Reviewer
Gemma Fielding |
Build-up
5 |
Kissing
4 |
Love scenes
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Episode overall
5 |
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Simone Lahbib plays the governor of G Wing at HMP Larkhall. Young and ambitious, with a strong sense of morality, her colleagues - most of whom hail from the Old Boys School - are not happy with how she runs the prison. Lahbib is a firm believer in adhering to the rules, and feels that she has betrayed her own ideals by falling in love with a wayward inmate, played by Mandana Jones. The two shared a kiss in the first series, which Lahbib appears to deeply regret. However, despite Lahbib's feigned lack of interest, Jones refuses to concede that the governor does not share her feelings, and taunts her repeatedly about their brief liaison.
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Actresses:
Mandana Jones & Simone Lahbib
A corrupt prison officer has been having sex with a psychotic inmate. The inamate feels he is no longer paying her sufficient attention, so she sneaks a mobile phone into the prison and begins plaguing the officer's wife with anonymous phone calls. Jones, hating the officer and his warped ideals, is naturally the prime suspect, and when he raids her cell, throwing her beloved books - most of which Lahbib has given to her - on the floor, she loses it and lashes out at another officer. Lahbib has no choice but to put her on 'the block,' and when Jones shows no remorse for her actions, is forced to ship her out to another prison. Their parting words are rather harsh, with Jones telling Lahbib: "I know I knock him, but at least when he fancies a con he has the courage to give her one."
However, Lahbib eventually realises that Jones was provoked into assaulting the officer, and has the prison van bring her back to Larkhall. Appalled with the his behaviour, and amazed that her superiors won't suspend the amoral officer, she resigns in a show of disgust. Retreating to Jones' cell, she tells her the bad news. Jones is devastated, but is consoled by a tender and lingering kiss from Lahbib, who, no longer having to adhere to protocol, is finally free to act on her feelings.
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This episode is truly heart-rending. After a build-up that spanned the entire first series, Lahbib and Jones appear to be in limbo as far as their relationship is concerned. Simone Lahbib and Mandana Jones play the angst-ridden characters to perfection. Lahbib is wholly convincing as the prudish governor, and although the way she loves to play the martyr has the capacity to frustrate the hell out of you, you can't help but fall in love with her sexy Scottish accent. We've seen the characters kiss before, but this is the first episode where Lahbib fully admits to loving Jones and the results are poignant - especially as viewers are led to believe that this is the last time the two will see each other. As Lahbib remarks before leaving a distraught Jones: 'Shit happens.'
Thankfully, she returns to Larkhall in a later episode as an independent researcher and is a lot more laid back about their relationship, which goes on developing throughout the series - culminating in their finally sleeping together!
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