EPISODE 296Broadcast on Channel 5 Friday 19 June 1998 04:40 Susie is forced back into prostitution, and Chrissie learns that Joan has agreed to help Brenda in the custody case. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Hannah ~ Julieanne Newbould Donna ~ Arkie Whiteley Des ~ Gary Down Duncan ~ Chris Orchard Brenda ~ Jan Friedl Mr Douglas ~ Ian Smith Detective ~ Ian Sprake  Det. Carter ~ Graham Dow  Oddly, neither Joan nor Steve asks Donna to remove the gold chain around her neck at her induction | Bea and Doreen find Lizzie with a hangover: Lizzie has to admit to Bea where she got the drink from but can't remember whether or not she told Joan where the still was. Despite Chrissie's protests, Hannah asks Colleen to arrange a visit for her with the police to tell them all about the robbery. Donna calls Des to arrange a fix. Joan is made to look foolish when she takes Erica to the boiler room and shows her the still: it has been filled with rubbish and Joan gets wet through trying to find the real still pipes  . Chrissie tries without much success to convince the women that she didn't deliberately set up Hannah's escape for her own benefit. Bea offers to put Joan's other uniform in the drier to let her know she was hiding in the boiler room during her humiliation. This taunt is so cryptic that Joan cannot do anything about it, so she picks on Hannah and orders her to clean the toilet block. Judy makes the case for the halfway house before Erica and Ted Douglas. He does not approve of Judy and tells her the Department want to have a say in who will be allowed to stay at the halfway house. Judy storms out of Erica's office in disgust. However, Erica reminds him that the weekly running costs of the halfway house are the same as keeping only two women in prison, and wonders if the Minister is aware of the potential cash savings to the Department. As soon as Susie has given her some money, Donna goes out to buy drugs, but she is followed by the police and arrested at home while shooting up. Des finds Susie on the street and warns her not to go back to Donna's place and offers to find her another room. Chrissie is told that Elizabeth has been found abandoned but unharmed in a shopping centre. Duncan Campbell offers Brenda his help in getting custody of Elisabeth. Donna is brought to Wentworth  . Chrissie accuses Hannah of taking her money when she finds her bra has been stolen.  Joan finds them fighting and puts Hannah on a charge, despite Bea's protests, but Bea is suspicious that neither of them are taken to solitary. Donna is introduced to the women in the laundry: Bea asks her if she is the Donna Judy mentioned and asks how Susie is getting along. Brenda phones Joan to ask her to be a character witness against Chrissie at the custody hearing. Joan gives Chrissie her bra back, but keeps the money. Judy is told that the Department will finance the halfway house without making too many conditions. Judy gently turns down Meg's offer to help out because her association with Wentworth would compromise the whole project. Bea heavies Donna to find out what has happened to Susie. Judy gets Donna's address from her file while Joan is distracted in reception by the arrival of Brenda. Brenda cannot resist telling Chrissie that she's getting help from both Duncan and Joan in her fight for custody of Elizabeth. When Judy gets to Donna's flat she finds the police there and they question her about her association with Donna. Chrissie goes back to her cell after the visit from Brenda and in a fit of pique wrecks her cell. Joan taunts her about the possibility that she will lose Elizabeth and orders her to clean the mess up. When she turns to leave, Chrissie pushes her face first into the door and smashes a jug to use as a weapon  . |
EPISODE 297Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 20 June 1998 04:40 Donna is suffering severe withdrawal symptoms from her heroin addiction, and the women learn of the horrific injuries inflicted on Chrissie by Joan.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Hannah ~ Julieanne Newbould Donna ~ Arkie Whiteley Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Des ~ Gary Down Det. Insp. Grace ~ Terry Gill Derek ~ William Zappa Mr Douglas ~ Ian Smith Officer Barry ~ Joy Westmore Det. Carter ~ Graham Dow Client ~ Peter Black  Is this the first appearance of this extra In view of Sheila Florance's filmography, Lizzie's nickname for the new prisoner is amusing: she calles her "Mad Maxine" | Joan easily disarms Chrissie, knocks her to the floor and gives her a severe kicking  , then walks out of the cell leaving Chrissie in a heap on the floor  . Judy is interviewed by Insp. Grace on suspicion of dealing drugs to Donna, but he really wants information on Susie's whereabouts and Judy is allowed to go without charges. Joan brings Colllen to Chrissie's cell and admits to her that she bashed Chrissie - but claims it was in self-defence. Colleen is appalled by Chrissie's condition  and informs Erica, who immediately assumes that Chrissie was to blame. Colleen tells her to see Chrissie before she forms an opinion. Bea calls for help for Donna, who is suffering withdrawal symptoms. Erica is not convinced that Chrissie's injuries are consistent with Joan's claim of self-defence  and decides to call in Ted Douglas to hear Chrissie's story. Joan "suggests" to Chrissie that she blames the other women for her bashing. Insp. Grace arrives at Wentworth to interview Donna, but she refuses to see him. Doreen takes a tray to Chrissie in the infirmary and reports back to Bea her remark about having a "Freak accident". Chrissie clears Joan in an interview with Ted Douglas when she admits to attacking Joan and takes all the blame for the incident. Ted Douglas is annoyed to be called in over such a trivial matter, but Erica is convinced there is something wrong.  She demands that he tells her more about Joan's service in Queensland, but gets only the usual whitewash in reply. Maxine Daniels is brought to Wentworth, and Officer Barry  has difficulty getting her out of the van  . Joan goes to help and it is obvious the two of them have met before: Maxine jumps to attention pretty quickly when she sees Joan. Derek visits Chrissie: as soon as she has sent Steve away to fetch the sister, Chrissie tells Derek it was Joan who bashed her. Donna asks to phone her "brother", but contacts Des to ask him to bring heroin in for her: he hangs up on her. On his way out, Derek confronts Joan and asks to see Erica to make a complaint about her. Des spins an elaborate tale for Susie about her needing more money so that he can keep her working for him. He offers to bring clients to her so she doesn't have to go on the streets, but when he leaves he locks her in the room. Derek challenges Erica about why Joan is still working after what she's done and flatly contradicts Joan's earlier denial that she had agreed to testify against Chrissie. Maxine decides she fancies a bit of rest and falls on the floor and fakes a back injury to get a spell in hospital. Steve has been clued up by Joan about Maxine's tricks, but when he refuses to help Maxine get up, Colleen order him to help her. Susie asks her customer for a little extra money to help her leave town, but Des comes back and tells her he's lined up more clients for her. Erica tries to persuade Chrissie to change her story, pointing out that Joan's evidence in the custody hearing may not be valid, so Chrissie accuses Joan of beating her out of jealousy because she thinks she and Hannah are lovers. Derek returns to tell Chrissie he won't support Brenda and is asking for custody himself: Chrissie says it's the same thing and she would rather see Elisabeth fostered out than let either of them have her. Des holds Susie down and injects her with heroin when she refuses to work for him any more. |
EPISODE 298Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 21 June 1998 04:40 Des thinks he has Susie just where he wants her, and Maxine starts making life difficult for Joan.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Hannah ~ Julieanne Newbould Donna ~ Arkie Whiteley Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Des ~ Gary Down Det. Insp. Grace ~ Terry Gill Derek ~ William Zappa Sister Johnston ~ Gael Andrews John (Client) ~ Colin Williams  Det. Thomas ~ John Rohan  | After Colleen escorts Derek out of the infirmary, Maxine gets out of the bed opposite Chrissie and listens at the door to check the coast is clear before sneaking into the infirmary office to phone her boyfriend. She has her feet up on the desk bragging that she practically runs the place when Joan enters and puts her on a charge. Maxine says she doesn't think so: she knows the Governor already wants to get rid of Joan and how would it look if she somehow found out about "Queensland and how that was hushed up". Joan reconsiders and tells Maxine she only came to find her to tell her she's moving into Lizzie's cell. Susie wakes up feeling awful, and to make the moment even more perfect, Des is hovering shirtless at her bedside, evidently having just had sex with her while she was unconscious. He leaves to go and get another client for Susie. Derek explains to Meg that his wife Brenda is as much to blame for the situation as Chrissie is: Meg suggests they try to scare Chrissie with the possibility of never seeing Elizabeth again if she has to be made a Ward of the State. Maxine is brought to the laundry to work and Bea sends her off with Lizzie and the laundry trolley. Donna is whining and moping around, and Steve warns her to shut up or he'll tell Bea what she did to Susie. Bea has overheard this anyway and harries Donna into telling her what Steve meant. Maxine and Lizzie have a good long bludge and get to know each other better. Lizzie warns Maxine to stay away from Joan but Maxine replies she's not so bad "once you get to know her". Meg tells Chrissie she's not going to see Elizabeth until the custody issue is resolved and maybe not even then. Lizzie tries to make Bea feel guilty about Donna, pointing out that she needs support not constant criticism, and that Donna is about the same as Debbie was when she died. Bea is furious at the comparison, but Lizzie gently points out that she only meant that neither of them got any help when they needed it most. This silences Bea for a moment, until Chrissie walks past and Bea takes it out on her, calling her a selfish bitch who's prepared to sacrifice her kid's future for the sake of making a point. Bea works herself up to such a pitch that she has to leave the dining room in disgust (whether at Chrissie or at herself is not really clear). Maxine insolently asks Joan for a fag then tells her she wants to be put on garden duty with Lizzie. Joan reluctantly agrees but tells Maxine not to expect any more favours. Lizzie and Maxine have a sip of grog that Lizzie had previously hidden in the garden as they watch Brenda and Derek arrive for the visit Chrissie had requested. Chrissie agrees to sign the papers giving her approval for Derek and Brenda to apply for custody of Elizabeth. Bea gets Colleen's permission for Donna to move into the cell with her and Doreen. Colleen is suspicious about Bea's motives but is persuaded when Bea offers to try to convince Donna to talk to the police and thus help Susie. Bea goes to collect Donna and finds Joan standing over Donna sneering at her. Des brings another customer to Susie: she looks out of the window and pretends to see the Vice Squad arriving outside. This prompts the client to make a run for it and Susie manages to get away when the client collides with Des at the foot of the stairs. Donna talks to Inspector Grace and gives him the address where Des is living. Judy is woken up by someone knocking at the door of the halfway house: it is Susie asking for help. Susie tells Judy everything that happened to her and Judy phones Inspector Grace as she promised she would. Donna has a hard night with withdrawal symptoms. Des returns to the room where he kept Susie prisoner to look for clues and in sweeping the stuff onto the floor he finds the paper which has Judy's name and the address of the halfway house  . Donna begs the Sister for methadone but only gets a couple of aspirin. Instead of going back to the laundry, Donna returns to the infirmary and breaks in by smashing the door handle with a fire extinguisher. Joan comes into the laundry looking for Donna after her absence is noted, and asks Hannah where she might be. When Hannah merely shakes her head in reply to Joan's direct question, Joan threatens to put her on a charge for refusing to answer an officer. Maxine says she can't do that as Hannah has laryngitis and Joan backs off and leaves. Bea wants to know how Maxine managed to do that without getting sent to solitary, but Maxine pretends she doesn't know the hold she has over Joan. Meg and Joan continue the search for Donna together: the sound of breaking glass takes them to the surgery where they find Donna sampling the contents of the medicine cabinet  . Des pushes over some crates at the back of the halfway house to get Judy outside so he can knock her out with a fancy karate blow. He then goes inside to get hold of Susie, but Judy isn't really unconscious and with Susie's help, she manages to knock Des out. Sister Johnston bandages Donna's cuts and advises Meg that it is better to have her sent to solitary without any other medication. Des is arrested and taken away by Inspector Grace. Joan responds to Donna's incessant banging on the door of solitary by entering and threatening her with a baton  . Donna offers to "have it off" with her, but Joan calls her a filthy slut and threatens to charge her with attempted bribery of an officer leaving Donna in a pool of tears on the floor of solitary. |
EPISODE 299Broadcast on Channel 5 Tuesday 23 June 1998 04:40 Maxine is suspected of having a deal with Joan. Meanwhile Susie is worried about her future, and Joan neglects to inform Doreen of her imminent release.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Steve ~ Wayne Jarratt Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Hannah ~ Julieanne Newbould Donna ~ Arkie Whiteley Maxine ~ Lisa Crittenden Det. Insp. Grace ~ Terry Gill Mouse ~ Jentah Sobott | Meg and Erica discuss Donna breaking into the drugs cabinet, and Erica remarks that she's been speaking on the phone to Vera, who has her own drugs problem at Barnhurst. Det Insp Grace takes Susie to the halfway house, and admits to Judy he tried to frighten her by threatening to charge her, as a way of keeping her on the straight and narrow. Maxine assures Joan she won't tell anyone what she knows when Joan warns her not to be so insolent to her in public. When she's late back into the laundry, Doreen accuses Maxine of having "an early morning workout with the Freak". Bea works out that Maxine must have something over Joan, but Joan is following behind Maxine and catches Bea heavying her. Bea is sent to clean the toilets, and Maxine is put on the press in her place, which only confirms the women's suspicions. Lizzie defends Maxine, saying she's certain that Maxine isn't having an affair with Joan. Mouse is brought back to Wentworth  , charged with prostitution, petty theft, possession and illegal use of drugs. Maxine gives Lizzie a full bottle of whisky, but won't admit she got it from Joan. Mouse offers to deal drugs to Donna, and Donna goes to Lizzie to get the money, claiming that she knows how to get more booze for her: when Lizzie refuses to pay up front, Donna waits until she is insensible with drink (about 20 seconds!) and steals the money from her. Erica gives Joan a list of prisoners to be informed of their release, including Doreen: Joan objects that it was the policy in Queensland to leave it to the very last moment before telling women of their release. Bea finds Donna with some pills sold to her by Mouse and insists that Donna must go cold turkey. Donna goes to Hannah to ask her to lend her money, but Bea is following and intervenes, telling Hannah that you never give money to a junkie. Joan isolates Maxine by pretending she's asked to be put on garden duty: Maxine tells Chrissie she doesn't care as her boyfriend is going to pay her fine. Doreen tries to work out when she's due for release: she asks Joan, who refuses to tell her. Donna promises Inspector Grace to name names in return for "medication". Maxine is taken inside to prepare for release  and Donna is taken out by Insp Grace. Before release, Maxine tells Hannah what she knows about Joan. Hannah lets Joan know what she has been told, and Joan tells the story of her love for a prisoner in Queensland  . Donna tells Bea she's out on probation and will live in the halfway house and Bea warns her to stay away from Susie. Hannah asks to see Erica to lay a formal complaint against Joan. When Colleen points out that it didn't come to anything last time, Hannah says that this time she has lots of witnesses. |
EPISODE 300Broadcast on Channel 5 Wednesday 24 June 1998 04:40 Hannah is offered a bribe to forego mentioning the name of Ludlow at her forthcoming hearing. Doreen is suspicious of Gloria, and finds a revolver in her belongings.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Judy ~ Betty Bobbitt Lizzie ~ Sheila Florance Erica ~ Patsy King Bea ~ Val Lehman Doreen ~ Colette Mann Off. Powell ~ Judith McGrath Susie ~ Jacqui Gordon Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Chrissie ~ Amanda Muggleton Hannah ~ Julieanne Newbould Donna ~ Arkie Whiteley Gloria ~ Susanna Lopez Pamela Simpson ~ Lorraine West Det. Insp. Grace ~ Terry Gill Solicitor ~ Hardy Stow John Ludlow ~ Nick Keslinsky  Barbara Fields ~ Susan Guerin Mrs Ludlow ~ Penelope Shelton  Bea/Val Lehman appears twice in the credits, the first time in the place where Erica would usually be Joan refers to her last prison as Bogga Road, a real life prison in Queensland. | Hannah repeats Maxine's story to Erica and tells her that Joan herself has confirmed it is true. Erica asks for Colleen's opinion and she says she doubts Joan would admit to anything like that, so Erica says that she will make private enquiries with the Governor in Queensland. Judy tells Susie that Donna got probation and will live in halfway house. Susie is not pleased to see Donna again and grudgingly shows her to the room they are to share. Inspector Grace shocks Judy by admitting he only helped Donna to set her up deliberately as bait for the big fish. Consequently, the police will be watching the halfway house. Donna blames Des for everything and tells Susie she didn't want to get her in trouble: Susie looks sceptical. Hannah repeats Maxine's story to Bea. Joan denies the story is true when Erica challenges her, but does look a little worried when she finds out Erica is planning to phone her old boss. Joan wants to speak to Hannah and stops her as the women pass by in the corridor, pulling her to the other side of a security gate. Bea reaches through and grabs Joan's arm to show her they won't let her molest Hannah again.  Gloria Pitman arrives as the third resident of Driscoll House  : we see her listening outside the door to Susie and Donna's conversation. Joan corners Doreen and takes all the betting cash, then hustles her out for her release without letting her say goodbye  , but fortunately Doreen runs into Judy outside as she is coming to Wentworth to collect some soft toys for the halfway house. Hannah's mother visits her and is upset when Joan searches her handbag and confiscates a bottle of tranquillizers. Meg is surprised when Judy tells her that Doreen wasn't informed of her release. Hannah is worried about the state of her mother's health and her ability to cope alone. Joan is promoted to senior officer rank, and Erica tells Colleen that the Queensland Governor gave Joan a glowing report. Hannah tells her solicitor of her suspicions that a version of her father's will in her favour was suppressed by his family. When Donna comes back late to the halfway house, Gloria is hiding behind the counter watching. Judy sees Gloria but says nothing. Hannah's half-brother visits her solicitor to offer her $10,000 to keep her story out of court, but Hannah turns it down. Doreen and Susie go together for an interview at George Logan's shoe factory with his secretary Barbara Fields  . Doreen goes in after Susie and tries to put in a good word for her, but Barbara recognises the halfway house address and realises they must both just have come out of prison. Gloria tells Judy that Donna didn't keep her appointment at the drug referral centre. Quite the reverse in fact: Donna has been out buying drugs and goes straight to her room to shoot up. Doreen gives Judy a cheque for $2,000 for Driscoll House out of the proceeds of her house sale. Meg persuades Hannah to see Mrs Ludlow for her mother's sake. Hannah is offered a payoff, but demands the $50,000 she should have been left in her fathers will: Mrs Ludlow has to agree. Susie finds Donna's drugs and Doreen discovers that Gloria has a gun in her room. Gloria comes back from her shower and finds Doreen with the gun in her hand  : she says she needs the gun for protection and tells Doreen to put it down. |
Script Editor: Ian Smith (296)-(297); Barry Main (298)-(299); Ian Smith (300)
Storyliners: Dave Worthington, John Mortimore, Andrew Kennedy, Patrea Smallacombe
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