No-one could have predicted the shocks and bombshells of Wentworth’s seventh season. From Liz’s emotional passing to Brody’s hostage hell and Joan “The Freak” Ferguson’s fantastic return, we’re still trying to pick our jaws up off the floor.
With so much unravelling, TV WEEK had no choice but to hunt down the series’ executive producer for answers.
‘The Freak’ made a shock return after being buried alive.
Jo, we need to know, was it always your intention to have The Freak re-appear at some point?
You might have noticed we never had DNA confirmation that it was actually her in the box – and if anyone could pull this off, well it would be Joan! I can’t wait for the audience theories on how this was possible. I will say [script producer] Marcia Gardner and her writing team have once again done an incredible job of earthing the Joan story – no pun intended!
We were holding our breath for Vera in the first part of the finale. Did you always want there to be that tension she may not survive? We’re not sure we would have forgiven you if something had happened to her or the baby…
Me, too! As anyone who has gone through pregnancy would tell you, it’s a rollercoaster all of its own – although I’m sure most of us haven’t had to give birth while held at gunpoint in a siege environment!
Jake has had an interesting journey this season. We’re never quite sure whether to love him, or hate him? Could there be a happy ever after for him and Vera?
In many cases, Jake is his own worst enemy! Without giving anything away, Vera and Jake have a lot to navigate when we meet them again.
What’s to come for Vera and Jake?
Tell us about the Lizzie storyline. Was it always your intention to have her die in the finale?
Oh, our darling Lizzie! Even thinking about that scene gives me goosebumps! Celia’s performance is extraordinary, as is Katrina’s. As you know, we have seen Liz battle with the ravages of an aggressive dementia across the past two seasons. It’s heartbreaking to imagine how you would cope with an illness like that in prison, when your choices are not your own. Speaking with Celia, it was felt it was important to honour the truth of the illness for the character. But, boy, did we shed some tears.
How important was it to have Boomer be the one that assisted her death?
They are our surrogate mother and daughter [and they] loved each other so much. We have seen Boomer grow in emotional maturity, and I think it speaks to both her love for Lizzie and her selflessness that she did this for her friend – particularly as we know her parole was coming up.
We know it’s early days, but can you hint at what may be explored in the final 20 episodes?
The ending of series seven has left some tantalising story threads hanging. How will the prison rebuild after the trauma of the failed siege (Marie has been exposed to the women for her role in this)? How will Boomer and Ruby cope inside without the person who had their back? Rita is in police protection, we’ll see Vera coping as a mother, and who will take over the mantle of Top Dog? And, of course, the big one – just how DID Joan Ferguson survive?
