E is working on an essay about the opening of S1E7, and after reading a draft of it I started musing about something. That lovely opening sequence, where Helen and Nikki are edited right into each other as they get ready in the morning--it's interrupted by Sean and his marriage proposal. And then in S3, Thomas repeatedly interrupts Helen and Nikki (in Helen's office when Nikki finds out about her appeal, in the library when Helen tells Nikki she's resigned).

So I was thinking up questions about this (no answers yet):
1. Are there other examples of characters interrupting romantic connections?
2. Are the interrupters always men? Or is there some other pattern (people in power, staff members, something else)? Or is there no pattern?
3. Who are the interruptees? Are they always prisoners? Or people who aren't supposed to be having a relationship? Are they always same-sex relationships?

I'm not sure that we're going to find some Grand Theory of Interruptions or anything, but it did occur to me that the show might have some message in there about people in power and the way they interfere with relationships and love.

This is totally off the top of my head, but I got a very weird image when you asked this, & it wasn't of men or women so much as the Julies, looking surprised & guilty. I don't know why. They're always planning something, it's always covert, they always have to cover it up. Some thread I'm trying to tug on there but I can't quite catch it up, sorry, best I can do for now? I think my response might be more about privacy than coupledom per se??

In S2E11 Dominic interrupts Nikki and Helen after the lifer meeting and the "I'm going to show you a good time" moment.

That's a good one. I thought of two others just now:

1. Karen walks in on Helen and Nikki after the "I'll read it when I'm in bed" moment.

2. Helen walks in on Nikki and Caroline in the library when they're kissing.

In the icky-psychotic realm, would Gina showing up at the bar after Di's shagged Mark count? Di, is like, all ready for her 'date' with Mark upon exiting the <polite cough> ah, stalls, post-bonk. :puke

Abzug, you've hit upon another gem of an idea which I suspect I can see a major thesis developing- go on, you know you want to. :D

I can think of Sean phoning up to interrupt Helen with his pathetic request for a pencil sharpener- Jeez I reacted that way as soon as I watched it- when things were kicking off on the wing. I mean, can't the guy find a sharp knife??

Again, I recall Helen being interrupted by Sean hassling her on the phone when Yvonne was waiting to be taken back on the wing.

I'd draw the distinction between the 'official need to interrupt' when the interrupter was not aware that there was another agenda was going on- Karen and on another occasion Dominic interrupting Nikki and Helen as opposed to Sean who thinks that his business was all important and cuts across everything.

Hmmm, I guess you could also consider Dominic answering the phone at Helens's flat in S2Ep12 as an interruption to Nikki and Helen's relationship (and maybe even the answering machine later on?). Or you could turn it on its head and think of Nikki phoning to interrupt Helen and Dominic (who was obviously smitten with Helen and Helen's giving out her usual "mixed" signals!)

I'm thinking about the opposite -- when there are no interruptions. All the time the writers wanted the quick-quick pace of scenes, so people interrupt each other all the time, which builds our tension and leaves major questions unanswered.

Then there are those times (like the very last H/N scene and a few other classic H/N scenes) when there are no interruptions (and neither woman leaves abruptly either), and their love is allowed to show through.

Thinking about this (and I am confining myself to S1 - 3 here), it would appear to me that it is only lesbian relationships that are interrupted in this way. I wouldn't consider Gina walking into the pub as Di exits the loos to be a "relationship" interruption, as Gina doesn't actually walk in on them in the cubicle, and she is unaware (at that stage) of anything having gone on; I am also not sure whether a session of Wham Bam, Thank you Mam qualifies as a relationship as such. Nor do I consider Nikki's phonecall interrupting Dominic and Helen to be a relationship interruption, as this definitely doesn't qualify as a relationship, as it isn't mutual.

I cannot think of any straight couple involved in a relationship who is interrupted in the same way as Helen and Nikki are on the occasions mentioned above, or Nikki and Caroline are, and Denny and Shaz are by Bodybag when she discovers them in the broom er, closet. Even the one "pretend" lesbian relationship - Nikki and Julie "having a quick feel" in the potting shed, is interrupted by Bodybag. (Although in that case of course, the "relationship" only existed in anticipation of said interruption!) I suppose in a way, Nikki and Helen's relationship is also interrupted by Helen's resignation in S2 - the interesting question there being, who is actually the interrupter in that instance? Is it Simon, or the system, or in fact Helen herself? Is she subconsciously interrupting her own relationship, in order to get some distance from it, and some time to think and consider whether she in fact wants a relationship? In a similar vein Helen and Nikki's relationship, having already been interrupted by Nikki's escape and then the riot, is further interrupted by Fenner forcing Helen's resignation at the end of S3.

On the other hand, despite the frequency of occurrence, nobody ever walks in on Fenner and Shell (or even Fenner and Rachel for that matter) - and they do qualify as having a relationship as it is ongoing, it is of mutual benefit to both of them, and they both understand the terms of the relationship (not Rachel however as far as the latter is concerned). Fenner and Karen are able to engage in hanky panky, including some unsightly scar fondling, in Karen's office without some Thomas (Dick or Harry) walking in on them. (My apologies for recalling that image to mind!) Dominic and Zandra too, are able to enjoy their kiss without it being interrupted.

Josh and Crystal's relationship is actually guarded from interruption, by the Julies, when they keep watch outside the laundry room, and prevent Di from entering and interrupting the couple. Julie J proves ineffective at guarding the "pretend" lesbian relationship of Nikki and Julie S from interruption, on the other hand. The Julies ultimately protect Josh and Crystal's relationship from interruption, by preventing Di from stopping their wedding ceremony. Yvonne and Charlie benefit from a similar guarding of their relationship, by Fenner who offers them a private room for Charlie's visit, in order that they will not be interrupted (admittedly for financial gain on his part, but nevertheless). Yvonne's business relationship with the male escort also goes uninterrupted, despite Bodybag's attempts to do so.

So in answer to abzug's questions - No, the interrupters aren't always men (Helen and Bodybag are both interrupters). Sean is an exception to "people in power, staff members" being interrupters. The interruptees are always lesbians, although not always prisoners (Helen). And it's debatable whether or not they are all not supposed to be having relationships - although strictly speaking the prisoners aren't supposed to engage in lesbian relationships, even if the authorities do turn a blind eye to it.

Hmmm, I can think of some subtle interruptions: Trish in Chix with her look that made Helen believe that she and Nikki were back together. A known lesbian interrupting other lesbians - where would that fit in?

The other subtle one I can think of is when Di walked in on N&H when they were having their "are you a cold blood killer?" conversation in the library.

Although these interruptions weren't really demanding or deliberate in nature, they did interrupt the process in the end. Well, maybe Trish's look does count under the "deliberate" side of things. She was very deliberate - even though she had no idea what N&H were discussing. It could've been the weather for all she knew.

Wow, thanks JAMBF!!! That was incredibly thorough and interesting. Your memory is amazing. I had a few quick thoughts.

It's hard for me to think of this scene and not consider it interrupted, because so much of Yvonne's behavior in the scene is around the potential for interruption--she's strategizing (successfully) to avoid it. So to include it as a non-interruption scene misses something, esp. when you contrast it with something like Fenner and Karen in her office, where they don't anticipate being interrupted at all.

As I was watching S4E1 last night on Logo, there were two scenes of interruption, neither of which were romantic scenes. The Julies are picking the lock of Fenner's locker when Mark walks in, and later Yvonne is trying to convince Josh to turn off the power in the prison, and other officers keep walking by, forcing Yvonne and Josh to frequently pause their discussion.

And it made me wonder if maybe I'm seeing something where there isn't something. I mean, this is prison. For the prisoners, the risk of interruption is ALWAYS there, and whenever the prisoners are doing something they're not supposed to do (which is, like, all the time), they threat of interruption is going to be there. So to look at the interruption of romantic moments is kind of a false project or something, if any and all prison moments can be interrupted.

That said, maybe the point is that the lesbian scenes can be interrupted, just like the prisoners-up-to-no-good scenes can be interrupted, which sort of associates lesbian relationships and activity with things that are illicit, forbidden, worthy of punishment, etc. Alternatively, I could flip it around and describe the prisoners-up-to-no-good scenes as reflections of the independence of spirit of the women, and suggest that these scenes are demonstrations of liberation, even in a confined environment. So then it's a positive thing that lesbian relationships are associated with these scenes, because then lesbian relationships are demonstrations of independence and freedom within the confines of a repressive environment. Which, hey, sounds a lot like being a lesbian outside prison too.

Indeed. But, having said that, I just thought of another one of those sort-of-'subtle' interruptions that fall outside of the confinements of prison, apart from the Trish-look interruption. This interruption relates to the solicitor letter that so totally interrupts N&H's post coital cuddle (and our viewing pleasure). I therefore think that JAMBF might be on to something.

Another point I forgot to make, was that despite the interruptions, both lesbian relationships endure (I'm excluding Nikki and Caroline, because I don't consider that to have been a proper relationship, as I don't think Nikki would have touched Caroline with a cattle-prod, had she known the true nature of her crime from the outset), despite the fact that Shaz and Denny's relationship is ended by the death of Shaz at the end of S4. Of all the the uninterrupted heterosexual relationships, it is only that of Josh and Crystal which endures. Again, whether or not Dominic and Zandra can be considered to have had a proper relationship as such, is doubtful, as there is no real recognition on either of their parts of a relationship existing between them. (Perhaps simply the potential for a relationship.)

Maybe some point is being made that in many ways lesbian relationships in general, have to be able to survive without the encouragement and nurture of society, and manage to do so despite the obstacles placed in front of them.

This thesis is building up very nicely and I wonder if this is Shed high grade writing at work in placing scenarios discreetly in front of the viewer without drawing attention to it. all the posts are very persuasive and to survive and endure despite the obstacles inside or outside prison is a depiction of moral courage to be the person you want to be, an idea I can relate to.

The best art, in my opinion, is the kind that doesn't tell the viewer what to think but enables the viewer to 'create the art mentally' as the narrator lets the story unfold.

Shed creates a seeming exception which playfully spins the whole idea around when Yvonne thinks 'Mr Ravenscroft' has been sent along by the male escort agency only that he is a real solicitor. bodybag who tries to listen to an earlier visitor but stops short of interrups finally does so on the second occasion only to confront a real solicitor and ends up with egg on her face. The imposition of power by the interrupter rebounds in itself.