Hollamby is hosting her 30th Wedding Anniversary party in the PO’s Club. With all of the officers letting their hair down, Nikki realises that this is the ideal opportunity to escape from Larkhall for a night, so that she can visit Helen and try to patch up their misunderstanding. Having recalled that the nurse who treated her hand is desperate to go to Australia, Nikki re-opens her wound and during her second round of treatment, offers the nurse enough money to disappear. The nurse, Janine balks at the proposition, but the cash is too tempting and she eventually agrees. In exchange for the money, she will help Nikki engineer her escape.
Yvonne’s inter-prison visit with Charlie has been approved but Hollamby bluntly informs her that it is cancelled—Charlie doesn’t want to see her. Yvonne is broken-hearted. Fenner is anything but and revels in spelling out what Yvonne has been denying to herself—that her beloved Charlie set her up to continue his affair with Renee. Meanwhile, Crystal is finally due to leave Larkhall, but before she goes, she helps herself to Hollamby’s presentation carriage clock. Although the inmates of G-Wing gather together to give her a good send off, Crystal’s smile disappears when her hopes of seeing Josh waiting for her at the gates are dashed.
Yvonne, Shell, and the Julies are chosen to waitress at Hollamby’s party, and they decide to make the most of the opportunity by emptying the alcohol slops into makeshift pouches in their trousers. After watching Hollamby show off her ‘Come Dancing’ skills on the dance floor, Yvonne suggests to the girls that they slip an ecstasy pill into her drink. It quickly takes effect and her frenetic dancing starts to exhaust her husband, Bobby. Yvonne also spots the chemistry between Karen and Fenner and points this out to Shell. Fenner is looking forward to a passionate evening with Karen, but she begins to have doubts when Shell approaches her. Karen has been good to her and she resolves to repay the favour by warning her off Fenner—“he did hit me Miss, you know he did.”
With the party in fill swing, Nikki successfully escapes for her long awaited evening with Helen. Helen answers her door and nearly dies of shock when she sees Nikki standing there. She is furious, remonstrating at Nikki’s impetuousness. Nikki however did not come to fight and Helen’s defences dissolve as long-repressed passions are finally released.
Dominic arrives at the party to a gushing reception from Di who has brought a dress especially for the occasion. But it’s Hollamby he should be scared of, especially when she bullies him onto the dance floor and then sticks herself to him like a limpet. Bobby decides that his wife is making a spectacle of herself and orders her home. Her response? A V-sign practically up his nostrils! With Bobby gone, Karen is forced to offer Hollamby a lift home. The girls are still laughing hysterically as they watch Hollamby career about the room, but when she trips and falls into their table of slops, they are unable to conceal their exasperation.
Crystal returns to her hostel to discover that she has been locked out. She hears her name called and turns to see Josh standing there. Crystal shows him that she has been wearing his engagement ring on a necklace around her neck—is it what he wants to hear? Apparently so—he invites her to come and stay with him. Meanwhile, Di is keen to tell Dominic of her true feelings for him. However, the opportunity never arises and she once again goes home along to her bed-ridden mother. When Di goes to her bedroom, the full extent of her obsession with Dominic comes to light as she gazes at the shrine she has made with personal items she has stolen from him.
Nikki is lying in Helen’s arms and feeling optimistic about the future. But then reality comes back to haunt her when Helen confesses that her request for an appeal has been turned down. Nikki is devastated. She decides there and then that their only hope of a life together is if they go on the run. Helen does her best to try and make Nikki see sense, but to no avail. Reluctantly, she agrees to phone for a taxi while Nikki goes to get dressed. Once alone, Helen picks up the phone and dials 999.
After being rejected by Karen, Fenner decides to take solace in Shell. He escorts her back to her cell after the party and before long they are lying on her bunk. As they kiss, Shell reaches under her mattress and pulls out a broken bottle.
Memorable Moments
Hollamby – “I hope you appreciate how many prison officers it takes to give you and your gangster husband this treat.”
Yvonne – “Is that your Basic Grade prison officer like yourself Sylvia?”
Shell – “Ain’t you told your old man to sling his hook yet?”
Yvonne – “Eh?”
Shell – “Well I would if he’d done the dirty on me.”
Yvonne – “It’s called love, you don’t break up a marriage on the say so of a tart.”
Shell – “She seemed to know him pretty well, especially when she said about that scar.”
Yvonne – “You’ll have a scar if you don’t piss off!”
Fenner – (To Helen after noticing the bandage on Nikki’s hand) Looks like it’ll be a while before she gets it up for you love!”
Hollamby – “That’s her well and truly sorted!”
Bobby – “I’m just priming my musket Sylv.”
Yvonne – “’Ere, I thought we’d give old Bodybag a present for her anniversary.”
Julie S – “Eh?”
Julie J – “I’m not giving that old cow nuffing!”
Yvonne – “That’s a pity, I was gonna slip her an E!”
Shell – “What? A whole one? She’ll go up like a soddin’ rocket!”
Bobby – “I’m exhausted.”
Hollamby – “Well that’s nothing new.”
Bobby – “Sylvia!”
Hollamby – “There’s always some excuse; too tired, sore back. He says it’s carrying the coffins, I think its something wrong in the waterworks department if you know what I mean.”
Nikki – “Don’t worry, I’m not going to get caught.”
Helen – “You’re completely mad!”
Nikki – “I love you. When I thought I’d pissed you off I didn’t know how I could live. And then I got this chance, I just want to make the most of it. We’ve got a whole night together.”
Helen – “No Nikki, this is not the way.”
Nikki – “Tell me you love me.”
Helen – “I love you Nikki.”
Nikki – “Enough to give everything up for me?”
Helen – “You know how much.”
Nikki – “I’m not going back to that prison Helen, not after this.”
