The 5 Most Shocking Moments From The 'Wentworth' Season 8 Premiere

WARNING: SPOILERS for Wentworth 8x01, 'Resurrection'.

After what has felt like a very long wait for fans, Australian Prison Drama Wentworth has returned for it's eighth season.

The series has built a following around the world, mostly for it's commitment to portraying prison life with gritty realism. It has never shied away from dark or difficult storylines, and season eight looks to be no exception.

Here are the most shocking moments from Wentworth episode 8x01, 'Resurrection'.

1. Lou rescues Reb from re-education

'Resurrection' introduced two new prisoners, Lou Kelly and Reb Keane, brought to Wentworth after a failed robbery. Lou and Reb have been re-imagined from the classic Prisoner: Cell Block H series, the first two of three 'legacy' characters set to be introduced this season.

Lou has been mentioned once before, as a former Top Dog from years before the series began. Reb has been re-imagined as transgender. He is in the midst of transitioning from female to male, but is incarcerated in Wentworth as he has not yet had his final re-assignment surgery. In short flashbacks scattered throughout the episode, it is revealed that Lou rescued Reb from a facility where Reb was being forced into torturous therapy meant to 'cure' him. While the scene was harrowing to watch, it helps explain Lou and Reb's devotion to each other.

2. Marie tries to 'Recruit' Reb.

When a violent stunt pulled on the Prison bus lands Lou an immediate stint in solitary, an anxious Reb is placed in the Protection Unit. It is there that he encounters Marie Winter, only recently moved to Protection herself following a long stint in solitary for her role in the siege the previous season.

At first, Marie treats Reb with kindness, but as as always, she has an ulterior motive. As Reb prepares to move into the general population, Marie offers a deal. She will fund Reb's final surgery, if Reb kills Ruby Mitchell. Reb immediately refuses, but learns a valuable lesson about Prison life, while we as viewers learn that Marie has not let go of her vendetta against Ruby.

3. Lou almost suffocates Boomer

Early in the episode, Boomer rushes to warn Allie, who has moved up into the Top Dog position between seasons, of Lou's return. Allie visits Lou in solitary to make sure she knows who is boss. Lou convinces Allie that all she wants is to keep Reb safe. At first, it seems she was telling the truth. Everyone is getting along nicely, until Ruby whisks Reb away for a friendly game of basketball. In her absence, Boomer makes some unintentionally insensitive remarks to Lou about Reb's transition.

Later, Lou and her reassembled crew corner Boomer in the bathroom, and almost suffocate her with a plastic bag. Lou releases Boomer at the last minute, albeit with a warning that she will finish the job if she hears Boomer speak insensitively about Reb again. The incident pushes Boomer into a crisis over her decision to mercy-kill Liz at the end of season seven.

4. Allie cuts off Lou's finger

Though Allie still believes Lou was genuine about only wanting to protect Reb, after the attack on Boomer, she is forced to take action to re-establish her authority as Wentworth's Top Dog. Gathering her crew (made up from a mixture of Bea and Kaz's former followers), Allie confronts Lou, offering her a final chance to apologise to Boomer. When Lou both refuses, and questions Allie's Top Dog credentials, Allie chops off Lou's pinky finger with a pair of sharp scissors.

Allie's brutal action silenced many fans who doubted that she was tough enough to be Top dog, although some are still hoping for flashbacks explaining exactly how she earned the position.

5. The Freak's plan begins to unfold

Easily the most shocking moment in the season seven finale was the reveal that Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson was actually alive. In 'Resurrection' we learn that Ferguson has stolen the identity of a woman, Kath Maxwell. She has been stalking Vera and her baby daughter, Grace, and lives in a shack by the train tracks, where she is building a timeline of Vera's movements.

Towards the end of the episode, it is revealed that Joan has obtained a false Passport for not just herself, but Grace as well. She is clearly planning to kidnap the child and take her overseas.

We'll be on the edge of our seats waiting to see how it all plays out.

Check out a trailer for ep 8x02, 'Ends And Means', here: