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What an exciting start to the episode, with Space Invaders type music playing over the mugshots, as well as Lou Kelly almost blowing her hand off with a sawn-off piece of chair leg. Apparently it was a deadly zip gun, and when Lou pinched it from Frank, he said "I can make another one easy enough". And later, someone said making one was "easy enough if you can get into the workshop". How come there aren't loads of deaths in Wentworth, with dangerous criminals able to knock up weapons so easily without the officers knowing?
Very strange how the women were looking through the newspapers to find out what had happened to Lou. Would such a minor incident/accident make national news? I doubt it would even make it to local radio here.
I loved how Ettie (not a bit like Agnes Forster, yes dear, I only drink tea, etc.) was standing in the corridor calling "puss puss puss.." And later saying "He must've got out through the window - cats are like that, you know." This imaginary cat wouldn't be called Butchie, by any chance..? And how wonderful that we later saw Ettie in front of the TV, engrossed in an episode of Fraggle Rock!
It's interesting how the almost painfully dull robot subplot went, with the use of the very English word "wrong" to indicate incorrect answers, and the very visual 'smile' for correct ones, for what would no doubt be some slightly confused Deaf children. It’s as if they couldn’t quite make up their mind whether to use non-verbal communication with the robot, or written English. I was also interested to know how the robot would "ask" its questions to the child. We'd only seen people standing behind it speaking till now, which would be pretty inappropriate for deaf kiddies. But it's arms looked a bit too solid and wooden to use sign language. Well thought out, Sam, and well researched.
And the wooden box - just the right size to hide a person - was successfully taken out of the prison with an escaped prisoner inside. Surprising the two delivery men didn't notice how the wooden structure was several stones heavier than a few bits of four-by-two and some wires should have been. I loved the strict security check at the gate - the gate guard came over to the van, hopped up and looked at the robot's head for about a second, then let them drive off.
Interesting how Ettie made a comment about the robot being "just like the Trojan Horse".. though the principle differences were: (a) The Trojan Horse was used to smuggle people in, not out; and (b) the Trojan Horse story was vaguely interesting and plausible by comparison.
Poor Sam, going to all that trouble of breaking out of prison, desperately looking for the one thing she'd always wanted - a decent storyline. And after all that, she was greeted on the doorstep by her eight-foot tall sister "Thally", before being confronted by a ferocious stick insect of a mother.
And when she moped back into Wentworth, and was facing the governor, Ann said she felt "partly to blame", because she knew Mrs Stickinsect would refuse to see Sam. More like almost entirely to blame I'd say - for the sloppy security, not even considering it might happen - and allowing those poor deaf kids to be horribly patronised by a cheap version of a mobile disco.
I wonder if there was a new person on camera during this episode. There were some unusual camera shots in the laundry, taken from angles I'd never noticed before. In particular, filmed across the fronts of the driers and washer, from both directions, rather than towards them. Never mind, at least the pink thing was still in its usual place, hanging at the front of the rack, between the driers.
Having only just noticed Officer Radcliffe has suddenly gained a first name on the credits this last episode or two, I'm sure Dennis referred to her by a completely different one. In the credits she was "Andrea", and I'm sure he called her "Angela".
I see panto season must have been in full swing at the time of filming. Not only because Lexie seemed to be in her Cinderella costume. But also because Judy appeared to have been in solitary for about a month. No doubt a lovely big grey-haired Widow Twanky was appearing somewhere.
How lovely to see Joycie back, and as wonderfully incompetent as ever. Not only this, but she had her right arm in plaster, making her incredibly easy to overpower by violent inmates. But apart from that, nothing implausible about her, or her working in a high security prison, at all.
I thought it was a lovely scene between her and Joan, with Joan making bitchy comments about Joyce not coping with the governor job recently. Classic Joan.
And just before the credits, the wonderful scene with Geoff holding Frank face down on his bed, with Myra standing over him with a red hot soldering iron in her hand, saying "This is from Pixie.." Wow! I suddenly thought, "Edward II", thinking ‘great!’ - nasty grisly drama at last! Or at least a badly-singed willy. How could the writers fail to disappoint me on this one..? But of course, I hadn't seen the next episode by then.
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