Archers thread #157: How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless clan! Discuss The Grundys here. Bicker about The Archers as well if you like.

[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, 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 the idea of making it clear in the title many of us are inveterate bickerers!

Now over to you, as we are about to eat and I won't hear tonight's offering till later ....

Yes I listened to the episode again. When she showed Rob the family picture Jack drew and mentioned Lee was one of the people in it her facial expression must have given the game away. Rob chuckled “oh yes, your boyfriend” and made a comment about trouble in paradise.

I’m surprised a confused, dying man drugged up to his eyeballs would be so perceptive. Then again, he met Lee and probably found their pairing as incomprehensible as the rest of us.

Re Pat saying Tony rather than Dad to Helen I said similar a thread or more back when Pip said David to one of her children rather than Dad but most posters who commented said this was standard / how they spoke about their DP/DH to children .

Is Lee likely to come back? Or was this a convenient way to swiftly write out his actor? It seems so sad for the boys, they needed him 😕 I liked Lee tbh 🤷‍♀️

We don't actually know that it was a minute or two later...

It was Dickensian in all senses. Middle class evil person dying and still trying to manipulate with their last breaths. No medical interventions.

Cleverly done really, but yes not exactly credible in this day and age.

Do eating disorders disappear just like that? I have no personal experience but it seemed unlikely (and a bit clunky) to me.

We're given to believe that Helen's spiked a couple of months ago. She was supposed to be seeing a dietician and counsellor or something, accesses through her GP. Ime the NHS only starts to help if you're very ill indeed. Otherwise it's expensive private treatment.
I'm horribly au fait because of my DD.
Helen's ED storyline has never rung true to me. Although I recognise it would be hard to reflect it it consistently in an ongoing drama.

I don't think anything happened other than Helen going downstairs and letting herself out of the building. We heard her say goodbye to Rob and opening and closing his door, and a minute later going out of the front door.

And didn't he call out to her - so still alive - after she'd left the room and closed the door? He also called out "sorry".

So “have you both eaten?” is meant to signify the end of the ED and finally being free?

I thought it was more to emphasise that she is feeling absolutely fine about her decision making - most people wouldn’t have come out of there feeling peckish I’d have thought.

I have to say despite the miserable content I enjoyed the three women involved last night, they worked really well together.

Oh yes you're completely right - bang goes Bore's theory, I'm sorry to say.

Hard to know precisely what one would do but in my head I think I would have said ‘right- either you carry on insulting me and I leave and you die alone or you can sharpen up, cut the pillow requests and we can sit and have a nice chat and then you die with someone with you. Totally your choice.’

I would find it very hard to just walk out on him- however unpleasant he was being. The problem is that she just didn’t know how much longer he was going to last. He sounded pretty strong when he called her a bitch and could easily have had a couple more days to go.

Earlier on in the week, she should really have called a care agency and asked for 2 emergency carers (so days and nights would be covered). Would have cost a bit but after some phoning round, they could have probably got someone there the next day. Not necessarily carer-of-the-year standard at such short notice but certainly people who could do the basics. I’m sure she could afford that for a few days or P and T would help if it meant H was not doing the care herself. She could have requested male carers if she wanted revenge as Ron would probably hate that.

Surely she'll put her ears back, start noshing down the sandwich, and then phone Lee to profess undying love, with her mouth full, because it's the Archers.

I feel deep foreboding that we may be heading for the Best Christmas Ever.

This was my interpretation of the ending.

Does anyone think Rob might still be alive on Monday?

I really enjoyed last night's episode. I thought it was tragic for Rob obviously but positive for Helen at the same time as she managed to keep her dignity and overcome Robs manipulation. I found it compelling listening.

me

But miles was still around and in charge of any care, certainly earlier in the week?

I think they could drag this ridiculous story out until Christmas or perhaps even New Year.

And what happened to Miles ... he was supposed to looking after Rob, not Helen. I hope we will be given an explanation for his failure to show up.

If that's what it signifies it's a trite and insensitive (and plain wrong) strand of story.

Because once one brother has been designated the bad one, there’s no need for another scapegoat. So if the elder brother is “it” it!d be quite understandable for the younger to try to protect … if it wasn’t that it has already been clearly painted that Rob was the butt if the abuse. So yes, pure invention.

If I say “dad” to my children it’s met with “do you mean your dad or my dad?”

I refer to my dad as grandpa!

One DC calls my dad “grandad” the other calls him by his name. “Grandad” to me is always my grandad, I can’t call dad that.