Will Jackson (Wentworth)

Backstory

Before his wife's death, Will seemed to be a very easy going officer. He was quite relaxed around the prisoners. Like his colleague, Vera Bennett, he cared about the women, and got involved in prison life, but unlike Vera, he didn't get too concerned with the prisoners problems.

Will was a social worker before becoming a prison officer, during his time as a social worker, he removed a baby from a prisoner, who was later murdered because of her inappropriate relationship with an officer.^[2]

2013-

Will is first seen processing Bea (Danielle Cormack) when she is brought into Wentworth Prison. Will then is seen flirting with Meg and is caught by Matthew Fletcher (Aaron Jeffery). Will then takes Bea out for a smoke when she is in the slots. The episode ends with Will finding Meg dead and Bea covered in her blood.^[3]

Following Meg’s death, Will was seen watching the interviews of the prisoners on his laptop. When Doreen and Kaiya make a picture for Will, he rips it up in front of them.^[4]

Will continues to investigate the death of his wife Meg, he the discovers how his friend Fletch and Meg had a peculiar relationship.^[5] Will later discovers that his wife Meg had an abortion sometime before she died, Fletch had to help him come to his senses after he got so high on cocaine and nearly overdosed.^[6] Soon after, Will is blackmailed by Jacs Holt when he confronts her about catching Brayden and Debbie doing drugs.^[7]

Will supports Bea during the death of her daughter Debbie. When Bea isn’t allowed to see the body, Will visits Debbie and spends some time with her and passes on that Bea loves her.^[8]

In the season one finale, Will listens to a recording of Jacs convincing Brayden to kill Debbie. When Will confronts Jacs, she manipulates him to delete the recording in return for information about Meg’s murder. When Will and Fletch do a cell toss, Will finds Meg’s bracelet in Jacs’ cell but unknown to him Liz Birdsworth planted it there to protect Franky.^[9]

A calmer Will returned for season two as he believed Meg’s killer, Jacs Holt, had paid the ultimate price with her own life and moves on with prison nurse, Rose Atkins.^[10]

Will gets quizzed by Joan Ferguson about his past as a social worker. Joan then tells him that the addiction programs would cease from that moment on.^[11]

In Twist The Knife, Will learns that Fletch was having an affair with his wife Meg, Will brutually attacks Fletch in the boiler room during a prison lockdown.^[12]

When Maxine Conway tries to escape prison, she is caught by Will.^[13]

Will refuses to let Harry Smith see Bea, Harry then accuses Will of having an affair with Bea. Will and Rose later go on a date where a mysterious van runs them off the road. Will goes to Harry’s to confront him and smashes his van up. Will is then arrested for criminal damage. Ferguson gets Will off the charges but it is revealed in a flashback that Ferguson is trying to get revenge against Will.^[2]

In the Season Two lead up to the finale, Bea has a battle with Franky where she slashes her wrists to avoid cuffing, Will leaves Bea unattended and Bea then escapes.^[14] Will then goes searching for Bea and speaks to Liz Birdsworth. Joan leads the police to believe that Bea and Will were working together. Will is later arrested.^[15]

In Season Three it is revealed that Will received four months suspension for “aiding” Bea. Will holds a grudge against Bea for a while. Ferguson then has Will framed for murdering Harry Smith. Will continues to date Rose.

In Failing Upwards, Will visits Fletch and finds it in himself to move on from his negative history with him. Will is also accused of murdering Harry.^[16] During the time trying to prove his innocence, Joan Ferguson plans the murder weapon in his garage and then presumably tips off the police.

On the day of Franky’s parole, Ferguson sends Will a confession from Franky admitting that she killed Meg. Will then confronts Franky but ends up forgiving her which displeased Ferguson.^[17]

Will is arrested again on suspicion of Harry’s murder but Bea manages to get him a name that she received from a vigilante. Will then helps Bea and Franky rescue Joshua and Ferguson from a fire in the prison that was started to cover up Jess Warner’s death.^[18]

In Season 4 Will has been promoted to Deputy Governor and becomes a target for Kaz Proctor and The Red Right Hand as the one sided rivalry with Ferguson continues.^[19]

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.^[20]

In the season finale Will is suspended. Bea forces Ferguson into stabbing her 13 times, providing the evidence needed to keep her incarcerated. The situation is witnessed by both Will and Vera. Will tries to keep her alive but shortly after Bea dies in his arms.

Season 5 begins with the aftermath of the death of Bea Smith. Still shocked and saddened Will informs the women Bea is dead. Vera thanks Will at Bea's funeral for organizing it and offers him to return to work despite his recent suspension, Will accepts with Franky keeping his faith in justice. Later Franky is framed for murder but Will believes she's innocent.

Will is determined to end the drug issue at Wentworth reinforcing security and is supported by Vera, he is successful. But soon former Governor Ferguson makes sure the drugs return to Wentworth with help of now Deputy Governor, Jake Stewart.

Kaz is confident an officer is involved and blames Will, first to Vera and then informs the women why he had been suspended. Kaz is on her way to her sentence appeal with Will and another prison guard, taking fellow officer Linda Miles' place so he could have a chance to confront Kaz. Moments later the van suddenly crashes into a river due to the tyre bolts being loosened by Franky, as she thought her trial hearing was that day so she would be in the van and therefore end up in hospital in an attempt to free herself from Wentworth and prove her innocence. Will risks his own life and almost drowns while saving Kaz from the back of the van. The two finally reach safety and go to hospital. On their arrival back at Wentworth, she thanks Will for saving her life and tells him things could possibly be different between the two of them from there on, Ferguson sees it, unknown to them.

Will and Kaz, now friendly, find out Jake is the corrupt officer bringing drugs to the prison, Will asks Kaz to tell Allie Novak to speak to Vera, but Kaz refuses believing Vera would listen to Will. Kaz convinces Allie to talk but is blackmailed by Ferguson through Jake, threatening Franky's sister, Will argues with a naive Vera and is informed of her relationship with Jake. After she doesn't believe him Will calls general manager, Derek Channing, to expose Jake. Kaz shares with Will she doesn't have his same faith in the system.

Channing discovers the truth but supports Jake for his own gain and offers Will a transfer, Will, tired of all the injustice informs him he will resign. Privately, Will talks to Kaz and confesses his complete loss of faith in the system and tells her he's leaving Wentworth. Kaz tries to convince him to stay saying the women need him more than ever but he says they can find someone else, until Kaz tearfully asks him to stay by telling him she needs him and also needs to know there's at least one good man.

Vera briefly holds a grudge against Will for her permant demotion from governorship by Channing, still unaware Will was right. After Ferguson confirms Will's accusations were correct, she apologizes acknowledging he was the only one to see through Jake.

Will concerned about Vera asks her if she's okay, Vera informs him her relationship with Jake not only was false but orchestrated by Ferguson herself to get revenge on her. Will reflects on how both, despite all she's done saved her life.

After that conversation and a brief chat with Linda, Will makes a research and realizes Jake killed Nils Jespers for Ferguson, Will confronts Jake again, first he denies it then admits it, Will is upset Jake won't tell the police and leaves him crying on the floor.

Later, in medical Ferguson begins to taunt him about the death of his wife, Meg, and how he did nothing to avenge her, thus revealing she was the one that sent him the recording of Franky's confession. A very angry Will leaves Ferguson, then saddened, Will chats with Kaz and takes the blame of all of Ferguson's victims since he saved her from the fire and fears Kaz will be next. Kaz admits maybe both were wrong for trying to save her, Will says Ferguson won't stop until she's dead and Kaz agrees by saying sometimes to get justice you have to cross the line.

Will, still angry with Jake ignores him when he tries to talk to him but Jake insists and informs him of Allie's and Franky's escape plan. In the final scene, it is revealed Will has teamed up with Jake and Allie and is burying Ferguson alive to end her reign of terror and avenge Bea.

In season 6 Will regains his Deputyship whilst his personal life unravels after burying Ferguson alive. Without giving details Will tells Kaz Ferguson is not coming back, she sobs when she understands he meant that he has killed her. Will gradually becomes more tormented by his actions and gets hooked on pills to make Ferguson's ghost go away. Kaz assures Will he did what he had to do to protect the women and reminds him he is a good man but it doesn't ease his guilt. Later Kaz, after lagging to Will about Vicky Kosta's 'fight club' offers him to keep doing it if it helps protect the women, Will seems skeptical and warns her of the danger of lagging. During a breakdown at the workshop Will snaps at Jake telling him at least he didn't have to bury someone alive, much to Jake's shock. Afterwards he understands why Will is so disturbed and suffering from isomnia and asks where he buried her but he doesn't want to talk about it. Kaz caringly holds Will's injured hand after he trashed the workshop when 'he heard Ferguson' but he still doesn't want to talk. Kaz continues to comfort Will but they are interrupted by her old nemesis, Marie Winter. At night Will finds Marie doing drugs in her cell but spares her. Kaz is accused of lagging to Will by Sonia Stevens (that she later killed to save Liz) both agree to put on hold their arrangement of lagging to protect the women for her own safety. Will haunted by Ferguson's hallucinations seeks comfort in a seemingly kindred spirit, Marie. They quickly bond over loss and engage in a sexual relationship and he feels better but it's shortlived once Vera has an staker that appears to be Ferguson. Will's hallucinations worsen but he is comforted by Marie once again after mistaking an inmate for Ferguson and scaring everyone at the cafeteria. As Vera remains being stalked by what she thinks is Ferguson and she discovers Jake killed Ferguson's former hitman Will has no choice but confess to Vera that he killed Ferguson with Jake's help and he must protect him. Vera albeit initially shocked remains supportive of Will but demands to go to the burial place to make sure she really is dead and so does Jake. Will is disgusted by the idea but later agrees. At night the three go together and find a rotting corpse, unaware to them they are being watched and photographed by the mystery person.