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Yes, where it all started. Seen through the eyes of two new inmates, a grim, atmospheric Wentworth is introduced. An unforgiving world of violence, suicide, sexual tension, and bad hair.
Having watched the later parts of the series, it's quite something to look back on the opening episode and see how much the style of the programme changed during its time. I was particularly impressed with the use of lighting to create atmosphere, with sunlight streaming through unseen corridor windows, or the interesting use of silhouette when Officer Yates was seen unlocking a security gate late at night.
The first episode is not only trying to introduce the characters to the audience, but also the prison situation, with rare sightings of the infamous "white line", and the mugshot and fingerprint procedures. (Though strangely, the fingerprints seem to be applied 'horizontally' rather than 'vertically' to the form, which seems like harder work, and is different to what I'm sure I've seen in police stations). We are introduced to the prison through the eyes of two new arrivals, Karen and Lynn, a nice tidy device I thought.
The other thing I noticed was the programme's attempts at hooking the viewers, and it seems to like shock tactics. Karen's cigarette-burned back was shocking, an attempted child murder was shocking, an enraged Franky destroying the rec room was shocking, Sally's suicide was shocking, an attempted lesbian seduction was shocking, Lynn's hand getting burned in the laundry press was shocking, the blood pumping out of Karen's husband's neck wound was shocking, an officer sneaking an inmate to another's cell at night was shocking, Greg Miller's tight trousers were shocking (dressing very clearly to the left).. Very dramatic and all helped along by some emotive (though slightly over-theatrical at times) music.
Most interesting of all was the complete absence of 'wobbly wall' moments in this episode. The Wentworth Karen and Lynn find here is grim and frightening. It's only later we discover all they needed to escape was a floppy green hat, or that men can mistakenly be imprisoned in a women's prison.
Back to the action. A very different opening sequence to most episodes, though it did seem as though Bea, Karen and Lynn were able to casually peg out washing before hopping on a bus to the prison. They ended up at Wentworth Mk1, where the cells have curiously large windows. (When the prison was later rebuilt, the windows were shrunk to miniscule size and moved higher up the walls, while somehow remaining unchanged on the building exterior.)
Karen was examined by the Sister (looking suspiciously like Hazel Kent before she got imprisoned) where the cigarette burns were discovered on her back, suggesting there was more to her murdering her husband than the trial revealed. As for Doctor Miller and his tight trousers, they were entertaining Meg in his office, next to his red Batphone. "I'll kill that husband of mine!" exclaimed Meg at one point, which was a little unfortunate considering the new inmate.
The first scene with Erica, how wonderful! Meg walked in to the governor's office where Erica was busy filing, a vision in Incredible Hulk green, who swivelled round before blasting Meg with her clipped vowels, like a Dalek with big hair. Actually, there seemed to be a very different Erica here, who was quite stern and surprisingly judgmental. Rather than her usual approach that a prisoner's guilt is a matter for the courts, she lashed out at Lynn like a cross between Medusa and half of Hinge & Bracket, claiming she'd read her file and she was "clearly guilty". Blimey.
It did look as though she pressed some mysterious button on her desk at one point, which was a cue for Meg to enter the room. If that was the case, the buzzer seems to have been promptly forgotten about in following episodes. She later said to Lynn, "You wish to have me phone someone for you?" Strange, because I'm sure the prisoners made their own phone calls throughout most of the series, using the reception phone (with an officer dialling the number first).
The other prisoners made their first appearances, with Lizzie's first line being "Bugger off!" or something equally appropriate. Doreen (looking surprisingly thin compared to later episodes) asked, "What are you in for, Lynn?", which of course is something we're told many times later in the series, is an unwritten rule not to do. In this case, Bea seemed to have forgotten and let her continue. Franky was excellent - I really had forgotten how good the actress was. The attempted seduction scene between her and Karen was amazing, with a very convincing performance. (Loved the way Erica pointed out to Karen that she'd need to get used to all the "swearing", "sex" and "drugs". Swearing..?? Sex..?? Drugs..??)
Mum was introduced in a nicer way, in her "life's what you make it" scene with Lynn in the garden, shot entirely through the wire fence presumably for some effect. This also featured a memorable shot of Lynn holding a rose, as the instrumental version of the theme song was heard for the first time.
As for the set itself, there were a few interesting bits of realism. For example in solitary, a toilet was clearly visible, and a nice touch was the word "Doreen" scratched on the door. Interestingly the dorms had wooden wardrobes in them, rather than the more memorable metal ones (with removable handles for fight scenes). And I did wonder if I had a glimpse of the Lime Green thing in the laundry..? Marilyn's secret rendezvous with Eddie the Electrician also gave a rare view of the rec room ceiling.
Finally, I was surprised to see the library shot of the prison exterior at night, one of three which were presumably taken at the same time, and all of which seem to have been used all the way through the series.
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