Archers Addicts 2

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1944 black n white film in which the husband slowly manipulates his wife to the extent she thinks she's lost her mind…..

I'm very much enjoying this Archers thread! It's the only soap I will tolerate... I always look forward to listening on iplayer while i'm working. Thank goodness I'm not the only one hurling abuse at the radio when slimy Rob is on! :-)

Also Sleeping with the Enemy that's a classic wife abuse film. Very exciting when she comes back and finds the spices all lined up in her new house. Chilling......watch out .....Helen better learn to deep sea. swim soon, ans teach Henry too.

At least Helen has a loving family around her. Or will that be the next thing Rob tries to separate her from?

As Iam64 wrote upthread, the term 'gaslighting' refers to one of the methods the husband used...it was set in the days of gas lights in houses and he could dim the lamps at will. Spooky!

So, if you think of all the times Rob has said to Hellin 'but I told you that, you've forgotten" etc. to convince her that she's overdoing things, ie, not doing what he wants which, actually, is doing nothing at all except be at home waiting for him,you can see the parallels...

Velogranny He aleady is trying to separate her. He sounded very off hand when Peggy had popped into see Helen. "You did not tell me you were having visitors".

Completely agree, and since when did rels count as 'visitors'?

Allthough I've got this vision of Rob as a moustache-twirling pantomime villain, I think that the 2 actors work well together.

I heard yesterday's episode a lunch time today, it's brilliant the way Rob is undermining her, leading her to doubt herself and separating her from Henry, becoming indispensable to Henry.
I'm having to remind myself it's a soap because it is reminiscent of so many disastrous relationships, with often tragic outcomes that I was involved with when working with children and families. Beware the heady romance, the 'perfect man' who brings gifts, takes his new partner off on 'romantic' weekends away, and particularly, beware of men who spend a lot of time and energy in forging a 'special' relationship with your children Poor Helen and Henry, I do wish Pat had her eyes open. Maybe Fallon or Kirsty will cotton on before the family because they've not been seduced by Rob

I detest Rob, but a little voice inside me keeps saying that the ghastly Helen and Henry deserve all they get.

I too think that Fallon or more likely Kirsty will work out what he is about, and of course, they won't be believed. With you there pompa.....wouldn't wish any ill on poor little Henry, but Helen is a bit of a simpering fool. On a technical note; a little grumble about the new Pip, she is meant to be what age?About 20/21? She sounds as if she is in her late 20s if not 30s. Her voice is too old for her character. Poor Ian, I do feel for him, Brian and Jennifer's offspring seem incapable of forming lasting relationships apart from Alice of course ( who married beneath her, socially). Mind you, with Brian and Jennifer's history is it any wonder? I wish Radio 4/World Service would run repeats in the early hours, would give me something to listen to when I wake up.

Perhaps Fallon will start to realise how controlling Rob is when they are working on the café refurbishment. He's already told Helen he doesn't agree with the kitchen lay-out. Then she can tell Harrison, her boyfriend, (the policeman) and he will recognise abuse when he hears about it.

My U3a playreading group started discussing the Archers after we finished this afternoon. I can't quite remember what led onto that.
About half the group were addicts and all decrying evil Rob and his behaviour.

Good point sara4. Rob has already started moaning about Fallon, not liking how she does things.

I think that Fallon will get the push by Rob.

I don't think Henry is ghastly. He isn't 5 yet.
We do need Pat to remember her feminist credentials.She seems blind to Rob.

I think Rob is definitely angling to take the shop on himself, so he can control what they sell, then have more influence on what the farm produces, then he just has to oust Tom (to the bottom of the Berrow slurry tank) and hey presto the farm is his!

Ooh yes Iam64 and GillT57 what a fabulous denouement if Kirsty ends up seeing through Rob and saving precious Helen and Henry and the new baby - or maybe even Tom from the bottom of the slurry pit.... Surely the dashing and reliable Harrison will have a crucial part in it too...
Quite agree about the timing though, hope it doesn't go much beyond Xmas/New Year, it's giving me terrible indigestion at night!

I have a feeling this storyline will last and last, way beyond the birth of the baby. I hope not though, I don't think my nerves could stand it!

Nice thing about the Archers is they do tend to stretch out story lines rather than rushing them .

Well I was mulling this plotline over in my head ( at 2am .....sigh). I think that Kirsty will work out what Rob is up to, will not be believed, then will have the dilemma of discussing her fears with Tom......

Aha., yes, I like that scenario Gill. Much better than him ending up in the slurry pit.

I think it is time the other side of the story was told, what about a woman abusing a man and controlling him. It would be a much better story and would show how men don't like to go running to the authorities because they are ashamed. On another thread I gently reminded someone that it is not only women abusing men, these days there is as much the other way.

Linda's dog as I thought!

Nonnie, I accept this is an issue close to your heart but we're discussing the Archer's story line, in which there is no doubt that Rob is a controlling, emotionally abusive man. Perhaps another thread needs to be started, specifically to discuss women who physically or emotionally abuse their partners. They exist, no one is disputing that but we need to remember that 2 women a week are killed by current or former partners.