Archers thread #180: Burgeoning backstories! Continuity, what’s that? 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 it's a great idea for Helen and the boys to lodge with Tom, Natasha, Seren and Dippity*, 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 www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/5244480-the-archers-spoilers-thread-10-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.)

*Can't remember who coined this, but it's genius.

I was strongly tempted to use one or both of the posts suggested for the title of this thread on the last thread, but went for something a bit briefer. However, they're brilliant and will kickstart this thread very nicely, so here they are:

@Sidebeforeself: Beavers, bridge, bunny boilers and busybodies - it's all a load of bollocks!

(I couldn't agree more!)

@DeanElderberry: I don't usually speculate much on the appearance of characters, but do wonder what it is about Miranda that is bringing out the chest-thumping silverback in Brian and Justin? One little bridge game and the course of Ambridge rewilding is set. The face that launched a thousand beavers.

Over to you!

What's Joy done with the pantomime money and how was she intending to get away with it?

Only joking. But I really don't understand why she would be taking this cancellation as such a personal responsibility when it's not her fault. The answer's probably going to be as boring as bad things come in threes: first Rochelle storming out, then Mick, and now the roof falling in and this is the last straw. But who is going to be the confidante? Considering we didn't know Lizzie was her chum, it could be anyone else we didn't know about.

Oh don’t worry - they’ll put the panto on in the barn just for the ambridge audience. It will be all fun and japes and joy will get a big round of applause at the end

Re the panto thing, Prince Vince to the rescue, surely? Otherwise why on earth was Elizabeth even talking to Joy?

I fast forwarded all of Zainab and Ben. The age gap is fine. I thought she was younger as she sounds like a 13 year old.

Lizzie and Joy have been friendly of sorts since the life modelling class. I would have thought Helen would be a more likely confidante (although, of course Helen isn't interested in anything not Helen related)

I don't mind Vince and Lizzie now that I've recast him as Jason Isaacs.

echt
Not sure why Liz and Joy wren having cup of tea together anyway. Do they even know each other?

Joy stripped off for a life-drawing session at Lower Loxley and left her knickers behind when she went home, so Elizabeth took them round later, and thanked Joy for saving the day.

Thanks, @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime I'd wiped it from my brain forgotten that.

That's what I was thinking (groan).

I'd forgotten that. But still not buying that they have a cup of tea relationship.

It does seem bizarre, but the whole surreality of TA at the moment is designed to do the listeners' heads in.

Prince Vince, King of mince

I've just realised that I'm only listening out of habit and deleting 50% or more of the content without even putting it into short-term memory. So I came away from tonight's episode aware that there was a problem with the panto trip, but thinking the charabanc had broken down.

Huh. I was vaguely looking among the synopses to find the knickers incident and unearthed 11th May, 2021, in which it says
"Elizabeth has told Joy all about her depression, for some reason. It turns out that Joy also has depression, or rather, has been feeling low, and needs a routine to keep her going. She has tried everything for it from creative paper cutting to Russian phrases for beginners, and is now volunteering for a help-line, having tried to ring them for help and mistakenly dialled the admin number."

And last year Elizabeth was one of the people encouraging Mick to go through Joy's address book and invite people in it to a surprise birthday tea being thrown at Joy. I mean, sorry, for Joy.

She has tried everything for it from creative paper cutting to Russian phrases for beginners

Russian roulette for beginners would have been more fun for the listeners.

Sorry but what? Do helplines really take on people who want to use the service? I can imagine after a while but she’s about to call up and say how low she’s feeling blah blah blah but gets put through to admin and the decide giving her a volunteering role would be better?

I don’t like the way they deal with mental illness tbh. It feels trite

Hang on, is this compare and contrast with the nervous breakdown by Ben and Joy heading the same way?

Yes I expect so, or she had one in the past so is vulnerable to stress, that's why she knew how to talk to Ben when he was losing it and David didn't know what to do.

she claimed to have known about depression from the inside when she was talking about it to Elizabeth, didn't she.

And do GP surgeries really let unqualified student nurses loose on patients without supervision? (Spoiler: no they don’t.)
Barking Ben is a royal PITA.

Perhaps we're going to be treated to a Macronesque liaison between Ben and Dr M.

So Elizabeth has added to Vince's collection of sovereign rings.

I thought it was a signet ring and did wonder what was on it. Sovereign ring definitely seems more Vince (but maybe less Elizabeth…?)

It was a signet ring bought at an antiques fair.

There's a lot of snobbery on here about Vince. It was set out early on that Vince knew a fair bit about art.

Elizabeth described his house tonight as "lovely". Wasn't it the case that when he had a party there to which Ruth and David were invited (and weren't dedded when they ran into a tree on the way back) that the house was lovely - to their surprise too?

Vince reminds me of someone I know in real life who made a lot of money in a trade rather than a profession. He also comes across as rough and ready but is very knowlegeable about art, music, and lives in a house that even the snobbiest MNer couldn't fault.

Oh please no!!

I’m still traumatised by the soap in the shower scene and Sharon’s knickers in the duvet.

I don't like men to wear jewellery other than a watch and maybe a gold wedding band. I imagine Vince having quite podgy fingers and putting the signet ring on a pinky.

And I disagree with @Bruisername - DD is 20 and I don't find 19 year olds to be immature. Obviously some will be but DD and her friends and uni housemates are hardworking (studying & part time jobs), loyal and supportive of each other and great fun.

I mean in comparison to 40 years ago.

also immature isn’t an insult that means they aren’t fun or hardworking. Perhaps we have different meanings of the word

it’s not that they can’t look after themselves etc etc but more that the attitude is less about being ‘an adult’ - settling down, having kids, big job etc etc aren’t on the radar yet. Probably partly due to the extension of education

There's a lot of snobbery on here about Vince

I dislike him because of the disgusting way he treated Chelsea & Ben (abortion) and David & Ruth (demanding the £40k loan back).

And he runs an abattoir.