Archers thread #165: Bridge over troubled waters! 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 believe Rochelle exists, 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 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/5071889-the-archers-spoilers-thread-9-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.)

This thread may well fill up as fast as the last one, so let's just get stuck in!

Oh, the diversion of the primrose path and procurement of a gluten-free cake.

Last month when she was in a flap because someone had picked all the primroses along the signposted path, so he suggested moving the path to another lot of primroses?

(edited to add: curses! Beaten to it by a fish.)

Smug gloppity 🐟

The primrose day thing puzzled me too, I thought that was for members of the Conservative party to celebrate Disraeli, not some kind of national event. I rely on the Archers for accurate information on life as it is lived in England.

I am the least outdoorsy person and know nothing about pigs - but I know not to mess about with piglets (or baby animals in general when there's a mother around).

The rewilders were celebrating Primrose Day on 19th April, which is indeed the anniversary of Disraeli's death.

National Primrose Day, which is about the flowers, is on 5th April.

Harrison’s not coping wth this, is he? Surely the hospital would have given them details of counselling services or he could talk to Alan in a pastoral capacity (yes, I know Fallon didn’t want it talked about but surely she’d not have an issue with him seeking help)?

And now the aggression at the cricket, plus being utterly shitty to Pat (who should have told him to fuck off).

His breathless disbelief that they could be “normal” again does not bode well. Particularly as the “Did Fallon even intend to keep the baby” elephant is still trampling wildly around the room.

Well that was an interesting episode for Harrison!

He's got an edge to him. Ready to blow again and take down whoever gets in his way (Fallon/Pat/Tracey/Cricket Captain.

I think we're witnessing his downfall. I wonder if he'll start drinking now??

I rather hope he’s going to belt someone. Bye bye part-time Ploddery, in that case. Maybe it will be Fallon, when he finally irritates her into telling him she would have terminated the pregnancy asap… But they probably won’t do that: it’s more likely to be a bloke. I don’t expect George’s true involvement to come out yet, so probably not him. I’d love it if he lamped Franks, but that seems improbable too. Chris? [eta: oooh, or Brian - probably too old - or Adam? I could thoroughly support it being Adam]

Anyway, bring on the blood and flying teeth.

Looks like Harrison has decided it's No More Mr Nice Guy. Good for him.

I agree the SW are writing Kirsty as a idiot. First the Goldfish, then the primrose re wilding path, now the pigs.
I think Jazzer could have been a bit more helpful to her.
Fed up with Harrison talk its getting a bit like Helen now. He needs a good kick up the arse.
I thought the cricket tea would be sandwiches and cake. Didnt know it còuld be a full on dinner ie chilli con carne, how do they play after?
Glad Alice has gone, dont know how she could leave Martha though, i would think that would be the main reason to sober up.

Why?

Harrison has always been portrayed as a fundamentally decent character (albeit not perfect). His morphing into an angry little man who is vastly overreacting to the briefest of pregnancies of a baby his wife didn’t want and lashing out - verbally if not physically - at everyone in his way isn’t pleasant.

Isn’t Pat a bit old to be playing cricket?

I used to listen to a podcast about Buffy the Vampire Slayer (bear with me!). One of the hosts was a writer and had a real bee in her bonnet about false conflict. This is basically where a conflict could be easily solved by people talking to each other - extremely irritating and ultimately doesn’t work dramatically. In contrast she talked about real conflict. In the context of Buffy, the best example of this is the Buffy and Angel relationship - he is a vampire, she is a slayer, and there’s no getting around that. That’s why it’s so convincing dramatically.

Someone upthread said Fallon and Harrison need to talk to each other. I agree (as I generally believe that communication is important), but ultimately it’s not going to help. He wants kids, she doesn’t and there’s no getting around that.

Kirsty is just pointless atm. She hasn’t had a decent storyline in ages and is now reduced to a village idiot with an implausible lack of knowledge about livestock.

I find it a little odd that he has been on 2 weeks compassionate leave for the miscarriage and not his wife almost dying as he doesn’t seem too bothered by that anymore!

Fallon asked him not to talk to anyone because she didn’t want anyone knowing about the miscarriage. Obviously he blew that out the water so there’s no reason he can’t talk to someone

@TherapistInATabard yes, I think they should talk but I do agree with you. I think they’re past it helping as fundamentally want different things.
What is the Buffy podcast? Always after new recs for the commute.

I suppose you could give him the benefit of the doubt that he'd maybe be coping better if the miscarriage hadn't been immediately after the accident. And it's the combination of the stress of the accident, the joy at the pregnancy (which, yes, was very odd given that he knows Fallon's views), then the miscarriage on top that is affecting him so much.

I think it’s unusual to have compassionate leave for a mc so early on..?

I’ve had several late miscarriages and a stillbirth in the past. DH wasn’t authorised to take compassionate leave for any of those and had to use AL. I don’t think this was correct, but his employer at the time were rather backwards when it came to policy.

ACAS suggests that for a loss post 24wks a father would be eligible for 2wks “paternity leave”.

I get all that but he doesn’t seem to be particularly bothered about Fallon!

He’s definitely not thinking about it from any other viewpoint than his loss!

That's horrific @iratepirate ,.I'm so sorry

Thank you @harriethoyle but we’re all ok.
I only mention because I think it’s implausible that Harrison would be afforded such a lot of leave for this. Unless he’s embellished the loss situation to his work?

DH didn’t work for the police but a similar organisation which would also fall under civil service umbrella.

@iratepirate its called Still Pretty. One of the hosts is quite annoying but they go through episode by episode and certainly got me thinking of certain things in different ways. They also articulated a few things that had always bugged me but I hadn’t put my finger on. If you also like Angel (despite the shitness of a lot of it 😂) the main host does Still Dead with a different co-host. That one’s really good!

I find it a little odd that he has been on 2 weeks compassionate leave for the miscarriage and not his wife almost dying as he doesn’t seem too bothered by that anymore!

To be fair (why?), he hasn’t. Originally, the leave must have been for the accident. Burns did say yesterday he’d ‘swapped some shifts’ as well as taking some annual leave (which pissed Fallon off mightily). A week would have been stretching it but just about feasible: wife in hospital following car accident, 1 day; scan, 1 day or part thereof; miscarriage (no doubt misrepresented/exaggerated) rest of week.