Welcome back to Wentworth on this series of binge recaps! I’m up to S1:E7, rolling after the break, brought to you by Vera’s glorious untied hair!

Ohhhh Vera, she mustered up a little moxie and got herself some loving from Fletch last time, yay! Looking forward to seeing where that goes, although I still have my eye on him as far as Meg Jackson.

I was going to say that it looked as though Will had turned a corner in his grief over losing Meg, but it would appear he’s still struggling as we open with a montage of him snorting coke, packing her things, drinking and railing women while staring at a picture of him and Meg. Ah Mr. Jackson, you just need time. And answers. Answers would help!

We’re in the yard with a whole lot of tension; Jacs is watching Kim play hackysack while Franky does pushups in her cell and Mr. Jackson looks twitchy. So twitchy that he looks about to have an episode, but he just grabs their hackysack and walks away. Leaving the yard without guards, so Jacs signals a henchwoman to kick Kim, now that Franky can’t protect anyone.

Jacs chastises Kim, and then makes Bea beg for permission to go get the toy from Mr. Jackson. Everything is coming up roses for Jacs these days, a new inmate being led in by Miles makes her light up like the sun. Everyone on Jacs’ crew looks happy and that makes me worried. Who is this exciting new woman?

Bea tracks down Mr. Jackson, but he’s not down for doing her any more favours, she still hasn’t paid back the first one. Bea goes the unfortunate route of suggesting he doesn’t have the right to take the ball, so he laughs at her and tells her to go fetch, throwing it far away. Bea is super confused by his change of attitude and you can see her trying to read him, as she probably did with Harry. That’s what people do when surrounded by volatile and violent people; always reading, reading, sorting out if they’re in immediate danger or not. Or she’s trying to figure out why he’s being a dick all of a sudden, one of those.

Erica is finally in to see Franky, it’s been five weeks. Erica tells her it’s a different world now. The women have moved in new directions and she wants Franky’s word she won’t do anything to stir things up. Franky doesn’t care about any of that, she’s noticed the engagement ring Erica isn’t hiding any longer and ahhh her eyes are all shiny again. C’mon Franky! You need to be tough! Everyone is in danger if you aren’t, especially YOU.

The new inmate is Simmo (Alexandra Fowler) and her husband Spits (this is a name) works for Vinnie, who is not a patient man and who isn’t impressed with Spits’s work of late. Ah it seems Spits job is driving around Vinnie’s side piece Cass, and Simmo has all kinds of information about “the little tart.” Too much, even, talking about Vinnie and Cass going at it “hammer and tongs” in the backseat gets her a backhand across the face. Now go say hi to everyone!

Jacs is regretting her impetuousness, but Dory knocking on the door distracts her and she’s back in charge. Dory’s there to tell her about Franky’s release, and there is a plan in place, involving Dory making a move on Franky, I gather.

I mean this in the best way: Dory’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer and I can’t make out whether it’s better being her friend or her enemy.

The girls are all gossiping about Franky in the laundry room; Kim wants Franky to make Jacs pay for the huge scrape on her chin, but Boomer doesn’t want Franky sent up over something like that. Jacs sends for Bea to do her hair after lunch and does that mean another Vinnie Visit?

Dory walks in and makes eye contact with only Jacs, which means all the girls are well aware of her new allegiance to the dark side. Boomer rants a bit and Mr. Jackson has an office in the laundry room??? How come things keep happening in there then? Jerk. He comes out and shouts at everyone, yeah, even Liz notes then that he’s lost the plot.

Vera and Fletch are so cute, smiling at each other and sitting together. Hey, he has tickets to footy on Saturday night, up for a cuppa, V? Will stomps in and everyone stops talking until he takes a run at Vera, which draws Fletch’s ire. He stomps out again and Fletch follows him to the bathroom to slam him around a bit, figuring out that the grieving widower is on drugs again.

Bea does a great job on Jacs helmet, and no, it’s not for Vinnie, it’s for Franky’s welcome back party. This is after she probes Bea for information about exactly where Debbie is on a school camp trip, so Bea is on edge and worried already.

Vera and Fletch chat a bit while Linda Miles listens, Imma call her Linda from now on, if that’s okay? Vera asks Fletch to go check on Will again, but he figures he’s done enough.

Oh no. Oh no. Liz and Bea are watching TV when Dory wanders by, they jump on her: what’s Jacs got planned for Franky? Liz knows right away by Dory’s face, Jacs is planning to gang rape Franky and I will not be able to watch that, I am very sorry readers. Liz had to watch a friend be gang raped by Jacs’ crew; she had to pull out the screwdriver and I’m so sorry y’all. Triggers. Oh man. Okay, it wasn’t very long before Liz’s friend topped herself, because something dies and I know Franky is strong, but nobody is going to come back from that.

Bea has been begging Will to find out about Debbie and now is his chance; he’s buying drugs at a party and sees Braden Holt giving drugs to Debbie. You have to look at your life when you you’re in your mid to late thirties and partying with teenagers, dude.

Back at his flat, the coke is now giving him delusions, he’s seeing Meg’s hand on his arm: bad trip, yo.

He’s remembering how they first met; at a bar when she was married previously. Moar coke! Ah, she used to blow rails with him too when they met; I think our Will is an addict too, not just a grieving widower. Moar coke, more destructive behavior, more visions, until he collapses on the floor clutching his chest as Fletch opens the door.

Fletch manages to get Will on his side just in time for Will to blow chunks, he wants to call an ambulance, but of course he can’t do that. He’d be fired.

Fletch wants to know why Will’s freaking out again; what’s going on? Why is he getting rid of all of Meg’s things? He’ll want them later, at least some of them. Will says there is a letter on the counter; it set him off again.

Oh jesus, Meg and he were trying to get pregnant and she had an abortion three weeks before her death. She didn’t even tell him she was pregnant. Fletcher and I are dumbfounded. It must have been Fletch’s baby, why else would she terminate unless she wasn’t sure what colour the baby would be?

Franky’s working out in her cell, desperately trying to be ready for what surely she knows must await her. Erica is watching, she doesn’t know what to do.

Bea is in to see Jacs, who’s staring at her only, no words while she squeezes her arthritis ball. Bea wants to talk to her about the upcoming attack on Franky; nobody should go through that. Jacs gives her kudos for expressing her honest opinion, sometimes bullies like to have someone to play with a bit. It gets boring with everyone doing your bidding ALL the time. Bea goes too far, though, asking Jacs to think about when she goes home, “what kind of woman will you be?” Jacs is done pretending they’re equals and her face goes hard. She leaves and I hope we don’t have a double bill planned.

Will’s showed up at work the next day, surprising Fletch, but maybe he’s just used to overdosing by this time. He even goes on an apology tour, bringing Bea her canteen order. Bea doesn’t know what he’s playing at this time, so she’s just very quiet and goes to get some water. Simmo and Jacs’ main henchwoman jump her then, beating and kicking Bea as Jacs stands over; directing the women (“now one for the face”) and Dory to stand guard.

Franky is getting her final checkover in the Infirmary (she can’t be brought into the compound if she’s showing signs of aggression) when Bea is brought in; she’s unconscious and her face is pounded to a pulp. Everyone freaks out, but nobody saw anything.

Damnit. Fletch is wandering around without a shirt for a bit, but all Vera can see is the demise of their budding relationship. She’s fortunetold it all the way to completion and they never even got to first base. That is also Fear of the Unknown, it’s hard to jump off that bridge without knowing exactly what you’re landing on, people tend to move about so much. Wiggly, even

Erica and Mr. Jackson are trying to get confirmation that Jacs planned and carried out the attack on Bea; nobody’s that stupid. Being a rat in jail is like signing your own death warrant in there and they know it. Liz begs Will to contact Debbie, but they don’t do those calls, she knows that. They head over to Jacs’ compound and find Simmo’s bruised knuckles, so they know who did it, but they can’t prove anything. WHY ARE THERE NOT CAMERAS??

Franky’s allowed to see Bea at least; tell her about the impending gang rape!! Before she can, Dory walks in and SERIOUSLY?? Dory blocks Franky??? It’s one thing to stand by while someone is beaten up, another to actively work against Franky!! So mad and worried right now. I can’t watch, you guys.

Franky gets a hero’s welcome back on the compound, I can’t be the only one counting numbers, can I? Dory is to watch out for when Franky’s alone for Jacs, please let something else happen.

Mr. Jackson makes the call anyway, yay, goodonya, Will. Franky heads to the gym and Dory rabbits to tell Jacs. Why didn’t Boomer stay???

I AM TELLING YOU, I AM NOT WATCHING

Ahhh but of course Franky was expecting it and Boomer makes it in just as the screwdriver makes its way down Franky’s shirt. Two others come in and force Jacs to her knees, after Simmo gets it in the face for hurting Bea.

They drag Jacs over to the weight machine and crush her hand (I fink, I’m sorry, I didn’t watch the whole screen. I hate violence, which makes my insistence on watching violent shows very trying). I know Jacs is evil, I really do, but watching that Martha Stewart visage on the floor having her liver-spotted hand crushed still felt…unsettling.

Debbie’s made it to the prison, but she’s not allowed in because they’re on Lockdown due to the Jacs incident.  Vera takes pity on her and directs her to wait.

Erica blames the attack on Jacs on Bea, FCUK YOU, ERICA. Bea is not responsible for ANYONE being hurt besides herself. Erica can be a real jerk. Vera comes in with news of Debbie’s presence, Erica uses that as a lever too. Say the word, Bea, say who did it and Debbie can come in and see you. Just for that, I have to upgrade Erica to a c-word that doesn’t moo.

Debbie leaves and we get a closing montage of people in pain: Bea aching in her hospital bed, Jacs looking like a vengeful dinosaur, Will taking off his wedding ring and remembering when he started at the prison. He packs up the rest of Meg’s things, remembering the bracelet and letting it all go. We’re owt.