Archers thread #147: Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder how old Ambridge is. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Many thanks to @PseudoBadger for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. 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'd like to have the general public watching you work and asking questions, 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.)

Title comes from this poem, with which I drive my family to distraction at this time of year.

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is.
The bird is on the wing.
But that’s absurd, the wing is on the bird.
Or so I’ve heard.

Ogden Nash

Apologies to @TeenDivided for ignoring her good ideas for the thread title. Here they are to kickstart our ruminations:
'window on the world of cheesemaking'
'how long until the intercom is fatal'
'will Brian settle in new pastures'
'Springing towards Easter with Widowers, Windows, and wails'

Over to you!

Indeed. I often find litter in the front garden. Obviously I always call the police and show them the CCTV ...

Does anyone remember that very sad case of a male farmer prosecuted for shooting a burglar? I can't recall the outcome, but I immediately thought Pat might, in a heightened state of tension, accidentally shoot an intruder. Probably not Rob, but Tom forgetting his keys or George pinching oil or something.

Tony Martin?

Mmmm... Tom or George.

The agony of choice.

He shot him in the back, as I recall as the burglar was running away so not deemed to be self defence.

Did I miss anything last night ref Rob?

For various reasons I haven't been able to listen at all this week.

I know that this sounds very strange, but it did occur to me that that Jess could be back with Rob.
Abusive relationships can be very emotionally complicated and it just came to mind when listening to her talk. It seemed to me that she was holding something back.
Hope I’m wrong.

Long time lurker - if alice goes bell ringing, does this give her an opportunity to spend more time with Chris/rekindle their relationship? With various potential storylines.

Nocasha admitted to Tom that she and Helen hadn't been on a "girls' away day", but had instead visited Jess.

Tom blew his top at how dangerous that could have been. Manipulative Rob could have been there. Why wasn't the village on high alert? Why was he the last to know about Rob being back? etc. etc.

In vain did N try to explain she'd only been listening to Helen's wishes, and being supportive to her...

Ended up with Tom stropping off out and a banging door!

Oh, and that Pat admitted to Tom that she'd been harbouring murderous thoughts towards Rob for years and would be prepared to shoot him, were he ever to pitch up.

"We're never going to be fooled by that man again".

Surely not a coincidence that a couple of episodes after we hear Pat out with a shotgun for a spot of pigeon shooting (the first ever recorded incident of her doing any kind of shooting - @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime correct me if I'm wrong), she is threatening to kill Knob if he comes anywhere near Helen. But I still maintain that while all eyes are on the psychopath Knob, Ambridge is nurturing its very own psychopath in the shape of George.

I’m flying to Minneapolis next week. I wonder if Rob might be on the same plane? I’ll try to post an update from the gate as we board - wonder if we might be in neighbouring seats? Will he try to charm me or be brusque and rude when I ask him to let me pass to get to the bathroom (almost certainly the latter)…
Luckily we are heading out of town quite quickly after landing. Obviously we don’t know exactly where he lives so good not to hang around.

May be he won’t be on the plane at all if Pat gets to him first. I seem to remember one of the main threads of the prosecution’s argument in the Martin case was that he lay in wait so the shooting was considered pre-meditated. The farm has been targeted many times before, hadn’t it?

OMG. So clunky but you're right, it's all falling into place. Surely not? Pat shooting him would jump the shark.

@LillianGish, agree wholeheartedly re George. Prime candidate for being lost to dubious ideology any time soon.

It seemed to me that she was holding something back. Hope I’m wrong.

I wonder if we’re sometimes misled because actors putting in a very brief appearance tend to over-egg their lines, adding layers of portent, mystery, peril that were never in the SW’s mind?

Pat won't try and shoot him and end up in court just like Hellin, will she?

I'm hoping for something more nuanced, really!

Psychopaths don't necessarily need an ideology to psychopath.

It would be a travesty if they went down that route @JanglyBeads, wouldn't it? I hope that the pigeon scene was just them toying with us.

I'm also thinking there has to be a point to Helen taking up with a karate expert - Lee is so dull in every other respect. Surely his own Superhero moment has to come?

Psychopaths don't necessarily need an ideology to psychopath.

True.

Additionally, though, I won't be surprised if George is exhorting online his bullying, calculating tendencies into something more extreme.

Future SL exploring radicalised "toxic masculinity"?!

That’s a good point. A bit of overacting 🤣

And heavens - if they have Pat shooting Rob I will be really annoyed - jumping the shark indeed.

I wondered this too. Jess seems far more vulnerable than Helen. Jess could enable Rob

I thought that about Jess too but you’re probably right.

Pat won’t kill Rob! Sounds like someone might attack him though and PC plod would have her in to custody toot suite

Oliver is really over egging the bloody bench.

And I’ve decided Gnasher is the drama equivalent of a grief tourist.

Someone else will shoot him.

Lee or Rylan, maybe?

But Pat will be blamed for it.

Just listened to yesterdays episode. George is an absolute scumbag...

I do hope they're toying with us re Pat and the gun. Maybe she'll just threaten Rob? 🤔