Archers thread #162: ‘This is like talking to Lassie’ – how right you are, Fallon! 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 cowhide-covered walls are a great idea for a cafe with vegan and vegetarian customers, 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.)

Title comes from one of the better scripted conversations of recent weeks, when Fallon said ”Harrison, this is like talking to Lassie! Just TELL ME”. So true of so many conversations on TA where you just want to shake them and yell 'Just TELL US, and quickly, so you don't get interrupted before you can say the important bit', but of course they rarely do and days pass before the conversation resumes. @TheBell suggested putting it in the title, so thanks for that.

@OverArmour had a great if more obscure idea, paying tribute to a Peter Greenaway film: The Policeman, The Drunk, The Vet and his Lover. That will do very well as a starting point for the new thread. Will Alistair leave? Will Denise tell John she's leaving him? Will Paul learn to be less noisy? Do any of us care?

I do care a little about Harrison and Fallon. I want Harrison to get a grip and realise he needs a paying job more than the captaincy of the cricket team. I don't care at all about Harry but I think he's been brought in purely as a plot device so with any luck we can all forget about him very soon.

Over to you!

Yes please to Harry making a swift exit!!

thanks for new thread

Thanks as always @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

The Alistair/ Denise thing is total cringe.

Jacob is right that Alistair should take a little more time to think it over.

I cant see how Paul has not realised his Mum And Dad are not on the same page. Im sure he dosnt think either of them are having an affair bur he must sense when he is around his parents that all is not as it should be. He is load and annoying and a bit of a bully, but he is not stupid.
I cant see either why Alistair would fancy Denise in the first place. She is very rude to him. Also she acts like a robot when Alistair talks about love ti her. Its all, ok and if you like, type of thing. Thanks for the new thread.👍

I’m hoping Denise will leave. IRL she probably would anyway after Alistair goes because I can’t imagine Jakob hiding his feelings about it all and she doesn’t live in Ambridge anyway.

Thanks for thr thread.

The Alistair Denise story is too open for me. Obviously the scriptwriters have tk have Alistair discussing it with someone but I feel like most of Ambridge knows. IRL you wouldn't want anyone knowing.

Paul must sense something, perhaps he's in the childish mode of pretending everything is OK.

Reporting (in my non-red-coat) for duty!
Am still "enjoying" TA vicariously through these threads and TwitX. If Denise leaves again i may try a listen.

We don’t hear Denise and John together - for all we know they come across as a happy couple!

it’s such an oddly written storyline

I'm so irritated by Paul demanding that Denise should do more to support John. He needs to STFU and leave his parents to manage their own relationship.

I didn’t take the conversation like that - he was taking as if he knew Denise knew his dad was struggling and she then ended by saying she didn’t. I don’t think it’s outrageous to expect a wife to support her husband when his mother is dying. And definitely not expect her to be snogging her boss in a cupboard!

The sooner Fallon and Harrison take over the Bull the better.

Poor Jakob not being considered in Alistair's decision to leave.
Enjoyed Jakob telling Paul off and Paul's reply.
I can't get any interest in Harrison he sounds so dull but might liven up if he starts serving pints!
Thanks for the new thread, keep us going into Spring🌼

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g . I'd be glad to see the back of Denise and Paul and the stupid affair SL.

Welcome to your very own thread, @LikeTalkingToLassie!

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g. Great title.

Good for Jakob telling Paul (twice!) that he was overstepping the mark.

I think Brian needs a love interest. And I think Home Farm needs a new Jenny to become the heart of Ambridge again. My suggestion is Brian falls in love with a rich woman with a lovely voice for radio (think Hannah Gordon) who loves to cook and nurture.

Her wealth purchases Home Farm. Brian, Kate and Martha move in. And we forget all about the silent Gills.

Thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g!

Paul has to stay - because he’s Ruairi’s future, because he’s a necessary ancillary character and because he’ll be great once he’s bedded in properly.

I’d be happy if Alistair and Denise disappeared over a hill together - although it would leave Jim somewhat untethered to Archers unless / until Dan finally returns.

Denise just seems so shallow. She really lacks any depth at all.Jakob should have told AlI-stare he could do so much better if he looked further than the reception desk of the surgery.

Checking in!

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g.

I love Jakob!

Thank you @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g. It was too good an opportunity to miss. Great thread title.

I ❤Jakob

This is why I was hoping for Jakob’s return and I loved the way he put Paul in his place. Very annoying that Denise just stood by silently while her son behaved like a child and spoke so disrespectfully to his boss. Hopefully she will leave to join John. I’m not sure how she thinks she will work on the marriage while he is in St Lucia indefinitely and she continues working alongside the man she was kissing in the cupboard 5 minutes ago🙄

While I don’t disagree with what Jakob said it was unprofessional of him to say it the way he did in front of other people. That vets practice is an HR nightmare waiting to happen

denise - snaps at her boss and refuses to do things she doesn’t want to do and then snogs said boss on company premises
alistair - bleurgh
paul - what Jakob said
jakob - snapping at Paul like that instead of arranging a meeting to discuss his behaviour and making sure it is recorded in the files. I know everyone loves Jakob and hates Paul but the behaviour in that scene would not be acceptable in a workplace

maybe Dan needs to do a deep dive into professional standards

Paul was behaving as though his place of employment was his family and he was the child yelling at his parents not to split up because they were all so happy together! He’s such a drama queen and very controlling around people - all that coercion to go out to nightclubs and parties when they don’t want to.

Sorry, but I can’t stand him. However, I’m mightily unimpressed by the Ali-stare/Denise Big Romance too. It’s all so clunky and badly plotted.