OK, so they missed it out on ITV3, but it still deserves a discussion thread, right? It just means that this and the discussion for S3Ep1 will start at the same time.


Nikki's escape
Obviously the best storyline of the episode. I still can't believe the gormless gateman let "Nurse Ford" out when her name wasn't on the list! Idiot. Anyway, she did it: she's outside. What did Nikki exactly expect Helen to do? Welcome her with open arms? Nikki is smart enough (or so I thought) to know that Helen wouldn't be best pleased about her turning up on her doorstep. But Nikki knows that Helen loves her: love will always win. Helen knows this too and can't keep Nikki out there in the cold, but she's not going to give in without a fight. Helen shows she still has her principles (despite having a relationship with a con), by showing that she no way approves of the escape. Well, she's right though isn't she? Then again, it was a very thought-out plan and it was quite unlikely that Nikki would get caught (after being let out by the gateman!). As soon as Nikki says, "Tell me you love me", Helen's resolve breaks. She can't lie anymore and pure desire takes over. I think Helen actually forgets that Nikki's a prisoner at this point: she only has one thing in mind. I think it comes back into her head when they're lying in bed and Nikki explains how anything's possible now, a whole future. When Nikki says this, Helen realises that the only chance they've got of a future is to win the appeal, so tries to get Nikki back. But Nikki reassures her that she'll go back in time for the morning shift. All comes crashing down when Helen tries (and fails) to hide that letter. I think it's at this point that Nikki starts planning to run away. But first, she needs to hear Helen say those 3 little words. It's not until Helen (finally!) says "I love you" that Nikki mentions not going back to prison. After the argument they had when Nikki entered the flat, it was clear that Helen still had her principles. And Nikki knew that Helen was in love with her: so why does she think it's all changed? Because they've just made love and Helen has actually said the words? I think Nikki's pretty much in fantasyland here: there's no way Helen would give up like that. And she proves this at the end of the episode by dialling 999. (Now we all know what happens afterwards, but the point is, she thought about turning Nikki in, even though she'd just told her she loved her).


Bodybag’s Party
Bodybag on E has got to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life!! I almost cry with laughter when I watch that dance! One of Yvonne’s best ideas, I reckon! But when did Yvonne and Shell become so friendly? Then again, I suppose plotting against the old Bodybag can bring the whole wing together!! You know when Shell told Karen, “He did hit me Miss, you know he did”, does Karen actually have second thoughts about her relationship with Fenner? Because after that, she’s surprisingly off with him. And Di gets a bit scary in this episode! All over Dominic like a rash and then the shrine :eek No wonder Dominic was going on holiday (and ended up staying there!)


Crystal on the out
Poor Crystal. You get out of prison: you’d think you’d be happy, right? But not Crystal: she hasn’t got anyone to celebrate with. That is until Josh turn up. And that clock, why did she take it? I always knew it’d come back to haunt her one day!! :lol:

Alright, I know this is probably going to be an unpopular view, but I got the feeling that Helen must have told Nikki she loved her (off-camera) between the "Tell me you love me" scene and the scene with them drinking vodka on the couch. I know the couch/vodka conversation was the first time we heard it, but Nikki's reaction makes it seem like she's heard at least once previously when they were in bed together. She doesn't seem surprised to hear Helen finally say the words, after all this time. She just smiles and asks Helen to prove it.


This episode is my favorite of the bunch. I think all the drama and comedy intertwine so brilliantly. It doesn't make sense that Shell and Yvonne are getting on so well, but it feels good having them all unite against Bodybag for a moment and in such a comedic way. And I enjoyed the glimpse of the less-psychotic Shell Dockley while it lasted.

ITV needs to know they missed a really critical episode, & canned responses about having to call when the "Duty Officer" is on won't cut it. Please help & email them! These rebroadcast versions have more screen area right & left because they were not mastered right for the DVDs, so technically it'd be REALLY nice if those of us who've been taping can get a full set. Not to mention the original music. At the very least please PLEASE fill out feedback form, if only 2 people do it they will give even less of a shit. --e


ITV's phone number is 0870 600 6766

Mon - Fri 8am to 11pm and Sat & Sun 10am to 10pm.

email address is dutyoffice@itv.com

Feedback Form:
http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=1215

As a board person (not a mod) I'd vote for shelving this, at least a few days, just bec my brain can't go back & forth & give each ep adequate attention. I logged in & felt kinda overwhelmed. And if it puts us 'behind'... <shrug>. Not a big deal imo. They'll screw up again, I'm sure, or skip a week because of some other terribly important event, like the Cleo awards, and we'll catch up then. Anyway, I'll see what others think... --e

Can we perhaps discuss S2E13 (this one) this week, and then next week do both S3E1, and S3E2? Because there isn't much H&N in S3E2, so I don't think people would mind if that episode discussion had to share with another episode. But for me, I'd like to give a full week's discussion to S2E13 on its own....

Yeah, see how easily confused I get?! :D

assuming this ep discussion keeps going, i'll throw in my little comment.

i *hate* it when nikki says, "don't be stupid" about helen wanting her to go back to the prison during the night. i always just want to slap nikki. how can you call her stupid while you're still in bed during your first night together?! i thought that time should just be full of tenderness and love, not something so harsh. i mean, granted, it's not as if she's called helen a bitch or something, but still. does this bother anyone else? i know nikki is a talk-first, think-second sort of person, but that always struck me as a bit, if not out of character, at least out of context.

Hi msalt, I hear where you're coming from... of all the speak-first kind of responses of Nikki's, I have much more trouble with "Enough to give up everything for me?" It's one of the lines I've had to work hardest with to put aside my personal tastes & or feelings in order to just try to see what's up with the character here. Questioning how "much" Helen loves her after all they've been through is incomprehensible to me, except as a way of showing how far gone Nikki is at the moment, in terms of practical assessment of her situation vis-a-vis prison. Really, all one can do on a certain level is throw up one's hands & say, yep, that's Nikki being Nikki alright. Very Juliet & Juliet.

As for calling Helen stupid, this is in itself rather stupid, particularly on a er, first date (least if you're hoping for a second), but Helen doesn't love Nikki for her tact (just as, presumably, N doesn't love Helen for her twin-sets). Some people have objected to H saying "shut up" to Nikki on occasions, so I try to take my readings of 'don't be stupid' in stride with 'shut up': they're seem to me to be roughly equivalent--conversational shortcuts where the speaker assumes the other person hears what they mean moreso than how they say it. That's part of the assumption we make about how these women interact & understand each other in general, isn't it?--that they get each other & know when to take serious offense & when not to.

yes, that's certainly true. and in most contexts, i guess i don't have a problem with it. but for some reason, here it just grates every time i see it. the whole "give up everything for me" line is insane, but at least it's said in a loving way. :-P

'Insane but loving', oooh! :D Very nice.

You know, this all made me think... I always found the paralleling of all the couples/not-couples in the ep interesting. Di and Bodybag--here we are leading up to this critical scene & the camera keeps cutting away to torture--absolutely torture--us with this weird unclean alternate universe thing and you're like peeking through your fingers going Oh god, please don't let Bodybag kiss her pleasepleasepleaseI'llbegood...! The sober parallel is (I think?) Crystal/Josh. & the nonsexual couple (sorta kinda?) is actually Shell/Karen, perhaps, who've had this slow build-up to trust all season long, only for Shell to leap to the wrong conclusions about what Betts' involvement with Fenner means.

Which in absolutely no way parallels Nikki's response to Helen & Dominic.

I've wondered before (at the risk of getting flamed, methinks!) about Shell as the antiNikki, but this episode in particular seems to suggest something along those lines. These are all just squeezing out of my brain at the office, sorry not better thought-out. --e

I always thought this demonstrated how Crysta's thieving is a compulsion. She's nervous about her release, when she's going to get out, whether Josh will be there waiting for her. It's like putting a beer in front of an alcoholic going through a very stressful time. She didn't really think about it, she was just upset, she saw it, and she took it. Perhaps as a way to reassure herself that she still has some control over herself and her surroundings, even when she's being held in prison because of some paperwork mixup.

Wow. Um, yeah, I think most people probably don't agree with you here. :) In a way, I find your argument persuasive, in that I agree Nikki wasn't surprised to hear Helen say the words. But I always thought her lack of surprise was due to the fact that Dominic had already told her Helen loved her, and Nikki knew that if Helen told Dominic, then it must be true. Which is why she enters Helen's home and opens with a very certain and confident "Tell me you love me" which, after all, is a very different line from something like "Do you love me?"

I always thought this was akin to the fact that English people have more words for idiot than any other language (American English included). When Nikki says "stupid" it's actually meant semi-affectionately, like you'd call your best friend an idiot when they turn the wrong way when you're driving somewhere. I just don't think the word "stupid" has the same harshness in British English as in American English. That said, I also agree with ekny's description of them as conversational shortcuts.

Interesting. I became very interested in the idea of parallel couples in this episode (I'll get to why in a minute), but it hadn't even occurred to me to read Di and Bodybag in this way. But of course you're right, they wouldn't have had them dance together if they weren't trying to create some weird sort of lesbian subtextual echo to what was going on with Helen and Nikki.

I saw all this parallelism between the various romantic relationships explored in this episode. Because there are A LOT:
1. Syliva and Bobby
2. Yvonne and Charlie
3. Karen and Fenner
4. Crystal and Josh
5. Helen and Nikki
All five relationships swing between intimacy and estrangement, and sometimes back again. There's this imagery right up front about scarring--Shell goads Yvonne about Renee's knowledge of the scar on Charlie's penis, and then Nikki cuts open the gash in her hand. Love, it seems, can cut deep, and even if those cuts heal, a scar is always left behind. Charlie betrays Yvonne by not showing up for their visit. Yvonne almost doesn't believe it, but by the end of the episode she realizes she's lost him, and in tossing the red wine at his photo, she spills his "blood" in the only way she's able--a purely metaphoric symbolic way. Similarly, Sylvia and Bobby who start out the evening with a nice intimacy, Bobby standing up for Sylvia against Karen, end the evening in a tiff, a very public one, when Sylvia refuses to leave with Bobby. (Not unlike the fact that Sylvia witnesses Charlie's betrayal of Yvonne.) And then you've got Karen and Fenner. She's sleeping with him but doesn't want anyone to know it. He thinks she's ashamed, and she probably is. But of course, these two have witnesses as well, as much as Karen refuses to dance with Fenner, she can't hide what's going on. He ends the evening annoyed with her, enough to fall into bed with Shell. In contrast, the two truly secret couples couples start out estranged and end the evening intimately (and privately).

In addition, there is this idea of certain relationships being sanctioned by society, and others not. The most sanctioned relationship, of course, is Sylvia's and Bobby's--they're celebrating their 30th anniversary, a celebration of a long relationship stamped with society's approval. The only thing which might have emphasized this symbolism even more would have been if they had showed a couple getting married. Meanwhile, Helen and Nikki (and to a lesser extent, Crystal and Josh) have the least sanctioned relationships, the ones which most need to be hidden (Crystal doesn't want to tell Dominic who might be waiting for her--which serves as a reminder to us that their relationship is still a forbidden one).

Meanwhile, Nikki must actually escape prison to be with Helen, an act which represents the most extreme form of rule-breaking, of not obeying society's restrictions. Nikki's impulse to reject social restrictions is even more heightened when she comes up with her idea for them to escape together. Helen points out "What kind of life will that be for us?" to which Nikki retorts "Better than if we wait for bloody justice." (Interesting use of the word "bloody" by the way--on this show justice IS often bloody.) The point being that Nikki is willing to engage in the least socially-sanctioned relationship possible. Not only is it a lesbian relationship, not only is a relationship between a prisoner and an officer, now it's going to be a relationship of two people on the run, hiding their identities, living isolated lives. Can you think of anything which could be more different from a 30th wedding anniversary celebration?

But of course Helen can't tolerate this kind of extra-societal relationship, and so her reaction is nearly as extreme in it's obeyance of the rules--the 999 call to the police. Jim, meanwhile, is so frustrated at Karen's unwillingness to be public about the relationship, to receive social approbation, that he commits a breach in the opposite direction, by falling back into his most violating behavior.

Right, it also could have been "Show me you love me." Nikki knows that Helen loves her, but it when she finally says it, I think it's interesting how quickly Nikki moves past it. Maybe it's just as simple as Nikki feeling secure about her relationship with Helen at that moment.

Very nice.

Hooray! I had the following email back from ITV3 :

Thank you for your email, we can only apologise and we will now re-
insert the episodes as follows next Monday:

Monday 26th Feb -
2300 - Bad Girls - Series 2, Ep 13

0005 - Bad Girls - Series 3 , Ep 1

Thank you once again for taking the time to contact ITV.

:clap And thanks to ITV3 for listening!

I have just filled in a feedback form for ITV. So, let me get this straight, they're going to play 2.13 and broadcast 3.1 again. Not bad!

I'm quite happy to leave off the 3.1 discussion until next week, if they're not broadcasting 3.2 until the following week.

Thanks. :) It would also be remiss of me if I did not point out at this juncture that (Warning: Queer Theory Alert!) as a lesbian, Nikki's hand is her phallus. (As Fenner so helpfully points out to Helen when he makes that snide comment about Nikki being able to get it up for Helen.) So there's that additional connection between this scar on Charlie's penis and the gash on Nikki's hand--both being their weapons (for lack of a better word) in love.

And wow, thanks to everyone who emailed ITV3 about their broadcast fuckup. It's amazing they are correcting it! :)

Regarding Nikki's lack of surprise when Helen says "I love you", I think it is actually the first time Helen says it. Nikki's not surprised because she's already aware of Helen's feelings, although she hasn't heard the words directly from Helen's mouth. Nikki's all wound up about the appeal, but when Helen says those words, she sits back on the sofa and relaxes a little. I think the relaxation she shows is that she can tell Helen about her plans to flee to San Fransisco, now that Helen has admitted her feelings to her face.

And, regarding mailing ITV, I've just received an email back - exactly the same as ekny's.

I am so SO relieved ITV's rebroadcasting that episode, I can't quite believe it til it happens. Wow. I wonder how many people screamed how loudly. :D

I'm very late in the day in posting and so many brilliant points have been made. I remember the feeling of being on tenterhooks as Nikki's nerve holds superbly in managing her breakout from Larkhall and the cross cutting of Di going to get the strap on her dress fixed. The archetypal moment is the guy on the gatelodge resolving the puzzle of one too many nurses on the list by 'putting the record straight' being on a par with Bodybag's puzzle of an apparently young looking 'Barbara Hunt.' After that, Nikki's senses must have been extraordinarily heightened in getting on a very prosaic red London 'double decker' bus. When she got to Helen's flat, she had no clear idea except,'I must somehow get through that door.' I absolutely agree that when Helen finally gave way to her feelings. Nikki ceased to be a prisoner in Helen's eyes. It was only when they lay in bed together that Helen's mind started threading on the next reel of the movie, how to get Nikki back to Larkhall. At that moment, Nikki was blissfully in the present.

I had no problem with Nikki's 'dont be stupid' line for the reasons stated- this is the first time that I thought of it being an issue. Being out of prison has definitely gone to Nikki's head so that her capacity for realistic thinking had deserted her and I have been uncomfortable with the way Nikki tried to manoeuvre Helen into going along with her plan. This goes side by side with the way that Helen comes out to directly declare her love for Nikki. What I hadn't thought about before was that this is not the first time Helen had said it that night and I totally agree that Dominic saying the same about Helen's feelings had well and truly lodged in Nikki's mind.

Needless to say, the acting by Simone and Mandana was utterly terrific from start to finish in this episode.

What is curious with the most 'socially approved' relationship, Bodybag and Bobby's 30th anniversery was the way that all the accumulated gripes and grouses came to the surface which would have been hidden behind closed doors if it hadn't been for the ecstacy tablet.

I am very grateful that this episode will be transmitted after all as otherwise that would be a completely shoddy treatment even by current Brit TV programmer's standards.

The word Stupid always annoys me, but that word is used a lot in BG. Is it a Brit thing that it isn't such an insulting word?

Abzug wasn't joking: different cultures are well-known for having lots of ways to say or talk about certain things, and for whatever reason (I hope someone British can explain it to me?), the Brits have a staggering number of ways to say someone's an idiot. In fact I was just going to add another question to the dumb Americans thread on this very subject. So I'll just um, move this over there then shall I? heh heh? woops. --moderately yrs, ekny

First off, I love this episode! Bodybag on E is a sight for sore eyes and the love and subsequent drama unfolding between N&H gets me every time (and there have been many times...!). The acting is flawless - I don't recall ever having seen someone surrender to love on screen in quite such a beautiful and compelling manner before or after.

However, I always go "Oh nooo" when the extent of Di's madness is revealed near the end, because for me this is the exact moment when BG began to slowly deteriorate and become increasingly more like a campy soap with the absolute low point being S8. I really wished they hadn't gone down that road so...I don't know...bombastically.

I liked the ideas of scars and scarring (and the queer theory :) ), Abzug. Very nice.

Also, how much do you think Fenner thinks is going on between N&H? The snide comment about Nikki being unable to get it up for Helen is obviously designed to get a dig at Helen, but the idea of sex with a con is not a foreign one to him we know, and I reckon it's possible that his own depraved behavior leads him to suspect it from others too.

I personally think he's trying to expand on anything after the visitors' room scene. He wants to know exactly why Helen was visiting Nikki. And, of course, his previous "liasions" with inmate/s makes it very possible, in his mind, that there may be "something going on". But, I don't think he knows the extent of it whatsoever. I think he's just building from the visitors' scene and making his own little story up. (I say he's making his own story up, but he is actually right in a way - although they're not shagging, there is definitely something going on).

Se2, Ep13.

You know, after watching this episode you feel like Bodybag is not the only one on E. Was the editing team also slipped one, with the scenes going back and forth, it was just enough to drive you round the bend!

When Helen spots Nikki passing by holding her wounded hand, she looks concerned but not enough apparently to find out what happened even tho Nikki was absent at the lifers meeting.

The scene: Both N&H in bed, one notices that Helen has shapely shoulders and nice breasts from the little glimpse we get! And what’s with Nikki the way she has pulled the duvet upto her neck, even when they are on the sofa you wonder why Nikki has her robe so tightly wrapped. Come on Nikki relax you are at your gf’s place not in larkhall.
She’s also not thinking straight, talking about running off to SanFransisco! Poor Helen, she wonders if Nikki has taken leave of her senses. I like Helen’s expression when she tells Nikki ‘to think things’.

All the time Crystal was in Larkhall, she strung her guitar and Kumbh‘flaming’ baya-ed. With no rehabilitation under her belt, she went back to thieving right in Larkhall.

Dom&Di dancing was a weird sight, he needs dancing lessons and she needs self esteem lessons. Later on he actually looked like he was tempted in going inside Di’s house but was saved by the mother’s cry!

The Fenner/Shell/Karen scenario was…. who cares!


.

I've always been of the opinion that Fenner absolutely thinks Helen and Nikki are sexually involved. I never felt that it was just a suspicion, or something he wondered about. I think he's very sure that they're sneaking around and screwing just like he and Shell were. What I've always enjoyed about Fenner when it comes to Helen and Nikki is how right AND wrong he is about them, all at the very same time. Right because they ARE involved. Wrong becuase they're not screwing eachother in some salacious way--it's true love, the thing he allowed Shell and Rachel both to believe they were getting from him.

This is a really good point, because it really adds another level--the illegal drug which brought the actual substance of the relationship to the surface. That transgression is required for the truth to come out. Nikki needed to escape prison in order for Helen to express her true feelings. Bodybag needed to be drugged up to express her resentments. But of course transgression is also destructive--see Nikki's desire to escape, and Bodybag's cruel (nearly destructive) treatment of her husband. So strangely this episode seems to embrace extremes of behavior while simultaneously providing a tale of caution about them.

I absolutely agree with all your point, abzug, certainly about fenner's perception of Nikki and Helen.

What I would pick up is the storyline about Di Barker and. contrary to the one point in Orlando's post which I otherwise agree with , Shed did a fine job in looking at the tricky relationships between invalid mother / grown up daughter. The common perception is that the carer is automatically possessed of saint like virtues in looking after the invalid who, in turn, is deserving of sympathy because of the illness. This reflects in turn on British 'care in the community' policies which went too far the other way from the 'lock them up' institutions.In Di's particular case, she is truly the Cinderella figure who never went to the ball and there emerges a pattern of Di's traditional submissiveness towards her mother even though there are a whole multitude of resentments of her. In turn, Di's mother is a pretty dominant figure - hence the reference in Episode 12 of them going to Spain- who is totally resentful of her disabilities and everything in her life. The reality is that the mother had a particular personality before she became disabled. In the Bad Girls book, there is a long piece on Di's character which is worth reproducing and which I will do when I have more time.

What is curious is how Di is portrayed in working long hours at Larkhall whereas there is never a reference to any home help which would be available- this does add to the emotional cocktail of conflicting emotions.

The other thing is that, in Series 2, Di is a fairly sympathetic character and, while an irritating gossip and thinking along conventional lines, has real stmpathy for prisoners where they engage her particular mindset (Jessie and Denny 'mother and daughter, eh') , and is opposed to Bodybag's reactionary ideas. She is sustained in her very concealed romantic fantasies of Dominic and, only when that goes sour, does she become twisted.

Largely speaking, Shed portrays characters who cannot be other than virtuous or evil. At the same time, they are noted for putting their characters through changes, unveiling the curtain with the cooperation and engagement of the viewer that real depths emerge. This Shed does probably better than any drama series than I can think of which is what Mandana referred to in the afterellen interview. There is the occasional character who does change from one end of the spectrum to the other through force of circumstances and the dynamics of their own personality. Grayling is a case in point where he becomes virtuous over time and Di is an equal case in point where the process of evolution is precisely the reverse.

Very clearly laid out, Richard, I agree with your points in all but a few minor respects. Female erotomaniacs (or--well, I don't know what they're called in the UK) are pretty scarce to Di's degree of pathology, I don't know enough abt the phenomenon to say if Shed's groundwork, which was laid with reasonable care, was sufficient. We probably could've used a bit more if it was intended for Di to become a major character; on the other hand, we don't get any backstory for Shell til a season and a half has passed, so perhaps not. Despite feeling that her behavior as revealed in S2ep13 was a bit OTT (or at least not a direction I was personally interested in), I didn't have a structural problem with the direction of the plot until Fenner didn't turn her in for her behavior towards her mother. That's always been a sticking point for me in terms of Fenner's character (not Di's). But anyway, very nice post, and I do agree however unpleasant the storyline about Di & her mother was, it was terribly important, and actually wished they'd spent longer on its resolution.

I completely agree with ekny--that was a fantastic post Richard, a really insightful perspective on Di and her mother. I think I actually come down on the side of believing that in S2 they did provide us with enough information about Di for that final reveal of her Dominic obsession. My quibble is actually with how the character was treated in later seasons, including S3. It seems to me that her switching of Crystal's drug test was a really horrific action on the part of the character, and it wasn't believable to me that she did it because of her obsession with Josh. She had always been quite sympathetic to the prisoners. I guess I'll see when we start rewatching this section of S3 in a few months.

How funny! I actually found this COMPLETELY believable on Fenner's part. If he can obtain power over someone, he will, and knowledge is power. Why would he turn her in and get her sent to prison (or perhaps some lesser punishment) when he instead can gain control over her and use her as his tool? I suspect if Helen hadn't threatened to fire him and out him to Karen, he wouldn't have pushed her to resign--he would have instead tried to blackmail and control her every chance he got.

Oh god, there's a ghastly thought. So awful it sounds exactly right to me! :eek

I'm incredibly grateful to both abzug and ekny for tour posts and this has opened up interesting questions in my own mind to revisit how successful the evolution of Di into the post Series 3 version. Here is the unabridged piece on Di from the BG book.

"On the surface, Di is a jolly person who enjoys the cameraderie of her colleagues and genuinely feels for the inmates. Di likes to think that her sunny nature bathes G wing in a warm friendly glow, She wants everyone in the prison to be part of a happy family- with her wrapped in its bosom.

The truth is that Di is seriously screwed up. Agfter years of dutiful self sacrifice , looking after her mother, Di is desperate to find a man who will help her escape to a new and fulfilled life. She blames her mother for spoiling her chances and her nother suffers for it.

The tedious drudgery of Di's life infects her whole outlook, The bright smile is a front for a deep-rooted hysteria, which leaks out from time to time when things go wrong on the wing. Di has no social, sex or love life. Her home is her personal prison .Larkhall is her only place of freedom. The demands made on her by her dependent mother eat away at her until she is verging on a serious nervous breakdown. All this she keeps hidden from the world.

It's not just to others that Di pretends that all is sweetness and light. She pretends to herself as well. She doesn't know that she's actually full of self loathing. She sees her obsessions with individual men as adult, reciprocated relationships. She sees potential rivals for her men's affections as two headed monsters. Her desperate need for love makes her a ruthless enemy if anyone gets in her way.

Despite her mental health problems, Du is a survivor. Her mind becomes calculating when she's cornered and she can speak up for herself if she doesn't get her own way. De works hard at her job and she's good at it. If she could only be free of her burdens, she might grow into a normal human being."

Well all our complaints paid off! Last night, ITV3 did broadcast this ep - and the voiceover guy said something about "technical problems" not allowing them to show it last week - and "apologised".

Pretty unusual. I have to think the complaints were um, numerous.

Thank you Abzug and Lisa for your views on Fenner's knowledge/suspicion regarding the situation between N&H. I agree that it is a remarkable paradox that he is both so right about them (the atraction) and wrong about them (the shagging). With such a gift or perception imagine what a fantastic PO he could have been if he hadn't joined the dark side so long ago...

I also appreciate your views on Di Barker and the revelation of her full obsession with Dominic. You have actually managed to make me revaluate my feelings about that story line. I thank you Richard, for bringing that piece on Di from the BG book. I though it was very interesting. I have never had a problem with the relationship between her and her disabled mother and how that is played out, only with this psychotic obsession with men, and I cannot shake the feeling that this particular story line feels very soap opera like to me (I think Melrose Place exhausted this story line just to name one example). However, I am not averse to the possibility that in S2 they actually did provide us with enough information to make this development plausible and that I am unfairly blaming the later ill developments of Di's character and BG in general on that altar of Dom worshipping that is Di's dressing table.

Thanks for your very gracious reply, orlando. I thought it would help readers to see this piece from the Bad Girls book which had gone to town on Di. Understandably, she has never had a good press, not even in the 'he's so bad but so well acted' vein as Fenner is written about. It's interesting how provisional the piece is and how swiftly Di went downhill even after she gained her 'freedom.' In Series 5, she became pretty contemptible in being instrumental in Karen's downfall

I agree this is exactly what Fenner "thinks" he knows about Helen & Nikki. He's so sure of himself in this view that he tries to use it as a weapon against them. First, with the blackmailing of the "clues" of Nikki's escape and second with blabbing to Nikki about Thomas and then to Thomas about Nikki. It's his mean spirited manipulative version of children in the school yard. Grow up, Jim! But it doesn't work, the huge irony is that it has the complete opposite effect. When he blabs to Nikki, it helps Nikki come to terms with the idea she may not get back together with Helen, which allows her to "let go" just a bit where she's not completely devastated over it. For Helen, she gets closer to realise how much she actually does love Nikki and starts to have second thoughts about Thomas. For Thomas, it's the kicker that makes him realise who Helen is in love with (i.e. somebody that's not him), while at the same time, he put words to the feelings that Helen had been denying.

So really, we have to give a huge big thanks to Jim Fenner (evil bastard) for bringing Nikki & Helen back together again! LOL!

Loved Nikki being in Insane Fantasyland. I mean, wouldn't the first place the cops would look is Trisha's? It wouldn't be that far a stretch to investigate who's using Trisha's passport. Especially if they were looking for "the only woman in the British prison system who had killed a police officer" (as Claire so pointedly stated). Yes, there was the blonde wig but what part of Nikki's brown eyes were going to look blue? The first time I saw this scene, I was right there with Helen yelling "NO NO NO" the whole time. Aww... Nikki, poor baby!

I have to say, these last few episodes weren't hard for me to watch. I'm not much for romantic "chick flicks" so this type of edgy storytelling had me glued to my seat. Granted, I didn't watch when it first aired, I think it would have killed me, but knowing in advance that they get together in the end made a huge difference when I was watching the DVDs. They just kept racheting up the angst and I could go along for the rollercoaster ride knowing I wasn't going to smash up at the end. Even S3 was like that for me, but again, I realise it must have been an entirely different emotional experience when it first aired and fans didn't know how it was going to end.

Just love this show :)

Bump, in honor of Logo's broadcast this evening.

Does anyone know how visiting orders actually work? I thought the prisoner had to send one out; I suppose it's likely as well that someone wanting to see a prisoner can send in a request? I had a continuity question about this: Bodybag is making up the list of people to attend her party on a Thursday; we know this bec Karen comes in to ask for the list for the party 'tomorrow'. Simultaneously, Nikki is on the phone to Trish requesting 3000 quid. So... that's a remarkably short time in which Trish can get/make a request to visit Nikki--isn't it?

Also: I know it's been wondered about from time to time--why isn't Helen at the party? The obvious reason is: so Nikki has to escape to go see her & set everything in motion for the next few episodes. But in reality, since it's Bodybag doing the invites, there's no way she's going to invite Helen, who isn't even a regular staff member at this point. I don't know why it took me so long to realize this.

According to the HM Prison service website & also the Visiting Prisoners Book .... Yes, the prisoner has to send you a Visiting Order in advance (which they can get every few weeks). You cannot visit a prisoner without first obtaining a Visiting Order. There isn't a date specified on the VO but it has a time period (something like 28 days) so if you can't use it then you send it back so that the prisoner can send it to someone else. Once you have your VO, for most prisons you have to phone to book an actual appointment in advance. I did see a min of 48 hours mentioned somewhere on the HM website.

So I guess if Trisha had already been in possession of a VO then she would still need 48 hours to book an actual appointment. Another problem is that visitors can be searched and there is very little that can be handed to a prisoner during a visit. I think cigarettes can only be handed over to be smoked during the visit but not for later use?

Of course we don't actually know that the money was given to Nikki or do we? Maybe she arranged for Trisha to give it to the nurse on the outside?

That was always my assumption--Trish made arrangements to get the money directly to the nurse. There was no reason for Nikki to be involved, or have that kind of money in the prison. RIsk with no reward.

Me likewise about the £3,000 money. To recap about the invitations to the party, Bodybag was going to leave Karen off the list until Fenner prevailed on her to out of self interest. Her immediate senior would be harder to leave off the list than a 'civilian worker' as Helen described herself with input on the women lifers.

Incidentally, that always struck me as a peculiar division of responsibilities where the lifers' were accountable to Helen yet karen had jurisdiction over them (which her overruling Helen on the best way of getting Shell out of the cell in Series 3 Ep 1 demonstrates) Dramatically, I see it making sense as a way of easing Helen back into the Larkhall orbit.

Thanks guys. I guess my head skipped a cog, which is why posting at 3am is perhaps not always such a smart idea. I'd known of course Trish would've already gotten the money to the nurse on the outside, I just got it jumbled up with the idea of a Visiting Order not being possible over such a short time period; once I got focused on that VO I just lost sight of it not actually being necessary!

I was struck anew--a bit shocked, really--to again take in exactly how completely determined Nikki was to do this, execute this mad escape plan. She'd made up her mind to it pretty much before she even took the time to try to settle things/fix them with Helen in person (after her attempt to waylay her during Shaz's meeting backfired). Yes--she did try that once. But after that it's like she's just... snapped. Nikki did have another chance, perhaps multiple chances: so long as Helen's on the premises, she could have tried again. In fact, it seems she did the opposite: she skipped the last Lifer's Meeting of the week in order to re-open the wound & meet with the nurse. I mean... is it me or is this seriously nuts? It's *not* just after they've shagged that Nikki's all with the crazy. This whole plan, from the moment she gets it stuck in her head, is some kind of idée fixe. It takes over everything, all sense, all reason.

Helen was right there when Nikki went to get her cut tended to the second time. We can see Helen's response: she's so concerned at seeing Nikki injured she can barely adjust her expression, even with Fenner hanging right over her shoulder with his usual crap. Nikki should be able to see what we can see--at least in part--but it's as if she's decided none of this can be dealt with inside the prison. I get it emotionally--some of the time--but sometimes, on reviewing, it's just so intensely gaga I can't believe it all over again. Just wondering if it was me.