Thefts, arson and abuse: The Archers - it's an everyday story of cuntery, folks.

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to Lancelottie for the title

Betcha Henwee does still see Rob as a glorious father figure and think it's all his own fault, poor little sod.

She did come close to acknowledging that it was rape when she called the advice line, though. So there's a part of her that knows it wasn't right.

Yes K ristina but we've heard Hellin recently pathetically saying no while he's obviously forcing her to have sex in bed. That actor is amazing, he even managed to make 'I love you' sound menacing.

Everything he says is menacing. Every creak of the door is menacing.

Oh I totally agree this he IS a rapist and has raped her. I'm just not sure if she's ready to use these words and acknowledge it.

The relationships board here is full of threads from women whose partners touched them / had sex with them without their consent and there are replies from OTHER WOMEN suggesting that it's ok and they should not be upset , it's not big deal , maybe he didn't know he needed your consent, you should just talk to him, it's a misunderstanding , perhaps you didn't make yourself clear, maybe you didn't say NO loudly enough

It's

Ha! I have not posted for thread and threads altho I have largely kept up with the threads and TA. I have missed you lot.
D3 I love your stats - do you listen to more or less - that's my favourite.
I also am loving the geeky love stories. I have a newish DP - we took a 23 year break. We got together through the medium of Guinness originally in the 80's and then more recently we bumped into each other in the street and could not stop nattering. I cannot compete with spreadsheet love though - that's great!!
Oh yeah, TA! Helen using Knob's phone is significant - do we think tonight will be a direct folllow on (as in it is still Thursday tea time)

Interesting that Rob couldn't keep up appearances even for a week. His tone drips contempt when he talks to Helen now.

But he's going to use this episode as part of his dripfeed of 'Helen's health being ruined by Henry' when he brings up the gut-churning weekend away.

'You need it, darling, look at the state you're in. Who gives a stuff if it means you have to give birth in a National Trust loo in Nether Wallop. You'll have me, and we both know that's what really matters...'

I am totally baffled as to why Rob would leave his private mobile phone with his wife. My own phone is staggeringly dull. My husband's phone is clogged up with Minecraft and other games. Neither of us would give each other our phones. Especially one full of secrets. What was he thinking? I think the word NO for a lot of women needs to be followed up by leaping out of bed yelling FUCK OFF and running away before they will be understood. It's not always possible and not always sensible.

What will Helen learn from her (probably brief) encounter with Knob's phone? Maybe she'll be a good girl and look under p for pharmacy. Or is it F?

I think the phone thing shows that Rob isn't super clever and Machiavellian . He was desperate not to let Helen see Henry (and maybe find the true story), so he forgot/didn't consider that her using his phone could come back to bite him.

I thought similar mummytime. Rob is arrogant and short sighted. It won't enter his head that Helen could possibly show a bit of initiative to use his phone for a reason other than that specified.

Oh just spotted this notice:
stchrysostoms.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/alan-franks-nominated-to-be-church-of-england-bishop/

So Alan may be leaving the Archers? Will Usha go with him?

I think we should remember the date with that notice about Alan.

Good write up, though, and who knows what ideas might be planted in the scriptwriters' minds?

I think that item was published today for a reason, mummytime. Last year the same site was tipping the Vicar of Greendale to become a Bishop, and that hasn't happened, which I am sure Postman Pat is delighted about.

Yes I agree mummytime, I think that Knob assumes she will only get the number he told her as surely she should know by now that there are consequences if you are not obedient

Lancelottie or [puke]

Delurking with a very random thought..could Knobs phone be in his jacket pocket and Helens discovery is the missing cash for the hall curtains

I agree with mummytime; he's so focussed on keeping Helen away from Henry that he's not thinking beyond that.

I wish Helen felt able to pull Rob up on his blatant inconsistencies and ridiculousnesses. His parents are saints this year for giving Henry an Easter Egg, yet they've completely ignored him. And surely no-one with half a brain could seriously put Ursula forward as a childbirth expert based on having two children and a bit of Googling? If my dh had done that, I'd be falling about laughing.

I'm currently in the gulf and therefore have to wait a further 2!!! hours before I can listen to the next episode. The suspense is killing me!

Augusta that's the thing - by now, Helen fears disagreeing with him. She knows very well it's not a clever idea to have a homebirth and more importantly that she doesn't want one. But she doesn't feel able to disagree - until last week. Hope she can keep it up.

Am dreading their weekend away together, though - fingers crossed, something happens before that.

I've just listened on catch up. I have chest pains, that was horrible.

I know we are rapidly moving the plot on and that's a good thing - but I do think in real life this would be much slower.

Helen defends Rob to Kirsty and she wants to come home and be reassured that Kirsty doesn't understand him, see that gentle side.

Rob sounds like he's panicking and trying to clamp down his control.

However even someone who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown would see through the leap of 'you've been to see your friend' 'I've punished your son' 'I'm going to force you to take medication'

Oh no recycling not slower please, it's torture as it is. I want Rob to start to slip up, get caught out being evil. anything.

So perhaps the sequence was: Rob gets the call from the party, tries to call Helen, is angry because she doesn't answer; gets told at the party that she's been seen with Kirsty; so immediately decides to push Henry to give him an excuse to punish him in order to punish Helen. Unfortunately it's only too credible, but my God it's despicable.

SOC did acknowledge on WH that the story was moving forward faster than it would in real life though they'd deliberately tried to keep it a lot slower than the average soap storyline. I think they're trying to find a compromise between reality and the fact that they've already got a lot of people complaining that it's dragging out too long.