Episode Seven - Playing With Fire

Synopsis

The episode starts with scenes of Helen wandering round her bedroom wearing a dressing gown and a towel on her head (yikes!) followed by scenes of Nikki watching for Helen from her cell window (bless) before she puts her mascara on (mascara??? Please!).

Helen wanders down to the garden to speak to Sean before she leaves for work and reminds him that he is giving a talk to some of the women in a few days. Sean makes a crack about her acting like the women's mother which leads him nicely onto the subject of marriage and babies...He proposes, Helen...

Scene cuts to the prison and shows a long banner on one of the walls...

'You may lock me up you may throw away the key, but you can never take away the greatest freedom of all - my imagination.'

Nice...well, it would be if someone hadn't crossed out the word 'imagination' and replaced it with 'valium'!!

Is it just me or is there something too cute for words about the look on Denny's face when she wanders out of her adult literacy class? Anyway, the mistress of distress, Shell, is waiting outside and complains about being kept waiting...

Shell: You took your time d'int ya?
Denny: Well it's 'ard innit? I'm gonna try and write mum a letter later.
Shell: Not now you aint, we've got business to see to. Denny: What kind of business.
Shell: Lucrative.

Nikki and Monica emerge from one of the other classrooms and Monica asks Nikki whether she's heard from Trish or not, Nikki says that she's had a couple of letters but now they've stopped. Monica then asks about Nikki's parents and is surprised to hear that Nikki hasn't been in contact with them ever since she left home at the age of 16, apparently they don't approve of her lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Zandra is lying on her bunk, completely jellied with an expression close to ecstasy on her face, across the room, Crystaaal is strumming her guitar but has an entirely different brand of ecstasy on her face. Shell interrupts this little happy scene and asks Crystal to leave the cell. Crystal protests but then hears that Shell and Denny are concerned about Zandra's drug taking and that they want to find her supply and take it away, purely for Zandra's health of course...Crystal is suspicious at first, but, her worries about Zandra override her judgement and she leaves Zandra alone in the cell with Shell and Denny...Bad move Crystaaaaal!

Back at Helen's house...Helen is ready to leave for work and is avoiding giving Sean an answer to his proposal of marriage...wise girl...she eventually asks if they can talk about it later and leaves Sean with a pissed off look on his face...late for work again Helen!!!

Spencer arrives to visit Monica and it is clear that everything is not well...firstly, Spencer refuses to hug Monica and then it turns out that he has a horrible sounding cough.

Back down on the dorm, Shell and Denny wake Zandra up with Chinese Water torture before Shell states the bleeding obvious...

Shell: You ain't looking too well Zan.

...Shell tells Zandra that she knows about her deal with Lorna Rose and demands to be, (a) Given the jellies Zandra already has, (b) To be let in on the action...Zandra aint that forthcoming so Shell and Denny chuck her off her bunk allowing Shell to find the jellies hidden in Zandra's mattress. Shell is impressed by the lipstick container that holds the jellies...

Shell: Never had Miss Rose down as a lipstick lezza.

...poor Zan, if only she could manage to hold onto her stash for longer than five minutes!!

A bit later, Zandra asks to see Lorna in the toilets and tells her that she wants more stuff brought in...Lorna is cocky because Helen knows about the escape attempt and tells Zandra 'no more errands'...Lorna's face is a picture when a bog flushes and Shell walks out of a cubicle...

Shell: Surprise surprise! It's amazing what you hear when you're doing a number two!
Lorna: What's going on?
Shell: I told ya, a number two.

...Shell makes it clear to Lorna that she expects her to carry on with her jelly deliveries. Lorna, completely and utterly over a barrel, has no choice but to agree.

Monica is upset after Spencer's visit and is comforted by Nikki who tells Monica to 'pull her finger out' and talk to her lawyer about her appeal. Monica tells Nikki that she doesn't want to hear more bad news and generally starts to feel sorry for herself, Nikki leaves the cell in disgust.

Denny gives new inmate Marie, the black widow, one of Zandra's jellies in exchange for her necklace, Zandra witnesses the exchange and is understandably upset...

Zandra: Them jellies is mine!

...Crystal is suspicious by the exchange, especially when she sees Denny walk away with Marie's magazine. Denny explains to Crystal that she's trying to learn new words and Crytstal suggests that she starts looking for new words in the bible. Denny, predictably, isn't to hot on the idea...

Denny: It's a pile of bleeding mince man!

Helen holds a meeting in the officers room and brings up the subject of the vacant cell on enhanced, she suggests that Nikki is moved into it...shock horror!!! Fenner and Bodybag, predictably, object in the strongest possible terms, but Governor's pet Dom is all in favour for the idea, and when asked so is Lorna although it seems that she's too preoccupied to really give a shit. The result of the meeting is that Nikki is to be moved up to G3...Ha! Bet that'll annoy Shell!!!

After the meeting, Fenner has a go at Dominic but our Dom stands firm and tells him that there are worse people than Nikki about, Shell to be exact...Dom comments on the fact that no one is ever able to catch Shell out with her hand in the preverbial cookie jar and wonders aloud if someone is tipping her off. That certainly throws the cat amongst the pigeons as far as Fenner is concerned.

Bodybag is the one to give Nikki the good news about her move to enhanced but makes sure that she thinks the idea is bollocks...

Bodybag: You may be able to fool Miss Stewart but you can't fool me. I've been in this job too long to have the wool pulled.
Nikki: Fifty years now isn't it?

...A shocked and completely flabbergasted Nikki is congratulated by an over the moon Monica and is then led up to G3.

Shell is talking on the landing with one of her cronies and the look on her fizzog when Nikki is brought up is a picture, especially when she finds out that Nikki is going to be moved into the cell next door to hers...

Shell: What's going on?
Nikki: Say hello to your new next-door neighbour. ...Shell protests in the strongest possible terms until she is told by a very happy Nikki that her move is the governor's idea, Shell is suspicious... Shell: You must be shagging 'er! ...The look on Nikki's face is a picture!!! It's clear to everyone that although she may not be shagging Helen, the possibility is well and truly on her mind.

Down at the servery, Zandra is now moaning to Shell about her lack of jellies. Dominic intervenes and notices that Shell is wearing Marie's necklace. Shell insists that her boyfriend bought it for her and Marie may be an extra but she aint stupid enought to admit that she sold it in exchange for a jelly. Dominic, without evidence again, is forced to believe Shell.

Meanwhile, Helen goes to see her favourite prisoner...

Helen: How you settling in?
Nikki: Great view! Feels different being up here, officially.
Helen: I'm sure I don't have to spell it out but being on enhanced does have its responsibilities, you know that don't you?
Nikki: Yep.
Helen: I need to know that I can trust you.

Nikki: I promise to behave myself and say my prayers before I go to bed, alright? Look, i'm not very good at this sort of thing, but thanks, thanks a lot.
Helen: It's okay.

Helen smiles, Nikki smiles, Helen walks away, Nikki watches her with gooey grin on her face...could there be trouble on the horizon?

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