Orange Is the New Black: Trust No Bitch
June 24, 2015 7:45 PM - Season 3, Episode 13 - Subscribe
Miracles and conversions occur, but Piper and Caputo know that some situations can't be dealt with through spiritual means.
I didn't love this season but I loved this episode. I love swimming and I love the beach and I loved the moment of discovery and the energy and joy. My husband kept asking, why aren't they trying to really escape and I thought, that's not the point, even those who actually escaped (Angie) or even went free (Taystee) came back, but it felt like they were all finding peace in their realities, which is what it seems like the show is about frequently. The joy of that scene was enough to make me forget about Sophia (temporarily) and the horror of the last shot.
posted by kat518 at 8:53 AM on June 25, 2015
posted by kat518 at 8:53 AM on June 25, 2015
I don't think she is. I think Tank Girl will save her from Toothpick Boy. Or, in a shocking twist, Toothpick Boy will save her from Tank Girl.
Then again, maybe they left it up in the air because contract negotiations.
posted by merelyglib at 9:17 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Then again, maybe they left it up in the air because contract negotiations.
posted by merelyglib at 9:17 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I think Lolly went back to save Alex because she was warning her about Toothpick Guy earlier in the episode. She probably saw him hanging about and went to get her shank.
There's some critical missing characters from the lake:
-Lolly
-Alex
-Piper
-Morello
And maybe one or two others I can't recall. Critically, to me, these characters over the course of the season seemed to be the ones whose plotlines weren't mostly about their relationships with other inmates. Lolly is off in her own paranoid fantasies, despite a good surface presentation; Alex seems to be trying to come to grips with her life and not wanting to be part of that type of criminal life anymore; Piper was all about embracing the life in terms of being a criminal mastermind, but it wasn't about relationships with fellow inmates, it was about exploiting them and being in charge; and Morello's storyline was about her running scams on people outside the system, rather than being involved in drama inside the walls.
Anyways, "You're not Walter White, more like Walter White-Ink" had me chuckling pretty good. Piper's brother is awesome.
posted by nubs at 11:33 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
There's some critical missing characters from the lake:
-Lolly
-Alex
-Piper
-Morello
And maybe one or two others I can't recall. Critically, to me, these characters over the course of the season seemed to be the ones whose plotlines weren't mostly about their relationships with other inmates. Lolly is off in her own paranoid fantasies, despite a good surface presentation; Alex seems to be trying to come to grips with her life and not wanting to be part of that type of criminal life anymore; Piper was all about embracing the life in terms of being a criminal mastermind, but it wasn't about relationships with fellow inmates, it was about exploiting them and being in charge; and Morello's storyline was about her running scams on people outside the system, rather than being involved in drama inside the walls.
Anyways, "You're not Walter White, more like Walter White-Ink" had me chuckling pretty good. Piper's brother is awesome.
posted by nubs at 11:33 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I enjoy the thought of getting to see how Morello's marriage plays out. And does anyone else think there might be repercussions from Christafah's beating? If he should suspect her of being behind it, come to confront her, and catch sight of her husband visiting her....
Piper has six months left in prison. Will that mean one or two more seasons? Unless she gets more time.
Also, I'll just say that releasing a whole season at once, gratifying as it is for the watcher to get to gulp the whole season down as their own pace, really messes with the online recap and discussion dynamic that add so much to the viewing experience.
posted by orange swan at 11:52 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
Piper has six months left in prison. Will that mean one or two more seasons? Unless she gets more time.
Also, I'll just say that releasing a whole season at once, gratifying as it is for the watcher to get to gulp the whole season down as their own pace, really messes with the online recap and discussion dynamic that add so much to the viewing experience.
posted by orange swan at 11:52 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
does anyone else think there might be repercussions from Christafah's beating? If he should suspect her of being behind it, come to confront her, and catch sight of her husband visiting her....
And, of course, now that they are married, spousal privilege applies. Given how quick Morello's hubby was to jump on the idea of laying down a beating, I don't think he's exactly a fine upstanding citizen who might be horrified to realize how Morello used him.
Piper has six months left in prison. Will that mean one or two more seasons? Unless she gets more time
To be frank, I think they could release Piper after next season and the show could carry on without her; they have a potentially great eco-system for some rich storytelling, and now that Piper's role as audience surrogate is no longer needed, she's just another inmate in the system.
posted by nubs at 1:29 PM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
And, of course, now that they are married, spousal privilege applies. Given how quick Morello's hubby was to jump on the idea of laying down a beating, I don't think he's exactly a fine upstanding citizen who might be horrified to realize how Morello used him.
Piper has six months left in prison. Will that mean one or two more seasons? Unless she gets more time
To be frank, I think they could release Piper after next season and the show could carry on without her; they have a potentially great eco-system for some rich storytelling, and now that Piper's role as audience surrogate is no longer needed, she's just another inmate in the system.
posted by nubs at 1:29 PM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
Maybe not horrified, but I can see him being really, really pissed off, and quite willing to turn on his wife for the sake of a lighter sentence for himself.
posted by orange swan at 1:42 PM on June 25, 2015
posted by orange swan at 1:42 PM on June 25, 2015
I was most disappointed with Taystee this season, since she seemed to get the magical negro edit. This show is so great with its characterizations, and it felt like, I don't know, all season long Taystee was the token voice of understanding, always ready to step in with some reasoned insight. Taystee should get to do that, because Taystee is awesome, but when the show relied on Taystee to do it every single time at the expense of other things her character could do it gets to feeling problematic.
So confused about Healey's character arc, which I actually like. It's unclear what his thing is. He's got his great moments, he's got his bad moments, sometimes he's a horrible dick, sometimes you pity him, mostly he's just abysmally stupid...it makes him a more believable human character that you can't pin him down.
I also like the decision to take Nicky and Bennet out of the show so abruptly and not bring them back (at least not this season). It really speaks to the theme of how quickly and permanently things can change in this world, which sets us up for this influx of new prisoners and whatever happens to Alex.
It did not go unnoticed for me that Captain Janeway's hero is Valentina Tereshkova.
posted by phunniemee at 3:47 PM on June 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
So confused about Healey's character arc, which I actually like. It's unclear what his thing is. He's got his great moments, he's got his bad moments, sometimes he's a horrible dick, sometimes you pity him, mostly he's just abysmally stupid...it makes him a more believable human character that you can't pin him down.
I also like the decision to take Nicky and Bennet out of the show so abruptly and not bring them back (at least not this season). It really speaks to the theme of how quickly and permanently things can change in this world, which sets us up for this influx of new prisoners and whatever happens to Alex.
It did not go unnoticed for me that Captain Janeway's hero is Valentina Tereshkova.
posted by phunniemee at 3:47 PM on June 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
What was up with the flashback of Boo getting shocked by the microwave?
posted by phunniemee at 3:50 PM on June 25, 2015
posted by phunniemee at 3:50 PM on June 25, 2015
The thing with Taystee was that it was leading up to her revelation that she's now the "mommy" of the group because everyone decided she is, and because she IS the voice of reason.
posted by bleep at 4:36 PM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by bleep at 4:36 PM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
I loved the bit so much where Suzanne mistakenly "fetched" the snapping turtle as a courtship gesture for What's-her-name. Yes, renowned author of the Timehump Chronicles is totally clueless about IRL interpersonal things -- I can relate!
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:50 PM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:50 PM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Uh, how is no one talking about what the fuck happened to Sophia? I guess Caputo just left her to rot? I can't believe they didn't follow up on that in the last episode. It really bothers me.
I am just filled with dread. I'm glad they enjoyed the lake but it's going to be so much shittier going back inside now that they've had that taste of freedom. And now they have to deal with a whole new population inside even more cramped quarters.
Random: I would have liked for Poussey to find a girlfriend. Has she ever had one in prison?
posted by desjardins at 6:40 PM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I am just filled with dread. I'm glad they enjoyed the lake but it's going to be so much shittier going back inside now that they've had that taste of freedom. And now they have to deal with a whole new population inside even more cramped quarters.
Random: I would have liked for Poussey to find a girlfriend. Has she ever had one in prison?
posted by desjardins at 6:40 PM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I thought Poussey and So-so are going to get together. They were floating together and hand-holding out in the lake.
posted by fancyoats at 7:16 PM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by fancyoats at 7:16 PM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
desjardins, I was very disturbed by the lack of resolution to Sophia's storyline. I had hoped that one of Caputo's first acts would be to get her out of SHU.
I am hoping that next season begins the story very shortly after this one ends, and we get resolution on a lot of the loose ends, which includes Sophia. While the ending sequence at the lake was satisfying, it was also a temporary respite - there are huge problems at Litchfield that will be front and centre once the fence goes back up.
posted by nubs at 2:02 PM on June 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I am hoping that next season begins the story very shortly after this one ends, and we get resolution on a lot of the loose ends, which includes Sophia. While the ending sequence at the lake was satisfying, it was also a temporary respite - there are huge problems at Litchfield that will be front and centre once the fence goes back up.
posted by nubs at 2:02 PM on June 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was disturbed by the lack of Sophia resolution as well. I don't understand it either. MCC has never shown that they cared whatsoever about what happened in the prison, they just care about the profits and you get the impression they might as well own a cattle farm. Why would they suddenly care about 1 inmate in shu? The people who actually work in the prison have always had the authority to put people in shu and get them out of there, why would they suddenly ask MCC for permission to get Sophia out of the shu? I also don't understand why it is apparently unreasonable to put the people who attacked her in shu, even though people in charge agree it's unfair. It was only a handful of people, surely a prison has experience with small groups of people fighting and needing to be separated? Or just send them to max, it's not like they have any reluctance with that. It would be different if prison management expressed doubts that Sophia actually was the victim of a hate crime, but it seems that everyone is clear that that was what it was.
Speaking of max, Piper framing Stella was such an obvious frame job. I'm really surprised it would be that easy to get someone sent to max. Makes me wonder why they didn't just do that with Vee last season.
posted by blub at 1:16 AM on June 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
Speaking of max, Piper framing Stella was such an obvious frame job. I'm really surprised it would be that easy to get someone sent to max. Makes me wonder why they didn't just do that with Vee last season.
posted by blub at 1:16 AM on June 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
I was waiting all the time for MCC to decide that the max facilities would be more profitable as a male prison and move the female max inmates in with/parallel to our folks, even thought that was what was happening at the end but nope.
posted by Iteki at 6:35 AM on July 2, 2015
posted by Iteki at 6:35 AM on July 2, 2015
I liked the season more as it went on as it seemed in the early episodes that the somewhat menacing inmates (althouth not BAD, like Vee) had been mostly de-fanged by plot developments and that we now had, as I think someone has previously said, just a show with characters who get in wacky trouble. By the end of the season, we are at least reminded that, although Morello is adorable, she is objectively dangerous, sexual abuse is still a real threat, and sympathetic characters can disappoint, as Taystee and Gloria do.
Sophia is one of my favorite characters but I think it was a good move by the writers that, after Sophia dealt in a previous season with getting screwed around regarding her prescriptions and was then somewhat coasting along in the prison environment, that she now has to deal with some more real injustice. I don't wish her time in SHU on anyone but being trans in prison must be especially horrific and we, as viewers, should be reminded of that.
But Piper, man. Fuck Piper.
posted by Morrigan at 6:19 PM on July 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
Sophia is one of my favorite characters but I think it was a good move by the writers that, after Sophia dealt in a previous season with getting screwed around regarding her prescriptions and was then somewhat coasting along in the prison environment, that she now has to deal with some more real injustice. I don't wish her time in SHU on anyone but being trans in prison must be especially horrific and we, as viewers, should be reminded of that.
But Piper, man. Fuck Piper.
posted by Morrigan at 6:19 PM on July 5, 2015 [4 favorites]
Wow, y'all. Finally finished the season tonight, and I have to say, I didn't like many of the episodes this season, but this finale made me actively angry. It felt so tone-ily off to me. Like, okay everyone goes and hangs out in the lake and that is supposed to be smile-inducing? Meanwhile, Sophia is stuck in seg and Caputo is basically going to sacrifice her to Two-Dimensional-Evil Corporation; Alex is dead?; Maritza had the rape edit, which was totally unnecessary (especially after the graphicness of Pennsatucky's episode a few back); Daya's baby is with CPS; Red is somehow sweet on Healey (which felt super weird and not at all in character)...
I don't have problems with bad things happening, at all. I just have problems with the show casually mentioning horrible things happening to some characters, and then focusing on lengthy scenes of fan service which have basically zero probability of actually happening. I guess the argument could be made that it was a choice to show both the good and bad of the prison experience, but I basically feel like the good was wildly exaggerated at the expense of authenticity/quality, and I think this season was a lot less effective at saying something interesting about the human experience than the show's storytelling techniques in previous seasons.
posted by likeatoaster at 8:42 PM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't have problems with bad things happening, at all. I just have problems with the show casually mentioning horrible things happening to some characters, and then focusing on lengthy scenes of fan service which have basically zero probability of actually happening. I guess the argument could be made that it was a choice to show both the good and bad of the prison experience, but I basically feel like the good was wildly exaggerated at the expense of authenticity/quality, and I think this season was a lot less effective at saying something interesting about the human experience than the show's storytelling techniques in previous seasons.
posted by likeatoaster at 8:42 PM on July 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I feel like maybe they're setting up the next season to have MCC be the "main baddie" and the inmates to join together in a unified front to get JailCorp's executives in trouble, possibly with the help of Healey and Caputo working an inside game.
Why else humanize these two guys so much this season? Healey's soft on Red and Soso's near-suicide can be used to help muscle him in the "right" direction, while Caputo ostensibly cares about the inmates as much as anyone can at his pay grade, since the guards themselves have little or no leverage. Bennett's gone, and removing his obvious bias from the "us vs. them" equation makes this plot path more realistic.
Seriously hoping we don't have to see anymore gross Caputo and Figueroa sex scenes in S4, though. They were just damn near unbearable for me, and I have a high threshold for rough content that isn't outright torture porn.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:17 PM on July 7, 2015
Why else humanize these two guys so much this season? Healey's soft on Red and Soso's near-suicide can be used to help muscle him in the "right" direction, while Caputo ostensibly cares about the inmates as much as anyone can at his pay grade, since the guards themselves have little or no leverage. Bennett's gone, and removing his obvious bias from the "us vs. them" equation makes this plot path more realistic.
Seriously hoping we don't have to see anymore gross Caputo and Figueroa sex scenes in S4, though. They were just damn near unbearable for me, and I have a high threshold for rough content that isn't outright torture porn.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 4:17 PM on July 7, 2015
This season has overall been so heavy on religious themes and themes of motherhood (look at the poster for this season of Piper posed like a saint surrounded by flowers and light), that the only resolutions felt like religious/spiritual resolutions, while ignoring all the other realities going on. I loved that Cindy got her mitzvah and that helps her to shed all the cruft of her childhood, and I teared up for her when they showed the hole in the fence and the lake beyond, because you *knew* that was her personal miracle.
I hope Norma's reign is over, because that arc has been intolerable for me. It looks like she's done with it, but I don't know for sure that Leanne is.
There has been some really heavy telegraphing this season that sometimes feels like we're being condescended to as an audience: Soso's buildup to a suicide attempt seemed clear from very early in the season, for example. Maybe it was just developed in a cliché way? I'm not sure.
posted by tracicle at 2:51 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I hope Norma's reign is over, because that arc has been intolerable for me. It looks like she's done with it, but I don't know for sure that Leanne is.
There has been some really heavy telegraphing this season that sometimes feels like we're being condescended to as an audience: Soso's buildup to a suicide attempt seemed clear from very early in the season, for example. Maybe it was just developed in a cliché way? I'm not sure.
posted by tracicle at 2:51 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Soso's buildup to a suicide attempt seemed clear from very early in the season, for example
I think the point there was to make it abundantly clear to us in order to show how clueless/unperceptive Healy (and by extension, the system) is. (Not that I really think we needed any more depiction of that, and I'm frankly quite sick of Healy and wish he would go away).
posted by nubs at 7:24 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think the point there was to make it abundantly clear to us in order to show how clueless/unperceptive Healy (and by extension, the system) is. (Not that I really think we needed any more depiction of that, and I'm frankly quite sick of Healy and wish he would go away).
posted by nubs at 7:24 AM on July 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Boo and Pennsatucky's friendship has become one of my favorite parts of the show.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:02 PM on July 14, 2015
posted by Jacqueline at 11:02 PM on July 14, 2015
Was the "Let the people know" bit a direct riff on something from pop culture? It sounded so familiar.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:25 AM on July 25, 2015
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:25 AM on July 25, 2015
Just finished reading Piper's memoir. Glad this show is being made. So bleeping many bleeping wrong bleeping wrongs in the bleeping system.
posted by tilde at 7:31 AM on July 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by tilde at 7:31 AM on July 31, 2015 [1 favorite]
%n: " Why would they suddenly care about 1 inmate in shu?"
Because she threatened to sue them, this is their way of silencing her.
posted by signal at 8:44 AM on July 31, 2015
Because she threatened to sue them, this is their way of silencing her.
posted by signal at 8:44 AM on July 31, 2015
I -finally- finished the finale (world's slowest TV watcher - grateful the threads are still open!) . This season was so much about mothers and mothering. Daya+her mom, Taystee becoming the mom of her group, Sophia and Gloria's struggles on how to be moms while in jail, the whole Mother's Day season premiere, and lots more.
Susanne was a lot more confident with her interest in Piper in season 1 - this shift of character to someone who's shy and clueless is weird to me.
The final scene was certainly an 'oh shiiit' moment.
posted by Fig at 7:19 PM on October 9, 2015
Susanne was a lot more confident with her interest in Piper in season 1 - this shift of character to someone who's shy and clueless is weird to me.
The final scene was certainly an 'oh shiiit' moment.
posted by Fig at 7:19 PM on October 9, 2015
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I know people love to hate Piper but I like her just because she feels very real to me, and I like tracing her arc from scared newb in season 1 (Netflix cover image of Piper hiding in toilet stall) to learning the system and toughening up in season 2 (Netflix cover image of Piper in boxing pose with toilet paper) to prison gang boss in season 3 (Netflix cover image of Piper happy and smiling). It's a continuation of the theme we've seen throughout, like when Taystee got out and got sent right back, that people adapt, and when you ask them to adapt to something horrible, they just might. What's the point? Profits? Is this what we want?
The ending was a real gut punch. When they were swimming I was just thinking, why are any of these women in prison? So much relief for everyone - loved Cindy's conversion, Soso's finally finding acceptance. I loved that (what was her name?) the woman memorized the prayer for Cindy just in case and was ready. And then that ending shot. Just, never ending horror. Ugh.
posted by bleep at 11:22 PM on June 24, 2015 [1 favorite]