Good evening lads and ladies, how is everyone? Are we ready for a (slightly later published) Wentworth Prison Wednesday? Me too, woot! Rolling S4:E7 Panic Button after the break

And I’m already annoyed watching the Previously Ons: how can Dory be so disloyal AND so stupid. Sitting next to Ferguson! Of all people!

Sitting in her cell, Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe) picks up the scent of her prey coming closer, then the tap tap tapping of Governor Vera Bennett’s (Kate Atkinson) shoes…they are indeed headed her way. Ferguson’s lawyer is in for a visit, Vera can barely hide her glee. Ferguson can sense it, but she’s not sure why just yet…

It seems Nils Jesper has come up with a surprise witness to prove his association with former Governor Ferguson, she knows immediately who it is. I didn’t, I thought it would be Matt Fletcher, but apparently it’s top dog Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack), who Vera and the prosecutor are broaching just then.

Bea will do it, but first she wants a guarantee that after the trial, Ferguson goes straight into Protective Custody.

Ferguson eyeballs Bea HARD on the stairs, but she’s distracted by the lovely Allie Novak (Kate Jenkinson) giving her some vitamin E for her cutting scars. A cozy little exchange takes place, don’t worry about Doreen (Shareena Clanton), there are plenty of other people in here that care about her. *HINT HINT* *doe eye blink*

Kaz Proctor (Tammy McIntosh) has gotten some great news, only 18 months for her assault on the male abuser, which means her crew will probably get out with time served! High fives all around! Except Ferguson, of course, who is losing her protection.

Kaz notices her long face and comes over to find out whats going on; she is just too willing to believe that Bea is conspiring with some dude to victimize poor old Joanie Ferguson. You know, if she just took a minute to ASK anyone, anyone at all what Ferguson was like as Governor and what she got up to, she wouldn’t swallow this bullshit so easily. Instead, it’s all “no f*cking way” this and “I’ll get her” that. Ridic. Deputy Governor Will Jackson (Robbie J, Magasiva) takes Kaz away for a random drugs test.

Vera’s back in the staffing area; Jake Stewart (Bernard Curry) who is ALMOST as adorable as he thinks he is asks her out for a drink. She pushes him into an office (that visual was glorious, tiny Vera socking big Jake back) and reads him the riot act. The kiss in the lift was grossly unprofessional and wow: tantamount to sexual assault, Vera? That definitely will set him straight, but I don’t think you want to throw that around unless you really, really mean it.

Dory isn’t talking to the old HBlock gang much, Liz (Celia Ireland) is shadowing Sonia Stevens (Sigrid Thornton) pretty closely but Tasha isn’t doing great. The last time CO Linda Miles (Jacquie Brennan) saw her, she was handcuffed to a hospital bed. And if she really wanted to help, Dory should have told her not to press the DURESS button. That’s a bit off, innit? A guard telling an inmate to make sure other inmates don’t summon them when they’re being assaulted?

Liz is trying with Sonia, who is a closed, snobby book. she doesn’t want to clean to appear helpful and she”s still in her fancy gear, which is alienating the other women. Liz doesn’t have much to report to dishy Detective Don Kaplan (Steve Bastoni) but she’ll drink his great coffee and be tempted by his great pastries… I may be nurturing hope that Liz might one day get laid.

Dory is bolstered by Ferguson’s support and confronts Bea in the cafeteria. The women want to be allowed to press the DURESS button. Bea reiterates that rules are rules but Dory pushes back, they aren’t BEA’s rules, she’s just following what someone else said. Bea tells her and everyone listening; what the top dog says goes and right now: DON’T PRESS THE BUTTON.

But

Bea

I really think it’s more important to not get raped, personally. Big fan of people protecting themselves from that. It’s not really the sort of thing that gets psychologically brushed aside when your assailant gets their hands broken, you know?

Back at H-Block, Bea asks Dory: WTF, man? Why are you busting my hump? (paraphrase) Dory just wants the women to be safe is all, and if they aren’t allowed to push the button, how can they be? It made me laugh-snort when she said “I can think for myself” because of course she cannot. Oh but THEN. THEN she pushes the button. Dayum.

And then EVERYONE pushes their buttons.

What can Bea do? She has to stop cutting herself, she’s just not cut out (no pun intended) for this. She and everyone else listens as Liz talks to Dory: how can she do that to Bea? What was she thinking? How can she sit with Ferguson? Dory thinks the women don’t want anyone in charge at all any more, but Liz doesn’t think that’s true. Bea cries.

Vera braces Bea first thing in the morning; she can see the cracks in Bea, which means that Ferguson and everyone else can too. She needs to remind everyone who’s in charge.

In the cafeteria, Kaz lunges immediately: the DURESS button rule is out the window, yes? Nope says Bea, and I groan out loud – come ON, Bea! You’ve got to do something different! Er. I don’t know if throwing up having a top dog to a vote is exactly the right move, but it IS different!

I hope for Bea’s sake the women vote to not have a top dog, girlfriend needs a break and an entire weekend with Allie and no interruptions.

Vera is confident in this move, Bea wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t have confidence in how it would turn out. Will and Bridget Westfall (Libby Tanner – need more Bridget!!) don’t think it’s such a lock. Bea hasn’t been the same since the fire and the women have noticed.

Jake comes in to flirt with Will a bit, I also think Will has a smoking body but I probably wouldn’t mention it every single time i saw him. Maybe like every other time.

Liz is doing her level best to teach the women how to vote, I mean. How can you not understand the fundamentals of putting a checkmark or an X? Liz, one of Kaz’s crew and Sonia are counting the votes, the latter blocking Tina Mercado (Charli Tjoe) from re-voting. Nice try, Tina, good catch Sonia! I like her and I’m sorry.

Maxine (Socratis Otto) is not doing well, napping in her bunk when Boomer (Katrina Milosevic) comes in to moon over her. She’s worried about our House Mum, cancer is no joke. Boomer’s next stop is to ask Bea if she wants her to strongarm the women in to voting for her, but no, Bea wants this to be fair. And probably over.

Bea calls Dory over to handle the steam press while Bea goes to see Maxine. She finally admits she doesn’t want to win. Maxine comes clean herself. Shes not having the surgery. Her breasts are part of her identity and she won’t lose them, she won’t lose herself again now that she’s finally happy. Oh Maxine, stop making us all cry! We love you, GET THE GD SURGERY! You can always get more boobs the same way you got those!

Vera asks Liz how the vote is going; not well for Bea. Which will be a real problem for Vera. No one point of contact to deal with,  just chaos coming from each angle.

Voting montage!

Ahhhh Vera’s not leaving this to chance, she’s called for an early count so she can “claw back overtime” so the votes won’t be counted tonight and will be locked up where she can access. Smart cookie. FOR AN ENEMY OF DEMOCRACY.

Oh shite, new enemy Jake finds her in looking at the votes, that guy is just everywhere, isn’t he?

He’d hate to put her in a compromising position… and this is how it begins. She’s left herself vulnerable.

The next morning, the vote goes to keeping the top dog, I don’t know who’s more disappointed: Bea or Ferguson. Kaz and Ferguson brainstorm about what has to be done about the clearly rigged vote (yeah yeah Vera, smile away) but Kaz isn’t up for any violence, she’s getting out right away and so are her girls. What do you wanna bet Ferguson makes that not happen? Allie overhears all.

Jake smugs his way into Vera’s office; she must be glad, eh? She hands him a written warning for his behaviour, his attitude is so off. He’ll take the punishment. In fact, he’ll take anything she can dish out and WHAT? I haven’t got him sorted yet.

Allie startles Bea in her cell, about to smooth on some of that vitamin E cream, she came to congratulate her but. Somehow this leads to her spreading the lotion herself, prompting Bea to try and manage her expectations.

Maybe if she hadn’t looked quite so terrified, it would have sold a little better.

Maxine’s story is blown by Nurse Radcliffe (Madeline Jevic) who informs Boomer that it’s Maxie herself that doesn’t want the surgery. Boomer comes straight for Maxine, how can she want this to kill herself? How can she do this to her friends, how can she DIE!! It ends with Maxine forcing Boomer into a hug, aw man, I just cried all the way through that. Those two are magic together.

Oh shite. Kaz’s hearing went very poorly, she got 12 years instead of the expected 18 months. I have to wonder about Ferguson, of course. Vera knows she’s now a danger. Kaz LOSES it

Ohhhh lovely scene in the kitchen with Allie and Bea, who has her hair back, yay!! She looks like Bea of old! Allie makes her move, she’s leaving Kaz’s crew to be with Bea, she knows why *hand touch*. Bea runs like a scared little girl in the wood at night but I have to wonder if the ponytail had to do with Allie and her cuddling over vitamin E! Also, this might not be the BEST time to leave Kaz, Allie, she’s dealing with rather a lot.

Maxine checks out her breasts in the mirror (in a truly terrible bit of CGI), pondering the nature of her existence and whether it’s worth dying to finally be herself.

She goes in to see Boomer, she was right. She was right that it was selfish and she’s decided; she’s going to have the operation. Yay!!!

Kaz is in with Bridget, who professes to only worry about what will happen with her crew. Only Allie is going to be happy. Kaz finally breaks down; crying and vowing to get the f*cker that put her in there. Yikes, Bea.

Allie is just about to explain her move to Bea’s table when Bea herself busts in: not a word! Meet me in the kitchen in 10 minutes. Huh. Ferguson overhears; for a 7 foot tall woman, she sure can be inconspicuous

Dory cries and great friend Liz comforts her, she’s going to have to work things out with Nash and find her place in prison, that’s just all there is to it.

The air between Vera and Jake is so charged in the elevator now; he loves that he has her off-kilter and I just wish people would stop messing with Vera, you know? She’s too easy to rattle.

Bea doesn’t want Allie putting herself on the line for her. Everyone she cares about dies. Allie seizes on her words and we get this

 

I closed my eyes at first, hahahaha, I’m not even being kissed! Like, at all, but anyway, HOW AWESOME WAS THAT??? Ferguson was listening, of course, hmm.

Off she goes to Kaz’s room to pour boiling on on troubled waters. Unfortunately, Bea had asked for Nils Jesper’s name from Kaz right before she was imprisoned, so it gives a little credence to what Ferguson suggests. That Nils is victimizing HER with Bea’s help. They’ll have to take out Bea Smith, it’s the only answer. Kaz finally half-wises up

But I doubt very much she’ll resist Ferguson’s lure. Until next time! When totally not-gay Bea finally gets some ACTION, woo hoo!