"Bad Girls" Recaps: Episode 3.11 "Battle Lines"

THIS WEEK'S RAP SHEET:

The Norma Rae: Nikki stands up for the rights of the (literally) downtrodden.
The newbies: The Peckham Boot Gang tries to take over G Wing.
The naysayer: Helen denies Nikki's every request.

Bad-mouthing the new boss — Hollamby is back, despite the advice of "her Bobby." She blames her strong sense of duty, which I think must be code for "I miss being a petty tyrant."

Gina: You know Stewart's been made new No. 1, then?
Hollamby: Huh! Amazing where a few clever words whispered in the right ear'll get ya.

I don't know whose ear she means, exactly (not Nikki's, unfortunately), but if she had said that two seconds later, Helen would have been whispering in her ear instead. Almost busted! As it is, Helen is strolling up behind them and calling out to Sylvia.

Helen: You feeling better?
Hollamby: As can be expected, ma'am.
Helen: Enough to be Acting Principal Officer when Jim's away?
Hollamby: [preening] Oh, well! That's very good of you, ma'am.

Helen's pretty good at this management stuff, isn't she? She makes even the crappy employees feel valuable. I wish I could work under Miss Stewart. For! I totally meant for.

Helen: Good! You'll have your work cut out.
Hollamby: Oh?
Helen: Well, with Jim and Miss Betts away, and now Di Barker's on compassionate leave ...
Gina: What's up with Di?
Helen: Her mother's in hospital. She took a nasty fall at home.

I love it when they use dialogue to tell us what happened between episodes or explain a character's absence. But mostly I love to watch Helen walk and talk.

cleavage alert!

And isn't that a convenient lie for Di, the "nasty fall" thing? Wonder how she got Fenner to agree to keep silent about her mother-beating hobby? No, wait; I don't want to know.

Hollamby: Don't worry, ma'am. I'll be running a tight ship.
Helen: Good.

Smarm and smirks as far as the eye can see!