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 ...

She promised not to tell a soul, whatever it was, and then immediately proposed telling absolutely everyone in the family I know from experience that if someone professes undying love and begs you to tell them what’s wrong, no matter what it is, you don’t tell them. Not if it affects them in any way. I shouted at George when he started to confess (not that I like the little git).

I think the only way forward for George now is to attempt suicide and then be discovered and saved at the last minute. That way the truth would come out and Alice would not go to prison, but George would be seen as genuinely remorseful and he (and Emma) could avoid social ostracism.

It would be a nice dramatic touch if Harrison was the one to find George unconscious and had to struggle with his feelings before deciding to do the right thing and save George's life. (Although I am not confident of the Harrison actor's ability to carry this off without sounding like a cow in labour and so ruining the drama and pathos).

Although I am not confident of the Harrison actor's ability to carry this off without sounding like a cow in labour and so ruining the drama and pathos

I think the only way forward for George now is to attempt suicide and then be discovered and saved at the last minute. That way the truth would come out and Alice would not go to prison, but George would be seen as genuinely remorseful and he (and Emma) could avoid social ostracism.

Or George would be seen as pulling a parasuicide in an attempt to avoid prison. An overdose really wouldn’t cut much ice in the circumstances.

Meanwhile we could place bets on who will be the first to tell Emma ‘You mustn’t blame yourself’.

And we all know that no one will be judging Will in the same way

I think he bought a 4-pack but only drank one. Wasn't there something about him going back to the car to pick up the remaining cans, but forgetting to take away the empty one?

<on edit> sorry, that was in response to @Bruisername at 0820.

But he said he only drank 1 and I’m sure others would have noticed if he had 3 with him after the accident

But Will doesn't pass comment on others in the same way as Emma does.

True but we all know mothers are judged more harshly for their children’s behaviour than fathers

Me too!

Cracking episode, great acting, but a hard listen. So much better than Paul's faux outrage. I love stories where there are huge repercussions from one small unintended action. If George had just blamed Alice for distracting him whilst driving her home (as a good deed), none of this would have happened.

I suspect he left the others at the party. Didn’t he say last night that he only had one for the journey home?

Meanwhile we could place bets on who will be the first to tell Emma ‘You mustn’t blame yourself’.

My money is on Susan. Possibly Neil.

Previously we discussed why would he have even drunk it given he thought it was gross and the conclusion was that he didn’t want to waste his money - so why would he leave full ones at the party?

I suppose they wanted to be clear he wasn’t drink driving

they must have quite some time to decide what to do given the long delays in the justice system at the moment - Alice won’t go to trial before at least 2026 surely

I got the impression that the court case was looming imminently. Some court tracks move faster than others, I think.

I’m the first to say the SW have a responsibility to represent things accurately (Helen being shown to be cut off from her family while on remand was a particular low point - it could have stopped women coming forward about domestic abuse) but if they want to miraculously bring a case to court quickly here, I’ll overlook it. I can’t bear this being dragged out for two more years!

I now realise that I see Alice as Zara Tindall, too!

I used to spell Ruari Ruauauauauaridh in tribute to JD’s very OTT pronunciation.

I have re-listened and the number of bottles wasn't mentioned, but it sounded like more than 1 (clanking noise).

My thoughts exactly.

Funny isn’t it? I’ve never really thought about it before, but all the chat yesterday and I realised 😂

Kate is dark and quite well built, in my head.

Adam is like the older of the sons in Butterflies (also Adam I think, which might explain it)

Gosh no. I only have Natasha as dark-haired. Butterflies Adam was played by Nick Lyndhurst and his older brother was called Russ.
I picture Ruairi and Adam as being fairly Irish in looks
Kate and Alice are both Sloaney.
Helen has light/mid brown hair, as did Debbie.
Tom's hair is slightly darker than Helen's.
Pip, Josh and Ben are all mousy-haired.

Anyone know what to do with an injured young fox when the rspca and local wildlife centre won’t attend?

(Sorry for asking a non archers question but you guys know everything!!)

Leave it. It will be covered in fleas and they're vermin with no natural predator.

This was why he was known on at least one message board as "the Unspellable One".

The chap in my family who is pronounced that way (and has red hair) is spelt "Rory" on account of having been born in England with English parents, one of whom has a lot of Scots ancestry.

Bottles clinked together when he bought the cider; I expect he left the others at the party, and they wouldn't allow him to walk out with any of the better booze there so he had to take one bottle of the naff stuff he had brought with him.