Slightly more borderline: incorrectly charged because mitigating circumstances were not taken into account: Paddy Lawson, Daphne Graham
Or the ones who don't protest their innocence because they are covering for someone else: Denise Tyler, Petra Roberts, Nancy McCormack.
Then there's the ones who protest their innocence, but are guilty as sin and devious as well: Kate Peterson, Angel Adams, Eve Wilder.
Or there's the double bluff: the prisoner who protests her innocence, and is later released, but actually was guilty: Michelle Parks and (more lethally) Edna Pearson.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTIONS
The writers seem a bit confused about where some of the major characters' children could have come from, given their statments about their past. Found under a gooseberry bush, apparently, were:- Lori Young/Maynard and Jim Barry (suggested by AW)
INCEST
The most direct treatment of the theme is the story of Kerry ("Kim") Brodie, who runs away to the halfway house to get away from her father who had been sexually abusing her (316)-(321).Petra Roberts killed her father - seen in flashback in (390) - because he had been forcing her to have sex with him and was about to start on her sister Emma. Bill Desmond's hint to Myra at his incestuous desire for their daughter Kay is what finally makes her snap and kill him (431).
THE IRRITS
My choice for the award for the most irritating character are:-Winner, Second place and Third place. But other nominations are welcome...
JURIES
Juries were obviously a drain on the payroll, and the directors often go to great lengths to disguise the fact that there are only six people involved. The precendent for these economy sized juries is set at Karen Travers' retrial in (25) and can be seen later at the trials of Mum and Bea (204) and Petra Roberts (398).
KANGAROO COURTS
When justice fails to satisfy the women in Wentworth, they often mete it out themselves.Kate Peterson is tried for the murder of Sandy Edwards in (268)-(269) with Judy as the defence counsel, Bea as the prosecutor, and Marie Winter as the public executioner.
Sarah Higgins' trial in (499) has Reb as prosecutor and Pixie as defence, and Myra as Judge.
Eve Wilder is arraigned by Lou Kelly when she is revealed as the Phantom Lagger (600), but Lou pretty much dispenses with the trial and goes straight to the execution.
Rita arranges a trial for Lou and Alice (603) complete with a fake hanging for them both at the end.
As part of the "reforms" when she is reinstated as Governor, Ann asks the women to decide on punishment for Brumby and Spike, so they hold a brief trial (678).
KIDNAPPINGS
Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, no-one has yet been able to find the time to write anything on it. But I understand that someone is working on it and an entry will appear in due course.
LOCKUP
The actresses locking up during the final credits are:-Kirsty Child, Susan Arnold, Delva Hunter and Geraldine Girvan.
The episodes where the lockup officer does not appear are (4); (6); (127); (139); (191)
LONG LOST RELATIVES
The re-union of long separated mother and children is a staple of old fashioned stage melodrama - hence that classic cliched line "Gone! And never called me mother!" or the formula of only being able to recognise a relation after many years through a conveniently distinctive birthmark. It's a favourite theme in soaps too, as it neatly manages to introduce new characters yet keep the family centredness intact. In soaps, people are always falling over relatives they never knew they had. The situation of "Prisoner" should make it both more plausible and more likely that characters in prison will either have given up their own children, or had them taken away, or themselves been abandoned by their parents. Having said that, there does seem to be a lot of it about. Popping up after many years are the following mothers:- Doreen's, Nora's, Sam's and Lexie's. From the other side, major characters like Lizzie or Judy discover their children popping out of the woodwork after had almost forgotten them. In a future version of "Prisoner", a major plotline would naturally have to be an ageing Chrissie Latham being re-united with her adult daughter Elizabeth...MARRIAGES
There are four Brides of Wentworth (married inside the prison itself) Doreen, Petra, Marlene and Julie. Other weddings seen during the series: Meg and Bob Morris; Pippa and Ben Fulbright; Joyce and Mervin Pringle.
MISCARRIAGES
Characters who have miscarriages: Lynn Warner in (14) after driving a getaway car off the road following a bungled wages snatch; Cheryl ?, a halfway house resident, in (388) after falling downstairs; Bobbie Mitchell in (460) after being pushed to one side by Dennis Cruickshank; Nora Flynn in (557) after a punch in the stomach from Lou Kelly.
MISLEADING CREDITS
None of the following are exactly what they seem:-Ellen Farmer, Customer and Handsome stranger.
MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES
Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, no-one has yet been able to find the time to write anything on it. But I understand that someone is working on it and an entry will appear in due course.
NAME CHANGES
"Here lies one who name was writ on water". Here are a few whose names were evidently writ on something equally impermanent:-
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Those twitching the net curtains and getting involved where they perhaps ought to keep their distance are:- Thelma Reid, Cheryl Scott, Betty Collins and Thelma Turner.
NEWSREADERS
A standard way of introducing plot information is through a news bulletin, as the women may have a radio playing in the laundry or the TV may be in the middle of one of the very strange films received in Wentworth that only seem to have background music and no dialogue. It is hard for non-Australian audiences to tell the difference between actors playing newreaders (Adam Joseph does a good many of these) and real newsreaders or chat show hosts playing themselves. Thanks to Robert for pointing out that at least the following are the genuine article:- Jennifer Hansen, Jennifer Keyte, Roy Hampson, Ilonya Komesaroff.