What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 3, Episode 12 “Don’t Make Me Come Back There” (B+)

Watching this show one week at a time caused me to forget that there is just one supersized episode left this season, which is a shame since I feel like there’s such a large array of characters and plotlines just waiting to be featured. I think it’s a good sign that so much potential exists, and this episode and those before it have all been engaging and satisfying. Daya giving birth in this episode was the crucial development that has been coming since the very beginning of the show when her romance with John first began. Giving Aleida the flashback in this episode was enormously effective, as we saw how she latched on to her daughter, eager to give her away to get some time without her and then desperate to make her forget that she could ever have any fun without her. Calling Pornstache’s mother to tell her that the baby died was her own way of protecting her family, and maybe Daya will be able to forgive the mother who just wants to give her daughter the same connection she had. Pennsatucky and Big Boo’s latest actions are considerably darker than anything we’ve seen so far, and I can’t imagine that will go well. Sophia’s situation is extremely difficult to watch, and the fact that sending her to solitary is the solution hardly seems right. Red’s special dinner was a nice festive occasion, and I like that Taystee, who is definitely the momma now, worked hard to negotiate peace with Red rather than egg her on. Black Cindy’s continued insistence on converting to Judaism never fails to be amusing. I like how Cal and Neri are getting ahead of themselves trying to maximize this business from the outside, while things on the inside aren’t going so well thanks in no small part to Alex pulling out. After so much torment, it seems that Soso has finally slipped, and I do hope she comes through okay since she’s one of the show’s most individualistic characters.