Archers thread #189: Brian reaps what he sows, in spite of himself. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

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Over to you!

Stella and Ruth are great together. I wish they'd just left Stella as Ruth's friend.

Letting a field of wheat rot may well be a breach of agricultural subsidy conditions.

Checking in.

Is it seriously 189 threads? Wow!

Sharp and succinct title, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g; thank you.

Yes Ruth and Stella make excellent listening - but I do sometimes wonder if Usha feels pushed out, or if she just moved on …

Thanks Gasp

I've been reluctant to admit this but Amber is growing on me. I find her quite entertaining.

I liked the bit about the food. I used to help on my uncle’s farm in the 70s and my aunt used to bring us all home made sausage tolls and cheese and Branson sandwiches and, for some reason, cream soda (warmish but we didn’t care) when we were shearing or haymaking

I have very fond memories of picnic teas in the harvest field.

Thanks as always @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

She's loathsome. I can't bear listening to her. She will do incredible harm and she is not George's saviour.

But if her teeth fall out just before the wedding it will be hilarious.

I'm sticking to my theory that she loves the idea of a big wedding but will be repulsed by the reality of an actual physical man. Whereas George, once out of prison, is going to be very keen on the actual physical.

isn’t the problem that Brian reaps what Justin sows?

Is this the beginning of the great reshuffle? I do hope so. That was a marvellous episode, full of proper farming. Maybe Stella could manage the BL land while an Aldridge (or a Macy!) comes back in to bicker with Brian. Or maybe this will prompt Stella to ship out entirely - sick of being mum to Fat Rosie. As PPs have already mentioned, she sounds much more like Ruth's friend than Pip's girlfriend. It would be a pity to lose Stella though as I love the actress who plays her, but I don't think working flat out to bring in the harvest rather than let it rot in the field would preclude her from any job - rather the opposite.
Fortunately I only find Amber … silly, not irritating. As long as she does no lasting harm to any Grundy or Carter, I’m all for George having a future to come out to. Because the alternative isn’t good.
Rochelle on the other hand was a total misfire. A disappointing resolution to the story of someone who doesn’t matter in Ambridge, but somehow manages to insert herself into everything; an inconceivable love interest for someone who ought to matter; and a surly and miserable presence all round. Never want to hear from her again! I agree wholeheartedly @TottersBlankly's observations towards the end of the previous thread which I am reproducing in full here in case anyone missed them.

The ease, warmth and comfortableness between Stella and Ruth is strikingly absent in every interaction between Stella and her supposed life-partner, Pip. Every time I hear them together one or the other seems to be awkwardly apologising (usually Stella), agonising or angsting about something or other. I honestly cannot 'believe' in the great romance we’re supposed to think they have.

As far as harvesting the crop's concerned, I'm a great addict fan of 'This Farming Life' on BBC2, and the notion of any of the incredibly hard-working farmers featured there petulantly declaring they're going to let their harvest rot because of an argument with another stubborn idiot is…well, inconceivable.

(And thanks for the new thread, Gasp!)

I find Pip-the-lesbian very unconvincing, as though she's play-acting in some sort of poorly written experimental drama. Which of course she is!

Oh goodness - you think Stella could carry the BL contract with her, wherever she goes next? (Brookfield …) There’s a thought!

Though it would leave HF on the brink of not surviving. Until Ruairi sweeps in waving bags of cash. Buys The House; settles down with Paul … (My Fantasy Ambridge.)

In ‘the real’ Ambridge things need to be resolved in a way that keeps HF secure and viable for Alice and Chris to take over.

Pip and Stella are a terrible combination. The age gap is creepy, particularly as Stella was Ruth's friend first.

As long as she does no lasting harm to any Grundy or Carter

Not a chance of that. I honestly can't fathom where they're going with this character. She's stupid, vain, irritating, selfish and frequently downright nasty.

I don't know how old Stella is supposed to be but had vaguely assumed she was 40-ish. Have we been told? Pip is 32-going-on-12.

It wasn't spelled out but I've a vague recollection that she was nearer Ruth's age than Pip's. I don't find the Pip is a lesbian storyline credible or that Stella sees anything in Pip.

I assumed Stella is late 40s

have no idea what she sees in pip. It’s very bizarre

Thanks for the new thread @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Lovely episode. I’m glad Stella is getting another dog.

Rosie will either be scared if it or torment it hastening The End of the relationship.

The moment with the harvester and the hare was beautifully written. The entire listenership must have realised as one exactly what had freaked Stella out, before it was spelled out. Poor thing - she really did love that dog way more than she loves Pip. That’s who she actually wants to live with. Sensibly.

And it was so delightful to hear the lightness and joy in her tone while she was doing proper farming with Ruth! Think I’ll listen again later just for the sheer pleasure of it - now I know that neither of them ends up mangled in a field.

TottersBlankly
Oh goodness - you think Stella could carry the BL contract with her, wherever she goes next? (Brookfield …) There’s a thought!

Since Justin made the farm equipment she lied to Adam to get her mitts on a condition of that contract, she would need to find someone to buy her a few hundred thousand pounds' worth of new kit, wouldn't she? Or does she expect Brian simply to give it to her to get her to go away?

Until Ruairi sweeps in waving bags of cash. Buys The House; settles down with Paul … (My Fantasy Ambridge.)

Oh I’m really hoping the SWs have forgotten about Paul. He was another one who was flavour of the month for a while and in virtually every scene. So irritating.

I actually like the idea of Amber - silly crass young woman, botoxed up to the eyeballs, with caterpillar eyelashes who lives for her Instagram account. I have definitely come across girls a bit (even if not entirely) like that; but the actress is overdoing it a bit and needs to learn less is sometimes more. She should pay attention to Mali Harries (Natasha) who strikes the difficult balance between exceptionally annoying and yet totally believable time after time.

Thanks so much @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0gfor keeping the show on the road thread after thread!

Ruairi sweeps in waving bags of cash. Buys The House; settles down with Paul … (My Fantasy Ambridge.)

Oh please, not Paul. I want Ruairi to marry a homely girl with a passion for the land and fill Home Farm with children and rescue dogs.