Condemned

Synopsis

The action proceeds in the wing G of the prison for women of Larkhall. We follow the daily newspaper of condemned but also that of the members of the personnel. The series brings in light the difficulties that the life in a prison for women represents, as much to the practical level that human. She does not hesitate to approach a certain number of polemical topics as for example the fact that the British authorities continue to use guards of male sex in the female wings or the traumatisms related to the separation of held with their children however sometimes born in prison during the time of their imprisonment.

The conflicts between held and the guards are the daily newspaper of Larkhall and the directors who follow one another must manage as well the skids of the guards as moods of held. The conflicts related to the abuses of power exerted on held or between the members of the personnel disturb the management of the prison regularly.

First season

One of the first three season old axes of the series is the history of love incipient between Nikki Wade which killed a police officer who tried to violate his boyfriend and Helen Stewart, governor of the wing G of the prison of Larkhall, about to marry. This history between two women is described with the same naturalness, the same degree of complexity and the same explicit scenes that if it were about a hétérosexuelle history. Many spectators considered that the subtlety and the emotion brought to the portrait of this relation did of them one of the most important assets of the series. For this reason, Condemned the also focused the attention of a big number of fans of the community lesbian.

However this history of love is not the central subject of the series. Many of other intrigues also richly described also appear in first line of season 1: chaotic pregnancy of Zandra Plackett which fights against its drug-addiction; the amazement of Monica Lindsay, interned wrongly for concealment of social abuses good and whose trisomic son dies of an heart attack during his imprisonment; perpetual abuses of power of the chief warden Jim Fenner on the women of which it with the load; its illicit relation with held Shell Dockley, caïd within the wing G; violences of Denny Blood, “lieutenant” of Shell; the brutalities undergone by the young person and fragile Rachel Hicks which will lead to its suicide.

Fortunately, the blackness of the matter is counterbalanced by often laughing dialogs, a treatment close to the comedy - although without concession - and the presence of characters full with imagination such as for example the “Julie”, two prostitutes decided well not to let itself overflow by depresses.

Second season

After Helen left Sean - that it was intended to marry -, it resigns and gives up Larkhall because it does not succeed in reconciling the moral straightness which requires its penitentiary function and its love for one held. After a long absence, letters, a visit with the visiting room, it ends up returning at Larkhall, but this time either as senior officer supervising but as liaison officer than the service of the people locked up for longsufferings. She encourages Nikki then to continue her studies and helps it to join together new elements with an aim of formulating a call against its sentence.

Side of the other scenaristic lines, one finds a Shell destabilized vis-a-vis the new governor of the wing G, Karen Betts, with which it tells the abuses that it underwent during its childhood. Zandra, whose health did not cease worsening, ends up losing the life following a brain tumor which was completely neglected by the doctor of Larkhall. Among the new characters Yvonne Atkins appears, condemned to 4 years of internment to have organized an attempted murder against a caïd opposed to her husband. It is a strong personality which brings one of the comic elements of the season while inserting clandestinely in the prison of the mobile phones intended to ensure the service “Babes Behind Bars” (“Beauties behind the bars”) where the esseulés Sirs can join “Whiplash Wanda” (“Wanda the fouetteuse one”), “Saucy Sonia” (“Sonia spiced language”) and “Vicky the virgin attaches” (“Vicky the married virgin”).

The second season finishes on a suspense: Helen composes the number of the police force whereas Nikki, which escaped to join it in its residence, refuses to turn over to Larkhall; and Shell, which attracted Fenner in its cell under the pretext of sleep with him, is trying to kill it with a piece of broken bottle. Will Helene let herself submerge by her direction of the duty and betray Nikki? Will Shell succeed in killing Fenner?

Third season

The first episode of season 3 begins again exactly where season 2 left us. Nikki, which gave the costume of nurse who allowed her escape, always tries to convince Helen to flee with it and Shell is always stabbing Jim with the piece of broken bottle.

Season 3 described a succession of small intrigues but enriches also several recurring scenaristic broad outlines: the escape from Shell and Denny towards Spanish Costa LED Ground; questioning of the statute of caïd of Yvonne and Nikki by the young Maximum gang leader Purvis; excuses of the guardian Di Barker quartered between her obsessional search for a husband and the fact that it must deal with her invalid mother; misunderstandings between Helen and Nikki; rupture of Helen following a “strike” that Nikki organized and who degenerated into a dangerous riot under the direction of Maximum Purvis; the connection of Helen with Dr. Thomas Waugh; that of Nikki with Caroline Lewis; blackmail of Fenner which pushes Helen with a new resignation…

However, the third season finishes on a happy end: on a pavement of London, Helen, arrival to congratulate Nikki on the success of its appeal - of which it is however the architect -, declare to him that even if Thomas is all that a woman can await from a man, it is a woman whom it wants. They are embraced freely. Large “to follow” is registered on the screen. But we will re-examine neither Helen, nor Nikki in the remainder of the series.

Fourth season

Season 4 is extremely animated and its general tonality is darker. It swarms with intrigues: Jim Fenner undergoes the sexual harassment of the new general governor of the prison, Neil Grayling. The new guard Barry Pearce, apparently charming, is in fact a violent man who strike held Shaz Wylie and Barbara Hunt as his colleague Di Barker who wants to marry it. Yvonne is marked wrongly of a murder. Denny which reinstates Larkhall after being taken again by the police force digs a tunnel with Shaz where Buki Lester lack to die choked. Buki undertakes then a research baited to find Lennox, his/her son handicapped who was collected by the social services. Cassie Tyler and its amante Roisin Connor are imprisoned for embezzlement. If Cassie supports the situation well, Roisin sinks little by little in the depression and drug because of separation of with his/her two children. Gordon hook, Co-loacataire of the cell of Denny and Shaz fall in love with Josh, the maintenance man which passed the examination of entry of the prison warders under the impulse of Di Barker which hoped to leave with him. But it dedicates an exclusive love with Crystal. Under the protection of held which organizes a small supper to them, they marry in prison and spend one wedding night hidden in cloths of the linen room where they conceive future small Zandra, thus named in remembering Zandra Plackett. Barbara Hunt who is interned to have helped her husband to die, and Henry, the reverend in load of the vault of Larkhall, gently fall in love one with the other. Neil Grayling, pressed by a blackmail on its homosexuality, ends up accepting the proposal of Di Barker.

And in a fireworks, the fourth season ends in the flashover of the library of Larkhall caused by Snowball Merriman which tries by this diversion to escape in order to join the son of Yvonne Atkins. One of the consequences of the fire is the death of Shaz. Another of the consequences is happier, it is the release of Roisin and Cassie which risked their life to save seriously wounded the Grayling general governor in the fire.

Fifth season

The fifth season of Bad Girls plunges the spectator in the darkest limbs, more disturbing. It is the reign of Jim Fenner, a reign strewn with tombs. Fortunately a diving in imagination reduces of time to other the matter with the arrival of the laughing duet of Costa Con' S (the arnaqueuses ones of the Costa del Sol), Beverly “BEV” Tull and Phyllida “Phyl” Oswyn, which are écrouées for swindle and are ready to deceive everyone in Larkhall and to assemble the worst hoaxes to return their enforced stay five years most pleasant possible.

But first of all, the guards of Larkhall in transfered with Amsterdam fall on a Shell enclosure in a spectacle from cabaret. It turns over in prison where Fenner, decided definitively to move away it from the wing G, will succeed in separating it from his/her child and to make it lock up in the psychiatric wing of the prison.

Snowball Merriman overflows of inventiveness as regards disastrous ideas to escape. After having accidentally placed a ball in the spinal column of the son of Yvonne which loses the use of its legs, after having missed two additional escapes and its suicide with Ritchie - which makes a success of it to him - it ends up hanging itself, inconsolable.

The vendetta between Jim Fenner and his last opponents reaches his paroxysm at the end of the season 5 where it seems to enjoy a total victory. It neutralizes the efforts of Karen while stealing all the evidence to him that it accumulated its abuses against held and of its aggression against Helen Stewart. In addition, affublé a fair wig, it voluntarily implies it in a fatal accident by killing a pedestrian with his car. And it lets die Yvonne of a slow and atrocious death by locking up it in the unused cell of hung which is in the basements of Larkhall where nobody unfortunately thinks of seeking it.

The only glimmer of hope in this end of season is the discovery that made Denny of its exceptional gifts for the painting which enable him to meet a merchant of Article.

Season 5 marks many ways end the one era for Condemned the with the disappearance of the series of several characters: Shell locked up in Psychiatry, Snowball committed suicide, Yvonne assassinated, Denny transferred in an opened prison, Barbara released and married to Henry. Without speaking about Karen temporarily neutralized.

Distribution

First season

Held

Victoria Alcock: “Julie S” alias Julie Saunders (season 1 to 8)
Kika Mirylees: “Julie J” alias Julie Johnston, of her true name Sonya Dawson (season 1 to 8)
Mandana Jones: Nicola “Nikki” Wade (season 1 to 3)
Linda Henry: Yvonne Atkins (season 1 to 5)
Debra Stephenson: Michelle “Shell” Dockley (season 1 to 3, then 5)
Alicya Eyo: Daniela “Denny” Blood (season 1 to 5)
Lara Cazalet: Zandra Plackett (season 1 to 2)
Sharon Duncan-Brewster: Hook Gordon (season 1 to 4)
Jane Lowe: Monica Lindsey (season 1 then 3)
Denise Black: Jessie Devlin (season 1 to 2)
Joanne Froggatt: Rachel Hicks (season 1)
Penny Ryder: “Smelly” Nellie Snape “the puante” (season 1)
Ashley Miller: Carol Byatt (season 1)

Guards and framing

Simone Lahbib : Helen Stewart (season 1 to 3)
Helen Fraser: “Bodybag” Bag with shit” alias Sylvia Hollamby then Sylvia Nicholson (season 1 to 8)
Jack Elect: Jim Fenner (season 1 to 7)
Joe Shaw: Dominic McAllister (season 1 to 2)
Luisa Bradshaw-White: Lorna Rose (season 1)
Roland Oliver: Simon Stubberfield (season 1 to 3)
David Case: the chaplain (season 1 to 3)

Family and others

Oliver Fox : Sean Parr (season 1)
Victoria Pritchard: Trisha (season 1 to 3)
Gideon Turner: Robin Dunstan (season 1 to 2)
Timmy Lang: Spencer Lindsay (season 1)
Daryl Fishwick: Mrs. Hicks (season 1)
Sheila Ruskin: Mrs. Dunstan (season 1)

Characters appeared in the second season

Held

Isabelle Amyes: Barbara Hunt (season 2 to 5)
Lindsey Fawcett: Sharon “Shaz” Wylie (season 2 to 4)
Helen Schlesinger: “Mad Tessa” Spall “the nutcase” (season 2, then 3)
Jade Williams: Rhiannon Dawson (season 2, then 4)
Alison Newman: Renee Williams (season 2)

Guards and framing

Claire King: Karen Betts (season 2 to 5, then 6)
Tracey Wilkinson: Di Barker then Di Grayling then Di Fenner (season 2 to 7)
Nathan Constancy: Josh Mitchell (season 2 to 4)
Philip McGough: Dr. Malcolm Nicholson says “Dr. No-No” (season 2 to 3, then 5 to 7)

Family and others

Danielle King: Lauren Atkins (season 2 to 5)
Ivan Kaye: Charlie Atkins (season 2 to 3)
Danielle Lydon: Master Claire Walker (season 2 to 3)
Kim Taylforth: Marilyn Fenner (season 2 to 3)
Geoffrey Hutchings: Bobby Hollamby (season 2, then 3, then 5)
Sian Webber: Meg Richards, the therapeutist (season 2)
Julie Legrand: Rita Dockley (season 2)

Characters appeared in the third season

Held

Victoria Bush: Tina Purvis then “Julie O' Kane” then “Tina O' Kane” (season 3 to 8)
Kerry Norton: Maximum Purvis (season 3 to 4)
Pauline Campbell: Al McKenzie (season 3 to 6)
Kim Oliver: Buki To ballast (season 3 to 5)
Kate O' Mara: Virginia O' Kane (season 3)
Helen Grace: Caroline Lewis (season 3)
Kate Steavenson-Payne: Charlotte Myddleton (season 3)
Wendi Peters: WFP Jolly (season 3)
Athonia Lanre-Ajose: Femi Bada (season 3)

Guards and framing

Paul Opacic: Mark Waddle (season 3 to 4)
LISA Turner: Gina Rossi (season 3)
Michael Higgs: Dr. Thomas Waugh (season 3)

Family and others

Steven Webb: David Saunders (season 3, then 8)
Marlene Sidaway: Dorothy Barker (season 3)
Beth Fitzgerald: Sally-Anne Howe (season 3)
Maureen Beattie: Master Marion McLoughlin (season 3)
Bernard Gallagher: judge Hardy (season 3)

Characters appeared in the fourth season

Held

Nicole Faraday: Snowball Merriman of its true name Tracy Pilkington (season 4 to 5)
Kellie Bright: Cassie Tyler (season 4)
Siobhan McCarthy: Roisin Connor (season 4)
Maria Charles: Noreen Biggs (season 4, then 5)
Sarah Hadland: Spike Harding (season 4)

Guards and framing

James Gaddas: Neil Grayling (season 4 to 8)
Ellie Haddington: Joy Masterton (season 7 to 8)
Andrew Lancel: Barry Pearce (season 4)
Michael Elwyn: the reverend Henry Millets (season 4 to 5)

Family and others

Alex King: Ritchie Atkins (season 4 to 5)

Characters appeared in the fifth season

Held

Amanda Barrie: Beverley “BEV” Tull (season 5 to 8)
Stephanie Beacham: Phyllida “Phyl” Oswyn (season 5 to 8)
Jennifer Born: Kris Yates (season 5 to 6)

Guards and framing

Charlotte Lucas: Selena Geeson (season 5 to 6)
Tristan Sturrock: Hake Hedges (season 5 to 7)
Nikki Amuka-Bird: Paula Miles (season 5 to 6)
Adam Christopher: Jenkins (season 5 to 6)

Family and others

Christopher Biggins in its own role (season 5)
Paul Brennen: Eric Bostock (season 5)
Jamie King: Tony Verrall (season 5)

Characters appeared in the sixth season

Held

Danielle Brent: Natalie Buxton (season 6 to 8)
Antonia Okonma: Darlene Cake (season 6 to 8)
Meera Syal: Janan Ham AD (season 6)
Zoe Lucker: Tanya Turner (season 6)

Guards and framing

Eva Pope : Frances Allen/Frances Myers (season 6)

Family and others

Geoff Francis: Rick To re-examine (season 6)
Richard Mylan: Ben Philips/Hennessy (season 6 to 7)

Characters appeared in the seventh season

Held

Liz May Brice: Stalemate Kerrigan (season 7 to 8)
Nicola Stapleton: Janine Nebeski (season 7 to 8)
Rebecca Hazelwood: Arun of the first name Aron Parmarde (season 7)
Laura Rogers: Sheena Williams (season 7)
Colette O' Neil: Sister Thomas More (season 7)
Francesca Fowler: Laura Canning (season 7)
Nicola Redmond: Miranda Miles (season 7)

Guards and framing

Orlessa Atlas: Vicky Floyd (season 7)
Andrew Scarborough: Kevin Spiers (season 7)
Gaynor Howe: the chaplain Christy Mackay (season 7)

Family and others

Louis Waymouth: “Bobby-D” alias Bobby-Darren Hollamby (season 7, then 8)
Dave Hill: Ron (season 7)

Characters appeared in the eighth season

Held

Sandra De Sousa: Ashlee Wilcox
Laura Back Santos: Emira Al Jahani
Annette Badland: Angela Robbins
Helen Modern : Stella Gough
Jan Francis: Catherine Earlham

Guards and framing

Amanda Donohoe: Lou Stoke
Sid Owen : Donny Kimber
Angela Bruce : Mandy Goodhue
Hake Salmon: Dr. Rowan Dunlop

Family and others

Melanie Cameron: Vicky Stoke
Conor Alexander : Al Jahani
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Fidelity Saunders

Episodes

See too

External bond

Official site

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