Gordon Behind Bars - Episode 4

First Broadcast: 
Tuesday 17 July 2012 at 21:00
Channel 4
One Potato Two Potato

So, after watching this final episode of Gordon Behind Bars, are my opinions still the same as the ones I formed after watching episode 1?

Slightly.

I thought the concept was brilliant.  But I didn't realise that the prisoners were going to produce one product, and one product alone.  Can a lemon treacle slice really solve all the problems that prisoner's have caused within society?

No, but it's a start.  And that is what's important.

At the beginning, I judged the prisoners.  They represented lives I would never want to be a part of.  And I have no shame in this - the prisoners had all committed crimes to get to the positions they were in.

But in this episode, I feel, as viewers, our opinions were being manipulated to support the prisoners in some way.  We were supposed to feel sorry for them, and be proud of them for the hard work they were putting in.

"Today, in my mind, I've forgotten the word, 'prisoner,' and they've turned into cooks." - Gordon Ramsay

I am happy to go along with this, when I feel that the prisoners are going to make an attempt to reform.  But are these prisoners that dedicated?

Yes, I believe a lot of them are, especially after receiving Gordon's help.  But one prisoner certainly wasn't.

Paul had a drug problem before entering jail.  In order to help him make something of his life, Gordon gave him work experience in the kitchen at one of his top restaurants, The Savoy, and, provided that he stayed off drugs, he would give him a job at the end of it.

Surprise, surprise, Paul went back onto drugs and threw the opportunity away.

This moment made me really angry and highlighted the mood of the series for me.  Do these prisoners really deserve our help, or Gordon's?

Situations like this answer that question in my mind with a straight, 'no.'  But I understand that Paul does not represent all prisoners.

I did enjoy the series - I found it really interesting to see the lives behind the bars and how these people reacted to the proposition of hard work.  I was pleasantly surprised, and I'm really happy that Gordon's project is having a positive effect on the prisoners.

"This course has made me happy inside, makes me wanna get up in the morning, makes me want to strive to be someone, to do something, y'know, with my life." - David Jones

I fully support anything that will stop prisoners committing crimes over and over again.  I enjoy seeing people reform, succeed and make something of their lives.

I just wish that Gordon could have shown more faith in the project continuing after his departure.  The series closed with his single favourite word:

"F**k."