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!

How did the person even get the invoice details anyway? That, i think, would be a breach of GDPR. And any solicitor handling this case should be alert to the way coercive control etc works.

It is so bloody tedious and shit, tbh.
I'm cross because i want to listen to get the other stories, but the Grundys and Helen are putting me off.

It's quite obvious Rob is painting himself as the saintly victim - putting up with being stabbed, pushed over, seizuring and even possibly paying the bill as a token of good will/being a reformed character. No court would believe that he paid it without Helen's knowledge.

I know a lot of people in Ambridge aren't bright but Helen and her family purport to be a bit more awake while actually being incredibly dense.

How about a highly unlikely scenario where Rob is genuinely remorseful and wants to make amends and thinks he is helping Helen by paying the bill for her.

No? Is there no chance of redemption for Rob? Even if he is terminally ill? And leaves all his money to Jack?
Disclaimer: I don’t think leopards change their spots but maybe the SW do

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

That's got my vote!

Rob is played by an excellent voice actor. I'd love him to return as a redeemed character.

Yes the only thing weirder about someone else having paid that bill are:
• that the solicitors are allowed to accept it under AML rules
• Helen's lack of interest in who it might be!

Why would Knob/Ron pay Helen's legal bill? What would be in it for him? It doesn't make any sense. She wouldn't have a bill in the first place if it weren't for him. It slightly beggars belief that we are currently heading towards a third encounter with Knob - especially since the first two turned out to be so disastrous. I almost can't bring myself to listen - the "light entertainment" is no less excruciating and it's so heavy-handed and plodding. If we were coming up for a new thread I's be suggesting something along the lines of Is the fete worse than death or am I jumping the gun regarding Pat's eventual intervention?

I agree.

Maybe new Involvee Miles has paid the bill?? Don't know why though. It's all very odd.

I wonder if/when Helen will realise that all the most tense interactions with Rob occur on Fridays....

😄

@BoreOfWhabylon my prediction. Pip is back now and she will go to the lido with Stella and begin a romantic encounter now Stella has been pointedly outed as a lesbian.

My previous single white female stalker situation with Pip and her old school friend never came to pass so not too good at this game.

Nothing ever happened with the old school friend, nor even a mention of Rosie going to play with the little girl. Quite odd.

I caught yesterday's episode again and noticed the mention of Henry being secretive under his bedcovers with his phone. Is he communicating with Rob?

Oh yes, that was extremely weird.

I thought it was just a typical 12 yo boy gaming or something but I suppose it could have been.....

God- Stella is no company. What a crashing bore. Just talking about her own concerns all evening. I wouldn’t be inviting her over again any time soon.

I’m relying on you lot as I can’t bare to listen at the moment. Gives me radio rage.

Fête worse than death. Brilliant @LillianGish bang on.

Well Harrison has done a lot of damage. Even if he couldn't go, which I don't understand. He's been involved with the case I don't see why he couldn't attend quietly but professionally just to keep an eye on proceedings - outside of his jurisdiction I suppose? But why on earth would he not be heartily encouraging Lee to take his own witness and stay at least 3m away from him. Harrison is talking like Knob is going to get angry but that's unlikely. He's more likely to take another dive and convince passers by he's been injured by Lee. He's already done once this month FGS.

Oh it's so drearily stupid and entirely unsavoury. Can be over already. I'm not usually one for moaning but this is too miserable and too poorly executed. It makes no sense.

They aren't. I could expand at length but I'm a solicitor and one of the Money Laundering Reporting Officers for my firm and this is bollocks.

I know all about them. The answer is NO. They don't take payments in that way.

Thanks, @NatashaDancing. So can they take payment provided they establish the identity and bona fides of the person paying? Would they have to have their client's consent to that person paying their bill? And I assume that if asked, they have to tell their client who paid?

Glad I'm not the only one who wondered why the hell Harrison couldn't go along with Lee. Surely preventing a potential breach of the peace falls fairly and squarely within his duties? Or couldn't he just happen to be sitting in the park admiring nature at the relevant time?

The starting point is the person who instructed the work and to whom the fee is addressed is the party who pays.

There are exceptions where a third party payer is contractually bound to pay the fee , which can happen in various situations e.g employer paying the fee for a compromise agreement with an ex employee, developer paying landowner's fees in a development sale.

With MLRO approval some other third party payers can be accepted (e.g relative of someone who doesn't have a bank account/ hopeless with money) , parent company of a new company which doesn't yet have banking facilities set up, but there needs to be a justication for accepting the payment.

I've never come across the situation where a third party would attempt to pay a fee without the client knowing about it so considering if the client's consent is needed isn't something I've had to think about . There must be a breach of client confidentiality in even having such discussions and it certainly wouldn't fall into one of the permitted exceptions

Glad I'm not the only one who wondered why the hell Harrison couldn't go along with Lee. Surely preventing a potential breach of the peace falls fairly and squarely within his duties? Or couldn't he just happen to be sitting in the park admiring nature at the relevant time?

I'd have thought the most obvious thing would have been for Harrison to point out he'd be on shift in his own area. I've offered to take friends places and accompany them to things, but it's usually dependent on work agreeing to the time off, if I would otherwise be working. Obviously it's all a bit of a contrivance all round to ensure Lee won't have anyone else there, but there would be perfectly valid reasons why Harrison couldn't be available.

I predict that KnobRon will do the damage with his words not in any sort of physical move.

Thanks for the clarification re payment @NatashaDancing.

There must be a reason why Rob wants to meet so publicly. Must be something that needs to be witnessed by a third party. My money is on him trying to provoke Lee into some sort of violence (Rob having seen Lee crack previously).

Lee being so quick to lose his rag doesn't really make sense. He's a karate expert which is all about discipline, he's not a cage fighter.