Archers thread #174: God it's lame! But it still limps on. 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 think Ben-meets-Zainab is on a par with Elizabeth-meets-Darcy, 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.)

Thanks to @Bruisername for the title inspiration. She said God it's lame and that seemed to strike a chord with many, for some reason.

I am terrified of wasps and live in fear of encountering a hornet, so that was a tricky episode. I hope that's the last we're going to hear of them, except for confirmation that they've been nuked. [shudder]

So what do we reckon - custodial or suspended sentence for George? Will Clarrie return from Great Yarmouth or will she realise that actually life as a carer for her (presumably disabled) sister is easier than the endless and thankless drudgery at Grange Farm? Will any more tables collapse at the Village Hall?

Over to you!

Your vivid imagination @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g 😉

I can’t imagine making a fish tagine and taking it round to an acquaintance’s house. That is incredibly odd behaviour.

I think he dated Debbie for a while too. He wanted Shula to leave Ambridge and go up north with him but she couldn’t bear to leave Ambridge, Although she was happy to do so later to be a vicar.

I thought so too surely some home baking would have been better.

Hannah would be an idiot to accept Alice's assertion that Chris is free. Alice would pretty soon decide Chris was her property if he showed an interest in anyone else IMO.

It was pretty obvious from how she was speaking that she doesn’t think she deserves Chris

and hasn’t Hannah already tried and Chris friend zoned her?

I agree. Very odd.

Dr Locke habitually homed in on women with mental problems. He started to go out with Debbie shortly after she had been traumatised by Clive's armed raid on the post-office, picked up Usha to move in on (and with) when she'd been the victim of an attack with ammonia, and chose to make a set at Shula once her child had infantile arthritis and she was in a right old state about it. And I think we were told by him during his most recent appearance that his eventual wife suffered from some sort of mental instability, too. I found his behaviour rather sleazy and unpleasant as a result: I started to think things like "As if she didn't have enough problems already, here comes Locke".

Joanne is the woman who has worked at The Stables through thick and thin for decades, unthanked and unappreciated.

Eddie sounded down. Good episode. Good acting tonight - especially the turkeys.

was nice not to be subjected to the maliks tbh

I was in pieces by the dumdeedums

Eddie telling George it takes a real man to deal with the consequences of his actions made me laugh. This is same Eddie who tore a strip of Susan for telling Emma to go to the police. Who admitted he didn’t care if Alice went to prison as long as our George is ok.

The end was pretty ridiculous as well. I mean saying that this is the proudest he’s been of George. Really? He’s likely to be sent down for committing a horrible crime in the morning and this is your proudest moment as his grandfather.

Eddie is full of shit as well as covered in it, and always has been.

It's refreshing that my steadfast refusal ever to perceive Eddie as "a lovable rogue" seems to be getting a little support these days; I've always seen him (and his father) as the people I'd most avoid if I lved in Ambridge.

Mind you, threre are a lot of people living there whom I would cross the road rather than have to talk to.

Be fair. There haven’t been many proud-worthy moments with George.

He’s not going down, is he? He’s making far too many preparations.

Exactly my thinking.

Just leaving this here - à propos de rien …

https://www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fblogs%2Fthearchers%2Fentries%2F0cad95b1-6109-4534-85a5-6a6f7fcf3bb4

(Old, not a spoiler!)

It would surely be just too much of a soapy cliché if he doesn't go down though???

Also, was no one else in tears??

I wasn't in tears but I thought that was a cracking good performance from Angus Stobie.

George will find it very hard if he isn't sent down. He's got himself so deeply into thinking he's worthless and has brought shame on his family that he will find it hard to cope if he doesn't received what he feels is adequate punishment.

It reminds me of an exchange in the Simpsons:
'I feel so full of … what’s the opposite of shame?'
'Pride?'
'No, not that far from shame.'
'Less shame?'
'Yeah'

Maybe we could all contribute moments when we would have felt proud of George, in Eddie's shoes:

I thought the way he got Hannah evicted was a particular highlight. Grandad Eddie would be proud to know that George worked hard to make sure Grundys are living on ancestral Grundy land, as is their right (even if it's ancestral by one generation, it still counts as a Grundy's birthright). And it has the added bonus of making it less likely that Johnny will return, since he's no longer got a home to come back to, meaning George has contributed to getting one over on the Archer family. It would surely make Eddie proud, if he knew about it.

[I may be posting somewhat sarcastically/facetiously, in case the tone doesn't come across in writing!]

Also, was no one else in tears?? - I loved it. So much better than last night’s nonsense. I love a good agricultural action scene with sound effects. Then I could picture them all standing round at Grange Farm - the true Grundy ancestral home. Setting the table for George’s last supper - the whole family gathered (Clarrie out of shot in the kitchen - I’m a bit worried about her). Will as ever at a bit of a loss, Ed like the father he once believed he was - Clarrie’s boys truly united at last, but not in a way she would have ever wanted. Emma who reported George to the police now reconciled with him to such an extent that she’s the only person he wants in court. Of course I was in tears. This is what TA is all about - character led.

Of course not. We were rolling about laughing at Eddie getting covered in muck. Comedy writing at its finest.

A very good episode. The George actor is excellent. And a warm welcome to Emma's self-pitying "not for the likes of us" reference.

@LillianGish Well said!