What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 5, Episode 9 “The Tightening” (B+)

Watching this episode, I was wondering when this show suddenly became a horror series. I wasn’t all that fond of it throughout the episode because it didn’t seem to fit, but the final scene, which ended on a great note with Red, who was right all along and who took center stage with her Russia flashbacks, ready to go toe-to-toe with Piscatella, helped redirect things and make it worth it. Of course this guard, feeling sidelined by other commanding forces and suddenly aware of a riot having broken out, would make his way into the prison on his own to start taking a few choice inmates captive and keep them tied up in a back room. This is quite a cliffhanger to end on, and this is one of those times I wish that I was binging this show instead of waiting a week between episodes. I liked that Lorna and Suzanne bonded over not liking being called crazy, but Suzanne was right when she said that she shouldn’t be off her meds, and the look in her eyes when she started to embrace that was frightening. Taystee and her crew letting Caputo go was a positive step, and though he seemed somewhat willing to negotiate with Fig, he set Linda up for torment by refusing to acknowledge who she was, and she’s doing a good enough job of blowing her own cover. I don’t think Gloria releasing the guards is going to go well at all, and Aleida’s rage won’t compare to the fury of the other inmates when they found out what her plans are.