The show that reintroduced some of the most beloved Australian characters back on our screens has ended its final ever season and wrapped up all of the loose ends and prison antics with 100 powerful episodes.
Last night, we said goodbye to some of the most recognisable faces in Australian television. It was the Foxtel drama that has taken the world by storm, Wentworth was sent packing with a bomb explosion inside the prison, leaving many of our favourite characters in danger.
In what was more than just an escape plan, topdog Lou Kelly (Kate Box) was out to see everyone go down and dying after the torment she’s been through since the death of her boyfriend, Reb Keane (Zoe Terakes).
In the end, the blast killed some of those inside, including Judy Bryant (Vivienne Awosoga), the person who made the whole bomb possible. But thankfully, our good guys all made it out alive – including Lou herself, cuffed and awaiting justice.
From the prisoners side, Rita Connors (Leah Purcell), Ruby Mitchell (Rarriwuy Hick) and Boomer (Katrina Milosevic) managed to make it out pretty unscathed. But wheelchair-bound Allie Novak (Kate Jenkinson) was caught stuck under a collapsing ceiling, and just barely was able to crawl her way to eventual rescue from firemen.
But not before she could retrieve a phone that held the evidence necessary for Rita and Ruby’s latest charges to be dropped. With Boomer also set to have a baby on the way, things are starting to look up for our four remaining prisoner-heroes.
Governor Will Jackson (Robbie Magasiva) and officers Linda Miles (Jacquie Brennan) and Jake Stewart (Bernard Curry) quickly found their ways outside the rubble, but fan-favourite Vera Bennett (Kate Atkinson) was stuck in a battle with the now unhinged Ann Reynolds (Jane Hall), who allowed for the bomb to go off.
Just when it looks like Ann might get the upper hand, low and behold Joan ‘The Freak’ Ferguson (Pamela Rabe) rescues Vera, snapping Ann’s neck in her signature move, and saving her once arch-nemesis from falling victim to the explosion. Finally finding the redemption we never quite knew Joan was capable of, she tells Vera the reason why her latest actions have been so uncharacteristic – “every child deserves a mother”.
And with that, Joan walks away and fades into the darkness.
This was a solid and gripping episode of Wentworth. There were a few weeks of building up to this very moment where all these stories would end, and it’s great to see that pay off and deliver in an hour of television.
But oh weren’t you hoping for more? There was so much that needed finishing up, I truly think some more time could have put in that finishing touch that sent us off knowing all was well for our favourite characters.
I was expecting a bit of a flash forward, just to see how everyone ended up, but alas we ended with a long shot of the bomb aftermath. I did like the touches of having the original intro song included during the opening credits. It was a bummer when they cut that a couple of years ago, so I’m glad we had a callback to the old days.
The closing credits were amazing too, with the old Prisoner theme running through it to really remind us of the old days. Seeing those bloopers and videos of the set – we really all became a family with this cast and crew, and you could feel that as we bid farewell.
I liked how each story did end up wrapping. Seeing the deaths of Judy and Ann, amazing. And for Ann to go down to Joan’s signature killer – what a thrilling moment.
The blast did come about as a little anti-climactic. I think the fact we knew there was no ‘next season’ to come to afterwards meant that we also knew the blast had to be done, and over, and all stories finished all within the hour. Perhaps earlier episodes could have been trimmed to allow this episode to kick off with the explosion. But it’s not a huge note for me. I still thoroughly enjoyed what we saw giving the constraints.
The highlight of the episode is without a doubt watching Joan become this redeeming character that she actually saves Vera, after everything they have been through. With all the rivalries we’ve had amongst the prisoners, it was this officer vs governor rivalry that was the most captivating of them all.
Watching Joan escape, and not get the justice she really deserves was fine with me. Seeing her just walk into the pitch black was perfect Joan style. She’s got the skills to survive out on the run, again. But maybe with some more humanity, she’ll use it for good. And I wanna be the first to ask for it: SPIN OFF?!
Come on! Fans want more Wentworth and Joan’s story is the only one really left up in the air – there’s absolutely a chance to do something with her. With the great minds of this show behind it, it could be incredible.
I hoped Vera and Jake were going to end up together, and we’re not entirely sure it won’t happen, but it’s certainly something to play with when we think about what could be. Will’s future at the prison could have been tightened too. In the end, it was clear he was all for the women – that’s his mantra. But he didn’t really have a personal arc to sink into this season. Something cool, like him turning down a board promotion to stay as governor and protect the women, would have been nice and very suited to the humble Jackson.
It’s great that we can infer Rita and Ruby are going to be okay once the charges are dropped from the evidence on the phone Allie retrieved is submitted. Again, seeing them live a good life outside the prison would have been nice. But we’re almost certain that’s how it would end up for them, so a satisfying finish nonetheless.
The only thing that really took me by surprise was Allie actually surviving the explosion. All season we’ve been toying with Allie’s quality of life, and she’s come close to ending it all. I thought she was going to go down in a sacrifice, by saving the phone but dying in the process. And when we saw the light and her utter the legendary Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack)’s name – I kind of liked the idea that she died, as she somewhat wanted, and got to live on peacefully with Bea in some version of the after life.
Nothing really told us that Allie was okay with her life now. That she could live peacefully despite sitting in a wheelchair. I would have liked to have seen her find something worth holding onto that convinced us she was happy – otherwise, I say let her be the final ‘good guy’ that dies. But, I guess everyone worth caring about surviving has a nice touch to it too.
Don’t mind the pessimist in me, but I really thought this was going to be a disappointing ending. One hour, unlikely guest cameos from original Wentworth stars – I just thought it was going to feel rushed. But even with some gaps that could have been filled, it was a very nice and satisfying ending. I don’t think you could describe it any other way. Nothing huge, nothing truly rewarding. Just that good feeling that you know, hey, everyone’s going to be alright. And that made the gaps worth it.
It’s sad saying goodbye to Wentworth, but I hope its legacy (as the final episode was titled) will be that Australian drama is capable of being groundbreaking, captivating, and able to live on for 100 episodes. With a great ensemble and hardworking minds behind the scenes, our television industry can truly thrive.
So long Wentworth! May you be the bar every Australian show aims to beat.
