The first season of Wentworth introduces viewers to the harsh and complex world of a women’s prison in Australia. The story primarily follows Bea Smith, a timid woman who enters the prison on remand for the attempted murder of her abusive husband. She is initially terrified and overwhelmed, a stark contrast to her later persona. The series begins with her arrival, where she must quickly learn the brutal rules of survival.
Life inside is governed by a strict hierarchy. At the top is Franky Doyle, the charismatic and ruthless “Top Dog” who controls the prison’s black market and enforces her will with violence and manipulation. Franky takes an interest in Bea, seeing her as a potential protégé or pawn. The prison staff, including Governor Meg Jackson and Deputy Governor Vera Bennett, navigate their own challenges. Vera, in particular, struggles with her domineering mother and a desire for respect.
The season’s central conflict erupts when Bea’s friendship with another inmate, Debbie, is destroyed. Debbie is Bea’s own daughter, who becomes involved with Franky. This relationship ends in tragedy when Debbie is killed during a riot orchestrated by Franky. This event becomes the catalyst for Bea’s profound transformation. Grief and rage harden her, shifting her goal from mere survival to gaining power for revenge.
Simultaneously, the season explores the lives of other inmates, like the maternal Liz Birdsworth and the troubled Doreen Anderson. The political landscape within the prison shifts dramatically when Governor Jackson is murdered by her husband, a correctional officer, leaving Vera to step into a position of greater authority, albeit with deep insecurity.
The season climaxes with Bea meticulously engineering her revenge. She outmaneuvers Franky by exposing her weaknesses and rallying other women to her side. In a final, calculated move, Bea does not kill Franky physically but destroys her power completely, establishing herself as the new Top Dog. The season closes with Bea sitting alone in the yard, her expression one of cold resolve, having shed her former self and fully embraced a new, formidable identity within the walls of Wentworth.