What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 2, Episode 9 “40 Oz of Furlough” (B+)

Furlough is finally here, and as expected, it’s not quite the breath of fresh air that getting out of prison for a few days might seem to be. While Piper’s brother comically picking her up might have suggested otherwise, every comic moment on the outside was laced with unfortunate drama, namely the incessant comments Piper had to make to rebuke people’s questions at the funeral about her current status in prison. Her encounter with Larry was the most lamentable, since she wanted nothing more than to jump his bones and he felt it necessary to confess his own indiscretion – though not the complete story – rather than make the most of the moment. Back in prison, things are heating up, both with the illegal operations underway and the attempted crackdown by John so that he can get rid of Pornstache. Two irreversible and equally regrettable decisions were made – John telling Caputo that Pornstache impregnated Dayonara and Big Boo tipping Vee off about how Red is running her operation. The former is sure to throw Dayonara’s life into turmoil and all but assures that she’ll never forgive John. The latter seems petty since Red was nothing more than sarcastic to Big Boo, still including her in the family meal she prepared, and it’s even more unfortunate given what the flashbacks revealed about their initial friendship and then Vee’s heartless order to take control of her operation and physically assault her. It’s a far cry from Vee recommending “The Fault in Our Stars” to Rosa in the present day. I truly appreciated the rare tender moment between Healy and Pennsatucky, and I hope we’ll have the chance to sit in on some of their heart-to-hearts.