The breakout Dramady of 2013 comes back with a bang after a
very long year’s wait. Orange Is The New Black made waves on Netflix with its
blunt look into prison life thanks to Piper Kerman’s memoir.
It was hard to think of how OITNB could improve after its
outstanding first season, but it gone did it. After THAT ending to Season one, fans were anxious to see what was next
for Piper. With an influx of new characters to stir up Litchfield prison a bit,
it created plenty of drama along with plenty of comedy. But it was the original
characters that brought the quality to the show.
Laverne Cox as always is damn fabulous and acts fabulously
as well, especially with one incredibly touching scene. Taylor Schilling is absolutely perfect in her role as Piper and the roles of Alex, Red and
Morello are equally perfect. In season one, the focus was definitely on Piper,
since she was the middle class prisoner trying to adjust to life with her
ex-girlfriend being in the same prison. What is very admirable with season two
is that this is no longer the case. This season explores the lives of the other inmates. Each prisoner has their own personality,
strengths and weaknesses. They each have their own part to play, each having a
different role within the prison. It’s amazing how they manage to do this with
such a large cast.
What OITNB does really well too is perfecting the balance between comedy and drama, and using it the right way. The subtle infusions of comedy throughout are genius, with Pennsatucky being on top form this season. As a matter of fact, every character has their little comedic moments. Except for Red, she's having a bit of a hard time.
It’s basically a 13-hour movie. Throughout the 13 episodes
there are so many twists and turns that you take with the characters that
really make you feel empathy for the prisoners, which is difficult to do for
criminals. Achieving that is a feat in itself. Apart from making sure anyone
watching physically has to watch the next episode thanks to the lovely cliffhangers.
To state the obvious, this is a binge-watching show. (Took me 2 days, and proud.)
Other than that, the only criticism would be a distinct lack
of Alex Vause. It resulted in less chemistry on the show without the 'will they won't they' deal with Piper. But after reports she’s been signed on full time for season 3,
there’s no reason to fear! Also, the ending, oh that ending, has got to be one of the best
season endings in TV, hands down.
Both Season 1 & 2 are available on Netflix.
10/10
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