Welcome to the recap series on the third season of the Jenji Kohan Netflix hit Orange is the New Black. Over the next few weekends (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays) we will be looking through the episodes and highlighting the events that make this comedy/drama a stand-out in general TV. Does the series have what it takes to make another phenomenal season of TV, and can the tales of Piper Chapman and her inmates satisfy expansion? Stay tuned and make sure to follow along at your own pace.
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| Left to right: Lea DeLaria and Taryn Manning |
Sophia (Laverne Cox) begins to have problems when she is assaulted for being transgender. Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) decides to get back at Pennsatucky's (Taryn Manning) rapist by reenacting a plot point from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Daya (Dascha Polanco) goes into labor only to have her baby die from an umbilical chord wrapped around its neck. Soso (Kimiko Glenn) gets medicated for depression and immediately does too much. Piper (Taylor Schilling) continues her operations while breaking up with Alex (Laura Prepon). Stella (Ruby Rose) admits to loving her, but that she is getting out soon. Pennsatucky backs out of her plan. Red (Kate Mulgrew) throws a feast for various inmates. Sophia is put into isolation for her safety. Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba) discovers that her work is inspiring fan fiction.
Flashback
It is a two-for-one with the Diaz family in which Daya and Aleida (Elizabeth Rodriguez) recall the former's childhood. When she goes to summer camp one summer, she becomes full of excitement and desire to do something creative with her life. However, Aleida is apathetic and doesn't want her to do it. This results in conflict as everyone at the camp praises Daya. However, when they get home, Aleida brainwashes her to believe that her only real purpose in life is to be a mother and that being an artist is a foolish endeavor.
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| Laverne Cox |
MVP:
Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox)
While this season has been wildly uneven, one of the shining plots has been the ongoing feud between Sophia and Gloria (Selenis Leyva). While it has largely been about the mother issue and who is the more responsible parent, this week sees the issues go into a new and more common form of discrimination. As a transgender character, Sophia hasn't been given too much meaty material since the first season despite being an enjoyable presence. This season shows the personal struggle that one faces in her position when people need to lash out. She is assaulted and questioned in ways that are commonly done to transgender people. It is a rough episode and it is tough to be strong in her shoes. However, it was a powerful piece of the episode that probably makes her an easy MVP for the entire season as well as this episode.
Overall Thoughts
For a moment, let's put aside my issue that the next episode is the finale and I don't feel like there's been any grand momentum. That is an issue that continues to resonate. However, there's a lot that came into powerful effect this time with several very dark moments. Daya's baby dies. Soso overdoses. Sophia gets assaulted. Pennsatucky reconsiders attacking her rapist. Stella is not long for Litchfield. The show's diversity also plays in its favor and allows for all of these stories to domino on top of each other and create an odd, empowering catharsis that makes it easy to overlook just how sloppy this season has been. With a few cliffhangers in tow, I am curious to see how this will all end. For now, this is one strong example of what drew me to Orange is the New Black initially from its cast to its shocking plot points. I can only hope that the finale has something in store.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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