Archers thread #155: Cold Comfort Farms! The rural sagas continue. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

FILL THE OLD THREAD UP FIRST! https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4902507-archers-thread-154-cider-with-fat-rosie-meadow-rise-to-candleford-or-the-darling-horrobins-of-september-get-your-rural-saga-fix-discuss-the-archers-here?page=10

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'd like to hear more scenes in the abattoir, 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.)

Lots of lively discussion about Brad's university aspirations and the Open Day on the last thread. Do you want him to end up at Felpersham or do you want him to spread his wings and go further afield? Where will Mia go?

Will this thread see the end of Rob, or do we have many weeks more before his long overdue demise?

What's going on at Grey Gables? Are they running into financial trouble? Will we hear from Roy, who I had forgotten was working there until he was mentioned the other day? Who are the mysterious 'Owners'? Will the locum GP turn out to be Adil's sister, as we have been surmising since she first spoke? Why's she been conjured up?

Talking of the GP, I'm hoping against hope we're not in for bad news about Jim's mole.

Praying that we're going to get a long and much-needed break from hearing P*p. Not praying that we hear Rob being christened. Who would be his sponsor, as someone commented on the last thread? Harrison? Surely that would be a conflict of interest. Can't see who else would do it locally.

I wonder how Ben is getting on now he's back on his nursing degree? Will we ever hear anything about Lily's course, or how Freddie's getting on at the abattoir?

So many questions! Over to you for some answers and boundless speculation.

Yes, I was very happy with that episode too! The tandem joke and the wandering lobster were excellent. How is it that the SWs can wrote comedy/fun for Susan and Neil but the minute one of them goes anywhere near Eddie everything turns to farce?

Susan can be a great sourpuss when she wants!

It wasn’t just facilitating, it was “supporting”. Though she of all people should know not to believe Rob

Yes that’s my point - why would she believe it? It’s so obvious. She’s just falling into his hands

or is this just to give her a defence of insanity when she shoots rob

its possible (though this seems the first evidence of it) that Helen has fully reflected on Rob's behaviour and especially his headworking- so she is able to see his motivations clearly- while Pat doesn't.

I think it's just the SWs showing a range of reactions.

If I was Usha I would have to leave Alan over this.

Of course Pat is justifiably furious. Alan's action-or inaction-have allowed Rob to make it look as if he is rehabilitated into the village. It's nothing to do with it being a baptism- although that does make it seem very respectable. It's about a village event. He could have set up a single wicket competition, it doesn't matter what it is.

But Pat also says ‘the whole village is in uproar’ - so they aren’t convinced that Rob is rehabilitated? Half the village won’t even remember him, some will be bemused by the whole thing and the rest will not be thinking ‘oh how nice, he’s found religion’.

i just find her reaction ridiculous

This is why Alan should either have referred him to the hospital chaplain or just done an emergency baptism on the spot in his study as soon as Rob claimed to be dying (he must have some holy water in there).

@Bruisername I really don't think "half the village" would have forgotten Rob!

Pat has a lot of unresolved guilt, because she didn't notice at the time how desperate things had become for Helen.

I hope the shotgun is not going to feature. I shall be cross if Pat deds Rob.

I don't understand. If I was Pat I'd be incandescent with rage. Why wouldn't she be?

It's about Pat's generation as well - she'll regard Anglican baptism as a 'community seal of approval' type event, more than it being about a personal spiritual matter.

And the invitation specifically said that he was supported by Alan and Usha.

No wonder she was upset!

And, in one sense, it's easier for Helen to be reasonably objective than for her mum to be. Imagine it was your daughter.

I don’t think people in the estates or other non speaking characters would remember!

I just think her rage was misplaced given Helen had been so nonchalant about the whole thing.

and the invites was a total rip off of another drama!

CurlewKate
It's nothing to do with it being a baptism- although that does make it seem very respectable. It's about a village event.

I don't understand: how is somebody being baptised in a different village (Downham) by a different vicar a village event for Ambridge?

I do wonder if, before launching herself at Alan like a cruise missile in a snit, Pat bothered to check with that vicar, Ms Berry, whether she actually will be baptising Rob at the time and on the day he says in the invitation. Given that Ms Berry isn't even going to meet him until tomorrow, it seems very likely that she knows nothing about this at all.

Helen tells her over and over that the way Pat tries to support her is not supportive. Pat prioritises her own emotions over actually taking on board what helen says. Helen doesn’t want the drama - she wants to get on with life and ignore titchener. Her mother doesn’t listen to her

I agree @Bruisername Pat totally ignored Helen and carried on her outburst.

I hope Pat calms down a bit and realises how hot headed she's been, and also how she's playing right into Robs hand behaving like this.

Ugh. Pat’s high handed outburst - “Peggy isn’t sure if she’ll come to church on Sunday”, as if she’s the lady of the manor and patroness of the church.

After all the nonsense with the window, I’d be delighted to see the back of ‘the family’.

But aren't you glad Alan didn't do that?
<whistles innocently and wonders idly where my O level Eng Lit certificate is...>

I would be furious too. I would think does noone understand what this man is like. I would think that Alan had given him a free pass dont care if his the vicar I would have really had a go at him. Pat is! thinking of Helen and what Rob did to her , its what any mother would do to protect her child from more hurt even if her child protests.
I could not cook a live lobster or crab I just couldnt do it.

Actually, being infuriatingly calm/underreactive when other people are really worked up about something (usually Helen-related) is something Helen does. Makes her look good at minimal cost, while the supply of Helencentric drama is maintained.

but thinking ‘don’t people know what this man is like’ is so patronising. She already knows the people who got the invite didn’t think ‘how nice’ because they told her about it.

she is not protecting her child - her child is calm and actually dealing with it and all her behaviour will do is create more stress. Prioritising her own anger over her daughters fragility

she has just shown that she herself doesn’t know what that man is like

I’m team Pat. I’d be bloody incandescent.

I’m sure Tony will calm her down.

I loathe Pat so much though, i can't be reasonable about her at all. It is a combination of the character and the actor's delivery (like a mouth full of cake and too many teeth as i keep banging on about elsewhere)

So here's what i tweeted:

"Have been giving #TheArchers a miss lately because the storylines are bollocks.
But listened to yesterday's and will continue to listen until there is one of those TV style wrestling with a loaded gun scenes with Pat and Roy. And it goes off and we don't know who is dead until the next episode.
And then it's unfortunately (not) Pat, and Roy dies soon after anyway of the tumor. And finally i am free of Pat's awful voice with the undertone of whine, and a mouth that is full of too many teeth and cake (that is how her voice/delivery sounds)"

that will be my ideal storyline. Because i simply can't handle her. Helen i think is going to spiral into something awful (for her).

Susan needs a good talking to. As though she is so perfect (jail time, fgs and being so judgy). And Alan sounded so (not) devastated at the news Pat & Peggy won't be going to (his) church on Sunday. hahaha. Win-win for him.

What’s Roy ever done to you!!