While I was waiting for OitNB to drop in July, I was strangely sidelined by another Netflix offering, an Australian TV show and it wasn't Wentworth.
It was "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries".
Not only was I completely captivated by the main characters, I was drawn to the Joie de vivre exhibited by its lead, despite the undercurrent of tragedy in her life.
As I watched and rewatched the detective series, the harder it was to come back to what I suspected would be a difficult final season of OitNB.
This weekend I binged the season and was just as surprised that as many people had a positive ending as had a negative one.
SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!!! 
But lets start with the negative one near and dear to our hearts,
yes I am talking about Red.
We have seen how the prison treats demented patients and was surprised to see Red wasn't sent packing, but perhaps her role in the riot and Piscatella's death prevented Polycon from dropping her off at the bus station. Was her rapidly developing dementia ultimately a blessing for her since she can't miss a family she doesn't remember?
I go back and forth on Taystee's fate. We shouldn't expect a Hollywood ending for our Miss Jefferson but I'm happy that they didn't allow her to go thru with her initial suicide plan. I am really glad that it was Taystee herself that chose to live and just as importantly it was Taystee who shepherded her idea of micro loans to prisoners as they return to society to fruition. One can only imagine that in 10 years she'll get her Hollywood ending when a social justice task force proves her innocence with Cindy and Suzanne's help.
It was sad once again to learn that Tiffany's fate was predetermined based on her genetics, her socioeconomic statue, her lack of adequate parental nurturing, her drug abuse and now her recently diagnosed learning disability. Her despair and lack of self esteem was palpable and her decision to end herself probably saved Taystee's life. I was happy to see she actually passed the test, but her lack of self esteem made her believe that she failed and was the final straw in her short life that broke her will.
I was also gratified that the other "serious" students passed, thanks to Taystee.
The one that really surprised me was Morello's end. It makes sense that the baby would have succumbed and that would have triggered Morello but the extent of her decline was heartbreaking.
I liked the class Joe ran for the women and how it not only opened Black Cindy & Maria's eyes to their own culpability in their life and crimes, it opened Joe's eyes re his own.
Speaking of Joe and Fig, I never would have guessed his influence would have thawed Fig's heart enough to find empathy for the pregnant ICE prisoner, much less lead them to IVF & adoption.
Speaking of ICE... how shocking to see the story-line of the woman who was being sent back to Egypt and certain death at the hands of her family and just as shocking to see what happened to Maritza when she learned she wasn't born here and ultimately faced deportation back to Colombia, a country she never knew. Especially in light of the news reports recently of the young man sent back to Iraq after being brought here by his parents as a baby. He died of his diabetes 2 or 3 weeks after his deportation.
I liked the young mother who was introduced ti instruct Blanca how to defend herself in her ICE hearings. When Mama was deported, I knew she'd be hoofing it back to the US and her US born sons before the credits rolled and I was not disappointed. When she hurt herself and the escort picked her up I wondered how long he'd have to carry her. When he placed her in the shade of a bush with a bottle of water before declaring he'd try to come back, I wondered again how far from a road they were and then the drone shot pulled back and showed us the mountain range w/o roads I knew this young woman who had grown on us as she desperately tried to get back to her kids was going to die.
Besides Taystee, I appreciated how much Nicky, Flaca and Piper had grown in this final season. Seeing Nicky taking over the Kitchen seemed to show us how much she had learned under the tutelage of that woman named Galina re running a kitchen and a family, just as Flaca matured under the gaze of Gloria as she continued her subversion of ICE's isolation of the detainee's.
Piper was the biggest surprise and I approved of her final scene,
Gloria was a love in how she cared for Red in and out of the SHU, and how she reached out to Blanca when she found her in the ICE facility. Watching her mental calculations over what to say about the contraband phone was painful as was the aftermath until she shamed Lucshek into taking responsibility for it. Seeing her play with her granddaughter was precious, but my heart melted when she saw the children's book about the sick burro and she sent it to Maria back in the prison so she could read it ti her daughter during visits.
It was surprising to finally see what actually landed Blanca and Red in jail.
I liked seeing Poussey in the flashback, and loved seeing the preseason 6 girls in the finale.
Re: Poussey Washington Fund
http://crowdrise.com/pwf
Overall, it was a satisfying season, although I do not plan on watching it three times in the next 2 weeks like I did with Miss Fisher
And in case you are going to try Miss Fisher, be warned that its off netflix as of 9/15 and now its just running season 1&2 on Acorn TV (and illegally on Hulu), Eventually season 3 and next year the new movie will also be on Acorn's streaming service
