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!

This x 100

Tom and Lee are too dim to do anything other than play straight into Rob's hands. Not only will they probably end up getting arrested, but he'll use it all as material for claiming that Helen instigated it all, she's not a suitable influence for MySon and he shouldn't be left around the thugs she associates with.

Yes, it's all too obvious.

At least we got some much missed farming information.

Great UN, @JoeGrundyWasMyRoleModel !

Is this why the girls have moved to the US? If Lee has a conviction for GBH he won’t be able to visit them ever, will he.

Oh my word, that would be awful.

That makes sense though, plotline wise.

Nope. Which would be a pity, as I long for him to disappear across oceans for a very long time.

(I mean no, he wouldn’t be able to go …)

Okay so now having caught up with the omnibus I feel in a position to come back to this thread. I’ve been out of The Archers loop for awhile, so not sure why George’s story line has him being been a dd, or, as some mentioned, a scrote. I’m sorry he’s being a dick as I remember listening to TA when he was born…

Oh and meant to add that clearly they’re building up to a big confrontation with Rob but I really don’t want anyone to die! I’m still getting over Jenny and Lilian’s distress at being there when it happened and Alice losing her mum when she’s still trying to recover.

I won't mind at all if Rob dies. That could be a nice cheap way to bring the character back.

Tom: Well, here we are. Shall I ring? Are we sure about this?
Lee, tensely: Yes. Let's just do it.
[dring, dring]
[sound of footsteps inside]
[[sound of door opening]
Tom, agitated: Lee, what's that you're taking out of your pocket? What on earth are you doing!
Lee: Take this, you fiend! This is for Helen!
BANG
Dum dee dum dee dum dee dum ...

Oh I don’t mind Rob dying. I meant anyone else

Surely it’s way too early for Rob to die. We must have at least another 20 years ahead of him popping up intermittently to create ripples/ruin Helen’s life.

Apologies for the employment law nerdery, but it's not at all clear to me how Stella would have an unfair dismissal claim when she only started employment with Home Farm in 2022, so has less than 2 years' service. There seems to be no basis on which the qualifying service requirement wouldn't apply. Possibly some lawyer will tumble to this later, but I suspect not....

Anyone have a clue what happened at the end tonight?

I think Lee thumped Rob.

Great, who predicted Lee getting a criminal record and being unable to visit the girls?

Idiotic behaviour, if that is what happened, which is the only explanation I can see at the moment.

Helen wants the courts to prevent Rob having access to Jack, and possibly Henry. She wants them to acknowledge that Rob was violent to her. It's very high risk because he can say 'But you stabbed me!' and now he can also say 'You are living with a violent thug who punched me - how can the boys be safe in an environment like that?'

Not to mention that Lee works in a role where he presumably needs enhanced DBS clearance. There's no way this won't get back to his employer and his professional body.

And yes, as others have said, the US immigration service takes a dim view of people with criminal records applying for visas.

That's the end of Bridge Farm so. The two idiots will get convicted of assault and locked up, Helen will probably be accused of complicity. It isn't as if it was a punch-up in a pub, they drove miles across country to his home and attacked him in front of a witness - and are the partner and brother of a woman who caused serious injury to him when she attacked him years ago.

And on the other storyline, I resent finding myself thinking that David is being a bit more sensible than anyone else.

I presumed Lee just ended up pushing Rob (he said "he wouldn't get out of the way"), but it was a hard enough push to make him fall over.

I know I said upthread that Tom was dim, but surely even he wouldn't be dim enough to think that, after his little word with Rob, Rob will just say "Oh, righto, then, I'll just give up on any right of access to my son and fuck off as Tom says."

Preening myself slightly that I said Lee would use his martial arts - bit of a stretch, I know. Tom really is as off the wall, sorry ambitious, as he thinks his parents think he is. And the way Gnasher treats him. I've just played back the bit where he says all he's ever tried to do is keep the family together. Dope.

She seemed to allude to discrimination on the basis of sex, one of the protected characteristics, for which there is no minimum qualifying period. Seems pretty tenuous as a reason for discrimination, though. It's more for blatant sexism or policies and practices which are more likely to impact mothers and carers.

Not a thump - surely more likely to be a karate move. Helen won’t be happy - Lee lied about where he was going and he and Tom took upon themselves to stage an intervention without consulting her first. Who knows Knob better than Helen? She will quite rightly be furious - and Knob will now have it in for all of them. I blame Tom - Lee wasn’t around during the Knob years and he had second thoughts when they reached the end of the drive. It was Tom who insisted they go through with it. I fear they have played right into Knob’s hands. Not only could Lee be running the risk of a conviction that may prevent him visiting his own girls, but Knob will almost certainly claim that Myson is at risk by dint of living in the same house.