As the eighth episode begins, the inmates discover Marge (Marta Kaczmarek) dead outside. The women say their goodbyes, as Marge’s body is transported out of the prison. Sonia (Sigrid Thornton) begins speeding up her workforce to prepare for the arrival of the regional manager. Sonia is caught off guard by a visit from Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe). Ferguson tries to strike a deal with Sonia to bring drugs into the prison using the work area. Sonia politely refuses the offer. Vera (Kate Atkinson) walks into the prison with Bridget (Libby Tanner). It is clear Bridget isn’t in a good state of mind. Bridget is made aware of Marge’s death and is told she may have extra visits from the other inmates. Franky (Nicole da Silva) speaks with Allie (Kate Jenkinson) about their upcoming escape.

Bridget watches angrily from her window. Will (Robbie Magasiva) confronts Vera and encourages her to search the prison for drugs. Vera refuses to make such a decision based on Will’s gut instinct alone. Stella Radic (Bessie Holland) visits the workshop and tries to get a job. Boomer (Katrina Milosevic) flat out refuses, before Sonia gets involved. Boomer and Sonia have fun with Stella, by assigning her the most physically demanding tasks. Back inside the prison, Bridget has a word with Allie. Bridget tries to convince Allie that entering into a relationship with Franky would be a mistake at this point. Allie heads to the laundry, where she spots a repairman working on the laundry chute. Then, she discusses the elevator with Franky. Allie insists it must lead to a loading dock.

They agree to check it out, before Allie tells Franky about her conversation with Bridget. Franky immediately tracks down Bridget. She tries to tell her the truth about Allie. In the yard, Kaz (Tammy Macintosh) watches as Allie has a conversation with Linda Miles (Jacqueline Brennan). Kaz immediately suspects Allie of buying drugs. Kaz confronts Allie in the hallway and tries to get to the truth of the matter. After Allie gets away from Kaz, she reunites with Franky and they head to the laundry. Franky climbs into the chute and looks around. They’re interrupted by the arrival of Ferguson. After looking around, Ferguson finds the two women pretending to make out. She demands they leave immediately. Kaz tells Will that Jake (Bernard Curry) is responsible for bringing in the drugs. Ferguson takes her newly acquired information to Bridget.

Her comments about Franky and Allie send Bridget into a frenzy. Bridget quickly tracks down Franky and calls her out on her lies. Franky tries to explain that Ferguson is a liar, but Bridget isn’t having it. Vera speaks with Jake outside of the prison. Bridget arrives and asks Vera to hang out that night. Vera finds an excuse to get out of the date. In the cafeteria, Sonia and Boomer try to prepare the other girls for the arrival of Derek Channing (Martin Sacks). Allie eavesdrops on the conversation. She alerts Franky that the prison could soon begin sending shipments out of the workshop. Will confronts Jake in the locker room. He tries to score drugs, but Jake insists he has stopped selling. Derek arrives at the prison and gets a tour from Vera. Franky tries to convince Boomer to let her work in the workshop.

Boomer refuses, since she doesn’t want Franky taking over. Franky returns to Allie with the news. They watch as Derek is led into the workshop. During the tour, things go awry. Boomer and Stella get into a fight. Liz (Celia Ireland) is knocked into Derek and both tumble onto the ground. Derek immediately orders Vera to shut down the workshop. Franky and Allie become worried that their escape plan has just been ripped to shreds. Derek is transported to the clinic. There, he gets a little too friendly with Nurse Radcliffe (Madeleine Jevic). After Sonia learns about the project being shut down, she quickly places all of the blame on Liz. Jake lets Ferguson know about Jackson digging into their business. Liz expresses her concerns with Bridget. She complains that Sonia is after her, due to her squealing during the trial. Bridget doesn’t seem too concerned.

After the conversation, Liz speaks with Vera. She tells the governor that Bridget was drunk. Vera tries to speak with Bridget, but she rushes out of the building. Allie watches Derek and Nurse Radcliffe. Then, she confronts Derek in the hallway. She makes it clear she knows Derek from her past. She threatens to expose his crimes, unless he restarts the project. Derek immediately pays a visit to Vera and tells her that he was wrong and jumped the gun. Boomer asks Sonia about her backlash against Liz. She is told not to worry about prison politics. Ferguson speaks with Sonia in private. Again, she tries to strike a deal with her. This time, it seems like Ferguson might’ve hit the right notes. After that, Ferguson speaks with Jake and insists it is time to get rid of Jackson. Vera gets a visit from Bridget that night. Bridget finally opens up about her problems. However, she storms out after Jake enters.

Before the guards search the prison, Will finds a bag of drugs in his locker. He manages to sneak to the bathroom and flush them down. He follows Jake to the bathroom and delivers a solid threat. Allie and Franky are introduced to the workshop. They immediately find a way to escape. Then, Franky visits Bridget and learns that she is leaving Wentworth. Franky tries to stop her, but is unable to do so. Franky rushes to Allie’s cell and tries to go down on her. Allie stops her, before Franky returns to her cell. Franky sulks in her cell, as Bridget drives away from the prison.

 

Wentworth Review

This episode of Wentworth was somewhat better than the previous one. We heard no mention of Doreen and that was definitely a blessing. Franky and Allie continued plotting their escape, which is likely set to fail. Sonia may have struck a deal with Ferguson. Bridget has potentially left Wentworth for good. And, Kaz and Will continue to cooperate to stop Ferguson. Will now has good evidence that Jake is responsible for getting the drugs into the prison.

Will he be able to remove Vera’s blinders and stop Jake from becoming governor? The episode saw hits and misses. Sonia’s project isn’t bad, while the power struggle among the guards is definitely entertaining. Sadly, the high school drama between Bridget and Franky is nearly obnoxious. Plus, the writers have completely obliterated the Nurse Radcliffe character. It seems she only enters the picture when a male character needs a quickie.

This series needs something big to happen very, very soon. The episode deserves a 7 out of 10. Catch up with older recaps of Wentworth immediately.