Carol Tre-Goner
The Cider Shed - Ploughing through BBC's 'The Archers'
Matthew Weir and Kerry Warbell dive into the latest dramatic developments in BBC's The Archers, focusing heavily on the romantic tension bet
Key takeaways
- Harrison's rapid pursuit of Lily is causing significant tension and jealousy within the village.
- The 'Repair Shop' subplot has evolved into a community cooperative involving Tony, Leonard, Mick, and Joy.
Main topics
- Harrison and Lily's relationship drama
- The Ambridge Repair Shop subplot
Notable quotes
Everything's a performance to a certain degree.
Conclusion
A deep-dive analysis for fans that blends character critique with comm
Transcript preview
Speaker 3 (0:04) Well, it isn't my favourite permission. Speaker 4 (0:07) I'd hoped our unity bill would be restored this year, but we're still five or six grand short, so there's no chance. Anyway, you're looking quite chipper. I've always got time for my favourite permission, absolutely. Apparently, Alan had a word. This is where your bank details go, isn't it? Let's see. Yeah, that's right. Can you put them in for me, Alan? Oh, sure. Favourite permission. We're still five or six grand short. There you go. Yes, my details. Oh, thank you. No, no, I can do the rest. Oh, sure you can. My favourite permission. Speaker 4 (0:48) Our service today will closely follow her wishes, which she laid out very clearly in her inimitable style. Right, well, I can see Nathan Booth looking disgruntled about his limp cucumber. What's it gonna look like with a new bell on? It's... What's it gonna look like with a new bell on? It's... What's it gonna look like with a new bell on? It's... What's it gonna look like with a new bell on? It's... Speaker 4 (1:21) Hello Speaker 3 (1:22) everybody, welcome to the Sardishead Podcast. I am Matthew Weir and I am joined over there by Kerry Warbis. Good evening, Kerry. Speaker 2 (1:29) Hi. Speaker 3 (1:30) Well, it's good evening to us. It could be good morning to the listener. We don't want to freak anyone out and make them think that they're in a different time zone. Anyway, salutations. Speaker 2 (1:40) Hello. Have you got anything you need repairing, Matthew? Speaker 3 (1:43) Oh, where do you want to start, Kerry? Speaker 2 (1:46) Oh, right. Okay. How's your toaster, by the way? Speaker 3 (1:49) Toaster still needs to be held down. I meant to send you a photo of it, actually, to show you just how silver and shiny it is. Speaker 2 (1:58) It's a Speaker 3 (1:58) bit crummy right now. I think all of this started when I held it upside down and tried to shake all the crumbs out. Speaker 2 (2:03) Oh, does it not have a nice little tray that you pull out? They Speaker 3 (2:06) only get some of them, don't they? They don't get all of them. Okay, fair. This repair shop has really taken off. Apparently Tony doesn't need to be a farmer anymore. Speaker 2 (2:14) It's driving me mad, this, as well as the Carolyn Anna thing. Tony is a little bit of a tease. You Speaker 4 (2:20) should see the automatic thermostatic vents, Leonard. Speaker 2 (2:24) It made me think of Grease Lightning. It's automatic thermostatic. It's fence. Yes, because the polytunnel or whatever it is, greenhouse thing is like a TARDIS apparently. Speaker 3 (2:38) Yeah, they're going to time travel, which is funnily enough what we're going to do next week. But more about that later. Speaker 2 (2:43) Do you like an on dive? I Speaker 3 (2:45) do. I like to roast them in the oven with a bit of pancetta, olive oil, walnuts and parmesan. Speaker 2 (2:52) That sounds good. I thought Coriander and Chervil were like Linda's llamas or something. Who's Coriander to Linda? Oh, is it Robert's child? Speaker 3 (3:03) Yes, there's Leone and there's Coriander and Coriander is very much the nicer of the two. And she was the one that came at Christmas when we did that time travel quite a while back. And the person playing Coriander had an amazing voice. And when I looked up what she's doing now, she left acting to join the church. That's a change, isn't it? Or is it? Are you performing when you're up there at the pulpit? Maybe you are. All right. Well, Kerry's just upset half the listeners, so I think we should take a break. Speaker 2 (3:33) Everything's a performance to a certain degree. Speaker 4 (3:36) Named by something Tony and Leonard repaired, and it wasn't your fault? You may be eligible for compensation. At Badly Thought Out Repair Shop Lawyers for you, we'll make things right. Speaker 2 (3:47) Leonard had a fiddle with my sausage maker. The first time I turned Speaker 4 (3:50) it back on, it went rogue and minced my crotch. Luckily, Natasha was on hand with her cabbage castration cream. I'm Speaker 1 (3:56) buzzing. Speaker 4 (3:57) Tony repaired my prized chainsaw. But when I tried to murder a rambler at Badger's Bank, the sprocket popped and I ended up taking the top of my little finger off. Luckily, Ed tied it to the back of a trailer and drove it and me to Felpersham General to have it reattached. The rambler didn't make it. Speaker 4 (4:16) Sadly. Badly thought out repair shop lawyers for you? Call us today. Speaker 3 (4:28) Apparently, Helen was disappointed she didn't get her milking parlour, but she's really pleased and can see the benefits. I'd actually like to hear that from her mouth. Speaker 2 (4:38) What do you reckon it sounds like? Well done, Tom. Not really a milking Speaker 3 (4:43) parlour, though, is it? Yeah, the repair shop thing, I mean, it's just carried on from last week. Everyone's bringing things over now, so it's becoming an entire cooperative kind of group thing, isn't it? So much to... Tony being quite pissed off about it. They're going to have Mick doing the electrics. Joy is going to do the jewellery. Who else is involved? Oh, Joy asked Fallon if she fancied doing a bit of upcycling. Fallon didn't sound too keen on that, from what I recall. Speaker 2 (5:11) Well, then it's Tony and Leonard, the rest of it. Would you let Mick fix either a hairdryer or anything electrical that you had? He didn't manage to do that robot cleaner thing, did he? Oh, that was the one up at the gills, wasn't it? Yeah. So he's this expert electrician, but he couldn't work that thing out. And the hairdryer, it sounded so ancient, the noise of it. Did you hear? Yeah, it's old school, Speaker 3 (5:38) isn't it? Speaker 2 (5:38) Yeah, very. I just would not use anything that he's tampered with. I reckon the hairdryer that Mick has fixed is going to make Ambridge Hall burn down. They'll have their decision made for them. about where they're off to. Speaker 3 (5:51) Just after Harrison has moved in, pleasing Jolene because she wanted to set fire to all his clothes. I'm a little bit disturbed at how rapidly and how frequently Harrison is calling Lily sweetheart. He did it twice in this episode. He did it on Sunday. I think he always says it when he's saying goodbye. And he did it in the ball when Fallon was there. Oh, God. People Speaker 2 (6:15) have asked whether he ever called Fallon that. I'm not sure. Can you remember? I Speaker 3 (6:20) don't remember. You'd think I would, wouldn't you? Because I'd be frothing at the mouth with jealousy. But I think what we were all here for was this moment. Pack Speaker 4 (6:29) your bags and Speaker 2 (6:30) get out of my pub. Speaker 2 (6:35) Before it was a bacon sandwich. This time it was Mags' very moist chicken sandwich and a pint of Shire's. And when she offered that to Harrison, he said to Fallon, you haven't told her yet, have you? I don't think so, Harrison. She wouldn't be giving you that, would she? Speaker 3 (6:51) I've got them communicating in their own personalised language here. Speaker 2 (6:56) Oh, here's Harrison. Speaker 4 (6:57) You fancy one of our roast chicken sandwiches, my darling? Mags' chicken is that Speaker 3 (7:02) moist. Speaker 4 (7:03) You have to try it. Speaker 3 (7:06) That's okay, Jolene. Yeah. Speaker 3 (7:11) Happier times. They won't be going back there anymore, will they? They Speaker 2 (7:14) won't at all, no. And, I mean, oh God, I can't wait till we get to the bit where Lily is confronted by Kenton about it all. Speaker 3 (7:23) Really enjoyed that. I was expecting a little more from that, but I guess she is blood. And I think when it comes to Harrison, things might be a little bit different because this is what Jolene predicted. Speaker 2 (7:36) I haven't told him yet. Speaker 4 (7:37) Because he'll go ballistic. Yeah. Speaker 2 (7:40) He did say to Lily, look, I've got nothing against you. You're my niece. I love you to pieces. It's Harrison I've got a problem with. So we haven't yet had that encounter, have we? Speaker 3 (7:51) He also had the audacity to say, it was like when you were with that other bloke. Say his name, Kenton. Speaker 2 (7:59) I do really enjoy Kenton sometimes. Speaker 3 (8:03) Oh, he's brilliant. Brilliant because he winds up Dave. He goes kental all the time, which is fantastic. The only thing that annoys me is when he gets involved in all the harebrained schemes to make the pub popular. Yeah, Speaker 2 (8:14) but that's less about him and more to do with the harebrained scheme thing that just crops up all Speaker 3 (8:19) the time, isn't it? Everywhere. I Speaker 2 (8:21) found it interesting that when Lily was noisily sweeping and Harrison was talking to her and he was going, I'm sorry, Lily. Dodging it weren't right. It just sort of came out. He's saying that sort of thing. again. And I was thinking, what, like your dick did? Speaker 3 (8:38) He has no control over anything coming out. Words, appendages. And Speaker 2 (8:43) then Lily said, well, we don't know 100 % what's going on between us, do we? And he went, no, we don't. I know how I feel. So I was thinking, yes, Lily's already getting regretful thoughts and is being turned off by his idiocy. Well, Speaker 3 (8:59) it is all happening too fast for her. I think she's... flattered but at the same time she might also be feeling the pressure to give it a go even though there was nothing going on before it kind of feels like now harrison's saying to her well you know i've put all my eggs in one basket now like he's left fallon for her which is not what happened at all i feel like there's some pressure on lily Speaker 2 (9:19) yeah same oh dear she did say she needs time to think or she needs to think about it. But then, you know, fast forward only a day or so, and she's giggling away to his voicemail, where yet again he's saying, Speaker 3 (9:32) sorry you're in the middle of my hideous mess. Like the way Kenton just appeared over the windscreen. Speaker 2 (9:38) It sounded like he just sort of got in the car with her. He went Speaker 3 (9:42) to Grey Gables, which is where she works. At first, when I heard that scene, the first time I listened, my brain just said, oh, Lower Loxley, where she lives. Speaker 2 (9:50) No, Speaker 3 (9:50) going to her place of work to kick off about it. Speaker 2 (9:53) Because she was on her lunch break. He was like, why are you having your lunch break in the car? And she was like, I just needed some time to myself. I wonder why. Speaker 2 (10:02) He's afraid that it was an affair that was going on behind Fallon's back. And of course, we all know it wasn't. So when he finds out for sure that it wasn't, will he be as bothered, do you think? Speaker 3 (10:14) I don't think so. It's a point of obsession for him that, isn't it? Possibly because, well, he said to Harrison... When he went round there and had that complete rant at him that time before checking all the facts. Believe me, I know about like failed relationships and why they fail, etc. Or words to that effect. So he was just projecting his actions, which Lily threw up as well. She said, like, you're hardly a paragon of virtue in terms of the family just thinks you're a complete write-off emotionally. And I'd never take advice from you. I Speaker 2 (10:42) really liked his response to that. He was like, really, do you think? Not that bad, am I? But the hypocrisy was pointed Speaker 3 (10:49) out. What I found fascinating about this was that the whole time they were having this exchange, Chelsea was watching. Speaker 2 (10:56) No offence. Speaker 3 (10:57) Fair enough. Speaker 2 (11:00) Oh, did Lily do that? Yeah. Good heavens. Identical. Was Chelsea in the passenger seat at the back then? Who else is in the car? Speaker 3 (11:11) Lizzie, Fallon's in the boot. Harrison's clinging to the undercarriage like Robert De Niro in Cape Fear. No, I didn't clip that in. That's actually what happened. Speaker 2 (11:21) Gosh, they've been practicing together. Speaker 3 (11:23) Yeah, I liked it when Jolie went, copper or not. Harrison was just going to go, actually not now, now that I can think of it. It's great to be in that position that Fallon's in, in respect to the fact that you've been wronged in a way. Speaker 4 (11:37) You Speaker 3 (11:38) know that people are going to come down on your side of the argument. So you can take some solace in that. When he was really tiptoeing, telling Jolene, Fallon was just there going, yeah, you better believe it. She's feeling like she has the moral high ground here. Speaker 2 (11:52) It's weird, isn't it though? Like, because... The whole house thing, their house. I knew this would be a strange bone of contention about, you know, really, why should it be Fallon who's staying at their house rather than Harrison? And actually, when he said, I want to stay here, he is paying most of the bills because she mentioned that earlier. He's like moving back in there. So he didn't actually say, which means you need to leave. So are they going to share again? Speaker 3 (12:19) What a mess. I Speaker 2 (12:20) like that one of the reasons was he wanted a washing machine. Speaker 3 (12:23) And the fact that he keeps sleeping on the air mattress over at Chris's and it deflates every night. I did that once. I slept on an air mattress and it had a slow puncturing and I woke up in the morning. I was like the Frankfurter in a hot dog bun. Do you think he's told Chris? Oh, that's a good question. No. Because also there was the beginning of a promise of a blossoming friendship with Amber and Lily. And that's going to be complicated because we know how Harrison feels about George. And as Alistair reminded me today, because he sent me a 2018 omnibus that we can possibly do as a time travel, because it was the episode where Harrison nicked Freddie. He nicked Freddie. Speaker 2 (13:01) Yeah, my lovely Freddie. Yeah. So Freddie isn't going to really relish him being a brother-in-law? Speaker 3 (13:11) Don't think so. It's good, isn't it? I am enjoying the intricacies of this. Do you know who's missing from this? Well, at the moment, Lizzie hasn't found out. And I don't think we can really count on Lizzie to be sensible and measured when all this comes out. Vince. Vince, yeah. Speaker 2 (13:29) I'd Speaker 3 (13:29) love a bit of Vince thrown into this. Speaker 2 (13:31) Gosh. Speaker 3 (13:33) Well, we can't pretend it didn't happen. Carol and Anna were in it this week. Boo! Speaker 3 (13:40) On the theme of repairing things, in order to kind of take the load off Carol a bit, Leonard's going to go in. He's decided he's going to take Richard's watch in. Before he does that, he's going to fix it. Speaker 4 (13:52) Eventually we got it fixed. So that's bound to cheer her up. Speaker 2 (13:55) As soon as he said that, did you think, no, it's a dead person's watch? There's so many tropes of this, isn't there, in films? and books about it having stopped at a certain time. Yeah, maybe he was struck by lightning. That's normally what does it, isn't Speaker 3 (14:12) it? Speaker 2 (14:13) She said herself, it's her own construction this, that that is the time he died. She doesn't actually know whether it is, but that's the feeling she gave to the watch. That's why it became that little bit more precious. Then it ended up with her going, I'll give it to Anna. I don't