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

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g . For me, the reason I cringe so much at the D & A affair is simply because Denice is an unpleasant character with no redeeming qualities and Alistair, who I like, is behaving in a way that’s completely at odds with his character. Also, they are just not a good match - there’s no chemistry or commonality as far as I can see. I think it’ll end in disaster so that’ll be good 😁

Checking into the new fred

Joelene - sorry to hear about your knobhead ex partner, what a horrible thing to say.

Signing in. I’ve listened twice to last night’s episode and still can’t fathom why Chelsea had the lowdown on the Al and Den affair.

And all those people ‘helping’ at the hen do. I thought there were only 6 or 7 actual attendees.

Wow - you managed to listen twice!! Impressive

sounded like a rubbish hen do

I always fall asleep halfway through. And I relisten when I’m awake in the wee small hours. If I could work out how to fast forward through the bits I’d already heard ……….

If you are listening on sounds there's a slidey thing along the bottom of the picture you can move backwards and forwards.

Here:

The hen-do would have been very weird for the hen. So many randoms there. I couldn’t get passed this and failed to concentrate. The chaise-longue photocall was baffling. I would have been very taken aback at having George (who presumably was just there to drop it off) and Chelsea, the manicurist, larking about like that. And then Jill trying to take over the catering.

Thanks @Gaspode

Thanksfor the new thread.
Just reading about all the affairs Brian has had and wondered if anybody knows where or how I can find them to listern to as I only know Brian of late and I would love to hear how naughty he was and Jenny also, it all sounds so much better than the stuff we get to listern now.
How is it that so many people are involved in this bloody hen do of someone none of us know about?
I think if George tells Emma the truth she will tell Susan and they will both tell him to keep quiet and not confess, not because the dont care about Martha but they both love George and Emma dislikes Alice with a vengence and will still think it was Alices fault for being drunk in the car in the first place not that Im taking the heart brokens 🔮 place at the moment.

@JoelenesParrot I also thought poor old bride - in case she’d forgotten for a second about the plight of her country, HAVE SOME SUNFLOWER-THEMED CUPCAKES!

I find it truly bizarre that we want to live in a multi cultural society yet make someone’s nationality their personality. Perhaps Alina is really into skateboarding or knitting or yoga and that could have been the focus. But no, let’s lazily pick on your nationality so we don’t actually have to get to know you

@ExitPursuedByABare I've woken up properly now and realise you were probably joking. Sorry.

@Bruisername YES! Completely agree. It’s painful.

Emma definitely dislikes Alice with a vengeance, I agree. That is why I found it so odd in the episode a few days back when (for the sw to lay the misery on) she was saying to George how much empathy she had for Martha and Alice from her memories of being parted from her own mum Susan when Susan was in clink, and how hard it would be regardless of what Alice had done.

We won’t hear it. We’ll get the Emma’s “I won’t judge” and a couple of hesitant words from George, then veer to the no 2 story of the night, and when we come back, it’ll be all over, and if we’re lucky we’ll hear Emma talking to Ed. They’ve been veering away from difficult scenes recently, almost as if the SWs doubt their own ability to handle them

I'd much rather listen to that if they're going for realism than storylines by a SW who cheated and has forgiven themself because "I deserve happiness"😴

Was the whole point of the hen do storyline with the unknown bride just to get George in a Chaise Longue photo looking miserable? Really strange plot - I thought there might be some tension with Natasha, but she wasn't even in it. Jill as the granny substitute silently taking over the catering was just bizarre.

I think we were supposed to feel the tension between Fallon and Natasha in the way Fallon responded to pips non catering questions.

tbh Fallon is so wet and Pa about the whole thing it’s going to be an anti climax when she does eventually leave for the charging station

It did mean that David and Ruth were there to speak about Ben's breakdown. Also, I think that it will lead to Pip wanting a Hen Do of Her Own (god she's unbearable), and Fallon and Chelsea will go to the new Tea Room/Hair Salon at the Charging Station.

All the 'Hero' stuff would probably do anyone's head in.

Fallon's bound by financial insecurity because of her husband being part time.
I imagine Natasha will be apoplectic when Fallon flounces as it's Fallon's baking skills that are the Te Rum's USP.

I’m surprised Natasha hasn’t turned it into a juice bar

I'm not.

Maybe she should turn it into a pit stop for the mamils

To be fair, this isn't a specifically British thing, I had exactly the same when I lived abroad: I was always the foreigner, THE representative of England (even though I'm only half English).