Loxfest is over. Locket-gate is upon us. Discuss Mowgli, Rob's new secret and of course the new road here with other Archers fans.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread for hopefully an exciting Sunday episode. Poor Hayley.

Petula I thought that too about telling Henry first

I'm not sure if it's even EA exactly - just making sure in advance that he gets his own way

& what on earth did Mike mean? He certainly meant something!

Btw, the original and best Emma \link{http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/07/theory-of-everything-review-hawking-eddie-redmayne?CMP=fb_gu\gets a good write-up here!}

it's not EA on its own, but when you combine with other behaviours and gaslighting/undermining it's part of a pattern

Will we find out what mike meant? Seeing as nobody seems to know?!

Even the floor cleaning could be taken two ways. He brushes his coat, mentions that the floor needs cleaning. She says she'll do it. He says he will - though we all know she will.
He sounds very reasonable, if not saintly. If you didn't know how conditioned she is you would not think it at all sinister.

All part of a pattern as Petula says. - but how on earth could a victim ever explain it to an outsider without coming across as unhinged? Which sums up Jess's problem because I think he's already preparing the ground to make people think she's nuts in anticipation of her making trouble.

Gah I was just coming on to say I thought it was Freddie who had stolen /burnt the van but others have beaten me to it!

Quite a bit of groundwork was laid for Grandma Heather coming to live with Rooth and David, I thought.

Hang on untarian she must be a bit nuts. They were together for a very long time,she has a fakeness about her that was there from the start, (unless it's bad acting ). That bit about him being irresistible was hard to swallow as well.

I've always thought Jess was just a bad actor!

If she is exactly how they intended her to be portrayed then she is nuts too!

Agree that rob is skating a line between ea and just red flags at the moment. I personally think an ea story would be more interesting/believable than a nuts ex wife story!

During their meal at the pub he was the doting fiancé and father. I know a lot of dads who wouldn't even think of citing up their kids food!

All of their interactions end up in her agreeing with his decision. He also has a way of distracting her.

He also undermines her with Henry all the time. Oh, let him get down/have more chips/ leave his food... But also, control him when I get irritable.

I'm not saying that Knob isn't an eaer just that I think that Jess is odd as well

True about Henry TheOriginal One moment spoke volumes for me when Henry was talking about going hunting he specifically said "Hounds" because Rob had told him sharply before that they weren't dogs they were 'hounds'

Am listening on catch up. Sounds as if Josh and Ruth were not in the same room when that was being recorded. He also sounds posher than the rest of the family.

Urgh and now Rob being an arse. Helen being the dutiful wife and Rob literally throwing dirt all over the house, and Helen being a doormat and allowing her child to be used as a pawn.

And why on earth does she think there is no need for a paternity test??

And his confidence that his relationship with her parents will be fine - as if there is no way they could turn against him now he's done such a good job on them.

The arrival of richjohn will put him out! He's only just managed to get rid of Tom!

So what's the verdict? Is Freddie the arsonist?

Before you know it they're going to have eastenders style trailers leading us to the main suspects in the great van robbery

who was it on earlier threads who suggested there might be echoes of the past with a great conflagration like that which took grace archer? could this be the early warnings...?

I don't think I could take it if LL goes up in flames with Elizabeth and Roy trapped inside, like that unfortunate couple in The Towering Inferno who've sneaked off for a quick shag before the party in the tower and then can't get out.

Listening again it sounds like the van was nicked Saturday so there goes my theory it was Freddie on skiving day!

It's still someone we know!!

Maybe Jess is camping out in the woods and has burnt out the van - maybe she's going to take fiery revenge on the whole of Ambridge...

Was it just me who thought new Josh sounded (inflections and such) just like Tom?

Thought that too! Very Tom like

Very unnatural too. He needs some practice

Please forgive my ignorance - I've not Archered regularly for over a year, just listened to the Omnibus, but is there any evidence that Jess is a nutter other than Rob's word that she is?

I mean he just seemed to take it as read that Helen would agree with her about her nut-job status - was wondering if she has form?

irian not that I can think of! She was a bit pathetic and naive when living with Rob, but that was also to generate all the irony that she didn't know he was boffing Helen when she should have been making necklaces of course!

I don't think Jess is nuts any more than Helen is. I think like Helen she was well and truly taken in by Knob, really fell for him (just like Helen), maybe even during the Valentine day shag she was hoping they would still get back together - after all she is his wife. Now she sees him for what he is and sees herself in Helen. I don't think that makes her nuts - it just suits Rob to portray her that way and it's easier for Helen if she believes him. I do think she is beginning to have doubts, but then manages to push them out of her mind. I don't think she will fully realise until it's too late to easily extricate herself - as others have said she may well have his child herself thus tying herself to him forever.

Oh dear, 'no less sane that Hellin' is hardly a great accolade, is it!?

Have they said anything about having a child? Or will they wait until he is divorced and they can get married.

I thought the coat bit was very symbolic, you don't approve of me doing this but I am going to shove it in your face and make you clean up after me.

Also what was with Haley moping about trying to get an answer from Mike. Just ask him "wtf is this locket all about??!"

in the blog linked to above, it says that helen wants "Marriage! The pitter-patter of tiny Titcheners. Happily Ever After. And not a whiff of Jess." so not sure what order that's supposed to come in, but sounds like helen is definitely keen on more children

Agree about the coat shaking - Hellen was literally a doormat!