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

Augusta - thanks for that. Sums it up really ! (Poor bored agricultural adviser ...)

Augusta although I think someone might have already suggested sausage machine

Is Henry the least aware 5yo ever? My 5yo hears and sees everything. No way would she have been fobbed off with s dvd.

Unless Bhc is enormous of course

Loved the lighthearted article!

I'm worried though. Remember how we used to joke about patios? Because it was so unlikely?

And I really don't want Kirsty dragged into anything irregular. She's suffered enough for Bridge Farmers.

BYOS we all know BHC grows

Wouldn't know the detail BYOS - the only soap I've ever engaged with is TA.

I don't watch the tv soaps but ee, corrie and Brookside had well publicised dv sl which all raised awareness and all ended in murder of the abuser

Brookside must have been the first - about 20 years ago. Raised awareness but not for very long.

Regarding the Reveal Meal- Helen hadn't really planned anything out very carefully at all. I think we are missing a point, that would have been quite well done if it hadn't been overshadowed by the dramatic ending.

This is based on Helen's conversation with Kirsty at the beginning of the episode: Helen didn't think Rob was that bad, just that they were having a rough patch and it was because she was pregnant. She was planning on leaving for a while to get her head together and then thought they could rebuild things. She was planning on going to her parents after dinner. She thought she'd test out whether she was mad or not by making him tuna. She still expected them to have a fairly reasonable conversation "I need some space Rob" and him, whilst not liking it, would allow it. She never thought he would become violent (which he didn't) because in her head he was still RobHerHusbandWhoSheLoves and therefore would understand. She hadn't reached the point of really seeing him for who he was and being petrified of him. This is why she didn't take any precautions or leave whilst he wasn't there- she hadn't reached that level of understanding yet. She was just taking a break reform her husband who she hadn't been getting on that well with. I would imagine lots of women leave non-abusive partners in this way, even trying to be nice to them by talking to them and giving them a final nice meal together. And that for them, it goes fine.

It doesn't fill the plot holes of the half packed case and Henry being in bed. Nor why Kirsty wasn't sitting outside clutching the phone ready to answer to Helen/call 999 after she had heard Rob yelling and knew he was a violent abusive person.

I hoped that when I woke this morning I'd no longer be angry - would think, it's just fiction, crappily done fiction and I probably won't listen anymore …
But I am still angry with SOC et al because all these months the BBC has been trumpeting this as raising awareness of domestic abuse, being sensitive about the issues, not rushing the SL for dramatic purposes, consulting with DV organisations - only to turn the finale into one big sensationalist 'stenderisation of a story, and making Helen both victim and perpetrator in one dramatic swoop. Which would have been fine had TA been open about doing it for sensation all along, not pretending it was part of their public duty remit.
THE ARCHERS SCRIPTWRITERS AND EDITOR ARE FUCKING MYSOGINIST ARSEHOLES

Target emoticon whut ?

Olivia suggested that we might have our very own TA emoticon. I really like the archery-target idea to denote "you really hit the nail on the head there", with a nod to Ambridge for the cognoscenti.

Once SOC was firmly in place it was clear that TA was going to run on melodramatic set-pieces with an EE vibe. Forget about characters behaving consistently, events is where it's at. For that reason I stopped listening a couple of years back. One positive was that it avoided me being sucked into the HelnRob SL which I guessed was going to end in melodramatic foolishness.

I'll keep avoiding TA unless it makes a big change in its focus away from EVENTS! But it gives me the RAGE to think that SOC and KD will respond to critics by saying "media impact, innit".

That statement by Refuge is a real disappointment. It appears to have been rushed out while the story is HOT with an eye to the £80,000 (now approaching £100,000) they're hoping to get from the Just Giving page.

Is Henry the least aware 5yo ever? My 5yo hears and sees everything. No way would she have been fobbed off with s dvd.
And wondered why Daddy was having a nice sleep on the cold kitchen floor.

Long time lurker here. Listened to last nighr's episode on the bus into work this morning .

I agree it could have had a more sedate ending but things like this do happen. It will be interesting to hear TA take on what happens next. And of course, Rob might not actually be dead!

Indeed. My dd would have been screaming 'you killed daddy'. Nothing gets passed her

Henry witnessed the whole thing after all and would have been frightened.

Tom will have to say he was holding the knife, the same way he was driving the car once upon a time...

Actually, I am beginning to think Helen is a career criminal

A question for criminal justice peeps

In real life - when someone commits a murder of this kind (I'm going to assume he is dead but likely he will make a Tony like recovery) are they more likely to
A) cover it up and try and hide the body
B) call the police/ambulance?

Augusta- in my head, she stabbed him once. Then apologised, he told her to put the knife down and she screamed and started stabbing him repeatedly with hatred not because he was going to attack her again- he was scared not attacking her in my head. But I suspect you're right.

And right about too much grunting too.

BYOS I guess it depends who is in control
SOC and KD and Tim option A

But is he really dead? (Sorry, delurker here)!

I think she stabbed him superficially and he fainted/passed out/banged his head. In her panic, she thinks he is dead. But, he is alive, recovers without medical assistance (Kirsty whips out her needle and thread and does a quick stitch job), and can then make Helen AND Kirsty's lives a misery by having the threat of telling all about the violent and unprovoked attack to the police.

If he really is dead, what a crap ending to the whole saga.

Or more likely
C) Do a runner, and leave the 999 ringing to whoever finds the body.

There may well be a difference in how different genders react to the aftermath. (bearing in mind that most murderers are men.)

Lowfield describe it as him lungi g at her, there's a tussle, he goes silent,she drops knife

I googled "domestic abuse victim stabs husband". Top results were two different cases from this year in the UK where an abused wife has killed her husband. One went to prison for 7 years the other for 6 years. Both had far more evidence on their side about the abuse than Helen does.

True words - hadn't thought of that!

Ohhh ok thanks R4 - you can tell I haven't been RTFT for months

nauticant!