I know I'm not great a spotting out themes in episodes, but I had a small idea with this one: although it's an episode pretty much full of tragedy, it all seems to centre around love. Or maybe the love centres around the tragedy? I can't quite decide. Maybe someone else can after reading this.


Marilyn still in love with Fenner
But this does not come to the surface until he's at death's door. So this is my first point in the tragedy/love theme: her love for him would not have been brought forward if he'd not been attacked by Shell.

Karen's falling for Fenner
But she doesn't realise this herself until she sees him in such danger. I know they had a thing before the night of the party, but during the hostage situation, Karen was getting increasingly worried and, in this episode, she shows how worried she was and I think it's clear she's falling for him when she explains to him that she thinks Marilyn's still in love with him.

Nikki and Helen's love for each other
These two show in this episode that they do still love each other: but it comes out when they're talking about the difficulty of Nikki's appeal. All their true feelings become unearthed, AFTER they had that argument where Helen ended the relationship.

Bodybag's love for the "Them & Us" system
Ok, so this was already pretty clear, but it really comes to the surface after Fenner's near-death experience. We've seen her moan before about how "a con is a con is a con", but she goes to great lengths in this episode to make Shell suffer for what she did to her fellow officer.

Yvonne's love for the "Them & Us" system
Ok, I hate to compare Yvonne with Old Bodybay, but Yvonne shows how much she sees a barrier between the prisoners and officers in this episode. When Helen is questioning her, she makes no effort to hide the fact that she believes Fenner deserved everything he got. (While I'm at this scene, since when does a prisoner get questioned for the purpose of an investigation on the G3 landing? Shouldn't they have been in Helen's office?)

Tessa's love for Debs
Although Tessa is aware that Debs asked Karen to split them up, she obviously still loves her. She compares Shell to Debs and says how alike they are ("top heavy", blonde hair etc.). I think she was trying to replace Debs with a look-alike (Shell) to stop her thinking about how she lost Debs.

Julie's love for her son
Again, this all comes out through the tragedy of her missing all the important things. We were already aware that David means a lot to her, but she lets it all out in this episode when she knows she's going to miss his play.

The only person I couldn't really fit into this theme (which is a shame because she's such a large focus on the ep) was Shell. Everything that happens to her in this episode is a tragedy. Although she was a bit ruthless in attacking Fenner, she did not deserve to be put on the muppet wing! Or to be beaten up by Podger Pam. But I do have to laugh everytime she says to Helen, "That Mad Tessa, she's got the hots for me". Just the way that line is delivered makes me crack up!!
Can anyone think of a way to tie Shell into this theme I've got going on? Maybe that's why I don't usually "theme" the episodes: I can't get it completely right, there's one major storyline of the episode that I can't fit into it!

Hey Lisa, sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your excellent post. I hadn't had time to watch the episode until this evening, so I hadn't yet read the thread you started. First, I really like the theme you've uncovered, and I think you've shown it really well. Second, I think I have an answer to your question:

Did you notice how Shell spends her entire time in the cell with Tessa trying to play the part of a good wife/girlfriend to Tessa? To the point that she manages to charm Tessa when Bodybag assumed that Tessa would eat her for lunch. This is a demonstration of Shell's exceptional survival capabilities, which are built around sex. Shell uses sex as a tool--to gain power, control, to protect herself etc. But the read tragedy for Shell is that this is the only thing sex can be for her--a tool, a strategy. She doesn't have the ability to actually be in love, she only has the ability to use and manipulate people by pretending to be in love, pretending to desire someone. This was the basis of her relationship with Fenner as well, way back in S1. So Shell ties right in to this theme of tragedy in love. She's the apotheosis of this type of tragedy--she doesn't lose love, but that's only because she doesn't have the capability to experience it. And that IS a tragedy.

I noticed another theme in this episode as well. There are many characters who are accepting their imprisonment or confinement, who aren't fighting to be free (neither for emotional freedom nor literal freedom). The first example I noticed is a subtle one. Josh and Crystal have this exchange where she talks about finding a job in a shop, and then realizing a shop wouldn't be likely to hire "a shoplifter." To which Josh replies "Ex-shoplifter." But Crystal knows this isn't true--shoplifting isn't just something she did, it's an identity, it's who she is, and she can't (or doesn't want) to leave it behind. In a way, in this moment Crystal seems to agree with Sylvia's assessment that "by the time they get to you, they're beyond changing."

Meanwhile, Nikki has lost all hope of getting out or being anything other than what she is. When Babs tries to give her hope by reminding her she still has her studies, Nikki's despondent reply is "What's the point?" Then in the later scene between Helen and Nikki, Helen herself realizes how much Nikki has lost her fight, lost her will to be free. One of her final lines in the scene (THE final line?) is "We're going to go everything to get you out of here, whether you like it or not. In past episodes, it would have been a joke to say that Nikki might not like to get out of prison. But in this episode, it really seems to be true.

But Nikki isn't the only one in this scene who's willing to stay confined. The way the scene is staged, Helen is sort of held back, or trapped, by the top bunk. There's only this relatively narrow space through which she can see Nikki, speak to Nikki, connect with Nikki. It's a wide enough space for her to reach out and touch Nikki's arm (this is offscreen, but I think it's happening--do others think so too?), but she's still being held back from truly being connected with Nikki. And why is she being held back? Because of her OWN decision. Her decision to end things with Nikki so she doesn't have to grapple with the ethical conflict of being a prison officer in love with a prisoner. So she doesn't have to grapple with the life-altering feelings of loving a woman. Like Nikki, she's accepted her confinement, and isn't fighting against it.

This episode also offers two more examples of the polar opposite ends of this spectrum of accepting confinement, or allowing oneself to be confined. On the one hand, we have Shell, who as I mentioned in response to Lisa's post, is extraordinary in her ability to survive and thrive in the most confining of situations. In her first scene she's down the block, lying through her teeth to Helen. And getting nowhere--Helen sees right through her. We may have thought that solitary was as confining as it gets. Nope. Thanks to Sylvia, Shell is off to the muppet wing, and then gets Tessa Spall as her cellmate. Tessa proceeds to control every aspect of Shell's behavior. She's got Shell cleaning the floor, giving up her chocolate, allowing Tessa to brush her hair, singing "All Things Bright and Beautiful" eight times. She doesn't want to do any of these things, but she has no choice. She's not free, even when she sleeps Tessa is in bed with her, watching her. This is worse than being locked in a cell, right? She's not just physically confined--all her behavior is being controlled. But yet, Shell manages to charm Tessa; Shell is a survivor. She even makes it through Pam Jolly's attack--which is filmed to emphasize the confined space of the shower, and Shell curled up in it, unable to move without assistance and protection.

And on the other hand, we have the Julies who (with Babs and Nikki's assistance) start the process of freeing themselves on the electric tagging program. Via prison procedure, interestingly enough. Rules-based freedom.

The officers, or Sylvia at least, offers a strong contrast to this acceptance of confinement. Sylvia is more proactive and effective than we've ever seen her. She conspires to get Shell sent to the muppet wing. She physically attacks Shell. She convinces Di to not rat her out. The only person who stands up to her at all with any effectiveness is Helen, both during the scene in the office near the start of the episode (the one where we find out Helen is leading the investigation) and then at the end when Helen gets Shell moved back on the wing and Sylvia is furious. But even then, Sylvia takes action, leading the officers on strike. Striking is the only action available to workers who are trapped, and Sylvia jumps right into it.

There's some exploration in this episode, I think, as to whether the truth will set you free, or lying will set you free. Jim is stuck in the hospital (another form of confinement) and lying as if his life depended on it. Lying to Marilyn, to Karen, to the police. The only way to get his life and his job back. Shell, on the other hand, is kept locked up by Helen until she tells the truth (or as close as Shell can come to telling the truth), at which point Helen leaves her in one more night for good measure and then lets her out. And then the Julies, who in their letter to Stubby include the "obsequeous"(sp?) comment about how much they love him as Wing Gov. Babs suggests Stubby will see right through it and they should take it out. So it seems that if one can lie convincingly, that's the way to go, but if you can't, it's just going to screw you over more?


Odds and Sods

Why does Helen say to Karen (in regards to Fenner) "I'm beginning to think we got the man wrong." Does she really think that? Does she think Shell lied about the affair way back in S2?

Why does Helen leave Shell locked up in the muppet wing? She knows she's there--she was able to find her to question her. And even when Shell tells her the truth, she leaves Shell there one more night. This seems so hard, so cruel of Helen. Wait, maybe this is it: Is there some parallel between Helen and Shell in this episode? When Shell finally confesses to Helen, she describes her reason for attacking Jim: "I couldn't have everyone knowing what I done." Isn't that the very same reason (or, one of the reasons) Helen dumped Nikki in the previous episode? Both Helen and Shell have taken extreme action to try to hide their past sexual behavior. So maybe Helen keeping Shell locked up is sort of a projection, a way of insuring she's keeping herself (and her feelings for Nikki) locked up too.

There's too much evil in this episode and too little good. I think this is when the balance starts to be off. Fenner and Bodybag have too much power, and the goodies (Helen and Karen, Nikki etc) aren't battling against it. They're allowing the power of evil to continue to reign. I don't find it pleasant to watch, I must admit.

The "patron saint" stuff: Bodybag refers to Helen as Shell's patron saint (the one who won't be saving her, according to Sylvia), and then we see that sketch of the crucifix behind Shell on the wall. What's that about? Is Shell supposed to be Christ? Is Helen? That seems more likely: Helen as savior. But then we cut to Helen going to see Nikki--and we realize Nikki's the one who has Helen as a patron saint.

There's a lot of goodness in your post, but this bit at the end is particularly inspired.

Wow, I'm really irritated, my computer just crapped out & ate my whole flamin reply. Dammit. I'll try again, sorry if it's choppy.

I don't think Helen's behavior under the circumstances shows unusual cruelty or even harshness. She's acting with caution. Shell's just stabbed a person (well, Fenner, anyway). Deliberately, multiple times. Everyone knows it. Shell lies. Everyone knows that too; she's only changed her story w/Helen herself when she sees more lies won't fly. Helen's job security/position will to some extent depend on how well she carries out this investigation. Keeping Shell locked up an extra night seems entirely correct to me, given the situation. There are no reliable narrators here for Helen to trust--not Shell, not Fenner, not Karen. And so far as Tessa goes, no one knows what's been happening to Shell except Shell herself & Bodybag. Still, we want to see Shell rewarded for telling the truth because most of the episode has been devoted to building our sympathy for her as we watch what goes on with Tessa. Shell's committed a crime, but again & again, we see the punishment rarely fits. That seems to me to be the larger issue, per the show's agenda.

Directorial approach to Helen is indirect here, & I think that's deliberate, as a way of paralleling H's indirect approach to her problems. She thinks she's taking a clear line, but it's right up the middle. It's the start of her attempt to straddle both sides of the river, not exactly an optimum way to navigate. So especially at the start she's going to be more rigid, & adhere to the rules she thinks she can still rely on to guide her along. (I'd add there is no on-screen police investigation: all that's dumped on Helen, who has to negotiate through this total morass with nothing but her own compass. Of course she's going to be careful how she steps.)


I brought this up before, & won't push it if there are no takers, but I do think again we see in this episode suggestions, especially as Abzug points out in reflecting on Helen's behavior towards Shell, of Shell as the anti-Nikki. Of all episodes, this one suggests that parallel most strongly: look at Shell's crime. She's stuck a bottle into the prison equivalent of a cop. Who she's accused of raping her. We know all the differences. The extra-legal issue at hand is whether Fenner was attempting to rape Shell on this particular night. But it seems to me this is the exact shadow of Nikki's crime. And I expect it's supposed to make us uncomfortable, to look at it through this fun-house mirror.

Hey Abzug, thanks. Like I said, I don't usually uncover episdoe themes so I was sort of in two minds whether or not to post that one.

Thanks for this. I knew Shell would have to be included in this theme somewhere - who knew it she would have been right in the middle of it that I didn't notice it? You are totally right though - Shell does show her inability to be in love with someone, and that is a tragedy in itself.

This is another great theme. And you've explained it really well. Well done :)

This always bothered me too. I can't believe Helen would just throw away all her previous views on this man! She was determined to get Fenner out of Larkhall, fighting against Stubberfield. She even left Nikki twice because she thought she was acting too much like Fenner (In "Shit Happens" she literally leaves, even though her and Nikki are not together. And then again in "Back To The Brink", she leaves the relationship).

I think Helen's taking precautions here. She has to make sure Shell's actually telling the truth this time, about the fact that she'd told Karen stuff and that Fenner could find out in some way. Helen goes to see Karen first thing the next morning, to find out whether Karen is actually in a relationship with Fenner. As soon as Karen clarifies this, Helen knows that Shell was telling the truth and so she's let off the Muppet Wing.

That's an argument for keeping her in solitary. But the scene between Di and Sylvia when Di reacts with horror at the news that Sylvia has conspired with Dr. NoNo to get Shell moved to the muppet wing--that communicates clearly to the audience that this is a cruel and unusual punishment. I have a very hard time thinking Helen would have allowed this, especially knowing who issued the order. Even if she's in "rigid" mode as ekny suggests--this punishment of Sylvia's was outside the rules, and we know Helen doesn't give a shit about offending Sylvia (she showed this in the first scene in the office), so why the hell would she allow the punishment to continue, rather than getting Shell put back on solitary?

But Lisa, thank you for the point about Helen waiting until she's confirmed Shell's story with Karen, and only having her released at that point. Again, it emphasizes the rewards for truthtelling. Or, the way Helen rewards truthtelling. Which is definitely the beginning of another more subtle internal conflict for Helen--if she values authenticity so much, how can she possibly continue in this dynamic with Nikki? Which I think is the point ekny was making.

Not true. There is one scene where we see two police officers interviewing Karen. It's not major, but it's there.

I think this is true, although I've always found it more disturbing in S3E1 than I do in this ep. In this ep we're really rooting for Shell, because as you say the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Which makes her less of a fun-house version of Nikki and more of an exact replica, because just as we think Shell doesn't deserve to be in the muppet wing, we also think Nikki doesn't deserve to be in Larkhall. I guess one could make the argument, as you have, that Helen is just following the rules and guidelines of being part of the authority structure when she allows Shell to continue on the muppet wing. Kind of like the police who banded together to go after Nikki because she killed one of their own. But again, to me this is so NOT Helen.

I agree with what you are saying, but Helen needs to get medical clearance from a physician before pulling Shell out of the muppet wing. If Shell was committed to a psychiatric unit by Dr. NoNo, then another medical provider has to agree that Shell is safe (not psychotic) to go back into the general population. So maybe it was just red tape that kept Shell on the muppet wing a day longer than necessary. It's not like an adjudication where Helen can remove someone from the block using her own judgment.

It is a lot easier to get people committed, in the name of safety, then it is to have them released. At least in the US.

I'm not sure why it's 'not' Helen. If she's committed to working inside a system that deals with crime, and a crime's been committed within that very system, then why wouldn't she have a vested interest in seeing that justice is served? The problem is Helen wants to be just to the victim--Fenner--as well. Which in reality is incredibly distasteful to all of us, because we "know" Fenner 'deserved' what he got. It's more distasteful & upsetting to us than hearing that bottle go in to his stomach & watching Shell twist it & hearing it make squishy noises. Which should be a lot more upsetting (imo). I would go so far as to observe: whatever Fenner did to Shell, over time--his punishment doesn't fit his crime, either.

Anyway, seems to me Helen's doing exactly what needs to happen: how could she be doing something different, or even 'differently'--I mean, what would that thing be? This is like holding Helen to task because she personally doesn't fix every single thing about Femi's case the second it's pointed out to her. She's an administrator. She fixes things in an orderly fashion as quickly as she can inside proper channels. She's doing it here, she does it with Femi. She's consistent.

Rapists say victims 'deserved' it too. We're being made complicit in our own urge for revenge, in this episode, in a very personal way.

i don't think that has anything to do with anything. rapists say the victims deserved it for wearing tight clothes or walking alone at night or something, which is clearly completely irrational. that's not the case here. fenner clearly has committed many crimes, or at least injustices, in a way that's objectively very obvious. whether our (i.e. the viewers') desire for revenge is overblown or disproportionate is a valid question, but it seems a little offensive to make that non-sequitor-y statement. what's your point there?

But with the Femi business, we viewers got to see that Helen was taking action, even if Nikki didn't. In this case, I just feel like Helen comes across as quite cruel and heartless in relation to Shell. Invisicoll, that additional information about the difficulty of un-committing someone is very helpful, and makes a lot of sense. But in the end, none of these interpretations or rationalizations change my feeling that Helen just comes across as very cold in this episode. As others have said, it's because the episode is written and filmed in such a way that we strongly identify with Shell and feel badly for what she's suffering. Normally we (the audience) aren't asked to sympathize with Shell in this way. So then Helen, whom we normally root for and identify with, winds up coming across as an obstacle to Shell's torture ending.

As for whether Fenner was "asking for it" in terms of Shell, I have to say I think he deserved it. Perhaps I'm back-projecting all the things he's going to do in S3 and beyond, and one could argue he didn't deserve to die now, but he did deserve to die in S7 (or S5 or S6). The fact is, while he didn't rape Shell, he did abuse and manipulate her in an ongoing way for many years. But yeah, I guess that doesn't deserve a death sentence, now does it?

I think that was ekny's point. Just as rape victims don't deserve to be raped even if they are dressed provocatively, Fenner didn't deserve to be gutted, even those he's generally an asshole, and went into Shell's cell and tried to have sex with her, none of which he should have done. So, in a way, cheering for Shell and hoping she succeeds in killing Fenner, is analogous to cheering for a rapist who rapes a woman who is dressed provocatively and invites the rapist back up to her apartment.

It's a very loaded analogy to make, that's for sure, but in a way it clarifies the fact that Shell (the "rapist) was in the wrong here--even if Fenner was "asking for it" with all his horrendous behavior over the years, it wasn't just or right or deserved to stab him in the stomach and leave him to bleed to death.

Oh, and, it just occurred to me, Shell uses the language of rape when she describes her attack on Fenner, so perhaps the writers wanted us to see this analogy?

i just totally disagree with this. in one case, there's a completely invented offense that rapists use to justify their crimes to themselves, or possibly others. but in the case of shell attacking fenner, there really are actual offenses. he has been abusing her in one way or another for years. again, whether the punishment (i.e. her attack or pseudo-rape of him) is proportionate or reasonable or justifiable is open to debate, but whether he's committed some crime guilty of some punishment is, i think, pretty undeniable.

No, no, you're totally right. I had kind of talked myself into arguing the other side, as you could probably tell from my post, but I'm with you in this distinction--that Fenner deserved SOME sort of punishment (and he certainly wasn't receiving any official punishment for all his misdeeds), while a rape victim (I think we all agree) doesn't deserve any sort of "punishment" at all. Whether she's walked down a dangerous alley alone, or invited some guy back to her apartment, none of those are misdeeds, they're just misjudgments.

I'm coming in on this debate very late as I've been really tired this week but I thought I'd take up the matter of Helen's doubts about Fenner's guilt. I always admired Helen for this in the way that , despite her obvious loathing for Fenner, she can't get past the purpose for which Shell took the broken bottle to her cell. Obviously, Helen was not to know that Fenner planned to go up to Shell's cell but didn't know what Shell had in store for her. It's interesting that Helen has both a feel for other's emotions and also a pretty analytical eye for forensics (example- the 'hidden' bar of soap when Shell, etc, escaped). On what she knew, she's understandably conflicted.

Invisicoll's point was very helpful. Helen has no authority or voice about keeping Shell on the muppet wing. Her purpose is only to determine whether it's deliberate assault. It didn't occur to Helen to have responsibility outside her remit. It might've occurred to Nikki (which is reason # 8,918,473 for why they go together so well).


Let me try 1 more pass at my take on this: Shell is using the language of rape: that's valid, it's the language she knows from having been a victim. The distinction between rape, abuse, & solicitiing sex isn't clear to her, but she knows Fenner's been doing bad things to her.

However that is not the subject of this crime. If we take Shell's actions as given, Shell attacked Fenner not because of past misdeeds but because she's angry at Betts. She stabbed him instead of giving him a blowjob because she's jealous of Betts. It's not a way to punish him because he abused her systematically. Shell is not defending herself. It's an attack. It's because she's jealous, pure & simple. She's not a victim here. She's a perpetrator. Sometimes she's a victim--but not now, not this case.

For Shell, sex = safety. Shell's crazy, remember--however she got that way (which by this ep we have all her backstory on, or all we're going to get), she is that way from the moment we meet her. The boundaries between sex, love, & rape are totally confused for Shell. The immediate impetus for her attack on Fenner is jealousy. The jealousy is about her loss of control. She uses sex to be safe: for protection. Jealousy is her trigger, it's what sets her off. She burned the girl alive, she tortured Rachel, she stabbed Fenner--those are all perceived threats & she attacks each one. She even attacks Denny for learning how to read because she's afraid of losing Denny's attention/affection. Shell attacks ANY threats; it's always sexualized. She immediately passes judgement & punishes. She has to monopolize attention because w/o it she's terrified. Shell's her own source of motivation. And Shell's wrong here, across the board.


(The only times she is able to stop being a sociopath, recognize needs & emotions other than her own as valid, are around her children. Shell has exactly two chances to do it right, and what's so painful, so excruciating is not only does she try to rise to the occasion both times, she does it. She steps outside this pathology only for her children. And loses them, both times. It's heartbreaking.)

There's a few more points in the story that are worth a mention. In this episode, Helen definitely gains the upper hand over Stubberfield. In the PO's meeting, Stubberfield tentatively suggests Shell being shipped out to Ashmoor till Helen reminds him that she would need to be sectioned and that, as head of the lifer's unit, it has to be cleared with her. A little while later, Stubberfield mentions the internal enquiry and Helen claims the authority and power vested in her by area management to head that enquiry whether the others like it or not. In a private meeting, Stubberfield adopts an ingratiating tone with her that there will be no embarrassment and Helen jolts him into stating that there will be no cover up- a stinging reminder of what Stubberfield tried to do when Fenner assaulted Shell and Helen resigned over it. This is perhaps a sign of Helen being back into career mode- and for a just cause but I found that her power over Stubberfield truly righteous and a case of payback time.


It does inform the constraints that she was under and having to 'go by the book.' As an afterthought, you see Helen talking to Yvonne and worming out the Shell / Fenner / Karen triangle and tipping her into acquitting Fenner. Likewise, it may be possible that Karen was encouraged in her feelings for Fenner when even Helen admitted that she may have misjudged Fenner.

Reverting back to Shell, it is poignant that this is the one time that Shell finally ended up nearly telling Helen the entire truth. It very ironic that a part of Shell genuinely tried to warn Karen off Fenner to protect her (which Helen was sceptical about) and that Shell looked to Helen, not Karen, to get her out of her mess.

This is a really good point. I had noticed the 'cover-up' scene between Stubby and Helen because I think it may be the only time where we see these two where Helen is in the power position--behind her desk--and Stubby is in the position of supplicant--in the visitor's chair across the desk. Interestingly, it's not immediately clear in how they filmed the scene which one of them is behind the desk, but by the end of the scene it's very clear it's Helen--she's the one in charge. But you're right that it's important to extend this to the idea of Helen already getting back into career-mode, a mode she hasn't been in since she quit as wing gov.

YES! Which is the thing that bothers me even more about Helen being so damned stupid as to think and say this!

I'd been thinking carefully about Abzug's last point. It is interesting to specualate what would have happened if Fenner hadn't been stabbed as Karen had certainly accepted that Fenner had beaten Shell up but all that got washed out of the way with her perception of Fenner as the wounded victim which her nursing background accentuated. (OK, at the risk of a commercial plug, I wrote a fanfic which does just that)

It all links with the central point that there can be and often is, a gap between what is suspected and what can be proved. Helen had cross examined Shell (twice) Yvonne and Karen and there was nothing Helen could 'hang her hat on' to nail Fenner. I suppose also that Helen couldn't understand what anyone could find attractive in Fenner, if only because Karen has a serial weakness for attractive bastards and Helen hasn't.

On another point, I was struck by the unspoken collusion between Bodybag and the prison officer in the muppet wing and how similarly they operated in terms of taking revenge on Shell in putting Shell in with Tessa Spall and keeping quiet while pam was attacking Shell in the shower. It is noticable that Nikki had brightened up after Helen talked to Nikki and in the determination behind Helen's words 'whether you like it or not' which expresses Helen's love for Nikki in a way that Helen could deal with.

That nasty Prison Officer on the Muppet Wing to me looks awfully a lot like Joan "the freak" Ferguson from Prisoner Cell Block H :lol1

You know who else she reminds me of? The evil nurse in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Louise Fletcher.

I think this louise chick is a bit more prettier, don't you think?

Well, her character was so damn evil in the movie (kinda like the evil guard in the muppet wing) so it's hard for me to see her as attractive, although I guess I see what you mean.

I'm pretty sure Louise Fletcher played that power-mad ruler in DS9 for a few years. Not a Trekkie so can't remember the names.

Se3, Ep2.

In this ep, the clear winner is Fenner. Not only did he survive the attack but he’s on his way to a full recovery! Everyone’s to blame except him. Marilyn for not believing that that slag Shell was out to get him. And Karen swallowing his lies about his marriage and that Marilyn was just coming to see him coz she was feeling guilty! The police seem to have bought his version of events. Even Helen gives him the benefit of the doubt. Everything is peachy in Fennerland.

Meanwhile Shell is getting a taste of Bodybag’s wrath.

Stubby is happy with the report from Helen which she has concluded by interrogating Shell, Karen and Yvonne except the real culprit Fenner.


Meanwhile Nikki is feeling leftout and tells Barbara it’s all pie in the sky now that Helen has ‘dumped’ her. No! who would want to dump somebody who looks like that and talks like that and dresses like that! But, Oh here comes the dumper to tell the dumpee that she shouldn’t give up hope for she won’t let her rot in here and she’s doing everything to get her case thru the appeals court, there’s still a future if and when she gets out!! Goody now we can all relax knowing that N&H is not RIP.

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