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!

I like the idea of digging up a time capsule as long as it contains lots of old episodes of TA and copious notes on characters' previous histories and personalities so the SWs can learn from the past.

Checking in for the new thread - thanks @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g for your sterling work. I agree with everything everyone has said so far. Sick to death of Joy/Mick/Rochelle - no agricultural connections so doesn’t sound like The Archers to me and in fact sounds very far from Ambridge when all we hear is Joy and Rochelle.

I’ve not seen joy as generally pleasant tbh. I feel like she has a sting in the tail

she seems to like to organise things but not do the actual work

Carried over from previous thread:

Spambridge
Are Sarin and Novichok on there? (not one of mine)

They are, but the other way round; attributed to Aonghas.

I reckon that Caroline or Jenny would have left a time capsule somewhere to be discovered. Or maybe Marjorie Antrobus.

We live in hope.

henry's parentage might also be a storyline sometime soon as curious teenager

Maybe it was Oliver and his Stirling Gold.

Henry does at least have the advantage of knowing the man can’t be as bad as Jack’s dad.

(Every time I consider giving up TA I remember I have to stick around to see how Jack turns out …)

How old do you need to be to fake your age to do an Ancestry DNA test (my browsing history is already a bit too weird thanks to all my Ambridge related queries).

Can anybody remind whether Gideon was going to get a hefty inheritance (and whatever happened to the land that the brother was in charge of)?

Don’t give the sw ideas!!

There was a time capsule SL once, wasn't there? I wholly forget the details but I think it was dug up prematurely. No, I don't mean the Siobhan tape for Ruari, but something actually buried in the ground.

Talking of which, who is Peggy going to leave her money to? If there's anything left after paying for the care home. Nothing to Tony? All to the Cats Protection League?

Or Ron had “donated” to sperm banks and, by a twist of fate, is Henry’s biological father?

Rochelle strikes me as someone who is very full on. I mean, she’s been in the village five minutes and she organising events? Not to mention blundering all over Rex with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. She strikes me as someone you’d want to keep fully at arm’s length. Preferably someone else’s arm, at that.

Oh, and thank you for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g ! We do seem to get through them…

I’m still Team Joy. She may have had problems in the past but I’d lay money on Rochelle being the one who’s done some toxic things. Joy has been very very hurt by / about her daughter.

”Here we go again” indicates that relationships / men are what leads to the toxicity, somehow. Maybe she is abusive? That would fit the limited access to her kids (possibly).

Maybe R has been violent to Joy in the past?

Just lacemaking - or at least that’s the typo for placemarking and I like it.

My twopennorth on Rochelle is she reminds me of an acquaintance who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder which I’m not sure is still a term used, and had addiction issues - both of which made her quite vulnerable to men as well as quite horrible to people around her. There’s def a lot more to joy and Rochelle’s story, not that I’m desperate to know it.

did everyone else find Rex telling Rochelle what her mum had said really annoying?? He’s old enough to know what trouble that would cause.

<Oliver Hardy voice on>: We certainly do.

[ One for our older contributors there.]

did everyone else find Rex telling Rochelle what her mum had said really annoying??

Yes! Why he couldn’t have just made some excuse about not dating/being busy/“Its not you it’s me” or whatever, I don’t know. It was obvious from what Joy told him that it wasn’t the sort of thing to be repeated. After all, what was Rochelle going to say? “Oh yes, mam’s right, I am vulnerable and shouldn’t really be dating. Anyway, nice seeing you again, ta-ra!”

I took from Rochelle and joys convo that Joy actually has no idea and doesn’t listen to her at all. She has her fixed view of the world and that’s what she expects others to do

she gets snitty when things aren’t going the way she wants. That’s why she’s a ‘rescuer’ because you can tell vulnerable people what to do

I'm interested that @WitcheryDivine thinks Rochelle could have a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (aka Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder) because that was also my impression. I doubt this is the way the SL is going to go however because this is quite a controversial diagnosis. Some people find it helpful as it enables them to understand and potentially manage their distressing symptoms, but others reject it as stigmatising (seeing it as essentially telling them they have a "bad personality"). So I'd be surprised if the SW were brave enough to explore this topic.

If I were Rex I'd be very scared. Rochelle ignores everything he says and overrides him. He's a wet lettuce for telling her what Joy said instead of just saying no. I don't see Joy manipulating other people just standing up for herself e.g. with house keys and being unnecessarilymysterious. I don't think Rochelle has really gone for good.

If I were Rex I'd be very scared.

She definitely gives off vibes of someone who is very intense. Still, she’s stropped off now so he should be safe!

I like Rex.

Weren't we once shipping him with Lily? I'd like SW to pursue that in order to keep Rex in the show long term. I worry about him on his barge.

Rex is Kirsty's soul mate. Obviously. 😉