TV Retrospective: Orange is the New Black - Season 1

Taylor Schilling

When I initially wrote about Orange is the New Black in the Channel Surfing column, I didn't expect to actually watch more than a handful of episodes. At most, it seemed like an interesting mix of comedy and drama as Piper (Taylor Schilling) made her way through a women's prison. I was even worried that it would grow thin based on how simple the character was in the grand scheme of things. However, what creator Jenji Kohan had in mind wasn't just the tale of Piper, but the story of every woman in the prison. It was her goal to tear apart the cliches of prison stories by breaking all of the taboos and getting to the core of every character's emotions. With that regards, this is the best new show of the year so far.

The moment that I knew that this wasn't just going to be another show came in the middle of episode three almost as a shock. In "Lesbian Request Denied," we learn more about the stylist inmate Sophia (Laverne Cox), who is actually transgender. While the series up to that point had given us back stories on many of the main characters, what makes this one exceptionally key to the series is that it would determine whether the show was going to take taboos as a farce or reverent. With episode titles like "Tit Punch" and "Blood Donut," you have to go deeper into the episode.

In a surprisingly effective manner, the Sophia story line wasn't played for laughs. Nobody hated her because of her decisions to become female. She was a sympathetic character that had real issues. There is also just this sense that if this show has one legacy, it is being one of the few popular shows to have a transgender character who was more than that. Even if it still seemed odd to some people, it wasn't used as this big gag. It was the most effective way that the show could begin showing this integral universe where all races, sexuality and creeds could live in the same world and be treated as equals.

For the most part, the show never let down and in fact almost became like a concrete society where the prison guards was the government and the inmates society. There were rules and regulations to where each person could go. There was smuggling and even solitary confinement. It was all covered and while we got an occasional sense of the outside world with help of Larry (Jason Biggs), the real fun came from watching the people inside try to get along and just have fun. In a way, it was like the lesbian prison version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 

Taryn Manning

At the core of all of this was the Piper/Alex (Laura Prepon)/Larry relationship that may have been an entrance into this world, but wasn't the most exciting aspect. As the story progresses, we understand why former lovers Piper and Alex landed in jail for smuggling drugs. It dives into their complicated reunion and how they fall in and out of love with each other. Still, the most troubling part is Larry, who gets a book deal and ends up using Piper's facts against her and causes the entire prison to turn against her. Larry in general slowly evolved to an unlikable dweeb in ways that none of the inmates ended up seeming like. In a way, the show was successful in turning conventions on its head by forcing you to hate "the free."

Of the supporting cast, there was a rich variety of characters and plots. In the first season's run, it dealt with transgenders, screwdrivers, free range chickens, shooting up an abortion clinic, suicide, pregnancy, fake rape, and religion. This show went for the gusto, and with all of the reverence that they presented to Sophia. It may seem perverse and bizarre, but the universe was populated with infectiously authentic characters that even in the bleakest moment, found reasons to be happy. These were characters that felt more real than any main channel show.

Quite possibly the most effective and bizarre character was Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning), who is the theoretical do-gooder of the show. She loves God and believes that she heals people. She rats out anyone who disagrees with his preaching, which happens to often be Piper and anyone halfway lesbian (which is close to everyone). She wants a better world and while this is admirable, her obsession to take down evil quickly turns another trope on its head by making the nonbelievers the sympathetic heroes as Pennsatucky shoves people into dryers and sends them to solitary confinement. Her ending may not be the bleakest, but she does get the final scene, and what a chilling way to go out than (Spoiler) being beaten to death in the snow by Piper after threatening to kill her.

Madeline Brewer

The moment that I knew that this show was going to be one of the best of the year came around "Bora Bora Bora" in which douchebag guard Pornstache (Pablo Schreiber) locks recovering addict Tricia (Madeline Brewer) in a room while everyone goes about their day. The show had established this universe as a community and made everyone sympathetic at varying degrees. Everyone had their moment to shine and plenty of laughs came with it. Still, from "Moscow Mule" on, the show challenged the viewers in ways that it had only teased about earlier. In "Bora Bora Bora," the show's darkest moment came when Tricia committed suicide from an overdose. It carried on throughout the rest of the season and even questioned how characters in a prison would deal with death: by drinking.

The show's success lies largely in that it subverts many tropes and makes relationships that are generally seen as taboo. From a guard who impregnates an inmate to faking rape to get somebody fired, this show manages to be striking and different. It may have a casual depiction of lesbian relationships, but they are more seen as friendships. Each character serves a purpose to the community of characters, and while very few episodes have a singular character as the central focus, it does allow more room to understand this universe. It is beyond Piper and theoretically the show manages to set up countless seasons on the chance that they lose Taylor Schilling. This show could just go on telling the story of fresh meat for years and still effectively work. 

Of course, the real hero is Jenji Kohan, who did a solid job on Weeds, but outdoes herself here. Mixing perverse darkness with comedy, she makes an authentic show that has its own rules and regulations. While no issue is treated as sacred, almost everything is presented with harsh truth and tears down the prison universe into a place that actually seems like a fun place to visit. It feels like a social experiment of a playground and everyone has their place. It is funny, dark, and most of all challenging.

There's a reason that Orange is the New Black succeeds where junk like New Girl fails. It has a sense of self and goes for something more than laughs. It goes for character and does interesting stuff. I complained about how New Girl felt too safe and while it is true that Fox would probably never air a rerun of this Netflix show, I feel like New Girl needed more of a challenge beyond its cuteness. Here, there are twists and turns that benefit the character development and while not every episode is life changing, the moments that are pack more drama and punches than anything I have seen so far this year. 

I am impressed and can't wait for season two to reach my queue. I suppose while this sticks high in my mind and I go over all of the memorable lines, I kill time by checking out other Netflix original shows like House of Cards to see if they can hold a candle to the magnificent, elegant beauty of one of the best new shows of this year as well as the past few.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5