What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black (Series Finale)

Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 13 “Here’s Where We Get Off”

Ninety-one episodes is not a short run for any show, but I still can’t help feeling that there’s still so much story here left to tell. While I wasn’t overly fond of the post-riot season, I thought the rest of this show was spectacular, deftly balancing drama and comedy to create a totally watchable and compelling universe, one that wasn’t always pleasant and certainly never straightforward. A ninety-minute finale was a great opportunity to close some of the arcs and revisit past characters without completely ending everything, since, as this show’s theme says, there’s always a second time around and things could be different. Featuring a tribute to Pennsatucky was powerful, especially with Dixon’s participation, and I’m glad that the character got a full makeover as the show went on. It was also affirming to see Taystee realize that she can do something positive with her life, and all she needed to do in order to make her program deals a reality was to get through to Judy King. Cindy figured out what she needed and how she could make the most of her situation too, and it was good to see that. Red seems happy in Florida even if her memory is fading, and Nicky has the chance to take care of young people who remind her of herself. It was most exciting to see Flaca determined to continue Gloria’s work, and finally Luschek took the blame for something, which in turn enabled Gloria to be released. Tamika getting fired by Linda and replaced by Hellman was not a positive development, but not everything works out, which I think is one of the messages of this show. Fig and Caputo found someone they thought could be the perfect child for them to adopt, but we don’t know what will happen with that. I also like that, after Larry gave Piper his take on things, she went to see Alex and they broke up, but the final shot was them seeing each other and smiling. The focus on immigration detention this center was powerful, and even though Blanca was freed and reunited with Diablo, they won’t be able to make the life they had in America. This show has been great entertainment and great drama, and I’ll appreciate the opportunity to recommend it to others in the future.

Series finale: B+
Series grade: A-
Season MVP: Taryn Manning as Pennsatucky
Season grade: A-
Series MVP: Danielle Brooks as Taystee
Best Season: Season 3 Best Episode: “We Have Manners. We’re Polite”

Netflix with Abe: Orange is the New Black (Penultimate Episode)

Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 12 “The Big House” (B+)

In many ways, this episode didn’t feel like the second-to-last experience we’ll ever have with this show. What’s so wonderful about it is that there are so many characters, and it’s difficult to argue that any one of them are truly leads at this point. Originally, this was Piper’s story, and while she’s the only released inmate to get a consistent plotline, that has more to do with the fact that her relationship with Alex relies so much on her being in prison and that serving as an intensely complicating factor. I expected McCullough to put her name into consideration for the head guard position once she heard it was open, but it turns out Alex’s rejection really did get to her. Daya has prioritized crushing her mother since she ended up back inside, and her latest act of getting Hopper caught with his pants down and fired is going to have serious implications for her family that she may not have considered. Gloria claiming ownership of the phone with nine days left on her sentence is heartbreaking, and maybe Tamika will realize that it’s not worth sharing that particular detail, especially if she knows it won’t happen again given her impending release. The party with the fast food everyone loved was a nice opportunity for heartfelt exchanges between Beth and Caputo and an opportunity for Taystee to see the good that’s come from all of it, and it didn’t end with her taking her own life, which she’s been talking about for a long time now. Instead, Pennsatucky, one of the best examples of a redeemed character, appears to have overdosed after she legitimately applied herself only to find that Luschek’s laziness resulted in her not getting the extra time she needed during the test. That and an unexpected scene with Poussey made this episode end on a resounding note, and I’m holding off slightly on watching the finale to savor a bit more time with this show.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 11 “God Bless America” (B+)

The reason that I finally decided to finish this show was so that I could see the Emmy-nominated performance by Laverne Cox, her fourth overall bid for playing Sophia Burset. It turns out that she appeared in two very short scenes that did nothing to showcase anything but her positive attitude, which makes it irritating that she was the one recognized for very brief and unremarkable work while so many other women delivered terrific performances throughout this entire season. I am glad, however, that I watched since this new focus on ICE has been extraordinarily powerful. Fig is standing in for the audience in realizing how something she might see as a necessary evil has become so corrupted, to the point that judges are asking unaccompanied and unrepresented children if they even know what a lawyer is. How much of this is fiction and how much is based on fact is something I don’t know, but as a storyline, it’s immensely upsetting and compelling. Fig made a powerful choice to ask her fertility doctor for an abortion so that a woman who got pregnant as a result of a rape wouldn’t be forced to keep the baby because ICE valued the unborn life more than hers. Blanca managed to get more time to prove her case, but that didn’t stop Karla and Shani from being deported. Taystee is rediscovering her will to live, and she may be looking at a reduced sentence or release if her lawyer has good news. Nicky finally found out what happened with Lorna and, in turn, Lorna was able to be there for Nicky when she needed her most. It seems like Maria could make amends in the most convincing way by taking the fall for the cell phone Bell found, but hopefully Tamika won’t see that as an infraction worth punishing. Nothing good can come from the escalating war between Aleida and Daya, and I can’t imagine both of them will survive until the end of the show. Piper once again resisted Zelda’s advances even after she made them abundantly clear, but a dejected McCullough showing up at her door was enough to push her over the edge and finally go for it. The final two episodes are longer than normal, which I’m glad to see since I’ll take as much more of this show as I can get.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 10 “The Thirteenth” (B+)

Fortunately, Lorna didn’t take her own life as appeared to be the case at the end of the previous episode, and though Nicky doesn’t have confirmation on what happened to her baby, she’s at least paying attention now, feeling like a terrible friend for not noticing her pain. Red relented and had Nicky called as her most trusted confidante to hear the devastating diagnosis that sounds like it may have been accelerated by her time in solitary confinement. She was making progress romantically with Shani, which makes the deportation notice she received even more devastating. After Elmer’s departure, Luschek was a horrible replacement, and he literally agreed to do whatever illegal thing Daya wanted before she asked, with the only caveat being that he couldn’t smuggle in books because that would be way too suspicious. At least Taystee was able to take over teaching duties for the serious students, and Pennsatucky was open to the idea of sharing. Suzanne’s murderous chicken plotline isn’t all that enthralling, but I suppose it’s a mildly entertaining diversion. Zelda coming with Piper for her dinner date with Larry and Polly didn’t make it much less awkward, especially when they thought she was Alex, and Alex baiting McCullough into a private place and then screening Piper’s delayed return phone call signaled problems in their relationship, which is somehow more complicated than the circumstances under which they met in the flashback. The most touching part of the episode was Dixon coming in to Caputo’s class to confront Maria about what she did to him, which made Caputo telling Tamika at her home that he had to quit all the more regrettable. That character really has evolved considerably, holding himself accountable for something he now knows he’s done wrong.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 9 “The Hidey Hole” (B+)

It was affirming to see that one released inmate, Cindy, was actually doing very well on the outside, bonding with her daughter and even securing a job at a nursing home with relative ease. Taystee’s letter undid all of that, and Cindy chose to leave rather than stick around and try to mend fences. Taystee does seem to be doing much better, and she and Caputo were very happy to see each other when he came by to get ahead of everything with Tamika. Deciding that she shouldn’t hear bad news at that moment was a risky move since now he’s vulnerable to being fired when she does find out. Shani’s secret was harrowing, and Nicky seems invested in getting closer with her, even if that means more friction in her relationship with Red and Lorna. It was heartbreaking to hear Vinnie plead for a partner in grief and see Lorna bury herself once again in fantasies, with the flashback to her first big delusion equally difficult to watch and her fate hanging in the uncertain balance. Flaca pursuing her latest scheme to bully Litvack was bad timing for Karla, who got absolutely no compassion regarding the custody hearing that she’s now going to miss. Piper and her dad got to a good place but it means that Piper’s all-out honesty with Alex isn’t being reciprocated, which can’t lead to a resounding trust between them. I’m most sad about the apparent departure of Elmer, who was given little choice by Daya and her disruptive henchwomen and has now decided that the only way to ensure the safety of his family is to abruptly leave his job.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 8 “Baker’s Dozen” (B+)

This show has such a large ensemble that it’s easy to forget how prominent certain characters used to be. Red was a central presence in early seasons and Kate Mulgrew earned an Emmy nomination for season one. She was also a major player in the riot season as Piscatella came for her, and since then, she’s faded a bit into the background. It was incredible to see the difference in her energy level and vivaciousness with the flashback in this episode to a moment in her history where she was much more in charge of her own fate, but still helpless to protect someone who she saw as innocent. Finding him dead in a bag in the freezer was reminiscent of a similarly chilling moment from the third season of “Boardwalk Empire,” and obviously that development haunted her enough to fill her with regret even to the present day. Now she’s going to hold it against Nicky that she made sure her letter got where it needed to but betrayed her trust in the process, and she won’t be open to any review of her mental capacity that is evidently necessary. It’s good to see Suzanne in a great place with the chickens she’s now supervising – a project that Alvarez also seems to enjoy – and that Taystee is finding purpose in tutoring an occasionally cooperative Pennsatucky. Hopper and Daya are navigating difficult situations with Aleida returning to prison, and Gloria has to be very careful not to get herself into trouble as a result of her newfound savior role. Ending this episode with Alex going all in with McCullough while Piper held back with Zelda, played by Alicia Witt from “Justified,” was intriguing, since, while there are obviously more serious matters at play right now, this show has always been about what prison does to people and affects their relationships.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 7 “Me as Well” (B+)

I know it was only for a moment, but I appreciated the opportunity to see Lolly again, newly moved to be Frieda’s roommate and eager to talk her ear off, giving her a different incessant distraction from Cindy. Suzanne’s excitement about the chicken class, which she hoped would involve the chickens teaching them things, was enjoyable, and it’s nice to see some comedy that doesn’t have any heavy drama with it. That wasn’t the case with Pennsatucky, whose bad associations with tests clearly stem from demeaning experiences with her father, who was also dyslexic, as evidenced by his anger over a boat called “Ban Mass” that was actually “Bass Man.” Elmer seemed very excited by the discovery of her dyslexia since he firmly believes that they can use it to her advantage and work to improve her reading skills. The confrontation between Taystee and Tamika was refreshingly honest, though Taystee doesn’t seem open to her old friend trying to help her at all, even if this new information from Suzanne could change everything. Caputo’s pursuit of justice was cringe-worthy, though I appreciated the chance to see an enlightened, smoothie-making Healy again and an unapologetic, unforgiving Fischer who wasn’t open to hearing from Caputo that she was a terrible guard and only lasted as long as she did because he liked her too much. I’m glad to see Blanca making progress with Karla by sucking up to the obnoxious Litvack, and Nicky’s tryst with her new friend has now been interrupted by Red’s continually deteriorating mental state. Piper’s vibrator obsession was humorous, though her inability to find a better solution is going to make things very complicated when Alex eventually confesses that something finally happened with McCullough.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 6 “Trapped in an Elevator” (B+)

It’s interesting to see how different characters who we haven’t seen together before interact in a fascinating way on this show. Tamika and Fig, for instance, are an intriguing pair, since Fig has pivoted from being someone so detestable to one of the more endearing personalities, especially in comparison to Linda, Piscatella, or Hellman, for instance. Tamika is in way over her head but also wants to do good, and when she got that question that mentioned exactly how much money closing down psych would save the company, she pivoted in a perfect way that will certainly get her in trouble but might also trap Linda into using the funds for good rather than, well, evil. As Caputo tried to coach his class into reckoning with the people they had hurt, Cindy poured her heart out to her family, something that might be impacted by Taystee’s decision to ensure that her former best friend is miserable after release, though it’s not clear whether she ultimately chose to go through with it. Maria made her amends despite the crime that got her sent to prison being victimless, and she’s definitely turned into someone much more sympathetic. Caputo, on the other hand, found out about the apparent – and pretty much true – allegations of sexual misconduct against him right before he went in for his procedure, and it’s unlikely that Fig, though she also won’t be surprised by any of it, is going to just be completely fine with everything and stand by his side. I’m glad that Piper at least had the sense not to watch Alex’s illicit video during her first meeting, and given how forward McCullough is being with the shirt removals, it would be good for Piper to approve Alex’s suggested plan before something happens between them.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 5 “Minority Deport” (B+)

This episode’s clever title was sadly not an indicator of a more upbeat tone. While Blanca did manage to somewhat comically copy the methods of the detainee who was called to the judge before her (played by Karina Arroyave, who was in season one of “24” almost two decades ago), her success wasn’t matched by Maritza, who for the first time in a long time decided not to be selfish and ended up getting promptly flown out of the United States without a chance to talk to the free immigration lawyer. That final scene was haunting, with everyone else on the plane fading away before she did, and the implication that many people like them do indeed disappear in real life is deeply disturbing. Very little is looking up for anyone else, with only Taystee scoring a major victory by being hired as Tamika’s new assistant. While she is absolutely a great fit for the job, her move was motivated by both revenge on her former friend and a desire to end her own life, and learning that Cindy is scheduled for early release isn’t going to help on either of those fronts. Red is in bad shape, and Gloria and Nicky may not be able to help her get better given the meager tools they have to work with at the moment. Piper and Cal’s misadventures were highly irresponsible, and Piper is very privileged to have received only irritating consequences and not to be sent back to jail. Aleida likely won’t be so lucky, and seeing how much she tried to stop her daughters from going down the same path she did only makes this latest incident all the more powerful.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 4 “How to Do Life” (B+)

It’s a good thing that the cooking crew is now running the kitchen at the ICE facility since that provides a direct pipeline to the outside world for those we know who can’t otherwise make phone calls or talk to anyone. The reunions between Gloria and Blanca and Maritza and Flaca were very sentimental, though it’s clear that the women in prison can’t do as much as they had hoped for their friends in detention. Gloria’s flashbacks were very sad since we saw just how hard she worked to bring her family to America only to have them decline to come because they felt abandoned, something that still haunted her enough to be the first thought she had when she was using the smartphone she procured from the eternally hapless Luschek. Flaca worked hard to reach Maritza’s mother, and she was just as devastated as Maritza was to learn that she wasn’t actually born in the United States after all. The other tragic news of the hour was that Lorna’s baby died, and she’s choosing to willfully maintain the illusion of him being alive rather than to seek comfort in friends like Nicky by sharing the truth. Daya wasn’t sympathetic at all to Taystee coming to her looking for a way to end her life, and let’s hope that what appears to be a failed suicide attempt will be seen as a cry for help that someone, be it Suzanne or Tamika, can hear and act upon to make sure that she’s looked after and gets the care she needs. It’s good to see that, though Hopper continues to make her life hell and Luschek couldn’t be bothered to fold the pamphlets, Tamika’s classes seem to be a moderate success, and Caputo in particular feels like he has a purpose now that he’s reaching some people, like Maria. Piper’s experience out of prison was incredibly monotonous, and her father taking dried-up pens out of the trash just because he didn’t want her to throw them out was the definition of agonizing. Her outburst isn’t likely to cost her the job her father wouldn’t give to anyone else, and she and Alex had a decent conversation even if it was filled with bad news. I’m intrigued to see whether McCullough is actually trying to seduce Alex or just messing with her. In a rather dramatic episode, I appreciated the levity of Red misunderstanding Nicky’s “noneya” joke and confusing it with bunions.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 3 “And Brown is the New Orange” (B+)

I understand all the jokes about her being an ICE queen, but Fig doesn’t seem like the best fit to manage Litchfield’s new facility – Linda would probably be a better choice. Ever since Blanca got transferred there instead of being released at the end of last season as she expected, any plotlines related to ICE have been extremely disturbing in a way that much of this show’s content hasn’t been in the past, especially since it mirrors much of what’s going on in real life (see Netflix’s Australian limited series “Stateless” for another strong depiction of an immigration detention center). Maritza seemed particularly clueless, and her freaking out over not being able to buy a stamp for the letter she was sending because she couldn’t afford another phone call was a breaking point that allowed Blanca to step in and be there as a friend for her. Flashing back to Blanca celebrating her green card was affecting, and it was horrifying to see Diablo detained and gaslighted for getting nervous after his own immigration status was questioned when he came to visit her. Red and her crew being brought in to cook for the ICE detainees is an interesting development, and maybe they’ll be able to communicate somehow and help their friends to contact those on the outside. Tamika got a lot of flack from Hopper and the other guards for not having a perfect plan in place and even took a blow to her head, but listening to Fig’s advice to do whatever she wanted no matter how she got the gig was a smart decision. Following Alex’s stunt with the ill-prepared McCullough, Hellman nearly got Alex banished to another state for crossing him, and I couldn’t be happier that Tamika was onto him and had Badison sent to Missouri instead (she’s such a terrible character). She also took the brunt of Taystee’s anger when Suzanne and Pennsatucky’s efforts to get her to reconcile with an apologetic Cindy didn’t go well at all. While Piper’s situation out of prison can’t compare to anything that’s happening on the inside, she did experience a major setback when her parole officer broke up her mommy party, but maybe she’ll have just the right attitude to help her dad with a project he needed to do at some pint anyway.

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Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 2 “Just Desserts” (B+)

I’m glad that I decided to watch the entire final season of this show rather than just Laverne Cox’s Emmy-nominated hour since I really do like (most of) these characters and I’m glad to see them again. This show has such a large ensemble that it’s interesting to see which players are featured and which aren’t even mentioned because there are so many more people to show. This was the first time we had seen Maritza in a while, and I’ve been watching Diane Guerrero (who I also met at Sundance) on “Doom Patrol,” which is a very different part. She even made the smart decision not to violate her parole and leave the state and ended up with a terrible consequence, which was her arrest and incarceration at the new ICE facility operated by Litchfield where Blanca also is. As she’s given more power, Linda is exercising it in poor ways, buying the precise language that Tamika – who is probably the most honest choice for the job – used at Caputo’s recommendation to impress her and secure the warden job. She’s going to be hated by a lot of people, including Hopper, who’s not a bad guy but is quite literally a criminal in that he’s part of a drug smuggling operation. McCullough’s flashbacks were unsettling, and deciding that she could take charge by having Alex traffic drugs for her rather than for the detestable Hellman was a puzzling conclusion. Adeola seems intent on helping Dayonara secure whatever power she can, and I’m fine with that as long as we don’t have to suffer through more of Badison in the near future. Piper’s struggles in the real world seem insignificant compared to what’s going on inside, but I suppose it’s endearing that she’s trying to support Alex in the way that she needs.

Netflix Catch-Up: Orange is the New Black (Season Premiere)

Orange is the New Black: Season 7, Episode 1 “Beginning of the End” (B)

I’m very late to the party streaming the final season of this show, and I actually watched this episode and wrote this review months ago. Things got busy and I didn’t get past this episode, so now that Laverne Cox has been nominated for another Emmy, I feel like it’s time to catch up and finish a show I’ve always liked. Unlike many, I thought that the riot season was very strong, just as good as the four years that preceded it, while the denouement that was season six didn’t impress me much. I don’t know why this premiere chose to kill off Daddy rather than Badison, since I think most viewers would have been much happier to have the far more palatable new addition from last season still around. I suppose this will create the most conflict, since Alex is now in a position of power she doesn’t want that will almost certainly get her into trouble, and Dayanara has lost the security she’s had for a bit. I’m not sure how I feel about the new device where each of the inmates (and Piper) narrate and seemingly think out loud, and we got some random thoughts from a handful of the inmates at the end of the episode too. Piper’s life on the outside is far from glamorous, though her attitude has never succeeded much in gaining her sympathy. I like how the relationship between Gloria and Red continues to build as they spend time in solitary confinement, and I’m not sure what to make of Aleida’s affair as she does a poor job hiding her lack of interest in Hopper. It should be an interesting final hurrah if nothing else!

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black (Season Finale)

Orange is the New Black: Season 6, Episode 13 “Be Free” (B+)

This show has an incredible power to catch its viewers off-guard with a truly serious, disturbing development thrown in there with all of the comic and enlightening elements. We’ve become more sympathetic to Flores over the course of the past two seasons, and she was so genuinely excited to be released so that she and Diablo could have a baby. The sight of him standing outside with flowers waiting for her while she boarded an ICE bus is all I can think about after having watched this finale, signaling a dark, political turn on this show as Linda’s brilliant PR save turns out to be Litchfield’s new involvement with ICE detention centers. That’s going to make this season’s guard tormenting of inmates look pleasant, and it already managed to highlight the difference in treatment of a white woman like Piper and a woman of color like Flores. Taystee being found guilty was also upsetting, and things are not looking good for her now, especially with Caputo as her sole defender. On a lighter note, the impromptu wedding was very sweet, and let’s hope Alex keeps her head down so that she and Piper can still be happy. It’s a brave move to have the character that was once the star of this show be released, and hopefully it will pay off for the final season. Hopper showed that he’s not a terrible person as Aleida had to face her daughter’s addiction head-on, and McCullough managed to make a level-headed call when advised to do so by her former tormentor Maria. The fact that everyone except for Badison just wanted to play kickball instead of having a war that the organizers were really only using to allow them to go after Frieda was great, and it was nice to see them having fun, embodying Piper’s initial dream. The final flashback to Barb and Carol as teenagers was a fitting way to lead into their last moments, which of course were crudely observed by Alvarez as putting Ginger over the top to win the fantasy game. Without them, it should be an interesting seventh and final season, and I’m looking forward to it after this year managed to find its footing.

Season grade: B
Season MVPs: Mackenzie Phillips as Barb and Henny Russell as Carol

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 6, Episode 12 “Double Trouble” (B+)

We’re gearing up now for a super-sized finale, one that will hopefully send this show in a productive direction for its final season. Some of the new storylines and characters introduced this season haven’t been great, but I do feel at this point like it’s finally all building to something. Carol and Barb being put together in the same cell was just Ginger’s way of trying to get herself a few extra points, but now a full-on war is coming, and Carol is already arming her people with weapons for the kickball game. What’s most compelling is the way that the guards are being portrayed as all of this affects them and they are forced to choose a moral side. The fact that Gloria could go to Luschek because she found him to be the most reasonable says something, and Alvarez reacted swiftly to quash her being able to expose the fantasy inmate game, which could be the true undoing of the new PolyCon Corrections brand that Linda is working so hard to create. The video filming was a bit much since you’d think that Crazy Eyes could have been replaced early on when she refused to stop doing Shonda Rhimes monologues instead of saying her lines. McCullough is indeed having trouble doing her job as her PTSD takes over, while Tamika is realizing that she needs to stay true to the friend who never gave up on her and might actually be onto something about how most guards view the inmates. Along with Caputo giving Taystee a much-needed pep talk, Hopper’s reformation as a character is the most satisfying, since he made a clear decision not to be influenced by what others were trying to get done and stamp Piper for early release, something that she’ll be very happy to find out about considering how much Badison was trying to add time to her sentence. Alex may be looking at an increase in her sentence given her recent association with Carol right at the worst possible time. Red losing out on the opportunity to meet her grandchildren because she saw Frieda in line was sad, and the finale is certainly going to include just as many devastating events as it is celebratory ones.

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 6, Episode 11 “Well This Took a Dark Turn” (B)

There are pieces of this episode that I liked and others that I didn’t find to be nearly as compelling. Crazy Eyes and Pennsatucky playing detective was one of the former, and I think this show is spending a bit too much time in Florida for its own good. Frieda managed to identify her very obviously newly-rich assassin and find a way to get herself out of harm’s way, which is fine but far from the most engaging plot of this season. Badison continues to be one of the show’s least appealing elements, putting gum in Piper’s hair and stuffing drugs in her shoe because she was trying to take over kickball, and I’m wondering if Piper’s newfound confidence is actually going to work in her favor or get her into serious trouble instead. Nicky getting involved in the salon hit and trying to warn Red felt far too unsubtle, and it’s no wonder she got found out, with only Barb believing her story that she didn’t act to stop it. Linda stepped in to quash Caputo’s efforts, but I would have thought that part of Sophia agreeing to take the $300,000 she was offered would have at least precluded her from sharing the amount with Caputo and his hired lawyer. Cindy’s back pain isn’t going to go anywhere after she failed to change her testimony, and hopefully there will be enough working in Taystee’s favor to save her. Carol and Barb getting moved into the same cell after years apart seems like a strange and very dangerous move, and it’s not clear who’s behind it. Hopper came in furious at Aleida, but she got into his head in exactly the right way, and now the operation is going to pick up in an incredible way that isn’t likely to go under the radar for long.

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 6, Episode 10 “Chocolate Chip Nookie” (B+)

I read an article recently about the best and worst of 2018, noting Badison as the worst new addition to a series. I agree with that since her plotlines are both tiresome and unsettling, and nothing good can come of Piper being democratically elected as the new captain of the kickball team. Piper’s idea has been so horribly corrupted, and things are going to get violent very soon, much more problematic than even the most depraved participants in the fantasy inmate game can likely imagine. Fortunately, Badison isn’t the only new character this season, and while Daddy is decent, I’m far more interested in the two featured in this episode. Recently, we haven’t actually seen the crimes committed by the inmates during their flashbacks, and we didn’t know before this what it was that Barb and Carol had done to get themselves locked up for so many years. Finding out that they’re sisters who coldly pushed their other sister into an icy pond because they were jealous of her makes them infinitely more intriguing – and horrifying – and it was particularly chilling to see Barb feign regret at the last moment before eagerly helping Carol to push the car in. Nicky has done a decent job of tempering Barb’s angry energy, but it seems that the feud lives on so many years later, and Frieda might be safe for the moment with the negative energy concentrated between the two sisters. I liked seeing Dixon and Pennsatucky connect sentimentally in Florida, interacting almost on the same level they did when they were touring theme parks with Donuts. Aleida’s smuggling operation was going so smoothly until Hopper looked at what was going in the trash, and I don’t think he’s going to take out his anger about that betrayal too well. My favorite part of this episode was definitely Fig coaching Caputo on how he could use his position as former warden to his advantage to help Taystee.

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 6, Episode 9 “Break the String” (B+)

Piper is definitely living in a different world than most of her fellow inmates, and her excitement about kickball has now been corrupted with Carol jumping at the chance to find a new, slightly sanctioned arena to get back at D-block. It was nice to see Piper make peace with Maria after watching the latter experience misfortune this season, and now it’s just a matter of the new characters and the threats that they pose. Gloria didn’t even have a chance to take advantage of the unexpected appeal she had to Luschek before Badison threatened her with extreme bodily harm. Red has forged a strong bond with Carol, while Nicky is getting close to Barb while she’s detoxing in medical. I don’t know how things will shape up when those former family members realize that they’ve cozied up to mortal enemies, and that’s not even putting Frieda into the equation. Cindy’s back pain seems to have stemmed mostly from her own regret, and sharing her secret with Taystee might have helped a bit. Caputo testifying on behalf of Taystee was sweet, and just as his relationship with Fig really seems to be warming, Linda showed up to remind him of where his allegiances should be, prompting him to quit, an intriguing development. Aleida rejected Daya’s proposal to work with her as a smuggler, but just one date with Hopper showed her that the new life she’s getting into is even more claustrophobic and dead-end than what she currently has. That mother-daughter partnership is going to be risky but it should be extremely interesting to watch.

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 6, Episode 8 “Gordons” (B+)

There are so many characters on this show, and with over seventy episodes so far, it’s hard to remember the backstories of a handful of them and particularly what they did before they got arrested. I couldn’t remember specifically how Taystee and Tamika knew each other, and this episode certainly provided that context, flashing back to show how they worked together in Storky’s and Taystee demonstrated far more bravery than her colleague when faced with an armed robbery while high. It’s difficult to see them in the current context when they both represent opposing institutions, and what Taystee said about how the guards treat them is definitely true for other inmates and other guards. Tamika cutting off that relationship is a sad development, but an expected one given its nature. The other events of the hour were mildly predictable if still very engaging, with Alex reluctantly becoming a member of Badison’s crew and Red making allegiances with Carol to get revenge on Frieda, who is sitting pretty in Florida hardly aware that forces are moving against her. Daya trying to help Daddy out and working with Flores in the process earned her a beating and now Flores and Nicky are in a very precarious situation that is sure to end in a brutal way. I wouldn’t have thought that Aleida’s problems working her pyramid schemes would lead her to date a guard, and I’m extremely curious to see what comes of that. Though her role was limited, Piper is beginning to take advantage of her fringe involvement in the cell phone smuggling scheme, picking her own delight of kickball as the prize she wanted to cash in her cards to get.

What I’m Watching: Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black: Season 6, Episode 7 “Changing Winds” (B+)

Could it be that, after this show has reduced Piper’s role to that of a member of the supporting cast, it’s trying to promote her back to the lead by having her start writing a memoir? The real Piper didn’t spend nearly this long in prison, but I guess they’re going for some form of self-actualization of this story. Explaining Badison’s past in the episode after Daddy’s made some sense, though I still prefer the latter character. Daya is spiraling down, and now Daddy may be in trouble too because she touched Barb’s stash. Badison better hope that she can win back Carol’s trust since she’s getting the cold shoulder in a big way right now, and that stab wound looks pretty bad. Though she’s now involved in a way she didn’t want to be, Alex was smart to suggest Luschek as the most corruptible guard for Badison to try to get to help her with the smuggling operation, which makes sense since he may be depraved but he doesn’t have bad intentions. I like that Pennsatucky recognized Linda and used some information about the recently absent Boo to blackmail her way into staying in Florida, where she gets to be friends with Frieda and Crazy Eyes, who seems to be expressing her individual nature after getting some confusing messages over the radio. Cindy and Flaca are a fun pair, though their partnership is far from perfect. It’s good to see that Maria isn’t dead, though her situation hasn’t gotten much better since she got herself released from psych and is now quietly serving as an emissary of the lord.