COMING OUT -316

Règlements de compte

Réalisateur : Di Patrick
Scénariste : Jaden Clark

L'HISTOIRE

Jim Fenner demande à Helen de partir si elle souhaite protéger Nikki et ne pas compromettre son appel. Celle-ci est donc contrainte de démissionner et fait part de la nouvelle à Thomas qui ne comprend pas sa réaction. Il la soutient pourtant mais lorsque Jim lui apprend qu'Helen a eu une liaison avec Nikki, il demande des explications à sa petite amie. Cette dernière lui rétorque que tout est maintenant terminé entre elles mais Thomas ne la croit pas et rompt.

Crystal découvre qu'elle est enceinte. Elle fait d'abord croire qu'il s'agit d'un miracle de Dieu mais Josh lui demande de reconnaître leur liaison afin d'être présent dans la vie de son enfant.

Tina se rapproche de Virginia. Maxi qui lui avait déjà interdit de le faire se met à la frapper et à l'humilier. Tina demande alors à changer de cellule mais après avoir discuté avec Yvonne, Maxi change de technique et fait semblant de s'excuser auprès de Virginia et fait amende honorable. De son côté, Fenner joue à séduire Maxi et celle-ci l'excite en lui offrant un string.

Jim demande Karen en mariage. Elle accepte mais lorsqu'il disparaît pour aller chercher une bouteille de champagne, elle découvre le rapport de harcèlement sexuel rédigé par Helen et dirigé contre Fenner.

Yvonne a décidé de faire plonger Fenner. Elle demande de l'aide à Maxi puis à Virginia. Lorsque celui-ci découvre ses plans, il essaie de trouver un moyen de se venger. Yvonne va prendre un bain en même temps que Virginia, lorsque cette dernière est assassinée, noyée. Rapidement prévenu, Jim déclare qu'Yvonne était la première présente sur les lieux et qu'elle avait des différents avec Virginia. La prisonnière est donc fortement suspectée du meurtre. Yvonne est alors enfermée en isolement bien qu'elle clame son innocence.

Sylvia reçoit un appel téléphonique de Shell et Denny qui même loin de la prison continuent à la harceler. Alors que les deux ex-prisonnières bronzent sur leur bateau, un inspecteur se présente et tente de les arrêter. Shell et Denny prennent la fuite et se jettent à la mer.

L'appel de Nikki a finalement lieu. Les juges reconnaissent qu'elle a agit en état de légitime défense et la libèrent. C'est en citoyenne libre qu'elle quitte le tribunal et retrouve Trisha, son ancienne petite amie. Devant les caméras, elle remercie Helen pour son aide et son soutient durant toute son incarcération. Alors qu'une soirée est organisée en son honneur, Helen lui rend visite et lui souhaite bonne chance pour sa vie à venir. Elles se séparent amies mais Trisha fait remarquer à Nikki qu'Helen l'aime et qu'elle n'attend qu'elle. Nikki sort donc du bar en courant et retrouve Helen. Elles se font une belle déclaration d'amour et s'embrassent. Elles ont tout l'avenir devant elles.

CAPTURES DE L'EPISODE

Fenner rencontre Helen dans un couloir mais il ne manque pas l'occasion de la narguer :

Fenner: Decided to brazen it out, have you?

Helen: I'm hardly gonna resign over a prisoner's jottings and a couple of planted clues, am I?
Fenner: Fine. Well, let's go and ask Barbara Hunt herself, shall we? Get her to tell us what she knows about that night.[as Helen turns to go] Unless you want her to lie for you.

Fenner: You'd better make your mind up, Helen. 'Cause if the appeal court finds out about Wade's escape ... [leaning close to Helen] I'll have the both o' ya.

Dans la bibliothèque :

Nikki: Barbara will lie for us. Say that I put her up to it. The fantasies of a sex-starved con.

Helen: The whole reason I came into this job was because I believed that I had principles.
Nikki: Well, you have! That's why you can't leave!
Helen: No, that's why I can't ask an inmate to lie for me.
Nikki: That's the least you can bloody well do.
Helen: No, Nikki. It's no good. Fenner has got far too much over me.
Nikki: [pacing] Why does his luck hold out every bastard time?
Helen: Hey. Pretty soon, you're gonna be out of all this too.
Nikki: That still leaves everybody else stuck in here with Fenner, doesn't it?
Helen: The best way you can get him is by winning your appeal.
Nikki: [panicking] What if I don't? What if they send me right back here?
Helen: You mustn't think like that.
Nikki: Knowing I'll never see you again ... I know we're only friends, I know that. But you were always more than someone I just fancied. You were my hope.

Helen: Shh, Nikki ...

Nikki: How can I face another 10 years in this place with no hope? [crying] I can't help feeling it's all my fault ... if you'd never met me, if we'd never got involved ... I kept letting you down.

Helen prend Nikki par les épaules et tente de l'encourager à aller de l'avant.

Helen: Listen. You've gotta forget about me and focus on your future. Come on, promise me.

Mais le Dr.Waugh les interrompt une fois encore :

Helen: No, it's OK. I've gotta speak to you anyway. [after he leaves] Goodbye, Nikki.

Helen annonce à Thomas qu'elle quitte Larkhall et qu'elle en a assez de Fenner :

Thomas: No, there's no way you'd throw the towel in. Not now. Has he touched you again?!
Helen: No.
Thomas: Because if he has...
Helen: He hasn't.
Thomas: Eh, well, there's something you're not telling me. I can read that.
Helen: Don't psychoanalyze me. I'm not one of your bloody patients.
Thomas: I don't understand why you're lying to me.
Helen: Because I don't know how you'd react to the truth.
Thomas: Try me!
Helen: I can't. Not yet. But I've made the right decision. You just have to trust me.

Dans le bureau de Karen, Helen lui annonce qu'elle quitte Larkhall dans l'après midi :

Karen: Well, what's prompted this?
Helen: Oh, that's easy. [looking at Fenner, who happens to be present] It was Jim.
Karen: You're not still banging that old drum.
Helen: He's been playing you since day one, Karen. He's a misogynist bastard. And I am sick to the bloody back teeth trying to get you to see it. So I'm done. He's all yours.

Thomas aide Helen a faire ses paquets :

Thomas: Well, that's my betting days over, then. I just never thought you'd walk away and let Fenner win.

Helen: OK, so he won. Rub it in. Make me feel worse than I already do.
Thomas: I'm sorry.
Helen: Don't you think if I had one shred of hope ...
Thomas: It's just ... you know, you were so determined.
Helen: I have gone to the wire fighting the s--- in this service.
Thomas: And resign if you want. That is your right. [heading for the door] Come on. Over a drink, yeah?
Helen: Yeah, a big bevy-load.

Helen emmène une enveloppe avec elle....

Fenner tombe sur Helen alors qu'elle quitte Larkhall :

Helen: You know one of the good things about walking away from a job? All of a sudden you realize you've got nothing left to lose. I may be on my way out, Jim, but I am gonna drag you all the way down with me. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Nikki observe le départ d'Helen depuis la fenêtre de sa cellule :

Thomas et Helen dînent ensemble. Helen se sent bien, elle a déjà eu deux entretiens d'embauche :

Thomas: So that's it, then? Larkhall's just forgotten about.
Helen: I'll miss it. Already do in some ways.
Thomas: But you left because of Fenner, right?
Helen: And because I realized that I've got choices in life. I can choose where I wanna work. [putting her hand on his]And who I wanna be with.

Thomas retire sa main et avale un peu de vin. Helen essaie de détourner l'attention en parlant du restaurant et du plat servi :

Thomas: You'd tell me, wouldn't you, if there was someone else?
Helen: What's brought this on?
Thomas: Because I think we get on really well together.
Helen: We do.
Thomas: It's just sometimes I feel like just when I'm getting close, like we're connecting, I run into this wall.
Helen: This is starting to sound heavy.
Helen: Can we discuss it later?
Thomas: I need to discuss it now.
Thomas: I've had an inkling something's not been right for a while. Like there's something you're not telling me.
Helen: I don't know where this is going. And I don't know what you're talking about. Also, I'm starving and the salmon looks good, mmkay?
Thomas: I'm talking about Nikki Wade.
Helen: It was over before you and I...
Thomas: The stupid thing is, it all makes sense now.
Helen: Thomas, listen to me. Nikki and I, it's old news.
Thomas: Not to me it isn't. [shouting, shocking the restaurant into silence] And I had to stand there and hear it from Jim bloody Fenner!
Helen: I was going to tell you. I was just waiting for it to blow over.
Thomas: You risked a career you love to be with her. Now, I obviously don't know you half as well as I thought I did, but I know you wouldn't have done that unless it was pretty damn serious.
Helen: You know what prison's like. It's its own little world. Things get twisted and distorted.
Thomas: Or maybe it helped unlock something that you've been denying.
Helen: No, I don't deny that I cared for Nikki. but I'm away from Larkhall now. I'm with you.
Thomas: I'm not a quick fix.
Helen: [irritated] I know that.
Thomas: Do you.

Et Thomas se lève pour partir. Helen lui demande de rester mais il n'est pas sur d'avoir une raison pour le faire.

Le discours de Nikki, qui sort libre du tribunal :

Nikki: It goes without saying I'm delighted to be set free. Prison's a terrible place. [seeing Fenner on the sidewalk]. People don't know half of what goes on. There are male officers employed on female residential wings, abusing vulnerable women. Anyway. I was one of the lucky few inside to get access to some real education. And there's one woman I've got to thank for that, because she always believed in me. No matter how tough things got. I owe that woman not only my freedom, but also my life.

Dans le club de Nikki et Trish :

Nikki et Trish fêtent la libération. Qulequ'un entre dans le bar et Trish la remarque :

Trish: I think there's someone here to see you. :

C'est Helen :

Nikki: Hey.
Helen: Hey!
Nikki: How did you find out I was here?
Helen: [tapping her nose] Bit of detective work. I had to see ya. Tell you how happy I am for ya.
Nikki: It's all a bit of a dream right now.
Helen: You'll get used to it.
Nikki: I'd never have done it without you, Helen. You know that? You stood by me when no one else gave a damn. If you knew how much that meant ...
Helen: I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Helen: Nikki ...

Mais avant qu'elle puisse aller au bout de sa pensée, elle aperçoit Trish qui la regarde :

Helen: Look, I'd better go.
Nikki: Someone waiting for ya?
Helen: Have a wonderful night.

Et Trish se dévoue...

Trish: If you run, you can still catch her.
Nikki: She's not interested in me.
Trish: Of course she's bloody interested. Just go.

Enfin ...

Nikki sort du club et voit un taxi s'éloigner, pensant qu'Helen est à l'intérieur :

Helen: [from somewhere behind Nikki] You lookin' for someone?

Nikki: [spinning on her heels, then striding toward Helen] Thought it was a bit rude not to ask you to stay for a drink.
Helen: Well, I figured if I waited out here long enough ...
Nikki: So ... do you wanna come back in?
Helen: Could stay for one, I suppose.
Nikki: Well, that is, unless there's somewhere else you've gotta be.
Helen: [shaking her head, taking a deep breath] Thomas and I split up. I've been such an idiot, Nikki.
Nikki: I know what you're saying.
Helen: No. Let me say it. Thomas is gorgeous. He's everything you would want in a man.