What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 2, Episode 11 “Take a Break from Your Values” (B+)

It’s hard to get attached to anything with the way that things move on this show, with one miserable development after another. It’s also hard to trust in how people have been presented since their backstories usually reveal that they’re far from what they seem. Many have mellowed in prison, like Gloria and Rosa, and that’s the case with our resident nun, who apparently had a big ego and used her status as a religious figure to propel her book to bestseller status. Seeing how she took charge of Soso’s hunger strike to advocate for actual issues was impressive, but unfortunately it also came with a serious mental break on her part, resulting in a tragic scene of her shouting that she didn’t give her consent to be force fed in medical. It wasn’t much of a surprise that an obnoxious offer of pizza was all it took to get Pennsatucky’s old minions to break their strike and delight in the joy of food. Pennsatucky is realizing that her role as Healy’s number two isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and I’d say that his first Safe Place session went pretty poorly. Vee continues to make sure that she alienates all of her potential friends, telling Taystee that she will be accountable for whatever trouble Poussey causes and rejecting Boo’s offer of friendship categorically. It’s also sad to see how Vee has corrupted Crazy Eyes and is now using her to spy on poor Poussey. The guards really do seem hapless practicing drills with their new ammo, and Figueroa was quick to shut down all semblance of free will among the prisoners when she saw it at work. Larry and Polly seem like they’re going to give it a go, which should prove interesting. Piper, on the other hand, was just about to reconcile with Alex, and now she’s going to be transferred to Virginia. Something tells me that can’t go through, but I’m sure she’ll endure plenty of agony and uncertainty before it’s countermanded.