Prisoner Cell Block H - Volume 35

EPISODE 553

Daphne scales the roof and threatens to commit suicide. Nora talks her down. It appears that Joan is destined to meet with an untimely death.

First broadcast ... 1985 (Melbourne)

Broadcast on Channel 5 Sunday 10 October 1999 04:40

DVD release: volume 35 disc 1 (AUS), volume 18 disc 1 [UK]

Duration: 0:44:18



Meg ~ Elspeth Ballantyne

Joan ~ Maggie Kirkpatrick

Ann ~ Gerda Nicolson

Joyce ~ Joy Westmore

Nora ~ Sonja Tallis

May ~ Billie Hammerberg

Willie ~ Kirsty Child

Dennis ~ Nigel Bradshaw

Daphne ~ Debra Lawrance

Lexie ~ Pepe Trevor

Lou ~ Louise Siversen

Julie ~ Jackie Woodburne

Ettie ~ Lois Ramsay

Jenny ~ Jenny Lovell

Mervin ~ Ernie Bourne

Alice ~ Lois Collinder

Det Insp Grace ~ Terry Gill

Detective 1 ~ James Patrick

George Costello ~ Peter Stratford

Lionel Fellowes ~ Will Deumer

Peter Moss ~ Telford Jackson

Off. Hagen ~ Christine Andrew

Policewoman ~ Tanya Siminow

Lexie returns to the mugshot credits, taking Myra's place.

Nora goes in search of Daphne, who seems to have gone missing. She realises something is wrong when she finds Daphne's cell wrecked with her plants all over the floor. Inspector Grace tells Ann that Ruth has been sent to Blackmoor, and he and Detective Crabb want to interview the women immediately to make a report to the Minister. Nora accuses Lou of destroying Daphne's plants, but she denies it: Nora realises Daphne could have done it herself. Mervin returns from his mother's sickbed, having heard about the siege. He proposes that he and Joyce should live together. Lou offers round some goods pillaged from Ruth's cell, but no-one will touch them. Jenny warns Nora that they police suspect her of cold-blooded murder, as she is worried that she will be suspected of lagging. Lou puts further suspicion on Nora by telling Inspector Grace the terrorist was surrendering when she shot him. Willie suggests that May should take over as chair of the Council. Mervin asks Dennis if he and Joyce can take over his flat when he moves out to live with Meg. Inspector Grace brings up Nora's previous convictions when he interviews he: she accuses the police of incompetence and that he bears some responsibility himself for the deaths. He later admits to his colleague that he would have been tempted to pull the trigger himself. Costello and Fellowes realise that the only way they can escape Arnold Ballinger's wrath is to get rid of Joan. May asks for the women to be allowed out into the grounds. Ann tells Nora there will be no charges against her, but has to admit the incident might affect Nora's parole. While out in the rounds, Julie looks up and sees Daphne on the edge of the roof . Dennis reports it to the Governor, and Nora offers to try to talk her down. She is given permission to try until the police special team arrive and persuades Meg to stay out of sight. Alice is returned to Wentworth on a 10 year sentence for Sam's murder and she isn't impressed by Lou's attempts to talk her round. Jenny sees her lawyer and describes what she remembers of the night her grandmother died: he reminds her of how strong the evidence against her is. He tries to get her to plead guilty to manslaughter, but she refuses. Nora talks Daphne down, or rather "listens" her down as Daphne tells her about her childhood, including being sexually abused by a neighbour, though the appearance of a policewoman on the roof nearly makes Daphne jump. It is only Nora's description of the dinner she'll be missing that makes her turn back. The women read the report of the siege in the paper, but it is mainly about Joan's heroism. Lexie's notices an article about Jenny, saying she was a prisoner in her grandmother's home, but it only convinces the women she must have done it. While Joan sleeps in her butterscotch lounging suit, smoke starts to drift up around the edge of her bed. Dennis gives Meg an engagement ring , but the moment is spoilt when Dennis gets a phone call to warn him that Frank Burke has escaped and is heading towards Melbourne. Joan is woken by the smoke, but can't get her front door open and she collapses in her hallway trying to phone for help.



According to Meg, Geoff Macrae and Marlene Delaney have phoned the prison after hearing about the siege.



Two prisoners called Casey and Thomas are mentioned as the last to be interviewed.



The visitor's pass worn by Jenny's solicitor falls off his jacket with a loud pop, and he makes no attempt to pick it up before leaving the visitor's room.