SOC reveals he's a quitter whilst Keri sews up plot holes on Twitter about the wicked wife-sitter! Discuss the Archers here.

[PseudoBadger]

Not long until our thread's 3 year birthday!

What 'we' decided! Ron and Ursula have no right to decide anything for Helen! It's ridiculous.

No, I think Rob really does want a hb because he thinks he'll have more control, he's just playing it this way so that Pat and Tom will back off
where's whatsername when you need her? Amy?

No I think Knob is simply planting the idea that the HB is all Helens idea so that he will still come out smelling of roses in case anything changes or goes wrong.

Not sure mws are allowed to 'judge' mother's choices like that.

Was thinking about Patbot. What Rob has done is very sucessfully captured her view of Hel and then confirmed it.

Soon he will turn her into a flying monkey.

Knob is going to lose it with Henwee, isn't he?

Thus precipitating pre-eclampsia and early labour.

Wonder how the midwife visit went?

(Must say, I am quite enjoying Arsula is being so deliciously bitchy)

Helen will have to sound and look very enthusiastic about all these new birthing plans for the midwife not to suspect something is up. In my imagination there would be worry and fear written all over Helens face.

yes exactly coldtea
and if Ursula is there all the time that will be another red flag

Peg changed her will, or said she would, after Tony' accident then went to see Helen & Rob to tell them they wouldn't get her house. Hel said that was perfectly fine and Rob aid similar but his teeth were grinding!
Lillian and JD were similarly gracious so it all goes to Tone when Peggy pops her clogs.
With the house it's a pretty penny I should think. I bet she has life insurance too as HeatherPet did.

I'm sure she left it to the three kids evenly because she realised it would cause problems and she shouldn't be controlling

Rob can't afford for Pat or Tom to perceive how controlled Helen is. He has to tread carefully because once they start picking at the façade it will crumble - which is why I don't think we've heard the last of him speaking to Kirsty either.

As to what he's after - it's really simple. He is responsible for domestic abuse. He is abusing Helen because he can and he is a controlling and manipulative personality. In his world view what he wants is the only thing that matters and everybody else is mistaken to want otherwise. So yes he wants control of the farm because he can do that better. And yes he wants Helen to stay at home because that suits his needs and why would she need to do anything else - with him at the helm? Henry needs to be quiet and obedient because that's his function, a toy for Rob and Helen to play happy families with. Peggy's house should of course belong to them because what possible sensible use could anybody else have for it. His dismissal of Johnny's need for a job was classic - Johnny doesn't fit in Rob's view of what's needed in the world therefore the only possible option is for him to go away. Somewhere, anywhere, doesn't matter. Rob literally couldn't care less.

You can take absolutely everything he's done and fit in to this dynamic but the bottom line is what it says on the Women's Aid website 'Domestic abuse is a gendered crime which is deeply rooted in the societal inequality between women and men. It takes place ‘because she is a woman and happens disproportionately to women.’'

I think it's a very well constructed storyline and the reason we listen and quake and think 'what now...' is because that's what it's like for women like Helen. If anybody is reading this thread because of Helen and can't see a way out, please, please contact Women's Aid. There is advice on that site too about covering your tracks on line so you can seek help safely.

They will help you and they will believe you.

Excellent post Northern.

Well said Northern.

You post covers it, Northern.

Bravo Northerlurker

I agree. I don't think abusers ever have a grand plan and, although it's a soap, there isn't a story arc to progress through step by step.

He just wants to be in control. There's no reason for a home birth but I suspect he will change his mind at the last minute so that Helen feels like even more of a failure for thinking it was a good idea in the first place. It's all gaslighting to give him more control.

I think that Hellin might be due for a still birth. She will chose to have the baby at home. It will go wrong, and by the time they get to the hospital it will be too late. H will feel responsible but at the same time massively relieved that this miserable pregnancy is over. Cue fury.

I wonder if she will go into labour when pat is there or someone else that actually likes her and will go against robs birth plan(as you do tend to do what you want when in labour!) - all will be well but he will punish her for it

As ee are currently doing a ppp sl I'm not sure they can even go down the ppd route can they? Would be a bit copycat (I know the two aren't the same but it is the same broad subject)

I was thinking that too easytiger - she will have a home birth and something will go wrong....and Nob will blame Helen and make her feel it's all her fault

Oh by the way [waves] hiiiii- long time Archers fan here, just found the thread, delighted to join in!

What would be a true-to-life scenario of how a woman gets out of such a relationship like H+K have?

True to life - it goes on for years until she finally gets a tiny bit of independence and starts to see the relationship with different eyes. It's so hard with kids involved too.

Even if pat and Tom and Kirsty all get together and beg her to leave you are still talking about the man she thought perfect, who she has a home with, who she's given her son to share with, whose child she's carrying. She works with him, her family think him fab, she has a place as his wife. She's desperately unhappy but she doesn't really see why and she blames herself for that.
Remember nigella Lawson - do you honestly think she left saatchi the first time he hurt her? No, I think she left when the pictures made it possible to sustain the fiction that they were happy. Society constructs the relationship in which the abuse takes place and it's flipping hard for women to get out. Which is why we need to teach our daughters to act in the first red flag and not tell themselves it's nothing.

Possible should be impossible obviously!

Wise words, Northern . I have just made my dd read your posts. Please keep contributing.

Ursula's manipulation is so clever, it makes Rob look like a complete amateur. I love the way she puts Rob in his place to make it look like she is siding with Helen, therefore confusing Helen when she proposes something that Helen didn't really want. It's mind fuckery at it's best. And her voice, so soft and sweet sounding, a complete and perfect mask for her intentions.

I was thinking the same whilst listening tonight... Ursula has Helen even more confused than ever...the way she was making out that she sided with Helen over the bed wetting but in the same breath was accusing Henry of attention seeking. So bloody cruel. You could hear Helen try and stand up for her son and they both ignored and spoke over her. Just awful.

Please make it stop ! I miss my beloved Archers. Two weeks since I stopped.

Started when I was born , now 52, remember storylines from about 6 yrs old, ...actively avoid 'dramatic' soap operas. This has always been my place, my comfortable, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes funny place, but until now characters always true to their 'history' .. This all ended with the HelRob story line.. Pats character not 'transplanted' but completely removed, no one 'speaks' to anyone . (So Adam and Ian haven't had a single conversation as to why they no longer see/hear/speak of their dear friend and Adams cousin !, Story lines (hunt saboteur, culvert blocking, JD's and Daveeds suspicions - forgotten about)

Massively obvious lack of archivist. If you've been listening 5 mins you won't care but if listening more than a couple of years, it is just really poor script writing . In general it is filled with really sloppy inaccurate writing which pays no regard to the programmes characters and back stories. The 'everyday story of country folk' has turned into a plot driven melodrama of the 'eastenders 'vein. No different from every other soap on TV. Very very sad.

Please bring the 'real' archers back . - and the real Pat while you are at it. (Don't get me wrong, Real Pat really annoys me but at least she is consistently annoying in line with her character for the last 30+ yrs. As opposed to the current travesty. Where do they recruit these writers from ? Are they part of a BBC cost cutting exercise ?

I'm totally with you