Helen is drowning in the Cow Pat of Destiny. Please SWs - when will it be curtains for Rob?

[PseudoBadger]

Come on Kirsty!

It's not the isolation of Helen which is the unrealistic bit, it's the reaction of everyone else. If your child suddenly dropped out of contact and their partner told you they were fine and shouldn't be bothered etc, would you just accept that? And even if you did, wouldn't you voice your concerns to your partner? Friends? Etc?

Many people are now stopping listening to the archers, so if they want to educate and make a real SL out of that they have gone too far and are failing. The thing about soaps is that you just can't drag this kind of storyline out for years and years (and bear in mind that the Helen/rob storyline started around three years ago now.).

I also think this is the news that would push Kirsty to say something to pat.

Or is she just going to try calling Helen a few times and then give up? I would have thought Helen being hospitalised would foster a sense of urgency in Kirsty

Crossed posts Meols. I agree with you.

Even if he's deleted Kirsty's number, she works at at the health club at Grey Gables - an easy number to access (I agree about all numbers being in my phone I don't know any!). Even if he's taken her phone away I'm sure they have a landline.

Yes agree - it isn't fitting into the existing structure and characters which is what makes him more panto villain as he seems to have a mesmerising effect on everyone that we are just not seeing.

As a pp said, he is not a charming guy. I don't think anyone will be surprised to find out he is abusive (except maybe susan).

It just seems wrong and like they have shoe horned in a script from another show onto pre existing characters

Not believing the sl as a whole jeopardises any educational message they are trying to impart

Listening again I realised I'd missed a BOOP of good news for Ed - lots of work from Adam. Helen needs to upgrade her phone - mine needs fingerprint recognition to unlock it, so unless Rob chops off her finger... I agree that it's weird that everyone just goes along with Rob's view of things. Surely you'd want to check for yourself, especially with a daughter who nearly died giving birth..

I don't find the abuse storyline unrealistic - in fact it is rather too frighteningly realistic which is why some people have stopped listening. I can easily see how Helen has ended up in this situation - I think the way Rob has operated is what is so terrifying. I can even believe the way he has fobbed off Pat and dressed his abuse up as caring for Helen. What I can't believe is that having seen her daughter collapse in front of her eyes, knowing her history, living a stone's throw from her and being retired she wouldn't visit her and insist on seeing her. For me, would be pushing the storyline beyond the realms of possibility.

If he hasn't taken away her bank card she can use the over-the-bed TV/phone thingy but it's only any good if she can remember the phone number she needs. - and if he really can't stay with her 24/7.
If he does stay then reality really does fly out the window.

He will hog every visiting time though and the family will be kept busy covering for them both in the shop and looking after Henry but Henry blabbing is perhaps the best hope now.

Yes, I'm starting to imagine him wearing Victorian dress - top hat, cape and waxed moustaches.

Ugh that was horrid. I don't think he deleted the number though, just switched the phone off?
What is he going to do about the shop and looking after Henry? I think the wheels are about to come off but it may get worse for Helen before it gets better

You're right blackeyed there is already a thread, I might just try and bump it later.

What I find unrealistic is that he is evil in so many ways and so many people have seen him being angry and aggressive. I think what would have been more powerful if he was totally charming (consistently) and nice to everyone. I think someone said several threads ago, imagine if they had made someone like Nigel turn out to be an abuser. That would really make people think. Rob is too much of an all round villain.

Keri confirmed Rob switched the phone off.

I think it is interesting that Helen was chosen to be the victim - to be fair she has never been a very likeable character and always pretty selfish.

Of course she doesn't deserve what is happening to her but I think it was her self absorbed behaviour when she was having the affair and her insistence that Pat and Tony had to like Rob or she would effectively cut them off that has let to them being so unwilling to question her now.

Aaagh hope saying what Keri said wasn't a spoiler - I can ask for it to be deleted.

Keri D. has just clarified on Twitter that Rob switched Helen's phone off - rather than blocking K's number.

He said he wishes he'd thought of the latter action.

I'm not sure how I feel about what is broadcast repeatedly (these days) needing further explanation elsewhere. Being very old I'm inclined to wonder if it wouldn't be better for writers to spend more time on careful writing rather than quite a lot of time tweeting about what they've just written.

(Sorry MrsC - X ed you!)

And I don't think it's a spoiler. I do suspect it will soon be compulsory to follow the show on all possible social media in order to enjoy the full experience. Which isn't good.

OTOH, Helen knows he had her phone while Kirsty called, but it might not be clear to her whether he blocked her and turned it off or just turned it off, and she's hardly going to ask, in case he says, good idea, I'll do that now. So I think a bit of confusion there is okay.

It's not okay for Keri to be clarifying things on Twitter - he should be writing clearly enough for the ears of those who have no internet access, not just no Twitter account.

I assumed he blocked or deleted Kirsty's number and tweeting to clarify something is annoying me mightily. I'd have no idea if I didn't read this thread.
Merely switching the phone off doesn't achieve what Rob wants.

It's not the first time he's messed with her phone. He deleted the video she had of him cheating at cricket.

Merely switching the phone off doesn't achieve what Rob wants.

No, but he will sometimes make mistakes.

True, Ebear. I hope she takes advantage of this one and phones Kirsty asap.

Helen thinks it is her fault that people are keeping away - she said to Kirsty as much, that there was something about her that was driving her friends away, but Kirsty was too busy telling her that she didnt blame her for what happened between them that she didnt pick up on it.

Rob has her believing that she isnt a very nice person, he has gradually undermined her and pointed stuff out to her about her behaviour, and she has believed him because underneath there probably is a grain of truth.

But WHY does she behave the way she does - I dont know too much about her background but it seems that she has always been a bit of a disappointment to her parents, not done thing the way they think she should, and from the relationship boards on here its often the case that a child trying to balance pleasing her parents with their own beliefs and personality can often result in very low self esteem and liability to abusive situations because the parents are over dominant and have tried to impose 'their way' or just 'wrong' rather than allow the child to develop into a confident adult with their own set of beliefs and needs.

Just a bit of armchair psychology, but WERE Pat and Tony quite authoritarian, cold and critical? With bursts of 'how could you do this to us?' if she deviates from their view of what she SHOULD do?

Guess we'll have to wait and see whether he actually confiscated the phone or not.

He can't stay there all night. Let's hope they keep her in hospital for a good long while. (There's no hope of that is there?)

No Nettle - if anything Pat and Tony were too obliging to Helen. When John died which was awful they let Helen behave horribly to Hayley. Well in my opinion anyway.

She was always very selfish in my opinion. I think Pat has just always worried a lot about Helen especially as she has already lost one child.

We need Charlie to come back and reveal all to Adam who will then rescue Helen and Henry.

I so want Helen to rescue herself but I just don't see that happening. I do agree Nettle that Helen realises that she hasn't always been that likeable and so readily believes Rob.

agree about the tweeting to clarify. Shouldn't be necessary and is becoming a habit.

Agree that a Nigel like character would have been brilliant. So many times with couples people comment about how controlling the wife is 'she wears the trousers etc) but you don't have to look too closely to see that behind closed doors the poor downtrodden husband has his say (not saying abusively but more equal input into decisions than people think)