Well, Toby deserved that!

And I lol'd at Roy being matched with Tracy Horrobin.

Toby to Rex: You're such a dweeb.


I've still no clue why they're fighting over Pip.

Perhaps she has got something very magical that sends the boys wild.

Her milk shakes send all the boys to the Rickyard?

Matthew is probably off somewhere, thanking his lucky stars he offloaded the wretch!

Eavesdroppers never hear good about themselves, as my old ma used to say. Nicely done, Jill and Susan.

Bit uncalled for, Rob being so shirty with Alan the lefty vicar. And Eddie has Toby sussed: pillock is the perfect word for him.

Great to see Rob watching his little world of complete control crumbling around him.... and how typical to be horrid to the one person in the village willing to give him the time of day.....

How his new staff will react next week should be interesting...... when will Justin see the error of his ways and sa K the barsteward?

I agree! Hope they see through him.

I found Alan to be pretty obsequious in the first instance. Ok it's meant to be his raison d'être to be compassionate and all that, but do-gooders should take the broader picture into account. By being amiable with Rob he is pretty much condoning what happened, is giving Rob a social foothold to exploit, and indirectly is causing further pain to a rape victim.

Lucky Rob was being particularly foul. He could have been in full manipulative smarm-mode.

Am I being really wicked in hoping that someone gives Rob a (violent) lesson he will never forget?

Also, why the heck is Justin offering employment to a rapist?

Here's hoping Lillian withdraws JUstin's sweet treats until he does the right thing.

Nice one! Although her pasta bake sends them to the toilet...

Apropos of nothing: I really don't like the way Justin slurs his speech, always sounds like his false teeth are about to fall out.

Another thing:

One thing that didn't make sense about Friday's episode was: Why was Rob outside the shop when he's not getting served? I've worked it out, though. Do you know the way teenagers sometimes hang around outside shops or off-licences asking passer-bys if they can buy them fags or booze? Well, I picture Rob accosting people trying to shove a quid in their handand asking them to buy him a pint of milk. Hi, hi.

If Alan ignored/was rude to those of his parishioners he did not like or of whose lifestlye he did not approve there wouldn't be many left he could talk to in the parish. Nearly every one of the Archers has issues to a greater or lesser extent - adultery, lying to the police, poaching, anger issues etc etc etc.... It is his job to see the best in people and to give them an opportunity to see the error of their ways. It's not condoning anything to be civil to people..

Rob has not been convicted as a rapist as Helen is unwilling (understandably) to pursue the matter. In any case, even if he had been convicted, does it affect his ability to do his job? I don't think so. Rob always talked himself up when he was working at the Dairy, so I'm hoping that Justin will find that actually Rob is not as good as he thought and certainly not up to the job of Estate Manager.

I think Alan was demonstrating perfectly the Anglican principle of "hate the sin, love the sinner".

Perhaps he think he can help Rob to see the error of his ways and move towards repentance. Misguided of course, but they say god loves a trier.

It woudl be great fun for we listeners if this years Panto directed by Alice was an unmittigating disaster. I do feel that they make the panto rather too good to be believable. It helps that everyone who lives in the village is an actor of course but I do feel that for the purposes of the village show they could act as badly as your average amatuer villager would. IT would be very entertaining if everything went hilariously badly.

Rob is definitely going to try and join the Hunt. With Shula as Co-Master (and presumably lent Rob a horse in the past), it should prove interesting

That could make for good listening. Lilian rides to hounds, too - she won't like it at all if Rob joins.

He's going above and beyond being civil.
Most of the village is being civil with Rob.

Alan went to see Rob, prompted by Ursula, to intervene, and even having witnessed his bizarre ravings about Helen and changing 'Gideon's' name, proceeded to gush at him with promises of being there for him and 'keeping an eye' on him etc.

There is something slack about him.
Bruce is the same.

I suppose as a Christian minister he has to think how Christ would behave if He were in the same situation. And if Ursula's worried and asks Alan to look in on Rob it's his duty to do it really. It would be pretty awful if the vicar was as cold towards Rob as the rest of the village, even though they are civil.

I wouldn't be surprised if Justin started having second thoughts about employing Rob though. I thought he might transfer him to some far off branch (?) of the company, but Rob won't want to leave the village because of little Jack.

I've had enough of the Rob and Helen story really - so glad Helen's had enough of courts and so on too - but I do wonder how things will pan out for Rob. I can't imagine he could have a decent life in Ambridge after what he did to Helen, but he seems determined to stay.

Agree re. the story. Bored now.

I would be a useless vicar

Excellent I look forward to him conjuring up a fish sandwich supper for all at the forthcoming harvest event before going for a quick stroll on the village pond.

Pmsl! That would be a great episode.

That potential new partner in Alistair's practice is intriguing. Will he go for the partnership, I wonder?

A single, professional woman in the village could have good storyline potential.

New Love interest for Anna perhaps?