The fourth season of the Australian prison drama series, “Wentworth” (also referred to as “Wentworth Prison”) was released for view in the United States at the end of July on Netflix. (Source)
Seen by some as the “Orange is the New Black” of Australian television, Wentworth follows many of the trends of Orange is the New Black, such as the focus on a diverse cast of characters, and the impact of the prison system on the lives of the prisoners involved. Unlike Orange is the New Black, Wentworth focuses on different themes, such as the impact of drugs on those living within and outside the prison, and the effect an individual can have on the entire prison population.
This trend continues in the new season of Wentworth, with titular character, Bea Smith, struggling to maintain her “top dog” position that she acquired at the end of the second season. Her main struggle is against Joan Ferguson, former governor (or Warden, for American viewers) who was arrested at the end of the third season for her abuse of the prisoners.
Throughout the fourth season, Joan attempts to manipulate the prisoners to work in her favor to take Bea down, while Bea tries to maintain alliances and friendships with her crew in dwindling morale and health, whilst dealing with the ethical questions that come with being “top dog.” Does she ally herself with the warden and officers to ensure order in the prison? Or does she ally herself with the prisoners against the officers and command total loyalty? What rules does she impose as “top dog?”
Once again, Bea’s personal battle with the use of drugs against her is highlighted again in the fourth season. Long-time viewers of Wentworth know that Bea lost her daughter to a drug overdose at the end of the first season, and has been fighting the presence and use of drugs in the prison.
During this season, Bea is faced with yet another group of drug traffickers and the consequences this has on the other prisoners. This becomes very personal as Joan begins to use the continued influx of drugs to make attempts on Bea’s life and that of the women in the prison Bea is close to.
Which brings me to the most interesting point in the series - Bea finally finds herself in a true friendship and eventually intimate relationship with the new inmate, Allie Novak. After three season of Bea being friendly but aloof after the death of her daughter, we see some life returning to her as she and Allie’s relationship grows. And ultimately, her closeness with Allie cause her to question her decision as top dog, and sets the stage for an epic finale.
Perhaps because Wentworth is not an original American production, it has thus far failed to gain wide popularity in the United States. However, this is not indicative of the show’s quality - Wentworth has a lot to offer from both a storytelling and even art perspective (there’s a lot of fancy film work in Wentworth that’s usually reserved for movies.) Check out the exciting new seaon if you can. And if you haven’t yet tried the series out, give the first season a try - you’ll probably end up sticking around.
