Archers thread #166: Choppy waters in Ambridge! Look out for the red flags and 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'd love to be married to Harrison, 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.)

Another thread started in great haste, mid-packing! Over to you.

Oh I mean from the other side if the voice reflects sex rather than gender

FWIW, I heard that scene the same way @Lalgarh did. It’s a bit disconcerting to experience in real life.

Go, Fallon, go! Actually, scrub that, go, Harrison, go - a long, long way off. And don't bother coming back. What a pitiful excrescence he has become.

Baffled by what's going on with Joy, but keen to find out more!

I think there's something ng deeply traumatic in Joy's past. Hence her empathy with Ben.

And we're going to go back there soon.

The local address will be key although I doubt the current resident was involved. That address may explain why she came to Ambridge?

Finally! In barely two sentences Fallon managed to correct Harrison on who was pregnant AND tell him outright that she might have aborted anyway. Shame she had to miss the party for it.

I'll have the cheese and pudding courses, please, and I don't even care in what order (a source of very good-natured conflict in my multinational family). I don't mind skipping the mains.

I've never had apple snow, it sounds nice. We always used to get a Danish apple pudding called aeblekage, my Dad made it regularly on Sundays. I have no idea why, he has no Danish connections. It might have been a way to use up bread and apples.

My brain is tripping around a thought it can’t quite put together properly. But it’s all about how Fallon distanced herself from Alice when her actions and choices jeopardised Harrison’s career. And now Alice’s supposed actions nearly killed Fallon, she’s standing by her but Harrison’s making it all about him. I think it’s basically that Fallon is lovely and loyal and Harrison is a self centred dick. Yeah I think that’s it 😂

I'm assuming that Harrison's conversion to Christianity is part of the SWs long game in its fuelling his reaction to Fallon's putting him right on what could/would have been on the cards had she not miscarried.

Bloody stupid and very overegged to have him leaving the room in that way. Maybe he needs to be at high doh to carry out his job-destroying next move.

Exactly. His reaction was weird. Had it really never crossed his mind that a woman who is very clear about not wanting children would most likely opt for a termination should their contraception fail? If not then he really is a dumb ass.

The man in the house was Rochelle's former partner who killed her ?

Thinking (too much probably) about the Rochelle storyline if she was that near to Joy why was she always sending the grandkids things - I'm sure that's sort of what Mick said earlier in the week and if she was that near how come none has ever met her ?

I sort of recall in an earlier mention of why she hadn't visited before Joy implied it was too far which now doesn't make sense .

Love Joy - desperate though to know the truth

I suspect MNers throughout the land were cheering at that point.

How on earth has it never crossed Harrison's mind that Fallon might well have wanted to terminate if she hadn't had the miscarriage? Does he seriously believe that finding out she was pregnant would have instantly caused her to change her mind about not wanting children? If so, he just doesn't know her at all.

I can't see this happening because it wouldn't be such a big secret. If Joy had a trans daughter/son it would just be introduced that way.

I thought her big surprise yesterday was going to be the big reveal but we have to wait a bit longer. Mick is on his way out though.

Yes I don't see it being a trans storyline. I don't think Joy would keep that a secret, and if she did want to keep it a secret, why mention Rochelle so much?

The stilted, almost rehearsed/rote sounding "Rochelle has always been a fabulous daughter to me", along with the clearly fictional hospital visit from her makes me think Rochelle is either dead, or estranged through her own choice because of something Joy did. Or maybe in prison.

Mick was in the wrong though going through her address book, even though the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I thought Harrison was going to pass out, the noises he was making.
Glad Fallon finally told him that she hadnt changed her mind about having a baby.
Rochelle is living up north I thought. She never visited Joy in hospital. Dont know whats going on there hope they dont drag it out much longer.

We only had dessert on a sunday it was always powdered custard and tinned fruit with evap milk. Delish!

I love the long term story lines like the mystery of Rochelle.

I can’t see her being in prison and Joy not mentioning it, unless Rochelle has been a fabulous daughter to Joy because she’d killed someone for Joy. A bit close to the Helen storyline perhaps.
So, I think I’m going for her being dead or fictional. But I can’t understand why she’d have an address written in the book for her if that was so.

She would have an address from before she died

i like a long term SL where it builds up subtly but once it’s so obvious it needs resolving!

unless Rochelle has been a fabulous daughter to Joy because she’d killed someone for Joy.

Marnie!

Clearly, being elusive is Rochelle’s stock in trade because she is a ninja assassin. She isn’t really Rochelle, that’s just something Joy made up on the spur of the moment because her actual name, Hidden Hand of Death (or similar) is a bit of a giveaway. They’re forced to keep their distance to protect Joy from HHoD’s enemies. BTW all those characters and storylines that peter out? - I’m looking at you Marky - ninja’d to death by HHoD.

When George set fire to the postbox, Joy was sad because she said that she had posted a letter to Rochelle, enclosing irreplaceable photos.

Had Joy really written to Rochelle, or has she been exploiting situations such as the postbox fire, to talk about Rochelle to make her seem real?

That would support estrangement - sending photos to appeal to happy childhood memories

Perhaps Joy gave Rochelle up for adoption at birth. Her adoptive parents changed her name to something else. She had a happy upbringing, and is close to her adoptive parents.

She and Joy made contact (perhaps Rochelle wanted some medical history) and Joy longed for a relationship, but Rochelle isn't interested, or is polite but distant.

That's the best idea yet, @Rainingsincenovember, tempted as I am by the witness protection, prison, altruistic murder, ninja etc storylines.

Yes that is a good one. I do think Joy has had a dark past - perhaps the reason she had to give baby up.

Yes … But the only thing it omits is Joy’s unexpected mental health expertise (shown during Ben’s crisis). I do expect them to explain that to us.