Disclaimers: The Bad Girls recaps are based on the original (U.K.) episodes. Any divergence from the U.S. broadcasts should be considered a peek at the real thing. Conversely, the recapper is American, so any failure to comprehend or incorporate British culture should be considered an accident of birth.
THIS WEEK’S RAP SHEET:
The revolutionary: Nikki Wade instigates an insurrection and piques Helen’s curiosity.
The reformer: Helen Stewart just wants to be caring and fair. Has she forgotten she works in a prison?
The rake: Jim Fenner has his eye on the women. Especially the pretty ones.
The lineup – We hear the familiar beats of “Stayin’ Alive,” and we see women in costumes, dancing on a stage. “Wait,” we say, “I thought I was tuning in for a gritty prison drama. ” And that’s the first thing you learn about Bad Girls: It’s rarely what you expect.
So this is a fashion show, and the models are prisoners at HMP (Her Majesty’s Prison) Larkhall. It’s a fab way to introduce the characters, actually. The ones with the silver wigs are the two Julies, harmless working girls. The one with the face paint and the attitude is Denny, who prefers the company of other women. The preening, gloved one is Shell, and she’s even more trouble than she looks.
Oh, and the one screaming and bleeding in her cell during all of this is Carol.
But let’s take a closer look at this unruly mob:
Nikki Wade (Mandana Jones): A lifer with a strong sense of justice. Nikki’s locked up because she killed the guy who attacked her girlfriend, Trish. It’s more complicated than that, of course, but one thing is beyond question: Nikki’s gorgeous. Plus, she’s popular with the other inmates – she pretty much rules G-Wing, which is the only part of Larkhall we care about.
Helen Stewart (Simone Lahbib): The Governor of G-Wing. Helen is young and idealistic. She actually cares about the women’s welfare, even though she sometimes wishes she didn’t. Like Nikki, she’s gorgeous and complicated. She’s also Scottish, stubborn and short-tempered. Swoon!
Jim Fenner (Jack Ellis): A senior guard with a giant forehead who knows just how to work the old boys’ network – so he’s none too happy that there’s now a woman at the helm of G-Wing. Jim uses the prisoners for his own nefarious purposes. You’ll hate him. And I don’t mean “love to hate” – I just mean hate.
Sylvia Hollamby (Helen Fraser): Another guard who’s been in the prison service too long and is just waiting to collect a pension. She’s the definition of “sourpuss.” The prisoners call her “Bodybag” behind her back – and sometimes to her face. She probably has a good heart in there somewhere, but she also loves her little bit of power and abuses it regularly.
Shell Dockley (Debra Stephenson): A blond, curvy lifer who’s as immoral as Nikki is moral. She uses Jim just as much as he uses her, and she vies (usually unsuccessfully) with Nikki for top dog status.
Denny (Daniela) Blood (Alicya Eyo): A small-time crook with curly hair and a killer stare who has worked her way up the Larkhall ladder by aligning herself with Shell. And by “aligning,” I mean getting horizontal. Um. They make out, OK?
The two Julies: Best friends Julie Saunders (Vicky Alcock) and Julie Johnston (Kika Mirylees) have been in and out of prison several times for prostitution. They’re simple and sweet and in their 40s, and just want to have as much fun as they possibly can. They’re also just plain loopy sometimes.
Monica Lindsey (Jane Lowe): A new arrival who’s rich, polite and appalled.
Rachel Hicks (Joanne Froggatt): A new arrival who’s shy, scared and doomed.
Zandra Plackett (Lara Cazalet): A junkie who has a history with Denny. Zandra’s hard on the outside but easily hurt on the inside.
Carol Byatt (Ashley Miller): The one who’s bleeding in her cell during the fashion show. Don’t think about her for too long: She’s only there to move the plot forward and help us realize that Nikki likes the ladies.
Lorna Rose and Dominic McAllister (Luisa Bradshaw-White and Joe Shaw): The younger guards who are usually addressed by their first names, mostly because that’s the level of respect they get. Dominic is sensitive and wants to help the women. Lorna is a Hollamby in training.
Simon Stubberfield (Roland Oliver): The governor of the whole prison. He’s smug and smarmy and wants the prison to run itself.
Now, where were we? Right: the fashion show. The lights go up. It seems this was just a rehearsal for an upcoming show. Jim Fenner tells the girls not to get stroppy because he’s already let them go on longer than he should have. Because he’s their friend, see? Such a kind, concerned gentleman. Obviously. He might even be so concerned, he’ll need to express his concern physically. He can’t help it he’s a toucher by nature. OK, now I’ve made myself sick.
As the performers protest, we get a glimpse of someone who’s been watching from the sidelines. That’s Nikki Wade. She’s raven-haired, and she looks good in red. And yes, she’s wearing makeup, because Her Majesty allows her prisoners to be human. What a concept! They even get to wear their own clothes, which actually doesn’t sound like a positive thing to me: I mean, orange jumpsuits are a great equalizer. Allow them to wear designer labels and the next thing you know, they’ll be having a fashion show. Oh, wait.
As they all troop back to their cells, Denny stops the quiet, slight Rachel Hicks. Denny gives her a message from Shell: “She says she hopes you haven’t forgotten what you promised her. She’d hate to have to remind ya.” Ooh, from disco to threats in the space of two minutes! Life in prison isn’t for the slow.
Rachel looks scared. I guess. Actually, she just seems sort of dim. So does Denny, but in a fiercer way.
Nikki’s on the second floor. She shouts down to the Julies, “Nice outfits!” The Julies are busy flirting with Dominic, and the handsome young guard doesn’t quite know what to do with their teasing. The Julies tend to speak in unison and/or finish each other’s sentences. I want to be their friend, and it looks like everyone else does too.
HMP Larkhall is huge and intimidating. It’s based on HMP Oxford, which is now a luxury hotel should you get the urge to play lockup.
Rachel’s cell – Rachel is looking at a photo of a baby. It’s her daughter, Maddie; she’s 10 months old. Denny is in the background, washing the war paint off her face and providing commentary on everything Rachel says to Fenner, who has stopped by to see how Rachel’s settling in. Fenner tells Denny to “shut it.” Denny honestly looks a little bit hurt.
Up on the third level of the prison, guard Sylvia Hollamby, aka Bodybag, stops Nikki, who just wants to see Carol. Bodybag says Carol wasn’t at the rehearsal because she wasn’t feeling well. She tells Nikki to go back to her cell.
Hollamby: Now move. Or I’m putting you on report.
Nikki: You’d gas us in our cells if they told you to, wouldn’t you?
Shell: [passing by] Missed your goodnight kiss, did you? What a shame.
Nikki: Don’t hurt your brain, Dockley.
See that? With just a few lines, we know Hollamby’s mean, Shell’s a bully, and Nikki’s acerbic and tough. That’s what I call good acting and even better writing.
Nikki goes back to G-2, the second floor. On G-Wing, there are three floors. G-3, also called “enhanced,” is the primo spot, reserved for lifers and those who have the guards’ favor. Newbies and rabble-rousers are on G-1, which features the four-bed cell where Rachel and Denny are housed. Nikki’s on G-2, so visiting Carol takes a little effort, especially when Bodybag is blocking the way.
From inside her cell, Carol calls out for Nikki, and tells Hollamby through the door that she’s bleeding and needs the doctor. Hollamby doesn’t believe her; it seems Carol has faked her way to the doctor before.
Hollamby and another guard, Lorna, holler good night to the girls as the workday ends. Lorna tries to make sure Carol is all right, but Hollamby insists: “Ignore her. She’s just makin’ herself special.” They talk about the relaxing evenings ahead of them:
Lorna: I’m gonna murder that pint.
Hollamby: My Bobby’s doing his braised meatballs tonight.
Lorna: Lucky you.
Hollamby: I am, Lorna. I’ve been salivaring all day.
Glad you can salivate while the inmates bleed, Sylvia. And that’s just what Carol is doing in her cell: She’s doubled over and screaming and getting blood all over her sheets.
And there’s that good writing again. By being made to witness Carol’s pain in what feels like real time, rather than have it overexplained to us or drawn out with too much suspense and drama, we feel like we’ve been through something unusual and exceptional. And we’re hooked. It’s like reality TV but without the annoying stupidity of reality TV. So, nothing like reality TV.
The next morning – A woman is arriving for work. She may drive a dorky little Peugeot, but she’s as sexy as a Porsche. That’s Helen Stewart, the governor of G-Wing. While Helen waits at a stoplight, she touches up her makeup but gets mascara all over herself when the car behind her honks. When she gets to the gate, the guard looks at her quizzically. She smirks at her mirror when she realizes why. I love a woman who can laugh at herself.
Did I mention that Helen’s gorgeous? And funny and Scottish and strong and kind. Yes, I can tell all of that from this brief scene during which she said about three words. Do not underestimate the power of Simone Lahbib’s acting.
Inside, the guards are waking the prisoners. Dominic opens the door to Carol’s cell and immediately backs out, telling Sylvia to get the doctor. Sylvia tells him to put all the other women back in their cells first. Well, thanks for the sense of urgency, Sylvia.
Chatting with the gov – Jim Fenner is making small talk in Helen’s office. He calls her “ma’am,” which doesn’t go over very well. She says, “Please, Jim, I’m not the bloody queen.”
Helen asks Jim how the rehearsal went. It seems there will be several VIPs at the fashion show. I’m trying to imagine how that works: “Darling, where’s my blue tie? We don’t want to be late for the fashion show at the women’s prison.”
Jim tells Helen he’s concerned about Rachel Hicks, a vulnerable young inmate who’s been brought up on drug charges. Helen says she’ll put Rachel on enhanced (That’s G3, remember? Where the inmates live large and come and go as they please, except, um, they can’t actually leave the prison) as soon as there’s a spare single. Jim suggests making Rachel a “red band” for now, so she can work in the office for the guards. I don’t know why they call the inmates “red bands” when they get jobs in the office or kitchen; they don’t wear armbands or anything. Maybe they have red garters – Jim would certainly know if they did. (For additional explanations of terms like “enhanced” and “red band,” see the Bad Girls A to Z.)
Helen asks Jim whether Rachel is stable enough to be a red band.
Jim: I think she’d be an ordinary kid on her way to college, given half the chance.
Helen: And so might most of the women out there.
Helen reluctantly agrees to give Rachel a chance. Jim looks pleased – far too pleased, to the point of predatory.
Covering her tracks – Sylvia and Dominic are cleaning up the mess in Carol’s cell now that Carol has been whisked away by the paramedics. Dominic wants to let the other G-3 inmates out of their cells first, but Sylvia refuses.
Got it: Sylvia bad, Dominic good. Also: Sylvia ugly, Dominic cute. What? I’m just sayin’.
Breakfast – Rachel is trying to get eggs and sausage for breakfast, but Shell is dishing up gruel because Rachel hasn’t done that little favor for her yet. I wonder what it could be? I wonder what would make life in prison more tolerable? Probably sock puppets or a set of encyclopedias.
Denny, meanwhile, gets an extra serving of breakfast and real butter. Shell’s so sweet to (and on) Denny.
Not so tidy – The two Julies don’t go quietly when Sylvia tries to make them clean up Carol’s cell. Nikki calls up to the Julies to find out what’s going on; they tell her something’s happened to Carol.
I love that the two Julies don’t seem to think twice about yelling down to Nikki even though Bodybag is right there. Yay for the Julies: solid and loyal to the bitter end.
Next thing you know, Jim and Sylvia are in Helen’s office to talk about the incident. Helen is none too happy with Sylvia. She says that by involving the Julies and trying to cover things up, Sylvia only made things worse and effectively transmitted the news to the wing.
Helen’s trying to figure out how a woman could nearly miscarry in her cell, but Sylvia insists there was nothing wrong with Carol at lockup. Then she admits Carol was complaining, but says you can’t let the prisoners see the medical officer every time they ask. But Helen has spoken to Carol, so she knows Carol told Officer Hollamby she was bleeding. Helen starts to raise her voice and put Sylvia in her place, but Jim interrupts and says it’s just a tragic set of circumstances. So Helen shoos them out and tells them to call a wing meeting. Look how sexy she is when she’s shoo-ing!
Also, Fenner, if I didn’t hate you before, I certainly do now: You interrupted Helen when she was yellin’. Do not ever deprive me of that bliss again.
Jim: Don’t you think we should just sit tight until feelings die down a bit?
Helen: No, I don’t. I think we should be seen to care right now.
The thing is, it’s not just about appearances with Helen. She actually does care.
Out in the hallway, Jim and Sylvia talk about Helen, the “typical graduate type trying to prove herself.” Sylvia wants to know whose side Helen is on. That’s an easy one, Sylvia: Mine. Um, I mean the women’s. Not that you’re not a woman too, Sylvia, but it’s hard to tell with all that smugness you’re wearing.
Jim: Best leave off the “ma’am” in the future, though. She doesn’t appreciate it.
Sylvia: Doesn’t mind playing it, though, does she?
Ooh. Let me just think about that for a few minutes.
Jim goes to the officers’ lounge and tells Lorna to help Sylvia unlock the cells for the wing meeting. Rachel is already there in her new red band job, cleaning. Jim pretends to have sympathy for her plight and tells her to come to him with any problems: “From now on, I’m gonna keep a very special eye on you.” Never before have I thought of an eye as a weapon.
A peek at her personal life – Helen answers her office phone. It’s Sean, her man. He’s at her flat looking for a pencil sharpener. Helen scolds him for bothering her with such mundane things while she’s got a mini crisis on her hands, but suggests that he try the “crap drawer.” That’s right: A Scottish accent can make even the word “crap” sound sexy.
I guess I should have known she’d have a man. But I’m crestfallen nonetheless.
The wing meeting – Nikki and the two Julies (good band name) are expressing their horror over what’s happened to Carol. They say they heard Carol tell Bodybag she wanted to see the doctor. Really? Silly me, I thought they were nowhere near G-3 when all that was going on. But the two Julies do seem to be the eyes and ears (not to mention the silly hairdos) of this place.
Nikki says: “They’re not sitting on this one. No way.” The Julies agree. In fact, they’ve already decided to call all the kitchen women out on strike. That’ll teach ’em: No more gruel for you!
Governor Stewart makes her way into the gated part of the prison. She looks determined and fierce – and also a little bit on edge – and is accompanied by hoots and wolf whistles from the restless prisoners. The women are arranged on the gridwork above while Helen stands below in an open area. Fenner shushes the crowd so Helen can speak.
Helen: Thank you. Now, I’m sure you all know that last night, Carol Byatt suffered a miscarriage in her room which was not discovered until first unlock. Now, I know you must all be feeling very upset about this. I can assure you that I am, too, and so are my officers. I personally went to see Carol in hospital this morning, and I’m very glad to say that she’ll soon be back here with us. I also spoke to her about what happened, and I promised her that I would conduct a thorough investigation into why and how she was left unattended. I have since interviewed all the officers concerned. But I have to conclude that what happened here was a tragic set of circumstances.
Nikki: A what?! She nearly bled to death. You should all be sacked.
Helen: I’m sorry, but as far as I can conclude, there are no grounds for disciplinary action.
Helen says she’s going to make sure that no accidents like this ever happen at Larkhall again. This is enough to make Nikki come stomping down the stairs, saying that it was no accident. The two Julies yell down from one floor up, saying they heard Carol calling for a doctor.
Nikki points a finger at “that cow there,” Sylvia Hollamby, and asks why she didn’t lift a finger. Everyone starts to yell, so Fenner tells them all to quiet down. Helen starts to speak again, but Nikki interrupts:
Nikki: No, let me say it for her. Well, what she’s telling us is we’re none of us safe in here, isn’t she? ‘Cause even if we’re bleeding to death, we don’t get believed. Well, I’m telling her from us: You lot can’t run this prison unless we help you. And if we don’t get respect from you screws, then don’t think we’re gonna make you look good in front of your VIP visitors, ’cause we’re not. So you can shove your stupid fashion show up your ass.
A screw, by the way, is a guard. For various reasons, both historical and euphemistic.
Nikki delivers her speech so perfectly, dropping her voice at the end to get her point across quietly and clearly. The wing applauds. Helen is not amused. She marches right over to Nikki.
Helen: Fine. Consider it canceled. This wing will not be taking part. [to Nikki, jabbing a finger at her] You are on Rule 43. [to Jim] Lock them up.
According to the Bad Girls A to Z, Rule 43 is a powerful one: “This provision empowers the Governor of a prison to authorize indefinite segregation of a prisoner if necessary either for her self-protection or, where the inmate is subversive or violent, for the maintenance of Good Order and Discipline in the establishment concerned.” So, in other words, Nikki’s in some serious trouble, though you can’t really tell that from the amused look on her face. There was a moment there, however, when she seemed kind of impressed by Miss Stewart. Or perhaps struck by her beauty. I know, I’m fawning.
Jim follows Helen and tries to convince her to let the fashion show go on as planned. Helen tells him that he’d better learn that when she makes a decision, she sticks to it.
She’s not the only woman Fenner needs to deal with. He goes and finds Shell next, to tell her that he’ll take care of everything and she’ll soon be back in the fashion show. Shell tells him he’d better fix things, “or else.”
Does that sort of thing work when you’re a criminal? Because when I try it, I just get blank stares or cheeky responses like “or else what?”
The whole thing has made Jim a little dyspeptic, so he yells “Shut it!” loud enough for the whole wing to hear and tells them the sooner they calm down, the sooner they’ll get out. Out of what? Their cells, or the black cloud that is your presence (and probably your body odor)?
Rule 43 – Hollamby escorts Nikki “down the block” (to solitary confinement) and adds another layer of humiliation: “Put her in the strips.” This means take her clothes off, and not in any sort of fun way. I mean, obviously not: Helen’s not nearby.
Nikki manages to convey furiousness and fear all at once. She’s clearly the heart of the prison: not innocent, but wronged anyway.
Governing – The “Number One,” Simon Stubberfield, wants to see Helen about the fashion show. She goes up to his office, still looking stern, but also looking a little scared. And well she should be: Jim has just given Stubberfield his two cents. Um, pence. More like two piles of crap, really.
The four-bed cell – Denny is unhappy about being locked up, so she harasses Rachel for fun. She steals Rachel’s cigarettes and tells her she’d better “get some blow brung in.” Before Denny can do any more damage, Lorna stops by to let Rachel out so she can go to work.
Denny, why do I like you already? You’re sort of a thug, and you’re Shell’s special friend, which makes you uncool. But damn if you’re not compelling and intriguing. And kinda cute.
Simon Stubberfield’s office – Helen is calmly explaining why she canceled the fashion show – mostly because she was worried the prisoners would misbehave, because they’re rightfully angry. Stubberfield tells her there’s just no way G-Wing can be absent. Helen tries to defend herself, but Simon talks down to her and tells her there’s more at stake than her personal pride. Helen just says, “Of course,” and offers up a fake smile.
That fake smile says a lot about Helen’s frustration: Even prisons have glass ceilings, it seems. But it also says a lot about her determination to succeed; she’s going to choose her battles wisely and do what she must to get things done. As she walks down the hall outside Simon’s office, her face is calculating, recriminating, pondering – and stunning.
The officers’ lounge – Sylvia and Jim are bad-mouthing Helen, not realizing she’s within earshot. When they finally notice her, they try to look busy. Helen asks who’s least busy, and then decides for herself that Sylvia is the best choice for a “gender-sensitive” task. A new arrival with a “particularly difficult hygiene problem” needs a wash. The inmate also needs to have her “top and tail” checked for parasites. Ewww.
Helen is eating a cookie while she explains all this (don’t ask me how she’s able to eat while discussing parasites). I generally hate it when people chew on TV, but look at her: She’s so tidy and doesn’t even seem sloppy when she talks with her mouth full. I’m sorry – I can’t stop praising her!
And then Helen faces off with Jim. She tells him she knows he went over her head and talked to Simon.
Helen: Look. I know that you’ve got a problem with me, Jim.
Jim: Problem?
Helen: It’s things I can’t do anything about. My age, my background, the fact that I’m a woman. Look, I just want to come in to work and get on with it. And I don’t expect you to agree with me on everything. But if you’ve got a problem with a decision that I’ve made, then tell me to my face. That way I can trust you. Don’t go sneaking behind my back.
Jim says he did tell her what he thought of her decision, right after the wing meeting. Then he invites her to meet him and discuss it over a drink sometime. After he leaves, Helen says what we’re all thinking: “Bastard.”
Chez Julies – Julie Saunders (the short one) is trying to cheer up Julie Johnston (the tall one) by singing “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?” backward. As in “Window the in doggie that is much how.” Weird, but kinda fun. Try it.
But Julie’s too sad about Carol losing her baby and is also worried about her own children, who are stuck in America with their dad. Julie S. tells Julie J. that nobody can come between them ever, and they’ll go get her kids and bring them home. Then she tells her to rip up some sheets so they can swing a bag of goodies out the window to Nikki, via Dawn (another kitchen worker). It’s as complicated as it sounds.
Fenner knocks on the Julies’ door to call them to work. They say they’re on strike, but he talks them out of it, saying they’re not going to bring Carol’s baby back that way and they’ll wind up on report. “Bloody rubbish,” say the Julies. I think they mean you, Fenner.
Down the block – Nikki is pacing in her solitary cell. Shell and Dawn are doing the supper rounds, but Shell really just wants to taunt Nikki, telling her the fashion show is back on. Dawn slips Nikki the package of goodies from the two Julies. Their kindness makes Nikki shed a few tears.
Jeez, look how bleak that solitary confinement cell is. I mean, I’ve done the hermitage thing and can appreciate solitude, but that cell is nothing more than a cold, hard floor and a tiny window. There’s a cot, too, but the mattress is disgusting enough to make the floor look comfortable.
Washing off the day – Helen is drying her hair – and rocking a low-cut black T-shirt – when her man, Sean, arrives home. She gives him a smooch and says she wants to get pissed tonight. (In the U.K., this means get drunk, not get angry. Not that Helen’s not angry, after the day she’s had.)
Sean rubs Helen’s feet as she laments her job and envies his. He’s a landscaper, or something like that. All we really need to know is that he gets to rub Helen’s feet at the end of the day. He asks her if she fancies a shag, but she says, simply, “No.” That’s my girl.
Oh, but maybe she didn’t really mean “no”: Now they’re in bed together, naked, though Sean’s still talking about his job. And Helen’s thinking about hers: “It’s gonna happen every bloody time. Anything I do they don’t like.” Sean sort of shushes her and says they’ll talk about it in the morning.
You idiot, Sean. You’re a landscaper. If you have a bad day, what’s the worst that can happen? A Venus flytrap nips at your ankles? If Helen has a bad day, lives and psyches are in the balance. Appreciate your woman or I’ll have to smack some sense into you. You’re reedy and wheedling anyway, so I bet I could take you.
The next morning – Dominic is being friendly to Rachel, and I don’t mean “friendly” in the Fenner way. Speak of the devil. There’s Jim, eyeing Rachel and then chatting her up after Dominic leaves. This man redefines slime. He pretends to be above board, though, when Rachel tries to kiss him.
The old girls’ club – Helen visits Nikki in solitary confinement. She’s shocked to see that Nikki’s clothes have been taken away and shouts for them to be brought back. She apologizes to Nikki, but Nikki’s not ready to trust her.
Helen sits down and talks softly to Nikki, telling her she intends to make a lot of changes at Larkhall and needs Nikki’s cooperation.
Nikki: Listen, darling. I don’t even know how people like you can sleep at night if you believe in a system that locks up pregnant women.
Helen: Well, you’re just gonna have to trust me. I don’t.
This seems to get through to Nikki, at least a little. As Nikki gets dressed, Helen tells her they should join forces: “Either we both climb down together and make something positive out of this, or we all lose out to the old boys’ network.” C’mon, Nikki. Climb down with Helen. Who could resist that little proposition?
A truce – Carol is back. Nikki escorts her onto the wing. Nikki has her arm around Carol’s shoulders: Hmm. Are they just friends? We can’t be sure. There are important matters to address, so Nikki sends Carol over to the safety of the Julies. Helen follows closely behind as Nikki gets everyone’s attention in the dining hall.
Nikki: OK, can you give me a minute, please? I’ve got an important announcement to make. This unit is back in the fashion show tomorrow. ‘Cause seeing as how I helped get it canceled, I personally guaranteed to Miss Stewart that if they let us back in, G-Wing would give it our best. So if that’s OK with you babes, go out and strut your stuff!
Helen just looks on, then leaves silently as the inmates cheer. She seems just a teeny bit proud of herself, and well she should be.
The fashion show – The VIPs are there, and of course they’re not quite sure what to make of Shell in her gold lamé costume. Nor am I. In the crowd, Helen just sort of smiles.
After the show, Helen finds Nikki and thanks her for helping her out.
Nikki: Don’t think I did anything for you, Miss.
Brrr. Oh, the cat and mouse of young love. I mean, of prisoner and guard. Something.
Into harm’s way – Rachel has been moved up to G-3, presumably for her protection. But her next-door neighbor is Shell, as evidenced by the taunts and threats coming through the wall. And inside her cell, Rachel is not alone. Fenner is there, and this time he’s returning the kiss.
That kind of skeeziness coming so quickly on the heels of the Nikki-Helen banter has given me whiplash. Ow.
Night calls – As the rain falls and some guards amble in the yard, the inmates call out their tiny windows to each other, sending messages of love, warning and desperation. These are called “night calls”; they’re disconcerting to the viewer but no doubt a great source of comfort to the prisoners. They can be locked up, but they can’t be shut up. So ends another day at Larkhall.
NEXT TIME ON BAD GIRLS: Denny meets up with an old friend; Nikki endures a “random” drug test; a new arrival named Monica classes up the joint.
