Archers thread #173: The Fall of the House of Grundy? 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 wish we were hearing more of Pip, 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/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.)

I chose the thread title to echo one I used three years ago, which is here if anyone fancies a trip down Memory Lane: www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4320618--Archers-thread-130-The-Fall-of-the-House-of-Aldridge-Discuss-The-Archers-here. That was the thread where I caused all sorts of confusion at the start by not starting it before the old thread filled up, but others stepped in, fortunately.

At that point I see Ruairi was heading off to London to start his degree, which he has now finished, with none of us any the wiser about what he studied or where. Perhaps this will finally be mentioned now he's graduating.

And now, over to you!

Oh god, he would totally be That Man (also as accurately described by @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g ) <shudders>

Because the bottom line would be that it would be his child, his golden offspring, his heir. His legacy to the human race. Fallon - like many women in her situation - would find herself a nothing but a womb whose sole job is to gestate successfully, give birth in an approved way then give over her entire golden-caged life to child raising. Identity, hopes and dreams, independence…out the window.

It gives me the willies to hear it in TA because that’s what my life would have been like if I hadn’t packed my bags and walked out. Particularly the reference to Fallon becoming an “earth mother” as that’s very much what was intended for me.

That's quite like real life, though, @Fink . All those wonderful pillar of the community men, wonderful fsthers, caring husbands, who are coercive, physically abusive, etc. People forget any doubts or niggles over time, or put it down to a bad day, and then something happens, never could have foreseen it.

Because the bottom line would be that it would be his child, his golden offspring, his heir. His legacy to the human race. Fallon - like many women in her situation - would find herself a nothing but a womb whose sole job is to gestate successfully, give birth in an approved way then give over her entire golden-caged life to child raising. Identity, hopes and dreams, independence…out the window.

Very like Rob and "my son", "the night I gave you our son."

Despite our very reasonable doubts about the viability of Fallon's vegan café, I hope she does get to open it because then there is a chance she could meet a supplier of acquafaba or wooden cutlery and introduce some new blood to the character list.
I am also hoping something is going to come of the relationship between Chelsea and Ben which seemed to be stirring a few months ago. That could provide Ben with a personality and the opportunity for the next generation of Archers to play some role in TA for the future.

It’s not just the behbeh, sorry baby, issue though. Fallon offered to support him when he wanted to give up work/cut his hours (I can’t remember all the details but it was about applying for the countryside policing job). When she wanted to talk about the charging station, he blanked her.

He behaved completely improperly at work and was lucky to get away with a warning. Now he’s put his job at risk again, she must feel as if it’s her responsibility to keep working, and she’s already said she can’t pay them mortgage on her own. He’s selfish, thoughtless and irresponsible.

It won’t help George’s case, but I kind of hope somebody dobs him in for his behaviour. I like Fallon, I want her to be free!

Very like Rob and "my son", "the night I gave you our son."

Quite. What is it with (some) men and their need to leave a legacy? I get that they can't have children by themselves but they don't have to be pregnant, give birth and have society's expectations of motherhood foisted on them, so why can't they see that some women just don't want that either?

The scales do seem to be falling from Fallon's eyes that Harrison wasn't honest when he said he accepted not having children, and his behaviour is becoming more repellent to her. If I was her I wouldn't have to worry about becoming accidentally pregnant again as my nethers would have slammed shut quite some time ago.

As for Robert, that's quite a personality transplant, isn't it? Cheating prizes from small children, rudely demanding the shop takes responsibility for excessive biscuit packaging... I wonder if it's deliberate though. Someone I knew had a sudden change of personality and it turned out to be a (benign) brain tumour...

The scales do seem to be falling from Fallon's eyes that Harrison wasn't honest when he said he accepted not having children, and his behaviour is becoming more repellent to her. If I was her I wouldn't have to worry about becoming accidentally pregnant again as my nethers would have slammed shut quite some time ago.The scales do seem to be falling from Fallon's eyes that Harrison wasn't honest when he said he accepted not having children, and his behaviour is becoming more repellent to her. If I was her I wouldn't have to worry about becoming accidentally pregnant again as my nethers would have slammed shut quite some time ago.

But we know her nethers haven't slammed shut.

i think originally, Harrison probably was honest, in that he was disappointed, but thought he could live with it. Maybe he thought he could get back to that acceptance after the great Bridge Disaster, but Fallon having been pregnant made him realise what he could have had and now won't, and it's easier to blame Alice or George than accept this is what he signed up for, and also Fallon isn't just going to change his mind as he deep down hoped, even if he didn't admit it to himself.

I don't think he can get his head round the fact that a woman won't just accept an unwanted pregnancy and realise it's what she wanted all along deep down, because deep down, it's what he's always wanted. And yet police officers must come in contact with a wide range of different people, so should realise they're not all the same.

Robert's obsession with litter is reminiscent of his insistence on checking door bell cameras a few months ago ( for reasons I can't recall now). Perhaps he is developing dementia or another medical condition as otherwise his total personality change can only be attributed to bad writing.

Until I hear Lynda, or indeed anyone on TA, comment 'That's not like Robert',
I'm inclined to think the latter.

That could provide Ben with a personality

He already has one: priggish, smug, snide and neurotic.

Sad as it would be for Lynda, Robert with a brain tumour might be quite an interesting story. The SWs could indulge themselves with extreme behaviour - without worrying that it’s ’not like the old Robert’.

I have high hopes for Alice and Brian in London for Ruari's graduation. Can somebody remind me whether he has a job (or are they going to have him back in Ambridge before too long).

I’m impressed Ruari was able to get her a ticket so quickly. In my memory, it was very hard to get more than the ones you had applied for.

As far as I know we've been told absolutely nothing about Ruairi's degree subject, which institution he attended, what class of degree he's obtained, what he might have wanted to do on graduation, and what he's actually doing. Maybe tonight's episode will fill in all the gaps. [Pollyanna mode: ON]

What we do know, however, is that Arthur Hughes who plays Ruairi is doing very well indeed so not likely to be available all that often for the low-paid recording sessions the BBC can offer for TA.

We've been down the brain tumour route recently with Rob.

Good grief - I’d completely forgotten. But that was such a brief thing, they might legitimately explore something similar over a much longer period, as with Jack’s dementia.

Well, it would be realistic, I guess, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g, if Ruairi has a job elsewhere after graduation. He wasn’t that interested in farming - beyond getting one over on Adam, and I can’t imagine him stuck in a small village forever. He’s a bit too fond of the bright lights.

A thought - will loses his job and has to rent the house out again - to Alastair and Denise

I actually think Chris is being too much - would he prioritise Emma’s family over Martha? Unlikely

Harrison and George are actually quite similar in a lot of ways. Harrison is actually a nasty piece of work and I hope they tell the police about his attack and he loses his job.

glad the family in Ireland got a shout out. Do grad schemes interview this late in the year? I started applying beginning of year 3 and had offers by Easter

That was a lovely scene. I enjoyed it.

Harrison has gone beyond being odious now.
I'm not sure there's an obligation on anyone to "shop" anyone else. Will and Emma didn't assist George. They just didn't tell.

Wonder how Chris will feel seeing his sister being charged like that. If he feels happy about it then he is a terrible brother/son/uncle to Keira

i think Fallon will be disgusted with him as she’s not the vengeful sort

I think Fallon and Alice will be disgusted with Harrison. I don't think either of them are vengeful.

‘What were you thinking Harrison!’

like George he doesn’t think - just acts in what he believes to be his own interests. Difference being George is 19 and he’s a middle aged policeman

Vengeful, certainly. But most of the village are shocked and disgusted with George - the news that Will and Emma knew about it hasn’t spread yet.

If it wasn’t Harrison, I think it would be someone else. We’ve been talking about this for weeks, why wouldn’t they at least be investigated for what they’ve done?

Au fond, Alice is a profoundly vindictive person, as evidenced by her voicemail to Emma and her outburst at Ruairi. But there’s too much fun and positive reinforcement to be had from being the vindicated innocent at the moment for her to want to retarnish her image by putting the boot in.

oh, and @Bruisername, Keira is Ed’n’Em’s problem, not Chris’s. I see no reason for him not to be rather pleased that Emma might be facing real consequences. Surprised it’s ’assisting an offender’ though: it’s in to conspiracy to pervert territory, particularly bearing in mind the trip to the cop shop with the fairy story about Harry.