Archers thread #151: A Fête worse than death or a reverse ferret? Helen’s got the Borsetshire Blues, Tom’s talking shiitake, George is a rotten apple. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. We don't all agree on all points, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you think Helen and Tom would do well on Dragons' Den, or other unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please! We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-join-us-here, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have - BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Thanks to @OverArmour for various title ideas! I would have liked to incorporate the suggestion from @Fleetress, which was

‘Do do one Ron, Ron, do do one Ron’

(Rob is Ron for many on this thread now)

Possibly a bit obscure for newer posters, though!

Anyway: we got through that last thread in no time at all. Combined effect of Rob and George, I suspect. I wonder if Rob will have made it to Ambridge by the time we need a new thread. I'm still waiting for Pat's shotgun to feature. That can't have been mentioned for the first time ever for no reason at all.

Over to you!

Nothing - because Helen’s going to shoot him …

(There’s something in the rhythm of their interactions - he’s almost obscenely titillated by reports of the injury she inflicted on Rob, it’s like he’s been goading her to repeat it for weeks now …)

Oh, I did feel for Helen. All her worst fears realised - either in reality (in terms of Rob trying to get to her children) or spat into her face in front of everyone by The Poisonous George.

And to feel that you will never be free is just awful and unending. Again, hats off to the scriptwriters for depicting the ongoing fallout of domestic abuse.

Another excellent episode.

I had to take a deep breath when Helen, went ^yet again^ for the don't tell/inaction when her mum suggested getting in touch with the lawyer about the NMO. Her readiness to blame others - George, Henry is telling - and her concern being what others are thinking/gossip being paramount. Well.

I know the characters is playing out the depths to which women in her situation can be mired so destructively in the consequences of DV but she makes one terrible decision after another.

Emma excellent, and yes, she'll pile in to George. I only hope it's scripted and not reported action.

George in fine mid-season form, and in front of his mother.

That line of Helen’s to Emma about George ‘I hope you feel proud of what you’ve created.’

🔮That’s coming back to bite Helen on the derrière sooner or later. Though it gives me no pleasure to think of it …

@Twyford George did nothing to stop Henry even after she had told him what a nasty piece of work Ron was

I thought George did try to keep sort of an eye on Henry and Ron, didn't he? But was outmanoevred by the master manipulator?

Another stupid question: why are you all calling him Ron…?

Ron was a typo which I left in a post because it's a good way to reduce his power, as it were!

Poor Mr @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g indeed!

Send it directly to Rob is my guess.

@harriethoyle, @AskingQuestionsAllTheTime, @AngryBirdsNoMore, @PedantScorner,
Thanks for explaining re Rosie!

Oh that was horrible. Where has George learned how to be an utter shit?

I'm surprised Pat didn't go after Helen when she said she was going to find George. And Pip should have gone after her when she left in such a state of distress instead of settling down to fill Stella in on the gossip.

George will probably sell the video to Rob.

Yes @BeatriceBatchelor I was surprised Pat didn't run after her 😳

I don't warm to Hellin but George is a prize shit. He takes a total scorched earth policy. I'm really longing for his downfall...

So George is gone from BF and given Stella saw how George behaved and pip will fill her in on the Helen/Rob gossip I assume his days working for Stella are also numbered (though shes alot better at seperating emeotion/work)... probably in his mind both as a result of women

OK, it's very early, but I'm out all day and there's a lot to say about last night's episode, so I've started the new thread. Fill this one up first if you want. I know it causes confusion when both threads are running, but I didn't want to take the risk of this one filling up before I get home.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4876928-archers-thread-152-the-dog-days-of-summer-in-ambridge-rabid-rants-tearoom-dogfight-bully-dog-george-gets-it-all-on-camera-is-lone-wolf-rob-waiting-in-the-woods-discuss-the-archers-here?latest=1

PS I chickened out of putting wet wipes in the new thread title. I was mulling over something along the lines of wet wipe or dry heave, and trying to avoid referencing the George as used tissue line someone supplied above , but went for dogs and fighting in the end. In three weeks when the new thread is full we may all be wondering what on earth I was referencing!

😁 brilliant @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

Wow well that was quite the drama in the tearoom. How can Emma possibly defend George anymore after not only calling his own mum a slut but now hearing him hearing him speak to Helen like that.

There was a glimmer of hope before the country show when Emma was talking about Rob, George seemed to realise he had the wrong idea about it all. But now Helen has tried to give him a public dressing down he is firmly in camp Rob - Helen is another mad woman and Rob another poor victim of female manipulation. Another victim, just like him.

I thought Emmur sounded properly cross with George at the end when she told him to get in the back @TheUsualChaos ... maybe this will be a scales falling from eyes moment for her?

@harriethoyle yes she did sound cross bit somehow I felt she was mostly concerned about it all being on full show to the tearoom. She didn't take long to sweep it under the carpet after he laid into her and Ed. George easily excused his behaviour, blaming their cramped living conditions etc. Will he just as easily convince Emma the way he spoke to Helen wasn't his fault as she was threatening him?

I'm wondering if the showdown in the tearoom will be another push for Fallon to up sticks and relocate to the new charging station when it opens. The whole Helen/Knob thing feels like history repeating itself with Lee removed from the scene to San Francisco (much as Kirsty was off the scene when Knob was at his worst). If Knob contacting Henry and then turning up at the swimming pool are not circumstances in which to take advantage of the non-molestation order then I'm not sure why Helen bothered applying for one in the first place. My sympathy is entirely with Helen though - George is the next generation Knob in the making.

The problem is @LillianGish that Helen has breached it too and that makes it much less likely to be enforced/continued. Hence Ron's remarks about calling the police but let's talk about the times you've come to see me ie at the hospital. She's been an absolute moron.

I suspect George will get the elbow from Bridge Farm fairly sharpish which is going to cause a quandary for Emma - one on side she'll feel her son was unfairly sacked (and, much as it galls me, she would kind of have a point as he wouldn't have been fired for anything to do with his work) and on the other he's enabled Ron (I like the idea of removing his power by calling him Ron!) to have access to Henry, when Emma knows exactly what sort of person Ron is.

@harriethoyle does a NMO work both ways or only one way? i.e. can the person who's obtained the order to gain protection choose to contact the person against whom the order is held?

Depends on the terms @BrightYellowDaffodil . Ron will be prohibited from contacting Hellin but if she, having sought the NMO, then contacts him voluntarily it's very difficult for her to say that a) the protection is still required b) he should be punished for breaching it when she has made him breach it by engaging voluntarily... Essentially, you can't have your cake and eat it!

One feels for Dominic the lawyer this morning....

@BrightYellowDaffodil you could probably make a arguement that he had acted inappropriately in his interactions with his employers underage son/grandson and therefore it is gross misconduct. However it would be hard as lines were blurred - was George interacting with Henry in his capacity as an employee of Bridge Farm or as a neighbour and friend?