Will it be porridge or curtains for Knob? Await a sensible and sensitive ending to That Storyline on The Archers thread.

[PseudoBadger]

Threads are moving so fast! Will this thread be here to welcome SOK?

Sure they're not married - last we heard they were barely a couple!

Not married, just together (poor child).

Has Alf been living in Ireland??? I can't work his accent out at all.

Oh bugger

Think knob will find the number?

Helen is quite insufferable sometimes though. Luckily Kirsty has the patience of a saint.

It will be the boarding school that tips the balance for her - annoying that the stoopid sl could well be the tipping point

Nice to hear ed being part of the home farm team

Oh dear

Did Hellin take the number? Didn't hear it properly due to DP & DS

poor clarrie!!

I think Kirsty pushed Helen too much just then. I think she needed to take things more slowly, although I understand she's worried.

So it's show down tomorrow then? Poor Henwee, hope he doesn't get into trouble 😬

Well now we know Henry's going to spill the beans about the school tomorrow.

Cross posts with tulip

But Kirsty has planted another seed of doubt or at least I hope so and that has got to be a good thing.

I almost enjoyed that. The Helen/Rob saga without Rob is just about bearable. I can't stand listening to that man's voice any more.

I thought Kirsty did quite well to give her the number under the circumstances. Many others would have given in her the face of her stubborn resistance.

I think Kirsty pushed it too far in her eagerness to help, but at least she asked Helen what she would do in that situation. Helen was defensive and breezy because she is obviously embarrassed that she appeared vulnerable in front of Kirsty last week and had uttered some doubts.

Helen did a good job at reminding us how vile she really is tonight.

Wouldn't seem vile if H was actually in a healthy loving relationship, tbf.

I guess we're split between the tiptoers & the tell-it-straighters. Seems to me like everyone else has danced around H for long enough without even seeing what's there. K is only one who ever tries to tell it straight (not counting Ian who is out of picture).

No ... She was terrified that Rob would find her once again associating with Kirsty.

And, of course, she must feel mortified. She had been so smug about her perfect marriage, superior life, flawless decision making ...

I think Helen revealed quite a lot when she said "MY husband. Do you understand? MY husband" and something like I am not like that and toe it sounded like it wasn't 'oh no other people have it much worse' but rather judging on her part and thinking she is better than that.

She is so stubborn and self righteous that Kirsty being over eager might make her stay longer just to prove Kirsty wrong.

She sounded like pre-rob Helen to me. And pre rob Helen was awfully vile.

I can't imagine the sw chose her because she is not likeable - but it was a clever thing to do if they did! Once rob is off the scene and she is back to being Helen I will still dislike her!

Yes, if it had been someone lovely in an abusive relationship - Alice, Nic, Kirsty - it would be very different.
Yes, it's terrible she's being abused, but she's still a bitch. You can feel sorry for someone going through what she is without liking her. However she cares more about her pride and the facade of having the perfect relationship than the well-being of her son, and I can't get past that.

To be honest I felt sorry for Helen even when she got on her high horse with Kirsty. Helen is struggling to maintain the illusion of a happy family life in the teeth of all the evidence. As well as fear there is a great deal of shame there. In a small village can you imagine the gossip once it gets out?

It's also very true to life. Doesn't it often take women years to leave abusive relationships, even when the abuse is physical (and thus harder to deny)? Women successfully hide and minimise abuse even from close friends and family. I suspect that as, so far as we know, Rob has not been especially nasty to Helen over the last few days, Helen is telling herself that him hitting her was a one off, an aberration in their happy marriage. And besides, in Helen's mind Rob only hit her because she provoked him and thus future occurrences can be avoided by Helen being less provoking.

It upset me to hear Helen blaming herself for what she describes as the ups and downs of marriage and saying that she's difficult to live with. Even if that's true she ought to be with someone who adores her foibles and all, as Robert does Lynda.

But she doesn't know anything detrimental is specifically happening to Henry. And Rob has persuaded her that she caused Henry harm by whispering evil things while sleepwalking.

If anything it's probably the "giving Henry a father" issue that is underpinning her determination not to see what's happening to her.

(Was replying to selsigfach )