Discuss The Archers here. There's hut construction, new teen arrivals, pastured eggs, pining Pip and other fun Spring-like stories to choose from.

[PseudoBadger]

Maybe if we don't look directly at the other storyline it will disappear?

But, Booming, is half your village related to each other in the same way as in Ambridge? It's not as if Shula and Pat and Tom never talk to each other.

Fridays always been most sensational night.
He's been shagging Jolene Rogers!! etc.

However traumatic the storylines might be currently, there is no excuse for bringing up That Scene again.

Thanks for the ratings info Gasp0de. After reading about last night's psych visit I decided to swerve. However, in the car coming home from the races this evening I decided to take a punt (pardon the pun) on it being a klaxon episode - it was so lovely to have an (almost) BHC-free episode of normality. I'm in need of more Lillian!
Great Nancy piece again too.

Too mesmerised by TV excitement* to find anything to say about TA - but Sally Wainwright put the words just an everyday story of country folk into the mouth of one of her characters. I shall be smiling at that for months.

*Lately I've found myself sometime watching up to 3 things a week. Feel like an addict. Perhaps it's all the Blossom Hill stress that's driving me to such distractions.

Your life sounds a wee bit more exciting than mine Horsewoman

I think H told Tob the psych "what we agreed". Rob and I think that I have been a bit erratic lately. Forgetful. Disorganised. Not like a proper wife. Mood swings.
I don't think she mentioned the hitting incident. Rob probably thought it best not. After all darling you don't want tgem thinking you are violent. They might take poor Henry away.

So enough to make her look depressed and neurotic not enough to expose the horror.

Tbf, it is actually a really, really difficult thing to say out loud. Either to say that she has been conned into thinking thinks she nearly hit him or that he hit her.

Nancy was truly excellent and bang on the money re Pat and Kirsty et. al.

Gruach I posted that on the Happy Valley thread! no one noticed And a suggestion to the SWs to take note regarding non-sensationalist finales

Yes DadDadDad, Sealion is fine!

Maybe it is indeed wishful thinking. The tweet may well be referring to 'Rob's truth'. Let's see what happens tonight as I'm sure HelRob will be making an appearance.

Gruach, I noticed that too

small - maybe I'm misremembering, but I thought when Rob went through his checklist of what she told the psych, one item was "that you tried to attack me."

Yes he did say that and Helen said she'd told them.

Must have missed that. That surely would set alarm bells ringing. "I tried to attack my husband and he had to slap me to stop me"

Would surely prompt, - why did you try to attack him?
And surprise at slapping as a form of self defense.

I suspect shame and Rob's manipulation would have stopped her mentioning that he slapped her.

Yes dad X 3, I think that's why rob had to get Helen to the psychiatrist so quickly . He was worried that she might tell someone else about him assaulting her on Friday night .

Then in the unlikely event of anyone confronting him, he can tell them that Helens imagining it and that she attacked him - she's very ill " you can't help it darling it's an illness " and she's already getting medical help.

Helen is abusing her son- saying " abusive " things to him, physically abusing him ( supposedly scalding bath ) - the trip to grandparents was to establish " witnesses " , not for Henry's welfare .

More proof - Henry is acting out the " bullying " in school.

She also abusing her husband - again there are witnesses ( Ursula ) and the pyschiatrist who heard her confession .

There are plenty neighbours and family who " know " that rob is a great guy and Helen is flaky / has issues / is a bit of a nutter.

So it's not to much of a stretch to think that she might abuse a new born baby, is it ?

After all, she's making very poor choices about the birth - insisting on a home birth against medical advice . Remember she told her mum it was HER choice . There's no evidence that it's Ron and ursulas idea .

Whereas ROb is very anxious to get medical help for his wife , he even runs her to appointments and phones up to get her extra ones. He cooperates with HCP because she's the difficult one. It's hardly the actions of an abuser is it, more like a loving and concerned man with a mentally ill wife .

Also she caused anxiety when she was PG with Henry because of her extreme excercise routine so she does have form.
It looks very bad for her, doesn't it, and I don't see how it can be wrapped up in 9 weeks without a rescue party.

Elementary. A lot of the folk in my village are inbred related! Lots of scandalous interesting things do happen that get gossiped about, and I eventually get to hear about it but maybe because I don't indulge in gossiping I think others don't

I just don't think Ian would go around telling everything what a shit knob is because crowed about Adam and Charlie, and Charlie has never made his sexuality clear in the village so being blackmailed about his gayness is not something he will chat about. No one else knows of that exchange. Shula won't dare say she perjured herself about knob.

In the flood he was ultimately 'heroic' so anything prior to that would be overlooked.

He reminds me of Jimmy Saville. Lots of people are a bit uncomfortable, BUT....look how her cares for Hellin, so much devotion! And taking on her fatherless child, who adores him! What a lovely caring mother he has brought in to help the flaky Hellin! He's a hero of the flood! Justin thinks he was a better manager of the super dairy because Charlie couldn't voice his suspicions without ending up in court. A conspiracy of silence.

Either people can't speak up or feel they will be shot down in flames. I do hope something breaks open the floodgates though.

Well let's hope that Kirsty ends up talking to Tom again. They are the only people who seem to see through Rob. It does look as for Helen

Have just listened to last night's episode. Thought the reference to Pat being worried and Kirsty working in the tea rooms was pointed; I think this might mean Pat will talk to Kirsty. And after Carol diplomatically expressing her reservations about Rob, I think things are starting to slowly rumble along - might mean people perhaps starting to compare notes.

And I agree - I don't think Rob wants Helen sectioned. He will probably tell her it's being discussed but that he will do everything in his power to stop it happening - ie. he will look after her. His aim isn't to end up a single dad, but to have Helen stuck at home, isolated from her friends and family, and looking after the new baby, presumably with Henry at the fictional boarding school for 5 year olds.

I agree, this is partly about making people think that rob is a wonderful man with a flaky wife . He needs EVERYONE to admire him , including the HCP. He also wants to use them as part of his plan to get Helen completely under his control , by making sure that they are on HIS side and don't believe a word he says .

Rob has a master plan and it's not nearly finished yet . That's why I don't think this story line will need anytime soon ( sorry for those of you listening with your fingers in your ears ) .

Once Rob has convinced everyone that Helen is mentally ill, they will become worried about the welfare of the baby and Henry . Helen will become aware of this - either this concern is " real " and the HCP /SS will tell Helen or its in robs head , but he will tell Helen this and she will believe him.

Naturally Helen will be terrified of losing her children , which will make her even more hysterical and illogical . But most importantly , it will make her cling even closer to rob .

HE is the only one who can stop her losing her children . Remember that SS/HCP don't want to remove her children , and they won't do so if there is a reasonable parents and grandparent on the scene.

Which just proves to Helen that she can't trust these evil HCP who are out to remove her kids, Rob is the only one she can trust . She can't trust her parents or her friends - because they will be on the " side " of the HCP and tell her to confide in them and work with them .

Rob is her only hope of keeping her children , so she must do everything he says and confide in no one but him .

Result - rob has Helen completely under his control, aided and abetted by the NHS and perhaps SS. And everyone in Ambridge will think what a great guy he is .

The SW are making a thing of the weird sisters going to the Maundy Thursday service at Felpersham. Did I hear that even Carol is going, despite church not being her thing?

What are the odds on a dénouement by means of a wrinklies-intervention, MysticBore?
I can see it all now: Helen will have a last supper with Knobula; flee, despite being barefoot and in chains, to Felpersham where she will be received by Carol et al; tells the weird sisters that she will be betrayed by her 'D'H; starts a mammoth labour that results in a new life (for her and SOK) on Easter morning; she will celebrate her 'passover', her freedom from slavery. Rob will metaphorically hang himself.
It will be SOC's ultimate literary allegory.

btw I don't think it matters that the boarding school doesn't actually take 5 year olds . I think rob will just use that as a threat to Helen . It's yet another way that this great guy is trying to help his flaky wife .

Like the home birth, it's another mad / unrealistic plan that will be Helens idea and just demonstrate how little she really cared for the welfare of her children .

More ways to alienate her from her family and friends . Even her own mother is judging her for crazy home birth plan, scalding Henry and Henry acting up at school .

Only a metaphorical hanging ?

Shame

I've given up listening until the HelRob storyline goes away. Don't they do the concise written catch up n the website any more? I couldn't find it.

If not I will just have to get my updates from here.

I've been wondering too what the endgame for knob is and yes, agree it's not to have Hellin locked away and leaving him with the farm, shop and squalling baby, but to have her so destroyed mentally so she surrenders completely.

It must take an awful lot of effort on knobs part to keep up the facade to Hellin of the loving husband and it would be much easier for him to treat her like dirt (while appearing to the outside world like a loving husband) behind closed doors. She will come to know how trapped she is and the consequences of leaving. Losing both children, being sectioned, losing face, facing the wrath of knob! But like that film 'living with the enemy'

I get my updates on lowfield now