Against Vera's wishes, Ferguson is released into general. The women are out for blood but Vera confines Ferguson to her cell for safety reasons. When Ferguson challenges Vera's decision, she's left bewildered and wondering whether Ferguson has a death-wish. As always, Ferguson has an endgame but will she live to accomplish it?

Ferguson, having found protection in Kaz's crew, cunningly blames Will for her brutal ganging, a move which only strengthens Kaz's support for her. When Bea defends Will, it backfires dramatically. She is painted as a screw-lover, and rapidly begins to lose the support of the women. The first ever conjugal visit takes place at the prison, and Boomer shamelessly attempts to impregnate herself to her deadbeat ex-boyfriend, Daz. Meanwhile, Maxine is diagnosed with breast cancer and can't bring herself to tell the other women.

With Bea in the slot, Ferguson intensifies her manipulation of Kaz. Seizing on the recent death of her father that sends Kaz into an inexplicable spiral Ferguson realises that Kaz was a victim of abuse at his hands. Ferguson uses her own troubled relationship with her father as a means of form a closer bond with Kaz. When new Indigenous inmate, Tasha, is put under Doreen s care, Ferguson sees an opportunity to force Kaz into action against Bea. With Maxine as acting Top Dog, Ferguson places Tasha in Lucy's orbit and when Tasha breaks the rules by protecting herself from Lucy's molestation, Maxine appears to have no choice but to punish Tasha. Ferguson urges Kaz to stand up to Maxine and save the innocent girl from abuse at the hands of a man , thereby tapping into Kaz's past trauma. Bea and Ally's bond is cemented when they are slotted in adjoining cells and spend hours talking.