Zandra Plackett

Zandra Plackett is a fictional character on the television series Bad Girls. She is portrayed by actress Lara Cazalet. Zandra made her first appearance on the second episode of series one, until her departure the ninth episode of series two. Zandra is a drug addict, serving ten months in prison for credit card fraud.^[1] She cares for no one or nothing when she is doing drugs, but underneath, she is a good friend. Intent on marrying the man she loves, Robin Dunstan, an upper-class rich man, who was also a drug addict, who eventually got clean and is the reason why Zandra is inside, as she took the rap for him.^[1] Zandra suffered a lot heartbreak in prison, it was discovered that her boyfriend was set to marry someone else, her baby boy was taken away from her, she couldn't stay of the drugs and finally the diagnosis of a malignant brain tumour, which eventually ended her life. Although, two good things came from her time in prison, great friends and officer Dominic McAllister.

Zandra's final episode, "The Leaving" attracted 9.490,000 million viewers, which was the highest rated episode of the entire run of the series.

Series 1

Zandra Plackett arrived in Larkhall with a stash of drugs inside her, managing to get them past the officers. As she is assigned to her cell in the four-bed dorm on G-Wing, she immediately clashes with Denny Blood, who Zandra knew when she was on remand. Denny and top dog Shell Dockley begin to bully and torment Zandra as she owes them drugs. Shell, Denny and several other women decrutch her, taking the drugs she has stashed out of her. With Zandra desperate to get her hands on something, she relies on a visit for her boyfriend, Robin Dunstan, who can smuggle something in, but Robin tells her that he is clean, Zandra then suggests they get married. Zandra makes preparations for the wedding only to discover that Robin is set to marry someone else, she attacks Robin on a visit when he confirms it. She reveals that she cannot let him go as she is pregnant with his baby. Zandra plans to have and abortion, and is taken to an outside clinic with officers Lorna Rose and Dominic McAllister, but her plan was not to have an abortion, but to escape from the clinic, which she successfully manages to do to see Robin and tell him that he's going to be a father, he ignores the situation and Zandra has no choice to go back. Lorna tells Dominic to keep it quiet about Zandra's escape, because she can't afford to receive another bad report. Zandra is happy about this as she begins to blackmail Lorna in order to bring drugs, she refuses but later panics and gives in. Shell gets whiff of what's going on and attacks Zandra and forces her to help set Lorna up, in which she has no choice but to bring in drugs.

Series 2

Zandra is rushed to hospital as she goes into labour, she gives birth to a baby boy which she names Robbie, short for Robert. Robin turns up at the hospital and tries to force Zandra to give Robbie over to him as Robbie is withdrawing from drugs which Zandra had taken prior to the birth. Zandra is returned to Larkhall and Robbie joins her a week later, where they are put on the mother and baby unit. Zandra is tempted by drugs by another prisoner in exchange for a phone card. Zandra starts a fight with the prisoner when she complains the phone card was almost empty. Helen Stewart informs her that the drugs where found in her cell and that she may have to hand her baby out. Robin wants custody of Robbie, so Zandra takes drastic action and manages to get up to the prison roof, Jim Fenner and Helen arrive to talk her down, she hands her baby over to Helen and tries to jump only to be rescued by Dominic. Zandra continues to use drugs and begins to have agonizing headaches. The prison doctor tells her she needs glasses, but she continues to have headaches which soon causes her to faint and have seizures. She is sent to a hospital outside the prison for tests. New G-Wing governor, Karen Betts receives the news before Zandra. Zandra is later told by the prison doctor that she has a malignant brain tumour and not long to live. She is given the opportunity to be released from prison, but with nowhere to go, she stays. One of her wishes came true at last when she got to kiss Dominic, something he wanted to do for a long time. On her last night, Zandra is surrounded by all her friends in the dorm where they have a laugh but it is short-lives when Zandra begins to fit and collapses, when blood runs from her mouth, she eventually dies. The prisoners and the offices attend her memorial service in the prison chaple, where her baby boy, Robbie is present.

See also

• List of Bad Girls characters

References

External links

• Zandra Plackett character profile