EPISODE 606Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 15 April 2000 04:40 Lou is found with her wrists slashed and is sent to hospital. Rita Connors is set up. Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Jessie ~ Pat Evison Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lou ~ Louise Siversen Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Bob ~ Peter Adams Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Steve ~ Peter Hayes Dan ~ Sean Scully Bongo ~ Shane Connors Roach ~ Linda Hartley Grub ~ Ingle Knight  Mabel ~ Val Jellay Janet ~ Christine Earle Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Ambulance Driver ~ Michael Bennett Ambulance Attendant ~ Ray Hutchinson  UNCREDITEDIda ~ Paddy Burnett | Lou delivers the can back to the laundry while Rita tells the women they must make a list of their demands. Rita finds Nancy writing her diary. When some bikie magazines fall out of her locker, Rita is upset of the reminder that she isn't able to attend Slasher's funeral. The Conquerors accompany Slasher's coffin which is carried on the back of a truck. Bongo makes remarks to Dan about Ann's role in keeping Rita away from the funeral. Nancy distracts Mervin while Rita gets some ingredients for the grog from the kitchen. Bob is annoyed that Ann is restoring some of the privileges he took away while he was Governor. Jessie tells Mabel to hire a private detective to track Harry Bassinger and asks her on Lexie's behalf about Pocco, who has disappeared. Dan makes a speech over Slasher's grave and everyone present has a swig of Jim Beam. Janet says she still supports Lou, and so would Alice and Carol (who's Carol?). Lou tells Janet to forget it  , as she's working on a plan to avoid getting sent to Blackmoor. Lou's snide remarks finally get on Rita's nerves and she sticks Lou in the drier. Joan calls a Union meeting to defend Meg and argues that it affects all of them. When Joan accuses Steve of always trying to chat up the women, he snaps back that she's just a bitter middle-aged woman with no trace of humanity. Lou tells Janet to steal her a knife from the kitchen and bring it to the shower block. Steve tells Julie he'd better not see her until after her parole hearing but he will wait for her until she gets out. Bongo comes to visit Rita: Ann lets him see her, even though he makes a reference to her relationship with Dan in front of Joan and Bob. Bongo tells Rita he plans to hide drugs in Slasher's jacket, which will be given to Rita. Ann is concerned that the news of her relationship will soon spread round the prison. Rita spreads the word about Ann and Dan. Lexie tells Rita she's interested in buying drugs, but they agree they have to keep it from Jessie and Nancy. When Ann asks her to wait for the results of Meg's appeal, Joan refuses and says reports the matter to the Union. Janet gives Lou the knife and is tells her she will slashes her wrists with it and Janet to report it after about ten minutes. Lou slashes her wrists  . Janet covers herself by telling Mervin that Rita and Nancy have stolen a knife from the kitchen. Mervin rushes off to report the theft of the knife to Ann and Rita is taken away to be searched. Lou is left undiscovered longer than she intended, but Meg eventually finds her  : she blames Rita and Alice for attacking her before being taken to hospital. Rita is locked in solitary, though neither Meg nor Ann really believe Lou's accusation. |
EPISODE 607Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 16 April 2000 04:40 Lou Kelly escapes from hospital, but will she become another victim of Bassinger the maniac?Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Jessie ~ Pat Evison Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lou ~ Louise Siversen Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Bob ~ Peter Adams Alice ~ Lois Collinder Dan ~ Sean Scully Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Diana Groom ~ Amanda Cook Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Janet Williams ~ Christine Earle Officer Hooper ~ John Mortimer  Tina Murray ~ Hazel Henley Doctor Wainwright ~ Bruce Carter  Nurse No 1 ~ Robyn Hughan  Nurse No 2 ~ Amanda Colliver  Orderly ~ Con Mathios Policeman No 1 ~ David Le Page Policeman No 2 ~ Terry Cornwill Trucker ~ Ron Bingham Thanks to Kim for the writer credit and for pointing out that Diana Groom is in this episode after all - I originally thought she was not. | Ann questions Nancy about the stolen knife, but she is just bewildered by the accusation. Lou overhears that a nurse telling the officer she is OK and probably go back to can go back to Wentworth the next day. Bob talks to Rita: she insists that she kept her word and didn't attack Lou, reminding him that he made the decision not to transfer Lou to Blackmoor and now it's blown up in his face he's trying to pin the blame on her. Nancy tells the women about Rita being in solitary and Lexie points out that Rita was in the laundry all afternoon. The women tell Bob of Rita's alibi, but Joan doesn't believe it and says the women were acting suspiciously when she came to collect Rita from the laundry. Lexie and Julie go to ask Mervin about the knife just after he's promised Janet not to say anything about it, but Lexie notices Janet acting shiftily. Ann tells Rita of the evidence against her and Rita calls her a silly bitch for falling for Lou's frame-up. Nancy insists that she must tell Ann what she and Rita were really doing in the kitchen, but Lexie tells her that only Rita can make that decision. Mervin is upset that the women in the dining room (led by Lexie) hiss at him for betraying Rita. Joyce admits her anxiety to Mervin about having to waltz at the wedding. When Joyce goes to collect the tray from Rita in solitary, Rita throws back at her the cake Mervin sent and demands to see Dan. Ann is forced to admit to Bob that bringing Dan in might cause problems itself because of their relationship, but Bob persuades her to give it a try. Dan arrives at the prison on his bike: he tells Ann that he can't believe Rita would kill anyone with premeditation. Lou's wounds are examined by a police doctor to try to determine if they were self inflicted. Dan talks to Rita and is convinced by her story. He is just trying to persuade Ann to let Rita out of solitary when Bob reports that the forensic physician has decided that Lou's wounds were self inflicted and that Rita was telling the truth after all. Lou groans to makes the guard open the door and hits him with a metal jug. Ann realises that Lou's behaviour only makes sense if she's planning to escape and phones the hospital. Lou breaks into the staff lockers and escapes from hospital disguised in a nurse's uniform just as the call from Wentworth comes through. Ann apologises to Rita and Alice for not believing their story. Ann refuses to grant Dan's request that Rita be given Slasher's jacket. Rita returns to the women  and tells them about Lou's escape. Jessie argues that Lou's escape will work in their favour by leading the private detective to Harry Bassinger. Lou hitches a lift with a trucker. |
EPISODE 608Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 22 April 2000 04:40. The deputy governor is demoted to officer and the escapee finds refuge in a barn. Bassinger enlists his son's help.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Jessie ~ Pat Evison Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lou ~ Louise Siversen Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Bob ~ Peter Adams Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne Steve ~ Peter Hayes Dan ~ Sean Scully Janet ~ Christine Earle Vicki ~ Rebecca Dines  Harry Bassinger ~ John Frawley Amelia Bassinger ~ Barbara Burder  Gary Bassinger ~ Chris Stevenson  Flora Jenkins ~ Moira Claux  Officer Radcliffe ~ Marion Dimmick James Dwyer ~ James Condon Newsreader ~ John Print  | Bob tells the police that the last time Lou escaped she headed for Adelaide (to call on Reb's mother, presumably?) so he would bet she's going in the opposite direction. Joan confidently predicts that Bob's mistake in not transferring Lou will lose him the Deputy Governorship. Lexie drums up some business for the forthcoming drugs delivery with Vicki (a prisoner we've never seen before  ). Harry Bassinger hears of Lou's escape on the television news, and his wife is worried it will revive the allegations made against him last time. He rings his son Gary to invite him for dinner. Mervin lets it slip to Bob that Janet told him about the knife. With the help of a few hints from his father, Gary thinks up a plot to keep the press away from the family by pretending to be the maniac while Harry is away from town for a few days. Ann sends Janet to solitary and asks Mervin to be more careful in future. Mervin apologises to Rita and Alice. Janet offers to swap information in return for not being sent to Blackmoor, but Bob doesn't take the bait. Janet gloats to herself that the other women will end up getting poisoned by the grog that Lou spiked. Gary phones up Wentworth pretending to be the maniac and gets Officer Radcliffe who thinks it is genuine and contacts the police. Lou finds the farm where Alice's family lives by introducing herself as a friend. Alice's mother hides her in the barn until her sister has left. While the officers have a stop-work meeting, the women are taken outside, which gives Julie the opportunity to meet Steve behind the shed. Joan informs Ann that the officers voted to go on strike until Meg is reinstated. Meg herself decides to defy the strike and to help Ann and Bob run the prison. The women are locked in their cells so the officers can go home. Rita is prevented from checking the booze, but Lexie fakes a stomach ache. Bob is pleased to hear that Mr Dwyer is coming to Wentworth in person and looks forward to seeing him put Joan in her place. Lexie tastes the poisoned brew and is taken ill after being locked in. Joan warns Steve not to do the officers' work or he'll be in trouble. The women yell for help for Lexie but they get no response, so Rita makes them make even more of noise. Dwyer refuses to let Bob go and see what the problem is, and for the sake of a quick solution demotes him to senior officer rank and reinstates Meg as Deputy Governor. Joyce in reception decides to defy the strike and go and see what the problem is, but meets Meg and Joan coming from the meeting and finds the strike is over. Bob tells Dwyer what he thinks of him and the prison service. Dwyer leaves the prison just as "The Despatch" is delivered in reception with the headline "THIRD ESCAPE IN AS MANY MONTHS"  . Bob makes Rita clean up Lexie's puke when she backchats him. Another call comes through to Wentworth from someone claiming to be Nora Flynn's killer. Lexie reveals to Julie her suspicion that she is pregnant.
In the sequence showing different parts of the prison empty of people, maybe it wasn't a good idea to follow a shot of the the rec room |
EPISODE 609Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 23 April 2000 04:40. Lou Kelly is raped. Meanwhile, Lexie discovers that she is pregnant and finds out the real identity of her own mother.Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Jessie ~ Pat Evison Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lou ~ Louise Siversen Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Bob ~ Peter Adams Alice ~ Lois Collinder Flora Jenkins ~ Monica Claux Sean Jenkins ~ Steve Millichamp  Pat Slattery ~ Dorothy Cutts Sister Hall ~ Gael Andrews Vicki McPherson ~ Rebecca Dines Alex Woodman ~ Earl Francis  Officer Radcliffe ~ Marion Dimmick Pocco The Dog ~ Pocco UNCREDITEDSteve Ryan ~ Peter HayesPocco does not appear until the following episode. | Rita tells Alice and Nancy that she's heard the strike was organised by Joan against Bob. Alice hits Bob full in the face with a volleyball (by accident), which gives Rita the idea for a match between the officers and prisoners. Lexie has a pregnancy test, and has to admit to Sister Hall she might have been pregnant before she escaped. Jessie sees her lawyer: he tells her Bassinger has gone on holiday and a local call from someone suggests Bassinger isn't really responsible for the murders. He doubts he will be able to keep on with the case. Lexie's test is positive. Bob nearly hits Joan, but Joyce does it instead when Joan tells her she wasn't intending to come to her wedding to some "schonky little cook". Joan makes a complaint to Ann about being assaulted by Joyce. Lexie tells the women she's pregnant, and she's the only one who isn't pleased. Julie tries to persuade Lexie against having an abortion. Joyce bursts into tears when telling Meg she hit Joan: Meg says she'll make sure she won't lose her job over it. Meg goes to the staff room and tells Joan to tear up her report, or she'll go to the police about the fire she started. Lexie is offended when Jessie asks her if she was telling the truth about Bassinger. Julie tells Jessie that Lexie wants an abortion. Mrs Jenkins "invites" Lou into the farmhouse for a meal after her guests have left, but it turns out she wants Lou to work for it, by mucking out the donkeys. Lexie tries to pay Alice to beat her up enough to induce a miscarriage, but Alice refuses, citing the women's attitude to "kid killers". Alice's brother Sean makes advances to Lou, and threatens to expose her to the police if she doesn't do what he wants. Alice asks Nancy if there's anything in her diary about her, and if it's all bad. Nancy assures her that she's been much better since she fell out with Lou. Sean comes back later to "collect" and when she struggles, he rapes her. Alice suggests the women should could a wedding breakfast for Mervin and Joyce. Joyce brings some boxes of broken toys for the women to repair in their rec time, and Rita finds a skittle in one of the boxes. Sean warns Lou not to go crying to his mother as she won't believe her, and he knows a few things about Lou from Alice's letters that she wouldn't have told her mother. The women turn a corridor into a bowling alley. Nancy realises that there is more than appears to Jessie's concern for Lexie, and Jessie admits the real reason to her and that she's only in prison to be with Lexie. After Nancy points out there's nothing left to stop her telling Lexie, Jessie decides to try. Ann calls Rita in to her office to tell her most of the women's suggestions are acceptable, but she objects to the idea of having Dan as chaplain, which she takes as a personal dig. Rita replies it was Nancy's suggestion and a perfectly genuine one. Jessie tries to tell Lexie who she really is in a roundabout way, but takes too long to get to the point and Lexie assumes it's just another sob story to put her off the abortion. Julie finds a broken radio controlled car among the toys and says she thinks she can fix it with a bit of solder in the workshop. Alice gets teased for taking a fancy to a tiny baby doll  . Bob asks Ann for permission to leave work in a hurry to sort out an urgent personal problem. Meg forces Joan to tell Joyce she's withdrwaing the complaint. Lexie offers Steve $2,000 to give her an abortion, but of course he refuses. Jessie interrupts and insists Lexie to hear her out and finally tells her she is her real mother, not Lady Giddings. |
EPISODE 610Broadcast on Channel 5 Saturday 29 April 2000 04:40. Lexie's mother is poisoned when she mistakenly drinks a lethal cocktail of home brew and drain cleaner. Will a child killer become one of Wentworth's newest inmates?Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson Joyce ~ Joy Westmore Jessie ~ Pat Evison Nancy ~ Julia Blake Rita ~ Glenda Linscott Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne Lou ~ Louise Siversen Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor Alice ~ Lois Collinder Bob ~ Peter Adams Steve ~ Peter Hayes Dan ~ Sean Scully Flora Jenkins ~ Monica Claux Lady Giddings ~ Gabrielle Hartley Kath Maxwell ~ Kate Hood Sean Jenkins ~ Steve Millichamp Alan Maxwell ~ Peter Flett Newscaster ~ Lindsay Edwards Pocco The Dog ~ Pocco Thanks to Kim for pointing out that there is no Newscaster in the broadcast version of this episode. Joyce identifies Alice's recipe of eggs "on spinach with a sauce over the top" as Eggs Benedict, but that is eggs with Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce on English muffins. The dish Alice describes is called Eggs Florentine. | Bob is responding to a phone call from Kath, who admits to him that she killed her daughter to "stop the pain". Jessie promises Lexie that she gave Lady Giddings money to take care of Lexie because she believed she wanted to get off the game, and reminds her of the photo he saw of herself when young. Lexie rejects Jessie and her story. Kath tells Bob she killed Linda by smothering her with a pillow and asks Bob to contact her husband and explain why she is in police custody. Despite Bob's insistence that she needn't tell anyone, Kath says she must face the consequences for what she has done. Steve invites Julie to come to Mervin and Joyce's wedding if her parole comes through. Jessie tells all the women in the workshop she's Lexie's mother and decides to get Lady Giddings in to Wentworth to tell Lexie the truth. Alan returns home unexpectedly and while Bob is talking to him, Kath phones the police. Bob begs Kath to keep his friendship with her a secret in case she is sent to Wentworth. Rita asks Dan to consider taking the job as chaplain at Wentworth. Sean comes back to Lou for more: she hits him in the balls, but collapses with the exertion. Lou overhears Flora saying she'll get some penicillin to treat Lou and if that doesn't work they will dump her. Dan tries to reassure Ann that their relationship shouldn't stand in the way of him working with the women. Lou  dreams of a man attacking her with a chainsaw  , and on waking up decides to look for a weapon: she finds a gun and a box of cartridges and hides them under the bed. Lady Giddings bitterly tells Lexie the truth, but Lexie can't forgive Jessie and says she will go ahead with the abortion. Alice is pleased with the result as she's been running a book on whether Jessie is really Lexie's mother. Nancy tries to comfort Jessie, who blames herself for messing up as usual. Alice suggests as a dish for the wedding breakfast a recipe she's read of which is supposed to be "the Queen's favourite tucker". Rita is inspired by the radio controlled car fixed by Julie. Lexie finds Pocco waiting for her at the wire during the exercise period. Jessie's identity throws doubt on her allegations against Bassinger (as Joan delights in pointing out to Bob), and there's been another letter. The women smuggle Pocco inside wrapped in the volleyball net. Joyce shows the other staff members an unusually small and modest newspaper article about Kath headed "MOTHER GUILTY OF EUTHENASIA"  [Not only is the headline misspelt, but the article is really about the prospects of "The Cosby Show" winning the 37th annual Emmy Awards. Anyway, how can Kath be "guilty" before her trial?] The women save treats from dinner in their shower bags to feed Pocco. Meg tells Joan she should take some time off: Joan is predictably unresponsive and storms out of the staff room, but pauses for a moment's though just outside the door. Jessie takes the food to Lexie and Pocco. Ann agrees to recommend Dan as chaplain. Rita gives Jessie some of the special brew, which burns her mouth  . |
Story Editor: Bevan Lee
Script Editor: Alister Webb (606); Fay Rousseaux (607); Alister Webb (608)-(609); Fay Rousseaux (610)
Storyliners: Bevan Lee, Tony McDonald, John Coulter - all (606)-(610), Kelly Bermingham (606)-(608) only
| (601) to (605) |
