ACTORSCHARACTERSSTARTEPISODES

EPISODE 552

The siege of Wentworth Detention Centre reaches a bloody climax. Ruth and the armed mercenaries escape, taking Joan as hostage, and more shooting follows at the airport. With only a few moments left to foil the escape plan, Joan makes a life-and-death decision.

First broadcast ... 1985 (Melbourne)
Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 09 October 1999 04:40
DVD release: volume 34 disc 6 (AUS)
Duration: 0:43:12



Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne
Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick
Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson
Myra ~ Anne Phelan
Joyce ~ Joy Westmore
Nora ~ Sonja Tallis
May ~ Billie Hammerberg
Willie ~ Kirsty Child
Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw
Ruth ~ Lindy Davies
Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance
Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor
Lou ~ Louise Siversen
Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne
Ettie ~ Lois Ramsay
Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell
Alice ~ Lois Collinder
Ram ~ Robert Hughes
Al ~ Gerard Kennedy
Max ~ Murray Fahey
Det Insp Grace ~ Terry Gill
Bus Driver ~ Gerard Matte [?]
Harry (Driver) ~ Bob Halsall
Fed. Cop No 1 ~ Scott Lucey
Fed. Cop No 2 ~ Chris Hallam
Detective 1 ~ James Patrick
Detective 2 ~ Ian Walker
Constable ~ Justin Gaffney
SOG 7 ~ Wayne Hirst
SOG 8 ~ Paul Hunter-Russell [?]
SOG 9 ~ Mark Muggeridge

  • Written by Coral Drouyn
  • Directed by Chris Adshead
  • The bus driver doesn't seem to be the credited

    Julie manages to get into the Governor's office through the ventilation system and immediately gets an outside line to phone the police. Ruth reviews Myra's options for the person she could choose as the next victim and sarcastically applauds Nora's "heroic" speech saying that she was chosen first and it should be her. When Myra makes a move to attack Ruth, she decides that Myra should killed. Julie lets Inspector Grace that there are only three terrorists rather than the dozen or so they thought [how are they all supposed to have fitted in the getaway car the police have already seen?] As Ruth demands, Myra is shot in the head in front of the women, in the middle of a speech asking Nora to get Geoff to look after Kay. Nora refuses to let Myra's body be removed from the rec room, and stands guard over it. Julie makes her way back through the ventilation shaft. Inspector Grace plans the transport to the airfield: he shows Ann a plan of the minibus which has a booby trapped gloved compartment and guns under the back seat. Ann is outraged at his apparent assumption that an officer will be taken hostage. Nora tells the women that Myra started the attack deliberately to make sure she was chosen as the victim and avoid having to choose someone else: Lou snaps back that she'd have found it easy enough to choose someone (with a quick glance at Joan). Max catches Julie climbing down from the ventilation shaft in the shower block. Ram tells Inspector Grace that they have killed another prisoner and four of his officers. Ruth realises that Julie wasn't in the rec room for Myra's killing. The terrorists prepare to leave, taking Ruth and Joan as well as a hostage. Ram orders Max to shoot Julie , but the women rush him, Nora gets his gun and shoots him with it. Nora stands guard with the gun at the rec room door in case the men come back to finish them off. The driver lets Grace know there are only four passengers, one less than they were expecting, and the plan is compromised by the fact that Joan's hands are tied. However, the minibus driver hints to Joan where to find the gun. The women hide in the rec room cupboard until the police special operations team arrive. Joyce is upset that she didn't behave more like an officer, but vehemently defends Nora for shooting the terrorist and saving all their lives. Nora refuses to leave Myra's body and Ann has to talk to her to persuade her to rest. Lou insists she will be the new top dog and tells May not to assume she will be the obvious successor. Alice is taken to court. Ruth notices the driver is going round in circles to play for time: Ram insists they are driven straight to the airfield. Jenny is told she will have to miss her grandmother's funeral as there isn't time to organise transport. Jenny gives a colourful version of the killing of Max which puts Nora under suspicion of murder. Nora packs Myra's things and tells Lou she doesn't care who takes over. Even so, she manages to frighten Lou by reminding her that she has just proved she is capable of killing. Meg defends Nora and points out that Joyce's story doesn't agree with Jenny's. Nora ignores Daphne's distress, assuming that she is just upset over Myra's death. Joan and the driver exchange signals: with the booby trap and the gun, they kill Ram and Al as the minibus arrives at the airstrip. Joan races out of the bus after Ruth and has her at gunpoint , but Inspector Grace persuades her not to shoot.

    ***


    ITV regional broadcast dates:-
    Broadcast on Ulster Monday 6th October 1997 23:40; Meridian Tuesday 04 August 1998 23:45


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