Karen pulls Yvonne off the ladder and manages to subdue her. Yvonne is still protesting her innocence—if Karen still needs proof of Fenner’s misdeeds, she should contact Helen Stewart. Yvonne ends up on the punishment block in prison-issue strips—which takes its toll psychologically as her tough image starts to crumble. After witnessing the escape attempt, Karen begins to suspect that Yvonne and Helen were trying to set Fenner up for something he didn’t do. However, when she returns home to apologise, she finds Fenner packing his bags. He dismisses Karen’s apologies and calmly informs her that he can no longer live with someone who doesn’t trust him.
New Governing Governor Neil Grayling arrives with a line in patronising smiles and management gobbledegook. Karen is late for work and immediately earns a black mark. It doesn’t take long for Fenner to start sucking up to Neil, bringing Karen’s methods of management into question in the process. Neil’s first project is the privatisation of the canteen and, after consulting Fenner, he decides to give the job to Hollamby. She is very unhappy with her new appointment until Neil informs her that she can expect a bonus if profits improve.
Now that Yvonne is safely out of the way, Maxi and Al decide it’s time to knock G-Wing into shape. After being ‘persuaded’ to clean Maxi and Al’s cell, the Julies complain to Yvonne when they deliver her lunch. Yvonne has other things on her mind; given the evidence against her, her solicitor has recommended that she plead guilty to manslaughter or risk a life sentence. Finally realising that there’s no way out for her, she signs a full confession.
Hollamby and Di go for a drink in the officer’s club to calm their nerves. Mark arrives with Barry Pearce, a new transfer from D-Wing. Predictably, Di takes an instant shine to the newcomer but incredibly, Barry shows every sign of having fallen for her too! Barry offers Di a lift home and kisses her passionately in the doorway. After spending the entire weekend together, Di and Barry can’t keep their hands off each other. Di is well and truly besotted, so much so that she has Barry’s name tattooed in a heart on her chest.
Hollamby sets about dreaming up ways to rip the inmates off and co-opts Mark to help her with her latest brainwave—50p lucky bags. The inmates soon start kicking up a fuss when they realise that they have been conned into buying a couple of chocolate biscuits and toffees in a paper bag. Shaz is particularly vocal, especially when she also notices that the bag of crisps she has just bought are well past their sell-by date. Barry intervenes and, grabbing Shaz’s arm, he marches her down the corridor. She complains about the red marks his fingernails have left on her skin and he responds by putting her on report. Later, Di asks Barry to reconsider and settle for just giving Shaz a warning. He agrees but warns her that she’s too soft with the inmates.
After she expresses her concerns about the inmates being ripped off by the new privatised canteen, Neil puts some serious thought into Karen’s future. He’s less than impressed with her attempts to keep order on the wing and starts looking among his staff for a new Wing Governor. Could he really be so misguided as to think that Fenner could be the man for the job?
Episode Factsheet
What's it really like to be confined down "the block"?
How does a prison canteen work?
Find out in the fact sheet compiled by The Centre for Crime
and Justice Studies.
Episode 2 - The Punishment Block & The Prison Canteen
Memorable Moments
Yvonne – “I didn’t murder O’Kane, it was Maxi Purvis!”
Karen – “Oh yesterday it was Mr Fenner.”
Yvonne – “It’s a conspiracy. He’s as bent as a pig’s dick! Ask Miss Stewart, she knows.”
Karen – “Knows what?”
Yvonne – “She asked me to help her nail the bastard.”
Hollamby – “My nerves are wound so tight Hank Marvin could play on them.”
Neil – “I think the most important thing to say is that we’re all in this together. This is not so much HMP Larkhall from now long as HMS Larkhall and we’re all on board her sink or swim. But, this is one skipper who doesn’t intend to go down with his ship.”
Neil – “I’m going to fight all the way for this prison. Money’s available but we have to find ways to cut our costs too.”
Fenner – “Any more cost cutting and we’ll be growing our own lunches.”
Julie S – “So what, you got someone you’re not telling us Miss?”
Di – “You’ll just have to watch this space.”
Julie S – (As Di leaves) “Poor git whoever he is.”
Julie J – “Bag of shit you getting caught Yvonne.”
Julie S – “Maxi and her gang are stomping all over the place now; they’re even running a bleedin’ protection racket.”
Julie J – “Only we can’t say nowt ‘cause they’ll hang us off the doorframe by our nips.”
Shaz – “Common whorehound!”
Di – “Pardon?”
Shaz – “For you Miss. Flowery herb innit?”
Mark – “Lucky bags?”
Hollamby – “One chocolate finger, two chews, three toffees, two mint humbugs and a chocolate digestive in each one. Not bad for 50p each is it?”
Mark – “Fifty pence! There’s nothing lucky about that, unless we get away without them lynching us.”
Mark – “They put sell-by dates on these things for a reason you know.”
Hollamby – “Stuff and nonsense! The substances these women put up their noses and what not. Do you really think a few pieces of middle-aged chocolate’s going to hurt them?”
Mark – “No, but they should be treated like everybody else out there.”
Hollamby – “Well stop locking them up then.”
