Wentworth (season 4)
| Wentworth (season 4) | |
|---|---|
 Region 4 DVD Cover | |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Release | |
| Original network | SoHo |
| Original release | 10 May – 26 July 2016 |
| Season chronology | |
The fourth season of the television drama series Wentworth premiered on SoHo in Australia on 10 May 2016. It was executively produced by FremantleMedia's Director of Drama, Jo Porter. The season comprises 12 episodes. Season four picks up four months after the fire at Wentworth.[1]
Plot
It’s been four months since the fire at Wentworth and Bea and the other inmates have been housed offsite while they wait for construction to be completed. Season four will see Bea battle two formidable enemies. There is Kaz, made so dangerous by her extremist feminist ideology, who regards Bea as the great betrayer to the cause, and Ferguson who is on a mission to exonerate herself – will the walls of Wentworth be enough to protect the Top Dog?[1]
Cast
Regular
Special guest
|
Recurring
|
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Aus. viewers (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 1 | "First Blood" | Kevin Carlin | John Ridley | 10 May 2016 | 140[2] |
| Four months after the fire, Bea and the others return to Wentworth after being housed at Walford prison while the prison was being rebuilt. Vera is now the Governor and a new regime is afoot at Wentworth. Kaz Proctor and her crew have been remanded to Wentworth and she has gained influence amongst the women. Facing the rest of her life in prison, Bea questions whether she has any purpose in life, or any desire to remain top dog. As Franky struggles to adapt to life as a free woman, an old face returns to Wentworth - Ferguson is to be housed in protection until her trial. | ||||||
| 36 | 2 | "Poking Spiders" | Kevin Carlin | Marcia Gardner | 17 May 2016 | 97[3] |
| Vera learns that Franky and Bridget are in a relationship and decides to have Bridget sacked. Franky and Bridget agree to distance their relationship, as it is a potential violation of Franky's parole conditions. Vera abandons her plans when she realise that she needs Bridget's help to deal with Ferguson, who is plotting to be released into the general prison population. Ferguson, however, is one step ahead of them. When Vera refuses to initiate conjugal visits for the women, Kaz stages a protest in the yard, and Maxine believes that Kaz is out to usurp Bea as top dog. | ||||||
| 37 | 3 | "Prisoner" | Steve Jodrell | Pete McTighe | 24 May 2016 | 81[4] |
| Despite Vera's resistance, Ferguson is released into general and accommodated in a unit with Kaz and her crew. The women are out for blood but Vera warns Bea that any reprisals will result in the loss of the new privileges she has given the prisoners, particularly the conjugal visits. Vera and Bridget wonder if Ferguson has a deliberate strategy in mind or if she merely has a death wish. Ferguson receives unlikely support from peer worker Doreen when she reveals that she saved baby Josh from Jess, and attempts to make a deal with Bea to bash her. Things do not go according to plan as Ferguson is subjected to a brutal ganging in the showers from Lucy and her 'boys', but as always, Ferguson is able to manipulate events to her advantage. | ||||||
| 38 | 4 | "Screw Lover" | Steve Jodrell | Michael Lucas | 31 May 2016 | 97[5] |
| Disgusted by Ferguson's ordeal, Kaz keeps an all-night vigil to tend to her wounds and offers her protection. Accepted into Kaz's crew, Ferguson strengthens her new alliance by telling Kaz that Will is responsible for organising the assault. Kaz swears revenge and she and her crew prepare to ambush Will in the kitchen. Bea comes to Will's rescue but at a price: she is now branded as a "screw lover" and loses the women's support. Bea is forced to take drastic measures to secure her position as top dog. Conjugal visits begin at Wentworth, and Boomer desperately tries to get pregnant. Meanwhile, Maxine is diagnosed with breast cancer and can't bring herself to tell the other women. | ||||||
| 39 | 5 | "Love and Hate" | Jet Wilkinson | John Ridley | 7 June 2016 | 103[6] |
| Bea has been slotted for her attack on Will and bonds with Allie when they spend hours talking in adjoining cells. New officer Jake Stewart starts work at Wentworth and attempts to befriend Will. Ferguson continues to manipulate Kaz, bonding with her after Kaz hears of the death of her abusive father. Maxine is acting top dog in Bea's absence, and Ferguson seeks to position Kaz as a potential rival with slurs over Maxine's transgender status, tapping into Kaz's trauma. New Indigenous prisoner Tasha joins the women and Ferguson deliberately points her out to Lucy and her crew. When Tasha breaks the rules by pressing the alarm to save herself from Lucy, Maxine must decide what action to take. | ||||||
| 40 | 6 | "Divide and Conquer" | Jet Wilkinson | Marcia Gardner | 14 June 2016 | 119[7] |
| Bea is released from the slot and Lucy demands that Tasha is punished for breaking the rules. Bea's subsequent rough justice leads Tasha to attempt suicide only for Ferguson to gain favour when she saves her life. As Maxine reveals that she delayed her cancer treatment to hold the fort for Bea, Doreen is disgusted by Bea's actions and turns against her. Liz is offered a deal by the police - in return for gaining the confidence of a new prisoner remanded on a murder charge and getting her to confess to the crime, she will given immediate parole. Sonia Stevens is admitted to Wentworth, and Liz agrees to the deal. | ||||||
| 41 | 7 | "Panic Button" | Adrian Russell Wills | Pete McTighe | 21 June 2016 | 121[8] |
| Bea is rapidly losing control amongst the women after Doreen publicly defies her. With Kaz poised to gain from Bea's diminishing popularity, Bea suggests a prison-wide vote to see if the top dog position is still viable. Not wanting a change due to the prison regime, Vera rigs the votes in Bea's favour. Boomer tries to persuade Maxine to have the surgery. Ferguson is unsettled when she discovers that Bea will be supporting Jesper's evidence in court. Kaz receives a heavy sentence for her vigilante activities, and Ferguson proposes an alliance against Bea. However, Bea is not interested in prison politics as she becomes closer to Allie. | ||||||
| 42 | 8 | "Plan Bea" | Adrian Russell Wills | Michael Lucas | 28 June 2016 | 84[9] |
| Maxine leaves the prison to undergo a double mastectomy leaving Boomer distraught. Sonia begins to confide in Liz, while Vera struggles with her growing feelings for Jake. Bea opens up to Allie as they continue their illicit relationship. But neither is prepared for Ferguson's lethal plan to silence Bea once and for all. | ||||||
| 43 | 9 | "Afterlife" | Steve Jodrell | Michael Lucas | 5 July 2016 | 110[10] |
| Bea recovers after the attempt on her life and is devastated when Kaz insinuates that Allie was using Bea to make her vulnerable. Tension mounts between Kaz and Allie as Allie learns of Kaz's involvement in Ferguson's scheming. As Ferguson in turn recovers from her own injuries, Vera orders that she will remain in the medical unit until her trial and assigns Jake the task of supervising her. Maxine is back after her surgery and finds herself in the middle of rising tension between Boomer, Liz and Sonia. Bea receives a visit from Franky, who offers her assistance to bring down Ferguson. | ||||||
| 44 | 10 | "Smitten" | Steve Jodrell | Samantha Winston | 12 July 2016 | 110[11] |
| Abandoned by everyone, Allie descends into drug addiction. But when Bea learns that Allie saved her life, she resolves to remove her from Kaz's orbit and help her through withdrawal. As Ferguson reaches out to Jianna's son Shayne as part of her scheme to secure her release, Franky is also on Shayne's trail. Sonia begins to become suspicious of Liz's constant questioning. Jake and Vera grow closer, while Jake also falls under Ferguson's spell. Boomer and Maxine embark on a madcap scheme for Boomer to impregnate herself with Maxine's frozen sperm. Doreen becomes jealous and paranoid after Nash tells her that he has moved in with his ex-girlfriend, who is looking after Josh, and asks Kaz for help. Her rash actions may end in Doreen losing her son altogether. | ||||||
| 45 | 11 | "Eleventh Hour" | Kevin Carlin | John Ridley | 19 July 2016 | 123[12] |
| Bea and Allie finally make their relationship known to the other women. Allie is sentenced, and declares her love for Bea. Doreen is upset by Nash and Josh's departure for Western Australia. Jake is further embroiled in criminal activity when he smuggles drugs into the prison and continues to get in too deep with Ferguson, who offers to pay his debts on the outside in return for services rendered. Ferguson continues to manipulate Shayne, telling him that Will recommended that he was taken into care away from Jianna, and thus caused his mother's suicide. Jake and Will go out on the town, and Jake gives him drugs. Bea orders drug runner Tina Mercado to dispose of the drug stash, but Tina refuses, scheming with Kaz to depose Bea as top dog. Bea is forced to choose between being top dog and being with Allie. | ||||||
| 46 | 12 | "Seeing Red" | Kevin Carlin | Pete McTighe | 26 July 2016 | 95[13] |
| Bea and Allie's happiness is short-lived as Ferguson executes her plan to be exonerated - Allie ends up in hospital in a coma. Franky pursues Shayne to keep him away from Ferguson's clutches but it is Jake who is under Ferguson's control. Boomer is determined to help Maxine through the chemotherapy. Liz is convinced of Sonia’s innocence but soon has cause to question her feelings. Kaz takes over as the new top dog. On trial day, Ferguson is confident that her schemes will succeed, only to find that Bea has a plan of her own. | ||||||
Production
On 27 February 2015, it was announced that FremantleMedia had renewed Wentworth for a fourth season, set to air in 2016.[14]
Jo Porter, the Director of Drama at FremantleMedia stated, "Without wanting to give away any specific spoilers from season three, suffice to say it builds to a fabulous crescendo that in turn has given our season four writers a fantastic launch pad to explore what is next for the complex and compelling characters of Wentworth. Our loyal Wentworth fans are not going to be disappointed and I know our amazing cast and crew are going to relish bringing to life these potent stories."[14]
Penny Win, the Head of Drama at Foxtel stated, "All of us at Foxtel and FremantleMedia Australia are extremely proud of Wentworth and the passionate bond the series has forged with drama lovers, starting with our discerning Foxtel subscribers and expanding to captivate audiences around the world."[14]
On 5 November 2015, it was announced that Sigrid Thornton would step through the gates of Wentworth Correctional Centre, becoming the first actress from the original series, Prisoner to play a major re-occurring role in the reimagination. Moreover, she also plays Sonia Stevens, an inmate featured in the original series, albeit played by Tina Bursill.[15]
Of Sigrid's casting, Penny Win stated, "Wentworth's fourth season continues the series' finely-honed evolution as a world class contemporary drama which proudly forges its own path, while fearlessly daring to reimagine characters and elements of the iconic Prisoner series. Having Sigrid Thornton sign on to return behind the walls of Wentworth is a casting dream and a wonderful acknowledgement of the work the writing team has put into the creation of Sonia Stevens and our plans for her and all our characters."[15]
Jo Porter stated, "Sigrid was always on the top of our casting wish list – adored and admired by audiences for the strong women she has chosen to portray. From the second Sonia Stevens steps from the brawler, there is an unsettling sense all is not as it may seem. I am sure audiences will relish watching Sonia’s long game play out across season four."[15]
Ratings
| Episode | Title | Original airdate | Overnight Viewers | Nightly Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-01 | First Blood | 10 May 2016 | 140,000[2] | 1st[2] |
| 4-02 | Poking Spiders | 17 May 2016 | 97,000[3] | 2nd[3] |
| 4-03 | Prisoner | 24 May 2016 | 81,000[4] | 4th[4] |
| 4-04 | Screw Lover | 31 May 2016 | 97,000[5] | 3rd[5] |
| 4-05 | Love and Hate | 7 June 2016 | 103,000[6] | 3rd[6] |
| 4-06 | Divide and Conquer | 14 June 2016 | 119,000[7] | 1st[7] |
| 4-07 | Panic Button | 21 June 2016 | 121,000[8] | 1st[8] |
| 4-08 | Plan Bea | 28 June 2016 | 84,000[9] | 3rd[9] |
| 4-09 | Afterlife | 5 July 2016 | 110,000[10] | 1st[10] |
| 4-10 | Smitten | 12 July 2016 | 110,000[11] | 1st[11] |
| 4-11 | Eleventh Hour | 19 July 2016 | 123,000[12] | 1st[12] |
| 4-12 | Seeing Red | 26 July 2016 | 95,000[13] | 2nd[13] |
- Figures are OzTAM Data for the 5 City Metro areas.
- Overnight - Live broadcast and recordings viewed the same night.
- Consolidated - Live broadcast and recordings viewed.
References
- 1 2 "Wentworth Season 4". Foxtel. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 10 May 2016". 10 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 17 May 2016". 17 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 24 May 2016". 24 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 31 May 2016". 31 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 7 June 2016". 7 June 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 14 June 2016". 14 June 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 21 June 2016". 21 June 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 28 June 2016". 28 June 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 5 July 2016". 5 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 12 July 2016". 12 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 19 July 2016". 19 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Tuesday 26 July 2016". 26 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Renewed: Wentworth". TV Tonight. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Sigrid Thornton joins Wentworth". TV Tonight. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.