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EPISODE 191Broadcast on Channel 5 Wednesday 21 January 04:40 Bea feels that Debbie is meddling in her personal life. Debbie talks her mother into coming to Melbourne. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Jim ~ Gerard Maguire Doreen ~ Colette Mann Vera ~ Fiona Spence David ~ Serge Lazareff Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Mick ~ Michael Long Ken ~ Tom Oliver Debbie ~ Dina Mann Marion Pearce ~ Beverly Phillips  Mouse ~ Jentah Sobott When Ken notices his wife's signature in the visitor's book | Bea refuses to talk to Ken on try to persuade him to give up his work for the PRG, but Debbie says she won't allow Bea to stand in the way of her parents getting back together. Lizzie interrupts Bea in the middle of an extended flashback to her scene in the storeroom cupboard with Ken: Bea is obviously still in her daydream when she asks Lizzie if Ken would ever say something he didn't mean. Lizzie agrees that he wouldn't which confirms Bea in her opinion that she ought to try to fight for whatever relationship she can have with Ken. Vera tries to bring Bea down to earth by telling her that she's been talking to Debbie, and that she vowed never to let Ken see Bea ever again: Meg overhears and tells Vera she should know better than to bait a prisoner. Debbie gets Ken to agree to have her mother come to stay - ostensibly to help her shop for the wedding. Bea gets Erica to agree to an unsupervised visit by pretending that she only wants to do what Debbie asked. Vera supervises the phone call Bea makes to Ken and loses no time in letting Bea know she isn't fooled and knows why she really wants the visit. Mouse annoys Chrissie by asking her if she really lied about Mick being Elizabeth's father, and Chrissie picks on Bea in her turn, provoking her into a bout of hair-pulling. Jim breaks up the scrap, but only sends both women to their cells to cool down. Debbie phones her mother and insists that she must come to visit or risk having her marriage destroyed once and for all. Ken comes to visit Bea: he tells her the way to get out earlier is to play the officers at their own game. She hints that he should try to get Erica and David to agree to have him working at Wentworth again. Chrissie asks Meg if she's only stringing her along and will get her own back (for Bill's murder, by implication) by blocking her parole at the last minute, but Meg convinces her that she has no such thoughts. Ken gets permission to resume his visits to Wentworth in an official capacity; when he arrives home he is shocked to find his wife Marion there, and she lets him know that she's well aware who Bea Smith is. Instead of going shopping, Debbie drives with Marion to Wentworth. Vera allows Marion to visit Bea when she finds out who she is, and stirs up both women by making insinuations to Marion about Ken and Bea and telling Bea that Marion signed the visitors' book using Ken's address. Bea lays into Marion for abandoning her husband when he needed her most, and adds that Ken obviously doesn't need her now: Marion replies quietly "perhaps". The Pearces reminisce over a family snapshot album. Marion tells Ken that she's visited Bea and tells him something he seems not to realise: that Bea is in love with him. Bea indulges in a romantic fantasy of walking through a misty park  then dancing in a half timbered banqueting hall cheek to cheek with Ken  . Vera nearly rips the lining out of Ken's briefcase when he turns up for work. When Vera goes to collect Bea for a meeting with Ken and David in the library, she mocks her for having put make-up on, telling her she looks ridiculous. David leaves Ken and Bea alone in the library. Bea talks about knowing when you have met the right person - but unfortunately Ken applies this to his relationship with Marion, and it makes him even keener to save his marriage. Chrissie is told her parole has been granted. Ken asks for five minutes alone with Bea. Chrissie is released and Mick drives her home, though his over-protectiveness is already starting to irritate her. Ken tells Bea he isn't going to be coming back to Wentworth and is returning to his wife. Vera races to the library when she realises Ken and Bea are alone there and demands that Ken leaves. Lizzie finds Bea alone in her cell and tries to comfort her: Bea begs to be left alone. Under the credit sequence, she is seen pacing her cell attempting to control her emotions  , but she eventually collapses sobbing to the floor  . |
EPISODE 192Broadcast on Channel 5 Friday 23 January 04:40 Chrissie arrives home; Doreen reveals her secret about the Lonely Hearts Club to Judy; and Lizzie receives a letter from America.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Jim ~ Gerard Maguire Doreen ~ Colette Mann Vera ~ Fiona Spence Mick ~ Michael Long David ~ Serge Lazareff Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Matron ~ Valma Pratt  Peter Hope ~ Ernie Bourne  Meg's ID letter | Chrissie lays into Mick as soon as she's through the front door of the new flat  , accusing him of only being nice to her as a way of getting her to have sex with him. She changes her tune immediately she hears that he's arranged a visit to Elizabeth. Vera finds herself outnumbered in a discussion of how to handle Bea after her break-up with Ken - oddly she seems to be the only one to favour sending Bea to solitary. Chrissie tells Mick she doesn't want anything from him. Doreen tells Judy she's done something stupid: not only has she got herself a pen friend through a lonely hearts' club but she's painted a very flattering picture of herself and can't work out how to satisfy her pen friend's request for her photo without revealing the truth. Judy asks Meg for help and she agrees to bring in a Polaroid camera from home. Mick and Chrissie visit the children's home: the wire fence around it appals Chrissie and she says it looks just like a prison. The matron won't let Chrissie give Elizabeth a teddy bear in case it makes the children jealous. David tries to interest Bea once again in working for improvements in prison conditions, but Bea tells him she's sick of do-gooders like him using her as an intermediary to get through to the women. Elizabeth plays contentedly with her teddy bear (even though the matron took it away in a previous scene and returns it to Chrissie in the next!) Meg agrees to take close-ups of Doreen (with a wide angle lens?) to try to make her look as good as she can. Mick phones the matron to ask if they would be allowed to take Elizabeth out of the home if they were accompanied by a responsible person - like Chrissie's parole officer. David shows Bea details of a new project and tells her she could be trained to use a Braille typewriter  . Several days later, Doreen gets a reply from her pen friend Peter Hope and immediately asks to use her phone call privilege. Chrissie agrees with Mick's complaint that she's only interested in him as a means of getting Elizabeth back and throws a tantrum and a few piles of crockery. Jim and Meg overhear Doreen arranging to meet her pen friend by a lake in a park. Jim takes Doreen to the Governor's office, where she and Meg have to face the full force of Erica's indignation. Erica decides that Doreen should be made to face up to her responsibilities by being forced to take a day out of prison to meet Peter Hope and tell him the whole truth about herself. Chrissie demands to know why Mick didn't contact her sooner which might have prevented Elizabeth being taken from her. Mick confesses he didn't want to attract attention, as 10 years earlier he'd escaped from prison and was still wanted under the name Mark Brendan. Meg shows identification to the matron who allows Elizabeth out, but only if she is returned promptly at 4 o'clock. Erica and Doreen meet Peter, who is quite sympathetic to Doreen, as he's a shy sensitive music lover. He even wants to see her again and offers to visit her in Wentworth, but Doreen isn't keen and tells him he isn't her "type". Erica tells Doreen that not only will she lose her telephone privileges indefinitely, but that all the women's mail will be censored from now on. The matron tells Meg off when Elizabeth is returned 10 minutes late. Chrissie mutters under her breath that next time she won't have to worry about Elizabeth being late back... |
EPISODE 193Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 24 January 1998 04:40 Doreen tells Judy about her feelings for Peter and is humiliated by Vera; Meg gives a positive report about Chrissie and Mick to Child Welfare; and the officers are angered by the proposed project for Bea and the Braille machine.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Jim ~ Gerard Maguire Doreen ~ Colette Mann Vera ~ Fiona Spence Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton David ~ Serge Lazareff Mick ~ Michael Long Officer Powell ~ Judith McGrath Mouse ~ Jentah Sobott Hazel ~ Belinda Davey Mr Muirhead ~ Denzil Howson  Peter Hope ~ Ernie Bourne Matron Swartz ~ Valma Pratt I haven't corrected it, but surely the matron's surname ought to be spelt "Schwartz"? | Bea and the others are keen to know how Doreen's day out went. She tells them Peter wasn't what she expected, and that Erica had taken away her phone privileges, but not the rest of it. Judy suggests Doreen carries on writing to Peter, just as a friend. Meg's boss Mr Muirhead asks for a report for Child Welfare on Chrissie and Mick as parents, and she says she can give them a positive recommendation. Vera sets to with a will censoring the mail and finds a "pornographic" magazine  addressed to Angie Dobbs  . She hands over the letters to the women with a thumbnail sketch of the contents of each one. When they protest and ask why the mail has been censored, she suggests they ask Doreen. Doreen has to explain the bit she left out before. Erica explains to David the reason for her apparently harsh decision to make an example of Doreen. Bea tells the women that they will have to double output in the laundry when she's away studying so the officers aren't given any excuse for saying the laundry can't operate without her. She taunts Vera that her boyfriend will get the benefit from the Braille project (as he must be blind) but has to explain the joke as it's obvious Vera knows nothing about it. Vera passes on the information to Colleen who knows nothing about it either and wants to know who's supposed to be supervising Bea. Doreen is officially "forgiven", by Bea at least. Mr Muirhead tells Meg that Chrissie will probably be granted one day a week unsupervised visiting with Elizabeth. Vera taunts Doreen for writing to a man old enough to be her father, so Doreen tears up her latest letter from him. Meg fails to turn up for the classification meeting on time, so the Braille project is ripped apart by everyone present. Jim suggests that it might be possible to run the scheme for three half days instead of five full days, and this proposal is carried. Erica convinces Jim later that Bea could work full time after all if Judy could be persuaded to take over the laundry. David tells Bea the bad news, and he suggests that she might be able to put pressure on by bringing the women out on strike. Unfortunately, this is overheard by Colleen. Jim tells Vera and Colleen of Erica's new decision: Colleen responds by saying she'll call a Union meeting to discuss the matter. The matron of the children's home allows Chrissie to take Elizabeth out for the afternoon. Doreen is horrified when Peter turns up during an exercise period to visit her, as all the other women have already seen him and had a good laugh. In the visitors' room she tells him he looks pathetic dressing younger than his age. Chrissie agrees to Mick's suggestion to take Elizabeth to the zoo, but the sight of the animals in cages is too much for her. Colleen leads a delegation to Erica to tell her that the officers refuse to take compulsory overtime and therefore they won't supervise Bea. As Mick arrives outside the children's home, Chrissie gets out saying she won't give Elizabeth back and walks away. Mick follows in the car and they drive away. The matron phones Meg to say that Chrissie hasn't returned and she will have to phone the police in two hour's time. David tells Bea he could supervise her himself to make sure the project goes ahead, but then all the other women would lose their classes. She tells him he gives up too easily and returns to the laundry to tell the women they are now on strike. |
EPISODE 194Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 25 January 1998 04:40 The women support Bea's stand on the strike. Meg talks to Chrissie and Mick about getting legal aid to fight for custody of Elizabeth.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Jim ~ Gerard Maguire Doreen ~ Colette Mann Vera ~ Fiona Spence David ~ Serge Lazareff Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Mick ~ Michael Long Officer Powell ~ Judith McGrath Peter Hope ~ Ernie Bourne Det Sgt Price ~ Stuart Finch  Matron Swartz ~ Valma Pratt Tony Morton ~ Chris Milne  UNCREDITEDRegistrar's clerk ~ James Wright | Judy urges the women to stick together and support the strike: only Doreen mutters grumpily that she can't why they should put themselves out when it seems to be largely for one person's benefit. Jim finds out about the strike when he finds the laundry at a standstill and the women refuse to obey his direct order to return to work. Chrissie starts packing and tells Mick not to answer the phone when it rings. But he does and it's Meg, who tells him there's only an hour to go before the police are called in. The women amuse themselves by chucking wet sheets around in the laundry. Meg calls round at the flat and manages to persuade Chrissie to take Elizabeth back. Erica refuses to give in to the strikers and tells Jim to have the women locked in their cells. The police are already waiting when Meg, Chrissie and Mick arrive outside the home, but the matron decides not to take the matter any further. However, one of the detectives thinks he's seen Mick somewhere before. Doreen looks through her letters from Peter "No-Hope". Judy reminds her she'd have hurt his feelings by rejecting him and suggests she writes to apologise. Colleen gets a glint in her eye when she hears about the strike, and goes to Erica to accuse David of deliberately organising it. Chrissie and Mick go to the registrar's to get married, not realising that there is a waiting period of a month and a day. Erica puts Colleen's accusation to David: he denies it but Erica tells him if it proves to be true he will be asked to resign. Meg gets advice about a Legal Aid application for custody of Elizabeth. Colleen catches David talking to Bea and orders him out of the dormitory area. Chrissie is now determined to go through the proper channels to get Elizabeth back. Vera and Colleen both have a go at David, calling the education centre a failure and a security risk. David goes to Erica and says that his relationship with the rest of the staff has deteriorated to the point where he can no longer carry out his work, and offers his resignation so that someone else can carry on with the education centre. Bea is considering calling off the strike until Vera's head pops up at the security hatch making snide remarks about Braille machines usually behind operated by little old ladies. Tony Morton advises Chrissie and Mick about the custody claim. Peter Hope arrives at Wentworth dressed in a sober dark suit asking to see the Governor. He tells Erica he wants to say thanks to Doreen for her honesty, as no-one had ever told him before that he looked a fool... David goes to say goodbye to Bea, and advises her to call off the strike, as it's unlikely to achieve anything now. Doreen is reluctantly brought to Erica's office to talk to Peter: she accepts his thanks but says she can't see the point of carrying on their correspondence. Bea shouts to the other women that the strike is over. As he leaves, David pleads with Colleen to try to see how important education is to the inmates: she hints that the Union may well try to block any future schemes as well. Erica tells the women the education centre will be unavailable until a replacement teacher can be found. Colleen and Vera are amazed that Erica has effectively not punished the women for going on strike. Mick and Chrissie take a break from decorating their flat when there is a knock on the door. It is two police officers, who have come to arrest Mick (alias Mark Brendan) for escaping from prison in 1971  . A happy family shot of Chrissie, Mick and Elizabeth is shown on screen  , shrinking  to a pinpoint  and then vanishing. |
EPISODE 195Broadcast on Channel 5 Tuesday 27 January 1998 04:40 Powell is promoted, the women revolt and Erica finds herself losing control.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Jim ~ Gerard Maguire Doreen ~ Colette Mann Vera ~ Fiona Spence Officer Powell ~ Judith McGrath Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Mick ~ Michael Long Officer Barry ~ Joy Westmore Mouse ~ Jentah Sobott Phyllis ~ Reylene Pearce Det. Sgt. Gordon ~ Peter Whitford Magistrate ~ Neil Thompson (voiceover) | Chrissie phones Meg at work to tell her about Mick's arrest  and that she is in danger herself of being charged with harbouring a fugitive. Colleen (whose hairstyle has now settled down into something like its final form) tells the women that none of the officers are opposed to projects for the women in principle - only if they are going to cause more work. Erica accuses Vera of hypocrisy for spouting the Union line, but has it thrown back at her when she isn't willing to promote Colleen on the grounds that she isn't ready for the responsibility: Vera accuses her of really being worried by Colleen's Union position. Phyllis brings some dirty washing from the workshop, and is sent off to get some tools for Bea, who reckons the best way to undermine the officers is to create a lot more unnecessary work for them. Meg manages to convince the detective that Chrissie didn't know Mick was an escapee, so she is allowed to go without being charged. She says goodbye to Mick, who is confident he won't get a long sentence as he only had two months left before parole when he escaped. Erica tells Colleen she is to be promoted to senior officer, but warns her to be more flexible about the rules as in the current climate officers abusing their authority will cause serious trouble. Bea organises sabotage of all the machines in the laundry. Vera predicts that she and Colleen will work well together as they have similar ideas on prison discipline: Colleen can only manage an uneasy smile  in reply. Mick is extradited to Southern Australia for sentencing. Vera and Colleen are suspicious when all the machines break down at once, and search the women and their cells for tools. Vera confiscates extra goods not bought through the buyup. Erica is unhappy with the way the incident has been handled and makes the officers continue the search for the tools on overtime. Erica addresses the women while they are still locked in their cells: the tools were eventually found in an officer's locker but had been planted there. Mick's sentence is three years, adding one year to the whole amount left on his original sentence. The women are given cleaning materials and set to scrubbing the corridors  . Mouse fakes a fall and passes on a handful of nails to one of the women. Bea and Judy bait Colleen by talking about a "hanging" (of a picture). As soon as Vera leaves them alone, Doreen and Lizzie punch holes in their buckets with the nails and vandalise the other cleaning equipment. Erica is again displeased and insists the officers must ease up on the women. Officer Barry  takes flight at Bea's threats disguised as concern for her "safety" and tells the others she won't supervise the women on her own any more. After a scuffle in the dining room, two knives go missing and the women are searched one by one, until the knives are found in the scrap bucket. Colleen requests permission from Erica for the officers to be able to do spot checks. All kinds of innocent personal items  are removed from the women's cells. Erica lays down the law and tells the women they will be confined to their cells for the rest of the day  , but the women shout back at her that they don't trust her any more. Vera is happy that Erica seems to have lost control, and Colleen and Joyce Barry are in favour of drafting in temporary male officers from Pentridge. Colleen warns Erica that unless extra officers are provided there will be a strike. After lights out, the women set up a rhythmic clanging to torment the officers - and we see the empty corridors  with the racket getting louder. |
Script Editor: Patrick Amer (191); Ian Smith (192)-(193); Patrick Amer (194)-(195)
Storyliners: Dave Worthington, Alastair Sharp, Peter Brennan
| (186) to (190) |
