Orange Is The New Black 3.13 Delightful season-ender. Brings...

Orange Is The New Black 3.13

Delightful season-ender. Brings lots of closure.

• This is a great episode for Piper, whose storyline had a low-key start this season. All her scenes here were excellent, as she goes after suspects in the theft of money belonging to her illegal business. The resolution was cold-blooded. And awesome.
  Absolutely love the ongoing character arc where she gets darker - and more dangerous - every season.
  
• Other storylines which had a stealthy start this year came to fruition here, as well. Cindy, Morello and Caputo are examples of three characters who end the season in a very different place to where they started. And the writing all season was so subtle you didn’t even realise they were on a major path to change. In each case, it seemed as if their goals/destinations were something else. Very impressive writing.
  
• Healy had some big scenes, too, but he has been on a journey since day one and these pivotal moments were just the latest markers for this likeable but deeply flawed man.
  
• The ending at the lake was a bit overlong and self-indulgent, but it undeniably gave the viewer a warm and fuzzy feeling.
  

10/10

Orange Is The New Black 3.8

Best parts:

• Piper’s panty speech was a hoot. Brava Taylor Schilling! Likewise the discussion about donuts between Charlie and Pennsatucky was hilarious.
  
• Enjoyed seeing Danny‘s backstory fleshed out a bit (in one scene) and his ensuing telephone confrontation with Caputo bodes well for upcoming episodes. Season is really tightening up as it goes along. This ‘corporate owners’ storyline is better than I would have expected.
  
• It took them ages to give Piper a storyline, but now that she’s building a panty-empire she’s really likeable again.
  
• The big reveal (at the end) that Lolly is up to something (concerning Alex) is very satisfying. In the week since watching 3.7 I had been wondering if she was an assassin sent in to get Alex, and now it looks as if that is the direction we are headed. Another thing that bodes well for upcoming stories.
  
• About the only weak link was the Crazy Eyes sci-fi sex novel. It was funny when kept to the background, but the more time spent on it, the less amusing it became.
  

9/10

Orange Is The New Black 3.7

David Newsom.

• Across the board, in all storylines, this was a light and funny episode.
  
• For the fourth time in a row we got a very interesting flashback backstory (Norma’s), but this time it wasn’t so tragic.
  
• For the first time all season Piper now has a real storyline. One that is both amusing and promises plenty of story in episodes to come. It was great to see her and Alex sharing a scene that wasn’t actually about their relationship.
  

9/10

Orange Is The New Black 3.3

• Some of the comedy is too broad to work, such as the funeral for the burned books(!!), but the Nicky-centric drug-filled a-story is very bleak and ends on a grim note.
  
• Most of the Piper/Alex scenes are bland, except the drama class improv game. That works. Nicely done.
  
• Good scenes between Red and Healy. Is that going somewhere?!
  

9/10

Orange Is The New Black 3.2

Orange Is The New Black 3.1

Mother’s Day. Except for the Red scenes, this is a fairly bland, generic episode. Offering nothing new on any of the characters, merely showing us glimpses of them all and providing very obvious insights. Red, at least, appears to be turning over a new leaf, with a view towards the future. 8/10

2015 BEST TV DRAMA #4 -> Orange Is The New Black

Orange Is The New Black 2.14

Orange Is The New Black 2.13

Not much moving forward. This hour picks up the threads of the previous one and sets the scene for the finale. A couple of great scenes for Uzo Aduba, however. 9/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.12

Orange Is The New Black 2.11

Some very witty one-liners, an insightful and surprising character flashback and a couple of big storyline twists. 10/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.10

Orange Is The New Black 2.9

Great performances from Taylor Schilling and (the ever-amazing) Kate Mulgrew in a story-filled episode. A lot happened to move the main storylines forward. Poussey really emerges here as a character as heroic as Red & Piper (my two favourites) and the lines are getting drawn, as Red pulls her family back together. Many wonderful moments, including: Red & Piper hug before she left, and Piper sitting along on the ground eating alone in the city at night. Also: the Taystee/Poussey confrontation. That was a shocker. 10/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.8

There’s a great Piper/Healy scene at the end of this one. Indeed, their relationship is pretty much always great. Same goes for the Red/Caputo relationship, which gets a couple of strong scenes, too. Most of the episode is devoted to the Rosa backstory, which is one of the more ordinary ones the show has featured in flashback. It’s fine, but did we learn anything much of value? 9/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.7

The complexities of the characters never fail to astonish. The scene here between Natalie Figueroa and her husband in the hotel room was definitely not what I was expecting. Across the board, in every storyline, there are so many characters here you just can’t help but love. But, as ever, it is Piper and Red that I care about the most. And, it is their ongoing storylines that provide the most excitement. Very, very eager to see what happens next. 10/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.6

Valentine’s Day. A magnificent episode. So much happening, so many pivotal scenes for so many characters. Amazing. The writing, the cast, this show is true quality. 10/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.5

Orange Is The New Black 2.4

• Lorraine Toussaint is proving to be a great addition to the show. She has never been better.
  
• This is a strong episode for Red and the best scenes are definitely the Red/Piper scenes. Arguably the two best characters on the show, so seeing them bond is a real treat. Very excited to see where that leads.
  

10/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.3

Several stories and characters get attention here. And for the first two-thirds the episode is enjoyable but nothing remarkable, because we don’t really linger on anyone for very long.

Some terrific performances. Yael Stone has an astonishing episode-stealing scene, but Uzo Aduba has never been better. Taylor Schilling isn’t given much to do, but her final scene is magnificent. And Lorraine Toussaint is superb as Vee.

The episode went from good to great in the final third. First, we had a clever twist concerning Crazy Eyes and the Chapman/Pennsatucky fight. Then we got to see Vee beginning to make changes to the status quo. While Red watched. A powerful scene that bodes well for the season ahead. 10/10

Orange Is The New Black 2.2