Archers thread #149: This is not a drill, it’s a plot device. Here’s hoping for Stella-r rows in Ambridge. 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, 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 think George Grundy's bantz make him a great laugh and totally harmless to women, 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.)

Thanks for title suggestions - @FallonsNewCoat started us off with Drilling down OR What’s the drill?: So many jobs hanging in the balance - what’s planned for Adam, Stella, Freddie and horrible George?, @OverArmour's suggestion was ‘Drilling down on less than Stella-r performances and who will be a pig in muck’ and @TeenDivided contributed the laserdrill focussed Lets drill into plot holes and hope George gets his comeuppance. I went for a bit of all of that. The phrase at the back of my head, which I am very pleased to have tracked down, was from one of my favourite film franchises where the character Conklin says in Jason Bourne's memory This is not a drill, soldier. We clear on that? This is a live project. You are go. Training is over. Training is over. Well, that's us, troops. Training is over, discussing The Archers is a live project, and it's our job to drill down into all aspects of what we hear.

On the last thread, people were discussing how unrealistic the portrayal of mental health problems is on TA. I wholeheartedly agree, but I suppose they don't feel they can tackle long-running slow burn storylines that often. They made a great effort with Jack Woolley's Alzheimer's. Other than that, I don't recall anybody having a recurring illness that's been portrayed realistically (and actually that goes for physical conditions as well). Most things clear up and are hardly mentioned again. Sticking just to mental illness, Pat had depression after John died, Mike Tucker had a bad bout of depression, so did Elizabeth. Helen's ED may or may not be about to re-appear, but nobody's mentioning it. Ben's rapid-onset depresssion recently led to a psychotic episode but now he's fine, not least because he got prompt, skilled and appropriate treatment on the NHS, unlike most of the UK. This is one area where I feel they shouldn't even attempt it if they can't do it in a way that reflects the reality of what most of us experience, for ourselves and our loved ones.

Anyway, with that off my chest - over to you!

I have every sympathy with a survivor of abuse and I don't hate Helen but WHY OH WHY is she not seeing Friday's meeting as being about one thing only - Rob furthering his control again?!

For heaven's sake she ended up in prison because of him!

Even Tom can see it!!!!

She came out of Friday’s meeting furious at Rob for playing games and immediately jumps to saying Lee should meet him, enraged that Tom would suggest it’s a trap.

I’ve said it before (and got told off here for victim blaming), but the stupid woman really does deserve everything she gets.

Having lived with a manipulative controlling man and escaped I learned never to be alone with him. Also never believe what he says, get it down in writing preferably with a solicitor present. He will twist everything to his advantage and come out looking like the reasonable one. Helen should know this by now!

Abuse is never deserved, not by anyone, ever.

Unless you believe the abuser.

The trouble is that I simply don't care any more. In Real Life I detest abuse of this sort, but in the case of Helen I make an exception and feel Meh about it all, because she does so walk into trouble with her mouth half-open and a glazed look in her eyes. It feels as though if she is given a choice between two sensible courses of action, she will find a third, self-destructive thing to do instead of either of them.

As for the Grundy Japes, why is Eddie so set on taking over the fête? It will be a lot of work, and he won't get any money to speak of from doing it.

Who has payed the solicitors bill for Helen ?

My first thought was Tom using the guilt money from the twins photo shoot?

Rob? Just the sort of fucked up manipulative thing he might do

Anyone know about money laundering rules for solicitors? Just wandering whether they can take money off someone anonymous to pay their bills without knowing where it comes from. And if they do know who paid, surely they have to tell Helen if she wants to know?

Mind you, it's pretty dim of her not to work it out.

Has anyone in the entire history of The Archers ever listened to a storyline around a Grundy money-making scam and thought "I really enjoyed that, I wish they'd do more SLs like that"?

I'm hoping Lynda will foil Meer's little scheme by sending her off to do the research.

Why were they so incredibly accepting and incurious about who paid the solicitor's bill? That was weird!

@BeardieWeirdie "I’ve said it before (and got told off here for victim blaming), but the stupid woman really does deserve everything she gets."

That's because you're victim blaming and it's fucking disgusting of you.

That's because you're victim blaming and it's fucking disgusting of you

Not quite in keeping with the usual tone of the thread ...

I assumed Rob. Not sure of his motive.

You know its not real don't you?

god yes. I zone out whenever the Grundy show is on because it is all so bloody painful. And they all go along with Eddie because they dislike Lynda (as an incomer?) being so good at organising things.

To go with the Wagner/Putin metaphor: i hope Lynda pulls a Putin and renders the Grundy's powerless and with a lot to do (including sourcing portaloos)

Can't listen to the Helen storyline. All sympathy for victims of abuse but this is where her whole family and friends (and lawyer) needed to have a massive intervention after the email was sent.

forgot to say: i think RobRoy (what is his name? my ears glaze over) paid the bill.

(also who calls the lawyer to pay the bill? surely you either use online banking to make a transfer - she has the bill, it has all the info on it - or go to your bank. Absolutely zero need to contact the payee)

Eddie’s plotting makes absolutely no sense, it’s so dull.

On Sunday I quite liked that both Ed and Will knew more about preparing a meal than Eddie. Yes most of the cooking is/was done by Emma/Nic but they’ve obviously at least helped over the years (small crumbs).

The fact that Eddie was only having to cook because he was forcing Clarrie to speed knit ferrets 😤. I hate everything about Eddie.

i also loved how they just left him to do it and didn't help, knowing that he'd then slide the whole thing over to them to take care of.

But yes, the plotting is tedious. Poor Lynda. I hope she has the measure of them.

As for the Grundy Japes, why is Eddie so set on taking over the fête? It will be a lot of work, and he won't get any money to speak of from doing it

Yes, that’s the bit that’s baffling. Don’t the proceeds of these sort of initiatives usually go to the local church fund or something similar? He seems to think he is going to cream off any profits showing a very unlikely misunderstanding of the way these things work.

I could have done without the sound effects of Lee slurping his Blossom Hill!

That was my thought too.

I could have done without the sound effects of Lee slurping his Blossom Hill!

Aarrrgh. Much as I detest "trigger warnings", I think episodes should say "food and drink will be consumed during this episode."

Seriously, how is the realism enhanced by having someone's imbibing and masticating being audible? Helen should jack Lee in just for that.
And breathe.

In order to pay the solicitor’s invoice, whoever paid it would have to know the precise amount and the invoice number. It’s not like paying someone’s bill in a restaurant…

Of course it was paid by Rob. Another very silly twist in this implausible tale.

If you have a massive solicitor's bill and it is suddenly paid by a mysterious person, (especially when you are embroiled in a potential custody battle with your abusive ex) you don't just say " oh well I can't think who paid it but let's just be grateful it's paid" and move on. If anyone mysterious paid anything for me without me knowing I would definitely want to know who it was and why even under normal circumstances.

Absobloodylutely! If someone paid my rent for me I'd be bloody anxious until I found out who/why. For one thing, this can be interpreted as bribery or used to incur obligation. The firm can hardly say GDPR bans them from telling the client who paid their own bill.