EPISODE 22Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 22 April 1997 Tues 4:40 a.m. Meg and Vera clash. Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Sarah ~ Andrea Butcher Ken Roberts ~ Tim Elliott Ted Warner ~ Ben Gabriel Catherine ~ Margo McLennan Dr Crawe ~ Ernie Bourne  Frank Sutton ~ John Bowman  Clerk of Court ~ Peter Culpan Reporter ~ Rod Dorin Mr Goodwin ~ Lloyd Cunnington Glenda ~ Lena Fiszman  Mr Prior ~ Robbie McGregor  Sister ~ Pam Murphy  Judge ~ James Taylor  Angus ~ Walter Pym UNCREDITEDBarbara ~ Sally CahillThe scene of Erica and Lizzie arriving at Angus's place begins with this enigmatic shot | Meg repeats the allegation to the VJ, but Barbara sees Vera's look of panic and knows she has made her point so she is happy to deny it and claim she was solely responsible for getting the drugs inside. Vera smugly says she has confidence in "her" staff and presses for no charges to see if Barbara will reveal anything else if she thinks she has got away with it. Steve finds it difficult to relate to Lynn's new cynical attitude under the influence of Doreen. Doreen hassles Barbara, calling her a "dog" (apparently not in reference to her appearance). Vera "accidentally" lets it slip to the VJ that Barbara is Erica's niece and so is able to deny that Erica had given her any favourable treatment - while implying the exact opposite. Lizzie visits her brother Angus, who apparently lives in some sort of junkyard: however Erica is barely inside the front door before she identifies a few valuable antiques. The doctor asks Lizzie to use her influence to get her brother to accept being taken into hospital. Steve points out to Jean that Lynn's change of image will do her no good in court, and they agree to talk to her father. Meg finds out from chatting to Mr Goodwin that he seems to have been influenced by Vera's insinuations about Erica's favourable treatment of Barbara. Lizzie gets fed up waiting for Angus to wake up and gives him a good poke: within a few minutes they have a furious row after Angus insults Lizzie's husband ("two pot screamer... should have gone round in a dress"), and he disinherits her with his dying words (as reported by the doctor "tell her she doesn't get a cracker... I got no sister"). Catherine disappoints Steve by refusing to allow Sarah to testify or to allow him to use a defence of temporary insanity. Erica is in no hurry to get back to Wentworth and agrees to take Lizzie somewhere to have a chat. Vera is a little too frank with Meg about her contempt for Erica's advantages. Lizzie reminisces with Erica  : Lizzie says she had five children by her husband ("Blossom"), two of whom died and the other three were taken away from her. Erica tells Lizzie something about her family: her father was Chief Justice Marne and her brother a member of parliament. She confesses that she sees little of her husband or his side of the family, so does not object to Lizzie's description of Barbara as "that bitch". Steve and Jean talk to Mr Warren when he visits Wentworth and he agrees to testify for her, but Doreen frightens him off when she approaches as he is talking to Lynn in the garden. Lizzie shows the women her "inheritance" - a liberated piece of "Limenoge" china. At her trial, Catherine is sentenced to 3 years  (rather unusually, the judge's exact words are "I sentence you to three years in the Wentworth Detention Centre" - since when did judges decide which prison people are sent to?). Ken's business partner tells him he must sell his share if he wants money for his legal costs. Catherine rejects Jean's offer of help as "charity". Erica asks Meg what went on while she was away as she has received a letter threatening her with an investigation into the running of Wentworth. Bea and Lizzie sympathise with Catherine and agree that the wrong person was imprisoned. Karen questions Steve's abilities when she finds out Catherine's verdict: he remembers just in time to tell her that her own re-trial is in a couple of days time. |
EPISODE 23Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 23 April 1997 Wed 4:40 a.m. Barbara causes chaos.Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Sarah ~ Andrea Butcher Barbara ~ Sally Cahill Ken Roberts ~ Tim Elliott Ted Warner ~ Ben Gabriel Catherine ~ Margo McLennan Syd ~ Alan Rowe  Mary Healy ~ Carmel Millhouse Michael Davidson ~ Michael Cole  Officer 1 ~ Jean Cain Officer 2 ~ Ann Sutherland  Head Waiter ~ Peter Ashby Another nonspeaking cameo from Kate Jason Fashion disasters in Wentworth (part of a long series): what is this | Steve asks Jean for help in finding Karen's mother, as her appeal looks a little shaky. Lynn accuses Jean of messing up her life. Meanwhile, Lynn's father is arranging a work release job for Lynn with his old Army mate Syd. Michael Davidson visits Barbara and despite Erica's plea to Meg to say she isn't here, he insists on seeing her to plead Barbara's case to Erica, but she is not impressed. Bea and Catherine talk (as if they didn't talk in the last episode...) and Bea tells her they are inside for much the same reason. Erica asks Meg again who told the VJ she was related to Barbara, but she doesn't really need to be told the answer. Bea defends Catherine against Lizzie and Doreen's accusation that she's a snob because she didn't laugh at a dirty joke at breakfast. Lynn and her father make up their differences on their own without Jean or Steve's help. Erica confronts Vera about her suspicions that she was responsible for getting her into trouble with the VJ, but Vera is able to claim she acted correctly. Doreen drenches Barbara while she's on cleaning duty  and they fight. Vera orders Barbara to clean it up, but Catherine protests that it was Doreen who started the fight. Catherine tells Barbara she ought to tell the Governor that she's being mistreated. Bea and Catherine talk about their daughters, and Catherine asks who is looking after her daughter, as Bea hasn't told she is dead. As Bea tells Catherine that Vera wouldn't let her go to Debbie's funeral, Vera turns up on cue to tell Catherine that Sarah has come to visit her. She is apalled to find that Sarah is off school and has hitch-hiked to the prison but Sarah accuses her of caring for her no more than her father who is trying to send her to Ballarat. Steve tells Karen that Lynn's trial went better than he expected and she got a 12 month sentence with remission. She reluctantly agrees to help him find her mother, who has sold her business and moved: she suggests she contacts Madge Whitton. When Steve goes talk to her, it is Karen's mother he actually meets, but she refuses to help Karen by giving evidence at her appeal, though she does pause when he mentions that Karen's husband forced her to have an abortion. Erica accepts Michael's invitation to dinner, though she thinks he is just buttering her up to get better treatment for Barbara. Karen's mother visits her, but Karen tells her she doesn't need her help. Steve manages to catch Mrs Healey as she is leaving and invites her out to dinner to try to get her to change her mind by letting her know that she is the only one who knows what Karen's marriage was really like. Sarah can't persuade her father that it's better if she stays with him rather than being sent away to live with her aunt. Lynn can't get into her cell as Barbara has barricaded herself in: when Vera arrives on the scene, Barbara threatens to set fire to herself and the whole prison. Erica is called away from her dinner date with her ex-husband to deal with Barbara, but she decides to do nothing but to leave her and see if Barbara's convictions are stronger than her stomach. |
EPISODE 24Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 24 April 1997 Thurs 4:40 a.m. Barbara is terrorised.Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Sarah ~ Andrea Butcher Barbara ~ Sally Cahill Ken Roberts ~ Tim Elliott Ted Warner ~ Ben Gabriel Catherine ~ Margo McLennan Syd ~ Alan Rowe Dr Barrett ~ Ivor Bowyer Judge ~ Keith Eden  Mr Proudfoot ~ John Heywood Clerk of Court ~ Travis Keyes Bailiff V/O ~ Adam Joseph The actor playing the prosecutor has a rather individual style of delivery which could easily be mistaken for atrociously bad acting. The courtroom building There was never a jury | Barbara is still holed up in her cell next morning at the wakeup call. Karen and Bea are sceptical about Barbara's prospects of lasting much longer, and set Catherine straight over her simplistic view that Vera is responsible, pointing out that right and wrong don't make any difference - it's still Barbara who will get the blame. Lynn's father politely turns down Jean's job options for Lynn and tells her he's arranged a placement himself in a friend's nursery ("about a mile away" he claims). Jean grudgingly agrees to go and see if the placement is "suitable". Catherine sees Jean about work: she claims she has never had to do in her life and doesn't see why she should begin now, and tells her she'd be better advised to talk to Barbara and Vera's harassment of her. When Catherine refuses to repeat her remarks in front of the Governor, Jean goes to talk to Erica but she blames Doreen principally but admits Vera is actively encouraging her. Doreen herself confrims that this is true. Karen's court appearance arrives: Steve urges her not to worry, even though the cross examination will be rough on her. Erica tells Vera she intends to report her to the authorities for standing by while one prisoner bashed another. Erica speaks to Barbara and promises to protect her from both Doreen and Vera: she eventually agrees to come out of her cell. Erica decides the only solution is to transfer Barbara to another prison. Steve presents his opening arguments: he says that he will present evidence of mitigating circumstances not heard at the original trial. Ken tells Catherine that people are already gossiping that Sarah was having an affair: he then says he has sold his share in the business and intends to take up a job in Sydney and send Sarah to live with her aunt. However, Catherine seems far more upset by the idea of the house being let and "tenants? using my things?" Dr Barrett gives evidence that Karen was pregnant when he last examined her seven months ago and had a black eye when she came to collect her test results. Erica says goodybe to Barbara as she leaves: Doreen manages to find her way to reception (minus the black eye makeup and with her hair back in its old style) and apologises to Barbara. She admits to Erica she's not cut out to take Franky's place. Jean goes to see Syd's nursery and attends Karen's trial. Greg is cross examined by the prosecutor about his previous knowledge of Karen and accused of manufaturing testimony to help her: he responds that he is not in love with Karen and never was. Jean takes Lynn to meet Syd. Karen gives evidence about her pleasure at the news of her pregnancy and her husband's angry reaction leading to her deciding to have an abortion. The judge agrees to an adjournment when Karen becomes too upset to continue, but the prosecutor indicates to Steve that he thinks it is all an act to play for the jury's sympathy. |
EPISODE 25Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 25 April 1997 Fri 4:40 a.m. Karen confides in Bea.Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Charles ~ Arthur Barradell-Smith  Susan Rice ~ Briony Behets Jury Foreman ~ Graham Braddy Officer ~ Jean Cain Judge ~ Keith Eden Mr Proudfoot ~ John Heywood Announcer V/O ~ Adam Joseph Clerk of Court - Travis Keyes Customer - Keith Lawrence Mary Healy ~ Carmel Millhouse Syd Butterfield ~ Alan Rowe Detective ~ Peter Thompson  Receptionist ~ Nanette Wallace "The Producers thank the Public Works Department of Victoria", probably for the use of the courtroom building? | Under cross-examination Karen is forced to admit that she never sought medical help when her husband beat her, and the prosecutor accuses her of making up all her evidence. Bea suggests to Karen they should get up a petition to get the rights the inmates have in "them Swedish prisons" and she and Karen discuss the husbands they both murdered. The women joke with Lynn about bringing back goods from work release, but Vera takes it seriously and warns her off. Meg and Vera disagree about the likelihood of Lynn abusing the privelege of work release. Karen refuses to let her mother be subpoenaed to give evidence, so the final day of her trial goes ahead without her. At the same time, Karen's mother leaves town with her gentleman friend, but by accident she hears about the case on his car radio, but when her friend asks why she so interested, she pretends she only knew the woman concerned slightly. Lynn arrives at work on time and is given a job of replanting some seedlings. An unidentified woman  is shown stealing an alarm clock from a department store and being stopped by a store detective. Lynn has to deal with a customer who gives her cash for some plants but the office is locked and she can't give him the right change. The mystery woman is brought to Wentworth on remand as she has refused to give her name and address and signs for her possessions with a cross. Karen's mother arrives at court during Steve's summing up and is called to give evidence of having seen Karen's bruises and the opposed attitudes of Karen and her husband to having children. She is able to dispose of the prosecutor's sarcastic questioning of her ability to remember the exact date of one of the rows she overheard, and points out it was her birthday. Lynn thinks Syd is accusing her of stealing money and runs away in tears. Syd is forced to tell Jean about Lynn's absence and she phones Erica to report it. Lizzie tries it on with Vera by asking to see the doctor about her "claustrophonia", but Vera takes her back to the laundry and delights in telling the women what she's overhears about Lynn going missing. Karen is found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter: her sentence is reduced to two years. Erica tells Meg the new prisoner has been identified from her fingerprints and that while she was talking to the police she had to mention that Lynn was missing. Jean is still trying to find where Lynn might have gone when Lynn presents herself at the front gate having walked back to Wentworth. |
EPISODE 26Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 26 April 1997 Sat 4:40 a.m. Lynn returns.Jean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Susan Rice ~ Briony Behets Anne Yates ~ Kirsty Child George Lucas ~ Bill Hunter Announcer V/O ~ Adam Joseph Mrs Henries ~ Natalie Raine Receptionist ~ Nanette Wallace
| After a brief attempt to be harsh and tough with her, Erica gives Lynn another chance, much to Vera's disgust. Vera's nose is further put out of joint when she tries to stop the women's celebration for Karen, but finds that Erica has already approved it. Bea rewrites the sign she has made to congratulate Karen  . Erica sees the shop-lifter, now identified from fingerprints as Susan Rice: she stays silent initially and only speaks to refuse to let Erica contact her husband, but allows Erica to contact her mother who is looking after her children. Jean and Meg have invited Greg round for dinner to celebrate Karen's reduced sentence. Steve also turns up and offers to help Jean with Karen's "rehabilitation program", saying that he doesn't intend to "drop" Karen, which Greg does not look too pleased about. Vera goes drinking and runs into ex-officer Ann Yates  (as she delivers a suspicious looking brown paper parcel to the barman), but a man who was evidently there to meet Ann listens to their conversation. Ann invites Vera home and then to a party the following night. Susan hardly says anything to the women at breakfast. Jean persuades Susan to call her husband Freddie (who's away from home a lot as he' s in "entertainment") when she agrees to turn her back so she does not see the phone number, but changes character suddenly after the conversation, snaps at Jean and dashes away. By the time Jean has caught up with her, she has changed back to her more normal personality. Greg questions Meg about the relationship between Jean and Steve (and he's obviously hoping there is one). Jean becomes suspicious when Susan pays her own bail as it proves she isn't stealing because she's hard up, and goes to visit Susan's mother. She says Susan is unlikely to be staying with her husband, as he applied for a divorce 3 months ago. Susan is immediately re-admitted to Wentworth on another shop-lifting charge. Alone in her cell, she finds a magazine photograph in a bedside table drawer which she gazes at and then tears up into shreds. At Ann Yates' party, Vera is introduced to George Lucas - the mystery man in the bar. Ann introduces him to Vera as her landlord and he says there might be a flat for Vera in the block if she wants. Susan asks to work, so Meg arranges for her to be assigned to the laundry, but she flies off the handle and attacks Doreen when she mentions pop star Jason Richards. Ann phones Vera at the prison and Meg takes the call: she lets Vera know she disapproves of her friendship with Ann. Vera goes for lunch with George and returns to work in high spirits. Susan rips the cord of the TV out of the wall when Jason Richards is mentioned: she runs into Meg in the corridor and tells her that she hates Jason Richards because he is her husband's lover. Vera visits Ann to tell her how her date went: when she asks Ann where George gets his money from, Ann implies he's in the same line as her, and in fact it was George she was working for when she was at Wentworth. |
EPISODE 27Broadcast on Channel 5 (UK) 27 April 1997 Sun 4:40 a.m. Susan's in troubleJean ~ Christine Amor Lynn ~ Kerry Armstrong Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Greg ~ Barry Quin Steve ~ Jim Smillie Vera ~ Fiona Spence Karen ~ Peita Toppano Susan Rice ~ Briony Behets Anne Yates ~ Kirsty Child George Lucas ~ Bill Hunter Jason Richards ~ David Bradshaw  Mr Gilbert ~ Telford Jackson  Officer ~ Ann Sutherland Receptionist ~ Nanette Wallace The windows outside Jean's office evidently have no glass in them, to judge by the way the curtains billow out when anyone passes in the corridor outside. Greg seems to call the unnamed officer "Betty". | Jean is intrigued by what Meg tells her about Susan's reaction to any mention of Jason Richards, and Meg has to warn her not to meddle where she has no expertise, adding that Susan's occasionally irrational behaviour doesn't prove she needs psychiatric treatment. Meanwhile, Susan is doing a pretty good impersonation of Ophelia, humming to herself and scrawling "FREDERICK" on her locker doors in lipstick  . Vera reluctantly accepts a lift to work from George and gives him back the gold lighter he gave her. They arrive at the gate just after Meg, who overhears George mention Ann: Vera rudely tells her to mind her own business. Jean makes a few phone calls but can't trace Susan's husband Frederick, as no-one connected with Jason Richards has heard of Frederick Rice. Vera finds Susan in her cell and tells her to clear the mess up after she's seen Jean. Susan tells Jean that her husband doesn't really want a divorce and it's Jason Richards' idea and forbids Jean to try to contact her husband again. Steve sees Jean about arranging outside study at University for Karen: both Jean and Meg suspect he's only doing it because he's in love with her. Erica won't commit herself to recommend Karen's permission to study and says she'll think about it. Susan tells Lynn she only shoplifted because she thought Frederick would come back to her if he knew she was in trouble. Jean double books herself for dinner by accepting Steve's invitation after she'd early agreed to have dinner with Greg. Mr Gilbert from the Family Court comes to see Susan - her husband has applied for custody of the children. When she's alone in her cell, Susan rips her bed sheet to shreds and when she goes in the rec room Doreen unwisely asks her about Jason Richards. Doreen and Lizzie entertain the women in the rec room with a song-and-dance version of "Bill Bailey", prompting Susan to flashback to Jason Richards performing on stage. She screams and runs from the rec room. George invites Vera to dinner, and later at Ann's he tells Vera about his "business" - dealing in drugs. Vera storms out as she thinks he's only interested in her as a replacement for Ann as a contact in Wentworth. Next morning, Vera finds Susan sitting in her wrecked cell. Jean talks to Susan, who becomes so distressed she has to be sedated. George calls to see Vera at Wentworth: they talk outside the inner gate and Lynn and Doreen see them kiss  and Doreen dashes inside to tell the women all about it. Steve refuses Jean's plea that he gives Susan advice as he's representing her husband. George meets Vera from work and tells her that he's going away for a few days as Ann has been arrested, asking Vera to look after her if she is brought to Wentworth. |
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