This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. All the bizarre ways people are using the internet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to Thursday's episode of The Archers from BBC Radio 4. Come on, I know you're in there. Ain't no point hiding. Open up. Well, what is it? What do you want? Lillian, can I come in? You haven't answered my question. I think it would be better if you just let me in. Absolutely not. It's not up to you. This ain't the bull, you know. George! You can't stop me coming in. Just you wait a minute. What the hell do you think you're doing? Where is he? Brian, I need to talk to you. You can't get sparged in like this. Brian! He's not home! Is that right? Then how come his car's outside? Look, I'm warning you, George. Is he through here? If you don't leave right now, I'm calling the police. What? No. Then get out. Look, I'm dialing the number. No, don't. There's no need for that. Put your phone away. But, Brian! Hello, George. And to what do we owe the pleasure? Do you really want me to tell you in front of her? Well, you'll have to, because I'm not going anywhere. George, go and wait in the sitting room, will you? I won't be a minute. Sure. All right. Brian! I'm sorry, Lillian, but I think it's best if I handle this by myself. Handle what? What is he doing here? I've no idea. Now, let me get your coat. Brian, I don't know what's going on, but... Nothing's going on. Sorry we couldn't have that cup of tea. I can't think of one good reason why you'd give that loup the time of day. How can you bear to have him in the house? Here's your coat. After everything that he's done, think of your blood pressure. Oh, Lillian, please, please. That boy's caused everyone in this family quite enough trouble already. Whatever he wants, let me deal with it, all right? Oh, fine. I just hope you know what you're doing. Here you go. You will be careful, won't you? When am I not? I give my best to Justin. Yes. Right. Bye, Ben. Bye. Bye. Right, George. I'm not normally in the habit of letting people barge their way into my home. You're not a gamer, are you? I'm sorry? Is that supposed to mean something to me? The console by the television. Oh, no. Right. Well, I'll ask you again, George. What do you want to talk to me about? I thought you might have guessed. Sorry? You're going to have to give me more than that. I haven't the faintest idea. Thing is, Brian, I've started getting some memories back from the night I were attacked. Right. I remember lying on the ground. I remember someone leaning over me. Presumably the person the police have charged. Maybe. Except you were wearing aftershave. The same aftershave I smelled on Martha the other night. The same aftershave I can smell now Wait wait hang on a second What you think it was me I know it was you Brian You knew I was drunk You knew I couldn put up a fight You waited until I reached somewhere no one would see and then you clouted me over the head with a bottle. You ate me for what I did to Alice. It don't matter to you I were only trying to help. No, no, no, don't you dare. It's true. If I hadn't phoned her, smashed off her face... You tried to ruin her life. You took someone who was already broken, and you almost drove her mad, making her think she'd nearly killed three people. It'd be the first idea what that did to her. To all of us, and to poor little Martha. And you've never forgiven me for it. Too damn right I haven't. You tried to put her mother in jail. So you admit it. It was you who hit me. I bet if I asked around, phoned out who left the pub just before midnight, you were still raging from our little run-in at the bar. You mean when you shoved me? So you followed me outside, and then you clobbered me. That's what happened, isn't it, Brian? Don't deny it. Who else would it have been? Yes, yes. All right, all right. It was me who hit you. You had it coming for a very long time. Seeing you sauntering around the village, all I wanted to do was put my hands around your throat. So, yeah, I picked up an empty wine bottle and I went after you. You really were trying to kill me then? What? You wanted me dead. No, no, no, no, I didn't, actually. I just wanted to hurt you. But when I realised what I'd done... Look, it was me who rang the ambulance. I did what I could. Am I supposed to thank you? Thank me? No, of course not. You were smart enough not to use your own phone. What? When you called 999, you used mine so you couldn't be traced. I still made sure you got help. And then what did you do? George. You just left me there, didn't you? You scarpered. Well, I panicked, I suppose. Yeah, just like I did after the crash. Except I stayed around. I rescued Fallon from droning. Only after I made sure Alice got the blame. OK, OK. Yeah, well, you seem very keen to forget that part. Yeah, and what about the guy who's got the blame for attacking me? Well, I didn't deliberately set him up. No, but you don't mind him carrying the can for you? You think you're so much better than me. Well, now we both know you ain't. So where do we go from here? You tell me. Well, you must have some sort of plan. I noticed you came here rather than go to the police. I don't know. Maybe some sort of compensation is in order. Compensation? My pain and suffering. You must be joking. After the suffering you've put us through... I paid for that with a year inside. Which wasn't long enough. No? I wonder what time you get for attempted murder. You know, I might never completely recover. I still get dizzy spells. They might never go away. What's a fair amount of compensation for that? If you think you're getting a single penny out of me, then you must still be concussed. Even if it stops you from going to jail? Even then. Let's see then, shall we? Someone ought to tell the feds they've got the wrong person. As if you care. Just a second ago you were demanding money to keep my mouth shut. Yeah, well, maybe I'd rather do the right thing. Oh, please. You don't know the meaning of doing the right thing. How do you know? Maybe I've learnt my lesson. Maybe I can't stand by and let an innocent man go to jail. Maybe I've changed. All right, all right. Have you thought about that? Even Alice has given me a second chance. OK. You're all so convinced I'm this terrible person. Fine fine Maybe you didn deserve it Maybe I have been unfair on you Is that what you want to hear Well come on though I mean you not going to prove anything by going to the police The smell of aftershave's hardly compelling evidence. Not compared to what they must have against this other chap, and certainly not coming from you. How do you mean? Well, you've just admitted yourself you're still recovering from a brain injury. Who knows how reliable your memories are? I know it's you. Besides, you do have a track record of changing your story. First you thought it was this gang. I never said for sure. Now all of a sudden you've decided to point your finger at me. Someone whose family you've clearly got a grudge against. I've got a grudge. You might end up just creating more trouble for yourself. Perverting the course of justice, isn't that what you're convicted for? But if your conscience is telling you you need to right this wrong... Well, there is an alternative. Oh, yeah? And what's that? We call it quits. Sounds to me we'd both like to move on with our lives. Let's accept things got out of hand and it's time to put an end to all this unpleasantness. And what? I'm just meant to forget what you did to me? Exactly. The same way I'll forget what you did to Alice and all the other people I love that you've harmed. How about that? I'll even apologise if you like. You will? Yes. Go on, then. I'm sorry. So am I. So do we have a deal? From now on, we'll simply try to stay out of each other's way. What do you say? Yeah, sure. Yes? Can we shake on it? Yeah. All right. Wise lad We all do things we regret Let's hear no more about it then George? He ain't too bad Why'd you ask? Oh, no particular reason Well, I heard about his new job I was just wondering Right Well, I'd better take this veg box to Brian You here to see him too? Me? Well, yes, I was. Oh, whoops-a-daisy. I'm not so sure now. Well, sorry, Lillian. Would you mind picking up that cabbage for me? Yes, you sir, of course. Look, I'm not sure that Brian's receiving visitors. Ah, well, he must have heard the van. Hello, Brian. Well, I'm sorry. I'd forgotten you were coming. George? All right, Dad. What are you doing here? I just needed to talk to Brian about something. I'm going now. Well, are you? Good. Well, then we can have that cup of tea now. Happy, Brian. Yes, I suppose, sir. I'll catch you later. George, wait, hang on. Where are you going? Home, of course. Well, don't just walk off. Let me give this box to Brian, then I'll give you a lift. This is going to keep roaring me, Wilfred. I expect the tea in the pot's probably quite stewed by now. I'll mix them fresh. Brian, I couldn't give a monkey's about the tea. I want to know what George was doing here. and don't fob me off again I've been standing outside wondering why on earth you'd allow him into the house I just didn't want another big altercation George got it into his head I been bad him to other farmers bad how It called telling the truth Yes I know But George feels he paid his debt to society and that he now deserves to be allowed to get on with his life without his past misdemeanors always following him. Ah! Well, he knows I'll never forgive him. No, well, none of us will. No, but we're going to have to learn to coexist. So we agreed the best thing to do was to draw a veil over everything that's happened. A veil? There's nothing to be gained from constantly raking over the past. Hopefully we've put an end to it. So George was upset because you'd been saying mean things about him. Great. And he's going to have to visit most of the homes in the village. Why did you listen to him? Oh, Lillian, please. I've spent more time fulminating against George Grundy than I care to think about. I don't want to have to think about him any longer. All right, but he is... What's done is done. Let's just try to forget about it. No, no, don't worry. I was due to stop for lunch soon. But if you've still got delivery... It's fine. Now, what do you fancy? Beans on toast? Yeah, sure. Just let me take my boots off, then. Where's Amber? Is she not in? No, she's gone shopping. Right. She should be back soon. She's taking me to counselling. Of course. That's this afternoon, ain't it? How are you feeling? Not really sure. You'll be fine. Just say whatever's on your mind. Yeah, maybe. Oh, come on. Cheer up. It were a nice idea trying to build bridges with Brian, but with some folk, you've just got to accept it ain't never going to happen. No, I know. You don't need to go offering him free promos for Home Farm anyhow. Just keep proving yourself to Esme and don't worry about Brian. All right? Yeah, OK. That's my boy. All right, let's get those beans open. Sure. I just need to check a voicemail. I'll be there in a sec. Yeah, no worries. I'm not in the habit of letting people barge their way into my home. Hang on a second. What do you think it was me? I know it was you, Brian. Yes. All right. It was me who hit you. You had it coming for a very long time. Seeing you sauntering around the village, all I want to do is put my hands around your throat. Got you. This is not the future we were promised. Like, how about that for a tagline for the show? From the BBC, this is The Interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world. This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work and your politics, your everyday life. And all the bizarre ways people are using the internet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
