Wentworth Season 8 Review: A Slower Season But Still My Favorite

The eighth season of "Wentworth" is currently available on NetFlix. If you've read my reviews before (see here) you know I'm MAD about the show. It is one of the best "women in prison" series EVER. The only other show that comes close is Spain's "Vis A Vis". Yes, I also enjoyed "Orange Is The New Black" but "Wentworth" takes it to a whole 'nother level.

Spoilers Ahead: Turn back now if you have seen this season.

A quick catch up from last year. As you recall, at the end of season 7 Vera was suffering from dementia. Boomer suffocated her in a mercy killing at Vera's request. Very well done scenes-- a major tearjerker. Several people tried to break Marie Winter out of prison but the plan went terribly wrong. It was revealed that one of the new guards (Sean Brody) killed Kaz Procter. During the siege, Allie got hold of a gun and killed Sean. Mari goes after Ruby (since she killed her son Danny) but is stopped by Allie who shoots her in the leg Ruby's sister Rita is revealed to be an undercover cop. She is put in protective custody. Vera goes into labor. Luckily she and baby Grace are all good. At some point, Marie turns over a new leaf (and stops trying to kill Ruby). Can she be trusted? I dont think so. Who knows what her long game is.

We have some new characters in season 8. Ann Reynolds (Jane Hall) is the new prison administrator/ general manager. She and Will (who is now governor) often butt heads. Vera returns after a while (thanks to day care in the prison). She sets up a phone bank operation to help keep the prisoners occupied and to make a little money. Prisoners and phones-- what could possibly go wrong? Vera and Jake patch things up. He's still a guard-- along with Linda (who seems to have PTSD from the prison siege).

Also new are prisoners Lou (Kate Box) and per partner Reb (Zoe Terakes). Reb is transitioning. The two will do anything to get the money for Reb's medication and reassignment surgery. Lou quickly tussles with Allie. Allie cuts off her pinky finger. Lou was previously top dog there years ago In a related note, it looks like Kate Jenkinson has had some plastic surgery. You go girl!

We also meet Judy (Vivienne Awosoga). She is being sent to the US on terrorism charges Late in the season Sheila (Marta Dusseldopr) shows up. She has a past with Lou and Reb. Sheila seems to be a master manipulator so watch out.

And in the main event, after thinking they had buried her alive in a coffin, the Freak is back! I've said it before but Joan Ferguson (Pamela Rabe) is the best villain ever on television. She's up to her usual craziness-- stalking Vera. She is severely beaten in the head and left for dead. She recovers but has amnesia and thinks she is really the person's whose identity she stole-- Kath Maxwell. Meanwhile, Will, Vera, Jake and Allie know they have to keep their story straight because they're the ones that tried to kill Joan. Payback is a bitch.

Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). After being obsessed with "Wentworth" for seven seasons, 8 seems slower to me. Most of my favorite main characters are gone. There are some new ones but they dont have the same punch. Luckily one of the most important is back. And I wont spoil anything else for you. Just watch it. As usual, the season ends on a cliffhanger. It wasnt as exciting as last year's prison siege but we still have one main character's life in jeopardy. Are you still invested in "Wentworth" after all these years?

"Wentworth" is ALREADY Australia's longest running drams series Next year it will hit 100 episodes. The TV series it's based on, "Prisoner", ran from 1979 to 1986. It had a whopping 692 episodes. Wow!. "Wentworth" will release a ninth and final season mid 2021. I hope they pull out all the stops and go out on a high note. The ladies of "Wentworth" and the fans definitely deserve it.