Episode 2.6 - Losing It
Written by Martin Allen
Produced by Brian Park
Directed by Jim O'Hanlon
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Karen reprimands Hollamby for the Tessa Spall mix-up. Talk turns to Hollamby’s recent injury and Karen decides to put her on an exercise and health routine, much to her dismay, and the amusement of the inmates. Zandra meanwhile finally gets her medical examination with Dr Nicholson. His diagnosis? Low blood pressure and a pair of glasses, but Zandra is not so sure it is that simple.
Meg, the new prison therapist, is concerned by the way the group therapy sessions seem to be affecting Shell’s mental well-being. When Shell turns up for the next session looking like Baby Spice on acid with her hair and make-up all over the place, Meg’s concern deepens. She takes Shell to one side at the end of the session and it becomes clear that she was sexually abused at a young age. At lock-up, Dominic tries to get Shell to go to her cell but she kicks off, calling all of the male POs perverts. Karen intervenes and tries to calm Shell down by telling her that she might be able to get her job back in the kitchen. Shell welcomes this news for all the wrong reasons: she would have access to a knife to kill Fenner!
Tension mounts between Nikki and her new cellmate, Barbara Hunt. Fenner and Shell are causing trouble, by telling Barbara of Nikki’s sexuality, disturbing her cocooned middle-class world. Entering Larkhall is akin to Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den as far as Barbara’s concerned, especially when Shell corners her and orders her to steal a marker pen from the art room. After drawing a moustache on her own face, Shell uses the pen to write “Fenner is a rapist” on the wall. Luckily, Nikki sees the whole thing and puts Karen right when Shell accuses Barbara of being the graffiti artist.
Nikki can’t wait for visiting time, as she is expecting a visitor, whom she knows will cause great excitement and curiosity: Helen! The POs can’t believe their eyes and look on in amazement as Helen tries to persuade Nikki to appeal against her sentence. Helen has a new job at Larkhall as part of a new programme for women lifers’ and will be ideally placed to get the ball rolling.
Karen talks to Shell and discovers that her father abused her from a very young age and that he did it with her mother’s blessing. Shell’s children are now living with her mother and she is understandably worried that they might be at risk. After comforting Shell, Karen allows her to return to G-Wing, a decision that backfires when Denny lets out a bloodcurdling scream. Shell is standing on the G2 landing with a noose around her neck.