Archers thread #183: The Scorekeeper's Apprentice. 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'd like to share a hot tub with Mucky Mick, 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.)

Credit for the title goes to @TottersBlankly who suggested it and @BeatriceBatchelor who coined this lovely phrase. (It's led me to take a look at the Wikipedia page for The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I had not known before that the animation in Fantasia that goes with the Dukas symphonic tone poem is more or less unadulterated Goethe, and the story goes back to ancient times. You learn something every day.)

At the end of the last thread, there was an apocalyptic tone as we were all bemoaning the lack of continuity and farming storylines (especially lambing, which used to be a big theme at this time of year). Are there any reasons to be cheerful? (Not just Part 3 - another reference for the older listeners here. ) Over to you!

God I can't believe they've brought Rochelle back

😢

both for having joy on, Rochelle back and mainly for constanza and salieri

of course Brian told Nick all that 🙄

really wish Joy and micks house would fall in a sink hole. With them in it

i think Rochelle has some mental health/learning difficulties. She didn’t seem to understand a lot of what Joy was saying. Drugs?

My. Heart. Sank.

And Joy sounded rather equivocal at the end. Now I think of it, the entire exchange between her and Rochelle was strained because the SWs shovelled all the backstory in for the hard of thinking. So unnatural.

Poor Constanza.

What is the point of Joy, Mick and Rochelle? Utter garbage. Every single time.

And I don't get Khalil as some amazing intellectual. He seems to have problems understanding standard English.

Joys accent really grates on me. It’s her voice combined as it’s not an accent I have otherwise found annoying

lets just have the full story. My guess is Rochelle is an addict having been introduced to hard drugs by her mother.

But @IHaveAlwaysLivedintheCastle I'm not sure they they are 'discussing religion'. Isn't it just mentioned in passing or in direct response to Linda's question?

We certainly don't 'discuss religion' at work but Ramadan and Eid are mentioned in passing in the same way lots of life experiences are.

It most definitely wasn’t done in passing. That’s why it was so jarring.

someone mentioning in passing that they are off to Friday prayers or that they can eat now because it’s sundown then fine. But giving us a ks2 session on Ramadan was clumsy

Perhaps Rochelle is one of Brian's love children from the dim and distant past. But that would make her more interesting than she actually is. The three of them are boring.

The mention in passing was Azra asking Akram if he found the mosque OK, and them then talking of other things as soon as he'd answered her about that.

I meant when it all started. Hopefully he mentioning in passing will continue

id rather not have any deep dives into religious festivals tbh

ANY religion. I do not wish to spend time on the festivities of Jains or Southern Baptists or Taoists or Quakers either! (Actually I suspect Quaker festivals might be quite fun and involve hand-made lampshades and such... but even so.)

Oh Agreed. A religion free zone would be great but mentioning in passing would be ok

thinking back - when usha and alan visited her brother (can’t remember the festival) it was a bit heavy handed then. And then we’ve never heard her celebrating again?

anyway the maliks can stay but please can Joy and mick be run over by a tractor or something

Ramadan has been more than just been mentioned in passing. The only interesting thing about the Maliks is that they're Muslim; which isn't that interesting. Although Pa Malik has shown potential to be a sleazebag, which might be interesting.

Mick and the Maliks can all be taken out by the next flood or sinkhole. Although might allow Pa Malik to survive and let Kirsty and Helen fight over him.

I like the idea of Pa Malik being the new Brian and Azra the new Jenny

Bruisername
when usha and alan visited her brother (can’t remember the festival) it was a bit heavy handed then. And then we’ve never heard her celebrating again?

Diwali. And yes. But we heard Usha planning for Diwali in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 (she and Alan went to Wolverhampton for it that year), and then 2023 when she and Alan went to celebrate it with Shiv in Coventry. Navratri got a mention that year too!

Just caught up - what a waste of 13 minutes. Rochelle adds nothing. Khalil sounded half witted.

Thanks - I didn’t listen for a few of those years. I bet it was written better back then!!

thinking back to 2023 - perhaps it was more Alan and his constant worthiness that irritated me

In previous years it was more like Usha planning a party, oh and by the way Diwali is that weekend too.

No way... Akram clearly hasn't got much business nous, ambition or get up and go, or a ruthless yet charming personality. As for Azra, I really can't see her schmoozing and charming the great and good of Borsetshire or astounding them with her amazing culinary and hostessing skills. Nor does she demonstrate any of Jenny's love and dedication to her family, whatever they put her through.
They're a boring, dull family with nothing interesting about them, Azra and Zainab seem so moany too.
The scriptwriters appear to think you can parachute new characters in and suddenly make them the focus of everything, like they've done with the Maliks and Joy and Mick.

But it doesn't work because the listeners don't really care, the writers haven't made them likeable or worth caring about, and have rushed to give them too much focus, rather than gradually introducing them and fleshing out their characters over time, before making them the main story.

I meant just the lothario bit and the wife who puts up with it

brian is irreplaceable but I do think having an mr loverman would be good!!

Just catching up.
what does Helen do all day……..
designs cheese of course, got a bit stuck on it being round though.
makes up cheese names
sings to the montbeliards

And talks to the cheeses

@Minimammoth somehow your description makes me picture Meghan Markle/ Sussex!