To put it bluntly, Netflix has officially embraced its tag as the binge watching resource for anything and everything. With an insane release schedule that has already seen some solid shows like Daredevil, Unbreakable Kimmy Scmidt, and Grace & Frankie premiere this year, it feels like it is impossible to keep up with the new and hip stuff. In fact, it creates more pressure to actually, dare I say, binge watch everything. It's a method that makes everything blend together into one massive collage, for better or worse. It creates a fix that a week's worth of anticipation doesn't provide. Sadly, the show that helped to define Netflix as a premiere source for entertainment also just released a season indicative of its problematic structure. For the first time in its three seasons, Orange is the New Black officially recognizes its binge watching audience and abuses its power.
If one were to talk about Orange is the New Black, there would be a lot of strong points. There's the diverse cast and excellent writers. There's the inventive twists on prison life and the flashbacks that reflect this. It is a landscape that may seem confined, but is expansive with new and endearing characters coming in at their own leisure. It is what made the unexpected back half of season two so thrilling and noteworthy. Unfortunately, following those events, the show decided that it was best to take a chill pill and allow its characters to evolve in a different and less interesting way. Things were suddenly become political.
This isn't to say that the show has never been keen on politics. This season saw its biggest statement, which likely influenced its meandering pace. It was about Litchfield's growing infestation problem and how recovery would be slow. The issue is that presenting this over several episodes doesn't make for compelling drama or comedy. Most big characters were sidelined at various points without much of an interesting arc. Those that did, specifically Piper (Taylor Schilling), often were met with embarrassing results. When change came, it was sudden and lacked any strong impact. While there were other small commentaries on religion, depression and erotic fiction, nothing really too hold and instead felt like passing phases.
It also didn't help that most of the new inmates weren't interesting. Where last season introduced the likes of Vee and the increasingly great Brook Soso (Kimiko Glenn), this one didn't do it as effectively. Characters such as Chang (Lori Tan Chinn), Lolly (Lori Petty), and Stella (Ruby Rose) entered the scene with a sense of purpose, but were dropped off. The massive cast has never suffered from sharing screen time, but this season seemed to not even given them much of a purpose to. Everyone simply existed, facing the failing system of which they resided in. It may have helped to prove a point, but again, it doesn't make for compelling characters.
This feels more like a tactic for those wanting to binge watch the series. While each episode had plenty of noteworthy substances, the end always felt like an optimistic cry that something better would come along. We would be curious to see who would become our central focus and if the Red (Kate Mulgrew) vs. Vee plot could ever be topped. So far, it hasn't. At most, there was a community garden plot, but even that was too much of a non-conflict this season. Nothing really felt important for longer than a few episodes. Even the most important of them, specifically Pennsatucky's (Taryn Manning) rape and Sophia's (Laverne Cox) transgender discrimination, felt more like passing thoughts. They held impact within the moment, but they were too late in the game to qualify as central plots.
The one benefit, which may be getting tougher to enjoy if this pattern holds up, is that the cast is so charismatic and fun to be around. Even if the story never really felt like it moved, there were individual moments that were comical and memorable. They could rank among the series' best. The most notable is the bond between Pennsatucky and Big Boo (Lea DeLaria), who may seem like opposites but become mentors for each other by the season's end. Their strange chemistry reflects the show's ability to pair together characters and make them congruent. It was scattered throughout and it didn't always work, but as the finale played out the joyous trip to the lake, everything made sense. The bonding that these characters made is the main draw for the show. Once it is gone, the show is ruined forever.
It isn't necessarily a bad season of TV. It is just one that feels like it recognizes binge watching culture and plays to it. There is no allure that the show gives beyond that. It is unfortunate that the show suffers because of this. In a way, it became self-aware in a way that ended up damaging its reputation. It wants to believe that Piper is an important character when most fans have abandoned her. Likewise, their immediate acquaintances such as Lolly and Stella were dead weight. I do worry that the show has run its course unfortunately after only three seasons and that its importance has gone to its head. However, it still works well enough that an average episode is still above average. Still, as the format - specifically flashbacks - become increasingly stale, how much longer can this show maintain its draw? I can only hope it has a few surprises in store for next year.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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