Archive

Review of “Bad Girls” Season 1

“Hard-hitting, original and controversial” is how the official press release describes Bad Girls, the prime-time drama which first aired in the UK over six years ago and has finally been released on DVD in the U.S. this week. The show boasts of its controversial subject matter in the release:

Bad Girls depicts the personal trials and triumphs of prison inmates and officers alike. This is a drama where fear and brutality meet friendship and compassion, and where corrupt staff, treacherous inmates, drugs and violence all combine to test the mettle of those thrown together 24/7.”

But does the show live up to its hype?

Overview

Bad Girls is a prison drama not for the faint-hearted, but it has drawn a healthy audience at 8.5 million viewers during its peak. Given its subject matter, the show has the potential to be fraught with cliché and stereotypical representations of lesbians in prison, but the show has managed to portray some very real, and very interesting characters. It’s also dealt with often over-looked issues like sexuality within a prison setting, relationships between prison officers/inmates, drugs, suicide, rape and–lets not forget what the show does best–the corruption of prison officers, and abuse of power.

The first episode of season one plunges its viewers straight into life at fictional Larkhall prison, allowing its characters–inmates and prison officers–to develop at a natural and realistic pace. It’s not surprising to learn that Bad Girls has a very strong list of female characters who take center stage, forcing the male characters of the show to remain in the sidelines.

Jim Fenner (Jack Ellis) is the exception to this rule. An opportunistic “screw” (Prison officer) who seemly has nine lives as well as no conscience, Fenner is always involved in something he shouldn’t be, which makes for shocking but often funny viewing. From Shell Dockley, Larkhalls’s resident psychotic lifer, to “the two Julies,” whose adventures and plots are both hilarious and touching to watch, this is a show of real contrasting and complex characters.

You don’t need to look further than episode 2 (the aptly named “Drug Wars”), where inmate Nikki Wade is forced to squat over a mirror, completely naked, with the door wide open, by the dedicated search team, to realize that this show isn’t afraid of portraying the harsh reality of prison life. “It must drive you mad not being able to touch me,” Nikki tells the prison guard.

Fortunately the show isn’t without its humour. Bad Girls would be nothing without its sharp one-liners and sarcastic remarks from inmates and officers alike. Sylvia Hollamby (Helen Fraser) is the cynic in the officer’s mess, the epitome of the “never listened, never learned” officer who doesn’t like change and would be happy if all inmates were locked up 24/7. Her character is tough and resolved, completely old school, but completely enjoyable to watch. “There’s about as much chance of Zandra Plackett coming off the nasty as there is of Cliff Richard inviting me up to his hotel room for cream cakes and sex,” Hollamby says in one episode.

Lesbian/Bi Interest

Bad Girls is not primarily a lesbian show, but the show is not without its lesbian, bisexual or just plain confused characters. To date, Bad Girls has portrayed six major lesbian relationships throughout seasons 1-6, and, rather disappointingly, only one major relationship of a bisexual nature. It seems clear that Bad Girls, like many other dramas, has made some steps towards greater visibility for lesbians on prime-time television, but like the others, seems to forget about bisexual women.

Still, the utter matter-of-factness of the lesbian content is refreshing but not surprising given that Bad Girls is conceived, written, and produced entirely by a gay/lesbian team (Shed Productions’ Maureen Chadwick, Ann McManus, Eileen Gallagher, and Brian Park).

Season 1

The first season of the show deals with the issue of sexuality within the confines of prison life, and does it pretty well, too. The major storyline between Simone Lahbib, who plays the idealistic and fast-tracked wing governor Helen Stewart, and Mandana Jones who plays the hard-headed but intelligent lesbian Nikki Wade, is a perfect example of a genuinely written and sensitive portrait of a straight wing governor who falls in love with a lesbian prisoner.

This storyline, which is followed up in later seasons, is part of the show from the word go. When Helen as a new wing governor takes a tough stance on the inmates in the first episode, she is immediately opposed by Nikki Wade, and there is chemistry in abundance. Their friendship is cemented when Helen Stewart seeks to make an ally of Nikki but ends up depending on her a lot more than she would initially like to:

HELEN (walks into cell, closes the door behind her and sits down next to Nikki on her bed): What you reading?

NIKKI: Little Dorritt, it’s a story about a terrible prison.

HELEN: Thank goodness we got rid of all of those! (sarcastic)

NIKKI: You’re doing your bit Helen, most of the girls in here know that deep down.

HELEN: (In tears) Yeah? But for how much longer?

NIKKI: Hey, come here! (puts her arm around Helen)

Helen who sees herself as completely straight and is indeed engaged (to a rather geeky looking gardener) begins to realize that she has feelings towards this woman, who is a prisoner in her care. Obviously thinking that denial is the best way to go, Helen tries very hard and unsuccessfully to concentrate on her insanely boring boyfriend instead.

Their relationship is not only well-portrayed and well-explored, but it manages to combine issues of sexuality with issues of morality. The very thought of a relationship with Nikki goes against every rule that Helen has followed and must follow. For such an idealistic woman to have feelings for an inmate, no less a female inmate, it’s no surprise that she is confused and dejected.

The on-screen chemistry between these actresses is wonderful to watch, and the power battles in the early episodes are not only true to character, but are portrayed with real intensity and sincerity. And, man, can Nikki give some cheek:

HELEN: I’m not having this Nikki, you’re not going to undermine the good order of this wing.

NIKKI: So transfer me, put me on report, I don’t give a shit!

HELEN: When are you going to grow up and stop all this macho crap? Why did you attack Michelle Dockley?

NIKKI: I dunno, touch of PMT. (Nikki stands up to leave the room)

HELEN: Sit in that chair!

NIKKI: (Sitting down) Don’t you wish it was electric?

Needless to say, this is one relationship you don’t want to miss. It will make you fall in love with the characters, it will leave you frustrated, and it may even make you cry. But it will definitely make you smile, too.

There are other lesbian/bi-sexual storylines in season 1 of Bad Girls, but the only one worth mentioning is the rather strange and un-explained entanglements of Shell Dockley (Debra Stephenson) and Denny Blood (Alicya Eyo). Shell Dockley, who likes to set fire to people’s hair and is just generally a psycho, is neither straight nor gay. In fact, her sexuality is never really explained and even though we see her involved with men and she never makes any declarations of bisexuality, we see her sexually involved with her side-kick, Denny. Again, it seems that writers perhaps find it easier to write the lesbian storyline more than the bisexual one, for their relationship is never fully explored or even understood.

Shell is the kind of character that will use sex to influence people, in fact, sex is all she’s ever known and perhaps that can go a long way to explain her relationship with someone who is technically just her best friend, her side-kick.

SHELL (to Crystal, after kissing Denny): Enjoy that did you? Crystaaal?

CRYSTAL: Will you two be so hot for each other when you’re burning in hell? I’ll ask God to forgive you.

SHELL:: Bollocks! In here, I’m God. Remember it!

We will.

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button