|
Couldn’t help but notice the amount of smoking going on in this episode, which is interesting because it seemed to get removed from the later episodes. Presumably this was a conscious decision, because of the young people watching the series, and would make sense with the show’s seemingly anti-drugs stance. (Though a drug-free prison full of non-smokers might be stretching plausibility a tad.) This is interesting when corrupt officer/governor Craven appears late in the series, and seems to be blowing cigarette smoke in every scene, including the unlikely corridors of H-block. But Craven is 'bad', and we know this because he smokes cigarettes and he wears dark sunglasses indoors. Anyone who’s seen children's television drama would probably realise that.
This episode is also interesting because it marks the introduction of a few long-haul characters. In the dining room we got a good view of a surprisingly spectacle-free Tina Murray (the spectacles seemed to have found their way onto Erica’s face for some reason) and during the riot we got a good look at Lorna Young, both trusty background extras who pulled angry faces and mouthed silent protests for nearly 690 episodes. But even more interesting was the scene in the laundry, where a certain brightly-coloured garment was clearly visible on the shelves by the driers. Could this have been an uncredited first appearance by the Pink Thing..?
Erica was still in her pea green suit, and was casually browsing through a volume of her Encyclopaedia Britannica when she was told of “trouble” in the dining room. So off she stormed, ready to sort out the unruly inmates with a quick rat-at-at of her clipped consonents. The confrontation between her and Franky was excellent, actually. Franky was calm and polite, but still managed to build an air of crackling tension.
Another first-of-many this episode came from the fabulous Chrissie Latham. When her advances were rejected by Bill Jackson, she blurted out the first of her trademark "BAAAASTAD!"-s. Great stuff. Don’t quite understand why there is a big window in the social worker’s office, looking out onto, er, the corridor wall. More disturbing is the hideous net curtain covering it. Can’t decide whether it is supposed to be a shade of dirty browny-yellow, or if it’s just filthy and needs a good wash.
In the prison garden, Lynn was gently cradling a trampled rose, as the vocal version of the theme song was played for the first time, intercut with film of Mum, among the azaleas, handing a football to a mop-haired revolting child, which could have been Shane Munroe in his even younger days. While busy staring at the rose and generally whimpering as usual, Lynn was interrupted by Meg’s son Marty, pouting and looking moody through the fence. I was a bit puzzled how he managed to get right up to the inner perimeter fence. I thought he would have either been standing at the outer fence, or let inside the inner one in the garden, where Officer Yates had said he was.
Poor Rosie, who seemed to spend the whole episode looking dreadful, with nothing to do but gasp and sweat a lot. Strange camera angle when she first appeared in the doctor’s office though, a lingering close up of her legs, before panning out to begin the scene properly.
The background music was very good this episode, I thought, really adding to the tension in places. Had to laugh at one bit though, when the radio in the laundry was playing funky disco-style music!
Marilyn was busy interfering with the fuses, after Lizzie went to great pains to break into the locked fuse box. Interestingly, when Vera decided they needed to “call an electrician”, she walked off leaving the fusebox door swinging wide open. Later, we saw Marilyn hanging around by the fusebox, while a set of keys was clearly hanging from its lock. “This is the one.. it just keeps blowing,” Officer Yates said to Eddie, though it wasn’t clear whether she was pointing at the fusebox or Marilyn.
Bea’s return to Wentworth was handled very well, with the look on both her face, and Franky’s, causing me to giggle with excitement. Another example of tension well managed. Her induction was also well done, with her ‘cut the crap and get it over with’ attitude towards Meg. This was let down slightly by an unconvincing attempt at stern-ness by Meg. Bea’s return to Wentworth gave Erica a problem. With Franky trying to establish her new found power by throwing her weight around, what more sensible thing can there be to do, than break the rule about murderers going to solitary on arrival, and throw the troublemaker’s arch rival into the powder-keg of H-block. Er.. right.
Back in the laundry, I was surprised to see a nice big pair of sharp scissors freely used, with no supervising officer anywhere near. So I guess it was no real shock when they were used – surprise surprise – as a weapon. Blimey, who’d have thought there’d be any violent types in there?
Bea’s first contact with Franky was excellent. It consisted mostly of the pair staring menacingly at each other, but it successfully created great tension. I loved the way sides were drawn by prisoners either staying in their chairs (Franky’s side) or standing (Bea’s side). Curiously, Lizzie opted for Franky’s side rather than Bea’s. And I was particularly impressed with the acting when a single tear of frustration and humiliation ran down Franky's face before she erupted in rage. Excellent stuff.
When this happened, the officers ran out, and the security gates automatically slammed shut, seemingly working on powers of telepathy, as no riot alarms had started by then. But not everyone was in the right place. “Looks like you’re on the wrong side of the bars this time!” sneered Franky at Meg. Funny, but I have a feeling it won’t be the last time either.
Chaos reigned, with inmates screaming like banshees and jumping around, which was actually quite frightening and very effective. It led to the eventual stabbing of Bill Jackson, with the scissors, of course. (Actually, I wasn’t particularly moved by his death, partly because I’d found him quite an unlikeable character up until then, and partly because Meg’s sobbing performance didn’t stir any emotion in me.) But I did love the way these scenes were inter-cut with Marty Jackson pouting and being moody, while smashing the Jackson Family portrait – a bit more symbolic than he could have imagined.
|
