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"I should have recognised that voice," said Joan to her mysterious friend Cynthia, as if it were some kind of in-joke for those viewers in-the-know. Especially after a whole scene took place where only the back of Cynthia's head (or wig) was shown in a rather unsubtle attempt to keep her face hidden.
Poor Joan - despite someone trying to burn her house down, shooting at her, and attempting to blow her up with a car bomb, the police still didn't seem to think there was enough evidence that she was in any danger. Not until much later in the episode, anyway. Oh well, at least the make-up person had removed the ping pong ball from her face, so she looked a bit less like E.T. after a rough night out.
Fellowes was still pacing around in his little purple box surrounded by pot plants, smoking yet another sausage-like cigar. In fact, it's so usual to see him with a new cigar in his hand that I almost thought he'd grown a sixth finger.
Jenny had another visit from Sir Robin Day, who informed her that Mrs Overall was dead. (Presumably choked to death on a macaroon.) So I found my own jaw swinging open in one of the late cleaning lady's incredible GASPs. Also, it seemed Jenny's Aunt had moved into the house, and sacked all the staff. Obviously I'd missed something here, as I thought Jenny had been named as main/sole beneficiary in Nana's will, but as someone else was able to live in the house and have control to hire and fire the staff, perhaps I’d misunderstood.
The main events seemed to focus on Frank holding Meg and Dennis captive, and it was interesting to see the first ever scene of the terrible twins sitting together on a settee and not looking smug. Quite a lot of tension was created in these scenes, and I have to say Meg was very good. She seems quite good at doing these "sheer terror" situations (as she was with the rape sequence during Angel's era - though I'm not sure exactly what went wrong when she and Ann were tied up in that warehouse, and her performance seemed to cause much amusement with many fans). The tension was broken up nicely with little bursts of Joycie (of course). "Yoo-hooooo... it's only me!" she twittered at the front door. Meg stood in the doorway, trembling and looking like she was about to wet herself, and talking mysteriously about "the C12 forms". Couldn't help wondering if that was some coded comment to Joyce, or if C12 forms really existed. But of course, if so, it was completely wasted. Later, when Dennis was on the phone to a very confused Joyce, he deliberately didn't answer her questions as she'd expected, and made thinly disguised references to Frank Burke being there. But alas, Joycie just got confused, and missed the point. Thank goodness for Joan .
In one dramatic moment, I was a bit surprised at the Yawn-shire Pudding forgetting all his quaint "by 'eck"s and shouting at Frank, "I'll rip your bollocks out!" Crikey.
Thankfully the police arrived on the scene, and we saw them discretely sneak up to the flat – er, blue lights flashing, screeching up outside, parking across the pavement. Amazingly Frank didn't appear to notice them.
As for the "kneecapping" scene, it was one of the most horrible sequences of the series in my opinion - very gruesome and shocking.
This led to a police chase, with more cock-eyed sharp-shooters, missing Frank several times as he ran along, until they eventually injured him slightly. Dennis was carted off in the ambulance, and I know it was supposed to be a sad and moving scene.. but what were those things on his legs? It looked as though he had inflatable thigh-length moon boots on.
Back in the rec room, the television was droning almost inaudibly in the background, when suddenly the volume mysteriously and unexpectedly shot up, just as a newsflash boomed out. "Good evening, here is a news update," said the voice. "Listen everyone!" shouted someone, probably using their sixth sense to predict it was relevant to them all. And strangely, it was. All about Dennis and stuff.
Back in hospital, Dennis was delirious, and was muttering "Burke! Burke!" in Meg's face, which seemed a bit unkind in the circumstances, as she'd done her best. He was lying in a bed, with a tent frame thing over his lower body and a blanket over, as though he'd just had a dodgy circumcision.
Loved the scenes with Willie. I know lots of people find her irritating, but she does make me laugh, being so transparent, shallow, and incredibly camp. Loved the scenes where she was reading the obituaries, and when she was squabbling with Ettie, who called her a "stupid old cow". Lots of lovely, sharp dialogue (the writers were clearly on form this episode, and the actress playing Willie was obviously enjoying it).
Alice seemed quite p*ssed off at Lou in one scene today, over her extra time taking the rap for Lou. Strange, because in the last episode she was talking to Lou and didn't seem too bothered about it. Almost as if the previous scene between her and Lou hadn't happened, or the writers had changed since.
Dr Weissmann made his reappearance, with a startling new look. Not only with his distinctive large nose, but he looked as if he'd been using it to hoover-up carpet fluff. Daphne certainly looked quite taken aback when she saw it.
More mention of Myra. "She was something else," said an emotional Lexie. Pity she'd begun to appear tired and miserable towards the end. But she was an impressive character at times, and she had some good scenes towards the end, and she'll become a Wentworth legend now.
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