Archers thread #161: Kenton seems to be getting better, but the storylines aren’t. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

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 it's great that Shula's ministering to the heathen of the North-East, 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, 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 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.)

Well, here we are. I was strongly tempted to go for the dog's dinner, dog/human bullies etc suggestions for the title, but Mere asked if we could not have anything graphic in the thread title, so I've held back. In a couple of weeks when this thead is nearing its end the attack may all be a distant memory, anyway.

Goodness knows what's in store for us now. Kenton seems likely to have PTSD, not surprisingly. Surely we must soon find out why HARRY talks so. Unconvincingly. Alice! Hello. CHRIS. CHRIS. etc, and also whether he is (as many of us suspect) addicted to opiates and/or up to no good. Too much to hope why nobody in Ambridge horsey circles had ever heard of him until recent weeks.

Over to you!

Harrison was called to an incident of a blind drunk man who then tried to get into his car to drive home. It was Harry, who's going out with Alice. Harrison told Fallon and between the two of them they ended up alerting Alice, who as a recovering alcoholic was aghast. Harry worked out that Harrison must have broken confidentiality. Harrison has reported himself to his senior officer, who pointed out it was the second time at least that this had happened, as years ago Harrison tipped Kirsty Miller off that Philip Moss, her husband at the time, was involved in modern slavery. On that occasion the Inspector had been able to ignore it because Philip Moss made no official complaint. This time she feels she can't.

What he did wrong before was tell Kirsty that Blake wanted to see Philip in prison, I think. Kirsty had discovered all by herself the previous year about the modern slavery; she smelt a rat when Gavin told her it was all a lie and he couldn't stand it any more so he was going to his mum's and Kirsty needed to open her eyes. She confronted Philip on Christmas Eve 2020 and he confessed about the slaves ("unpaid apprentices" whom he had "rescued from the streets").

Anyhow, synopsis for 11th November 2021:

Sergeant Burns is being carpeted by Inspector Norris, who wants to know what is happening with Blake. She takes him off the case; Philip Moss has complained about him. He's been talking to Philip's wife Kirsty, and Kirsty has talked to Philip. He grovels and says repeatedly that he is really, really sorry: Kirsty told him she would never speak to Philip. Inspector Norris says grimly that Philip now wants to see Blake. Burns should never have allowed it to be known to anybody that Blake wanted to see Moss.

Inspector Norris wants to know what Burns thought he was doing, and he tries to explain that he really wants to help Blake; he says that the same thing is true of Kirsty, and explains that he blew his mouth to Kirsty as a result. The inspector tells him the damage is done: if Moss pushes for Blake to see him, and Blake wants to, it will be almost impossible to stop it from happening.

Harrison asks for a word with Kirsty before the reading in the evening, wanting to know why she didn't tell him about being on the phone to Philip: she might have lost him his job. She claims that because Philip had pleaded guilty, she thought he might want to do the right thing. Harrison tells her exactly how much harm she has done. She says that she can go and see Philip instead of Blake going, to try to make up for the mess she has caused. She'll go and visit him, every month if that's what it takes.

So nice to hear Jim, Jazza and Alistair together again - my favourite trio (even if in pairs)

To add to that, I think Harry had a prior drink driving charge, and was about to get into his car drunk again. Alice was about to go on a long trip with him and Martha in the car soon after.

Side note - really quick to introduce a young child to a new boyfriend!

Agreed - and well enough he knew what books she did and didn’t have

any highlights from tonight? I couldn’t be bothered

Is it realistic to believe that everyone is supposed to be happy about Alistair falling in love with Denise, who is still married to someone else? Jazza's initial reaction seemed more normal but he miraculously got over it in a day. Is Denise supposed to be one of those women who just can't be without a man so wouldn't leave her apparently failing marriage till she's got another man lined up, and what has stopped her leaving it already if it's that bad? Alistair's spouting the old line that her marriage is already over, I presume it's so he can justify it and stop himself feeling like a bastard about her husband and son when they inevitably have sex.

Is was really annoyed about the "life's short, have an affair" narrative today. If her marriage is over, she needs to tell her husband before starting up a relationship with anyone else.

It made me think that the writer was having/ has had an affair and wanted to justify it.

Or we are about to get a sexual harassment lawsuit

I was quite surprised Jim was so supportive about the new romance. While I am sure he would like to see Ali-stare happy, I would think he has been around long enough to work out that a relationship that starts with an overlap isn’t always the best route to happiness.

Ha! I had exactly that thought. Although I’ve been rating this week’s scripts so it’d be nice to think the writer is lining up everyone being supportive now to contrast with future genuine upset/betrayal from Paul or even Mr Denise.

I’m surprised that no one including Alastair has referred to his own previous marriage. Did Shula ever cheat on him and did he know?

Really enjoyed Jim/Alastair this evening particularly “it’s like there was an advert in the paper or something” and “you do, you absolutely do”.

It was all put forward as if it's perfectly fine to have an affair with someone who is married. All that crap about how good they seem together. In real life people would be disgusted seeing them together, his own father wouldn't be encouraging it I'm sure.

But thinking back I'm pretty sure Shula had an affair with the local doctor many years ago but I can't remember if that was when she was married to Alistair or prior to meeting him. In either case he would have presumably known so maybe he doesn't have any moral objection to infidelity.
I think he comes across as a really selfish person only interested in what he wants, irrespective of how it affects anyone else eg the gambling, so if he wants Denise he feels he's entitled to her.

There’s just a bit of a lack of consideration for what Denise might be thinking.

Yes he’s been like this throughout. Hope she tells him to get knotted.

When he’s made comments about feelings etc she has quickly put him in his place.

to me I’m getting vibes of ‘woman I find attractive is friendly to me so therefore must be in love with me’.

That would be more interesting. As far as we know Alastair is not a habitual sex pest but could be getting this badly wrong.

I'm pretty sure Shula had an affair with the local doctor many years ago but I can't remember if that was when she was married to Alistair or prior to meeting him.

The affair was with Richard Locke who was treating Daniel for juvenile arthritis. It meant her wedding to Alistair almost didn't happen. He and Richard had been friends- but then weren't as a result of this.

I think it was autumn 1998, because I was in Borneo at the time, and my mother sent letters with more updates on TA than my own family...

Side note - really quick to introduce a young child to a new boyfriend! Depends how you introduce them surely? Kisses and cuddles all over the place, no, but are you really going to make sure your child doesn’t meet any of your friends who happen to be male? Agree it’s a bit early to be going on holiday as a family.

This is a prime example of why she should have waited to introduce him - she herself didn’t really know him well enough at all

he was a romantic interest from the start so very different from a male friend who is part of your life differently.

WitcheryDivine
I’m surprised that no one including Alastair has referred to his own previous marriage. Did Shula ever cheat on him and did he know?

His first marriage broke up because his wife went off with another man.

Before he had actually gone on more than about three dates with Shula he complained that her also going out with Richard Locke was Shula betraying him just as his wife had. The fact that Shula was not his property seemed to have passed him by.

(Richard Locke was interested in her because she was a woman with problems; he always battened onto vulnerable women. Debbie after she was traumatised in the post-office raid, Usha after the ammonia was thrown in her face, Shula when her only son was very ill. Nasty piece of work, him.)

Ha! Definite BOOP for the ‘advert in the paper’ exchange between Alistair and his dad.

Denise was encouraging him to go on a dating app a couple of weeks ago. She was incredibly rude and disrespectful towards him (in front of clients) when she didn’t want to follow his instructions to up sell products in the surgery. They don’t sound as if they have any chemistry at all when they are in scenes together. She’s quite dismissive.

And now Jim encouraging Alistair to pursue a married woman, brushing aside her adultery because ‘these things happen’. So odd.

I have never heard Denise as having "feelings" for Alistair; if anything, apart from using him as someone to gripe about her husband with (which he has clearly blown up out of all proportion), she's always seemed rather dismissive and even nasty to and about him. She doesn't even seem to like him particularly – depending on who's doing the writing that week, obviously.

Yep. That’s why I think we’re in for a lawsuit!!

Yeah Alice and Chris are getting back together

i I missed the bit about the tree Neil saw - who cut it down?

It was being cut down as part of the building of Justin's EV charging station