Orange is the New Black (Netflix) TV Show • Page 6

I sort of want to start a discussion about recent events involving police relating to this show. Thinking about the events in the last two episodes has made me really uncomfortable with all the stuff going on recently. It seems like unfortunate timing for something like this show, which asks us to sympathize with an officer who commits murder.

Not trying to start a debate or condemning the show's depiction by any means, just want to hear some others' thoughts.

 

Regarding the second to last episode, Samira Wiley (Poussey) said in interviews it was intentional the way she died reflected Eric Garner's "I can't breathe" death and Taystee's response reflected the BLM movement

 

Yeah, I get that it was intentional. I think the portrayal of those moments is really powerful. I just think it's weird/disconcerting/maybe unproductive that the show tries so hard to get us to sympathize with Bayley in those two episodes. I get that it's trying to show there's more sides to every story, which is one of the points of the whole show. But it feels a little...insensitive? To have such a pro-cop narrative in a story so directly related to current events.

 

From one of the interviews with Samira: "Honestly, it was a really smart decision on their part because it is complicated. All life is complicated. You could’ve had one of those asshole guards be the one to do it, but then that would’ve made your feelings so cut and dry. It wouldn’t have been complicated like life is. It’s something I didn’t know was coming. Even when I was reading the script up until that moment, I knew what was going to happen but I was surprised that it was him. In the last episode, you see that they are two kids, and we pass each other on the street. That’s really cool of them to do that, too, just to see that these are just two kids walking down the street. In however many years, one is going to kill the other. It’s not this vicious crime. It’s the system. That’s what Jenji’s trying to do. She’s trying to highlight this horrible corrupt system that’s corrupt on both sides."

 

That's an interesting quote, and I agree that it was very effective storytelling and that life is complicated. I'm just struggling to reconcile what the place of a narrative like this is amidst current events. What good is a "not all cops are bad", "it was just an accident" storyline doing for the families of actual affected victims? That's sort of what I mean by insensitive.

 

The lack of Chang in S4 was a huge bummer

 

I'm on ep 10 of the newest season. Really enjoying it. Few thoughts:

1) The actress who plays Piper is really good, and I've always thought so. Her character/writing is so horrendous though. That's why I hated her the last two seasons. They're actually doin a great job with her this season.

2) It's really troubling the writers keep making the guards very disturbing/predatory individuals.

3) Healy is the worst.

 

This article gets at what I was trying to say way better than I ever could:

Orange Is The New Black fails to make a black life matter

 

The use of Bayley was less of a "#notallcops" thing and more of an attempt to highlight the problems are endemic to the system as a whole rather than simply the individuals who make it up.

I don't know if I used endemic properly there but you get the gist.

Edit: "Symptomatic" was the word I was looking for.

Edit #2: ...I think.

 

Yeah the take I got was that Bayley wasn't "a good guy who made a mistake" so much as the episode was a counter argument to the idea that there can be "good cops" in the current framework. Even someone like Bayley, who one might otherwise consider "one of the good guys", is turned into a killer by the system. Its less "Bayley is also a victim of the system" and more "the system is the main enemy". Bayley chose to buy into the system, so isn't blameless, but replacing people like Bayley won't fix the root of the problem.

 

Just watched the whole series over the past 2 weeks or so. Loved seasons 2 and 4. Season 1 was alright, liked a lot, but realized pretty early on that Piper isn't compelling enough to be the lead character. Alex was cool in the first season, but became useless afterwards. Thought season 3 was bad, like very little enjoyment out of it.

As for the end of season 4... Is it set that Daya kills the CO? Loved the way it all happened and the symbolism involved, but wanted the scene to play out. Would make a great statement to open the next season with the scenario still happening and ultimately killing the dude.

 

A colleague of mine hosts a OITNB podcast called You've Got Time. In addition to analyzing each episode of the latest season, she also discusses real-world implications within the criminal justice system, addiction, and mental health. I was a guest on this week's episode where we talked about the 9th episode of the show's 4th season and I also discuss my brief visit at the women's prison where Piper Kerman served and my previous work dealing with children of incarcerated parents.

 

Wow really cool. I'll listen when I get time.

 

I watched the whole series over the last 2 months or so. I'm a wreck. Really great season, probably my favourite one! It's going to be a long wait until season 5 but I'm so impressed with this season, I enjoyed season 3 but season 4 definitely upped the stakes and every episode was compelling (I don't think I had a chance to stop crying / tearing up during the last 2 episodes lol)

 

Anybody else check out Wentworth? It kept coming up on as a recommendation on Netflix so I gave it a shot and absolutely loved it, more than OITNB which surprised me.

 

i just finished s4 after picking s3 up a few weeks ago. binged heavy through the 2nd half of s3 and then all of s4 within a week or so.

that last 3 episode stretch of s4 has got to be some of the best television i've watched. really heartbreaking, compelling stuff.

 

I haven't read through this thread, but someone spoiled the major happening in s4 a week after it came out. I have literally no desire to keep watching now. Like, I didn't have a chance to start it when it was spoiled and it's such a major thing that I just can't even bring myself to catch up.

I think I'll probably harbor some anger over that forever. Lol

 

I'm sure I know what you are talking about, but I promise there is much more in the season that is worth watching and is unspoiled

 

Yeah, I mean, it's a decently long season so I'm sure more happens, but idk if I can watch through knowing that it's going to come up.

I may end up watching eventually, but I'm still super bitter about it. I'll probably have to rewatch the whole series before I start s4 anyways. Meh.

 

The major happening itself is big but the events before and after are far more affecting to both the story and the show itself. I 100% recommend you keep watching.

 

'Orange Is the New Black' Season 5 Will Take Place Over 3 Days

As long as it's 3 days because there's a large volume of "things happening" as opposed to the large quantity of characters getting equal screentime, then this works for me

 

damn weird

 

I can get behind it, kinda cool idea

 

Like I said, my concern with this is that we're gonna see 7 or 8 storylines with equal screentime and they're all just gonna feel shallow and undeveloped. It seems so easy to happen with such a huge ensemble cast (that seems to grow each season, which is why I'm fine with characters getting "sent to SHU" and never being heard from).


Ideally we'll have 2-4 main plotlines with each episode having an auxiliary/comic relief plotline, contained in the episode.



ie. we won't have something like the stupid fucking pantie selling plot line