Archers thread #151: A Fête worse than death or a reverse ferret? Helen’s got the Borsetshire Blues, Tom’s talking shiitake, George is a rotten apple. 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 Helen and Tom would do well on Dragons' Den, 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 to @OverArmour for various title ideas! I would have liked to incorporate the suggestion from @Fleetress, which was

‘Do do one Ron, Ron, do do one Ron’

(Rob is Ron for many on this thread now)

Possibly a bit obscure for newer posters, though!

Anyway: we got through that last thread in no time at all. Combined effect of Rob and George, I suspect. I wonder if Rob will have made it to Ambridge by the time we need a new thread. I'm still waiting for Pat's shotgun to feature. That can't have been mentioned for the first time ever for no reason at all.

Over to you!

The cheese rebranding seems pointless. It's not as if the hotel customers will be unwrapping their own portion and admiring the packaging.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g Well that serves me right for not powering through!
Please tell me that in the melee Pip went headfirst into a slurry pit.

Yes I was thinking that too! Maybe they could do a tie whereby hotel guests are offered a "free" gaze through The Window of Doom?!

*tie-in

I'm having a seriously on-off relationship with TA at the mo, i only used to read the thread after I'd listened, but now it's the other way round so i can decide if i want to listen or not.
Will give Friday's a miss.

Sadly, no. An opportunity missed.

I was a bit surprised at Weaver meeting his Waterloo (Cup), because I don’t yet see any point in it

There's undoubtedly going to be a point, along the lines of whether Stella turns to Rooth or Pip for comfort.

Yup, bit of a shame Toby and his father turned up and rescued her, wasn't it? (Still hankering after the voice of Anthony Head)

Mmmmmmmmmm..........................

With regard to Eddie's wind-up of Brad, most neuro-typical people would have sussed it when Eddie announced in a Serious Voice that Brad would have to give up being Treasurer.

However, in the next scene with them, Brad still had not realised he was being wound up, and Eddie had to explain it to him. Yes, this kind of thing has happened to me several times.

If you want a book that, to me, mostly gets it all wrong about high functioning autism, have a look at The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Ah. Assuaging grief for the mangling of your dog by making a lunge for someone who, as far as you know, bats for Ambridge rather than Darrington. As you do. Happens all the time.

As to the euthanasia scene, I hope it has set many first-time pet owners' minds at rest about what will happen if they have to give the ultimate kindness at some time in the future. When I had to have DCat helped out of life, my vet was so lovely.

I'm a bit baffled about this idea that so many people have that Stella must get into a lesbian relationship with Pip or Ruth.

I have many lesbian friends and I've had boozy wine nights with some, one on one, and even been on holiday and shared a hotel room (not a tent) with another. There has never been any indication from either side that we want it to be more, i know they're into women and they know i'm into men.

Can't women just have friendships?

As to the euthanasia scene, I hope it has set many first-time pet owners' minds at rest about what will happen if they have to give the ultimate kindness at some time in the future. When I had to have DCat helped out of life, my vet was so lovely.

Yes, that scene was very compassionately and sensitively done. And mirrored exactly my RL experiences with vets and several beloved animals.

The Eddie and Brad scene was excruciating. I have no idea if it portrayed ASD correctly, but the writing of Eddie's character sounded entirely false. Absurd.

@chofeshacad did you think Eddie was serious in the first scene with him and Brad? I did at first, and was all prepared to be annoyed with the SWs for making Eddie act like a yokel IWSIM.

The Grundy Code is a Grundy in-joke. Brad is now in on the joke. Brad's unfounded worries that, because of his disloyalty Eddie would disapproved of him going out with Mia have been dispelled by Eddie himself.

God's in His Heaven and all's right with the world

Ruth is just so intrusive. I'd be blaming her for poor Weaver's demise, not eating her (awful) lasagne.

Brad and Eddie was just rubbish.
Having Weaver put down was really sad especially when Stella was looking at the photos and broke down.
When I had to have my cat PTS I was crying so much the vet and nurse started crying too. I too dont think it served any purpose. Ruth and Stella are just friends and so is Pip.

*IYSWIM

I wonder if The Grundy Code includes elements of The Mafia's Omerta?

You betray the family, you awake to find a dead ferret in your bed instead of a severed horse's head...

I see your point. I think he was meant to be pulling Brad's leg, but still, would anyone tease their child or grandchild's boyfriend/girlfriend, even a little, let alone so horribly? And this setup was building on the equally ridiculous mea culpa by Eddie to Lynda. His grovelling was totally out of character.

It was stated by Keri Davies under questioning on Twitter that it was "no coincidence" that Jakob had appeared on the first day of World Autism Awareness Week 2019, which was (I think reasonably) taken as him being clever about Jakob being meant to be autistic.

Frankly it’s a kinder end than some human beings get
. 😒

Very true.