#OITNB review

[legion1227]

Orange is The New Black: Seasons 4-7 Review. (Mild spoilers ahead if you haven't seen).

The prison industrial complex is fucked.

In 2023, I began watching for the first time Orange Is The New Black. One of Netflix's titans of programming, one of their first original shows to put them on the map, flew under my radar throughout its run. The first season aired when I was 12, and by the time it finished in 2019, I was more preoccupied with finishing high school than seeing their take on women in prison. But after starting it a few months back and finishing weeks ago, I can say it is a soul-crushingly good program.

Orange Is The New Black masquerades itself as a show that focuses on Piper Niven, a 31-year-old arrested for drug smuggling when in reality, its vision expands to a diverse cast of inmates, convicts, and correctional officers and examines how society treats incarcerated felons. The first season lays the gauntlet down by introducing not only Piper but other prisoners and guards who hold down the show for multiple seasons and even until its final season, for some. The second season introduces an antagonist that doesn't thrill me so much but does provide depth into issues plaguing characters who are becoming favorites at this point, like Taystee and Poussey. The third season continues to juggle multiple narratives with its massive cast to most success. The first three seasons are great, but I want to emphasize seasons 4-7 in this review as they were watched this year.

In season 4, the fictional prison of Litchfield receives an overabundance of new inmates, and new COs overcrowd the prison and overwhelm the current batch of inmates. Season 4 is notable for quite a few things. It introduces Judy King, a celebrity played by Blair Brown, whose charm and charisma helped elevate her to be one of my personal favorite supporting characters for that season. Alison, played by Amanda Stephen, becomes inmate Cindy's new roommate, and as her dynamic with Cindy grows from rivals to those getting along, she soon becomes a likable character. And finally, Brad William Henke, playing the new CO Piscatella, who I could not fucking STAND. Rest in peace to Henke, who did a superb job playing one of the most infuriating COs throughout the show and being a memorable foil to all the women in the facility. Season 4 was great as it heightened the tensions the prisoners harbored about their living conditions.

Season 5 was the culmination of heated tensions as after the death of a beloved character due to negligence from one of the younger COs, the prisoners overthrow the prison and run the asylum for the duration of the season. My only gripe with season 5 is that throughout the 13 episodes, we, the audience, are made to believe that everything that takes place happens within three days. To suspend my disbelief and believe that is too farfetched as the stories and events happening throughout are too abundant. If it was at least a week, it would be more believable. However, I believe season 5 to be my favorite of the seasons as it was the most gripping. As the prisoners hold the COs and the warden hostage, demanding to the media that they want justice for the murder of their fellow inmates and better conditions within the prison, I believe nearly every character played their roles to stunning results. Piper, who had been known for the past few seasons at this point for stepping in and wanting to help, takes an intriguing step back from the focus this season. Her story revolves around taking the time to relish the chaos before the status quo is reinforced by her on-again-off-again girlfriend, Alex Vause, played by Laura Prepon. Other characters follow suit by lounging and sleeping outside or barricading themselves in a commissary with snacks. Taystee and a small group of her trusted compatriots spearhead the initiative for change while a sizable amount of other inmates antagonize the CO hostages or cause their own brand of unique chaos. I love the show's expansive, diverse cast, and many of them were given memorable moments and demonstrated how human they all were, regardless of their reasoning for being incarcerated.

Season 6 was a slight step back.

The sixth season took a chunk of the prisoners we got to know after all these seasons and dropped them into a new prison after the riot settled. Favorites that we grew accustomed to were not seen again until either small parts in season 7 or the final episode entirely in small moments. These characters were missed, and their absence was felt wholeheartedly. In place of their absence, more characters were introduced to this new prison. The new COs were shown to be just as morally corrupt as the old ones, but the new prisoners introduced were so…uninspired. As Piper and the girls grow accustomed to their new quarters, they are dropped into the middle of a war between the prisoners of C Block and D Block. The rivalry stems decades ago from two sisters, who each run their blocks with everyone falling in line and following one of them.

They suck. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. They show the backstory of how the rivalry started. It's dumb, and not engaging, and the beef and every minute of this season dedicated to this storyline is forgettable. There's a character named Daddy who is essentially one of the sister's second-in-command, and she's just as forgettable as the sisters. Finally, there's Madison, called Badison by others, and she's more memorable than her other antagonistic counterparts, ironically, as she succeeds in being unlikable but fails at being compelling. She's notable for being rude to others and having a bad Boston accent. When the series is not focused on any of those four characters, then the sixth season is decent. Unfortunately, it's the major story driving that season, so it's definitively at the bottom of my seasons if we ranked them.

Luckily, season seven picks up as the sisters end up killing one another by the final episode of season 6, while Daddy also perishes, and Badison gets transferred to another prison early into season 7. The seventh season is arguably the most depressing, but has its moments of hope and optimism with certain prisoners finding freedom literally or in a spiritual sense. The final episode is such a mixed bag where the bad guys essentially get away scot-free from their terrible moments, but some others find freedom from the shackles that tied them down for so long.

From start to end, Orange Is The New Black offers a meditation for the viewer. Rethink how we look at the prison industrial complex. For seven seasons, these women are shown brutalized, beaten, and destroyed until the husks of their former shells, or dead. There are women who don't even deserve the treatment given but are punished nonetheless because the system in place is flawed. This was one of the toughest shows I've watched in my lifetime for how crushing it could be, and yet it was also liberating. 4/5. A great show that deserves to be watched if you haven't already.

[goatcheesecak3]

Devon bostick's ground breaking ptsd performance in the 100 is so underrated. Tbh he Christopher Larkin were the most accurate ptsd representation I've seen and out did a lot of the core cast on that to me personally.

Anon, I'm so glad that your brought this up because it gives me the chance to ramble about how meaningful a good actor really is lol (sorry this is pretty much a full essay) (also I'm hammered right now so if there are any grammatical mistakes allow it)

When playing a character with a disorder it's, in my opinion, an absolutely crucial part of the job to not fuck it up. There's a fine line between being artistically daring and profound in the way that an actor chooses to portray having a disorder, and being over the top and insulting. I really think what it comes down to, and what Devon has mastered, is knowing the difference between being the disorder, vs being a PERSON with the disorder.

In my opinion, an example of an actor failing to to accurately represent a character with a disorder would be James McAvoy's role as Kevin in the franchise "Split". To preface this, I want to make it known that I understand this particular incident wasn't entirely James's fault, the writers most definitely exaggerated the effects of Dissociative identity disorder for the sake of the plot, but that doesn't change th he fact that Kevin's character was a wholly inaccurate and down right offensive interpretation of the disorder. I think the most awful part of this whole situation was the effect on the audience. Those who do not suffer from DID were uninformed, and therefore made to feel afraid and resentful toward those affected. The viewers who do suffer from DID were made to feel at best offended and (for lack of better words) royally fucked off, and at worst, ashamed, isolated and afraid of themselves.

These devastating outcomes truly highlight the importance of doing justice to a character with a complex mental state. I would argue that a remarkably moving and accurate depiction of a character suffering from a disorder is Uzo Aduba's portrayal of Suzanne "crazy eyes" Warren in Orange is the new black. While canonically her diagnosis is not revealed, fans of the show have theorised that she has a multitude of conditions, ranging from schizoaffective disorder, to bipolar disorder, to borderline personality disorder. While it is not my place to diagnose Suzanne, I think we can all safely deduce that she does suffer from some sort of disorder. While I think Aduba's execution of the role is most certainly dramatised, I don't find this to be a bad thing. Suzanne's over the top personality and mannerisms are, at their core, loveable and relatable. Aduba's performance was tasteful and achieved what I believe every actor should aim for when portraying a character who suffers from some sort of disorder, Suzanne's suffering forces those who can relate to her condition, and those who cannot, to feel for her, to understand why she is the way that she is, to look into themselves and see their own pain in a new light. Furthermore, Suzanne's childlike character is universally relatable. As a result of my extensive time spent in therapy, I am of the belief that every hurt person, whether they know or consciously or not, wish to reconnect with and heal their inner child, and this belief is only emphasised in the way that I've seen people react to Suzanne's character. People wish to care for her, those in their life that she reminds them of, and in turn themselves.

Playing a role that provokes such intense empathy is such an impactful thing for so many people. It inspires hope and recovery for those who may not have even thought they needed to recover. I will never not stress the importance of actors and the way that they tackle sensitive subjects, because it truly can change people's lives.

[samthetrekkie]

quick shameless review of the first three seasons after having binged them for over a week straight: this show has some weird and lowkey cringy plotlines going on, but overall I love it. and I think from season 1 onwards it only got better.

some of the characters annoy me immensely, like karen, and - for completely different reasons - a little bit fiona (even though she's obviously a great person) and steve/jimmy bc they are a bit overacted imo (and why does she look so perfect all the time?). but apart from them, I think most of the characters are incredibly authentic. sometimes I really forget they're acting, like veronica and kevin.

and of course mickey and ian have my heart. takes me back to the early seasons of sex ed with adam and eric (except a little more violent). I only wish they had more screen time, but I hear that will be the case in the later seasons. someone said "I wish this show was only about those two" and don't get me wrong, I still like the show as it is, but I would love that. I honestly sometimes just wanna skip to their scenes, especially when there's some dumb plot going down again...

season 1 mandy (visually) reminded me so much of maeve too. (and the actual maeve and lip would really like each other I think) the recast made a completely different character out of her imo - no hate though, I still think she's an interesting character. I only loved her friendship with ian in season 1, but then the chemistry kind of disappeared with the new actress.

plot wise it's a little like sex ed too bc of all the teenager stuff and many sex scenes, but in general it's more like oitnb to me. perfect dramedy with the really serious stuff paired with dark humour (which doesn't make me laugh exactly, but I weirdly love the vibe) and I guess the social setting as well. but it also kind of reminds me of house m.d. (I think about that show all the time btw but I haven't watched it in so long), for one thing probably bc they are both set in the early 2010s. but house and frank would also have a great time drinking together - completely different ends of the education scale, but same sly cleverness and drug addiction. and very random thing to add, but that I keep thinking about: frank's not a good person but he's has been sexually abused (and actually raped) a lot in this show so far and it either gets laughed off or completely turned around. anyway, so weird that I thought this was gonna be like a comedy sitcom, but I'm so positively surprised by what it really is.

now I'm taking a break though bc it honestly got a bit too much and I unfortunately need to do other things besides watching shameless as well...

[messifangirl]

Fic Rec

Summary:

Neymar has to deal with a team drowning under losses and lacking any dynamic in the locker rooms, the fire of the media and fans, and a collection of injuries that just won't stop coming. So, when Marco shows him a post-World Cup interview of Leo praising some teammates of his, he doesn't think, in the grand scheme of things, too much of it.

Set in the immediate post-2022 World-Cup PSG's season (January through April).

While you're waiting for me to finish Oitnb, definitely check out this fic by the very talented inkofsouls. I read it all in one sitting today and I regret nothing. We're talking 44k of neymessi fic. Rated explicit. Don’t forget to leave a review :)

[laurasgroi]

Eps 10: "Laura Gómez: Actriz | Escritora | Podcastera"

“No hay manera de tener una conversación con Laura Gómez que no sea profunda” dijo mi amiga @EvaHarthace años. Y así fue en “En Los Ta”🎙️. Hoy celebro la vida y los talentos de @mslauragómez, actriz, escritora y podcastera dominicana. En su cumpleaños #44, 99 episodios grabados de su podcast @BarajaEsoPodcast, y decenas de personajes geniales entre ellos Blanca Flores en #OrangeIsTheNewBlack, esta tocaya, compatriota, colega podcastera y gran amiga de grandes amigas mías, es a��n más impresionante en el valiente rol de ser ella misma en la intimidad de conversaciones y monólogos profundos, honestos e incómodos que tanto la caracterizan. Conversamos sobre su curiosidad innata, su búsqueda de la verdad, su espíritu libre, su amor consciente por nuestro país la República Dominicana🇩🇴, su decisión de no ser madre, sus crisis personales, su anhelo y lo difícil de tener pareja, el vivir y lucir su edad como una forma de activismo, y otras reflexiones en un ejercicio transparente de introspección y auténtica conexión consigo misma. ¡Felices 44, @mslauragomez! 🎉🎉🎉 ¡Feliz episodio 100 de @barajaesopodcast! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 ¡Felicítenla así por todo en los comentarios: 🎉🎙️👏🏽! Además de la festejada, dedico este episodio a nuestra amiga Wendy Espinal @gaia08, quien me ha regalado esta cadena de amistades maravillosas y tanto más a mi vida! Mira y sigue “En Los Ta con Laura” en @Spotify y @YouTube o escúchalo en tu plataforma de podcast preferida. Te gusta “En Los Ta”🎙️? Síguelo y deja un review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #BarajaEsoPodcast #LauraGómez #Dominicana #caribeña#OrangeIsTheNewBlack #OITNB #EnLosTa #Podcastclips#Podcastsenespañol

[tayohhk]

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK SPOILERS AHEAD

OITNB SPOILERS !!

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idk where to even begin but i finally finished this show tonight and i have to admit that im pretty unsatisfied with the ending overall i should start by saying that this show is a good example of real life scenarios and portrays characters as incredibly real people & that means that not everyone gets a happy ending so ive already come to terms with that   B U T

they did taystee so dirty !!!!!!!!! im so mad that they left her situation completely unresolved with her continuing to face life for a crime she didnt commit 

im glad that cindy & maria both made visible effort to change  gloria!!!! im so sos so soso glad she finally got out & reunited with her kids & it was so touching to know that she gave that book to maria for her to read to her baby !! and flores and sophia got out!!! sophias salon!!! and flores reuniting with diablo omggg my heart 

im pissed about daya bc she was my BABYYyyY through seasons 1-5 then she went rogue and everything went downhill & she got absolutely no redemption and the last scene we see of her with aleida is aleida choking her out SOoo :\ im also still pissed that bennett never came back & i knOw its to show that some people may not be permanent in ya life but i feel like him leaving in the first place was so out of character?? like he dropped the crib off on the side of the road & left i just feel like that was a complete 180 from how he acted before maritza and flaca. they had me cryin like a baby whenever they got separated in the first place & i genuinely cannot believe they ended the show without ever really saying what happened to maritza??? i know shes in a different country but i need to know how shes doing :( they also left karla cordova’s note off with her breaking her fckin ankle in the middle of a desert & never returning to her again so fuck the show for that lmao my heart ached so so so much whenever we found out red had early onset dementia & watching how it affected nicky broke my heart in half PLUS morello losing her baby & not being able to accept the fact  & also shani getting deported? fuck the show for that too lmao finding out that doggett actually got her GED after she overdosed made me cry like a baby as well & i couldnt stand her from seasons 1-5 but i ended up really enjoying her as a character later also does anyone know what happened to her bf donuts?? did i just completely miss what happened to him then at the end when they brought back gina, norma, boo, janae, & abdullah? where were they the whole season & why did they come out of literally nowhere at the end im glad that piper and alex finally decided what was best for each other given their situations & zelda was such a good character  when suzanne sang that mountain dew song with dixon it made me rlly happy im surprised they brought larry back honestly but im still weirded out by him & polly  & is no one going to tell pornstache that the child isn’t his ever or-

[cherokeecharles]

What U Watchin’ #2: How Orange Is The New Black writers ruined their own show.

Orange Is The New Black was one of the best Netflix shows of all time, but looking back at it the writers made seasons 4-7 unnecessarily traumatic for some viewers. The death of beloved cast members, the decline of certain characters, and not a lot of happy endings. I didn’t expect this series to end the way it did and I wished they would’ve done some things differently.

‼️SPOILERS AHEAD‼️

Starting off with the unnecessary death of a fan favorite is Poussey Washington. Poussey was a beloved character from season 1-4. We loved her friendship with Taystee, her bright personality, and how smart she was. In season four I though that was her best season she had a girlfriend, she figured out what she was going to do after she got out of prison, and she finally got to meet her idol Judy King. We all expected good things for Poussey but then in the finale Poussey is killed by a guard who couldn’t control a situation. I speak for many viewers when I say I was heartbroken and in tears when I had to watch that for the first time. Her death was eerily similar to how Eric Garner was murdered which made it even worse for me. To this day I still don’t understand why she had to be the one that died, things were finally looking up for her and she was ripped away. I wish she didn’t have to be used as a teaching moment and that she gets the chance to be released and finally live the life she always talked about.

Another unnecessary death was Pennsatucky, in the last season she learns that she has dyslexia while she is studying for the GED and she receives tutoring from Taystee. In order for her to do well she needs extra time on her exams but because of CO Luschek’s incompetence she doesn’t receive her extra time and she assumes that she fails the exam. She then dies of an overdose in prison what makes it even worse is that she dies before she found out that she passed her GED exam. It was extremely disheartening to watch that because I feel like the writers went out of their way to paint Pennsatucky in a new light and make the viewers like and root for her just for them to kill her off. In season 7 we also saw a flashback of how she was treated as a child, she always referred to as dumb because she wasn’t learning like the other kids and no one around her was smart enough to get her tested or knew what dyslexia was.

The decline of two characters is something that had a huge problem with. It depressed me to see these two go on a downward spiral right before our eyes. Taystee was a beloved character since season one and everyone had such high hopes for her to be something great when she was released from prison. In her first season she was released from prison and her clique (Poussey, Black Cindy, and Janae) were all excited for her and told her not to come back to prison, in a couple episodes she was back in prison the episode she came back it showed why she came back it was too hard to live on the outside as an ex-con for her because she had nobody on the outside as opposed to being in prison where she had people who she considered family. I didn’t have a problem with this because it was realistic to what happens in real life, some of these ex-cons our a victim of circumstance and prisons don’t give inmates resources for how to adapt back into regular civilian life. In season four she watches CO Bailey crush her friend to death and she is angered by it because she feels like she isn��t going to get any justice for her friend. From season five to season six was her trying to get justice for Poussey and better conditions for the other inmates as well with the help of Piper. At the end of season six she gets neither justice for Poussey or better conditions for the other inmates instead the police rush in to take over the prison that has been run by inmates it’s almost like everything Tastee did was in vain because nothing change. In season six they’re trying to frame her for the death of one of the officers that was killed by a cop at first I was hopeless and I thought she was going to go down for the crime that she didn’t commit, her own friend threw her under the bus just so she could be released from prison earlier it was depressing watching such a bright light like Taystee be framed for this, throughout the season Mr. Caputo helped her with her case and also try to prove that she did not murder Piscatella just for the ending to be that they found her guilty of murder and that she would be in prison for the rest of her life. It wasn’t fair to us as viewers to watch someone who is such a good character and would’ve had so much promise outside of prison have to go back to prison for the rest of her life. It’s almost like she would’ve never gotten her happy ending. I think she was so much better than getting the life sentence that they pinned on her and no one thought to right their wrongs with Taystee.

The other character with a huge decline was Dayanara. Daya was my favorite character from the beginning because of her relationship with CO Bennet. I wanted things to work out well for her and for her to replace her relationship with her mom and make it better with her when she was released. From season five to season seven it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster with her because I feel like her character took an absolute turn for the worse. I felt bad for her when she murdered the CO Because right there I knew she wasn’t going to get away with it and lo and behold she didn’t get away with it. She also got a life sentence and she becomes a guard punching bag since she murdered one of their own then she gets involved with a woman in the prison who is in a prison gang, gets hooked on drugs, and sells drugs amongst the inmates, Daya joins the prison gang and starts selling drugs as well. In season seven she kills her girlfriend after she see’s her cheating then she becomes leader of the prison gang and she also gets her little sister involved in her drug business. If you’ve watched from season one you’d know that Daya was like a mother to her younger siblings so to see her not care that she’s making her younger siblings help her sell drugs is odd because she was their good influence and it was sad as a viewer to watch her become worse than her mother and not care about life.

Happy endings in the show is very far and in between. I can’t think of much characters that has gotten the perfect ending other than Piper. Blanca was an unexpected happy ending but I was pleasantly surprised she was one of the reasons why I didn’t completely hate the finale. Blanca was released from prison the same time Piper was, while Piper was allowed into the free world Blanca was hauled off to a detention center to be deported. At first I was saddened that she was going to be deported but I understood why the writers included that because of the current climate in America. Blanca became a character I loved because of how she handled the situation. On the show she was always portrayed as the ‘crazy’ Spanish woman but on season 6 and 7 she proved that she was way smarter than what she led on to be, in the finale she was free from the detention center and she luckily was deported but her long time boyfriend was she made the decision to go with him and I enjoyed how her story ended because from the beginning of the show she explained how much she loved him and the fact that she was willing to leave America to be with him is like her full circle moment.

Most of the other prisoners we didn’t know much about their endings because they went to two different prisons and the show focused on the girls who went to maximum I wanted to see how everyone’s story ended and not just a montage of them smiling. I did get closure for some but not all and I will always be left wondering what happened to some of my favorites. I love this show but there is a few lose ends to tie up.

That’s all for today! I have so many more comments so I’ll have to make another post.

Until next time🤎🤎🤎✨

[spotlightsaga]

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... Orange is the New Black (S05E13) Storm-y Weather Airdate: June 9, 2017 @oitnb Ratings: @netflix original Score: 8/10 **********SPOILERS BELOW********** What now? Watching an OITNB finale is a bit like the next day after a great roll... You had a great time, and emotionally you're drained, there's a bit of magic still floating around in the air, you wonder will happen next... But in a way, you're kind of sad that it's all over. And of course, you're too stunned to do much of anything except furrow your brow like James Franco attempting to show any simple range of emotion beyond 'stoned'. Until next time, right? The best thing about the end of OITNB5 is the fact that we know it's going to come back for a 6th & 7th season, but with the massively radical shakeup we saw happen here in S5... There's never been a time in the series' history that we have been in such a place where we don't even have a slight inkling of an idea as to what is coming next. Over the course of 4 years and 5 seasons, we've seen characters come, go, pass, come back again, disappear into MAX, and some that have more of a final ending. It's safe to say that as tragic as the S5 ending was, as we saw best friends, lovers, and feelings as safe & simple as familiarity being separated and hauled off into different vans, going god knows where, at least we don't have to deal with another loss like the magnitude we dealt with at the end of S4. It took hours of sobbing and patting my back just to come back to reality and stop crying after that one. We have praised S5 for featuring new characters, as well old characters in a different way... As well as experimentation with new types of storytelling and even head-first dives into different genres just to give the series a fresh beat. It's hard to believe that all this happened in just a 3-Day timespan... Technically we've spent years with some of these women, but never has the series reached such heights in tension as it did here. One again, I feel it pertinent to mention that I'm just glad they decided to not put me in a situation where I could possibly cry like a baby for hours on end. I always knew that this riot would never end well for any of the women, and by E12 when everyone was having their personal revelations and epiphanies as to where they stood in life and with each other, I immediately sensed that they'd all be ripped apart from one another. No way things could be this harmonious with such an ugly consequences hanging above like dark pulpy rain clouds just waiting to burst over all of their heads. I'm not going to lie, there was a part of me that thought someone was going to die (as there usually is a major death in every season), but I was relieved when we were delivered the death of Piscatella instead of a beloved inmate. With Piscatella dead and Angie (Julie Lake) & Leanne (Emma Myles) redeeming their 'bad girl' ways... A majority of which was spent reeking havoc throughout Litchfield, torturing Pensatucky (Taryn Manning), putting on 'Litchfield's Got Talent', and raping CO Stratman (Evan Hall), all by wiping everyone's slate clean in a fire burning everyone's records... It looks like maybe Maria's (Jessica Pimentel) attempt at stealing all the hard work Gloria (Selenis Leyva) put in to moving the guards from 'Spanish Harlem' to 'Poo', by way of cutting a hole in the fence, actually payed off. The additional time Piscatella recommended will most likely never be added on to her sentence and she actually got to hold her baby. As mad as I was at Ruiz in that moment, I couldn't help but shed a tear or two. She made a snap decision, did what she had to do, and actually achieved something from it... Whether this will be only for a short term prize or even as something as big as a sentence reduction, we'll have to wait and see... But even though MCC isn't exactly the keepers of words or showers of good faith, Nita (Gita Reddy) did show that she was appreciate of Maria's sacrifice. That little hint of empathy that Nita let us all see had to count for something, at least I hope for Maria's sake that it does. Just as Pensatucky was once a fearless leader of many and fell to the 'Litchfield Pariah', Maria's decisions will land her in a similar path. I have absolutely zero doubts about that. And now... 'The 10 Count' and other wild inconsistencies of the 5th season of OITNB... Because as great as OITNB can be, it's never without its faults. There were powerul performances throughout this season... Uzo Adbua, Danielle Brooks, Selenis Leyva, Adrienne C Moore, Beth Dover, Miriam Morales, Rosal Colon, Dale Soules, Vicky Jeudy, Julie Lake & Emmy Myles... And some breakout performances by Francesca Curran, Daniella De Jesus, Asia Kate Dillon, and Kelly Karbacz... While Kimiko Glenn, Laura Gomez, Amanda Stephen, Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne, Lea DeLaria, Diane Guerrero and Jackie Cruz felt wildly under utilized and other extremely talented women were either lost in the shuffle or given small or subplots that won't see greatness born from them until further into the series. Alas, at least the seeds were planted. Even the incredibly talented Taryn Manning went massively underused, but it feels like that they are setting her up for a proper story arc in S6, so at least she'll have her moment soon. Ending her arc in S5 in the Guard House with Coates, snuggled up with her rapist under a blanket, makes for endless possibilities to spiral a psychologist's wet dream of a character study. Obviously the cast of OITNB is massive and not everyone can have large chunks of time devoted to complete character arcs that tie in heavily to the main narrative, but then again women like Uzo Aduba & Beth Dover were still able to take the time and scenes they were given and steal the spotlight, making the most of a short amount of time. It's up to these women, as character actresses, to really take it all the way... But it's also up the writers to give them something worthwhile to chew on and hang onto. And while there is plenty to discuss at the end of S5, not all of it is good. Like many other writers, bloggers, reviewers, and fans... We did the math and we are a bit confused on the '10 count' of missing ladies the men who violently and haphazardly stormed the women's prison turned temporary castle shouted out when attempting to tell Caputo and MCC the progress of the raid. Even with Linda being accounted for, we're not sure where that number came from... Just a small example of short-sighted missteps we occasionally see from an otherwise talented writing team. Also, as a Drug & Harm Reduction activist, I'm not sure why Cindy giving Suzanne a few Lithium pills (which I was under the impression she was prescribed anyway) would ever result in a coma like state needing as something as extreme as an EpiPen. It was just a short stick that wasn't thought through that was inserted into the finale for some additional drama and to get Taystee, Cindy and Suzanne in Frieda's abandoned pool turned bunker. It was sloppy and we at Spotlight Saga condemn any storylines that promote ignorance or false information about chemicals and drugs. Simply put, OITNB is better than that. However, it's hard to deny how beautiful that end result was... Seeing these women who once were so stuck in a pattern of self-segregation stand together, holding each other's hands with grace and dignity brings tears to my eyes as I merely picture the scene writing about it. That picture was worth far more than a thousand words, carried a beautiful message, but could have been achieved without compromising any artistic or factual integrity. I don't aim to cheapen the moment, it was beautiful, and I anxiously await the outcome with a heavy heart. Unfortunately I must steer the conversation back to inconsistencies because I truly believe that OITNB is also better than to not have MCC know that Linda from Purchasing was there at the time of the riots or had at least gone missing around the starting time of these riots. This is the type of woman who'd show up for work, even on the weekends. Maybe this was to give characters and fans satisfaction at the end when they all claimed to work for MCC to make Linda look crazy... But honestly, even though I understand their feelings of betrayal, you would think at least Boo would buy what she was selling. I did. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like Linda grew copious amounts during the short time that S5 took place and actually meant what she said when she promised she would do her part to incite change amongst the prison system. If they treated her right at the end, they could have had a great ally. Now... I'm thinking not so much. If I was Linda, I wouldn't be too pleased with any of those women. I feel like another potential beautiful moment, future or otherwise, was compromised for comedy and unnecessary comeuppance. If it's any consolation, Beth Dover, you were absolutely amazing this season and we have our eye on you and Danielle Brooks for any end of the year awards, such as one we've already locked in favor of Uzo Aduba's incredibly nuance performance throughout the entirety of S5. Regardless of any short sighted plot stick, surely the events of S5 will bring about change to more than just where inmates are shipped after the riot. While OITNB is fictional, New York law states that 'Riot in the First Degree' is a Class E Felony, which doesn't carry much weight, but will still ensure that most of these women, especially those that were public symbols during the riot, will have a few years tacked on to their sentence. I'm actually hoping the plan is to clear the prison, clean it, and then ship most of the important women and characters back to Litchfield to carry on their storylines in a similar fashion under new circumstances. Whatever happens, things are going to be different... But as the series ended on the women left inside Litchfield in the pool as the rest of the prison had been swept and cleared, fading to orange, leaving their fates hanging in the air... I think the main thing we are left hoping for is that none of our favorite women that remain in that lineup are hurt or killed and taken away from us forever. Overall, S5 was a mostly successful season of OITNB... But baby, this doesn't have anything on S4 and the epic rise and fall of one of the greatest characters of Litchfield Women's Prison... The woman whose demise started this whole thing... Poussey Washington. We miss you, Samira Wiley. You were so incredible, so inspirational, your unjust and untimely exit caused a series to be turned upside down on its head. Until S6, guys. You know we'll be there!

[rye-views]

Orange is the New Black  Season 5 6.6/10

About a riot that breaks in Litchfield after the murder of Poussey.

It’s amazing that we’re on Season 5 and I’m just now learning some of the names of various characters.

Whether this show is fun or not, it helps you realize that they are constantly trying to get attention for the unrepresented. Everyone is constantly being pushed aside and no one is getting justice.

Suzanne is actually such an important character.

This normalizes breakdowns. It’s helpful.

I love how serious Taystee is about creating change.

My feelings towards almost every character has changed since season 1.

Why can’t everyone be treated like humans. Why is abuse so despicable?

[fyesnatashalyonne]

Natasha Lyonne’s Decade in Review

this whole decade belongs to her...

2010: Iconic Role-Deborah in All About Evil

2011 | 2012: Peak fashion inspiration for Nadia “I wear the same thing all the time” Vulvokov

2013: ‪the year OITNB premiered and Tash brought Nicky Nichols to life (the BEST character of the decade)‬

2014: EMMY NOMINATION for OITNB

2015: ‪Addicted to Fresno, all of the awards, and queen of my heart‬ 👑 ♥️

2016: Antibirth, The Intervention, so much more than the girl

2017: DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

2018: when she was the fashion queen of 20gayteen

2019: ‪tasho’s best year yet, bringing us Russian Doll and taking it to the Emmys, melting our hearts as Nicky Nichols for the last time, and serving looks upon looks upon looks 🔥🖤🤯‬ here’s to seeing what she brings us in 2020!

[favoritegays]

So I just finished season 7. In regards to alex/piper, the writing was... yikes. What the actual fuck...? Of course, im glad they end up together,(though that was a no brainer at this point) and there were some amazing scenes between the two of them, especially in the last two episodes. But everything felt so fucking...out of character??? Since when did alex have a sudden need to ‘fix broken people xx’ ???? why ...did that... matter?? besides trying to justify what ever the fuck was happening with McCullough? Piper/Zelda felt a bit more realistic with piper’s character of wanting to live a life on the Straight And Narrow. But even then, the audience has already seen this Cheating Storyline played out tooooo many fucking times, and the writers could have come up with something more original. Can you believe, that out of all the directions they could have went with them, they devoted 99% of their screen time to the Cheating Plotline:”????? what is this CLOWNERY

[shnookumsandlovemuffin]

I swear sometimes I hate reading the reviews for OITNB

Just because Piper’s shit doesn’t stink as bad as others doesn’t mean it deserves less validation. I just get really sick of reviews every year always shitting on Piper because well she’s white, privileged, and who the hell cares about her. It’s gotten to a point where I don’t even want to read the reviews anymore because about eighty percent of them are all the same: “Taystee and the other women are a joy and a delight to watch on the screen with all of the interesting story arcs that they bring to the table, things really seem to be going back to form in OITNB and then there’s Piper GOD!”

[therachelperspective]

BOOK | Orange Is the New Black: My Year In A Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman

I put off reading this book for the longest time because, as always, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to read the book or watch the show first. The book won (as it usually does). And I’m glad I do ultimately decide to go with the book first; in the novels, I am able to get the true depiction of the material, instead of the more “fictionalized for ratings” story that typically comes from adapting the materials for the screen. Had they followed the novel form of Orange is the New Black verbatim, no one would have watched it, nor would it have lasted as many seasons as it did. The truth of Danbury Women’s Prison – a low security correctional facility – is that absolutely nothing happens.

Having followed the show mildly online through entertainment news sources (I never watch things as they’re showing, don’t ask me why), I was able to put some of the show faces to book names. But because of this, I also felt like I was constantly waiting for things to happen in the book that had happened earlier during the show. Prime example was waiting for the reappearance of Nora (Laura Prepon’s character Alex Vause in the show). On the show version of OITNB, Piper’s ex-girlfriend makes a dramatic first entrance and remains a prominent part of the show, being incarcerated with Piper at the same facility. **SPOILER** In the book, Nora does not reappear until much near the end of the story, for a trial against a former colleague in drug smuggling, and then is gone as quickly as she appeared. It is only at that point that Nora and Piper are reacquainted with one another and are in prison together.

It may seem that I refer back to the show often, but the reason is this – the book has absolutely no drama; I might even call it slow. Orange is the New Black in literary form is about a privileged white woman with an incredible support system, one that was able to not only keep her sane during her stay in prison by an ever-revolving list of visitors, constant letters and mailed items (books being a common theme), but also a support system that helped get back into the real world after incarceration by providing her with a job made specially for her at a friend’s business. Piper Kerman is one of the rare few that have all of these things available to them as a convict. She touched briefly on the topic at various times throughout the book, but the truth is that most people, men and women alike, do not have that same kindness in life. Many are in prison for longer periods of time (not unlike Piper’s 13-month stint), rarely receive visitors, and likewise rarely get any sort of assistance outside of prison when returning to their lives and the workforce. Kerman’s experience in prison, while interesting because it gives partial insight into American corrections, hardly touches on the hardships truly faced in prison.

One thing she does get right, however, in the epilogue of the novel, was how much the corrections system really fails most, if not all, people. The people working within the prisons and jails don’t care about the inmates, and because of this, the inmates receive no true rehabilitation. Which might be arguably the whole POINT of being put in prison/jail. That means that most inmates, when released, end up right back in the system. Prisons have some screwed up (read: monetary) incentives to keep their facilities at maximum capacity, thus filling their beds with many non-violent minor offense criminals like those Piper spent her time with at Danbury.

Piper Kerman’s “Year in a Women’s Prison” may be a catchy title, and may have been enough to inspire a Netflix series based on the concept, but her actual experience was filled with a constant cycle of the same things: complaints of not having the same niceties she was used to back home, about the limited types of food available, running the track on the prison grounds to pass the time, and Larry. Oh how she missed her fiance Larry. Maybe I was hoping for something more exciting – and that could be why I kept reading the book, hoping the more I read, that something would actually happen. But even being reunited with Nora was lackluster, regardless of Piper’s faux threats of drowning her in a prison toilet.

I wanted to like the novel version of Orange is the New Black... but now I’m banking on better results from the television series.

At least it seemed fitting to read a book about imprisonment while equally as stuck in a pandemic-fueled quarantine.

[videoreligion]

Meaty Bits 9/19: Short Reviews and a Digital Religious Artifact

[vausemania]

judging from the first reviews and what we know about the season so far it seems like its going back to piper being the main focus. which im pretty happy about

Yeah, that was a huge relief for me :)

(‘The Hollywood Reporter’ s7 review---article)

Thanks for the ‘ask’!

[renegade-is-in-my-blood]

The end of Orange is the new black

The end of Orange is the new black

Orange is the new black season 7 is up and running on Netflix and fans all around the world are saying goodbye to this masterpiece of a show. This show has always crossed the boundaries of realism. It was always able to portray alarming current situations in a brutally honest way with a dash of well-placed sarcasm. That’s why OITNB is the best and will be missed.

Season 7 contains usual 13…