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

[PseudoBadger]

Thanks to Lancelottie for the title

tibbawyrots that's my favourite episode of tales of the unexpected.

Definite Boop point awarded to Miss Miller tonight. She's not going to give up is she?

Who has their local pharmacy's number on their contacts list, unless they need to sort out regular medication collections or deliveries? I suspect it's just the SWs being clunky, but it's tempting to think Helen will call the number and they'll answer with a cheery confirmation that they've got Rob's viagra, condom and rohypnol order ready for collection.

no, Jess's child isn't Robs
this may be what makes the difference for Helen- some women will put up with all sorts of awful stuff but make a move when their child starts to suffer

I'm away next week too.

Love the idea of a mini Rob turning up with Jess.

It's unbearable listening to it

I wanted Helen to rediscover some of the balls she had last week, and coolly tell Rob that he could fuck off with telling her to sit as if she were a dog.

I found Jess controlling though, and always thought she engineered salmongate. I'm not sure it's a good idea that Helen gets in contact with her.

I think he must want her to find something on the phone. Earlier she told kirstie that he always kept his phone on him, so why did he encourages her to use it? I think he's gearing up to make her jealous/angry.

Is he hoping to provoke her into hitting him again, so he can push the narrative that she's abusive and violent to him?

no, I think it was just that he didn't want her to go upstairs and he DID want her to call the pharmacy, so that was the only option- he's cunning rather than bright, so I wouldn't expect any plan to be very sophisticated

I would like to think that nothing on earth would prevent me from racing straight upstairs if it was me and my DS, but that is to underestimate the effect of the insidious undermining Rob has done over such an extended period

That was a horrid episode. Poor Henry, and poor Helen. i was once prevented from going to my screaming baby for about half an hour by someone who insisted he should "cry it out". It was awful. And that was only half an hour, and the person doing it genuinely thought he had my best interests at heart. To be spoken to in such a tone of voice by someone who scares you is... Well, terrifying.

I agree, shalli, I think Rob doesn't think Helen would take the risk of nosing round his phone while he's nearby. It seems more like a rather convenient plot point: "I bet Jess is on Rob's phone", one hour later: "ooh, Rob has given me his phone and left the room."

I agree that having the pharmacy number on his phone was unlikely in the extreme- in real life he'd have told her to google it on her own phone. Just clunky scriptwriting to allow her to get Jess' number as suggested by K. But Rob would definitely have a passcode lock on his phone that Helen would not know- my DH does and he's not remotely abusive.

Regarding his punishment of Henry, it does sound rather like Henry was acting up. I am not a parent so have no idea- what WOULD have been the appropriate response to his behaviour?

I'm assuming he unlocked his phone and handed it to her. I wonder what a trawl through his text messages would reveal?

Hmm yes I suppose that is why the plot needed him to tell her to use it rather than her just finding it unattended.

Yikes, poor boy. Interesting that Rob shared Peggy's view, eh?

I think the phone thing is because 1) he thinks he's got her under control again or was more concerned about her obeying him than anything else and 2) it wouldn't occur to him that Helen might want to call Jess.

It's pathetic how his need for control drives him to pick up on any little thing he can to have a go. Telling a young child like that NOT to move at all - even without the egg, it was setting him up for failure.

re the chocolate, a reasonable parent would say
'I told you no more chocolate but you ate it anyway, that was naughty. It's bad to eat too much chocolate because ...(actually, why is it bad???)...so there will definitely be no pudding at teatime now. I'm going to put the rest of the chocolate away and you can have a small but tomorrow'

He's probably smacked Henwee and has now gone up again to terrorise him into not telling Hellin.

Jessie first of all, you don't give Henry a punishment he can't respect. Asking him not to move an inch? Even without egg hunting, he wouldn't have been able to live up to that.

Also - being taken away from the party is quite a good consequence. It depends on whether it's a one-off and how bad it was. We only have Rob's word to take for it.

Jessie: a) it sounds like Henry was acting up but we only heard Rob's version, so who knows what actually happened.

b) whatever he did, forcing him to throw away the new toy his mum just got him whilst lecturing him about obedience then shutting him in his room is not on. I would have said 5 minutes time out (a minute per year of his age), sitting down to talk to him about why it was wrong, then helping him to write an apology to the party hosts, and no more chocolate egg for that day but definitely not throwing it away.

Come on, you need to get into Rob's evil mindset: "I think you've learnt your lesson now and I was going to let you have your cuddly toy and chocolate back, but mummy says you were very naughty and she's thrown them away for good. You mustn't ask mummy for them back as that will make her even crosser."

On the bright side, Henwee wasn't heard, so the real life Henwee hasn't had to utter any difficult/traumatic lines into the microphone at home. Although he could possibly have been bribed with chocolate to perform!

I'm with D3 on this. Rob will be upstairs telling Henry that Mummy is very angry with him & won't let him come downstairs.

Insightful comment on this Women's Hour clip that Pat think s that by 'liking' Rob she is helping Helen.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03pm4fr