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Source: (consider it) Thread: Rewriting The Archers
Barnabas62
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Nice touch CK (overleaf). Clarrie Grundy (as voiced by Rosalind Adams) always reminded me of Pam Ayres. A national treasure, Pam.

[ 04. April 2016, 10:10: Message edited by: Barnabas62 ]

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Welease Woderwick

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I think Clarrie Grundy is a national treasure, too - she's a saint! In her shoes I'd've ploughed all her menfolk under years ago!

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Albertus
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quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
The story line isn't as straightforward as that Albertus. The women's aid groups (this story has been covered extensively across Radio 4 this morning) were saying that women are most at risk when they've decided to go.

(I walked out of a situation like that years ago. I am really, really hoping my parents, which is where I ran and who tried sending me back, are listening and paying attention.)

Sorry, don't follow you. I saw that's what they said and I pass no comment on whether women who kill or try to kill an abusive partner, rather than try to go, should be jailed. But I know that IRL they are and I was hoping that a period in HMP Felpersham would get Helen, who must surely be one of the most deeply irritating people in Ambridge (and she's got some competition) off the air for a bit.

Oh and agree with WW about Clarrie. In fact I think she's one of the best fictional Christians around (IIRC she does go to St Stephen's fairly regularly, doesn't she?).

[ 04. April 2016, 16:55: Message edited by: Albertus ]

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Curiosity killed ...

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Not clear cut because:

1. We don't know if Rob is dead yet or not;
2. We don't know what Rob was doing to Henry to trigger the attack*;
3. Rob put the knife in Helen's hands, to force her to hurt herself as the only way she was allowed to leave - she didn't go and find a weapon;

* That reduced to submission about the only thing that will trigger a reaction is damage to the kids. It's what made me see sense and go - my infant daughter being hit. I had enough wit to plan a way out, but those few weeks while I was holding it together and planning to leave weren't great. At least I was still allowed to work as I was main breadwinner.

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Barnabas62
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A good friend observed this morning (Facebook exchange) that she hoped Rob was dead, if not by knife then by drowning in custard! A truly unpleasant and pretty true to life representation of control-freak behaviour, even including the handing over of the knife. Helen's behaviour? Not so sure. That looked like 'created for dramatic effect'. The outworking follows in half an hour .. wonder what the audience figures will be?

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Barnabas62
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Well, he isn't dead, or at least not yet. Storyline ongoing and I wonder where? Stock up with whisky, G&T, or chemical equivalents.

Compelling listening - seemed a lot more than 13 minutes.

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Albertus
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quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Not clear cut because:

1. We don't know if Rob is dead yet or not;
2. We don't know what Rob was doing to Henry to trigger the attack*;
3. Rob put the knife in Helen's hands, to force her to hurt herself as the only way she was allowed to leave - she didn't go and find a weapon;

Oh, I see. Well, here's hoping.
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Welease Woderwick

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Many years ago [I think early to mid 1980s but who knows?] there was a play on TV in UK [possibly either on BBC2 or Channel 4] which was deliberately laid out to show that domestic abuse is not limited to working class families - it was groundbreaking at the time and was not comfortable viewing but was superbly done.

I've just downloaded and listened to the last two episodes - Rob is not a very nice man, is he?

I've often thought that Ambridge would be the perfect location for a nuclear testing site - can I press the red button, please?

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Welease Woderwick

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p.s. If Rob lingers on for a year and a day before shuffling off his mortal coil then at least Helen can't be done for murder!

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Curiosity killed ...

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You had to hear the slow build up to this to fully appreciate the last two episodes. Really subtle controlling behaviour for a long time. About a month ago a former Archers writer wrote a script for Helen to say to Rob (it's on the Archers website*) because listeners were so frustrated.

This particular story line was the trigger for this thread. There has been a lot of discussion about domestic abuse in the papers, not just the Guardian, but the New Statesman and the front cover of the Daily Mail yesterday, and across other programming. Some has been debunking the disbelief expressed that this sort of behaviour happens.

It's been very clever because it's so difficult to explain how disabling that sort of abuse is, how being cowed into submission and fear leaves you with no ability to respond appropriately or understand the level of abuse. And the isolation leaves you with no checks and balances.

* that speech was given by an actress on Broadcasting House, the news programme on Sunday morning.

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Curiosity killed ...

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I think you also have to have lived with someone with anorexia to know how much the rest of the family starts tiptoeing around and accommodating them. There's always that (reasonable) fear that anorexia can be triggered again. Someone I follow elsewhere has just publicly said she's fighting anorexia for the third time - a woman with grown up children - partly to try and acknowledge to herself that she has a problem.

quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
Shula's given up alcohol for Lent and put the money she's saved into the tin in the church.... I wonder how much money is in that tin?

Enough for Kirsty to take out a contract on Rob? Or only enough to tempt Alf?

You got the answer to that one - £400, enough to tempt Alf.

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Welease Woderwick

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That GBP400 sounds about akin to the GBP10 a day I used to spend on the bottle in the not-so-goo-old-days! But they are a long time ago now so prices may have gone up.

One of my sisters in law was anorexic and bulimic and I understand from her that it is always there, hovering, waiting for a chance to return. A bit like the booze. Thankfully whatever issues I may have with my brother I don't think he's abusive.

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Baptist Trainfan
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quote:
Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
p.s. If Rob lingers on for a year and a day before shuffling off his mortal coil then at least Helen can't be done for murder!

You want to prolong the agony for another year? Kyrie eleison!
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Albertus
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Alas, that sensible rule is no more: see s1 of The Law Reform (Year and a Day Rule) Act 1996:

quote:
The rule known as the "year and a day rule" (that is, the rule that, for the purposes of offences involving death and of suicide, an act or omission is conclusively presumed not to have caused a person's death if more than a year and a day elapsed before he died) is abolished for all purposes.
So this could be drawn out, world without end.

Is Helen on bail? I think she should take Henry and flee the country. Forever. Please.

[ 05. April 2016, 08:35: Message edited by: Albertus ]

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Welease Woderwick

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...and can she take her entire extended family with her, please?

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Albertus
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Oh yes. It occurred to me this morning that another unexpected bonus might be that this could tip Pat, whose grip on sanity seems to have been rather shaky lately, over the edge and into long-term hospital treatment- or perhaps a prolonged episode of elective mutism, I don't mind which. Tony & Tom are low-grade bores who don't seem to be very high profile nowadays anyway, so I don't much mind what happens to them. The best of them- by far the best- is Lilian, who is wonderful. Let's keep her.
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Barnabas62
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Tom will play an important role in the enfolding of the storyline. Watch this space.

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betjemaniac
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quote:
Originally posted by Albertus:
Oh yes. It occurred to me this morning that another unexpected bonus might be that this could tip Pat, whose grip on sanity seems to have been rather shaky lately, over the edge and into long-term hospital treatment- or perhaps a prolonged episode of elective mutism, I don't mind which. Tony & Tom are low-grade bores who don't seem to be very high profile nowadays anyway, so I don't much mind what happens to them. The best of them- by far the best- is Lilian, who is wonderful. Let's keep her.

Part of the problem recently has been the way it has gone off-balance in terms of characters being "disappeared." I've not missed the near total absence of Kathy, but where's Jamie, Chris (Carter not Auntie), Alice, etc? And it's about time for the return of Mike, Hayley, Brenda et al too. And the return from bizarre Tuscan banishment of Oliver and Caroline.

Completely agree with the general Clarrie love-in. She's possibly the best broadcast representation of The Meek (TM) going. In my house growing up something would happen to her and my mum would come out with Monty Python's line about "it's nice the meek are getting something - they have a hell of a time..."

Oh God, I think I've just come out as an Archers listener. I don't feel relieved so much as dirty...

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Doc Tor
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You love it, you slag.

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Forward the New Republic

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Albertus
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quote:
Originally posted by Barnabas62:
Tom will play an important role in the enfolding of the storyline. Watch this space.

You seem to be very well informed...
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jacobsen

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She stabbed him! [Axe murder] [Axe murder] [Axe murder]

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Beauty fades, dumb is forever-Judge Judy
The man who made time, made plenty.

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Welease Woderwick

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quote:
Originally posted by betjemaniac:
... And the return from bizarre Tuscan banishment of Oliver and Caroline...

Will Oliver return? Caroline has a history of husbands dying in mysterious circumstances and I'm sure she has enough put by to pay off the odd carabinieri or two!


[clarriety]

[ 05. April 2016, 14:10: Message edited by: Welease Woderwick ]

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Barnabas62
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quote:
Originally posted by Albertus:
quote:
Originally posted by Barnabas62:
Tom will play an important role in the enfolding of the storyline. Watch this space.

You seem to be very well informed...
Just guessing. My wife thinks that Tom and Kirstie are not over, and that Kirstie will seek him out as an ally in the forthcoming credibility battle. And Charlie will reappear for similar reasons.

Rob can lie for England. So he'll want Helen sectioned, himself as victim of her irrationality, the children (Henry and the unborn) in danger from her madness etc, etc.

And I'm open to offers from the scriptwriting team ...

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Albertus
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And there was me thinking you might be Charles Collingwood or somebody.
There are, of course, victims of Helen's - longstanding- irrationality, but they are mainly herself and Henry (whose existence is entirely due to it).

[ 05. April 2016, 14:52: Message edited by: Albertus ]

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betjemaniac
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quote:
Originally posted by Albertus:
And there was me thinking you might be Charles Collingwood or somebody.

some hope - I used to have good connections with 2 of the cast. Could we ever get any inside story? No we couldn't.

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Albertus
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How far in advance of broadcast did they know what was going to happen?
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Rosa Gallica officinalis
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I love this re-write.

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betjemaniac
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quote:
Originally posted by Albertus:
How far in advance of broadcast did they know what was going to happen?

about a month if they were involved in the storyline for the next month - each month's episodes used to be blasted through in a couple of days once a month. Didn't take long at all.

There were a couple of actors always on standby to come in a do some emergency lines if there was some sort of topical/national crisis - IIRC each episode has 2 mins or so of filler out of the 12 which can be cut out and the topical stuff dropped in without damaging the plot.

Can't remember when each month the recording is though so it's possible that this week's could have been recorded in the last week of March, and are the first of this month's cycle, or are anything up to 4 weeks old and are the last of the old cycle.

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Barnabas62
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Some fairly obvious signs tonight that Helen's credibility is going to be subjected to a severe test. I'd say they are setting the scene for a trial.

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Welease Woderwick

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So we'll potentially have yet another Ambridge Jailbird!

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Barnabas62
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Rob's dad and mum are out for vengeance. At least the dad is. Ursula appears to do what she's told. And there is certainly a case for the prosecution. Plenty of mileage in that storyline.

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Jemima the 9th
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Ohhhhhhh nooooooooo! </Ruth>

I think they are building to a trial. Not the trial I was hoping for though. I was hoping Helen would get out & Rob would go to court for all the very bad things he's done.

The confrontation last night between Pat & Tony, and Rob's parents, was altogether silly.

I love the Shambridge soundcloud! They have Lynda's sniff to a T.

[ 07. April 2016, 10:56: Message edited by: Jemima the 9th ]

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Welease Woderwick

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Rob's father, whatever his name is, treats Poor Usrsula exactly like Rob was treating Helen - but isn't Male Headship one of the DH subjects?

I've now listened to 4 consecutive days and I think I shall drop out again to preserve my sanity - it must be 12 to 15 years since I was a devotee and I know that I could so easily get sucked back into it all. And after 12 to 15 years nothing has changed except the characters are even less connected to reality than they were before!

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What part of Matt. 7:1 don't you understand?

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Amika
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quote:
Originally posted by Jemima the 9th:

I think they are building to a trial. Not the trial I was hoping for though. I was hoping Helen would get out & Rob would go to court for all the very bad things he's done.

The confrontation last night between Pat & Tony, and Rob's parents, was altogether silly.


I agree. I wanted to see an end to it, Helen's release from Rob's grasp and nasty Rob off back to live with Ursula. This is far more messy and nasty and redolent of TV soaps that I don't watch because I get too involved. Although I don't like Helen as a character I don't think I can carry on listening to her suffering for another twelve months or more so I'm taking a break. I might keep up with the general story via Twitter instead.
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Jemima the 9th
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Before the stabbing, I had stopped listening & was just reading the Archers facebook group. Worked very nicely. [Smile]
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Barnabas62
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There's a deadly plausibility to the storyline. Helen is charged with attempted murder, Henry is now a material witness and is being taken into care to prevent his "evidence" being "tainted" by Helen's family. The forensics are consistent with an unprovoked attack. Evidence of Helen's historical and present instability is strong, there are credible witnesses (including Helen herself now) to her threat to kill him.

The clear impact of the storyline is that once you recognise you are subject to domestic abuse, get the hell out of the situation before it destabilises you, eats away at your ability to know who you are any more. So far as the stabbing is concerned, it seems to confirm the Duke of Wellington's advice. "It is inadvisable to drive any one beyond a certain point.

Tonight's episode will probably be about bail, or the possibility of bail. And somebody needs to take Peggy's pen away.

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Eirenist
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According to The Times, the agony is set to continue for another year.

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Eirenist
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Sorry, pressed submit too soon. Meant to add 'at least'. As someone has already said 'Oooooh Nooooo!'

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'I think I think, therefore I think I am'

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Curiosity killed ...

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quote:
Originally posted by Barnabas62:
The clear impact of the storyline is that once you recognise you are subject to domestic abuse, get the hell out of the situation before it destabilises you, eats away at your ability to know who you are any more.

Is the moral really that? Isn't it that setting up a cosy dinner to negotiate leaving with a controlling partner is not a great idea? Going without discussion taking everything you might need would have been a lot wiser. Then any necessary negotiations can be held somewhere neutral with other witnesses and several exits to ensure a safe way out. Also only agreeing supervised access to any children.

The problem for Helen is that she had allowed Rob into every area of her life - her work, her house, her inheritance, her family, her bank account. Where was safe to run?

And I think that people are underestimating how destroying this controlling behaviour is really. This New Statesman story is from Helen Walmsley-Johnson comparing her own abuse to Helen's:
quote:
It’s the little things you notice first – the sulks, the sudden irritation, the criticism of your clothes, your weight, your hair, your friends, your family, your work, your slightly flabby upper arms, your A-cup breasts and why isn’t there a meal on the table at 6.30pm prompt when you know that upsets him...? But it’s dressed up as caring and you haven’t learned yet not to trust him. He wants you to wear that dress because you look so pretty in it. He only mentions you’ve put on a few pounds because he loves you. If only you’d let him take care of you... Slowly, slowly your confidence is eroded.
and a bit later:
quote:
You become compliant to such a nauseating degree, you sicken yourself.
Both of which twang visceral chords. She says it took her five years to put herself back together again, physically and emotionally. It probably took me as long.

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Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006  |  IP: Logged
Albertus
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Yes, this has to be condensed for dramatic purposes, I suppose. And actually if any woman were in a good position to get out, it's Helen- living near lots of friends and relations who would be supportive and with an abuser who is a relative newcomer in the community, and by no means universally trusted. But I'd imagine that few people who are being abused IRL are in such a fortunate position and so the demands of public service broadcasting quite understandably require that this be overlooked. It is, after all, fiction, albeit realist fiction with a purpose.

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Barnabas62
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quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
quote:
Originally posted by Barnabas62:
The clear impact of the storyline is that once you recognise you are subject to domestic abuse, get the hell out of the situation before it destabilises you, eats away at your ability to know who you are any more.

Is the moral really that? Isn't it that setting up a cosy dinner to negotiate leaving with a controlling partner is not a great idea? Going without discussion taking everything you might need would have been a lot wiser.
I think it's both. As you say, given the extent to which Rob had eroded Helen's freedoms, family and friends relationships etc, it was hard to see where she should run to. (We supported the refuge movement for many years. It was a way of providing an option for women who found themselves in that desperate situation. I did wonder whether the refuge option might have been included in the storyline.)

The meal decision was an absolute disaster but it showed the extent to which even Helen's judgment about what was safe had been eroded by the abuse.

The New Statesman link was excellent, BTW. Many thanks.

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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

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Eirenist
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I see it all now! The Helen-Rob storyline is a blatant piece of Brexit propaganda - Rob the domineering, oppressive, ruthless EU; Helen poor deceived Britannia. Who would have thought it of the BBC?

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Penny S
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The programme has now gone beyond anywhere susceptible to rewriting. Pat and Tony have taken Henry to see Rob, who has recovered mentally completely, in hospital, and Ursula has said she will take the child there without P&T in future. When he can't see Helen for fear of contaminating his evidence.

Regular listeners are giving up.

This needs to make use of the reboot, the other trouserleg of the Ambridgeverse, sharpish, or it will be shown to have descended into a complete slurry pit (though of less value). As for being of use to the victims of DV and coercion, it's more likely to help the abusers by making the victims see no way out, with their children being handed over to the control freaks.

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Curiosity killed ...

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This one is complicated: Rob has parental responsibility as Helen agreed this when he said he wanted to adopt Henry. He hasn't adopted Henry or obtained a court order as that meant being checked more than he wanted (DBS). Parental responsibility requires the consent of the mother, the birth certificate of the child and ID. With parental responsibility his rights trump those of a grandparent, even a blood relative.

No-one has told Pat and Tony that Henry is not allowed to see his legal parent, not the police, not the social workers. And that parental responsibility order can only be dissolved by a court. It's probably an oversight by the police and social workers, but there's not much Pat and Tony can do when Rob demands to see him.

Normally all the adults who have parental responsibilities have to agree what happens to the child, but with Helen in prison, Rob is in charge. The only way of preventing Rob doing what he wants with Henry is by application to the courts for a prohibited steps order or to dissolve his parental responsibility order.

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Barnabas62
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Which is I'm sure the point the scriptwriters want to bring out.

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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

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Barnabas62
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I'm not sure I'd want to rewrite the script at this point. The official scriptwriters seem to be handling this part of the storyline with skill and realism. But it remains painful to listen to.

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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

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Curiosity killed ...

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The tweet along mob are fairly unhappy about this line too, and the Archers twitter account has been joining in. The Archers twitter account has put up a blog explaining why Henry can live with Rob, because they are both witnesses for the prosecution and the parental rights situation above. They are getting advice on this story line, they haven't made anything up.

Someone is saying the school should be intervening, but in my experience, the school will be keeping an eye on the situation, but will not necessarily intervene. They will be monitoring, but will not necessarily involve social care unless there is a problem that indicates he is in present danger - and an incident that seems to be over and the child is back in safety is not a reason to involve social care.

Whether Henry's school will offer any intervention depends on the availability of school provision: if there are any mentors or counsellors, the child's behaviour and the needs of the other children. Five is really too young for mentoring so unless there's a child counsellor available and the child shows that he needs that support, it's unlikely.

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Barnabas62
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Why it is so uncomfortable is that we all know that Rob Tichner is a Grade A++ bastard because we've been allowed to eavesdrop on his bastardy. The net result is that the police and the law just look and feel wrong. But that's because we've been allowed to see what coercive control really looks like and what it does to victims. Painful and educational at the same time.

Where is Jess? Where is Charlie? They will be along at some point, that's for sure.

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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

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Penny S
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I do think that the change on collection, with Ursula telling the school, before the court hearing, that P&T would not be allowed to collect Henry would not have been accepted without paperwork. But I'm not sure whether a note from Rob, or Rob's Mum would be enough.
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Barnabas62
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I winced tonight. Would a judge really have denied bail to a heavily pregnant women, given the conditions Helen's counsel was prepared to agree to on her behalf? Coupled with Pat's complete stupidity in her police interview (which led to her being a prosecution witness), that really did seem to be piling on the agony for dramatic effect.

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Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

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