On balance, I think you're right, but Kenton is nothing but a middle-aged spoilt child.

For someone who's a pillar of the church, Shula seems to be a bit shonky when it comes to Christian principles. Remember when she she was knocking off the doctor behind Usha's back? And putting her loyalty to a fellow hunt member above her duty as a citizen in the hunt sab incident was despicable.

It's definitely the beginning of the end now. Let's look at the evidence:

- Rob has hit Helen after she called him a bastard (she saw the light, albeit very briefly). That's a big turning point.

- Rob is sending Helen for therapy, seemingly without realising she'll be seeing professionals who will have doubtless dealt with similar situations before and will know the signs

- Carol has been added to list of people having their doubts about Rob and it's being discussed openly (again tonight). If that wasn't significant they wouldn't be mentioning it.

- Helen isn't that far from giving birth and I still don't think the baby will survive. Depressing, I know, but I think that'll be the end of the storyline as I think Rob will flip and do something drastic because it'll wreck whatever he's plotting.

One interesting thing from last night's episode is that it proves Rob knows exactly what he's doing. Previously people have been wondering if he actually believes what he's saying. If he does, it'd make him scarily unstable but at least he wouldn't be seen as scheming. However, last night they let us hear exactly what Helen said while sleepwalking then let us hear Rob completely lying about what she said. Again, another development, as it shows he has some sort of plan.

Henry's honesty made me laugh last night, though. When Rob was trying to imply Henry was really disturbed by Helen sleepwalking and he said "I was all right" in an unconcerned fashion. He will no doubt pay for not being obedient now... DUN DUN DUN!

God, I hope it ends soon. It's really dominating the programme now, not because it's gripping or exciting but because it's sapping the life out of everything else.

I'm bored with Pip mooning about over her boyfriend and everyone being so concerned about her. It's my least favourite storyline at the moment.

Anybody would think he's working on the dark side of the moon, and not up the motorway in Cumbria! They could arrange to both have a couple of days off and meet at a hotel halfway. Plus he's been away for a couple of months now, so could easily try and get work more local to her when his job's ended. How do they think families who are separated for months on end due to one of them being in the armed forces cope?

Or when Usha married Alan Franks, Saint Shula didn't approve and started worshipping at another church and would have nothing to do with St Stephen's in Ambridge.

Wasn't Shula's first husband, the late Mark Hebden, in a relationship with Usha and Shula pinched him from her? Apologies if I have that wrong, I just have a vague memory.

This is now getting beyond dark. Rob rapes Helen again, and she is becoming an emotional wreck. I am not easily offended, but I am getting very uneasy about the development.

Maybe she'll kill him in self-defence.

I think that you're right, there's certainly history between them.

It was Richard Locke Shula pinched from Usha. Richard was Usha's partner at the time and Shula was married to Alistair. The hussy.

Thanks.

Ah thank you, wot a hussy, I knew she'd done the dirty on Usha somewhere along the way.

I've recently come back to listening to the Archers in the last year or two. When we were children my mum listened to the Archers from the very beginning, though a small child at the time I have a few memories. I seem to remember my favourites were Walter Gabriel and Mrs P (mother of Peggy Archer), Walter Gabriel was fond of saying "me old pal, me old beauty"

I never took to Walter Gabriel but really liked his son Nelson. He had a lovely voice.

So who will Kirsty tell? Tom? Or will she persuade Helen to leave? This really can't go on much longer.

And at last Pip has discovered Cumbria is actually within striking distance of Borsetshire.

I switched off when I realised where Rob had gone. I find the whole thing very disturbing. I know it happens but why do the producers feel the need to put it into a programme that people have listened to since the 1950s? I hop it ends soon but , I fear ther is a lot more nastiness to come. Helen being sectioned and then Henry banished to boarding school. Is this really entertainment? Do the loyal listeners want to hear this.......I don't.

I am inclined to think she will lose the baby and Rob will be the one 'gaslighted' in the end as he will see his abuse has caused Hellenback to miscarry. Or maybe that is just wishful thinking on my behalf. Like most people I just wanna see the end to this now. It is bloody hard going and the rape scenes are horrendous.

So come on Kirsty get ya war gear on.... I am rooting for ya!

I'm so looking forward to hearing the denouement but I just wish they'd speed things up a bit.

I really hope we get a scene where Kirsty confronts Rob. She's a great character imo, principled, intelligent and ballsy. She won't be intimidated or manipulated by him!

It'd be great if Rob actually got prosecuted and ended up sharing a cell with Clive Horrobin.

No, me neither, I've packed it in for a bit.

It's not the subject matter - domestic abuse is a really serious issue and deserves to be covered. It's the salacious and increasingly absurd way they're portraying it, involving psycho mama and all that. They're wallowing in it, like they're positively enjoying the torture being piled on Helen. It started well, but I don't want to listen to it now.

If that were to happen, Rob would blame Helen and that would send her over the top.

Me too. I've always championed Rob as a great villain and the story line as fascinating but it's become clear they aren't interested in it being remotely realistic and just want to keep it going no matter the cost and so are introducing more and more unpleasant and unsavoury twists and turns.


Nail on head

Sadly, it is all too realistic. That sort of subtle control and eroding a partner's autonomy is a common feature of lots of abusive relationships. Emotional and psychological abuse is just as damaging as violence, in some ways.

Well, if it's true that a CD is being released in October about "Rob and Helen's story", it's got to be over at least a couple of months before that.

Let's hope so anyway.

Oh yes, those two. Another example of how the parent has the country brogue and the son speaks received English. I loved that pairing, and Nelson loved his Dad.

I am so fed up now with the Rob/Helen storyline that I have to keep telling myself that the actors are in real-life the best of buddies, and when they have read their lines have a good laugh together. Come on scriptwriters, you are milking this for all it is worth now, it is past its sell-by date for me.

I think all of Helen's family deciding to leave her to it and Rob's Mum arriving and being even more controlling and abusive than her son are neither subtle nor realistic.

Don't get me wrong I think Rob has been superb and the story line spot on in many way but I think The Archers have now taken it down a route that is more about sensationalism than an accurate depiction of this awful situation.