Episode 2.13 - Oh What A Night!
Written by Ann McManus & Maureen Chadwick
Produced by Brian Park
Directed by Laurence Moody
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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 ballroom 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.
With the party in full 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.
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 bedridden 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.