As the 9th episode of Wentworth’s 9th season begins, Marie Winter (Susie Porter) has a nightmare in which she is hung by Boomer (Katrina Milosevic) and Ruby (Rarriwuy Hick) while Allie (Kate Jenkinson) orders it. When she gets up, she finds the women watching the news about Joan’s trial. Boomer tells her to come watch her little friend get off. Ruby chimes in and ridicules Marie for not deleting the recording on the phone before telling her to save her excuses for Rita (Leah Purcell). Allie admits she wishes Rita would’ve told them, but Boomer says she didn’t trust them. Ruby tells Boomer to get it over with and tell her what is getting to her. Jenkins admits she doesn’t understand how they can like cops since they’re worse than screws. Allie says it was hard to find out that Rita wasn’t who she said she was although Ruby says she is still Rita. Then, we see Dr. Greg Miller (David de Lautour) testify at Joan’s trial.

He insists Joan (Pamela Rabe) doesn’t remember anything before her coma besides life skills and minor things. He goes on to say Joan is kind and compassionate while Vera (Kate Atkinson) can’t stomach listening to the lies. Judy Bryant (Vivienne Awosoga) goes outside to tell Lou Kelly (Kate Box) she wants to talk to Frazer (Dave Lawson) but Kelly isn’t willing to let that happen. Judy recommends getting a SIM card from Zaina Saad (Louisa Mignone) so she can call. Again, Lou says no because that could potentially blow the operation. Boomer and Allie are taunted with pig noises when they step outside, and Lou learns Rita just got back. Lou calms them down and tells everyone they’re going to have a big decision today because they’re either with her or with the pig. Will Jackson (Robbie Magasiva) approaches Rita who says she wants to be placed in general because she wants the phone with the recording of Jones saying she is an undercover cop on it.

Rita tells him about Lou’s plan to escape with Judy. He agrees to take it to the GM before Ruby is allowed to visit her. Jake Stewart (Bernard Curry) gets on the elevator with Vera and learns the jury is eating up Joan’s bull crap. Vera suggests getting up with Greg’s notes, so they’ll know the truth, but Jake warns she’ll be charged with contempt. She insists Grace will always be in danger if Ferguson walks while Jake promises to never let Joan hurt her or Grace. Ann Reynolds (Jane Hall) calls Dale Langdon (Gary Sweet) to tell him Will knows about their escape plan. Dale says they’ve already identified Lou’s contact and his name is Frazer. Although he is on the terror watch list, they haven’t arrested him because they don’t have a direct link to Judy yet. She says they have to get Judy, so he instructs her to shut Jackson down. Once the call ends, she immediately goes to Will to tell him the NSO already knows and they’re miles ahead of him.

She explains they’ve ordered him to stay out of it and it is something way above his pay grade. When she says they can’t risk their operation, Will asks more about the operation. She won’t tell him anything though. Rita learns she is going to H5 and Will is only allowing it because she needs the phone and he wants to know what Lou and Judy are up to. She is going to have a guard with her at all times too. When Rita goes to the cafeteria, Lou asks the women who is with the pig. Most of the women stand up to side with Lou. Then, Allie and the others side with her one by one. Ruby is the last and she makes a speech about Rita no longer being her sister. Back in their cells, they believe it was worth it as long as Lou bought it. Marie says they don’t have much time and they agree they need to get the cellphone quickly. Marie says they need to help Rita with her plan. However, everyone blames Marie for what has happened, and Allie says she poisons everything she touches. Rita approaches Lou with her watchdog in tow.

Rita tells Lou she messed up because she didn’t finish the job, but Lou says it won’t be long. She warns Lou it is too late for her because she had a visit from a bikie friend and they’re going to go after Lou’s brother Trav. Lou begins calling in hopes of finding out about Trav only to learn from Linda Miles (Jacqueline Brennan) that her phone privileges have been suspended. She immediately goes to Saad and demands she bring a SIM. Although Zaina doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’t have any choice. When Zaina walks away, she tells Ruby about Lou and the SIM card. Judy gets a visit from her father who reveals the evidence on the laptop was likely planted by the NSO like she said. They’re not going to move forward with the extradition, and she might be exonerated.

She immediately confronts and rubs it in Ann’s face. Ann has Linda take her to a private area before she joins them. Linda follows Ann’s orders and handcuffs Judy to the nearby pipe. Judy reminds her about the spit bag and caving her ribs in. Ann takes Linda’s baton and begins beating Judy with it. Linda has a change of heart, rushes out of the room, and brings Vera back. Once Vera arrives, she breaks it up and threatens to call the police on Ann. Linda takes Judy to medical while Ann complains that Vera is jealous of her and has been undermining her from the start. She insists she was never there for her before screaming where was she when her daughter died. Vera goes to Will and admits she is going to have to take it to the board although it will devastate Ann. He tells her the right thing to do isn’t always the easiest. Joan returns from the courtroom and walks past Vera in the hallway. Meanwhile, Lou complains to Mandy Frost (Jennifer Vuletic) about Rita having her brother beat up.

Officer Green (Lee Beckhurst) arrives with Ferguson before telling Lou her phone privileges were suspended right after Jackson saw the pig in medical this morning. Lou realizes Rita was lying about everything and only wants the cellphone. Judy confronts Lou later that night and says it is over now that she is going to get out of prison anyway. Judy tells her it is over, but Lou has no intention of calling it off at this point. Later that night, Marie finds Boomer vomiting and asks if she is okay only to have the door shut in her face. Ruby tells Marie it is time to face the music, so she goes to Rita. Marie apologizes for everything and says she recorded it because she doesn’t trust cops. She says the plan has worked and Saad is getting Lou a SIM for the phone. Rita says she is stuck in there and she doesn’t know how much time she has left. She insists Marie is the only one who can protect Ruby and Marie should get the phone. Next, Vera approaches Ferguson to tell her she hasn’t won. She says she fears for her child and Ferguson turns people into monsters.

Vera says she almost did it to her, but she knows what she has to do now. Ferguson takes the stand and begins talking about her condition. Vera considers standing up and showing everyone Greg’s notes, but Ferguson prevents her from doing that by telling the truth. She admits she lied about everything, she is Joan Ferguson, and Greg didn’t know anything about it. She argues she won’t be able to control herself if she is released so the only safe place for her is behind bars. In the end, she changes her plea to guilty. Once she is taken back to Wentworth, she tells Greg she had her reasons, they don’t concern him, and she protected him. He reveals he stopped giving her the medication, so he is responsible for helping Joan control her impulses and not the medication. She claims he should be grateful for not facing charges, but Greg believes she should be grateful to him.

Will tells Greg he is fired and should get out of there. Jake confronts Ferguson in private and warns her he’ll kill her before he lets anything bad happen to Vera or Grace. Then, Vera approaches her to ask why she did that since the jury was about to acquit her. She wonders if Joan’s desire to destroy them is too strong, but Joan only looks at her and smirks. Allie tells Marie that her best friend Kath is going to be in there with them forever. She says at least she is going to pay for Bea while Marie says she has been wrong about so many things, including Ferguson, Rita, Ruby, and Danny. She was right about Allie who is the strongest person she knows although Allie disagrees and says she’d be better off dead.

Marie insists there is a reason Allie is there and she is the best of them. Will makes Greg sign some document before he leaves. Ruby returns to the girls to tell them Zaina is in there with her visitor and will have the SIM soon. She decides to go on her own, but Marie follows her anyway with Allie’s blessing. Once they reach the cafeteria, Ruby tries to make Marie leave but she continues following her. Ruby goes in and finds the camera covered with spray so nobody can see what is happening. She continues following the trail on the floor until she finds herself surrounded by Lou Kelly and her girls. The women beat up on Ruby for a while until Marie arrives and attacks them with a big 2×4. Marie gets Ruby out of the room and says she’ll be right behind her. Lou takes the piece of wood, says this is for Reb, and stabs Marie in the stomach.

Marie is left to bleed out while Lou gives the knife to Mandy who is set to take the blame. Ruby returns to her sister and admits it was a trap, so they don’t have the phone. Ruby tells them about Marie who has gone missing. Will learns about Marie and forces the guards to clear the room. Before they go, Vera tells him Mandy Frost was found with a bloody knife and admitted to doing it. Will tries to wrap his head around what has happened before going to Ann who says that is another murder on his watch. He blames her and says she’ll have to answer to the board for assaulting Judy. He tells her she is finished. Ann goes outside and gets in her vehicle before Dale joins her. He reveals they listened to a phone call between Lou and Frazer today. They’re moving the operation ahead and it will happen tomorrow. Frazer hacked into the prison network and registered his van for a bogus prisoner transfer for 5 PM tomorrow.

Ann says they should arrest him, but Dale says he needs to get the van inside the prison to connect it to Bryant because they think someone at the NSO has framed her. She realizes he is only trying to cover his own backside although he warns her that Judy is a terrorist. He insists the end justifies the means. She says she can’t risk the van coming in. Dale asks what she’d say if she knew Frazer had links to the group that set off the bomb in London and killed her daughter. She asks if that was true and whether Bryant was involved. Dale gives her a look but doesn’t really answer the question. Ruby blames herself for Marie’s death, but Rita admits she told her to protect her. Allie says the death is on all of them. Rita insists she made good in the end. Meanwhile, Lou screams that there is one down and four to go. The women scream from the other cells until the episode ends.

 

Wentworth Review

Having watched the episode twice now, it seemed a bit better the second time around, but it is hard to believe we’re this close to the end. Much like the last several episodes, there were some good moments and bad moments. One thing that was a bit weird was Linda deciding to stop Ann from beating Judy Bryant. Linda has been built as a sadistic individual this season, so I see no reason she’d change now.

The back and forth between Rita and Lou was strange although it is about time it happened. Why would Lou believe Rita would get a visitor at the hospital considering she is a convict, and nobody would know where she was? If the writers were going to push this as the ultimate showdown, it should’ve had more of a buildup.

I also wonder why Lou would care so much about getting all the women behind her considering she is planning to blow the prison sky high. My final complaint is the whole Judy thing. It just seems forced for this to happen this far into the game. Why try to give Judy a way out and why would Lou listen to her anyway?

Marie’s demise was good since the character has likely served its purpose. We really needed more of this to happen before the finale. I am worried they’re either going to force too much to happen in the finale or leave so many questions unanswered. In the end, I’d say Greg will likely be the luckiest person if he is indeed gone. Unfortunately, Wentworth’s psychiatrist never lived up to the potential of those from its predecessor.

We’ve finally made it. There is nothing else to do but wait for the finale to drop and see what they decided to do with it. This episode was decent although it feels like it might be too little too late. It scores a 7 out of 10. All recaps of Wentworth will be available on Reel Mockery here.