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!

@Bruisername Agreed - and George's original intention to help get Alice home was well intentioned just went horribly wrong and spiralled downwards. We have also had lots of episodes of George not willing to fess up and take the consequences of his actions.

I was also thinking Alice was not charged for throwing things at the shop... people were forgiving. Martha will inevitably been affected by numerous disruptions to her parenting throughout her short life not just this last incidence.

The story demonstrates so well that life is so complex, tough and intertwined...

During my googling of what this may mean for George, I came across a statement that the highest recidivism rate is for young adults in adult prisons.

Yes @OverArmour i totally agree. And I thought Fallons victim statement was really disingenuous.

😢

Excellent typo there, though it should be preceded by "unfortunately still".

I have gone right off Fallon and now hope she stays married to Harrison, than which there can be no worse punishment.

@MereDintofPandiculation - I'm not particularly opining on whether he was driving dangerously (bit hard to even tell from audio), but my point is that it would surely be hard for a prosecution to make the case given the limited eyewitness evidence that would be available. (George's defence team could surely raise reasonable doubt given the car George was driving ended up unscratched beyond the bridge - but of course this is all academic).

Norway is a small, wealthy and homogeneous country. I don’t know that its excellent prison system which is based entirely on rehabilitation rather that punishment would work here. For a start it’s pretty expensive. Norwegians broadly support the system - particularly as it’s been shown to drastically reduce recidivism - but I think it’s unlikely there would be widespread support here for the huge increase in spending that would be required to create similar prisons.

My sister works with offenders and visited a prison over there as part of a project. She said at certain points it genuinely reminded her of a relaxing spa facility.

I’ve thought of an excellent plot twist. George is released early on tag just around the due date of Harrison’s much lamented beybeh thus causing the whiny one to totally lose his shit 🤣

@Eastie77Returns - now you've made me want to go to Norway and commit a crime!

Then they should probably refrain from perverting the course of justice and they’ll be grand.

Framing Alice, maintaining the lie for months, and then trying to cast suspicion on that drip Chilcott do, imo, justify a custodial sentence for George. He is not a child and he knew exactly what he was doing. He is a well nourished farm labourer and proud of his muscles, so might not be the first target of choice inside.

Excellent episode. I'll miss George - the actor and newly-penitent George, not George the scrote.

I don't think Fallon was being disingenuous. She was acknowledging how it affected her husband.

Who cares!! The pregnancy was totally irrelevant and the fact her husband is an arse is also not relevant

I am so sick of Archers characters going to prison. No wonder they are all full.

And we have been sentenced to 2 years snivellin from Emmur

Im not in a good mood tonight - can you tell?

😂

I actually thought Fallon‘s victim statement and reading it out in court was a bit jarring, because before that she was desperate to pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened. Particularly the pregnancy which she didn’t want referred to at all. I know people go through stages after trauma, but it was odd. It would’ve made more sense if it was Harrison, although thank God, we didn’t have to listen to that. Also, where was he?

Where was Harrison? Maybe he was at work for once!

Quite. Not even a breathalyser test on George. No witnesses of eratic driving, except for the final collision. George has no evidence for his assertion Alice tried to open the door, but no-one has evidence to disprove it. Only “evidence” against is “why would he try to frame Alice if he were innocent?” If he’d pleaded not guilty he might not have been convicted. But what happens to the perversion of the course of justice charge then? I guess it still sticks, because even if he was found guilty, he was still trying to frame Alice for drunken driving.

Judge would have also given him a driving ban, but I guess that wasn’t good radio.

MereDintofPandiculation
Judge would have also given him a driving ban, but I guess that wasn’t good radio.

If a ban would have been for a year, and George was being sentenced to two years in prison, it wouldn't be needed, would it? I know he'll be out before a year is over if he keeps his nose clean, but what I mean is that if the sentence is for two years' imprisonment maybe the driving ban is thought not to be needed?

Then they should probably refrain from perverting the course of justice and they’ll be grand. There have been too many overturned convictions for me to have much faith in that statement. It may be incredibly unlikely that you will be wrongfully imprisoned, but it could still happen to any one of us.

I'll miss George - the actor and newly-penitent George, not George the scrote. Can’t believe how recently it was that I would have been over the moon for George to have been banged up, whether rightly or wrongly convicted.

Ah @RegimentalSturgeon i must remind them of that next time I speak to them 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Most kids that age, including an evidentially fictitious George, aren’t hardened criminals who will thrive in an adult prison. Me, with my decades of life experience - admittedly law abiding - would also crumble like a shortbread in prison within hours.

Have they changed how judges are addressed? Because High Court and Old Bailey judges are Your Lordship, Crown Court judges are Your Honour.

Fallon’s victim impact statement was clearly about the impact of the accident and aftermath on her marriage. To be honest I thought it was in slightly bad taste.

I don’t really think prison ought to be a punishment. It should be for keeping people who need to be taken out of society out of it for as long as necessary. George isn’t a danger to society. A better punishment for George would be a suspended sentence with a hefty community service order.

I wonder whether Alice will tip over into smugness and her usual insufferable self, or stay on the straight and narrow … I’m not sure she’s quite ‘there’ yet.

Great story because George is not a cartoon villain - there have been so many shades of grey with him. I have suspected him of having psychopathic tendencies in the past, but hearing him with his family last night, seeing how hard he found it to keep up the pretence before he finally blurted out the truth you would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by what has happened to him. I have a son a similar age and I found Emma’s reaction very understandable - especially given the fact she was the one who phoned the police. I have shed a tear for the second night running. The court room drama was a bit hammy, but George, Emma and Susan were superb.

I did feel Emma post sentence was like I’d changed station to a Victorian melodrama. But it served to remind us of her less impressive traits.