Wentworth Season 1 Overview: Not Just Another Women In Prison Show

I'm a little late to the "Wentworth" party. "Wentworth" is an Australian series about women in prison that first aired in 2013. Season three began on April 7. It has also been picked up for a fourth. The first two seasons at currently available in the US on NetFlix.

My first thought was that it's an "Orange Is The New Black" knockoff but...no. "Wentworth" is actually based on the Australian series "Prisoner: Cell Block H" which ran from 1979 to 1986. While there will always be comparisons between the two, "Wentworth" is more gritty than "OITNB". While "OINTB" is classified in the comedy genre, "Wentworth" is definitely a drama. There's plenty of violence, drugs and sex to go around. What I like most about the Wentworth characters is that they are so "human" (for lack of a better word). When the "good" characters do bad things we feel for them. When we see why the "bad" characters are bad, we're forced to like them a little even when we dont want to.

Franky + Jacs + Bea = BIG TROUBLE

Season 1 begins with a new woman (Bea Smith) entering the Melbourne prison. She doesnt know the ropes so immediately gets into trouble. We meet a host of characters and get the back stories of some of the prisoners and staff. I wont go into detail here but some of the standouts are:

Bea Smith- We see the prison through this newbie's eyes. Her story arc in season 1 is heartbreaking.
Francesca (Franky) Doyle- a tattooed lesbian bad ass. I keep wanting to like her but then she does something stupid again.
Jacs Holt- a Martha Stewart type mafia wife. She is cunning and ruthless. Her arch enemy is Franky.
Doreen Anderson- a maternal inmate who also has dark secrets. Liz is aboriginal and native Australians are incarcerated at much higher rates than non natives IRL.
Liz Birdsworth- a prisoner advocate. It took me a while to realize she's actually a prisoner and not a worker. She, like everyone else, has made her share of mistakes.
Erika Davidson- the new governor. I dont trust her as far as I can throw her. She says the prisoners welfare is your primary focus but is she using her job as a stepping stone to a political career? Erika is also secretly attracted to Franky.
Will Jackson- a guard whose wife was the previous Governor. He's struggling with his own issues.
Vera Bennett- another guard who is full of secrets.

Dont Be Fooled By Vera's Timid Looks

Grade: 4 3/4 Monsters (out of 5). After the first episode I was hooked and watched the rest of the season in two days. If you enjoyed "Wentworth" as much as I did, please leave your notes in the comments section.