Franky Doyle (Wentworth)

Franky Doyle
Wentworth Prison character
First appearance	“No Place Like Home“
Created by	Reg Watson
Portrayed by	Nicole da Silva Jasmine Loizzo (young)
Crime(s)	Assault
Sentence	7 years (paroled)
Duration	2013-
Information
Full name	Francesca Rose Doyle
Nickname(s)	Franky
Occupation	Chef (formerly) Law student
Affiliation	Bea Smith (possible former) Boomer (possible former) multiple drug dealers (formerly)
Family	Alan Doyle (father) unnamed mother Tess Doyle (half-sister)
Significant other(s)	Kim Chang Erica Davidson Bridget Westfall Jodie Spiteri[1]
Nationality	Australian

Francesca "Franky" Doyle is a character in the show Wentworth. She was a prisoner of Wentworth Correctional Centre. She is played by Nicole da Silva. Franky’s notable storylines are her relationships with Kim Chang, Erica Davidson and Bridget Westfall. Franky is also known for being the top dog of the prison and her rivalries with Jacs Holt and Bea Smith.

Up until "Poking Spiders", Franky had appeared in every episode, except for four episodes on season 4. Franky was absent in "Prisoner".^[2][3] Franky has also been absent in episode "Screw Lover", "Love and Hate", "Divide and Conquer", "Panic Button" and "Plan Bea". Franky's absence is mentioned within the series when Doreen mentions not being able to get a hold of her in "Divide and Conquer"^[4]

Creation

In an interview da Silva said that Franky was "someone who is so dynamic, but she comes from a really messed-up childhood and that has impacted on the way she operates."^[5]

Backstory

Franky was serving a 7-year sentence for assaulting the TV presenter of a cooking talent show with a pan of hot oil after he criticised her food. She then got out and is now working to become a lawyer. Franky was neglected and abused in childhood.^[6]

Storylines

Season One

Franky Doyle is serving a 7-year sentence at Wentworth and is the Top Dog of Wentworth at the start of Episode 1. The "return" of Jacs Holt threatens this however, as Jacs and Franky are involved in a rivalry for the top dog position

We first meet Franky when Bea Smith arrives and is shown to her cell. Franky is having sex with Kim Chang in there and afterwards, comes out to talk to Bea. She immediately sees an opportunity in Bea—one of Franky's drug smuggling plans fails, and she coerces Bea to smuggle drugs in for her. Franky holds up the line for the phones, and implies she can keep doing so, in order to stop Bea from seeing Debbie.^[7]

Franky receives a lot of fan mail at Wentworth, in part due to the nature of her crime. She was a participant on a Reality TV show about underprivileged youth being given the chance to learn to cook, and she violently attacked the host after he verbally abused her on camera, burning him with hot oil. The incident however garnered nearly 100 million views on Popview, a video sharing website.^[6]

From a young age, Franky had a hard upbringing. Her father left when she was ten, unable to cope with his wife's drinking and drug problems. He left Franky with her mother, reasoning that a mother wouldn't hurt her own child.

It is revealed in the season 1 finale that Franky killed Meg during the riot. The murder was accidental as Franky thought Jacs had grabbed her from behind so stabbed the person in defense. To her shock, it was in fact Meg she stabbed, not Jacs.^[8]

Franky also appears to have a soft spot for the Governor Erica Davidson as they often flirt and exchange long lingering looks between one another throughout Season 1. In episode 10 they engage in a forceful kiss which both passionately enjoy.

Season Two

After Bea is released from solitary confinement at the beginning of season 2, Franky orders Boomer to attack Bea to display dominance as the new top dog since Jacs Holt's death. This causes friction between Franky and Bea.^[9]

Franky is being monitored by The Governor, who knows Franky is responsible for the smuggling of contraband into the prison. Franky takes advantage of the garden project, organising a male inmate from Walford prison to import drugs in return for oral sex from Boomer. The inmate informs Franky of a new product called "Pink Dragon", which he adds will "cost her". Franky and the inmate meet in the garden shed, where the drugs are located. The male inmate implies she will have to perform sexual favours for him in order to earn the drugs. As he tries to rape her, Franky grabs a garden fork and stabs the man in the genitals. His screams alert the guards of the situation. Liz informs The Governor of the whereabouts of the missing drugs, which results in Boomer being sentenced to seven additional years in Wentworth when the drugs are discovered in her cell.

The identity of the lagger is unknown to Franky, who becomes paranoid, originally accusing Doreen and later attempting to strangle Bea before Liz confesses. Franky and Liz have an emotional discussion, in which Franky admits that Liz is the only one to ever care about her. Before leaving H Block, Franky warns Liz not to come back to Wentworth.^[10]

Franky sees an opportunity in Maxine, trying to hire her as a henchman. When The Governor cuts off Maxine's hormone treatment, she seeks out Franky to smuggle the drugs for her, and in return becomes a part of her crew. Franky orders Maxine to attack Bea, who Franky suspects is working with The Governor and conspiring against her.^[11]

Boomer informs Franky that she is planning an attack on Liz on the outside, to which Bea interferes and gets Boomer locked up for an attempted attack, to which Bea remarks that she and Franky are going down.^[12]

After Boomer is slotted, Franky confronts Bea in the cafeteria, who admits she is planning to take over as top dog. Franky finds out that Maxine is working with Bea, passing on information and smuggled in a shiv. Franky seizes the shiv, prompting Bea to sneak into the mail room to steal a Stanley knife and tape.

In Into The Night, In the second last episode of the season, the Governor orders a new inmate, Jodi, to use the knife against Bea during a fight outbreak when they were playing basketball. Bea wins the fight, turning down the opportunity to kill Franky using a box cutter, and instead slices her own arms and ends up in the hospital.^[13]

In Fear Her, in the season final, Franky has lost the respect of the other inmates. The Governor offers her the place of top dog if she sides with her. Franky learns that her partner, Kim, will be leaving Wentworth as her parole has been approved. She and Franky argue over the two resuming their relationship outside of the prison, with Franky brushing Kim off, telling her to return to her boyfriend.^[14]

As the second season comes to an end, Franky and Bea come face-to-face on Bea's return to H Block, after being arrested for the murder of Brayden Holt, to which Franky tells the on looking crowd that Bea is the new top dog.

Season Three

In Knives Out, Franky ends up in trouble when the prisoners come to get what they are owed, Franky vents her anger by wrecking the Education Unit and is slotted in the process.^[15]

In the Episode Blood and Fire, Joan Ferguson lights Wentworth on fire and gets trapped with Doreen's baby Joshua, Franky and Bea turn around and go looking for Jess and Joshua, they find them in a rubbish Area, the ceiling starts collapsing with Bea, Joshua, Franky and Ferguson trapped inside. Bea climbs through the vent while holding Joshua and exits the building. Bea gives Doreen Anderson her baby and then runs back inside to save Franky and Will Jackson runs in after her. Will and Bea manage to push the door open and Bea grabs Franky and tells Will to leave Joan there but Will grabs her and brings her out. The place burns down with Jess inside but everybody else gets out. Franky is later seen getting her parole and leaves the prison.^[16]

Season Four

The first episode of season four opens with Franky giving an interview on a radio station. It is revealed that Franky and Bridget are continuing their relationship. Vera visits Bridget's house and learns of this relationship.^[17]

Bridget informs Franky of Vera's threats to sack her. Franky learns from her father that she has a younger sister. Franky has dinner with Vera and Bridget where they discuss Ferguson's request to be moved into general population. Franky then meets up with her sister and tells Bridget that she won't see her for a while.^[18]

Reception

Nicole da Silva has been nominated for awards for the role of Franky Doyle. She has currently won one award for the role. In 2014, da Silva won the award for Most Outstanding Performance in the ASTRA Awards.^[19]

In 2015, da Silva was nominated but didn’t win another ASTRA or Logie Awards.^[20][21]

In Metro, Franky was compared to Ruby Rose from Orange Is The New Black where Metro said "Ruby Rose is amazing. But sorry, there’s only room for one tattooed prison bae in our lives and it’s the sassy, vulnerable, tough and sexy Franky Doyle." Metro also commented on the relationship between Franky and Erica by calling it sexy. They also billed Franky and Bea as ruthless top dogs.^[22]

FemaleFirst had described Franky as one of the likeable characters within the first season but claimed in the second season that she was on a rougher edge after losing a governor who she was close to.^[23]

A scene from "Metamorphosis" was stated to be one of the five lesbian TV moments from 2014. The scene was when Franky stated "I don't eat sausage. I'm a vagitarian."^[24]

Elaine Atwell writing for AfterEllen stated about Franky and her absence, "Nicole is an incandescent ball of emotion, and her absence makes it easier to appreciate Danielle’s quieter brilliance."^[25]

Valerie Anne writing for AfterEllen stated about Bridget and Franky's relationship "I didn’t think anything could replace Franky/Erica in my heart…but then along came Bridget. She was everything Franky needed and more."^[26]

Ian Hollingshead writing for The Telegraph said about the first episode "The final showdown between Franky (Nicole da Silva) and Jacs (Kris McQuade), a young tattooed lesbian and a schoolmarmish matron, laced with malice as they fought over who would be top dog, was so compelling – and the cliffhanger so agonising – that it would be a crime to miss the next instalment."^[27]

References

1. "Jodie Spiteri character profile". Wentworth website. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
2. ""Prisoner"". Wentworth. 24 May 2016. SoHo.
3. ""Wentworth" recap (4.3): Survivors - Page 1". AfterEllen. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
4. "Divide and Conquer". Wentworth. 14 June 2016. SoHo.
5. "Nicole da Silva plays Franky Doyle in Wentworth". news.com.au. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
6. "The Girl Who Waited". Wentworth. 15 May 2013. SoHo.
7. "No Place Like Home". Wentworth. 1 May 2013. SoHo.
8. "Checkmate". Wentworth. 3 July 2013. SoHo.
9. "Born Again". Wentworth. 20 May 2014. SoHo.
10. "Sins of the Mother". Wentworth. 8 July 2014. SoHo.
11. "The Fixer". Wentworth. 15 July 2014. SoHo.
12. "Jail Birds". Wentworth. 22 July 2014. SoHo.
13. "Into The Night". Wentworth. 29 July 2014. SoHo.
14. "Fear Her". Wentworth. 5 August 2014. SoHo.
15. "Knives Out". Wentworth. 21 April 2015. SoHo.
16. "Blood and Fire". Wentworth. 23 June 2015. SoHo.
17. "First Blood". Wentworth. 10 May 2016. SoHo.
18. "Poking Spiders". Wentworth. 17 May 2016. SoHo.
19. "ASTRA Awards honour Charlotte Dawson at Sydney ceremony". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
20. "Here's the full list of 2015 Logies nominations". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
21. "Wentworth and Devil's Playground dominate nominations for 2015 ASTRA Awards". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
22. "10 reasons Wentworth Prison is better than Orange Is The New Black". Metro. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
23. "Wentworth Prison series 2 episode 1 review - 'sparkling full-on return to form'". FemaleFirst. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
24. "Top lesbian TV from 2014". DIVA. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
25. ""Wentworth" recap (4.3): Survivors - Page 4". AfterEllen. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
26. "2015: The Year in Lesbian/Bi TV - Page 2". AfterEllen. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
27. Hollingshead, Ian (29 August 2013). "Wentworth Prison, Channel 5, review". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 June 2016.