The Archers - We Listen So You Don't Have To

[PseudoBadger]

Happy(?!) Sunday everyone

What will this week have in store for us I wonder?

How much will Henry remember by then anyway? Whatever he said in his original interview will be used instead.

I think Helen's going to plead guilty.

Basically he has turned into the new Stewie from Family guy.

That seems about as likely as Helen not being convicted.

Is it possible that the CPS will decide to prosecute for something lesser than attempted murder, and Helen will resigned plead guilty meaning no trial?

*resignedly

So when Helen is sent down, do you think there will be a "free the BHC one" campaign or a collective sigh of relief at the thought that she will be off the airwaves for a few years.
However, when she comes to her senses she won't voluntarily go down. She needs to be on the outside for Henry's protection, elsewise Rob gets control of him.

But when Henry was interviewed, the police officer doing the interview said afterward that she thought she could perhaps have got him to say more, but didn't like to press him too much. I took that to be a clear hint that the next time someone asked him about it (and I believe they do have to have it on video for the trial) the actual truth would come out.

Yes, I think once Helen's lawyer sees the transcript ir video of Henry's interview there will be,questions raised about how well balanced it was and why it wasn't undertaken by a specialist child interviewer rather than one of the local lady coppers of moderate rank.

I hope the barrister will focus on the fact that it is possible to completely recover psychologically from anorexia and that it I an illness that links into insecurity and self control rather than disorders which relate to loss of self control.

Helen did not have mental health issues in her mid to late thirties. She was being emotionally abused by somebody who was undermining her and creating the impression that she was mentally ill. She was not. This needs to come out and a good psychiatric expert witness needs to be engaged by her defence.

I still don't get the media interest in the case. No death and no suggestion of abuse as part of it in public domain. So it is an angry pregnant lady stabbing her husband but not killing him. Surely only of interest to the local rags?

A lot of murders don't make the news until they go to trial - and ones far more horrifically perpetrated than this

I think it would have attracted a lot of attention, particularly on a slow news day. Two women a week are killed by male partners - not rare enough to make a big news story . Heavily pregnant woman stabs adoring husband (flood hero) in front of 5yo son - much more unusual, so might well make the nationals, especially on a slow news day.

Many years ago, there was a violent crime committed in our neighbourhood. One child died and another was left permanently disabled. The perpetrator was their older brother, who was still a minor. It was unutterably awful. Anonymised coverage of both the initial offence and the trial did make the national press and the BBC. Fortunately, either the family were able to avail themselves of legal protection or the police withheld all details from the press or (just possibly) the press recognised that it would be beyond all decency to doorstep the family and their neighbours, so the coverage was restricted to just the facts, as far as I'm aware. However, in a case involving adults as victim and perp they are very rarely as restrained as that.

I thought of that old case when I read the discussion here immediately after the episode about whether Rob would press charges. As was pointed out by several people, it's not for Rob to decide. In criminal law, the prosecution comes from the crown and, regardless of how forgiving the victim is, if the CPS decides there is a case to answer, the prosecution will proceed. The family we knew were unbelievably strong in the face of the unimaginable tragedy that had torn them apart. They were quite certain from the start that the only possible explanation for what had happened was that their son was mentally ill. They forgave him and visited him regularly. If it had been up to them, there might not have been a trial. But (rightly, I think) it wasn't up to them and the CPS acted on behalf of the wider community to protect us all from this violent youth and to punish him for what he had done to his family. He was convicted of murder and attempted murder and I understand he is now in a secure mental health unit. Desperately sad.

Anything involving kids I can totally see the press being all over

But this just doesn't seem the kind of case they would obsess over - other than locally.

Perhaps a local hack will do some digging and discover rob is actually a monster and not human at all

My questions are wtaf was the point of the flowers if they were going away for the weekend?
And why the limo? can't he drive? What a waste of money (although we know it's Peggy's?)

Surely Anna Tregorran can speak to Helen who can say
I didn't use to dress like a dowdy frump
I didn't want to have this child.
I used to win awards for my cheese
I used to see my friends
I used to drive my child to school
etc

Maybe Henwee will say "Oh gwanny it was so funnw when mummy funny when you slept walked she was talking about the lawnmower... or whatever the dream cliche about being trapped that it was rather than threatening him"

Also, who is the actress playing Anna Tregorran?? Is it actually Maxine Peake? Or was that just a suggestion of who would be a good SHWL

The only person who can categorically state that Rob has form as an abuser is Jess. Perhaps the script has mentioned national press in order for it to be plausible when she comes forward.
Press coverage might also flush out Stefan though his evidence has no bearing on the attempted murder case. It does say a lot about Rob's character though. Charlie might also be useful for this.
Pat and the family could go a long way towards piecing the abuse scenario together if they would stop wringing their hands and start listing all the behaviour that left them askance at the time. Then they might see that Rob was manipulating H like a puppet. Anna T made it clear to Pat that she should be doing exactly that.

I thought Henry's interview was done by a specialist child interviewer? Wasn't that the reason it was done by a new character rather than having it done by the officer leading the investigation?

Olivia, the Anna actor is Isobel Middleton. There's some discussion of her upthread.

It would be great if Anna's advice does indeed push the Bridge Farm lot into doing something practical about gathering evidence. If they start actually talking properly to people like Jim and Shula and Charlie, and investigating properly things like the ordering cock-ups in the shop, they could get together some pretty hard evidence. And it would be so satisfying finally hearing Knob's chickens coming home to roost, and also maybe hearing him ducking and diving to try to get out of it all.

Waving a flag for Pat - I know I don't often, but sometimes things in criminal cases that should have been blindingly, screamingly obvious are actually not to some of the protagonists. When it happens to you, the ground has been cut from your feet absolutely. You have gone in seconds from a perfectly normal life to nothing being the same, and you're in a world where people are telling you things all the time: the police, lawyers etc etc etc etc. All you are trying to do is survive, get through, try to see some sense and it is monstrously bloody difficult. You have moved in an instant from a private person, doing their own thing, to someone living in a whole new universe where the normal rules of life do not apply, and where you do things the way the police and solicitors tell you to.

You absolutely do miss stuff because there is so much going on that you don't hear everything that's being said to you because there is simply too much else going on in your head.

Pat is still in the stage of absolute shock where something she never even contemplated has happened. Nothing is the the same. Nothing. Not even going to the shop to buy a loaf of bread. The simplest action takes on entire new levels of horrible meaning.

It is like a bomb has gone off in your head, and it is bloody.

Anyone else hoping that Justin might also be sending Charlie on Adam's trip to Lincolnshire?

Oh no squeaver. Don't think I could stand any more Adam and Charlie.

Thank you all for listening, from one of those who cannot any more.

Instead of listening to the Archers whilst doing the ironing, I've taken to watching gentle shows on Iplayer. Michael Portillo travelling about by train is my fav at the moment. He's so polite, I've forgiven him for being a Tory!

30 years Archers habit is gone for good.

I don't want Adam and Charlie going in for the sloppy kisses and heavy breathing, but I do want them putting their heads together about Knob, especially Charlie finding Stefan, and getting Justin or someone to investigate his financial activities when he was manager. For all that Justin thinks he was wonderful, I guess he might do it for Lill.

So, Knob is recovering and - barring relapse - could reasonably be expected to be out of hospital within the next couple of weeks (real-world estimate, based on the injuries we've been told about).

Whither Henwee then?

After all, Knob has PR. Will Henwee act up and spill the beans about Knob being the monster when he's told he will be going back to Bloody Hell Cottage to live with Daddy and Grandma Arsula?

Has anyone spared a thought for Helen spending her birthday today in prison?

Pat mentioned it D3^. Helen might just be relieved she isn't spending the day with Knob. I'm imagining H as having had a breakdown and almost enjoying the peace, routine & safety in prison, no Knob threatening her or being mean to Henry.

I am imagining eventually Pat and Kirsty will have a conversation about how to build evidence and Kirsty will say why she knew something was up - and finally the penny will drop with Pat that Helen's dress sense had changed, she'd given up work, stopped driving etc not because Rob cared but because Rob forced her.

Also will Rob want Henwee when he's out of hospital? Possibly only to make sure he can control Henwee's evidence - hopefully when Henwee is distressed about going back to Daddy Pat will finally make sense of some of the dreams too.

While super-lawyer can't speak to Henwee, she can presumably speak to Pat about Henwee and so know what kind of things to ask.

Finally also somebody will have to look at the finances of the shop surely? Will a check for the rent oof the cottage bounce?

Lots of questions referring to Stefan or culverts or scarring or arson (or bunting) were left determinedly unanswered in the SO'C + Louisa Q&A.

Does this mean:
a) SWs no longer wish to remember these incidents and are hoping that they fade gently away into the ether

b) These are desperately important carefully placed clues and they must not be discussed for fear of revealing all too early

c) errrr...