Also very believable the man going through a hard time would tell them to piss off (but nicely).

Does Brian know he has another gay/bi son yet? I can't remember.

I actually wouldn't mind if R moved back, he could probably get a great job in Birmingham and maybe pop home at the weekends sometime.

Rury told his parents during a Scrabble game or something like that.

Yes and Brian was very sanguine about it. Possibly because with R being bisexual B will think he’ll settle down with a nice gel eventually, but possibly because he’s genuinely more accepting now. Didn’t he have a nice convo with Adam about how he could have been more understanding when A came out? I seem to recall something along those lines.

@Rockersversuswalter , Cluedo, I think.

Ah thanks I'd forgotten that.

Naylah Ahmed is the writer this week, she's done brilliantly so far.

Ruth has always been involved in local farming politics, but I suspect they are a misogynist bunch and hard going in Borsetshire.

Is Ruari in his second year at uni?

oooh yes, Ruari could fall in love with paul the vet nurse, B&J will see it as a 'starter relationship'

It would also be a good natural way of making the cast a tiny bit more diverse which can only be a positive. Ruairi has not really been in love, has he, it's probably about time.

Ruari can settle down and have something on the side.

Brian would totally get that.

I don’t think Julianne will accept Ruairi moving on and it could all get a bit messy.

I think Alice will be the one to see her off. She already suspected something was wrong when Ruairi arranged that expensive break for J&B to Bath.

i thought she'd found out what was going on?

Bit early, but I'm out this afternoon so I thought I'd get the new thread started while I could. www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4678743-archers-thread-142-kill-jill-is-ambridge-heading-for-a-tarantino-style-bloodbath-on-stir-up-sunday-discuss-the-archers-here

Might as well keep on going here. Julianne has been slowly ramping up the control over Ruairi, and Paul will seem like a breath of fresh air in comparison. Julianne will go spare, and probably threaten all sorts of things.
Does she know anything about Roary other than he lives in Ambridge? Maybe that's why he says Mum not Jenny.

Somehow it will be Alice who will turn out to be Ruery's saviour.

A girl could equally be in a situation where her life seemed to have collapsed, her loved ones were suffering, she felt it was all her fault hand it certainly wouldn’t have happened had she behaved differently), and that she had no way of putting it right. Would a girl crying in those circumstances be criticised in the way Ben has? Perhaps, but I don’t think so.

If gender is being used as a euphemism for sex, yes.

Not as far as I recall. She tripped him up over lies he told about whoever owned the luxury Bath house J&B stayed in. I didn’t really understand who the owners really were. Then he got horribly drunk at the house party he hosted while J&B were away and Alice realised something was amiss.

Agree with a PP she will save him from Julianne. Maybe there will be a reconciliation of sorts (although I don’t think Ruari will ever really forgive Alice)

I don't think it was relevant who owned the place in Bath, other than Ruairi lied about it. IIRC it was an apartment in the Royal Crescent.

Can’t remember how much Alice knows…I think if she knew everything she would have told B and JD.

She will be the one to save him. Justin knows a bit too, right? I don’t see Ruari’s homesickness as a sign he’s moving home, more, a shift in values? Money lost its allure.

I've been recently enjoying the Archers so much more - finally I can stop thinking 'as if that person would really say that'.

Did you notice he also called Jenny "Mum" when talking about her to Paul? I think that is just what he says when a person doesn't [need to] know the full background. Suggests he's never confided that level of detail in Julianne.

Chris keeps referring to “Jenny and Brian” when he talks to Alice which sounds ridiculous as surely IRL he would just say “your mum and dad”. Although that tangentially reminds me of a friend who calls her parents by their first name. Very, very odd.

Justin knows R&J are sleeping together, don’t think he’s aware R is an an escort…