The Archers

Writer: Shaun Mckenna
Director: Peter Leslie Wild
Editor: Jeremy Howe
Helen Archer … Louiza Patikas
Rex Fairbrother … Nick Barber
Alan Franks … John Telfer
Martyn Gibson … Jon Glover
Amber Gordon … Olivia Bernstone
Eddie Grundy … Trevor Harrison
Ed Grundy … Barry Farrimond
George Grundy … Angus Stobie
Keira Grundy … Mollie Kruczek
Will Grundy … Philip Molloy
Tracy Horrobin … Susie Riddell
Akram Malik … Asif Khan
Azra Malik … Yasmin Wilde
Zainab Malik … Priyasasha Kumari
Jazzer McCreary … Ryan Kelly
Kirsty Miller … Annabelle Dowler
Elizabeth Pargetter … Alison Dowling
Archdeacon Ray … David Leonard

George arrives at Little Grange to check if Keira has gone to school. He offers to give her a lift, but Keira says the bus is fine. George says it is if she was actually going to school. Keira says all that time in A&E tired her out, and George points out they couldn’t find anything actually wrong with her. George makes her a cup of tea and forces her to talk. She says he’s being horrible. He argues that Will was in a state yesterday and it took an hour to calm him down; Keira knows what happened to Nic and isn’t a kid anymore. Keira says she didn’t mean to panic Will, she just hates school. She can’t bear it. George tries to question why she doesn’t want to go to school. He threw away the opportunities school gave him, and he doesn’t want Keira to do the same.
At Rewilding, Martyn Gibson is demanding copies of all the files relating to tree maintenance. He says if there is a claim, they’ll need to prove that BL and Rewilding Ambridge are completely in the clear. Martyn says he tried to visit Vince but got turned away, as did Alan. Rex stalls handing over the files saying he doesn’t know all the passwords. Martyn says they can just call Kirsty to get them. Martyn detects that Rex is being obstructive. Rex confesses that the problem tree was due an inspection, but shoulders the blame saying it was his fault that the inspection was forgotten. Martyn barely controls his anger before leaving. Rex calls Helen in a panic. Helen says he has to tell Kirsty, but Rex says her blood pressure is through the roof and he doesn’t want to add to it. Rex says he will take the fall for the omission.

Zainab thinks her dad is avoiding her. Azra says he’s just on a plumbing job in Penny Hassett. Zainab says she can protect herself and that she’s already dealt with racism, recently from Lawrence at the golf club. Azra says she might have to arrest people she’s sympathetic to, but Zainab says she’s hardly the first Muslim woman to join the police. Azra says she would be the first in the family, to which Zainab points out their cousin Usman is a detective. Later, Azra says they’ll support Zainab’s decision.
Will is driving Keira to school as she doesn’t want anyone seeing her on the bus and knowing she’s having to take catch-up classes. Will tells Keira to wave to Alan as they pass but she says there’s something going on with him. News that he got chucked out of Carol’s funeral has spread. Keira says she’s got a headache and pleads with Will to pull over. Will gives her water and painkillers, but Keira says she just needs to lie down. Will wants to check her cuts aren’t sore. One looks particularly red, so Will says they should go to A&E.
In the surgery, Elizabeth has come in for an appointment as she’s scared her depression will come back. Between Vince being relentlessly upbeat, Freddie trying to hold down the abattoir and Lily micromanaging, she confesses she feels fragmented and is having panic dreams. Azra asks if Elizabeth always puts this much pressure on herself. Azra advises they start with counselling. She’ll put a list together of counsellors.

Ed calls Storm a “little bruiser” whilst George recounts some of Will’s storm puns. Keira pulls a face at having to go to catch-up classes during half term. Storm then needs changing, getting them off the topic of school. As Ed double checks Keira has everything, she becomes teary and begs not to go. Keira says she’s getting flashbacks and can’t be around people. She pleads for one more day at home to recover as Ed says he’ll call the surgery. Ed and Emma agree she must go in tomorrow but can have today off. George says he’ll teach Keira how to change Storm’s nappy as payment. Confused, Keira plays dumb, but George says he knows she’s just skiving.
At Rewilding Ambridge, Helen’s checking on Peggy’s artwork. It has survived. Helen is chatting whilst Rex’s mind is clearly elsewhere. He asks if there’s any news about Vince, but Helen’s vague update brings him no relief. Kirsty arrives, to Rex’s surprise. She’s meant to be resting but has grown bored. Helen says they could grab a smoothie later. Rex had said he would call Kirsty with an update, but he hasn’t. She quizzes him. Rex repeats that everything’s fine and says it’s just boring paperwork, nothing to interrupt Kirsty’s rest. Rex promises he’ll tell Kirsty if anything important comes up. Kirsty goes for a stroll around Rewilding. Helen asks Rex what’s wrong as he’s clearly the worst liar. Rex is worried about the tree that fell on Vince and how it was meant to be booked by Kirsty for an inspection.

There’s chaos in the kitchen at No. 1 The Green with baby things everywhere. Ed and Will discuss baby Storm’s name. Will says he’d be besotted even if the baby was called Donut.
Akram proposes a family breakfast as Azra doesn’t have work until lunchtime, but Zainab says she wants to talk to them both. She has been thinking about her future, and she wants to help people for a career. Akram keeps interrupting until Zainab says she’d like to join the police. Akram is worried about the possible hostility she might face from the world and from within the police. He asks who she’s spoken to about this, whilst Zainab says she’s only done research and spoken to them. Zainab says they’re clearly against it. Akram says he’s not but just to take her time with it. Azra agrees that she needs to be sure before she commits.
Martyn is visiting Rewilding worried about the tree that fell on Vince Casey. Rex says everything is up to date as Kirsty is always on top of things. Martyn thinks they should be prepared in case Vince decides to sue. Will and Ed arrive to clear the rest of the tree, but any more work will have to wait until Emma is available. Continuing to worry, Martyn asks about the beaver enclosure until Rex pulls him away so the Grundys can focus. Later, Ed finds Rex to talk about the fallen tree. He didn’t want to say in front of Martyn, but that tree was due to be inspected again.