Vile. I was expecting domestic violence, but marital rape has actually really shocked me.

I don't think Helen will think he's entitled. I think she knows she's been assaulted. But she's very confused about how it's happened, and she'll be unable to persuade anyone else of what he's done, because they all seem to think he's a hero.

The one bit that does not ring true to me is Pat being fooled. She's a clever strong woman, she would have spotted how withdrawn Helen was immediately.

I agree with you that it was odd about Pat and everyone else not spotting how withdrawn Helen was. Rob is a monster.

I wonder how long it will be before Henry comes into his sights for a bit of treatment ... when Helen is pregnant or when Rob's own child arrives?

I suspect Henry will be bundled off to some terrible prep school. I'm not sure The Archers would want to go into violence against a child, and it'll leave Helen even more broken and isolated.

I can understand a lot of the others not spotting Helen's mood change - people see what they want to see, and Helen's spent ages waxing lyrical about how fantastically happy she is. But Pat is her Mum - she would sense something, at least.

Gosh, grim stuff.

It wasn't just that no one noticed that Helen was subdued it was the way suddenly Rob is the perfect husband and son in law. It's made it even more difficult for Helen to say something if she was going to. However I did enjoy Rob giving Jim a mouthful

I'm pretty sure it is marital rape that they're getting at which was highlighted with Rob suggesting he may not be able to control himself when Helen wears the dress again for the opera All very sinister.

As for him wanting Helen pregnant it is definitely about control. There's a perception that getting a woman pregnant makes it difficult for her to leave, be independent and end up being even more dependent on the man and more under their control. A controlling man can certainly see it that way and abuse the situation.

With Rob I think just making sure Helen gets pregnant particularly when she is resisting is almost control enough in itself.

It looks like Rob is just warming up on the sinister front

Rob has probably made it his business to find out about Helens monthly cycle and when she is most fertile. I do hope she sees through it.

Yeah, it was something nasty. The next day he ignored it, but he called her to ask if she'd been crying. Anal rape sprung to mind, except this is the archers. She might top herself, if she has no one to confide in.

It surely can't just be sex. They just got married. Helen would hardly say no.

The Heather/jill story line is ridiculous

From the start the obvious solution was to move Heather down south. She could have gone into a nursing home. She will get attendance allowance. And if necessary they could have sold her house to build an extension at Brookfield, although I doubt very much if they had a power of attorney.

Having said that, There was no reason not to sell out for big money. Why would they not.

Jill is completely off her trolley. Even manipulating pip now.

I am having doubts about rape, as Helen was keen to ' go upstairs'. I'm thinking that Rob was cavalier and went ahead without a condom. Helen was quite cosy with him yesterday.

The Lynda/Jim Italian thing has been swiped from E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia books, especially when Lynda is shown up to be less fluent than she is.

From victim guilt perhaps wanting to make things better?

I haven't heard that yet. I love the Lucia books, and I love Lynda Snell too so looking forward to it. Not mad keen on Jim though.

I would have thought she'd be on the pill. Personally I got the distinct impression that he raped her.

he is so controlling , i wouldnt be suprised . he needs to know every aspect of her life ,where shes been what she was doing. I am hoping Tom sees through it.

In the real world she would be on the pill but in Soapland the pill is not allowed. No pill means lots of accidental pregnancies and more dramatic storylines.

Pip's done a U-turn on leaving home then?

Have they done that because they've miscounted the number of bedrooms at Brookfield?! It wouldn't make sense for both Pip and Jill to leave just because Granny HeatherPet is on the way down.

Do you think David will offer to bail out Kenton re. the Bull, only for Kenton to have an explosive "I don't want your charity" tantrum?

I can see that happening and then Jolene will talk to David and defuse the situation.

I think Pip was never going to leave anyway. The fact that they changed the actress so recently would indicate that (to me anyway).

As for Kenton. If he does have a strop like that if David offered to help him out, then David would be well within his rights to wash his hands of the petulant little brat, sorry, immature middle-aged man.

He started on her in the morning, telling her how drunk she'd got, all that Little Miss Giggly stuff again to infantilise her. I think it was rape too. She tried to put him off/play for time, and he went ahead anyway.

I wonder if Emma will be the one to help? They might be meeting at the school gates a lot more soon.

Neil, the announcer, obviously listens to The Archers. His comment after tonight's episode made me smile "Isn't Rob a great help?" said through obviously gritted teeth

I want to scream and throw something at the radio when Rob is on. One of the problems I have with him is constantly calling Helen "darling". Maybe it's just me but I can't stand those cutesy lovey dovey names in public. When he and Helen 'discussed' the shop at home I wonder if he was giving her a Chinese burn whilst 'persuading' her round to his point of view?

Yeah that was funny - dripping with sarcasm

He condescends to her so much.
New Tom is bloody useless as well isn't he... he completely caved in to Rob over the décor of the premises and then deferred to his choice of builders. He'd better get a backbone or Rob's going to have him under his thumb as well.

Me too! I've been caught out at work before - embarrassing!

May the Earth swallow that LOATHSOME, LOATHSOME man up! Vile human being. Helen's going to be unbareable by the time she comes to her senses, or horror of horror, he pushes her so far she ends it all - God help us all!

Saying I salute the actor for pulling it off - especially because we can't see him and can only hear him being so hateful!

I totally agree with you. He should be tied to a chair and made to listen to Susan talking about the shop, on a loop, for the rest of his life.
Any attempts at escape will incur the sanction of listening to Peggy talking about her money for a fortnight.

The opera at Lower Loxley made me laugh - imagining all the actors standing at their microphones with a Mozart CD on in the background. How much would that have cost to stage on TV?

Gosh, Helen and Rob

I think he's so keen to get Helen pregnant he went ahead unprotected despite her protests. I guess that's rape if she told him to stop - and the bruise on her arm suggests things might have got a bit rough. He really is a swine isn't he

The continuity man said that there was something on the Archers website with the most creative names listeners had called Rob. I couldn't find it, but there was a photo of Susan and she is nothing like I pictured her. I can't imagine Susan's voice coming from her at all - she looks far too posh Susan was awful again in the shop, but she upset Peggy so much I forgave her

Jill's giving me the creeps a bit - it's the way she hovered around Pip, sort of knowing she didn't want to leave. She was the same with David when he was changing his mind about going up North. She's a bit of a sly old witch I think

Is Jill being a bit of a martyr about being kicked out of Brookfield?? I bet she hates Heatherpet's guts and is hoping she dies and can't come to Ambridge.

Thinking about who could be Helen's ally against the sinister one now he's won over her nearest and dearest. Shula knows what he's like from the time he bashed the hunt saboteur (did she end up lying to the police about that?) so she might support Helen against him, also Ian, and maybe Charlie - though I'm not sure how much Helen has to do with him.

What surprised me was how many of them wanted to go to the opera. I like classical music, and I don't mind listening to a tenor, but once the women start screeching I have to turn off!


The vote last week was "should Rob get another job or go back crawling to Berrow Farm?" with the result saying that many people had suggested various jobs for him to do, but I can't find them. I'd love to see how inventive people have been


I'm not so sure Shula would. She was surprised at Rob's version of events, but never mentioned it to anyone. Charlie knows that Rob wasn't being sledged (or whatever the word is) and that it was Rob doing it all, but I doubt he'd mention it. The investigation into 'whoever!' blocked up the culver seems to have come to an end too. Is this fiend ever going to be found out?

By the way I love the Plarchers Rob

He's playing him really well.


Mean (but I agree )

How does Peggy have a bottomless piggy bank? Does she have a printing press?