Vera and Irene are making a big impact on board Her Majesty's prison ship Pride Of Cleveland, helping and advising the other prisoners and bringing their wealth of experience to subverting the system in isolation. Irene deals with the painful news that her daughter in Australia has told little Cheryl Marie that her granny is dead, while Vera struggles to come to terms with her son Howard's admission that he's gay (a surprise only to her). Her ample cell mate - Beefy - is a great comfort, though the tattoo of a mermaid she pricks out around Vera's belly button leads to as nasty case of blood poisoning. Irene despairs of Vera's rambunctious behaviour and, stung by Vera's misinterpretation of Irene's affection as border-line lesbian, she announces that she is soon to stand trial and will soon be free.

Sure enough, the court finds Irene to be totally mad, and immediately releases her into the community. She makers for Great Shagthorne in the Derbyshire Dales, where Vera's children have set up house - including Karen, with her brand new baby Sabrina. Irene takes control with a vengeance - tidying, cleaning, lecturing - and is soon organising a "Vera Small is Innocent Fork-and-Finer Buffet" to raise funds for her still imprisoned friend. Howard misses Vera badly, but Karen is unforgiving. Vera can 'rot inside' as far as she's concerned.