Written by Rick Copp and directed by Steven Kriozere, this episode is effectively a sequel to Behind Locked Doors part 1 and Part 2, the episodes that opened Femme Fatales season 1. Kit Willesee returns as Lacey River, Will Poston returns as Rafe, and Heidi James returns as Big Aggie.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

It’s unclear how much time has passed since previous episodes, but some things have changed. Part 2 ended with Rafe, realizing that Lacey just used him, locking her in a cell with Big Aggie, to Lacey’s horror. Since Lacey was supposed to be getting out of prison on parole soon, after preying on the sympathy of the warden, and promising to help him get a movie script that he wrote produced (the warden doesn’t appear in this episode, but it’s mentioned that he made a ton of money after his script got optioned for a movie), the implication is that Big Aggie was going to sexually assault and possibly even kill her before that could happen. But as this episode begins, Lacey is still in jail, still Big Aggie’s “bitch”, but now acting with a silent child-like personality, as if she’s gone crazy. I guess we can imply that whatever Big Aggie did to her made her snap, and thus her parole deal was revoked.

Jo Newman stars as another inmate, Jess. She’s in jail for getting caught robbing a bank with her boyfriend Ace, who got away with the money. We don’t know how long she’s been in for by this time, but she was due to be released in 6 months when Big Aggie attempted to sexually assault her and cut her face with a knife. A fight ensued in which Jess managed to grab the knife and stab Big Aggie to death. Although Lacey was watching the whole thing, she can’t (or won’t) speak and therefore doesn’t provide Jess with the testimony she needs to prove it was self-defense, so now Jess is being charged with murder and looking at life in prison.

Charlie Weber plays Ace, and the episode begins with him and Jess having a conjugal visit as Rafe stands guard outside the room. Ace and Jess discuss their plan for him to help her break out the next day, with Ace assuring her that not only does he still have the money they stole together but he’s got a lot more as he’s successfully robbed more banks since she’s been locked up.

Anne Lee Greene (who would sue the producers of this show after filming it) plays Kendra, another inmate. She tells Jess she knows about her and Ace’s plan (she said she watched them through a crack in the wall of the conjugal visit room and begs Lacey to take her with them, as Kendra says she’s being harassed and threatened by the ladies from Big Aggie’s old crew and is terrified that she won’t last much longer in prison. So Jess reluctantly agrees. The next day, while working together in the prison laundry room, Rafe comes in and Jess begins to seduce him, but as they’re about to have sex, Kendra sneaks up and grabs his gun. They then force him at gunpoint to sneak them outside, where Ace is waiting with a car.

When they get outside, Jess convinces Ace to let Kendra come with them, at least far enough to escape the prison. Ace is ready to kill Rafe, but Jess quickly knocks Rafe out, saying killing a guard is too dangerous, so just leave Rafe lying there. Later, after Ace and the ladies drive away, Rafe regains consciousness. He calls the prison to tell them about the escape, and then, grabbing another gun that he had strapped to his ankle, he says that he’s going after them, vowing to bring them back.

I don’t think that falls within a prison guard’s jurisdiction, as they’re not actual police, but never mind.

Ace and the two ladies drive away but eventually stop at a random house as it’s getting dark. Ace says they’ll wait there overnight and then steal the car at the house, as his own car is likely identified by the authorities by now. In another nod to series continuity, Rick Copp returns as Professor Richard Hollis, a character he played in the episode Extracurricular Activities. It’s his house that they break into, and Ace immediately stabs him to death (off-camera). Then, the plan is to hide in the house overnight, and in the morning, they’ll take the Professor’s car to get back on the road. As the three criminals spend the night in the house, we get the first big plot twist.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Jess finds out that Kendra and Ace already knew each other; Ace had hooked up with them after Jess went to jail; she became his new partner and then also got caught while Ace escaped custody. They planned for Kendra to befriend Jess and convince her to break up with her, knowing how desperate Jess would be after being sentenced to life in prison. We get a hot sex scene of Ace and Kendra together. When Jess finds out, she tries to leave, saying she doesn’t care about either of them, she just wants her share of the stolen money, but they double-cross her. Kendra wrestles the gun out of Jess’ hands and gives it to Ace, who shoots Jess dead, and then he and Kendra leave the house.

Sometime later, Rafe tracks Ace to a little hotel where Ace is having sex with some random hooker (Jennifer Thompson). Ace had ditched Kendra too, to keep all the money for himself. After a fight, Rafe shoots Ace dead. Some cops who arrive on the scene reveal that Kendra has already been caught and taken back to jail. And this is when we get the second big plot twist.

Rafe finds the bag of money under the hotel bed. Then he goes to the Professor’s house, where Jess is still alive and waiting for him. Unbeknownst to Ace, the gun Jess “stole” from Rafe was filled with blanks. So when he shot her, she just pretended to be hit and die. Now Rafe is going to quit his job, and he and Jess run off together with the money, which was their plan all along.

Also, back in jail Kendra now finds herself at the mercy of Lacey, who has taken over Big Aggie’s position as top gang leader in the prison.

Even if you take out the nudity and sex scenes, this episode is excellent, just for the writing. The multiple twists are quite clever, and the cast does a brilliant job with the material. I am quite impressed. Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

Jason Majercik is selling this UNRATED 4-disc DVD set of Femme Fatale season 2 for $29.99. Email him at quinn_nash@hotmail.com for his softcore inventory list.