|
The episode started with what could be the worst ever incidental music in the whole series, being played over the opening mugshots.
More "interesting" camera angles (someone was certainly trying to make their mark here), first with the shot looking towards the prison entrance through the barbed wire on top of the fence, and then the curious shot of Joyce and Ann, taken from inside the front door. It reminded me the front door had one of the spyhole window things, like the cells, and again it made me wonder why they'd need that on the main entrance. Other than for making the occasional riot storyline interesting, by letting the women shout their demands through it.
Frank was escorted to solitary, where he was so annoyed at being locked in, he began thumping the door with his fists. Looking at the way the door swayed each time he pounded it, it didn't look as though he'd be complaining for much longer.
Lexie was back with the enormous blue bow, actually bigger than her whole head, and I can't believe it didn't look hilarious even at the time when Lexie was in line with fashion. In a similar way, Kath Deakin's hair seemed to have become absolutely huge. To the point that it wouldn’t so much need a brush running through it, as a combine harvester. And when Myra later slapped her, and she was rendered instantly unconscious (no surprise if you watch Prisoner regularly) I couldn't help wondering if the sudden movement of her hair might have given her a serious whiplash injury.
Joan's pearl of wisdom this episode was "presentation reflects the person", which made me think of the scene at Meg's flat. Here we saw Dennis sitting in an armchair with long winter scarf round his neck, and Meg wearing a blue artist's smock, with what looked like one of her frilly nightdresses underneath. Poor Meg, of all the many catastrophes she has to suffer and survive, her costumes are the ones that always seem to defeat her.
A curious difference in lighting in the night scenes, with Sheila sitting in her cell in darkness (all but faint blue light) - cut straight to Jan and Ettie's cell, which was almost as bright as daylight.
I was surprised at Judy's comment, about being passionate about something. "I feel that way about my songs." Er, perhaps I've been missing something all the years that Judy had been in the programme, but Pixie's Song has been the only time I've seen her show any interest in writing music. I must have missed all those other songs she'd written in the rec room, it being an important part of her life and all.
Was there something wrong with the sound during this episode, or was a helicopter really landing somewhere in the laundry? First I thought it was Lexie's blue hair bow coming to life, but then I wondered if Marie Winter had popped back for her washing.
Sam Greenway considered a suicide risk.. The big question I found myself asking was, would she use the art knife she was allowed to have in her cell; would she break the mirror and use the sharp glass (like so many others); would she nip into the infirmary and help herself to some of the drugs on display in breakable glass cabinets; or will she hang herself from one of the pipes that appear in Wentworth cells and no other prisons? And as she was interrupted by Joan at a crucial moment, I was already shouting "Don't do it! Don't do it"! To Joan of course, for trying to stop Sam’s departure from the series.
I was watching the closing credit sequence this episode, having not taken as much notice before. Presumably the officer is checking the inmates during her night shift. It's odd how, halfway through the sequence, she locks a security gate behind her, that had curiously been left open, and checks on 3 cells, before ignoring the last 2 or 3 doors and walking off just in time for the theme music to come to an end. I also noticed that during this episode, the spyhole thing in Frank's scene had a bar across it, which had to be removed before the little door was opened. Yet this doesn't appear on the doors in the closing sequence. In fact, I'm sure I can remember scenes with cell doors that had it, and scenes with cell doors that didn't. Was there a reason for this – for example, do they only have those doors in solitary? If that's the case, I don't see why, if they can't be opened from the inside anyway.
By the way, I was at a first aid course recently, where they were discussing things to do if someone had taken poison (like Meths). They said the thing not to do, was to walk the person around the room – it increases the heart rate, pumping the poison around the system faster. And having strong coffee after too much alcohol isn't likely to sober someone up, as the chemicals react together. I'm no expert on these subjects, but I remember thinking at the time - "Poor old Jan in Prisoner!"
|
