Orange is the New Black: Season Four

I didn't care that much for season three, particularly the big jump-in-the-lake finale. So I decided that for season four, I would do one big review instead of thirteen individual reviews. That might have been an error on my part, because this season was probably their best so far.

This review includes many spoilers. If you haven't seen season four yet and you plan to, you might want to stop reading now.

Orange is the New Black: Trust No Bitch

"You're not Walter White yet. You're Walter White... ink."

Am I falling out of love with this series? Maybe I'm just having trouble writing reviews in a vacuum. Curse you, Netflix binge-watcher business model, you.

Orange is the New Black: Don't Make Me Come Back There

"I want her to have a better life."

Orange is the New Black: We Can Be Heroes

"You can't spend your whole life holding the door open for people and then being angry when they don't thank you."

Orange is the New Black is a story about women, and honestly, I was pissed when I realized that this was the second episode this season centered around one of the male characters.

Orange is the New Black: A Tittin' and a Hairin'

"Now you're like a case of pop. You got value."

Finally, an exceptionally strong episode in the "so far, not impressing me" third season. The flashback broke my heart, and the ending made me cry.

Orange is the New Black: Where My Dreidel At

"It's important to know where you make sense. Otherwise you're not really living, you know?"

Prisoners tend to turn to God to find meaning and comfort in their situation. I've always particularly liked the way Orange is the New Black deals with religion and the metaphysical: the Wiccan energy circle, Big Boo and the Eastburg Church, the Norma cult, Pennsatucky's belief that she was Jesus. Even Alex is reading the Qur'an.

Orange is the New Black: Fear, and Other Smells

"We all process in our own way."

Have we ever gotten Alex flashbacks without Piper before? I don't think we have. It gave us a little insight into her character. Although I think we already knew that Alex had a hidden marshmallow center.

Orange is the New Black: Tongue-Tied

"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

Orange is the New Black: Ching Chong Chang

"We're chasing an unachievable standard."

Last season, Morello's backstory stood out from the crowd and actually shocked me. We get to know these characters so well that I forget that they're in prison for a reason, and sometimes there's a very good reason.

Orange is the New Black: Fake It Till You Fake It Some More

"To quote Philip K. Dick, it's strange how paranoia can link up with reality now and then."

It wasn't that easy to tell what this episode was about. Deception? Self-esteem? At one point, I started thinking that maybe it was about pee. At least it made me laugh a lot. (My quote section is too long.) And Marisol 'Flaca' Gonzales' backstory did what it was supposed to do. It took a background character I hadn't thought much about, and made her more interesting.

Orange is the New Black: Finger in the Dyke

"You need to decide whether your costume is worth what it's costing you."

This episode had a way obvious theme: the cost of pretense.

Orange is the New Black: Empathy is a Boner Killer

"I'm like a bloodhound for oblivion."

Nicky is probably my favorite character on this show. But what a broken human being she is.

Orange is the New Black: Bed Bugs and Beyond

"Jesus. What a clusterknuckle."

Just the title of this episode made me cringe. I kept scratching myself as I was watching.

Orange is the New Black: Mother's Day

"These are complicated ladies in a complicated place."

And we're back for season three with a somewhat sweet and occasionally funny but mostly sad and bitter episode about mothers and children and prison and separation.

Laure's Best of 2014

2014 is coming to a close, and this has been a strange year for me, televisionwise. I moved half-way across the country and forfeited having a T.V. in my room. So, instead of the typical 'Best Of' this year, I'm also going to include a quick outline of the survival guide that's worked for me should anyone ever find themselves in the dire situation of being without easy, unlimited access to a T.V.

Orange is the New Black: We Have Manners. We're Polite

Miss Rosa: "Always so rude, that one."

Heartwarming and satisfying. Okay, not terribly realistic. Can't have everything.

Orange is the New Black: It Was the Change

"What are we, pirates?"

Just like a campout, only with rats instead of smores.

Orange is the New Black: Take a Break From Your Values

"I fell in with the bad nuns."

I've been waiting and hoping for a Sister Ingalls episode. And then I was mildly disappointed that she turned out to be such a narcissist. And then I thought, what was I expecting, a saint? (I think I was expecting a saint.)

Orange is the New Black: Little Mustachioed Shit

"Some friend."

How can I not like an episode that features two flaming bags of dog shit?

Orange is the New Black: 40 OZ of Furlough

Miss Rosa: "The thing about reality is it's still there waiting for you the next morning."

Was this one about how even dysfunctional families are better than none? Or was it about seeing yourself as you really are?