50 ways to leave your lover. Get on the bus Gus, give a knife to your wife, Rob. How not to write helpful storylines masterclass from The Archers.

[PseudoBadger]

Poor poor Henry

Place marking

Just LA. Not caught up.wotj thread and not hot to.the end but I have to say, tense though it is, I snorted at "tuna bake. I hope you like it". When she decides to be PA she does it masterfully.

Also loved the oh awwwight from.Henry.

Guessing this is the calm before storm.

Excellent hurried title, PseudoB., thank you. I'm going back to not listening, again, after tonight. I really thought the Helen and Jess conversation on Friday was an excellent turning point and I am furious that Rob is dead/undead and Hellbent is clearly Hellbent, either way.

You've excelled yourself with this title Pseudo

Poor Henwee indeed. God knows what he'll be like when he's all growed up after all this.

That thread title is the first Archers-related laugh I've had all evening, Pseudo, so thank you!

Am actually feeling quite sick, and that's saying something given that this afternoon I was watching people running away from cannibals in The Walking Dead.

Excellent title.

It feels like the pacing is all wrong. Why did he even think she was leaving him? Why was he so angry about the suitcase rather than bewildered?

Thanks Pseudo Have you had chance to listen or are you picking up from innuendo?

I think the worst part was the idea of Helen telling Rob she was going. I thought she was done being in denial.

They need a whole new team at TA now.

Please a new writer who respects the characters and tone of this long-running and previously respected and loved story (NOT soap).

Someone who is prepared to research SL properly and an editor who does not live in cloud cuckoo land and credits the audience with some intelligence and a memory. Poor TA actors, they've been let down too.

I listened whilst multi tasking to get the gist, will have to listen again I think

The pie! Maybe the whole cottage will burn down and with all the evidence destroyed, Helen will have no case to answer!

dreame I think he's had his suspicions in the last couple of weeks that she's starting to question his behaviour. She's made phone calls without his say-so, she's decided not to go ahead with the home birth (without consulting him), he knows she was upset about the way he handled Henry and the easter egg from Pat & Tony. I don't think it's surprising that he saw the packed bag and put two and two together.

I should actually be looking out for my DD possibly appearing on TV in the next 20 mins, but I don't want to leave this debate.

Eastie77 made a very good point about when was she actually planning on leaving as she had put Henry to bed and had left a half packed bag on the bed. I hadn't thought about that in all the drama, but yes, good point

Brilliant title! I also laughed at the tuna bake, to be fair.

I can't bear it that the issue is going to be all about Helen and her instability now. I thought her conversation with him was so odd as well. No one would stay and have dinner in that situation, or threaten to leave without a witness.

De-lurking to say:

WTAF?! Can't decide if I want Rob dead or not... seems a bit of a cheap cop out but suppose it has been done for ratings?

Great thread title BTW.

And of course he knows that Helen met Kirsty at Grey Gables the other day!

Delurking to say - I'm as disappointed as any of you- and to offer this gem from Twitter by way of consolation:

@janglespoon: 'Henry's 'What I did in the holidays' report should be interesting. #thearchers'

Everybody knows apart from Keri and SOC that the most dangerous time for an abused woman is when they leave. If they wanted a death it would be more realistic for Rob to have killed her.

Great thread title Psuedo

Onemoresteparoundthebend:
Maybe this episode is Helen's dream that she's in Albert Square and doing what an EE character would do to Knob?

This is from the end of the last thread but about the "best" option of this story right now. It my fingers crossed they've gone for the cheese factor..but fearing I am wrong.

Like someone on previous thread said: if you're in a similar type of relationship, this ISN'T the only way out, regardless of what he says. You can leave when he's not there. Hard, but an option.

This episode has annoyed me enormously.

Perhaps tomorrow Helen will wake up and Rob will step out of the shower. The woke thing will have been a dream

I'm guessing he's not dead and will recover to control Hellin even more

Nobody I know in RL has listened yet! So frustrating!