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.

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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!

Another reason why I think he's going to get a suspended sentence.

Remember when he was excoriating his family for their irregular sexual histories and general uselessness? Look what it’s taken to make him realise just how fantastically supportive they are and how they hold together as a united force, despite everything.

He won’t be disparaging them again any time soon. And his mother won’t hear the word slag from him ever again.

It must be so incredibly bittersweet for Emma. "We'll be fine (on our own) tomorrow!" Because that's what a good mum says when her child is lost and frightened.

Good comment @JanglyBeads . I was nearly crying. Strangely, Mr Bell thinks it isn’t real 😲. Hoping it’s a suspended sentence.

What a good episode, both the acting and the writing.

The final scene was very teary.

I hope George gets a short sentence (or suspended) and uses this to turn his life around. He sounded genuinely remorseful tonight and protective of his wider family.

I hope whatever happens doesn't destroy Emma.

I hope they don’t lay it on too thick, because this really could be the making of George, especially if he gets a suspended sentence. He’s had a real wake up call, the family he’s felt so resentful of have rallied around him, even Mia, and he’s got Alice’s words ringing in his ears. He’s sounded so much lighter the last few days, ironically. I think that cocky facade was weighing him down.

Agree, the Clarrie absence is a bit odd and sudden considering she is so close to the main storyline running atm. Hope she is ok.

Oh I'm torn. George does seem genuinely remorseful now and the scenes with his Grandad were rather sweet. George has finally realised what a good thing he actually has around him. All the prison prep does seem to be leading towards a "surprise" lenient sentencing. If so, it's a bit annoyingly predictable again. If he dodges prison I just hope this new George stays and he doesn't slip back to the horrible misogynistic little shit he was not so long ago!
The coward in him wants to go to prison because right now that feels easier than having to face everyone and the shame of what he did. And I think he needs prison to satisfy the village that he paid his price and they can all move on afterwards.

Part of me does hope he is let off just to prove Emma wrong though!

And bless Brad for being there him. After how George has treated him in the past, he's very lucky Brad still gives him the time of day. It's about time George did something for him, it's always been such a one sided friendship but then again Brad never seems to need George like George needs him.

I detected there's hope for George when he said "I'd better see if they need any help." They being the women in the kitchen.

I wasnt in tears and I think he will get a suspended sentence. The thing I was thinking about the most was Eddie having a nice tea party in his Turkey poop and mud trousers. Yuk.

It was all a bit over-sentimental for me. Geoworge has put his family in a position they will never recover from. He has embarrassed them and disadvantaged them in so many ways. And while to some he may just be a silly boy who panicked to cover his tracks, to others what he did was unforgivable. The happy fa-mi-ly scene needed someone - Clarrie?/Ed? - tutting in the background reminding them all Geoworge wasn’t going to court because he was caught stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family.

I hate to think of any young person being thrown to the wolves in prison. The punishment is not being locked up, it’s being locked up with genuinely nasty people. But PTCOJ is a v serious offence. A lot will hinge who the judge is tonight.

George has put his family in a position they will never recover from - I can’t agree with this. Things are often conveniently forgotten (or rewritten). In fact a non-custodial sentence would be in line with current prison overcrowding so would be quite topical.

My latest spin is that he won't go to prison and he will revert to the usual George with the added vindication that he wasn't as bad as everyone made out because the judge said so. It will all spiral horribly and he will be insufferable. The worst of him will be visited on Emma for causing a fuss in the first place.

I’m afraid my reaction to that was ‘As if!’. I don’t find George v2.0 at all convincing. As for needing Emma to pack his pants for him…
In reality, I don’t think being dobbed in by Emma, at Susan’s urging, would have done anything to moderate his misogyny.

A suspended sentence (which is what I am expecting) will be very disappointing. I had high hopes of what prison might do for him.

Given his age I find it totally believable that he would change after this experience. Teenagers are often arseholes who need a dose of real world to get it

and of course his family are being supportive - as if clarrie would be rolling her eyes or they would be looking at it from Alice’s perspective.

I'm a bit behind thread wise so maybe this has been raised by pp but it will be Pat's character statement that the judge refers to when he gives George a suspended sentence, don't we think?

and of course his family are being supportive - as if clarrie would be rolling her eyes or they would be looking at it from Alice’s perspective

Perhaps it needed good old Uncle Chris to drop round with the missing chainsaw straps, then?

And Clarrie is often very sensitive to public opinion. I am not so sure she would have been swept away by the ‘for he’s a jolly good fellow’ mood.

Also my vote is that George will revert to nastiness pretty quickly.

george is in a similar pattern to alice

bad behaviour - crash - remorse - good behaviour - slow ramp up to bad behaviour

I don’t think we have enough to be making a decision on George’s whole future

I used to wonder why people are so quick to go NC with their families on here

That's my worry. If he decides he's got away with it because he's so clever and that he'll get away with it again, I shall be seriously annoyed.

I noticed on the trailer for tonight's episode where George narrates his own feelings, he lists the worry along the lines that if he does walk free he'll have to face the anger of village that he got away with it. So, I think we should assume that he has at least got the message that what he did was terrible and some people will always hate him for it.

I was shouting at the radio "you hane time to wash & change your trousers you idiot"

If my son or grandson was packing for a holiday I would expect him to do it himself but I imagine Emma wants to do one last thing as a Mum before he's banged up. I can forgive her for that.

I have just been informed that today is World Porridge Day, so I’m shortening the odds on a custodial.

@RegimentalSturgeon 😂