Having come late to Orange Is the New Black has made it difficult to catch up without binging. Regardless of needing a score card sometimes to learn who is who OItNB is cracking television. This is an addictive show with writing that takes the viewer through the daily highs and lows of the female inmates in Litchfield. Lolly is a favorite and one worries for her safety after the three “body in the garden” group declared, “We’re going to have to kill her.”
All the characters in the show are fascinating and the use of flashbacks to provide backstory for the main group is compelling. Thus far in season four Lolly is a firm favorite, the fact that the uber talented Lori Petty plays her helps, and she provides a combination of comic relief and tragedy combined.
Of course most of the characters have a good bit of tragedy in their lives, as is shown in the flashback sequences. This is, after all, prison even if it is a minimum security facility. Episode two was not as exciting as episode one but it did establish more of the characters in the show.
The new captain of the guard man-mountain Piscatella (Brad William Henke) for example is now an established character. The storyline this season has Maria organizing the Dominican population and encroaching on Piper’s underwear business.
Lolly keeps freaking out about the dead body in the garden and Frieda (Dale Soules) is the first to mention killing poor Lolly (Petty) to Alex (Laura Prepon). It was Lolly who saved Alex’s life by almost killing the hitman who Alex later had to finish off.
Piper (Taylor Shilling) is still a legend in her own mind and is setting herself up for a massive fall.
Episode three sees a drone hovering over the prison and Lolly clocks it. Believing that one of the many governmental agencies has found her, Lolly freaks out again. Soso (Kimiko Glenn) and Poussey (Samira Wiley) are having a few growing pains with their relationship.
Poussey is starstruck with Judy King and Soso has a talk with the celebrity chef lying about her lover’s background. The two make up later on and Lolly has the death sentence passed on her again, this time from Kate Mulgrew‘s character.
Doggett (Taryn Manning) is positive that Coates (James McMenamin) is raping the new van driver Maritza (Diane Guerrero) like he raped her. Although the CO does not know that Pennastucky considers it rape.
Another favorite Orange Is the New Black character, who featured pretty heavily in episode one of season four is Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (Uzo Aduba). Aduba has the polish and delivery of a Whoopi Goldberg and her eccentric character is a show stopper.
Show creator Jenji Kohan has taken the memoirs of Piper Kerman and brought the world of a privatized minimal prison for women to living breathing life. The issue of overcrowding and private correction facilities cutting corners and leaving the inmates feeling unsafe is not glossed over and it adds a sense of realism to this splendid dramedy.
Orange Is the New Black streams on Netflix and all episodes can be watched at one sitting. It is addictive viewing and not to be missed.
Discover more from Mikes Film Talk
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
