Who most deserved their place at the top of the Prison food chain?
After nine seasons and one hundred breathtaking episodes, beloved Australian Prison Drama Wentworth has finally come to an end. The series will go down in history as one of the greatest Australian dramas of all time, largely due to its many beloved characters.
Of these characters, the most important are the Top Dogs, those special women who rose up to become leaders within the prison walls. The best Top Dogs were those who struck the balance of keeping order within the Prison and fighting for the best interests of the women.
With that in mind, lets rank the eight main Top Dogs of Wentworth Correctional Centre, from worst up to best.
When Kaz Proctor steps in as Top Dog just prior to Bea Smiths death, she has dreams of running Wentworth differently, and putting a stop to violence between the inmates. Unfortunately, a lot of the women come to see this lack of violence as troublemakers not being punished for their transgressions. Joan The Freak Ferguson, by then behind bars for Beas murder, takes advantage of this, carrying out her own punishment when she cuts out Juicy Lucys tongue. To the horror of Kaz and her crew, the women declare Ferguson Top Dog.
However, The Freaks victory doesnt last long. A Top Dog needs a loyal crew, which Joan never bothers to build, and respect between the Top Dog and the other women must go both ways. Joan proves this is not the case when, during a Kangaroo court trial arranged by Kaz and Frankie, Joan refers to the other women as animals with little control over themselves. Joans reign as Top Dog almost ends with her being lynched, until Vera Bennet reluctantly steps in to save her life. Definitely not a successful run at the top.
Wentworths final Top Dog, Lou Kelly, also ranks low on the list. Like Joan, Lou declares herself Top Dog after carrying out her own punishment on Sheila Bausch in revenge for the death of her lover, Reb, however, she does not officially take the role until she wins it in a fight against Boomer.
Lou is a terrible Top Dog for a number of reasons. She is mostly in the role for power, and constantly puts her own desires above those of the other inmates, a notable example being when after learning she has something she needs, Lou takes Judy Bryant under her protection, despite having promised to punish her for the stabbing of Allie Novak. Even worse, in the series finale she lets her planned bomb go off with absolutely no thought to the other womens safety. Many are seiously injured or killed in the blast. While we never see the womens opinion on this, it doesnt bode well for Lous future as a Top Dog.
After the sudden, tragic death of Kaz Proctor in season 7, Allie nominates her then-girlfriend, Marie Winter, to take her place as Top Dog. It is a decision she eventually comes to regret. At first, Marie seems to be a good Top Dog, liked by the women, and fair in her decision making.
However, this changes quite quickly when Marie has a court date that doesnt go her way, leaving her with a longer than expected Prison sentence. Along with crooked Screw Brody, Marie hatches a plan to get herself and the unknowing Allie out of Wentworth. The plan leads to a siege that ends with more than one inmate dead, Vera giving birth in a stairwell, and Liz suffering a stroke. The only thing that helps Marie scrape in above Lou is the fact that, unlike Lou who simply didnt care, Marie genuinely didnt mean for anyone to get hurt, except maybe Ruby.
When Bea Smith first arrives at Wentworth Correctional Centre at the beginning of Season One, Jacs Holt, the matriarch of the Holt crime family, is the prisons Top Dog. According to the guards, Jacs has been Top Dog for quite a few years when the series begins. However, pay attention, and there are hints right from the beginning that Jacss power is waning. For example, despite not being in Jacss crew, Franky Doyle seems to step in as de-facto Top Dog when Jacs is in the Slot. And while later in the series, we see the crews of injured Top Dogs fill in for them while they recover, this is not the case for Jacs. After Franky breaks Jacss hand, much of her crew begins to defect.
Perhaps Jacss biggest mistake is trying to break Bea Smith. Immediately after learning that Jacs is responsible for the death of her daughter, Debbie, Bea murders her. Jacss actions also sign the death warrant of her son, Brayden.
In the slight time jump between the season 7 siege, and the beginning of season 8, Allie Novak, a hanger-on of previous Top Dogs, has stepped into the Wentworth drivers seat herself. In her own tenure as Top Dog, she tries to emulate the values of the two Top Dogs she was closest to. Allie tries to be fair and keep violence to a minimum, like Kaz Proctor, but like Bea, she is unafraid to hand down a harsh punishment if the situation warrants it.
Unfortunately, like other Top Dogs who carry their heart into the job, Allie begins struggling with the darker aspects of what she needs to do to keep the women of Wentworth safe. Allies time at the top is cut short when she is stabbed by Judy Bryant, resulting in a spinal injury that leaves her paralyzed, and forcing her to step down as Top Dog at the beginning of season 9.
Frankie Doyles time as Wentworth’s Top Dog is the epitome of ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’. After jostling for the position with Jacs throughout season 1, she has finally taken Top Dog status as her own. The problem? Well, being Top Dog isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Balancing her Top Dog responsibilities, her friendships, and her prison drug racket is more difficult than she expected.
On top of this, she soon finds her position threatened by Bea’s return from the Slot. As Jacs’s murderer, Bea does in fact have a claim to the Top Dog position. Though Frankie wins a fight against Bea, seemingly cementing her position, she cedes Top Dog status to Bea after realising Bea lost on purpose as part of her plan to escape and kill Brayden Holt.
“This is Queen Bea. Shes your Top Dog now… anyone have a problem with that?”
When Kaz Proctor takes up the role of Wentworths Top Dog at the tail end of Season 4, she has lots of new ideas for how she is going to run things. For one, she wants to eliminate violence among Wentworth inmates, and do away with the violent punishments dished out by previous Top Dogs. To Kazs dismay, the women dont take to her new, pacifist leadership, and her initial refusal to relax her stance leads to her position being briefly usurped by The Freak.
In her later seasons, Kaz takes a more balanced approach, still disliking violence, but understanding it is sometimes necessary in the name of avoiding chaos within the prison walls. She becomes one of Wentworths longest serving Top Dogs, as apart from Joans brief tenure, Kaz serves as Top Dog from the end of season 4 until her death in mid-season 7.
Though an obvious choice, anyone reading this article knows it could be no other way. Bea Smith is easily Wentworths most beloved Top Dog. As a leader, Bea is tough, but fair, and from the moment she took the reigns at the end of season 2, the needs of the women came first, and she gives up most of who she used to be pre-prison in the name of protecting them.
In season 3, she spends much of her time trying to end Joan Fergusons reign of terror as Governor, and at seasons end, she runs into a fire without a second thought to rescue Doreens baby son, Josh. Then, in season 4, she tragically gives her own life to ensure Ferguson remains behind bars.
That brave act alone earns be the status of Wentworths greatest Top Dog.
Does Ferguson become top dog in Wentworth?
Season 2. Joan is introduced at the beginning of the second season when she busts a drug smuggle in the laundry room and introduces herself as governor. After Franky refuses allegiance with her, Ferguson becomes fixed on ending Franky’s reign as top dog.
Who is top dog in Wentworth?
Jacs was notable for being the first known top dog in Wentworth and for her rivalries with Franky Doyle and Bea Smith. Jacs was portrayed by Kris McQuade. …
| Jacs Holt | |
|---|---|
| Portrayed by | Kris McQuade |
| Status | Deceased; murdered by Bea Smith. |
| Duration | 2013 |
| Episode Count | 10 |
Wentworth S5Ep6 Ferguson becomes topdog
EXCLUSIVE: Wentworth star Kate Jenkinson has told Daily Star Online all about her character Allie Novaks transformation as she starts season eight as the new Top Dog
Wentworth star Kate Jenkinson has won the coveted role of Top Dog, as her character Allie Novak was revealed to be running things among the inmates in last nights season eight premiere.
Over the years, fans of Wentworth Prison have seen the likes of Franky Doyle, Jacs Holt, Bea Smith, Kaz Proctor and Joan “The Freak” Ferguson as Top Dog.
The role is difficult and demanding, and a number of them have ended up dead as they tried to protect the women in the prison.
With that in mind, actress Kate Jenkinson exclusively told Daily Star Online that she wouldnt mind if Allies time as Top Dog ends with her in a body bag.
Australian star Kate told us: “This season is different from any other season weve had before because we knew from the outset that these final 20 episodes were going to be the last episodes that we made.
“Having said that, there was kind of safety in moving forward because while most actors would say they never want their character to die, because with the death of the character comes the death of your part in the show and employment as an actor, knowing this was going to be the last hurrah, I kind of relished the potential that Allie might end up in a body bag.
“I still dont know if she does or doesnt, we have yet to receive our final episodes so I truly dont know what fate awaits her.
“But I have faith in the writers and I think they have crafted such an exceptional and honest world for all of those characters that if my character ends up dead Ill be happy with that – but if shes alive then Ill be happy with that too.”
Viewers may have noticed that Allie looks dramatically different in the opening episode – a much foxier version of the character fans are used to.
Kate told us: “I remember when I was told I would be Top Dog and got a bit of an insight into the character, immediately I thought that she needed to look different, sound a bit different, she needed to walk a bit different because she truly has transformed in a way.
“But I think she is putting on a show of power because you kind of have to in that position.
“I think the new look is a visual representation of that and the producers and writers absolutely were on the same page with that.
“They felt we wanted to see visually on the outside that there was a huge change going on in Allie.”
Allie has had a difficult journey and Kate admitted she didnt know if her character had it in her to be Top Dog.
She told us: “The way that its been written, and ironically her journey up until now with all of the chaos and destruction and the breakdown of her sense of humanity, I think it has equipped her to be a strong and capable and quite ruthless Top Dog.
“Of course shes learnt from the best. Shes seen Bea be Top Dog, Caz, the Freak, Marie, shes really seen a broad spectrum of how people deal with that position and what happens to them once theyve been in that position.
“So I think even though shes an unlikely leader, she takes it in her stride and while it may not be a role that feels comfortable for her, I think she embraces it and for the safety of the women she does her best job.”
Fans will get to see a firm but fair Top Dog in Allie – she punished new character Lou Kelly for attacking Boomer like any ruthless leader would.
But she also shows a softer side when it comes to transgender male prisoner Reb and his surgery fund.
Kate said: “Unlike some of the Top Dogs that have proceeded her, Allies not in this position for any personal gain.
“Shes in it because she understands that shes the best person equipped for it and the women need a strong leader, and they need someone in charge who can help them to thrive and flourish.
“Given Allies history with drug abuse and prostitution and living on the streets, she more than anyone understands how desperate you can be, that life can present you with really s***ty circumstances and its how you handle that that makes you who you are.
“Shes happy to see the women do their thing and thrive and I dont think that she is oppressive in any way. She genuinely wants the women to be happy because ultimately that makes her job as Top Dog easier.
“Shes happy to keep the peace and make concessions and compromise, especially with a character like Lou Kelly who is very much gonna be on her radar in terms of an adversary – shes playing the game and shes learnt from the best.
“She knows the best Top Dogs have to be able to negotiate and I think especially with a character like Lou Kelly, you are gonna have to find more common ground, otherwise she may find that shell get railroaded quite soon.”
One of the most dramatic moments of season eight will be when Allie learns that her enemy The Freak is still alive – something viewers learned in the season seven finale.
She had been thought dead after Will Jackson thought hed buried her alive, and fans will have to wait to find out how she survived.
Kate told us: “Of course when the producers and writers made the decision to bring The Freak back, that was a genius move in my opinion because its just the one character that has the ability to completely throw a spanner in the works of every single plot line and character.
“It was such a joy to know that Pam [Rabe] was coming back to reprise her role as The Freak.
“So many of those characters have history with Ferguson. Allie has a very specific and bloody history with Ferguson, she hates her more than she hates anybody else on the planet and revenge was such a strong desire for Allie in season five, it overtook her entire life.
“The news that Ferguson is alive is possibly the most cataclysmic information that Allie could receive and what happens next is the tip of the iceberg, its pretty wild.”