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| Uzo Aduba |
It was early on in season 2 that I began to have a feeling about the series. It wasn't that it was just a great show. It was to be an iconic one. Not only is it Netflix's crown jewel at this point, but it has a revolutionary way of watching content. Despite losing the Emmy for Best Comedy Series, it managed to have a strong first season that declared its presence. By the end of that first run, all of these unknown faces (Laura Prepon and Jason Biggs being the most recognizable) became your friends and the prison became a community functioning on schedules. It is a series that started off unassumingly great and has only declared its stay with this season. Yes, Orange is the New Black may very well be one of those rare series like The Wire or Breaking Bad as one of the definitive series of its time, challenging the medium and giving new aspects to familiar territories.
The most notable strength of the series remains its cast. Starting out already with dozens of characters, the series has only grown this season. After "Thirsty Bird" created a mislead with Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) being transferred to another prison for a trial, the series got underway setting everything up. The communities were stronger, yet still separate. All it took was a few blocks to fall before things began to get interesting. For awhile, the series was a pleasant journey through the familiar territories. There would be the thematic overlap of plots sandwiched between flashbacks of various inmates. They were all done unassumingly and as a result, their impact only became stronger when they paid off.
While this formula is by no means new, it also served to answer several questions, such as the cliffhanger to last season in which Piper supposedly assaulted Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning), though it was actually Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba), who we discovered in the same episode had anger problems due to a traumatic childhood regarding her race. The series didn't give this right away. In fact, it didn't even come until a few episodes in. Likewise, its entire plan was done this way. While it left some things up to assumptions, it also played the "unassuming" card quite a bit throughout the season. Is this a gimmick? Kind of. However, Orange is the New Black managed to back up this gimmick with cleverness and making the entire construction work together to solve a singular problem.
The entire's season central drama started when the toilets began to overflow. It forced the blacks and Latina groups to share a bathroom, which caused more problems. Over time, the series took that opportunity to introduce two new characters out to make a difference: Soso (Kimiko Glenn) and Vee (Lorraine Toussaint), who both wanted change. With former chef and goods smuggler Red (Kate Mulgrew) out of a job due to faulty payments, there was a need to get the syndicate back in order. Simultaneously, Vee uses her cunning ability to convince everyone, notably Crazy Eyes, Taystee (Danielle Brooks), and Poussey (Samira Wiley) to join her in beating Red at her game. What did Soso want? She went on a hunger strike for cleaner prisons. The one benefit is that she remained optimistic throughout the whole thing.
Along with stories regarding Rosa's (Barbara Rosenblat) cancer and bonding with Lorna (Yael Stone), Diaz's (Pascha Polanco) pregnancy, Piper's failing relationship with Larry (Biggs), and Healy's (Michael Harney) attempt to get approval from his inmates, there was a lot going on that rarely felt secondary. While things came and went, it was only to focus on another story. The appeal of season 2 is that the prison has gotten so big and full of personalities that it is hard to appease them all. As it stands, Sophia (Laverne Cox) became almost too secondary this season and had nothing of value to add towards the end. Even if these stories weren't as prominent as Red vs. Vee, they did have value and all fell on each other with brisk execution. One thing impacted the next and the results were phenomenal.
Most of all, the series managed to feel more comfortable in its skin. While its first season featured female oral sex and transgender stories, it felt safer and didn't dive too deeply into specific things. In this season, there's a lot more focus on relationships with Poussey being a central focus. Turning in an understated, vulnerable performance that ranged from funny to tragic, her conflicting emotions to Taystee impacted the series when paired with a flashback of another lesbian encounter that didn't end well. Poussey was always suffering, and it was hard not to feel sympathetic, especially as Nicky (Natasha Lyonne) and Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) attempted to exploit their sexualities. Even Alex and Piper got their own origin story for their relationship. It felt more accepting of the cast and didn't so much paint lesbian culture as being a shocking gimmick, but a piece of these characters DNA. Some were happy while others had conflicts.
Then there was the conflict of the season that consumed the most time: Red vs. Vee. With Red being a favorite from season 1, it was easy to back her sudden struggles of inferiority as she went from chef to civilian. With her wisdom, she consoled people who needed her help, but also took time to start up an operation that while eventually paid off, did feel tedious. There were numerous episodes in which Red and Vee felt more like characters setting up for something bigger. Their plots felt inconsequential with no desire to find out what they were doing. Then, after a failed attempt to kill Vee leads to a turf war, things get interesting and violent with Red ending up in the hospital. So who ends up putting Vee in her place? The least assuming character. The one who at the start meant nothing to the bigger picture: cancer patient Rosa, who over the course of one season began to have some of the most memorable moments and easily ended with the most cathartic conclusion.
In a complex world, this prison has a lot of things going on that is impossible to go to in complete detail. With thematic overlaps, the season managed to play the unassuming card in just the right ways. There was payoff in varying degrees. With Red deciding to retire and Piper getting Alex back in prison, there were cyclical elements alongside surprisingly cathartic moments. The series delivered in a way that felt like a less gritty version of The Wire. Its stakes were high and not everybody gets a happy ending, but as Rosa drives away playing "Don't Fear the Reaper," there's some magic to the finale, no matter how predictable it could have been in the moment. Did anyone see how they got there? Nope. That's the charm.
Orange is the New Black, provided that it remains of this quality, is on its way to becoming an essential TV series for the 10's. Alongside the fact of its influence on Netflix and binging culture (a wise method for this season), it also is just tight writing. While Jenji Kohan did solid work with Weeds, she eventually lost focus and went too silly. It is too early to tell, but for two seasons, there's at least a lot that has been done right. It is progressive, complex, and features the greatest female cast currently on a series. For those reasons and more, the weight of Orange is the New Black can be felt and hopefully will continue to influence TV in great ways. What started off as a more polished and happy version of Oz is now its own beast, connecting the internet fan bases in frenzies and making each season anticipatory. Season 2 is simply great writing and an example of what happens when you're allowed to make something without constraints.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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