50 ways to leave your lover. Get on the bus Gus, give a knife to your wife, Rob. How not to write helpful storylines masterclass from The Archers.

[PseudoBadger]

Poor poor Henry

Ah, but she went further than one stab to save Henry. It sounded like she repeatedly stabbed him. Which makes her the one in the wrong...

Didn't he hit her first, so she may have a whopping great bruise on her face?

Yup, Maxine Peake, brilliant.

It's not meant to be a soap and anyone who calls it that shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what the show has been for decades.
(Although now it appears it probably IS a soap, which is very sad.)

I want that target emoticon for Jenny's post.

This was never going to end realistically. No storyline of this type has in the history of broadcasting, to expect the archers to be the first was naive at best.

Totally agree! I would have put money on them choosing the stupidest resolution possible. The Archers have screwed up almost every 'serious' SL they have ever attempted, right back to when they chickened out of giving Kenton AIDS at the last minute. They pandered to the question of ethnic diversity by introducing the most saintly character ever - who has since disappeared. They killed off a popular character in order to create a terrible rift which would SATTC 'for generations to come' - all happily wrapped up in a year! They gave Vicky and Mike a child with Downs, to focus on the difficulties that can cause a family, and then moved them out of the village when they got bored with that. And don't even get me started on the Darryl debacle.

They should stick with what they are good at. Linda's show rehearsals and bickering over vegetables in the village show, with the odd crisis thrown in. The rape of Kathy and its sequel were done very well.

WH are asking for our thoughts! JG is so on here.

Can I also add, that my ex has told me something that I find totally unbelievable, it's like he still wants me in his life, worrying about him, and he does this at a time when I'm vulnerable, but he doesn't give a shit about me, I know that. I have taken the wonderful advice from Mumsnet re minimal contact, and done the freedom programme, I've also helped out a friend to leave and been to WA to help, some very damaged women there.

to all women going through DA at this time.

Elendon

Sadly, based on last night's debacle, I wouldn't hold your breath for a realistic portrayal of the re-building of a life.

BYO. The solution is for men to start loving women.

Target emoticon whut ?

Indrid - fair point about past cack-handed plot incidents (ah yes SATTC I remember that ....).
Re sticking to what they're good at (ie the minutiae of village life) - the one single Archers plotline I most lost my temper about was Linda and the Christmas panto a couple of years ago - first it was on, then it was off and she was gatecrashing another village's production, then it was a one-woman play, then it was something serious with some kind of whistles and bells R4 meta-play structured around it .... It was all so incredibly gimmicky and not at all true to Linda's character.
I took it to heart to a rather disproportionate extent but nobody messes with Linda if I've got owt to do with it. (Don't get me started on Scruff )

Well they didn't exactly show that last night either did they!

Realistically, I'd say it's a very lucky few who manage to rebuild their life, after being in an abusive relationship.

People might well rebuild their life from debt or illegal activities, but a relationship that is abusive goes to the very core of your being.

It's not unbelievable that she would have stabbed him. But it is fundamentally unlikely (just look at the stats for how many men are killed by female partners v women killed by men) and not within a realistic timescale. They built this up so slowly, then just rushed and ruined the denouement. So disappointing

Though, as a one off drama if it weren't part of TA, it was very gripping I thought!

Bit of light relief here

R4 ..i agree absolutely bonkers she planned a big sort of 'ta da' moment ...a big unviel...i know what you really are Rob ...all done with a tuna bake...

I wish she had uttered a line with each stab...'thats for raping me'..stab....'thats for the rabbit thomas'...stab...etc etc...would have made it more realistic that she was protecting henwee then lost it and went for revenge...i wouldn't blame her personally...i was holding a sptula at the time of listening and was stabbing it at the radio yelling...my teenage dd had come in and said 'oh the archers..do you need a glass of wine mum ?'

I am holding the SWs repsonsible for typos and my hangover today !

They are clever, and speedy Augusta

The New Statesman has been quick off the mark on the legal aspects.

I'm already bored with this. Realistically there would be no full trial until at least next year - and there's no way the (about to be altered) editorial team would have any interest in the RL process towards such a trial.

I repeat - the man's probably keeled over with a heart attack.

Thank you Vango

It is statistically unlikely that she would have hurt/killed him rather than the other way round, but entirely in keeping with the misogynist ethos of the Archers generally and this storyline in particular.

I thought last night's episode was well done, but also feel let down that a more realistic and positive denouement wasn't used, as a positive signal to abused women that they can escape situations like this with help and support.

Especially given all the virtue-signalling they have been doing recently about social realism.

All this does is show is how NOT to handle this sort of situation. ( I am still hoping Knob cracked his head on the Aga.)

If not Hell has a number of defences - lack of intent, provocation and dim resp.

As someone else said, though, it continues to raise the profile of DV even in, shock horror, naice middle class settings, as well as raising loads of money for the charities - and that can only be a good thing.

Drama will always trump realism in -soaps- radio errr... drama.

Statistically 100% of abusive husbands are killed by their spouse in soap land.

Ah, but she went further than one stab to save Henry. It sounded like she repeatedly stabbed him. Which makes her the one in the wrong

Having listened again, it sounds as if she stabs him to stop him going for Henry, she says sorry, he then says "Put the knife down", then "Helen", then there's a scream and some more grunting, then sound of Rob falling followed by knife falling. It sounds to me as if he went for her after the first stab, so it would still be self-protection. But with all the general grunting and scuffling it's difficult to tell.