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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.

979 replies

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 06/06/2023 08:28

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

Archers 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. Grin

Archers 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!

Archers 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. Grin

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. Hmm 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!

OP posts:
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TheSilveryPussycat · 12/06/2023 00:02

How did they know where he was living?

EBearhug · 12/06/2023 00:13

I assume Rob is living at the parental home/farm, now inherited by him and/or Miles, and Tom presumably knew where it was from when Helen and Rob were together, even if they never visited. Tichener isn't that common a name, and you could probably Google it as a business address - I would guess "Tichener Manor Farm Hampshire" would be enough to find it.

LawksaMercyMissus · 12/06/2023 01:06

I'm hoping that as we never heard Rob speak, he won't be coming back.

LucretiaBourgeois · 12/06/2023 01:13

Stella should definitely get a new lawyer. Apart from not spotting that she doesn't have enough time in the job to qualify for protection against unfair dismissal, the one she spoke to apparently told her that she could have a strong sex discrimination case because there aren't many women estate managers. That has sod all to do with a discrimination case - if she wants to claim sex discrimination, she'll have to show that a man, because of his sex, wouldn't have been treated as unfavourably in the same situation. Why don't the script writers make the slightest effort to get this kind of thing right? If they couldn't be bothered to check the facts, they should at least have had Stella say that some bloke she was talking to at the bus stop told her she had a strong legal claim. Much more likely source of that kind of advice - very confident, utterly wrong. Lots of people like that around.

Poppins2016 · 12/06/2023 01:39

I don't think the 'Tom and Lee go to visit Rob' storyline is particularly believable. In real life one of them (most likely Tom, as he's had experience dealing with Rob) would have had the common sense and foresight to realise that visiting Rob would be perceived as harassment or twisted against them. Lee going behind Helen's back like that seems horribly out of character, too. I'm frustrated...!

Eastie77Returns · 12/06/2023 04:13

Tom and ‘common sense’ do not really go together. It will be ironic if a conviction means Lee can’t go to San Francisco whilst Rob is able to flit between the U.K. & the US without any issues.

TickTickTock · 12/06/2023 07:08

I'm going to have to stop listening for a few days as I can't cope with the anticipation of what will happen to Lee! It's all getting a bit too serious now- can we have some more alpacas and Eurovision instead??
I will check in on here for updates instead 🤦🏻‍♀️

CaptainMyCaptain · 12/06/2023 07:08

When I said 'thump' I included Karate moves. Karate is only supposed to be used for self defence though. It's a promise you have to make and I would have expected Lee, at his level, to be more disciplined. The whole idea of going to confront Rob was ridiculous though.

DeanElderberry · 12/06/2023 07:10

Totally Tom's fault. There's speculation on Mustardland that Lee will also be in trouble with martial arts organisers/verifiers (whatever) because you are not supposed to use them aggressively, and driving across country to attack someone (possibly an invalid) in their own home is about as aggressive as it gets.

The negative publicity will destroy Bridge Farm, particulary once the pics of the twins advertising big agro-chem are discovered.

LittleOwl22 · 12/06/2023 07:45

And after BF is destroyed Helen will spiral out of control…
do we really have to deal with another suicide in the same family ?
why do we need this stupid storyline?

the very first thing drilled into you in Karate is that it is self defence only - Lee is a teacher, a sensei and as such self discipline is a must have

like TickTockTock, I will stop listening for awhile

DeanElderberry · 12/06/2023 08:05

That journalist who recognised Helen - she'll be back.

Welshwabbit · 12/06/2023 09:12

Fancyachilli · 11/06/2023 23:13

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.

Unfair dismissal is one sort of claim, discrimination is another (for which, as you say, you don't need qualifying service). And as pointed out above, I can currently see no basis for a sex discrimination claim - Stella would have to argue a man would have been treated differently in the same circumstances. No evidence for that at the moment as far as I can see (Brian's just being an unreasonable grump).

Kiwano · 12/06/2023 09:24

Fancyachilli · 11/06/2023 23:13

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.

She said she'd been advised that she had ground for both an unfair dismissal claim and possibly a discrimination one, and both would fail for all the reasons given. She has an additional problem with the discrimination one inasmuch as, if Brine was against employing women, why would he have taken her on in the first place?

I'm assuming the SWs have every intention of having Brine change his mind so no legal case is necessary, therefore no need for anything inconvenient like checking on what the law actually is.

TheUsualChaos · 12/06/2023 13:55

Tom really is on form for Idiot of the Year 2023 isn't he! Whatever happened will all have been caught on security camera no doubt.

CountryCousin · 12/06/2023 14:27

Gosh, I’m really not looking forward to the trouble hurtling towards Lee. I suppose it was inevitable, given how panicky and helpless and reactive they’ve shown him to be. And the two of them having that conversation in the car about about ‘his girls’ in America … Oh, it’s going to be miserable. Sad

JayAlfredPrufrock · 12/06/2023 15:10

I’d like a walk round Lynda’s garden. Something cheerful and summery.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 12/06/2023 15:55

Welshwabbit · 12/06/2023 09:12

Unfair dismissal is one sort of claim, discrimination is another (for which, as you say, you don't need qualifying service). And as pointed out above, I can currently see no basis for a sex discrimination claim - Stella would have to argue a man would have been treated differently in the same circumstances. No evidence for that at the moment as far as I can see (Brian's just being an unreasonable grump).

Brian's best defence to a discrimination claim would be to go through all the times he had undermined Adam, second guessed him and refused to allow him to manage the farm independently.

If Adam had done what Stella did he would have been disciplined too.

JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon · 12/06/2023 15:57

Welshwabbit · 11/06/2023 19:26

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....

I've been saying the same elsewhere. There are some exceptions but they are pretty limited, relating to whistleblowing, maternity and so on so they don't apply here.

Stella should have been far more gloomy about her legal advice than she was.

JanglyBeads · 12/06/2023 18:17

I don't think Lee hit him, but Rob will claim he did, and then the karate rules will come into play.

No, Tom has never had common sense when he decides he has a plan.

CaptainMyCaptain · 12/06/2023 18:37

JanglyBeads · 12/06/2023 18:17

I don't think Lee hit him, but Rob will claim he did, and then the karate rules will come into play.

No, Tom has never had common sense when he decides he has a plan.

It sounded like Rob had been hit - Miles coming out to him, Lee asking if Rob looked injured, the quick getaway.

JanglyBeads · 12/06/2023 18:41

But Lee said "I didn't do anything!" And "He wouldn't get out of the way!" so I think it was just a barging type scenario .
Not martial arts.
But open to interpretation.....

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 12/06/2023 19:10

Oh dear oh dear oh dear ...

OP posts:
JanglyBeads · 12/06/2023 19:27

Tom is SO stupid.

Helen is going to completely prioritise the boys over Lee isn't she?

Understandably and rightly, but I wonder how their relationship will fare.

Ambridge · 12/06/2023 19:28

🤦‍♀️

MereDintofPandiculation · 12/06/2023 19:54

TherapistInATabard · 11/06/2023 21:10

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

Me!

It appears Rob played the martyr while goading Lee. Lee decided to leave, but Rob was in the way, Lee pushed him and he fell, hitting his head.

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