Is that a ferret in your (Gr)undies or are you just pleased to see me? Discuss The Archers vermin (so many possibilities!) here.

[PseudoBadger]

I'm not sure that ferrets cannot through a thumb sized hole - rats can, and mice can fit through a pen sized hole. But I know the SWs will have researched such a statement carefully

The 'taking The Thing to Knob' bit of the story was weird. Bridge Farm had the AO/farm shop meeting scheduled for 3 o'clock. It was put back by half an hour because of Helen taking The Thing to Berrow. Thus the meeting ended later than anticipated so the Magikal Baby, yet again, got shunted to the back of the queue and the SAHM had to arrange, yet again, for someone else to do the pick-up from nursery or pre-school or whatever it is that Henry does.

I fell off TIO on my own thread
I am listening but so busy no time to post. Will do better!

Was the "taking something to Rob" line a case of the editor toying with the audience? We're all thinking "ooh, is it the letter, will this be the moment the scales fall from Helen's eyes, when Rob is forced to reveal the truth?", but it's just misdirection, so when the paternity result does come we are caught by surprise?

My preferred option is that knob isn't the dad. He can then reign triumphant while Helen dumpers about always believing him. Ea SL continues and Helen gets out herself rather and we end up with a positive story about leaving an abusive relationship

If he is the father I can't see how the relationship could realistically continue as Helen isn't that cowed yet and ha a supportive family who would give her some home truths.

BYOS Sadly, the SWs have proved themselves unable to manage that level of subtlety. My bet's firmly on Rob being the father. I guess if they'd wanted to do a realistic EA storyline, they could have done Jess's perspective on leaving Robb. It seems that it took her a few goes (e.g. staying behind when he initially came to Ambridge) and she had difficulty detaching (confronting Helen about Valentine's Day). But then we'd all know already what a twat Rob was and they couldn't have done the current SL with Helen.

Two things:

1. I hadn't realised that Felix Scott (Charlie) was in Wolf Hall. He can't have spoken or surely I would have recognised his voice?

1. The penny has just dropped during another discussion that Rob and Helen are living in Blossom Hill Cottage, which belongs to Usha, and is surely where Richard Locke lived with her. Did he check Rob's address during the DNA collecting visit last week? I suppose it would have been unprofessional of him to say he knew lots and lots of people in Ambridge, including Rob's landlady. One might have expected a brief, significant pause, though, at the very least if the SWs had remembered this coincidence.

Not that I have the slightest idea about these things, but wouldn't The Letter have something like 'Private and Confidential' printed on the envelope?

I hate the idea of a Dr Locke/Smugula/Alastair SL. It's so tediously predictable, and tbh, if we can all hear how disengaged and reluctant Al sounds even at this point, how thick must St. Smug be not to pick up on it and address it, instead of blundering back to her ex like an utter twunt?

OK, don't bother answering that

I think if Rob is the father, then he will start whimpering about being trapped into it by Jess and how much he needs Helen's support and so forth, that he can't live without her... which because of Greg she'll take deadly seriously and thus be further ensnared.

Big reveal tomorrow night according to the CA. God I'm fed up with Adam and his roving eye. Poor Ian :(

And how come Lilian has nothing to do? Surely she has Amside to run? Or has that disappeared into the business black hole along with the cheese and AO?

That was a really uninteresting episode. Nothing adds up.

Boring filler episode

Thanks Icimoi I never see the columns until someone posts a link here.

I agree with erol i think he'll brazen it out and she will think it was all Jess

It still makes no sense to me if Rob gets away with it as he has consistently lied and said it can't possibly be his baby. that in itself is a dumping offence.

the fact she seduced him blah blah is irrelevant to that point

but then helen seems to be dimwitted rather than controlled by rob imo

and still makes no sense if he claims he lied to protect her

much better SL if he isn't the dad as it strengthens him and weakens her and then we get a proper ea story (just as it was ticking along nicely before all the baby nonsense) and hopefully less of the 'demonic losing control' rob that's a bit panto villain.

From the start i'd hoped this would be 'educational'. so many people don't get why women stay in ea relationships

I am thinking he will go for "i genuinely didn't think it was mine. You know she was sleeping with all sorts (me included). And you know when she just offered it up on a plate I couldn't refuse.".
And Hel will think Jess is an evil seducer.
and that she had better step up her game to keep her man..

i don't see H as very sisterly so I doubt she'd have an issue with thinking J a slag despite the fact she herself was OW.

still can't see it!

but as this is the archers Rob will no doubt invite jess round for lunch and expect helen to be delighted as per Shula/Alastair

I think it will be Rob's baby simply because I can't see any point to that aspect of the plot if it isn't. It's SOC's get-out clause on a very good plot-line that he didn't initiate. It was all far too subtle for SOC so Rob's been turned into a pantomime villain.

I've always said that it's not Robs baby, while DH has scoffed outrageously :o

If it's not then Rob gets to be all "see, I told you so" and H regrets any seeds of doubt she may have had.

Anyone else think Lillian's new past time is going go be bird watching with Jim and Robert?!

Have I missed it or do we know for a fact that Richard Locke collected Rob's DNA sample, or is that just speculation?

Yes, we heard a scene between them.

Interesting...I want the baby to be robs so that he gets caught, basically. But the storylines without it being his are much better. If they need to recruit writers they should be looking here first, I reckon (not me though I need every last thing explaining to me but my excuse is that TA is my switch off moment )

By the way, are we supposed to find Joe and his clothes from the WI funny? And the ferret?

The thing is, how is Rob going to explain how anxious he was about it if it isn't his? If he definitely knew it wasn't why was he in a flap about it?

Can someone tell me if the actress who plays Lillian has been replaced recently? Her voice sounds different/funny. Or is is just the botox playing havoc with her speech?