Archers thread #199: Kaboom! The Aldridges are self-destructing, and it's GLORIOUS. 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 drop everything to help Helen create a new cheese on national minimum wage, 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.)

If you haven't heard last night's episode (Friday 22nd May) you really must. It's episodes like that that keep me addicted. Funny how often they involve the Aldridges, the most dysfunctional and also by far the most interesting family in Ambridge. Also very well acted on the whole. How lovely to hear Tamsin Greig in TA, but I wonder if we ever will again.

Some cracking posts towards the end of the last thread, which is here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/5518503-archers-thread-198-josh-sent-to-patagonia-pip-stays-put-wrong-way-round-discuss-the-archers-here

Over to you!

Long time lurker - does anyone think Jim is going to Dignitas?

That would be an interesting storyline, but I don't see Jim doing it without some health reason. I've joined, though, despite not being currently suicidal.

That was my very first thought.

@NetballHoop , Could we bear 40 years of Ruth's hushed tones?

I hope the Jim actor is OK. 😟

Me too. Jim’s wonderful.

The actor is 85 years old, though, and may have just decided that life's too short to be playing Jim forever.

How old was Adam when Brian got together with Jenny?

My first thought re Jim was dignitas - urgh. He’s been living with his son for decades and now he’s off on a surprise trip all alone? Do me a favour.

Speaking of the Ambridge Elderly - I may have missed the discussion of this but my assumption with Tracey’s dad is her dodgy brother thinks he can get the council house (ie Tracey’s house) by worming in with his dad. Does anyone know if Tracey is on the contract too, or just Bert?

Re the house, I'm pretty sure Tracey is on the lease.

Re Jim, doesn't he also have a daughter ... possibly somewhere like Canada?

She is.

Jim does have a daughter. Alistair's sister is Fiona.

Another one hoping the Jim actor is OK. I love the character. How sad that he exited TA without his first name being mentioned.

When Brine pops his clogs, Adam will not be in the Will, of course. A toss-up as to whether Adam will contest it or rest of the family recognise his work and make a variation.

I didn't enjoy that, Adam and Brian sounding so bitter and vindictive. I don't vote well with arguments IRL, either.

When Pip was really nervous about the genetic counselling phone call I assumed she must be getting her results, not just the discussion about the ramifications of taking the test. I do understand it’s a serious matter, but oh my god, she’s making such a meal of it. I would understand being very nervous about actually getting the results though.

I couldn't agree more about the drawn-out nature of the genetic testing, although it has given the opportunity for Pip's desire for more children - to Stella's silent horror misgivings. Also, in a recent episode, Ruth saying she'd wanted to be consulted about it. None of her business!.

I also thought Dignitas. I hope not because I love Jim, but we haven't heard him in a while and the last time we did he was sounding a bit wobbly voiced.

It was such poor writing - Dad’s off on his travels. And delivered with such mortified absence of conviction I questioned whether Alistair was being voiced by the usual actor.

Presumably Denise will now leave her room at Kirsty’s house and move into Jim’s house to live with Alistair?

Continuity between writers has been abysmal recently. I suspect half of them don’t even know she exists.

Anyone remember GetOrfMyLand? She was a prolific poster 20 years ago. Gosh, have I been here that long.

I’m team Adam as Brine is definitely incapable of running Home Farm, but I love Brine and would rather he was swanning around being the salty old Lothario he is.

I think it is her business however. If Pip is positive then Ruth is positive and that also impacts Josh and Ben. I'm not saying Pip doesn't have autonomous rights to do the test, but the implications do run past just herself.
And it isn't obvious to just do the test as the ramifications of finding out you are positive are big. You have a shadow hanging over you, you have to decide whether to have preventative surgery etc etc.
At the moment Ruth and Pip are like Schrodinger's Cat, having the test resolves things to certainty.

I love Brian, loathe Adam but definitely team Adam in all of this. I do think Brian made a shrewd point a while ago though, that Adam loves a novelty crop/ direction. I don’t think he’s wrong in any of his approaches in terms of the land but commercially I think he might be too changeable. IIRC even Debbie mentioned this in Hungary. He’s not a firm hand at the tiller but at least he’s not demented.

I thought Brian’s faculties have been declining for a good while now though.

What happened at last year’s harvest that Martin will not be able to forget? I was in a long period of not listening at that point.

Adam has sounded absolutely demented over recent weeks. His greed is deeply unpleasant. He doesn’t care about the land itself, he cares about owning the land and is behaving as if it’s his right to have it. Yes Brian said he was leaving it to him but he should have just said to Brian that’s up to you- leave it to whoever you like.

He was being paid to run the farm and has already been recompensed for that. He now thinks he is owed something for those years of toil but he can’t expect to be paid twice.

I was hoping Jim had been given the chance of observing a very important archaelogical dig or viewing a private ancient history library in Italy or Greece or wherever, so at least it tied in with his interests.

He was promised the running of the farm, then capriciously withdrawn by Brine.
I don't think Brine is demented, just being his usual self.
As for Adam, it's a combination of his reasonable anger and the SWs twisting his character in entirely unreasonable ways, cf Joy and Harrison.

Ahhhhh! Please don’t mention Joy!! We have been blessed with her silence for months now. I wonder if the SWs realised how ridiculous it was to crowbar her into every SL and have now sidelined her or if they are instead planning her return and putting her front and centre of a major upcoming plot line…

I know what you mean @JoelenesParrot, she's like the Candyman: if you say her name three times she will appear.

I'd like Joy and Helen to work together in the dairy ... silently.