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

[PseudoBadger]

Come on Kirsty!

Knob appears to be quite literally eating his way through Piggy's 10 grand

It was Roy or Russell or something like that. I've heard it twice and thought, that's interesting, as I don't remember him being mentioned by name before, and I still can't remember it...

Russell Button.

Can't wait to see the Plarchers do the Buttons as the Addams.

I was convinced that Rex was Tom tonight when he was asking Pip out. They both have that style of delivery as if they're reading aloud (which they are of course, but couldn't they try a bit of acting with it?). However a BOOP for Rex turning out to be a proper friend to Pip - very unToby-like.

Pips vocal style is so hard to listen to, her 'acting' is crap.

Bert neatly reminding us that most of the village think Helen is 'highly strung' and probably think rob is doing a great job.

...and "rather him than me", I'll bet!
I was away for 3 weeks in January without a radio/Internet and tried to catch up but must have missed something and a previous poster reminded me. Has Phoebe's controlling loser boyfriend been kicked into touch? I do hope so!

Alwx dumped her at the Wassail for refusing to do his bidding

Now Knob has forbidden Helen to work she is going to be 100% dependant upon him financially - I expect he will remove her access to the bank account too 'let me take over to save you the worry' because she hasnt any real money going in, and he can bring her groceries in.

Im a bit worried about Bert looking for some wheels - I can forsee a chicken coop / shepherds hut showdown / mix up on the horizon

and poooooor henweeeeee. I hope he decides he doesnt like Rob and tells granny how mean he is

Nettle - yes! I also foresee a comedy mix up and Lynda being presented with a coop on wheels.

selsig, Phoebe was offered a conditional place at Oxford, Alex did his best to persuade her to turn it down because in his view it's all posh wankers at Oxford. She wavered a bit and then decided she really wanted to go, whereupon he dumped her. It was quite a nice contrast to Helen in terms of an illustration that these controlling twats can be stood up to.

Also contrast was Phoebe actually opening up with her family about what was upsetting her about her boyfriend and getting their support.

Jenny, Hayley and Roy dealt with the Phoebe/Alex/Oxford thing very well - Alex wanted her to go to Felpersham University as he couldn't cope with Phoebe being so far, far, away from him, amongst aforementioned posh twats in Oxford. (If she got an offer from Oxford, she needn't really be putting Felpersham University down as her insurance option anyway..)

He's blatantly drugging her tea. With what? Something to make her drowsy and confused I guess, but that won't harm the baby. Come on Helen!

If he's giving her some form of sedative would it show up in her bloods?

I'm with you on the constant offer of a cup of tea. Start drinking lattes Helen & see the light!

I thought last night's episode was v. clever. Knob back in ostensibly 'caring' mode. Hard for Helen to find anything specific to object to. Shows just how plausible these ghastly men can be and how women can be sucked into feeling everything is their fault. Vile, but clever.

Less clever was the rubbish being spouted by Pat et al yet again along the lines of 'she has SO much on her plate…. what with a child, a house and a (very) part time job.

Grr. Just listened again to last night.

I would so like Helen to say 'Oh for god's sake Rob don't be so bloody melodramatic about everything.' Especially the 'you've taken on too much darling' and the 'How could you Almost Kill Our Baby by opening the till a couple of times darling'.

Except ... the constant proffering of tea is accepted code in TA - a transaction by which we can instantaneously judge the state of play between two people - whether the offeree accepts and stops for a quiet chat or dashes the cup away and storms out ...

It would be a cunning reversal if the SWs used this to sneak in a crime right under our noses, but it would be quite new; it's not really TA's storytelling style.

Rob's food offerings to Helen are crammed with sugar and fat, which seems pretty obviously a terrible idea if your aim is genuinely to persuade someone with an eating disorder to actually eat. I can't work out whether he's deliberately trying to upset her, or whether he's just really thick.

So true, Gruach!

I think he is just doing what a lot of people do when faced with someone with an ED. They think if they will just eat they will be ok.

Option a) watch her eat
B) watch her starve
C) get to the root of what caused the ED and support them without controlling.

So option a) it is.

I think the tea is just tea. It is meant to symbolise how much he cares. He really looks after her and always makes her tea.

And I know she has an ED and I know there is a good reason for it but her saying "I'm not sure I have the room" in her special tiny voice still really winds me up.

I know. I know. I am a bad person.

I so wish she'd tell him to stop being ridiculous and shut the fuck up. Her being so passive is just terrifying. Even if she was a bit furious when he wasn't there. Helen you are allowed need to get angry! I am projecting I know because I would be I was fucking furious. still didn't ltb though. So I know its not that simple.

SmallLegs The special tiny voice reminds me of one of the older members of my family.

She's perfectly lovely, has a few manageable health issues and is one of my favourite people to chat to. We might have been gossiping happily on the phone for twenty minutes but, as soon as I say "so how are you" she produces "the special tiny voice". I never know whether to laugh or call an ambulance.