Archers thread #150: For whom the sausage rolls: George over a Berrow, Fallon & Harrison seek new lease on life, is it all a Fête Accompli? Discuss The Snivelling Simpletons, sorry, 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 people frequently miss their own weddings because of a morning quickie while in a plaster cast, 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. I basically took @OverArmour's excellent suggestion and managed to shoehorn in snivelling simpleton, gloriously coined by @Eastie77Returns to refer to Lee in the first instance.

@WitcheryDivine suggested Recharging, Red Kites and The Man They Call Ron, is Ambridge becoming an earthly paradise or a hell on earth? which seems as good a place as any to kick off our discussions! Ron = Rob, a fortuitous typo on a previous thread. It does feel a bit as if we're marking time before he turns up again. Odd to do what could be a high profile storyline over the summer holidays when a lot of people will be away, but depending on your point of view, maybe that's a blessing!

Whither George? Is he shaping up to be Andrew Tate mark 2?

Everybody looking forward to Ferret Fun at the Fête? Me neither.

Over to you!

What's the relevance of Martin showing up at work? Much ado seems to have been made of it but I don't think we have heard from him yet have we?

I think we've been told by Neil that he was concerned about Jazzer coming back to work, not because Jazzer might do himself a mischief but because Berrow might have to pay out compensation if he did.

Also I wonder if we've been told martin Gibson was about was to emphasise how unimportant George is to him, whereas George thinks they're bffs... George will blame Hannah for the disconnect thus fuelling his hatred.

But Neil did mention that Martin wanted them to bring George back, didn't he? Though presumably there is no need once Jazzer is back fully.

He did mention that, but also that Martyn had backed down when faced with Neil and Hannah united against the ide. Or words to that effect: I cba to listen again.

It's a long time since TA has made me gasp like that.

Wow that was dramatic! Well done to all involved.

B O O O O O O O O O P !

That was excellent!

(Even the butter cream filling.)

soooo…. I think George is awful for all the reasons that have been discussed by PP, but I have to say I think his outburst tonight was long overdue and completely believable from a teenager in such an unusual family situation. It’s (perhaps optimistically) given me hope there is some kind of plan to the long term SLs .

@JanglyBeads yeah, that was brilliant wasnt it. Great job all round

Have to congratulate the SWs again for actually … going there.

It so takes me back to Ed and Emma when they were young and unleashing chaos on their world …

I recall George speaking about the live triangle fairly recently in another episode to give us the heads up that it was brewing. Agree tonight’s outburst was totally plausible for him, even though he’s so unlikable and unhappy.

I believe George stole the money from the church that time it got blamed on Eddie’s ne’er do well brother

Love triangle!

Yes, he brought it up when alone with Will. Said how embarrassing it had always been for him, how all the other kids had always talked about it at school. So I don't know why Will was surprised tonight. The other two probably hadn't heard it before.

Ooh, that episode was good! So relieved that Emma has had her eyes opened. There's been some great acting recently.

This will prompts conversations about the past by the three adults

Cripes!

Although hopefully the fact that he called Emma a slut might bring them closer to admitting that he actually is a misogynist.

Goodness me, Ron has been totally upstaged by a lot of shouting....

Where can George go now? He has alienated everybody who loved him. I suppose Susan and Neil might take him in but I would quite like him to storm off and join the Army. A spell of boundaried military discipline would do him a world of good.

No idea who wrote that episode but as @gasp said - cripes.

It can’t be tactical can it - we’re lulled into nonsense about Eddie and the fete to desensitise us to things like this, so when it comes along on a Thursday we are blown away?

ive actually (very rarely) listened back and george’s ‘you’ve no idea what it’s like to be me’ was so telling. I had a very chaotic upbringing and I found his outbursts very true to what I would was like at 17/18. I also appreciated how much of what he said was (subjectively) ‘true’, his clarity on his parents failings spoke to his intelligence and acuity. Also I found his ref to having ‘3 parents’ really touching, I think due to the acting. What an odd situation to grow up in - I started listening to TA long after he was born so haven’t really thought about how the kids might feel about it all.

I’m shockingly very much on the side of SW right now, I feel that they have played a blinder here on how incels and problematic men come about. Granted the Ed/Emma/Will situation is unusual, but the way it’s been presented - an unsettled and therefore socially difficult childhood, internalised to some extent, and then many adults (incl Martin, Neil, Susan, Tracey etc etc) giving some input but no one actually grasping the issue and giving him proper guidance. Oh George!

Having said that - he’s obvs awful and a misogynist, and I have really liked Neil’s no nonsense exhausted attitude the last few episodes. and from a dramatic POV, it would be so interesting to see how his grandad stands his ground. We talk about the play off within generations Ie Brad and George - but I’d LOVE to see Neil and George have it out. (Maybe Shula could then arrive at the end on a white horse and sweep Neil away - JK)

join the Army

Back in a few years with an expert knowledge of firearms and strategy?

(Though maybe not if he’s permanently assigned to kitchen duties?)

In the short term … Oliver might be kind - but he lives at Grange Farm, so can hardly offer refuge to George.

Oh Oliver! I forgot about that. That’s def leading somewhere isn’t it

This week's SW is Naylah Ahmed. BOOP to her.

What's the British Army done to deserve having George inflicted on it?

I don't think the army wants or needs him.