Prisoner

- Season 8

(1986)

Wentworth is in chaos following David Adams' suicide. Dwyer demands answers from Ann. A note left by David for Ann reveals the truth about Eve and she is taken to Solitary. She demands a new solicitor, and is sent a woman from Legal Aid as nobody else would take on her case. Cleared of the attack on Joyce, Reb is released. Joyce regains consciousness and accepts Mervin's proposal. Lou pays Lexie to tell Rita it was Joan who ruined her jacket. Joan wants Lou to stir the women up about May's death. Julie gets a bashing from Lou after thwarting her plans. Two old ...

Lou and Alice knock Joan unconscious, intending to frame Rita for it. The women embark on a hunger strike, forcing Ann to resign as Governor. Jessie gets herself put inside to meet her long-lost daughter. Is Eve cracking up or is she just trying to fool everyone?

Joan is rescued from the drier and her life is saved by a mysterious stranger. The Phantom Lagger strikes again, forcing Julie to reveal the truth about Nora's disappearance. A blow of fate changes Nancy McCormack's life forever.

Eve offers to help Lou catch the Phantom Lagger - and all the evidence seems to point towards Lexie being the culprit. Rita has a CB radio smuggled into the prison to communicate with Slasher. Nancy is arrested for her husband's murder.

Joan takes great pleasure in destroying Rita's leather jacket in front of her. Lexie is sent to coventry by the other inmates, as Lou plots to have her killed as punishment for lagging. Ettie turns up unexpectedly with a proposition for Ann.

Lexie's life is still in danger from Lou and her gang's attempts to kill her. Rita arranges a nasty surprise for Joan to get back at her for cutting up her jacket. Ann agrees to go and help Ettie out with her girls.

A tough new male governor arrives at Wentworth, out to show both the inmates and officers who's in charge. Jessie tells everyone Lexie is pregnant in a bid to save her life. Joan is devastated in the aftermath of the attack on her home.

Joan carries out the ultimate act of revenge on the Conquerors, setting fire to their bikes. Bob introduces strict new rules and procedures to crack down on trouble in the prison. Lexie attempts to get herself pregnant for real with the garbage man.

Gang war breaks out after the Conquerors' hut and bikes are destroyed. Nora's mutilated body is dumped in the prison grounds, accompanied by a note from the psychopath who killed her. Lexie's latest way of evading Lou's murderous advances is to escape.

Just as Rita prepares to go to court, the devastating news comes through that Slasher has been killed. Lexie escapes from Wentworth by crawling through the air-conditioning. Several of the inmates choose to break Lou's hunger strike, thanks to Bob's cunning.

Lexie's life is still in danger, this time from the maniac who murdered Nora Flynn. Lou makes plans to take over the prison, just as Alice overhears Eve and Joan talking and realises that she is the Phantom Lagger.

Lou starts a full-scale riot in the prison, taking Joan, Mervin and Steve hostage and tying up Rita and her cronies in the dining room. Eve faces a kangaroo court and is hanged as punishment, as Lou finally gets revenge on the Phantom Lagger. As Bob tries to regain control of his prison, Lou forces Joan and Rita into a fight to the death.

The officers and inmates attempt to get back on track in the aftermath of Lou's riot as Eve's murder is made to look like suicide and Julie is rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Bob vows to make Lou's life a misery as punishment for her actions. Meanwhile, it looks like the prisoners are about to get a new Top Dog.

Rita declares Wentworth a party zone as she takes over as Top Dog and enlists Barbie's help to smuggle booze in. Tension manages to thoroughly ruin Ann's camping trip with Dan, Bongo and Roach. Jessie tries to arrange for Lexie to leave the country, unaware Bassinger is closing in on her with a rather big knife.

Lou and Alice face their punishment for the riot, at the hands of Rita and her bloodthirsty band of prisoners. Bob counsels an old friend whose daughter is dying of a terminal illness. Lexie and Jessie overpower Bassinger and tie him up, but they're sent back to Wentworth charged with his assault when the police don't believe their story.

When Ann decides to return to work, the Department make a decision about Bob's future, which could have serious repercussions. Lou finds she has no friends left, not even her once-loyal henchwoman Alice, and has nowhere left to turn. Pippa makes it clear she disapproves of Ann's relationship with Dan.

Meg learns she is to be demoted from Deputy Governor to make way for Bob. Rita and the girls begin making their own booze and let Alice out of coventry when she saves their necks from Joan. Joan threatens to have Lou sent to Blackmoor; Lou steals some caustic soda to poison the home brew.

Lou slashes her wrists, then sets Rita and Alice up for it, causing them to be sent to Solitary, as she is rushed to hospital. Rita and Lexie plot to have drugs smuggled into the prison. Joan uses the situation with Meg and Bob to try and get rid of him, and decides to call in the union to fight on Meg's behalf.

Lou knocks out her guard and escapes from hospital dressed as a nurse, hitching a ride with a passing truckie. Back at Wentworth, it looks like Rita is to be blamed for slashing Lou's wrists, despite the girls' attempts to clear her. The prisoners shun Mervin, blaming him for the whole mess. Jessie thinks Lou's escape will help them catch Bassinger.

Rita and Alice are finally cleared of the attack on Lou while Lou turns up at Alice's family's farm and hides out with her mother. The officers, spurred on by Joan, go out on strike to have Meg reinstated. Lexie falls ill and confides in Julie that she thinks she is really pregnant after all.

Lou continues to hide out on the Jenkins' farm and is raped by Alice's brother, Sean. Jessie finally tells Lexie the truth, that she is her real mother. Lexie announces she is pregnant, but she is determined to get rid of the child. The women play skittles and with a box of broken toys, which gives Rita an idea.

Lexie rejects Jessie and refuses to have anything to do with her, after which Jessie is poisoned by the home brew that Lou spiked with caustic soda. Bob learns that Kath has euthanised her ill daughter. Pocco the dog turns up at the prison while, on the farm, Lou makes plans to get revenge on Sean Jenkins.

Jessie is rushed to hospital in a critical condition, but Lexie is unconcerned. Lou holds Flora and Sean hostage at gunpoint, before shooting them both dead at point-blank range. Dan's involvement with the bikies causes problems in his relationship with Ann. Pocco roams the prison under the oblivious officers' noses.

With Lou on her way back to Wentworth after murdering Flora and Sean Jenkins, a grieving Alice quietly vows to kill Lou when she returns. Brought back to the infirmary, Lou finds a threatening message in her food. Bob learns Kath is on her way to the prison. Steve warns Joan that she is heading for a breakdown.

Kath Maxwell looks set to have a hard time in Wentworth, as the women react angrily to the "kid killer". Rita has drugs smuggled into the prison in a remote-controlled car and throws a party, which ends in disaster after Steve flushes the dope down the loo and Rita knocks him out. Joan goes golfing.

Lots of bullying going on as Joan bullies Lou and everyone else bullies Kath. Janet tries to ingratiate herself with both Kath and Lou, telling Lou she knows something about Bob Moran that they can use against him. Rita tells the other girls that drugs are a no-no from now on, to their disgust and surprise.

The women throw Joyce and Mervin a slap-up wedding breakfast, but the festivities are shattered with the news that Lou has been found murdered in solitary. Bob and Kath desperately try to keep their friendship a secret from everyone in Wentworth, as Kath is systematically bullied by the other prisoners.

The hunt is on for the person who murdered Lou Kelly, and almost everyone in Wentworth - on both sides of the bars - is a suspect. Kath resolves to not let anyone push her around any more. Bongo plots to bust Rita out of jail and Steve's mother decides to tell Ann the truth about her son.

Bongo's attempt to spring Rita from jail ends in disaster when he knocks down Dan with his motorbike. The truth about Lou's murder is revealed, as is the truth about Steve and his true vocation, prompting Julie to break off their relationship. Joyce and Mervin's friends and family gather to witness their wedding ceremony.

Jessie escapes from hospital with the help of the police, in a bid to trap Harry Bassinger and reveal his guilt as Nora Flynn's killer. Joan plots with the Minister to sabotage Julie's parole and her engagement to Steve. Kath stands up to the other women's bullying after her relationship to Bob is revealed.

Meg is demoted and replaced as Deputy Governor by a gleeful Joan, who also ruins Julie's chance of parole and future happiness. Is there a lagger among the women? Rita and co think it's Kath and vow revenge. The prisoners rollerskate round the corridors and take on the officers in a volleyball game.

Jessie's life is in threat as she makes a final bid to ensnare Bassinger and put him behind bars. Bob announces he is leaving Wentworth in order to ensure Kath's safety. Kath tells Nancy that Rita and her friends better watch out - because now she has nothing to lose. Joan throws her weight around in the aftermath of her appointment as Deputy.

Kath and Janet team up and arm themselves with knives in a bid to usurp Rita as Top Dog. Roach and Ida decide to rob a newsagency to get money for Bongo. Joan makes a new friend and Kath is punished for destroying Joyce and Mervin's wedding video.

Joan is offered $10,000 by Mrs Ryan if she will agree to help get Julie's sentence extended. Roach and Ida find themselves behind bars for robbing the newsagency and Roach realises she saw Joan the night the Conquerors' bikes were burned. Rita plots her revenge on Joan for the fire and, subsequently, Slasher's death, by arranging a nasty surprise at her home. Kath says goodbye to her husband.

Joan's house is burned down by the bikies at Rita's request, after which Rita and Alice dangle her off the roof of the prison. Incensed, Joan agrees to Mrs Ryan's request to get Julie's sentence extended. An old acquaintance of Joan's from Queensland is arrested and sent to Wentworth. Janet and Kath arrange a drugs drop and Meg suspects the women know something about the fire at Joan's place.

Joan enlists Kath's help to have Julie's sentence extended, resulting in Kath knocking Julie out and feeding her LSD. Nancy's son visits to announce he's getting married and Jessie sends a surprise for the girls in the form of a male stripper. The women grow suspicious of Joan's antics but don't realise she is reading Nancy's diary. Drugs are smuggled into the prison and Lorelei settles in with her new friends.

Julie suffers a nightmarish trip thanks to Joan and Kath, accidentally stabs Nancy and ends up almost being crushed in the garbage compactor. Troublesome prisoner Merle Jones is transferred to H Block to act as muscle for Kath and Janet, and they soon find her childish exterior hides a nasty temper. Mrs Ryan realises her plan to split Steve and Julie up has failed. Meg is concerned about why Marty has left the Navy.

Merle is stirred up by Janet and Kath to get Rita, by ripping her comics up, but Lexie gets caught in the crossfire when she goes on the rampage. Joan clashes with Mrs Ryan over her non-payment of the money she is owed. Julie realises that Joan has been reading Nancy's diary. Someone is keeping tabs on Joan's out of work activities, while Kath starts dipping into her own stash of coke in a bid to escape her misery.

Joan instructs Kath and Janet to ruin the wedding, resulting in them kidnapping Julie in her wedding dress and tying her up in the boiler room. They also set Rita and Alice up in a fight and make it look like they were to blame. Lexie recovers from her mishap with a stint in Maternity. Nancy and Julie cook up a plan to get back at Joan for reading the diary. Joan is forced to continue smuggling drugs into Wentworth.

Despite several people's best efforts to ruin it, Julie and Steve finally tie the knot in the prison. Next day, Lexie and the girls say a tearful goodbye to Chook as she is transferred back to Barnhurst. Ann faces the wrath of Dwyer for letting the wedding go ahead, and quite possibly the sack. Merle finds Roach's stash of coke inside a toy robot and decides to steal the robot, thinking the coke is plutonium.

Ann discovers the truth about Marty Jackson's odd behaviour. The girls try to get the robot - and the coke - back from Merle. Roach is growing further and further apart from Rita and her gang. In a bid to get back at Joan for reading Nancy's diary, the inmates go along with Nancy and Julie's plan to set the Freak up, with Kath inadvertantly helping them along.

Marty and his two new fellow trainees - Rodney Adams and Delia Stout - discover the highs and lows of working at Wentworth. The women plot to make the Freak pay for reading Nancy's diary and carry out a cunning plan to humiliate her - one that involves a bomb planted in the prison garden and an escape attempt.

The women play with the video camera and make their movie, as Rodney remains hidden in a cell clad only in his underwear. Joan delivers a message to Rita from Parker, telling her that Bongo will be killed if she causes any more trouble. Merle plays dress-up, leading to fights with both Rodney and Rita. Joan tries to let Andrew down gently and begins looking for a place of her own. Roach's attitude to prison life deteriorates further.

Rita is gutted and becomes disillusioned when Merle knocks her out in a dispute stirred up by Kath and Janet. Rodney holds an aerobics class for the prisoners, which ends in him being made a fool of. Janet plays silly buggers and messes around with the video tapes in an attempt to get Rita's girls into trouble. Joan and Andrew have a talk and try to reach a new understanding. Tension flares up between the three trainees.

Following some plotting from the prisoners and some fake flirting from Lexie, Rodney is able to catch Janet's sister making a drug drop. The women tease Alice about her obvious crush on Marty. Joan gets a driving lesson and is ordered by Parker to increase the drug trafficking, Delia is made a fool of when she finds the tape of the women's film and reports it to Ann. Lorelei worries about what will happen to Zoe as her mother's health deteriorates.

The arrest of Janet's sister prompts Parker to take action against Joan and she is devastated when he has Andrew knocked down and killed in a hit-and-run accident. Incensed, she takes a gun from the prison armoury to protect herself and goes to Inspector Grace to spill the beans and trap Parker. Back at Wentworth, Kath becomes hysterical and has to be sedated while the Warriors are reunited and welcome Roach back to the fold.

Joan goes undercover for the police in an attempt to trap Harry Parker and bring him to justice, but it's a dangerous plan that could leave her life in danger. The women try to befriend Merle in a bid to undermine Kath and Janet's influence over her. Roach and Lexie try to come up with ways to make money in Wentworth. Rita and her gang give Janet a makeover, driving her to drastic measures.

The knives are out as Nancy and Rita finally clash over her intention to kill Joan. Janet rips up Merle's comics and tells her Rita was responsible, but Kath and Marty persuade Merle otherwise. Lexie and Roach plot to set up Rodney with a bag of herbs masquerading as drugs, and a video tape. Joan learns that Parker has gotten his comeuppance in jail. The Pringles return from their honeymoon, regaling the women with their fascinating stories.

Nancy manages to stop Rita doing anything silly and gets the knife from her. However, Rita tells her she still intends to kill Joan as soon as she possibly can. Joyce and Mervin invite Joan to move in with them since she has nowhere else to go. Kath prepares for her trial, with the news that Bob is coming to testify on her behalf. The girls have a practical test in the rec room to see who will get to go on work release.

Kath, Roach and Ida finally face their trials, where Kath is devastated at the outcome and her sentence. The inmates to go on the work experience scheme are picked, to Lexie's annoyance. Janet withholds Merle's pills in an attempt to control her, telling her Kath didn't want her to take them. Nancy tries to have Rita set up in an attempt to stop her getting to go on work release.

A confused Merle tries to attack Rita and then attempts to kill herself by bashing her head off her cell wall, as a result of Janet withholding her medication. Kath is returned to Wentworth after being sentenced and refuses to file for an appeal. The officers go to a bar, where the Pringles get drunk and Marty punches Rodney, and the solution to the work release scheme is found in an unexpected place.

The prisoners grow excited about the impending work release on the boat, despite Rodney's efforts to have the scheme cancelled. Lexie tries to come up with a way to prevent being transferred to Maternity - but a potentially deadly disease was something she hadn't counted on. Roach makes plans to escape and enlists Vicki's help, until Rita puts a spoke in the wheels. Joyce and Mervin get some bad news and find themselves homeless.

Lexie is stopped just in time from getting to Maternity and returned to the other women as Wentworth has to be disinfected following the Golden Staph outbreak. Kath siezes her chance in Rita's absence and sets up a casino in the Rec Room. Lorelei and Nancy worry that Rita will take advantage of the work release on the boat to kill Joan - indeed, she has something just along that line up her sleeve.

With the boat now drifting at sea, Rita pushes Delia overboard and Marty swims off to save her. Nancy accuses Rita of breaking the radio and sabotaging the engine, realising the whole thing has been set up so she can kill Joan. She thwarts Rita's attempt to kill her with a hammer. Rodney manages to catch the women gambling in the Rec Room and a cell search is arranged to look for any money they may have stashed away.

Stranded at sea, Joan decides to head for a nearby island to try and get help, and is pursued by Rita, intent on killing her as revenge for Slasher's death. However, Nancy is determined to stop her - and Joan turns out to be the one who has to save Rita's life in the end. On the boat, Roach is falling for Mick and decides that she isn't going back with the others. Back in Wentworth, Kath throws her weight around with the other girls.

The aftermath of the boat dramas reverberate around Wentworth as Kath plots to put Rita and her supporters in her place. Joan is still missing - until the noise of a helicopter overhead signifies her return from apparent death. Lexie and Lorelei plan a surprise party for Merle to try and win her over to their side, but Kath gets Vicki to help ruin the party for her. Nancy's son comes to visit and he has a few surprises in store for her.

Rita, Alice and Nancy await their fate following Joan's unexpected return to Wentworth as she tells Ann how she managed to escape the island. Kath decides it is time for her to make a bid for the Top Dog position. Lorelei is beaten up by Kath's supporters for defying her and standing up for herself. Nancy's new daughter-in-law turns up at the prison to ask her advice. Rita gets out of Solitary and ambushes Kath on the stairs.

Kath threatens Rita following their fight, and Rita has to tell her girls that they need to leave Kath alone for the moment. Shortly after, Kath is voted in as the new Top Dog and Rita is powerless to stop her. Rodney is furious at his posting to Smithton and goes to the Department to complain. Marty tells Delia about his fear of fire as bush fires sweep the area. Nancy learns some horrifying home truths about her son, Peter.

The heat wave continues to leave the women of Wentworth sweltering, as Rodney offers to go and help fight the bush fires and goads Marty into going too, despite Meg's urges for him not to. Meanwhile, the prisoners make food for the volunteers. Nancy grows concerned Peter is beating Danielle up. Dan has some bad news for Ann and the Pringles have similarly bad news for Joan. Lexie goes into labour - and panic follows.

Alice and Nancy have to deliver Lexie's baby in the middle of the night, with Rodney incapacitated and Officer Radcliffe unaware anything is going on. But the baby's chances don't look good unless it gets to hospital fast. Nancy realises that her suspicions about Peter and Dani are justified. Marty goes missing while off fighting the bush fires, leaving Meg distraught. Jessie arranges a surprise for Alice to thank her for helping Lexie.

Meg and Delia go to the fire zone in search of news about Marty following his disappearance. Nancy seems close to cracking as she worries about Peter coming to see her and how she will confront him when he does. Merle has some big fun with the present Jessie had delivered for Alice. Kath crosses swords with prison racketeer Spider Simpson and pays to have her beaten up.

The girls throw a Boy George fancy dress party to say goodbye to Lexie as she is released to go and look after her baby in the hospital. Nancy confesses the truth about her husband's death to Rita and comes to a big decision as she realises Peter's true nature and turns him into the police, finally ensuring her freedom. Spider makes her mark on H Block and gets back at Kath for getting her transferred from C Block.

As the women prepare for the telethon, Kath has Alice beaten up when she can't pay her protection money. Rita enlists Ida's help to prepare a nasty surprise in store for Kath. Prostitute Lisa Mullins is admitted to Wentworth for blackmailing Dwyer's son, unaware her new cellmate is an undercover policewoman, sent in to protect her.

Kath's kidnapping threatens to throw the telethon into disarray and Merle is distraught at her disappearance, blaming Rita and Alice. Alice is elected the new Top Dog at Rita's suggestion. Lorelei gets off when she finally goes to trial and returns home to disturbing revelations regarding her mother and Zoe. Dan tells Ann that he is moving out.

Lorelei battles to regain custody of her daughter from the Hoskings. Rodney gets a phone call from Kath and comes to her aid to help clear her of escaping voluntarily. Rita and Alice plan a sports day and play a prank on Lisa and Wendy, but it backfires on them. Ann is reunited with an old friend from Uni, Pamela Madigan.

Joan grows increasingly suspicious of Wendy, and realises she told Ann about the tape recorder. Lorelei prepares for her custody hearing. The girls take advantage of the sports day to take revenge on Rodney and beat him up, under cover of a lot of mud. Ann and Dan go their separate ways. Kath's whereabouts are discovered by the cops.

Rodney calls the police and turns Kath in, but he is overheard doing so by Joan. When Kath is brought back, her taunts cause Rodney to hit her. Lorelei resorts to drastic measures when she loses Zoe to the Hoskings. Alice becomes terrified at the news that the dentist is coming. Joan and Joyce get high on laughing gas in the staff room by accident.

Lorelei goes on the run with Zoe and has no place to go when the attempted robbery goes disastrously and tragically wrong. Ann, Meg and Pamela's blind dates are a big disaster. Merle throws a party and a magic show to try and diffuse the tension between Rita and Kath. Joan orders Kath to keep tabs on Wendy.

A hired assassin breaks into Wentworth under cover of darkness to silence Lisa Mullins. Lorelei voluntarily gives Zoe back to the Hoskings and turns herself into the police. Spider's meddling could spell death for Lisa's boyfriend Lester. Merle finds Spider's stash and has fun with a loaded gun, causing mayhem in the prison.

Wendy thwarts the hired hitwoman's attempt to kill Lisa, but the women take advantage of the events to run amok in the prison, since Marty and Delia are incapacitated. DIscovering Wendy is in fact an undercover cop, they turn on her and exact their revenge. Meanwhile, Ann, Meg and Pamela go out with Mervin to celebrate his birthday.

The big chip on Sarah West's shoulder causes trouble as she struggles to settle in with the women in Wentworth, against Spider's racist taunts and Merle's worries that she'll put a curse on her. Wendy returns to visit Lisa and has to tell her that Lester is dead, after which Lisa tries to slash her wrists with a broken bottle.

Spider and Vicki attack Sarah and spray-paint her white. Incensed, Sarah takes drastic action and places poisonous chemicals in the air conditioning system, causing mass illness and evacuation of H Block. Lisa's sudden inability to speak is diagnosed as all being in her head. Joan suggests to Ann that they start a prison shop.

Spider tries to burn down the shop and is worried that Joan will bash her to punish her. When her attacker comes in the middle of the night, though, it's not Joan - Kath is made trustee in charge of the shop. Rita is reluctantly appointed to try and keep Sarah in line. Spider's confession about Lester prompts Lisa to get her voice back.

Joan catches Rodney in the process of bashing Spider. Lester's belongings are delivered to Lisa in jail.

Rita forces Sarah to face some home truths. Kath, Merle and Rodney go on a day out to buy contraband for the shop.

The women decide to place a ban on the Wentworth shop and Joan starts scheming to have it lifted. Meanwhile, she finally achieves her ambition when she has Rita set up and transferred to Blackmoor.

The Freak appears to finally have beaten Rita as she arrives at Blackmoor, where she is stunned to spot a familiar face amongst the inmates. Back at Wentworth, Kath is aiming to be the new Top Dog.

A furious Rita arrives at Blackmoor, where she has to fight for her life against the efforts of the inmates, the officers and the Governor to destroy her. She also gets a terrible shock when she spots a familiar face amongst the inmates. Back at Wentworth, Spider and Alice are forced into a shaky alliance to defeat Kath.

Events at Blackmoor build to a shattering climax as Rita leads the women to riot, taking several officers hostage. Craven issues a devastating order that prompts a grieving Rita to burn the prison to the ground. Meanwhile, Kath incites the Wentworth women into a rooftop protest in support of Rita, then wriggles out of responsibility for it.

With Blackmoor burned to the ground, Rita and the inmates arrive at Wentworth along with Craven, who forms a deadly alliance with Joan and sets out to make as much trouble as he can for everyone - especially Ann Reynolds.

Joan sets out to become the new Governor of Wentworth. Rita's plans to kill Craven don't prevent Lorelei being raped by Stud and Billy on his orders.

Inadvertantly on the run, Merle finds herself a new playmate and a comfortable hiding place from the authorities. Back at Wentworth, Ann suffers the consequences when Lorelei is threatened by Craven.

Rita attempts to lure Craven into a fight to the death, intent on avenging the attack on Lorelei. Merle makes the most of her new-found freedom and has a ball with her new pal Tommy.

Craven continues his reign of terror at Wentworth - but it is about to come to a bloody end. Merle manages to turn an innocent game with Tommy into a police siege that is only ended with the intervention of Ann.

Joan consolidates her hold on Wentworth in the aftermath of Craven's murder, but she is forced to sacrifice Lorelei to protect her own job. Meg and Joyce find themselves in big trouble for disobeying Joan's orders.

Joan's attempt to transfer Meg, Joyce and Marty away from Wentworth incurs the wrath of the union and the threat of an officers' strike. Kath loses her trusteeship after being set-up.

Joan attempts to hide the important role she played in Lorelei's recovery. Rita, Alice and Brumby's escape attempt seems in jeopardy.

Rita is back but Joan is determined to break the hold she has over the women. A television news team arrives at Wentworth to investigate Meg's claims of a cover-up.

Kath and Rita do a deal and reach a compromise. Ann is reinstated as Governor by the Department, prompting Joan to make a surprise decision.

Ann Reynolds' return to Wentworth and Joan's simultaneous fall from grace are the cause for major celebrations amongst the staff and inmates alike. Brumby begins plotting yet another ill-conceived escape attempt.

Brumby's bashers are revealed and punished for their misdeeds. Marty places himself in considerable danger as he continues his attempts to help Spike.

Marty's attempts to help Spike could spell trouble for Lisa Mullins. Kath finally manages to find Spider's contraband, but Rita could die as a consequence.

Kath and Merle are forced to swallow their pride as punishment for poisoning Rita. Spider finds the evidence she needs to try and put a stop to Alice and Harry's budding romance.

Joan gets a nasty shock on her first day in her new job. Kath contemplates an offer from Ron Willis to get Marty and Spike. Rita arranges a meeting for Alice and Harry to discuss his past.

Rita and the girls plot revenge on Stud and Billy for the attack on Lorelei. Alice tries to find out the truth about Harry's past.

Rita and Alice are cleared of trouble in the incident with the men. Kath makes her getaway, but is forced to leave Merle behind. Angry and humiliated, Joan threatens Dwyer and bullies him into helping her.

In the aftermath of the escape, a distraught Merle is sedated and committed to a mental institution. Dwyer advises Joan to swallow her pride and return to Wentworth. The women, with the help of Lisa, plan a cruel humiliation for Rodney.

Spider finally succeeds in pushing Rita too far. Rodney makes plans to get back at Lisa. Kath's escape could end with her in a pine box.

Rita receives some devastating news from the doctor about her ill health. Kath finally manages to escape from her minders.

Rita struggles to come to terms with the news of her impending death. Returned to Wentworth and rejected by Merle, Kath feels like she has nothing left to live for and prepares to commit suicide.

Rita counsels Kath and stops her killing herself. The women find a weapon to defeat Rodney with. Rita tells Alice she has some big plans that nothing - and no-one - can interfere with.

Joan surprises everyone when she volunteers to be Rita's constant help. Harry makes an unexpected announcement.

Rita escapes from Wentworth to carry out her robbery. Kath and Merle are reunited and the women learn of Rita's condition. The department assess Ann's reform proposals.

Rita carries out the robbery but is recaptured and brought back to Wentworth in a bad way. Joan goes to pick up the cash but chickens out. Alice gets Tom to bring in his motorbike for Rita to ride in the grounds as a birthday treat. Ann is told her reforms have been accepted and Dwyer sacked. Rita announces she's standing down as Top Dog and wants Kath to take over. Harry is transferred to Barnhurst. Joan arrives at work next day to hear Rita died during the night. She finally picks up the stolen loot, but the cops are waiting for her and she arrives in Wentworth on ...