*The Archers thread

[TikkiB]

Is he dead yet?

Actually, I have to admit to listening to the odd programme but not as regularly as I used to, so that's ok

 

[Guineveretoo]

I feel no empathy with Rob at all, and don't understand the motives for what he's doing. Is he just inherently evil and gets pleasure from destroying people?

Why tell Ian that Adam was, supposedly, bring unfaithful? After doing so, he delightedly got ready and went to the wedding party, having previously said he wanted nothing to do with it. That suggests a deep hatred of Ian and Adam.

Also, why he is making out that Helen is getting everything wrong and forgetting things? Does he hate her, too? I thought that he genuinely loved her, but was stifling her by doing so, and by being controlling and wanting to keep her to himself. This has changed now, and he seems to be deliberately destroying her self esteem and feeing of self worth.

 

[a_chap]

Don't forget Adam and Rob had a right falling out over a cricket match (Adam in the wrong IMO)

Why he is so horrible to Helen is a mystery to me. A misogynist I guess.

 

[bluescreen]

Remember Jess telling Helen 'You don't know what he's like'?

 

[davesgcr]

Time bomb ticking away with Adam and his new husband Ian ......

Could be a good one.

 

[two sheds]

Don't forget Adam and Rob had a right falling out over a cricket match (Adam in the wrong IMO)

Why did Rob delete the photo from Helen's phone then eh? eh? Answer me that then.

 

[bluescreen]

Why did Rob delete the photo from Helen's phone then eh? eh? Answer me that then.

Video, iirc.

 

[two sheds]

Yes of course video to miraculously detect the snick in the background.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Remember Jess telling Helen 'You don't know what he's like'?

Yeah, so he made her life miserable as well, but I still don't understand what the writers are doing with him.

I don't know what he is trying to do/be. He seems to be consistently nasty and bad tempered, and I understand the motives there. Like when he beat up that hunt sab and then lied and got that other woman to lie, too. I understood why that happened. But I don't understand what he is doing to Helen.

 

[susie12]

He wants to mess up Helen's friendship with Ian as part of his isolation of her. It's typical abuser shit. I love you so much I want you all to myself. He is jealous of her loving family and her friendships and trades on her history of anorexia and lack of confidence.

 

[bluescreen]

He wants to mess up Helen's friendship with Ian as part of his isolation of her. It's typical abuser shit. I love you so much I want you all to myself. He is jealous of her loving family and her friendships and trades on her history of anorexia and lack of confidence.

Yes. This business of a cosy Christmas with just the three of them is part of that.

 

[purenarcotic]

It's power and control, he wants power and control over Helen. That's why perpetrators of DV do what they do. They aren't generally very nice people.

 

[susie12]

Ime they're insecure cowards.

 

[Guineveretoo]

It's power and control, he wants power and control over Helen. That's why perpetrators of DV do what they do. They aren't generally very nice people.

Thankfully, I have never been subjected to such abuse, but I always figured that they did it because they wanted and needed to be loved and felt that the way to get that love was to control their loved ones. So I do understand him wanting Christmas alone with her and Henry, and I understand him making her wear frumpy dresses, and him wanting her at home to look after him when he was working, but I don't understand why he doesn't even let her make decisions about the shop, and why he is making her think she has gone mad and that she keeps forgetting things or misunderstanding things.

I think he is getting more and more evil as the writers get into their stride. I am wondering whether the writers are finding out more and more about what abusers do, and are beefing it up as they go.

 

[Ms T]

Does Rob know about Helen's anorexia? cos he was needling her about eating too much at the wedding which is pretty low (no lower than his other antics though).

And she's already stopped eating properly.

 

[Ms T]

Even if he is unaware, it's just another way to control innit. It's that whole thing of nothing the victim does is ever quite right. I don't listen but from what I read it seems they are doing the coercive control aspect of it brilliantly.

Yep. It's proper horrid, shout at the radio stuff.

 

[purenarcotic]

Thankfully, I have never been subjected to such abuse, but I always figured that they did it because they wanted and needed to be loved and felt that the way to get that love was to control their loved ones. So I do understand him wanting Christmas alone with her and Henry, and I understand him making her wear frumpy dresses, and him wanting her at home to look after him when he was working, but I don't understand why he doesn't even let her make decisions about the shop, and why he is making her think she has gone mad and that she keeps forgetting things or misunderstanding things.

I think he is getting more and more evil as the writers get into their stride. I am wondering whether the writers are finding out more and more about what abusers do, and are beefing it up as they go.

I can see where you're coming from but the research into perpetrators testimonies is that it is about power and control, pure and simple. It's calculated, conscious and done deliberately. I expect they'll have been consulting experts from the beginning.

 

[purenarcotic]

Yep. It's proper horrid, shout at the radio stuff.

It sounds it. I hope it encourages more women to come forward and seek support, though. We certainly see a huge increase in access when DV is talked about on the TV etc so it's great to see it get more exposure.

 

[wiskey]

From my own personal experience I think the way that Rob is slowly isolating Helen and controlling her very existence is very well written, a gradual chipping away of friends and support networks until all she has is him to view the world through.

 

[Manter]

Just caught up. Ugh. Seriously creepy. One of rhe most believable storylines in a long time

 

[trashpony]

Just caught up. Ugh. Seriously creepy. One of rhe most believable storylines in a long time

And yet in parallel, there is the Ruth in NZ storyline ...

 

[a_chap]

And yet in parallel, there is the Ruth in NZ storyline ...

...which is one of the most unbelievable storylines in a long time.

 

[belboid]

...which is one of the most unbelievable storylines in a long time.

well, since last year

 

[wiskey]

well, since last year

That long?

 

[trashpony]

I'm still a bit confused at how their farming nouse is so poor after 20 odd years of farming that they've gone from considering a robotic milker, lending feckless brother £££s and blithely handing over the income from Rickyard's to being on the brink of milk-related financial ruin within a few months

 

[wiskey]

I'm still a bit confused at how their farming nouse is so poor after 20 odd years of farming that they've gone from considering a robotic milker, lending feckless brother £££s and blithely handing over the income from Rickyard's to being on the brink of milk-related financial ruin within a few months

Yeah but Ruth has an inheritance David has his eye on.

 

[wayward bob]

what's the betting that if she comes back it's a different actor

 

[wiskey]

although how anyone can be down £14k a month is pretty staggering ... how much do farmers make anyway??

 

[gdubz]

what's the betting that if she comes back it's a different actor

Ruth is gone. Roy and Kirsty to hook up. Titchener to BURN IN HELL but they'll string us out. Can't they just go back to it being about nothing?

 

[two sheds]

We need a couple more falling off the roof.