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Netflix Presents: Orange is the New Black

Just finished watching season two last night, and I loved it. The finale was pretty much perfect in the way it concluded many of the year's threads.

Overall, I liked season one more, but it was good how the show became more of an ensemble. It ensured that there was good character development, by giving flashbacks to more of the recurring cast. I missed Alex a great deal initially, but having her freed was an interesting way of accommodating Laura Prepon's schedule. This in turn aided the move away from Piper as the main character, but I'm glad she'll be back properly next year.

The only episode I remember feeling bored all the way through was Taystee's backstory, which surprised me as I lover her usually. I think it was mostly as I didn't particularly like Vi, and then lo and behold, she's a main character.

Her presence certainly brought interesting conflict to the characters. I damn near cried when she manipulated Taystee into staying away from Poussey. Their delightful friendship was one of the best things in season one, so to see it disappear for a while was horrible.

I'm not quite sure why I didn't like her. The other antagonists we've had in the past were a lot more interesting to watch - Pennsatucky and Pornstach particularly. Perhaps if Vi had been portrayed differently, or written with more humour? Oh well. Her being hit by the bus was brilliant.

Susanne was very interesting this year. I loved seeing her backstory, which led to a grim understanding of why she was so happy to be Vi's lapdog.

Rosa was a revelation. I wasn't quite sure just who that flashback was about until later in the episode she mentioned having been a bank robber. I think she mentioned it in a previous episode too, but I didn't make the connection until she mentioned it again.

She had so many great scenes, particularly with the angry teen that also had cancer. And of course, running Vi over was brilliant retribution for how she had been treated by her. Can I say again how much I liked the finale?

I should also squeeze in how much I enjoyed Morello's backstory. When we found out that her fiance was really just the victim of her stalking him, and that his girlfriend could have been murdered, it all makes her seem just a tad crazy. But the way it was written, and of course Yael Stone's performance made it all so heartwarming, if bittersweet.

Oh my. What to say about Larry and Polly? I was less surprised of the dickishness towards Piper, as she was the one that cheated first, which led to the breakup. But Polly cheating on her baby's father was in very bad taste, and I wonder if it was done to try and keep Larry relevant?
 
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(Just watched season 2 ep 8)

Does anyone else think Healy is being written inconsistently? He's acting now more like he acted at the start of season 1, but it's hard to believe the same behavior coming out of the man we saw at the end of season 1.

Is there any indication in the series how much time has passed since Piper entered prison? Or are they hiding that so they can say that whenever they decide to end the series, 15 months have now passed?
 
Healey is on a pendulum swing. He tries to get his identity from stuff that just isn't working out. He's a tough asshole prison guy who doesn't take any crap, big man in his mind.. and that doesn't work out because you know, he gets no credit for it and everyone hates him. He's a loving adoring husband of his beautiful russian bride, he only wants to please her.. and that doesn't work out because she never warms to him one little bit. I suspect he will swap these two ideas he has about who he is completely by season 3, pumping all his "I am so sensitive, I care" stuff into the prison women and turning into tough guy, I'm taking no more shit in his marriage.

All of it will fail.
 
Is there any indication in the series how much time has passed since Piper entered prison? Or are they hiding that so they can say that whenever they decide to end the series, 15 months have now passed?
We never saw summer and it looks like spring, so I'm guessing that it's around that time. We do know that they're past Valentine's Day. I remember reading that they plan to shoot season 3 this summer so I'm guessing that it'll be summer in season 3. At this rate, they can make it to season 5 easily enough. They can even extend the show further if they condense the timeline near the end of the show's run. They did that with The Shield where the last three seasons took place within 3 or 4 months.
 
Is there any indication in the series how much time has passed since Piper entered prison? Or are they hiding that so they can say that whenever they decide to end the series, 15 months have now passed?
We never saw summer and it looks like spring, so I'm guessing that it's around that time. We do know that they're past Valentine's Day. I remember reading that they plan to shoot season 3 this summer so I'm guessing that it'll be summer in season 3. At this rate, they can make it to season 5 easily enough. They can even extend the show further if they condense the timeline near the end of the show's run. They did that with The Shield where the last three seasons took place within 3 or 4 months.

The Christmas Pageant was the night of the fight and Piper landed in the infirmary (presumably) that night. She was then in the SHU x 3 weeks before being shipped to the land of deep dish pizza for several more weeks. She did arrive home before Valentine's Day but I doubt we're half way through March since it didn't seem like any of the trees were budding in the finale.

Since Piper's mom is still talking about her daughter only being in prison another 8 months, they have to take the timeline slowly. Sure, Piper should get more time for the perjury, but I like the tight pacing this almost real time living gives us. It's like we're experiencing the slow passage of time with the inmates.

If things move too quickly then before you know it stalkers and butch screw driver aficionados are let out to prey upon innocent brides. ;)
 
^ Yeah, by spring, I was thinking March or so. Not technically spring, but spring enough. :p

I too wondered if she'd get a longer sentence so that the show could be extended further but nothing on that front so far, and they've had two opportunities. First the fight in the season 1 finale and then the perjury. Doesn't look like they'll be pressing charges on the latter.
 
(Just watched season 2 ep 8)

Does anyone else think Healy is being written inconsistently? He's acting now more like he acted at the start of season 1, but it's hard to believe the same behavior coming out of the man we saw at the end of season 1.

Is there any indication in the series how much time has passed since Piper entered prison? Or are they hiding that so they can say that whenever they decide to end the series, 15 months have now passed?

I think that his character has been purposely inconsistent. We see him struggling to form his identity. He tries to be compassionate and then feels like he gets no gratitude for it, so he swings back in the opposite direction and acts like an asshole. Then he regrets it and so goes back to caring nice guy. He's a volatile individual, which is I think a good portrayal of what someone in his situation would be feeling/doing.
 
Do they have any way to prove she committed perjury? The only two people who know for sure are either career criminals or lawyers who is legally bound to confidentiality.

And even if they could prove Piper met him, she did not say she never met him, she said she couldn't remember. That's very hard to disprove, and she can always say that she was so completely focused on Alex that she wasn't paying attention to names and faces.

You know what would be funny? If they filmed an alternate ending to Orange Is The New Black where Red said "Computer, end program", and then walked into the sunset with Jeri Ryan.
 
Do they have any way to prove she committed perjury? The only two people who know for sure are either career criminals or lawyers who is legally bound to confidentiality.

And even if they could prove Piper met him, she did not say she never met him, she said she couldn't remember. That's very hard to disprove, and she can always say that she was so completely focused on Alex that she wasn't paying attention to names and faces.

You know what would be funny? If they filmed an alternate ending to Orange Is The New Black where Red said "Computer, end program", and then walked into the sunset with Jeri Ryan.

When Larry's dad visited her the 1st time in jail, he asked her questions the prosecutors would ask. Then he led her to speak with them. Later in the court, the prosecutor is shocked to hear her claim she didn't remember. I assume that's because he's already interviewed her with her lawyer in attendance.

Now, can she claim she lied in the pretrial hearing and told the truth on the stand? Sure. But what if during Alex's testimony she mentions she and Piper met Kubra many times? The prosecutor might go after Piper just to get a conviction on SOMEONE.
 
Just watched the finale. LOVED the final scene, that's how you build up to a payoff.

I suppose they have enough to go after Piper, so then it could come down to whether they feel it would be worth their time and money. I doubt Alex brought up Piper in her testimony, since Piper only met Kubra a few times and Alex was in frequent contact with him.
 
Just watched the finale. LOVED the final scene, that's how you build up to a payoff.

Also just finished the season last night. That final scene was amazing. I was watching it with my girlfriend, and actually "called it", but I thought that it was going to be more along the lines of an accident versus straight up on purpose. That Rosa can be a stone-cold bitch, haha!

It definitely looks like the walls are crashing down around Caputo, which is kind of sad because I like his character and was hoping things would work out for him. Now he's got two inmates escaped, with one possibly/probably dead (although the other will possibly/probably die soon anyway).
 
Just watched the finale. LOVED the final scene, that's how you build up to a payoff.

Also just finished the season last night. That final scene was amazing. I was watching it with my girlfriend, and actually "called it", but I thought that it was going to be more along the lines of an accident versus straight up on purpose. That Rosa can be a stone-cold bitch, haha!

It definitely looks like the walls are crashing down around Caputo, which is kind of sad because I like his character and was hoping things would work out for him. Now he's got two inmates escaped, with one possibly/probably dead (although the other will possibly/probably die soon anyway).


Re: season 3

The character has been elevated to a season 3 regular.
 
Vee looked pretty dead lying there on the ground. I suppose it's possible some scrambling life saving surgery could take place, but if she did survive she would definitely go to maximum security. At least, to have her back, not paralyzed, alive, in Litchfield, would take a bigger contrivance than all the ones we've forgiven them for put together.

I think Caputo lost all likability permanently when he threatened to send Diaz to maximum.
 
Caputo just wants to situation out of mind. Its already solved for the most part right now. Why have Diaz mess it up. It's a slippery slope and Im sure we will see Caputo fall into the same trappings as the former assistant warden.
 
Wait. Do we think Vee might not be dead? Gah.

She's definitely a goner. The character was only meant for this season, her arc is over and there would be no reason to bring her back.

That being said, I've seen showrunners do stupid things before (bringing back Syler on Heroes?)
 
I think I saw a thread over in the Voyager forum, but this probably more accurately belongs here. Orange is the New Black is the new show from Netflix, about an affluent woman who is convicted of a crime she committed ten years ago, and her struggles adapting to prison life. It stars Taylor Schilling, Jason Biggs, Laura Prepon, and Kate Mulgrew as an older inmate.

I watched the first episode last night, and thought it was hilarious. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of this season, and from the reviews it looks like Netflix has another winner on their hands.

My boyfriend and I have been wanting to see this show. Is it really good?
 
Yes, it really is but some people may balk at some aspects. A friend can't get past the "vulgarity" in it, although everyone else in our clique has latched onto the show whole heartedly.
 
It's a great show, but yeah, you have to be prepared to deal with lots of sex, nudity, swearing, and some pretty uncomfortable situations.
 
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