Orange is the New Black (Season 2)

Creator: Jenji Kohan
Starring: Taylor Schilling, Michael J. Harney, Kate Mulgrew, Jason Biggs, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Taryn Manning, Yael Stone, Samira Wiley, Dascha Polanco, Adrienne C. Moore, Nick Sandow, Lorraine Toussaint, Laura Prepon, Pablo Schreiber, Matt McGorry, Alysia Reiner, Kimiko Glenn
Original Airdate: 2014

★★★★ (out of ★★★★)

With its second season, Netflix's most successful foray into original programming, Orange is the New Black, breaks through into the upper echelon of great TV drama. Or is that comedy? Probably a bit of both, but genre confusion aside, there's so much to appreciate about their first four-star season, it's hard to know where to start. Showrunner Jenji Kohan takes a big risk in taking the focus off the series' protagonist and turning it on its wild cast of supporting characters we'd only just gotten to know a season earlier. That's a creative gamble when you already have a strong protagonist whose story we were so invested in, and still are. Only now, everything doesn't always revolve around her,  which is an irony considering how she seems to think it always does.

This season is really centered around a villain that shakes up the series in a major way, even if calling her a "villain" seems too constricting a term, failing to do justice to the character's complexity in both writing and performance. She brings a sense of legitimate danger and mayhem that was strangely somewhat lacking in a series set in a women's penitentiary, even one that's part-comedy. That a second season this strong is delivered after a somewhat shaky premiere makes it all the more satisfying when it all comes together in the end.

Piper takes an uncomfortable flight

Everything seems more purposeful this time around, as the writers brilliantly maneuver around the absence of a major series regular, invisibly weaving it into the narrative to the point that you hardly notice she's gone. The prison politics deeply delved into, with the guards and administrators motivations more fully fleshed out.  And with few exceptions, the flashbacks are also more meaningful, carrying greater impact on present events and giving us more insight into the characters, a couple of which pay off in surprising ways. The episodes just keep gathering steam until the last, which puts the perfect exclamation point on a season where we view every character differently than when it began. Despite some concerns at the beginning, there's no sophomore slump here.

In last season's shocking cliffhanger, we saw newbie Litchfield inmate Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) deliver a brutal beating to mentally unhinged religious zealot Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett (Taryn Manning) as Counselor Sam Healy (Michael J. Harney) did nothing. As this season begins, there's a lot less fallout from that event than you'd expect, and while we do find out its outcome, the show moves on to other business fairly quickly, with Piper being transferred off the radar to a Chicago prison. It's there where the show attempts to wrap up her storyline with former lover Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), whose drug smuggling landed both in prison, where their reignited affair eventually destroyed Piper's relationship with her now ex-fiancee Larry (Jason Biggs).

In hindsight, it seems ridiculous that we all thought Prepon's departure as a series regular would be some kind of death knell for the show, since the only episode primarily focusing on that arc (as all of last season did) ends up being relatively the weakest of these thirteen. It's unfortunate that it happens to be the Jodie Foster-directed premiere (Ep. 2.1, "Thirsty Bird"), but at least it's out of the way early, and plays much, much better once you've seen the entire season. Needless to say, the Piper/Alex saga still feels far from done since Piper has proven herself to be an co-dependent addict when it comes to this woman, still allowing herself to be manipulated and lied to in order to gain her affection.

"40 OZ of Furlough"

The premiere is the most we get of Piper until she starts a prison newsletter (Ep. 2.7, "Comic Sans") and a family crisis affords her an opportunity to be granted furlough in an episode that examines the change she's undergone behind bars (Ep. 2.9, "40 OZ. of Furlough") and how it's affected her relationships on the outside. She's not the same entitled princess she went in as but the show cleverly posits the theory that this may not be such a great thing. Now she's the one being judged as a failure and there's no turning back or reversing the clock. She's a convict and everyone couldn't be more disappointed, including her own ashamed parents and her jilted, opportunistic ex-fiancee Larry who continues to use her incarceration as a vehicle to further his journalistic career. A strong argument can be made that he's the most selfish character on the show.

This new Piper and Larry very far apart and a development with Larry only serves to separate them even more, and finally giving viewers full permission to hate a guy who's been on a slippery slope since last season. That so many can't stand Biggs in this role is only a credit to just how well he's playing it. Neurotic and disingenuous at every turn, any fans the character may have had vanish by the end of the season. Piper also vanishes for much of the rest of the season too, but that Schilling is still impressive enough to never make the character seem sidelined is noteworthy in itself. In a welcome change, the show's biggest moments involve everyone else.

It's the arrival of drug dealing sociopath Vee Parker (Lorraine Toussaint), foster mother to Taystee (Danielle Brooks) and former nemesis of Red (Kate Mulgrew) that shakes things up at Litchfield. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say she takes over the entire season, making the series considerably darker, dangerous and more unpredictable as a result. She's even at the center of three (!) flashbacks fleshing out her backstory, marking the only time in the show a major flashback player suddenly shows up in the present.

"Crazy Eyes" finds a mother figure in Vee

How quickly Vee's able to exert power and control over all the inmates is terrifying, sucking them in like a mother figure before manipulating them to do her dirty work. The most vulnerable are those who don't have anyone, and since it's prison, that would be just about everyone. She runs the guilt trip over Taystee to bring her back into her fold and is even able to drag "Black Cindy" (Adrienne C. Moore) and Watson (Vicky Jeudy) along for the ride with empty promises and more deceit. She's evil, but also incredibly smart, which is a mix we're not used to seeing in this environment, giving her a definitive edge over everyone.

While the wedge Vee drives through Taystee's friendship with Poussey (Samira Wiley) is reprehensible enough, her absolute worst, most bottom of the barrel action is manipulating the mentally unstable "Crazy Eyes" (Uzo Abuda), who's willing to do just about anything to fit in and be loved. Vee casts such a large shadow over the season and Toussaint's work so quietly gripping that at points the series feels like it's channeling Oz or The Wire. And the intensity only keeps escalating to the level where you badly want to see this monster get hers, even if you know the show may suffer without her around. There's no way Toussaint isn't riding this chilling performance to an Emmy nomination next year, as she puts you on pins and needles waiting to see the depths her character sinks to next.

The long awaited backstory of "Crazy Eyes" is given time in Episode 2.3, "Hugs Can Be Deceiving"  and it doesn't disappoint, depicting events in her childhood already powerfully hinted at in Uzo Aduba's performance. Always a lonely outcast ridiculed and mocked, the flashback provides an greater context to her current situation with Vee, as well as revealing some surprising details about the struggles her well-meaning parents faced raising her. But the strongest flashback comes in what's possibly the season's best episode (2.6, "You Also Have Pizza"), as we learn the recent history of Samira Wiley's Poussey.

Poussey gets some awful news in a gripping flashback 

Whereas an argument can be made even the most surprising flashbacks flesh out details already hinted about these women, everything about Poussey's is revelatory, completely changing our perception of the character. I didn't expect her to have the upbringing she did, get caught in the dilemma she was, and her situation elicit nearly this much empathy.  It really stands out from the rest not only because of an extremely heated lesbian sex scene (maybe the first of the show's many that actually does feel necessary), but because of Wiley's heartbreaking performance, which insures she leaves this season one of the most beloved characters.

Another fan favorite, Red, struggles after the kitchen (and basically her whole prison identity) was taken from her by the Latinas last season. The return of Vee only causes more problems for her, and as we find out via flashbacks, their history is violent and complicated. New Jersey native Lorna Morello (Yael Stone) also gets one of this season's more revealing flashbacks, dispelling all myths that she's the most normal, well-adjusted inmate at Litchfield when we learn the details of exactly what she's in there for (Ep. 2.4, "A Whole Other Hole"). That this revelation hardly changes our opinion of Morello speaks to how likable Stone (now bumped from recurring to series regular) continues to make the character in the face of some really dark material.

Previously a background player, cancer patient Miss Rosa (Barabara Rosenblat) steps to the forefront as her history as a big time bank robber is unspooled as she currently receives treatment alongside a teen chemo patient in one of the more moving story arcs. At first, you wonder why the show's spending so much time on a bit player, until realizing: A) She's no longer a bit player B) It's a classic case of the writers knowing something we don't. The new face at Litchfield is hippieish inmate Brook Soso (Kimiko Glenn), who besides crying herself to sleep out of fear, not showering and generally annoying everyone, clumsily protests prison conditions with Sister Ingalls (Beth Fowler) in a storyline that dominates the back half of the season. It's clear she'll be around a while so it's a good bet her story will be explored further moving forward. That should be interesting considering that, of everyone, she seems the most out of place in a women's prison. She's practically the new Piper, only weaker and more irritating.

A low turnout for Healy's "Safe Place" support group.

This season pulls back the curtain on prison politics amongst the administration, starting with Counselor Healy, who last season went from inmate advocate to sexist, homophobic pig. The more we learned about him, the less there was to like, but he kind of finds some form of redemption in these episodes, starting a prison support group and becoming an unlikely mentor to Pennsatuckey. After years of feeling beat down by the system (and his mail order bride at home) he finally starts taking baby steps toward making a difference for the prisoners and himself.

Similarly, Assistant Warden Joe Caputo (Nick Sandow), who after being portrayed as somewhat of a perverted creep, is revealed to actually care about these prisoners, even if his hands are tied by beaurocracy. They really start to explore his character, revealing personal details (like him moonlighting in a band or his ongoing crush on Officer Fischer) that cause us to look at him in a whole new light, as Sandow shines in a role that's expanded in both depth and screen time. But he's undermined at every turn by corrupt, arrogant Warden Natalie "Fig" Figueroa (Alysia Reiner) who's not only more concerned with the prison's reputation than the health and safety of its inmates, but running an embezzelment sheme in the midst of her husband's political bid.

Litchfield's biggest scandal continues as Officer Bennett (Matt McGorry) and pregnant inmate Daya (Dascha Polanco) attempt to implicate hated guard Pornstache (Pablo Schreiber) as the father of her baby. What's surprising is how far they get with it and the eventual outcome which highlights the price that comes with doing the "right thing," a theme repeated often this season. Thinking along these lines, it wouldn't be a bad idea to add flashbacks for the guards and administrators next season, developing them even more. Healy seems to be the best candidate for this, as his backstory could help shed light on how this formerly idealistic counselor transformed into a woman-hating curmudgeon with no friends or personal life.   

Miss Rosa takes the wheel in the season finale

Whereas last season's finale ended with a cliffhanger, this nearly feature film length one (Ep. 2.13, "We Have Manners, We're Polite") appears to wraps things up neatly in a bow for the time being. It's telling that that in the sensational final scene, Piper is nowhere to be found. It comes down to a battle of good and evil between the two characters most deserving of appearing in it, bringing their arcs full circle.

For a series not praised enough for its soundtrack selections, they save a couple of the best ones for this episode, including an out of left field use of Deep Blue Something's 1995 pop classic "Breakfast at Tiffany's and a note perfect incorporation of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper." And I'm not ironically using the word "classic" for the former. It's no wonder many have misread its objective in that scene, choosing instead to take more cheap shots at a song that's too earnestly infectious and nostalgia-inducing to ever rag on. It makes perfect sense a character on this show would love it, as most of their musical tastes were left in the past when they entered Litchfield. 

Superior in every way to its inaugural season, this one manages to be much grittier and darker without losing any of the entertainment value or warmth and humor that initially made it such a success. And for those already sick of Piper and wanting the supporting players spotlighted instead, 12 of these 13 episodes surpass those expectations.When OITNB first started few could have guessed it would be this insightful about the prison system and how often society can fail those who end up a part of it, whether they're inmates or administration. That story isn't exclusively Piper's. But when you watch the flashbacks of these characters with their current struggles, you realize it almost doesn't matter what crime put them there. Sometimes we see it, but oftentimes not. Most of the damage was done before that, making their eventual incarceration an inevitability. The series can easily go a few more seasons as long as there are still stories to tell, even if we might eventually have to find out just how difficult it'll be for them to adjust once they're out.
                       

Orange is the New Black (Season One)

Creator: Jenji Kohan
Starring: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael J. Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew, Jason Biggs, Taryn Manning, Uzo Adubo, Natasha Lyonne, Laverne Cox, Dascha Polanco, Yael Stone, Danielle Brooks, Pablo Schreiber
Original Airdate: 2013

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

Had you told me that of Netflix's House of Cards, Arrested Development and Orange is the New Black, the latter was going to be their most successful foray into original programming, I never would have believed it. But it is. And in a big way and by a decent margin. But while it was easy to tell he other two at least had great potential on paper just by the nature of the creative pedigree involved, this project was a bigger question mark. With an untested lead, a so-so premise and "from the creator of Weeds" above the title, viewers would be forgiven for not being instilled with much confidence in the project and keeping expectations low. And that turns out to be an asset the series didn't even need because, by any standard, it's a fun ride.

Orange is the New Black Opening Title Card

It definitely wasn't a given that this would creatively come together as well as it does, that the performances and writing would be this spot-on, a new female star would be made and the careers of a couple of talented, but written off 90's holdovers would resurrected. All this in a women's prison dramedy with a cast so large and diverse it should be difficult enough to remember all the characters' names, much less care about them. And yet by about even the mid-way point, I not only cared about every one of them and knew their names, but could give you a full background history on each. It's the very definition of a true ensemble, where everyone stands out and lifts already strong material to an even higher plane.

Based on Piper Kerman's 2010 memoir of the same name about her experiences in prison, Orange is the New Black follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a Connecticut businesswoman living in New York who's suddenly sentenced to 15 months at Litchfield federal women's prison after being convicted of transporting money for her drug smuggling former lesbian lover, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) over a decade ago. Now engaged to struggling, neurotic writer Larry Bloom (Jason Biggs), both strongly believe they can overcome the interruption and strain her sentence will have on their relationship, already making plans to pick up where they left off when she's released. It's a belief that slowly erodes as Piper is absorbed into the prison hierarchy and exposed to a diverse group of inmates, each of whom have an interesting story of their own. Torn between desperately wanting to fit in and also fly under the radar because she sticks out like a sore thumb, Piper's problems in and out of the slammer are further complicated by the discovery that Alex is also serving time at Lichfield and may have implicated her in the crime.

What sets the highly addictive series apart is its even-handed and highly entertaining depiction of the prison and its inmates. The show gives off such a distinct vibe of community behind the bars, it's easy to lose track of the fact that we're being taken inside a women's penitentiary and instead mistake it for high school, college or even a sleepaway camp with some really strict rules for behavior and the accompanying risk of being killed. But the most impressive thing about the show is how it takes what could be have easily been branded a criticism and turns it into the most insightful and revealing examination of prison life since The Shawshank Redemption or Oz. Of course, they'll be the predictable complaints that the jail is too clean and that this is prison seen through "White Hollywood's" eyes. While I can't argue with either point, it's easy to speak to its irrelevance. This is a dramedy and is under no obligation to present itself as a documentary on the horrors of life behind bars. If it was, someone like Piper Chapman would more than likely have an even tougher time than she does, and that's assuming she'd even survive at all.

Piper and Larry say their goodbyes in Ep. 1.1 ("I Wasn't Ready")

Writer and executive producer Jenji Kohan hits on different, more important truths, causing us to stop and think how easy it might be to get sent jail for a couple of horrible choices, or even worse, be a victim of unfortunate circumstances. This is true for some, but certainly not at all of the characters, and while it doesn't absolve any of them for what they've done, it but does give us an access point we've never had before in a show of this genre. Kohan accomplishes this by interspersing Lost-style flashbacks depicting the prisoners' lives before they arrived at Lichfield and what led them there. Some work better than others and it still doesn't flow quite as well with the current action as was probably intended, but it's mostly successful because the characters feel so richly developed by the writers and diversely talented cast of actresses. The supporting cast is so strong that at times it's hard not to view Piper as a vessel through which all the other inmate stories are being told. And it's easy to pick the ones that leave the strongest impression in terms of both writing and performance.

"Red" (Kate Mulgrew) is a former restauranteur with ties to the Russian mob who serves as sort of a mother figure to the girls and runs the prison's kitchen with no less diligence and dedication than she would her own establishment. Nicky (Natasha Lyonne) is a recovering drug addict who turned to Red to help get clean when she first arrived. Uzo Aduba plays Suzanne (AKA "Crazy Eyes"), a mentally unbalanced, obsessive inmate who's determined to make Piper her "prison wife." Laverne (Sophia Burset) is a transgender hairdresser sent to prison for credit-card fraud and is struggling to maintain a relationship with his wife and son while behind bars. Before being locked up, the feared Miss Claudette (Michelle Hurst) ran a child-labor cleaning service and brings those same strict sensibilities to Lichfield. And that's just a small sampling of the outrageous characters.

It makes sense that the sheltered, people pleasing Piper would have major problems fitting in and try entirely too hard to do so in all the wrong ways. She's starved out after making disparaging comments about the food, assaulted in the shower, framed for weapon possession, locked in solitary confinement and even jokingly nicknamed "Taylor Swift." But what ends up being the backbone of the series is her love-hate relationship with Alex, which is far from old news. especially to Larry, who's trying to reconcile the fact that the woman he's engaged to is now not only a convicted criminal, but locked up with her ex.

Piper and Alex reconnect in Ep. 1.11 ("Tall Men With Feelings")

Having starred in a short-lived NBC medical drama, appeared in that awful big screen adaptation of Atlas Shrugged, co-starred in a sappy Zac Efron romance and briefly played Ben Affleck's wife in Argo, the little known, but recognizable Taylor Schilling just hasn't been able to catch on as a movie or TV star. Until now. There were few, if any, indications she was capable of a performance like this or able to go the places necessary to make this click, yet she does. What's most impressive is that the character isn't even all that likable and she does refreshingly little to hide that. Piper's definitely spoiled and self-centered enough for viewers to think that this whole prison experience could actually benefit her in some way since her current lifestyle seems to be a facade for masking everything else.

The most thrilling aspect of the character (and one Schilling pulls off extremely well) is seeing her realistically transform from terrified wallflower into full-fledged badass when she's pushed too far for too long. Her polar opposite is the free-spirited Alex, who's intelligently played by Laura Prepon in a turn made that much more impactful by the fact that she's an actress who looks and acts like she'd actually be able to handle herself in prison. The two have great chemistry together and while it's easy sympathize with both, it's Piper who we genuinely fear for because she's so far out of her element and ill equipped at navigating the territory. Or so it initially seems.

As Larry, Jason Biggs gets to play a slightly less likable but more complex variation on his Jim character from American Pie (complete with a passing reference), which is definitely the approach called for given the  comic nature of the role. But what's surprising is just how dramatic things things get between he and Piper down the final stretch and how up to the task Biggs is to deliver on it. There's a pivotal sequence that occurs toward the end of the season where Larry's world clashes with Piper's and the strain of their situation finally explodes, causing him to take an action that not only affects her life and safety behind bars, but the surprisingly fragile feelings of all the inmates at Lichfield. It's safe to say Piper's never quite the same after it, injecting the rest of the episodes leading in to the finale with a palpable sense of tension.

Michael J. Harney as Counselor Healy

 As intriguing as her relationships with Larry and Alex are, the odder one she forms with her counselor Sam Healy (Michael J. Harney), which starts as one thing before morphing into something else entirely at the drop of a dime, revealing he might just have as many personal issues as his inmates. It's really complicated and often amusing portrayal by Harney that culminates in one of the season's best scenes as he goes toe-to-toe with Piper and we're treated to a revealing explanation for his sudden passive-aggressive (bordering on bi-polar) behavior. And he's the "good" correctional officer. Reprehensibly played by Pablo Schreiber, the creepy Mendez (AKA "Pornstache") abuses his authority to smuggle drugs into the prison, make sexual advances toward the inmates, and blackmail and threaten them. Another guard, Bennett (Matt McGory) is actually engaged in a full fledged romantic relationship with inmate Daya (Dascha Polanco), who's serving time with her deadbeat mother Aleida (Elizabeth Rodriguez).

From the description of events, you wouldn't be mistaken in thinking it's a heavy show. But it's also very funny, with much of the comedy coming from supporting players we've never seen in anything before this. Aduba's performance as Crazy Eyes is more empathetic and hilarious than scary, offering up wide-eyed facial expressions that become the instant highlight of any episode in which she appears. Equally great is comedienne Lea DeLaria, who plays the tough but likable "Big Boo," a physically imposing, rough and tumble lesbian who definitely "wears the pants" in the many relationships she has with various inmates. The relentlessly upbeat and positive Lorna (Yael Stone) talks in a thick Boston accent of her upcoming wedding that may never happen while Janae Watson (Vicky Jeudy) is given one of the more intriguing flashbacks, as a shy high school track star falls into the wrong crowd in a desperate attempt to fit in. But it's the Presidentially named duo of Taystee Jefferson (Danielle Brooks) and Poussey Washington (Samara Wiley) who may as well be considered the Laurel and Hardy of Lichfield with their practical jokes and goofing around. When one is released, we're given a glimpse of just how difficult it is to adjust to the world outside after serving time and why a life behind bars may be preferable to some who feel as if they have no family or support when they get out.

Taryn Manning as Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett

The two most memorable supporting performances are given by Mulgrew as Red and an unrecognizably uglified Taryn Manning as the prison's resident religious zealot and holy roller, Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett. A meth mouthed drug addict and self-proclaimed faith healer who flies into fits of uncontrollable rage and insanity, she's easily the series' most dangerous character, if not just for the crime she was convicted for, then definitely for her sheer unpredictability. The 8 Mile vet completely disappears into this role in a way that's just flat-out frightening and at least worthy of an Emmy nod. Piper faces a lot of threats during her stay but Pennsatucky was really the only one inmate I believed was capable of legitimately killing her and Manning's bone-chilling work is the reason why. She also somehow manages to make it comical in the darkest possible way, proving that a Netflix, HBO, Showtime, or AMC was going to be the only home this series could possibly have. No major network or even mainstream feature film would have the guts to depict a villain like this. Especially a female one.

The show has also re-discovered what's increasingly become the lost art of an extended opening credit sequence, complete with an earworm inducing title theme. So ridiculously long and catchy you'd almost think it's a practical joke, Regina Spektor's "You've Got Time" is an original song written and recorded specifically for this show, and honestly, I wasn't a fan at first. Then I heard it a second time. And a third. And then over and over again in my head long after that before realizing how few showrunners realize how important the opening theme is and are willing to give it the allotted time it deserves. In this case you could even argue it's given more time than it deserves, but it's tough to complain when Spektor's emotional wailing interspersed with all the show's faces fits the series so well, becoming as much of a character as any of its actual ones.

The biggest question mark surrounds where the series goes from here considering its finale ("Can't Fix Crazy') is about twice as effective as the finishes of Netflix's two other series. The writers wisely save the most explosive moment for last, making it feel like a true cliffhanger in every sense. But a potentially big problem looms next season with the loss of Laura Prepon, who either decided to leave the series or was written out depending upon where you get your info. Considering the Piper-Alex relationship is basically the crux of the show, this isn't good news, despite the door still being open for a guest starring return down the road. If Prepon chose to leave, it's hard not to wonder what she's thinking as it's her best gig since Donna on That 70's Show, if not the most interesting she's landed in her career. She joins Biggs, Lyonne, and Manning as actors everyone's always liked, but wondered how much more they could do if ever given exceptional material. The answer is unsurprisingly "a lot."

Red (Kate Mulgrew) takes charge of her kitchen

It's also still somewhat of a worry that this series' creator ran her previous show into the ground long before it passed its expiration date. I'm not sure how a long a shelf life this can have considering the protagonist is only serving 15-month prison term, even if it's easy for that sentence to be creatively extended by the writers to buy some time. That Netflix isn't technically a "network" that releases ratings and are constantly working on churning out new programming should at least help keep that pressure off and alleviate concern of a potential burnout.

A binge-watching thrill that alternates between some really intense, heavy drama and often hilarious comedy, Orange is the New Black feels like the show that's nudged Netflix over the hump, cementing them as a major player in the TV distribution arena. And as strong as their other two shows are, I'm not sure they accomplish what this manages to do with seemingly far fewer tools at its disposal. Aside from a few minor issues that can be ironed out over time, this is about as close to a perfect start as a debuting series can have. Here's hoping it hasn't peaked and only gets better from here.