Orange Is the New Black (TV Review)

Rating = 9/10        Seasons = 2        Genre = Comedy/Drama


So, I decided I would try and do my first TV show review today! And I thought the first show should be one that has taken the world by storm; Orange Is the New Black. It's not for everyone and can feature some intense sexual scenes, so it's not really for the younger generation per say.

Plot Summary

The shows plot starts off with the main character, Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) making the most of her freedom before heading off to prison. The first episode starts off with Piper sentenced to 15 months in jail for money laundering and drug trafficking 10 years after the actual crimes. This sentence is due to her ex lover Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) who ran an international drug smuggling cartel and would often get Piper to transport drug money from one country to another. Eventually their past catches up with them and they both end up re-igniting their lesbian relationship in prison.

The prisons complex society at first horrifies Piper, but throughout the show she manages to earn inmates trust and friendship through lesbian activities, legal help and donating her own hair clippings. The show also centers around her relationship with her Fiancé, Larry (Jason Biggs) whose normality and boringness contrasts with Alex's adrenaline-filled wildness. At first, Piper and Larry find it pretty easy to stay a couple through weekly visits and grocery unpacking phonecalls which turn into phone sex, but this soon changes when Piper starts to forgive Alex for what happened during their breakup.

My Thoughts 

Now, I don't want to give away too much of the plot (Don't worry, I merely touched on the basics of the show, there's much more!) so I think that short summary is enough for now. The show's unique style of prison-comedy and situations are also entertaining, some of these include a deranged prison wife emptying her bladder on the floor of her rejector, prison fights over an ice cream cone and over-obsessive councillors!

Susanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren, portrayed by Uzo Abuda

I personally find that the show has a slow-burning effect, meaning it gives you little bits here and there each episode until you are able to fully put it together yourself. Although it takes a while to get fully into the show at first, it is highly addictive once you are a few episodes in. The great cast and acting is also what makes the show great, each actor portrays their character in a unique confident way which makes the series considerably easier to get into.

In conclusion, I recommend this show to anybody who likes the mix of Drama and Comedy (the show being set in prison just makes these two genres even better) and although, it does contain a lot of nudity and lesbian activity, it just adds on to the great plot.