Orange Is the New Black

[bklynred]

Hey folks, so I just finished season 1 of this new show by Weeds creator Jenji Kohan. What do you guys think? How far into the series are you? And who's your favorite convict? (I think Poussey may be mine).

[Babycakes]

I'm trying to watch an episode a day, but life keeps getting in the way. Right now, I'm half way through episode 5, and I'm liking it a lot so far. I'm glad that it isn't all Piper's story all the time. I like Ms. Claudette, Nichols, and Sheila the best so far. I don't like Red. She's too abrasive for me. I think the relationship between the inmate and the guard is doomed. Also, her mother is a complete bitch. Piper's fiance is a bit of a tool. And crazy eyes. Where is my crazy eyes?! She hasn't made an appearance since episode 3. I really hope there is some comeuppance for the other guard that's a pig. That guy is gross.

[Deleted]

Accent adroit bitch! My favs are Sophia, Taystee, Yoga Jones and Crazy Eyes. I really like all of them. Except Pennastucky of course, and Alex. I think acting wise Laura Prepon is the weakest on the show.

Love the show. I was a bit hesitant after the pilot. I was afraid it was going to be all middle class white girl in prison surrounded by wacky ethnics who teach her important lessons. I am glad I was wrong. Its so nice to have a show with women you normally don't see on tv-poor women, minorities, transgender etc. I also really like how the show can go from being really funny to sad. But at the same time its not Oz. Its not completely depressing or violent. Only drawback of the Netflix model is that you can watch a whole series in a weekend and then have to wait a year for the next season.

[kostgard]

Its so nice to have a show with women you normally don't see on tv-poor women, minorities, transgender etc.

I was thinking this the other day. I love this series. And it was so nice to see a cast of nearly all women, and they were all different colors, shapes and sizes. Not all of them are Hollywood thin or beautiful. And they are all complex, interesting characters.

As for my favorite, I think it is easier to ID the ones I don't like, because there are far fewer. I love Poussey. I love Taystee and completely approve of her entertainment choices and good grammar (pointing out the difference between "your" and "you're", not allowing anyone to step on "Goblet of Fire", and gaining control of the TV so she could watch animal documentaries instead of "Toddlers and Tiaras"). I love Crazy Eyes (obviously), Sophia, the nun, Nicky...the list goes on.

I'm only lukewarm on Piper, but that's okay. She's the protagonist, so she's the one who has to grow and change, and she can't be awesome right out of the gate. The only way it bothers me is that I don't understand why Alex is so ga-ga for her. Alex has her own issues, but she's still way cooler than Piper.

The only one I straight-up don't like is Pennsatucky. But I guess every piece needs a villain. But the other characters are complex while she just seems straight-up stupid and mean and evil. Hell, I even feel sorry for Pornstache a bit because while he's a total bastard, he's also clearly desperately lonely and unhappy. I don't feel sorry for Pennsatucky at all. I was almost bummed when I heard that the actress playing her got promoted to regular cast member for next season. I don't mind that she's still around, but I don't want her in a more prominent role. I'd rather spend time with Sophia or Poussey & Taystee or the nun.

Oh, wait - I also hate Healy. What a bastard he turned out to be.

And Babycakes - Crazy Eyes will be back. And she will both amaze you and break your heart. If we don't get a flashback on her history next season I will be convinced that there is no justice in the world. We have to know more about her, especially after we met her parents.

[bitca]

Aug 4, 2013 21:57:12 GMT -4 bklynred said:

And who's your favorite convict?

Are you kidding me with that shit? haha. I love all of them. (OK. Aside from Piper, Alex and Pennsatucky.)

Laura Prepon's eyebrows are the worst.

I binge watched it in three days or something stupid. I need to go back and re-watch it because I don't even remember a lot of the smaller things. I was just so ridiculously excited to watch a new show that wasn't depressing or so very dramatic. It was funny and witty and above all plain interesting. Hooray.

[iClaudia]

Aug 4, 2013 22:47:16 GMT -4 kostgard said:

Its so nice to have a show with women you normally don't see on tv-poor women, minorities, transgender etc.

I was thinking this the other day. I love this series. And it was so nice to see a cast of nearly all women, and they were all different colors, shapes and sizes. Not all of them are Hollywood thin or beautiful. And they are all complex, interesting characters.

Absolutely. I hope they get some recognition come awards time. I know it's especially difficult with such a large cast of supporting players but I've been brought to tears a few times and its generally been the supporting cast. Poussey and Taystee (I hope I spelled that right!), Janae and Yoga and Sophia and Sister Ingalls, for instance.

Definitely hate Pennsatucky but I think I was mostly disappointed by her backstory. I would have preferred to see Yoga's though her scene with Janae was very well done. Alex is interesting to me in that the neither the character or actress does that much for me (though I've liked Laura Prepon in other things) but she and Piper do have great chemistry. I adore Natasha Lyonne in this. I saw her in "Loving Leah" a few years back and I was hoping she'd get some quality TV work.

I have to give it up to Netflix. I never imagined that the premium cable model would work for an online streaming service but they've done an excellent job. This is definitely the future of TV.

[Deleted]

I thought fans of the show (particularly those who haven't read the memoir on which it's loosely based) might find this article interesting. I don't think many viewers are necessarily of the belief that this is a hyper-realistic depiction of life in a women's minimum-security prison (or even a faithful translation of the book), but the article is a compare-and-contrast of the show and the reality as experienced by the book's author.

I find the show addictively entertaining and an interesting character study (and indeed it's the supporting characters and their backstories that intrigue me at the most) but as a criminologist I do bristle a bit at some of the "prison life" drama - I find that the show reminds me a bit of "Oz", in that a lot of the potential for realism has fallen by the wayside and that the usual melodramatic prison-movie tropes reign supreme. But as some very wise individuals once said, I need to remind myself that this is just a show, and I "really should relax".

[Ladybug]

I love this show so much. My favorite character is Sophia the transsexual. Her situation with her wife and son just breaks my heart. I can't stand watching Larry scenes, they are such a waste of time to me. Just get back to the women! I'm on episode 10.

[Babycakes]

I stayed up late last night and watched the rest of ep.5 and all of ep.6 (whoa at Daya and the guard that's an amputee getting it in! I am still hesitant about boarding that ship, but they are so sweet together-- so far). I still can't believe how big of a bitch her mom is though. I don't get the attraction between Piper and Alex on either side. And Laura Prepon's dry acting, too dark hair, and eyebrows are a real bring down.

I called off sick today (really, I am sick), so I'm going to try and finish the series today. Onward and upward.

[prada]

I am HOOKED! I am up to episode 5 and can't wait to finish the season. My faves are Ms. Claudette, Taystee, Red, Nicky, Poussey and Crazy Eyes. Great, great show.