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!

Thank you! I listened only about 10 mins after the broadcast. Bit disappointed now though as I was expecting a Friday night follow up with Will and Emma being taken to the nick!

Crikey, that was an episode. I was cringing so hard at Emma and Will’s ridiculous attempts to apologise - do they REALLY think an “I’m sowree” will cut it? - I felt myself curling up like one of those little plastic fortune-telling fish that you get in Christmas crackers.

Did Fallon know Harrison decided he knew what was best for her when he refused to let them speak to her, however? And Emma/Will/George will absolutely shop Harrison for his behaviour now he’s dropped them in it with the old bill. So that’s him having lost his job.

Still, the Brian/Alice/Ruari bit was lovely. I do love dear old Brine 💕

So as things stand:
George is likely to end up in prison
Will and Emma face prosecution for not dobbing him in (no matter what the real law is, the SWs have decided this is Ambridge law)
Keira's and Poppy's lives are possibly going to be messed up in the same way as Emma's (long-term planning from the SWs?)
Emma and her husband Ed are on very bad terms just as they have started a new business together
Emma and her brother Chris are on very bad terms
Susan and Neil are surely not going to be happy with Chris when they learn that his careless talk has caused yet more trouble for Emma
Will could lose his house because he mortgaged it to fund Ed'n'Em's business and that may now founder
Harrison is bound to be reported for his assault on George and as he is on a final warning he will probably be sacked
Fallon is furious with Harrison for putting his job at risk just as she wants to start a new business and their marriage is on extremely shaky ground
Eddie and Clarrie must be in a bad way but we haven't heard from either of them yet - a joy to come
Oliver must be feeling as if he lives in a madhouse - evict them all, Oliver! Live out the rest of your life in relative peace.

Yes me too!

I think Chris will be upset with Harrison too - he won’t want Emma to face jail

Did Fallon know Harrison decided he knew what was best for her when he refused to let them speak to her, however?

I suspect not. And I doubt it's going to hold down well when she finds out.

Emma and her husband Ed are on very bad terms just as they have started a new business together

Given tonight’s tete-a-tete, I did rather wonder if there would be a reconciliation, particularly as they will be lumped together and demonised collectively as “they who knew” by everyone else.

Really struck me tonight, with Brian’s “and I know Siobhan and Jenny would be (proud) too!”, how poor R has lost two mums before the age of 21. So so sad.

According to the 🔮, Harrison is going to hit rock bottom and will attempt suicide. It's not saying whether he will succeed, but he'll be leaving Ambridge one way or another.

I'm wondering about the situation relating to keeping totally schtumm about the fact they knew Alice was innocent. Failing to dob George in is one thing, allowing the continued prosecution of someone they knew to be innocent is something quite different and makes it more serious, doesn't it?

I'd have thought this could well be the final nail in the coffin of Harrison's marriage. Getting Fallon's friend and colleague arrested, at the same time as ensuring he loses his job? It's going to show that he will never put her ahead of his primitive revenge instincts.

As much as George is angry with his mother, when the news gets to him about the possible consequences for her and Will and who has had hand in it, he'll dob in Harrison about his shoving and shouting so fast Harrison's eyes will water.

Looks like except Robert and Lynda and Oliver,every single person in TA will be affected by George's actions.

Yes. Whoever would have thought given Brian’s age when he was born that it would be his Dad who was the sole parent at his graduation?

It has been most beautifully plotted.

I was going to say Brookfield has been unaffected but of course Pip - rather inconceivably - found herself repainting Rex’s boat because of the bridge trouble. (Nebulous) … And there was some long tedious explanation of long tedious road delays affecting the farm.

As far as I can see, so far only the Lower Loxley crowd remains unaffected - aside from Lily (along with Josh) having to deal with the fallout from Paul’s reaction to his mother and Alistair’s part in The Events.

Oliver however will be in the thick of things going forward - as the Grundys’ landlord, living with Eddie and Clarrie and housing Little Grange on his land, his life must be rather fraught right now.

I am sure Emma and Will will get suspended sentences. I have no doubt that Emma will now report Harrison for assaulting George. He’s very volatile for a police officer (although I know one in real life too so it is possible!)

Yes Emma and/or Will will mention that Harrison came round but unless they officially report it I can’t see his colleagues taking it further

i have little faith in the police tbh

Is it very churlish of me to find Alice's almost hysterical excitement at the graduation really tiresome? Yes,, one is proud, but the ceremonies are actually terminally dull as one watched hundereds and hundreds of students briefly file past, and she isn't his mother. She talked about the vice chancellor as through he was the pope or some massive celebrity that it was thrilling to see.

Helen does this too - madly excited speech, always with a smile shining through, when commenting on really very minor pleasures.

I know there have been daft elements to the writing and some of the plotting (was Clive really brought back just to remind listeners of criminal Horrobins and Susan’s time in clink??) but really this storyline and the impact on many of the characters in the show has been brilliantly woven.

I’ve never liked Harrison or believed his good guy routine but he’s really showing himself to be a nasty vindictive shit.

What I would like is for Fallon to kick him out, he gets reported and sacked for assaulting George, then he makes a pass at Alice who rejects him wholeheartedly (while realising she’s still in love with Harrison’s meeyte Chris). I was going to grab the 🔮 but I think the SWs still think he’s a goodun.

Brian in all his forms is so marvellous. His new sensitive side since Jenny died is just lovely. For a sec I thought they were going to discover that Ruairi wasn’t graduating, but I like how this scene ended. The actor is doing Great Things so I think R will be in the City for a while, just popping back home occasionally.

Cf the way she talks (tbf, they way they all talk) about Marthurrrr - with a kind of speshul holy intensity, as though no other child ever existed on this earth.

@Ambridge Snork

It makes me want Very Bad Things to befall the brat.

Oh, they will, @RegimentalSturgeon , they will!

A woman in Ambridge has no hope of a normal life. As soon as she reaches childbearing age she will be thwarted in love/deceived/jilted or betrayed. She will get pregnant unexpectedly/won’t be able to get pregnant/will be abandoned/will have a child with some currently-topical illness or problem. The good news is that illness/problem will disappear magically (cf Daniel’s arthritis, Jamie’s weight problems) and never be mentioned again.

Even if she escapes to university, she’ll find herself drawn back to Ambridge to live a life of misery. The best thing Alice could do is take Martha and get as far away as possible.

Harrison made that weird groaning/snorting sound again when he opened the door to Emma and Will. So odd.

I’m surprised Fallon didn’t overhear the conversation or come to the door to see who Harrison was arguing with.

I'm trying to work out whether Will has had a personality rewrite. Long long ago his decision to become a gamekeeper was a major decision to turn aside from his Grundy ancestral habit, and to be guided instead by Archer-adjacent George Barford and follow the course of law and order.

He has already had a dangerous temper and a low flashpoint, which in my memory was mainly directed against Ed or against people who had offended against his adopted standards. He was 10 when Susan Carter went to prison for harbouring Clive - Ambridge is a village, he was friends with the young Carters, there must have been endless gossip not just at the time but since, so he must have some idea that the George and Alice situation was dangerously dodgy.

Could someone who has been paying more attention remind me what else?