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Archers thread #170: The scriptwriters have cast a Paul on proceedings! Discuss The Archers here.

1000 replies

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 01/08/2024 13:14

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 like to hear more of Drunk Alistair, 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/radioaddicts/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/radioaddicts/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 title. I was tempted to try some sort of complex riff on chocolate names, given @PedantScorner's lightbulb moment - Paul's sister is Cara Mack! - and all the nonsense in last night's episode about coffee creams, but I couldn't be bothered, beyond thinking we must all be Cadbury's Fruit and Nutcases for listening at the moment. Let's hope the SWs take a walk along Quality Street or we'll have to put a Bounty on their heads!

And over to you ...

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MereDintofPandiculation · 05/08/2024 13:53

Fink · 05/08/2024 10:59

Me neither. But I have a aphantasia so I don't have a mental picture of anyone.

Hmm. I wonder. I can visualise things. Just people I'm not so good at. Even loved ones. Can remember faces to recognise people when I see them again, just can't call them to mind when they're not there. Some snippets maybe. But not a whole face or person. I would be able to tell you details of DH's appearance, but not so sure I can conjure up a photographic view of him in my mind. Hadn't really thought about it.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 05/08/2024 14:07

Thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g - all that was a few years before I started listening.

Maybe a rekindling?

TottersBlanklyIntoThePhysicGarden · 05/08/2024 15:31

Felicity Jones, who for some unaccountable reason wanted to be a Hollywood A lister

Was She Being Unreasonable? Grin

(I’ve always thought it has put unfair pressure on Emerald O’Hanrahan, who may never feel she’s fully succeeded in her career - no matter how brilliant she is as Susan’s daughter - unless Hollywood comes calling.)

LikeTalkingToLassie · 05/08/2024 15:41

Emerald is probably happy as she is. Hollywood isn't for everyone.
Felicity Jones wasn't catapulted to Hollywood because of her performance in The Archers.

Maybe the current Kate is disappointed that she never made it to being 'Me Julie'.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 05/08/2024 16:52

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g
I wouldn't be just so sure that I've got the chronology right! Asking will have chapter and verse, I'm sure.

The chronology is fine except it starts a little too late in the mess. In 2003 Emma was going out with both Ed and Will because she couldn't make up her mind which she wanted, and lied to each about it. So for instance on 2nd May, 2003, she had sex with Ed, while continuing to see Will and lying that she was not seeing Ed. (Unfortunately there is a week's gap in the Lowfield synopses and that's one of the days in it, so it doesn't show up in searches.) Then when she was seen out on a date with Ed and someone told Will, she told Will it was none of his business who she spent time with, but then decided (under the influence of Brenda) to go for Will after all, and 8th May told Will that she loved him and they were definitely an item, and Ed that she didn't want to see him again. Will, taking her word about it, proposed to her on 7th August (her birthday),2003, and she accepted. Ed, taking her word about it, went straight to the bad and was caught housebreaking.

At the beginning of June 2004 Emma had a choice between living in a caravan with her family whilst Neil built them a new house, or moving in with Will, so she moved in with Will. On 4th July she went for a long drive with Ed in his new car, and on 8th July, after getting drunk at her hen night, she went over to Grange Farm where Ed was house-sitting for Oliver and Caroline, and had sex with Ed, staying there for the night. The following day she broke it to Ed that sex or no sex she was going to marry Will. Ed was understandably a little upset, and took Oliver up on an offer to give him a job on a farm Oliver part-owned in Hungary in spite of nobody who was not a Hungarian national being allowed by law to own land in Hungary at that time. Emma was mortified because on 1st August she begged Ed not to go and he told her to stuff it, with various home truths about her behaviour into the bargain, and went off to the airport.

Then she discovered on 9th that she was pregnant, and decided on 13th that since Ed had slung his hook and wasn't available any more, she would simply say the child was Will's even though she was sure it wasn't, and Will could have a cuckoo in his nest. They married on 27th August, 2004.

George was born on 7th April 2005, Ed having driven Emma to hospital because Will wasn't around. During the month that followed Emma encouraged Ed (who had come back with his girlfriend Beth and then been dumped by her in January 2005) to come round as much as possible, but not when Will was there. In May he started to give her driving lessons. That went on until Jill almost caught them and Emma decided it was too dangerous, and then Neil and Susan gave her a course of lessons for her 21st birthday anyway.

In September 2005 Emma discovered to her horror, from Kenton, that Ed was planning to go to Australia. In order to stop him from leaving her, she told Ed on 22nd September that she loved him and had always loved him, and that George was his baby. The following day, after he had had time to take it in, Ed declared his love for both her and the baby, and said they would have to get away from Ambridge together. Since George had no passport, Australia would be impossible for at least the time being, but they would think of somewhere. Then at Ed's birthday party on 28th September William found the couple together planning their departure the following day, and told Emma to go home; she refused until Ed told her that she should, and when Will followed her back to Casa Nueva she told him that George was not his son but Ed's, and that she was leaving him.

So their wedding lasted thirteen months, but Emma had got bored with it after about eight of them. And she started to be jealously possessive about Ed as soon as he turned up with Beth, on 7th November, 2004, and think that having married Will was a mistake. (Poor Will, his wife only really stayed loyal to him for three months.)

DoughReigh · 05/08/2024 16:53

MereDintofPandiculation · 05/08/2024 13:53

Hmm. I wonder. I can visualise things. Just people I'm not so good at. Even loved ones. Can remember faces to recognise people when I see them again, just can't call them to mind when they're not there. Some snippets maybe. But not a whole face or person. I would be able to tell you details of DH's appearance, but not so sure I can conjure up a photographic view of him in my mind. Hadn't really thought about it.

There's a song about that.

I Can't See Your Face in My Mind

Provided to YouTube by Rhino/ElektraI Can't See Your Face in My Mind · The DoorsStrange Days℗ 1967 Elektra Entertainment Group Inc. for the United States and...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KElzMBKBGZo

LillianGish · 05/08/2024 17:16

I was racking my brain last night to see if I could think of an 80s film that featured someone blaming a crime on someone else, wrecking their life and refusing to own up which either George or Emma could think was a secret dig at one or both of them. It's a surprise party - which is often never as good idea for the recipient as the party thrower thinks it's going to be (see Jim and the paedophile guest of honour). I'm thinking either George will somehow think Emma has let the cat out of the bag or Emma's conscience will be pricked.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 05/08/2024 17:33

The paedophile guest at Jim's "Significant Birthday" surprise party in 2019 must have been at least ten or fifteen years older than Jim if he was an adult who interfered with Jim when Jim was at the oldest a young teenager – Jim said he was a friend of Jim's parents, which would make him likely to be even older than that relative to Jim. Even if it was Jim's 70th rather than 75th or 80th, this was a man in a wheelchair who had to be driven down to Ambridge from wherever it was Jim grew up, and then presumably found somewhere to sleep for the night that was suitable for a man of his age and infirmity. It never seemed particularly plausible to me: why would the neighbours from Jim's childhood have done this, even if they knew where the old man was now living decades later? And why would the old man have bothered?

Bruisername · 05/08/2024 17:36

Yes I thought the Jim sl was a bit odd in terms of timing and not sure why they needed him to appear. He could have just sent a card
Maybe the police will turn up at Emma’s party

NetballHoop · 05/08/2024 17:36

LillianGish · 05/08/2024 17:16

I was racking my brain last night to see if I could think of an 80s film that featured someone blaming a crime on someone else, wrecking their life and refusing to own up which either George or Emma could think was a secret dig at one or both of them. It's a surprise party - which is often never as good idea for the recipient as the party thrower thinks it's going to be (see Jim and the paedophile guest of honour). I'm thinking either George will somehow think Emma has let the cat out of the bag or Emma's conscience will be pricked.

Best I can think of is Trading Places.

Bruisername · 05/08/2024 17:38

NetballHoop · 05/08/2024 17:36

Best I can think of is Trading Places.

That was a great film. Wonder if it’s aged well!!

Fink · 05/08/2024 17:54

MereDintofPandiculation · 05/08/2024 13:53

Hmm. I wonder. I can visualise things. Just people I'm not so good at. Even loved ones. Can remember faces to recognise people when I see them again, just can't call them to mind when they're not there. Some snippets maybe. But not a whole face or person. I would be able to tell you details of DH's appearance, but not so sure I can conjure up a photographic view of him in my mind. Hadn't really thought about it.

It's allegedly a continuum from hyperphantasia to aphantasia, so you might be near the aphantasic end without being all the way at the extreme.

Bruisername · 05/08/2024 18:17

I am sadly in the extreme. I have a terrible memory and assume it is linked

JanglyBeads · 05/08/2024 19:16

Boop for Joy today!!

Fink · 05/08/2024 19:21

JanglyBeads · 05/08/2024 19:16

Boop for Joy today!!

Definitely. I'm a Lynda fan, generally, but I really liked the way Joy shut her down when she was stamping her foot about not getting her own way. Lynda there thinking that because she said no, it can't happen, and Joy's 'your objection has been noted.' Priceless.

Bruisername · 05/08/2024 19:26

Isn’t Justin spending rather too much time on the stables? What kind of businessman is he!! And why does he get the final say on Alice. I’m glad Lillian brought up employment law

I know Lynda can be officious but organisation is very important!!!

I find joy so irritating

Maybe I’m just a misery guts but fetes are tedious enough without having to take a pony and trap all the way to the stables for even more ‘fun’ activities. And if I went to the stables day then I’m not sure I’d be thinking a trip to the local village fete Would be a ‘yay’

I didn’t realise rehab worked so quickly and successfully

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 05/08/2024 19:33

Fink · 05/08/2024 19:21

Definitely. I'm a Lynda fan, generally, but I really liked the way Joy shut her down when she was stamping her foot about not getting her own way. Lynda there thinking that because she said no, it can't happen, and Joy's 'your objection has been noted.' Priceless.

Lynda has a right bloody cheek, given that she was the one who, having decided yet again to give up something, landed an unwilling Joy with doing the job.

Furthermore, the reason the two events clash is that Lynda unilaterally changed the day of the fête.

Bruisername · 05/08/2024 19:34

I don’t understand why she is still so involved. Feels a bit like the sw have done this to create tension but I don’t find it particularly believable

Bruisername · 05/08/2024 19:35

Also, aren’t fetes usually organised well in advance? All seems a bit last minute

just a thought but is Alice going to end up getting sacked by Justin and will then turn up drunk at the fete

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 05/08/2024 19:43

Each year there has to be "tension" about the fête. That is why Lynda is insisting she is still in charge in spite of having lumbered Joy with it.

As far as I remember the first mention of this year's fête was on 25th June, which is an insanely short time to organise such an event in real life but is absolutely in keeping with Lynda's usual time-scale for such things. (She has been known to start casting for the Christmas show in November, with the first rehearsal a month or so from the date of the performance.)

Justin is a shareholder, but does not as far as I know have the power to hire or fire.

Gonners · 05/08/2024 20:31

Joy handled that quite remarkably well and with great confidence. I think it's time we found out what she did in her previous life.

@Bruisername just a thought but is Alice going to end up getting sacked by Justin and will then turn up drunk at the fete

I like your thinking, but getting sacked for being drunk in charge of the horse and cart transport between events would be more entertaining and would also have the benefit of wiping out anyone foolish enough to travel that way, or foolishly go to the rescue. Yes, Jill, Mick and <insert up to three other characters of your choice>... I'm thinking of you).

WagnersFourthSymphony · 05/08/2024 20:38

@Gonners getting sacked for being drunk in charge of the horse and cart transport between events would be more entertaining and would also have the benefit of wiping out anyone foolish enough to travel that way, or foolishly go to the rescue. Yes, Jill, Mick and <insert up to three other characters of your choice>... I'm thinking of you).

And it has the added benefit of proving Lynda right to be concerned about Health & Safety. 😟

stilldumdedumming · 05/08/2024 20:42

Ah @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime - came on to see if you had addressed Justin's actual position here!

Gonners · 05/08/2024 20:50

@WagnersFourthSymphony And it has the added benefit of proving Lynda right to be concerned about Health & Safety. 😟

Rats! I hereby withdraw that suggestion, unless Lynda can somehow be implicated in the disaster ...

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 05/08/2024 20:50

Well, as far as I know shareholders, even majority ones, don't have the power to sack employees of the company they have invested in, and as far as we know Justin is not the majority shareholder in The Stables. He and Lilian just put in some money to build an eventing course which would not in a zillion years have fitted into the Stables' area, a triangle between roads that is about a hundred yards on each side. I am often puzzled about how they have room for boxes for all the horses that get named and an indoor school as well!

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