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

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Over to you!

It is Brian's farm! But Brian was a dinosaur and his determination to continue with the old methods of pouring chemicals onto the soil would have got him nowhere (and indeed it got him into some trouble retrospectively). He didn't like being told he could do things better and was too bone-headed to think there could be another way. Interestingly he just let Stella get on with it - presumably because he felt that's what he was paying her for. With Adam he could never quite get beyond the fact that he was a young whippersnapper and not even an Aldridge (this was never voiced as such, but always implied). The irony is that the actual Aldridge male heir has shown no interest whatsoever in farming or country life. I don't think it helped Adam's case when he came out as gay and there is another irony - I can't remember if Brian yet knows about Ruari's sexuality (I think not). And the other irony of course is that Jenny was so kind to the cuckoo Brian brought into the nest. Endlessly patient and understanding (once she'd recovered from the shock of course) - the scene where she listened with Ruari to the message from Siobhan was incredibly moving. Brian is really a very unpleasant person (love the character though).

@LillianGish , Brian would not be pouring chemicals onto the soil, and the chemicals that he got in trouble for were buried not poured.

Brian's not that much older than Adam. I think he's 24 yrs older.

Yes - I’m pretty sure Brian is fully informed on Ruairi’s sexuality. There was a calm and funny scene with the two of them and Jenny - maybe over lunch or supper?

Don’t think he knows about the escorting? (It was Justin, wasn’t it, who saw Ruairi with Whatsface at some swish business gathering - but I’m not sure he grasped that it was a financial transaction.)

IIRC the Home Farm harvest wasn't ready, and before it was Brian stuck his huge boot in.

She was an employee who doesn't understand an employment contract is a contract. She behaved badly at the end.

In defence of Stella, Brian wasn't behaving like a decent employer though. All that shouting and so on. I have walked out of a job before because of shouting and unreasonable behavour, and did not work my notice (but was paid for that, thanks to my lawyer).

Really enjoying the farming chat.

I’ve just realised that Kate will now have TWO generations to fight for in the battle for Home Farm including one who’s already shown a strong interest in agriculture. Future Marthyr v Phoebe-Baby rivalries surely in the works. And what about Noli? If she ends up having a baby a similar age to Phoebe’s this could run and run down the ages.

Oh goodness - how could I have left Noli and Sipho off the Prodigals’ list?

They must get some Ambridge land.

Really enjoying the farming chat. Me too. So much more interesting and believable than the silly gangster and prison plots. Farming (and all the power struggles and inheritance battles that come with it) creates so much drama and is so gripping you could almost make a radio serial out of that alone. Oh wait…

I'm so bored of La Snell and Lawrence.

I keep thinking ... if they can throw John under a tractor off-air, send Matt to Medellin (I like to think that's where he is), wipe out Jennifer off-air and silently sweep away Freda Fry, can the pair of them not just fall into a sinkhole on the bypass?

Is Brian going to ask Adam to help to find a new Farm Manager?

well now.... just listened to the omnibus and caught up with this week's offer in one sitting. some scattered thoughts:

• super surprised by brian's reaction to Adam's news, but pleased - i hope this isnt a red herring and in fact Brian wants him to just find a new manager or something - i'm not a massive adam fan but i genuinely felt tense in the lead up to their conversation, and if you bear in mind the potential drama in the next few years(decades) with Ruari/Nolli etc maybe a calm spell for Home Farm wouldnt be terrible?
• I LOVE Lawrence (sp?) as a baddie. I think they have pitched it well here - its also interesting to see him and Martyn as sides of the same coin - same generation and outlook, but one of them happy to adapt and listen, and the other not. While not perfect by any stretch from SW, it was also great to see Lynda echoing some of Chelsea's words back to him to show a bit of intergenerational learning and reflection (although yes very BBC PSA)
• I do feel the SW can't win with us atm... we were all very annoyed there wasn't enough farming or normal village life so cricket chat seems like a good compromise, but now we are all moaning about that as well! Also, for those of us who were critical about Lynda appointing Lily and Freddy to run the team - isn't it actually a nice realistic outcome that Ambridge got relegated?
• I loved the thematic analysis from a PP above that lots of the SL are about appearance atm (couldnt find the post on phone but will tag if I find it on laptop). I'd also offer that there is a 'loyalty' theme running through as well - whose cricket team are you on, whose farm do you want to work for, who will you stand up for when tensions flare etc.

Lastly - did anyone else do the mental maths to try to figure out the breakdown of Lawrence's rarebit and cappucino for £12? It seemed cheap to me, considering it was the orangery - I'd love to know what the Terum prices them at.

£3.50 / £8.50?

But they were at the Terum!

Yes I think Brian will ask Adam to draft the ad.

I agree with you specially with Home farm pivotal to the ambridge story
yes
not cricket, teeth and wedding guff....

Do you think Adam will sit Brian down and ask what are his future plans and is he included anywhere in them at all

• super surprised by brian's reaction to Adam's news, but pleased - i hope this isnt a red herring and in fact Brian wants him to just find a new manager or something - i'm not a massive adam fan but i genuinely felt tense in the lead up to their conversation, and if you bear in mind the potential drama in the next few years(decades) with Ruari/Nolli etc maybe a calm spell for Home Farm wouldnt be terrible?

I also felt tense - because we know what Brian’s plans are long term (and if he’s 81 then long term in his case means not that long!) Brian can’t believe his luck that “Home Farm is where the heart is” for Adam so his immediate dilemma is solved, but it’s not a relationship of equals - Adam is far from number one in Brian’s heart. And they are already locking horns over servicing the maize harvester foreshadowing a difficult time ahead for Adam who, as Tom astutely assessed, sees this as having another shot at Home Farm, blissfully ignorant of Brian’s intentions since no other Aldridge has shown the slightest interest in faming to date.

I thought it was expensive, then thought about it and decided it was probably reasonable but not cheap, but I clearly don't live where you do.

I don’t mind a bit of cricket chat per se and I like the idea of the cricket being an opportunity to bring various characters together in a social situation (or when Rob was revealed to be a cheat and indeed for Henry to now be triggered by the game), I don’t like the way it has become a convoluted plot line in itself and I think Lawrence is a lazy construct because the SWs felt they needed a bigot.

I don’t like the way the sw are so heavy on a plot line - it all feels so clunky

I’m wondering if Adam is waking up pierced with sadness that Bridge Farm were so happy to let him go …

Yes, it would be far more interesting if Lawrence had at least one redeeming characteristic. He's a clunky pantomime villain and it's dull...

I find it annoying too but cricket and wedding guff is absolutely essential to village life. Few things more so. 😂

Yes - it’s about belonging isn’t it? Adam has made a great contribution to Bridge Farm. Didn’t he come up with the edible forest? But at the end of the day he was just an employee- Bridge Farm belongs to Tom (and vice versa), but the same cannot be said about Adam and Home Farm - whatever his own personal feelings.

Yup. Someone used the word ‘untethered’ on a thread recently to describe their current state - Adam must surely feel the same, at least in terms of what Stella calls a farming ‘career’.

Obviously he has a partner and child that he can be certain of. It would have been good to hear what Ian thinks about Adam’s precarious position and decision to throw in his paid employment again - with no indication of any official remuneration from Home Farm.

(I don’t know if the Home Farm offsprings’ shares are enough for any of them to live on?)

I do feel the SW can't win with us atm... we were all very annoyed there wasn't enough farming or normal village life so cricket chat seems like a good compromise, but now we are all moaning about that as well!

if you can show that it is the same people moaning, you might have a point. I rather suspect it isn't the same people moaning.

Loved the farm stuff, Brian and Adam very tense (Home Farm money issues? hmmmm)

I had it in my head that Lynda didn't know about Rex being paid. Ho him. That whole thing is - meh.

ETA: i cannot imagine this "edible forest". I can only imagine some Willy Wonka type thing.