After the shocking cliffhanger ending of last season's Orange is The New Black... season 5 did not disappoint! The season took place over the corse of 3 days and it focused on all the characters that we already know and love as opposed to adding a ton of new characters... which the show has done in previous seasons.
I would say this is definitely the best season because of that. I was excited when I heard that it was over the corse of 3 days... but that also prepared me for a really tragic season. If a show takes place over a longer period of time... usually there's more room for things to go right for our heroes. This room took place over 3 days... so nothing was really going to go right for them.
Also this season was very confined. There weren't many flashbacks... and a few of the flashbacks even showed prison or some sort of prison in them as well. The last few episodes even took place largely in very tiny rooms... so that gave an even more confined feeling... it made it really feel like your their. Orange is The New Black is always good at that... but this year I think they did it even better.
Orange is The New Black is also really good at changing how you feel about characters. For the most part it's positive. In Season 1 I didn't like Alex or Pensatucky... and by this season you really love and feel for those characters. In this season they make everyone human. Including Piscatella, who is the least sympathetic character the show has ever had! That's really what the show is all about. They aren't just criminals... they're humans. The cops aren't just corrupt cops taking advantage of the inmates... they're humans. And on both ends they've done terrible, terrible things... but they're still human and that is how they show every character. I posted a Facebook status saying "While Watching OITNB 'I don't like this character. I hope something bad happens to them.' Then something bad happens to them 'Ohhh... I liked that character. It's so wrong that something bad happened to them.' And it's so true! The show does a really great job of changing your feelings about someone. Usually in a positive light... because let's face it: Taystee and Red made some terrible mistakes this season... but you're still on their side because you already know them and you know what they've been through and how that got them where they are making these questionable calls.
I think my favorite episode this season was the 10th episode, directed by Laura Prepon... I can't even get into what that episodes about because that is just a giant spoiler... but it was really action packed and very well done. It gave some insight for a lot of the characters... I liked it a lot.
I kind of wanted to see some backstory for Judy King... idk if she'll be in any future seasons at all... but she is a great character and they could have done something more with her... I thought something was missing there.
I did like the dynamic with her and Daya's mom though... I thought they were both great on the talk show, and it was really funny until it got really sad. Daya seemed like such a neutral character throughout the series too... her "take charge" moment in the riot was quite the change.
And Taylor Schilling mentioned that the show was quite different because the inmates were in charge this year. The Poster shows them standing because this year they really stand up and defend themselves... I thought that was pretty cool and a good way to express that.
Overall the message of this season that I think Orange is The New Black is saying as a whole... is equality. We have to think of every other person as a human. Nothing less, nothing more. If we don't treat each other like humans... things get really shitty. Everyone on the show has made at least 1 terrible mistake... but we still see all the great things they do too. Frieda for example... she'll do whatever it takes to survive and I'm guessing somehow that got her in Prison... but she helps everyone out whenever they need it. Everything that Nikki says about Lorna as well... she might be crazy... but she is a sweet person and definitely very lovable and she really cares about people. And that is a powerful message that I hope people receive.
Anyway... this is my favorite season so far... I think they did a great job of combining American news stories with the story... and they had some really great comic relief with this very heartbreaking season as well. Floritza and Angie/Leiann... there was a lot of good stuff this year to make you laugh as well as making you think.
So that's just my opinion- I'd love to know what everyone else thinks of the show. I think I'm going to watch Wentworth next and then I'll go back to season 1 of this show maybe... maybe not... lol. But I love it. I recommend checking it out if you haven't... and if you stopped watching after season 2 or 3... I highly recommend checking out Season 4 and 5 because they got really good. The show has 2 more years... so that should be interesting... but yeah. Great show!
Byeee!
-Shannon
I would say this is definitely the best season because of that. I was excited when I heard that it was over the corse of 3 days... but that also prepared me for a really tragic season. If a show takes place over a longer period of time... usually there's more room for things to go right for our heroes. This room took place over 3 days... so nothing was really going to go right for them.
Also this season was very confined. There weren't many flashbacks... and a few of the flashbacks even showed prison or some sort of prison in them as well. The last few episodes even took place largely in very tiny rooms... so that gave an even more confined feeling... it made it really feel like your their. Orange is The New Black is always good at that... but this year I think they did it even better.
Orange is The New Black is also really good at changing how you feel about characters. For the most part it's positive. In Season 1 I didn't like Alex or Pensatucky... and by this season you really love and feel for those characters. In this season they make everyone human. Including Piscatella, who is the least sympathetic character the show has ever had! That's really what the show is all about. They aren't just criminals... they're humans. The cops aren't just corrupt cops taking advantage of the inmates... they're humans. And on both ends they've done terrible, terrible things... but they're still human and that is how they show every character. I posted a Facebook status saying "While Watching OITNB 'I don't like this character. I hope something bad happens to them.' Then something bad happens to them 'Ohhh... I liked that character. It's so wrong that something bad happened to them.' And it's so true! The show does a really great job of changing your feelings about someone. Usually in a positive light... because let's face it: Taystee and Red made some terrible mistakes this season... but you're still on their side because you already know them and you know what they've been through and how that got them where they are making these questionable calls.
I think my favorite episode this season was the 10th episode, directed by Laura Prepon... I can't even get into what that episodes about because that is just a giant spoiler... but it was really action packed and very well done. It gave some insight for a lot of the characters... I liked it a lot.
I kind of wanted to see some backstory for Judy King... idk if she'll be in any future seasons at all... but she is a great character and they could have done something more with her... I thought something was missing there.
I did like the dynamic with her and Daya's mom though... I thought they were both great on the talk show, and it was really funny until it got really sad. Daya seemed like such a neutral character throughout the series too... her "take charge" moment in the riot was quite the change.
And Taylor Schilling mentioned that the show was quite different because the inmates were in charge this year. The Poster shows them standing because this year they really stand up and defend themselves... I thought that was pretty cool and a good way to express that.
Overall the message of this season that I think Orange is The New Black is saying as a whole... is equality. We have to think of every other person as a human. Nothing less, nothing more. If we don't treat each other like humans... things get really shitty. Everyone on the show has made at least 1 terrible mistake... but we still see all the great things they do too. Frieda for example... she'll do whatever it takes to survive and I'm guessing somehow that got her in Prison... but she helps everyone out whenever they need it. Everything that Nikki says about Lorna as well... she might be crazy... but she is a sweet person and definitely very lovable and she really cares about people. And that is a powerful message that I hope people receive.
Anyway... this is my favorite season so far... I think they did a great job of combining American news stories with the story... and they had some really great comic relief with this very heartbreaking season as well. Floritza and Angie/Leiann... there was a lot of good stuff this year to make you laugh as well as making you think.
So that's just my opinion- I'd love to know what everyone else thinks of the show. I think I'm going to watch Wentworth next and then I'll go back to season 1 of this show maybe... maybe not... lol. But I love it. I recommend checking it out if you haven't... and if you stopped watching after season 2 or 3... I highly recommend checking out Season 4 and 5 because they got really good. The show has 2 more years... so that should be interesting... but yeah. Great show!
Byeee!
-Shannon
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