One Flue Over The Shepherd's Hut - Discuss The Archers Here

[PseudoBadger]

I do hope Lynda has a carbon monoxide monitor in there...

I think that Helen thought she could have a ahem err reasonable conversation with Rob, like: Rob, I'm in a mess and I need some time on my own with my son bla bla. She thought that herself being a reasonable person that this kind of thing would be possible. She had had no previous experience of abuse, and from her own cocooned world had no external reference to what Kirsty was telling her. I think Rob is awful. His mother makes my ears bleed. At the moment I find Helen tiresome. I think hope Rob will be around for a while yet even though he has far better things to do as an actor. I think Rob has a future of smarming and charming his way around the village, leaving in his wake destruction and sadness, leaving people not being believed and unable to communcate. Just not all the time. I think his behaviour with the police is stupid. I didn't think he was so thick.

The lesbian thing was utterly bizarre. I can't think rob would believe that, or really think it was such a great line for the police, very straw-clutchy when he doesn't need to be. Suppose it's just a way of justifying his trying to keep K away.

What it did make me think of was witches. 'That wilful, unmarried woman doesn't agree with me or the supremacy of my marriage and has been trying to turn my wife against me. Must be a witch. Fact my wife tried to leave, then stabbed me, proves it.'

The cop did pick Rob up on the bit about Helen being such a danger to Henry. Surely if he genuinely thought that he'd never leave her on her own with him, and he unquestionably did on the day of the stabbing.

I think Rob really would think that Helen and Kirsty were lesbians. We know he's homophobic, he doesn't really understand friendship as he only cares about how much he can use people, in his mind he was an amazing husband so it's a mystery to him why Helen was leaving, let alone stabbing him. He certainly can't understand Helen having her own thoughts and opinions outside of his control.

He knows it had something to do with Kirsty - it's not a huge leap to think Helen was being controlled by someone else (the only thing he knows) ergo lesbians.

Of course he thinks everyone is as homophobic as he is so he thinks the theory is a winner.

The thing that is utterly ridiculous re: night of the stabbing is that I don't see who in their right mind would go about leaving in that way - regardless of the state of the relationship. I've never been in an abusive relationship and in fact had one very civilised break-up - and even with that boyfriend I would never have cooked dinner etc only to tell him I was going away for a while.

Let's not get started about the fact Henry was supposed to be in bed - so she was going to wake him up and bundle him into a car? Makes no sense AT ALL.

Because the sl has taken such a silly, melodramatic turn, I want a silly and melodramatic denouement that totally clears Helen even though I don't like her much. I'm thinking some kind of recording device of Rob's which he thinks was out of range but is enhanced by police technicians to reveal his taunting of Helen.

I'm so cross we're still waiting for Rob to get his comeuppance when he has fucked up so many times:

Berrow Farm
The shop over ordering
Stephan
Charlie
Sab
Cheated on H with J, J with H
The list goes on.

EXPOSE HIM! It's infuriating and demotivating for survivors/receivers of domestic abuse.

Does scary lady copper know about Knob tracking Helen's phone?

Before It all got stabby, I thought that the whole meal plus telling Rob was Helen's foolish attempt to give Rob one last chance to change his ways. I think that part of her hoped that if he saw she was serious about leaving (packed bag etc) he would realise that he had been unreasonable and would start treating her well again. That's why she didn't sneak out earlier with Kirsty - because she wasn't really quite ready to leave at that point.

Absolutely jasper.

The lesbian thing- yes I can quite believe he believes that.
And its almost believable that people have attempted to kill/killed their dp bevause they plannned to leave them for someone else but only if yhey had something to gain by them being dead- no expensive divorce, life assurance etc. Rob had f all he didn't even own the house.

But with SOC it doesn't have to be logical.

As for the Kirsty recording the whole episode on voicemail...if it dod it would sound like what we heard and what I heard was Hel accidentally stab Rob once and then deliberately attempt to finish him off.

Even knowing what she has been through, even with what he did that night, I'd expect her to be jailed unless there is some massive detail we didn't hear (I'd bet there is).

I make no apologies for abusive men but stabbing them is not the solution unless you literally have no other option.

Come to think of it, Rob doesn't have any friends, does he? Maybe that's one reason why he can't contemplate his wife having friends unless they're in a lesbian relationship?

Yes, just come back to say the same. He never had friends to visit, never visited any, nor mentioned any he'd spoken to or heard from.

Indeed Augusta. Why stay friends with someone unless you have a use for them? I am sure if Rob wanted to curry favour he would be great mates with someone but why go to the effort if you don't have any reason to...because maintaining friendships requires effort.

As for the Kirsty recording the whole episode on voicemail...if it dod it would sound like what we heard and what I heard was Hel accidentally stab Rob once and then deliberately attempt to finish him off.

Yes, but we'd also hear Rob going on how she's nothing without him, bringing up Greg and telling her to take the knife and kill herself, and that Henry was there and the risk of harm to Henry wasn't from Helen. It doesn't excuse Helen stabbing him, but it certainly would make Rob sound as if he might not be the totally innocent victim and the whole thing came out of the blue, like he'said trying to paint it just now.

Agreed, Nippie!

Maybe Helen didn't mean to stab him twice? Maybe first time was accident as he tried to get the knife from her, then in the struggle it happened again?? Knife would have to be pretty sharp, I guess.

Though, almost no-one in Ambridge has friends outside the village. Young people who go to college, the army, or join a band are allowed the odd night out with their associates. Then they grow up and isolate themselves in the village. Nigel was an exception, though even then only when young really. B+J go to dinner with people occasionally. That's about it. Incomers would have friends elsewhere but maybe the SW are so used to focusing only on village characters they forgot to make any for Rob and Jess (likewise Usha, who would have had friends).

"Though, almost no-one in Ambridge has friends outside the village."

Ian tried it once, and it ended badly. Everyone else learned from that and nobody's ever tried again.

Lass the scary copper did know about the phone, and she told Helen - but in a really weird way, as if it was Helens fault that she was being tracked

Changing tack for a moment. Shouldn't Kate's business be open by now?? How long does it take to chuck up some yurts and a composting toilet?

I think knob is clever and understands normal emotions enough to manipulate them in other people, but he has no genuine empathy and no self awareness. He has an ego the size of Mount Everest.

When he says Hellin is having a lesbian affair, he actually believes it because there can be no other explanation for his property wife not to be worshipping at his feet. He believes some of the BS he spouted to the policewoman and was trying to emotionally manipulate her with the rest.

He is also supremely self confident in himself but this underlies extreme low self esteem, hence the need to control everything and everyone around him.

When he is in a situation where he is being questioned closely these flaws will show because he is not able to control the questioning. He will be a defence barristers dream.

Of course the scriptwriters can ignore all this for the sake of 'drama' like they did with the bloody stabbing,

Am find just just about every character in TA really annoying right now.
Could happily stab Kenton and Jolene.
Still love Brine, and his sarcastic comments about extended families all living under one roof though.

Does Rob know that it was actually Kirsty who called the ambulance for him?

He is portraying her as being behind it all - well surely she wouldn't have called an ambulance if she'd wanted him dead.

lottie It's about The Archers ! It's only 13 minutes long for 6 days, they don't have enough TIME for the friends that no doubt the cast would have, also It's NOT REAL

IMO we are all a little infested here

I meant 'over infested" of course.