Archers thread #198: Josh sent to Patagonia, Pip stays put. Wrong way round! Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

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Not feeling greatly enthused about what's going on in Ambridge at the moment, tbh. I'm annoyed at Brian's hypocrisy about Ruairi given the furore over George's attempt to frame Alice as the cause of the accident. I do hope we don't have a slow drip drip drip now as one after another the members of the Aldridge/Archer clan find out what really happened and endlessly agonise over what to do. Frankly I don't care. There! I've said it.

Pip's OK. Well, good, but what was the point of that story, I wonder?

I suspect I'm in a minority of one in rather enjoying hearing (a) from Bert Horobin and (b) about Fletcher. I surmise Bert is here to stay for a while because the BBC has (amazingly) updated his character page: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/1wQP3mKR6yr9LVs05jddxcY/bert-horrobin (prominent actor photo warning). Given how out of date a lot of the other character pages are, this seems odd, but there we are.

That's all I can be bothered to say! Over to you.

Poor Rex… I thought that was quite out of character for him. And I didn’t think Chris was a big drinker these days… odd plotting.

I don’t understand this episode. Are they belatedly trying to give Rex a personality? Why have they turned him into her stupid ex whatever he was called? Doubtless he’ll realise he was an idiot and possibly they’ll both go sober but meanwhile it’s irritatingly out of character as you say.

Thank you for the new thread, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Strange episode, but turning the decent Rex, with real possibilities as a more developed character into a wazzock, is essential for the eventual reuniting of Chris and Alice.

Yet another character distorted to serve the plot: see Joy and Harrison cf.

And while I'm here, hasn't King Lear Brine already made firm offers of the farm to Alice and Adam to their faces? Not sure about Alice but deffo Adam.

And the bloody nerve of him casting shade on Adam for being nearly 60 when he still won't let go at 80+.

The logical thing would be for Adam to take the reins now and to train Ruairi up to take over in the fullness of time (which is sort of what they were doing).

But Adam will also be thinking about Xander's future, in case he doesn't want to follow Iain into chefdom.

Did I miss something? One minute Rex was indirectly lecturing poor Chris about his enabling Alice’s drinking, the next he was drinking to point of being paralytic himself. (And turning up like that on Alice’s doorstep in this state). Did he have any motivation for this?? Pretty poor sort, if any.
Like others , I just hope this incident is all part of an A and C getting together again arc.

It's to make him look like a twat. Out of the blue and entirely out of character.

I thought it was hilarious!

Not a character change. The end of the supper with Fallon (the skiing story) neatly reminded us of the social class chasm between Rex and Chris. Rex will have spent countless evenings totally sozzled with his rugby mates.

But the reason he overloaded last night was because he’s intimidated by Chris. (Who must have been joyous to glimpse in the pub. 😂)

21 years since George came into existence … What’s the betting Alice realises her mistake with Rex, falls into her ex-husband’s comforting arms, discovers she’s pregnant, (with the 75th Anniversary Archer Baby,) DNA test, Rex The Daddy, Alice and Chris re-marry - with a third person always present in their No Longer Starter Marriage?

Next up: Alice gets wind of Chris and Lottie.

Though actually I think Chris will ask Alice if his drinking was a factor in her drinking and there will be a good conversation that results in them acknowledging their feelings towards each other.

Everyone can see it except them.

Yay an enjoyable episode. Seemed to be so many characters, although I suppose some only present in name. I got the impression that Chris was maybe encouraging Rex to his drinking after his appalling remarks.

And the bloody nerve of him casting shade on Adam for being nearly 60 when he still won't let go at 80+. I think that's kind of the point though - Brian won't let go until the very end and how old will Adam be then? He should just hand over the reins now, but he can't bring himself to do that and likely never will. He did make a similar verbal offer to Alice, though I think she quickly realised it wasn't a genuine one. The difference is that Alice has her own house on the farm and an entirely separate job at The Stables - she hasn't poured her heart and soul into working the land and shaping it for the future. Ruairi is not a farmer, wanting to be one does not and will not make him one - however much Brian might want it. The reality of farming, as Adam knows, is hard slog, with very little glamour attached and, in the case of Home Farm, not even a grand farmhouse to bolster your status. Brian is obsessing about legacy, but if he's not careful his own legacy is likely to be a prison sentence for GBH and perverting the course of justice (for a crime he didn't even commit) and no proper structure in place for the future of Home Farm.

Brian’s legacy comment made me want to punch him and weep for Adam. Lilian’s response made me admire her. Legless Rex made me giggle. Chelsea reporting that she and Jazzer were finishing the horse box made me happy happy happy. That’s a good episode!

(Given that I’m usually bored. Or infuriated by stupidly poor writing.)

Brian’s awful handling of the inheritance is going to blow Home Farm apart.

Has Adam ever discovered who his biological father is/was and/or is Roger Travers-Macy still alive?

Home Farm needs to hire another “Stella”.

Brian needs to do for Adam what Jennifer did for Ruairi. He needs to accept him as a son - just as Jennifer did when Brian brought Ruairi home (and let's be honest, what Brian did to Jennifer was a much bigger ask than Brian getting together with Jennifer knowing that she already had two children). This should be his legacy - that he repays Jennifer's generosity by putting Home Farm into the hands of the one person who demonstrably has Home Farm's best interests at heart. Maybe Ruairi will even be the one who eventually helps Brian see this.

Totally agree, @LillianGish . The man is a massive hypocrite.

Stand down, everybody. I've reminded myself of Paddy Redmond who was dead by the time Adam realised that he was his father and a "discovered" sister who wasn't interested in a friendship(?). I think I remember Ian telling somebody?

Maybe the Irish sister spoke to Adam on the phone and was put off by the voice. I know I would be!

Is it possible that Chris was buying himself low alcohol pints on his round? Rex was so drunk and Chris so sober it seems disproportional

echt
And while I'm here, hasn't King Lear Brine already made firm offers of the farm to Alice and Adam to their faces? Not sure about Alice but deffo Adam.

Brian asked Alice if she felt she wanted to manage Home Farm; she said "not at the moment" so he moved on.

He also asked Debbie if she would come back and manage the farm and she turned him down flat.

I think he hasn't yet asked Kate if she wanted to do it, but the other four he has, in Ruairi's case less than the other three because Ruairi offered before Brian could ask.

Oh gosh, I have no words. Poor Adam .

Totally foreseable though

Yes indeed.
The way Adam whines no one would think he was almost 60.
And he was stupid enough to blab and boast to David.

He and Brian have had so many ructions over the years and have completely different views on how to farm, that Adam was a bit stupid to trust Brian's word in the first place. I thought he was really out of order to go on at Brian about not having gone to the solicitor, I'd have given him short shrift too.

If he'd cleaned his ears he'd have heard us all yelling at our radios for weeks every time he started his optimistic witterings.

I still hope that story about Paddy being dead was made up by the Irish family to scare Adam away, and that an immensely rich Mr Redmond turns up in search of his son.

Brian is an idiot. He’s had years and years and years to plan all this and has wasted time and caused misery all round by leading everyone (except more-sense Debbie) on a merry dance.

And if he was so keen on MySon taking on the farm, how come Ruarie knows next to nothing about farming?