Marissa Bostick | Staff Editor
June 16, 2014
SHOW RATING: 4 stars out of 5
Attention “Orange is the New Black” fans, your prayers and dreams have been answered. Season two of the breakout hit from “Weeds” creator Jenji Kohan is back with a vengeance.
With a 97% rating on RottenTomatoes.com and a relatively high rating on MetaCritic.com, “Orange is the New Black” is considered a success even though Netflix does not release the show’s viewing figures, according to The Epoch Times.
The show is mainly based upon Piper Kerman and her memoir about going to prison for a year, which was published in 2011.
Episode one of the new season opens with a very scared and moderately confused Piper Chapman, played by Taylor Schilling, after thinking she killed fellow inmate Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett.
A majority of the story this season is set in Litchfield minimal security prison located in Litchfield, New York.
The dark comedy features a diverse cast including breakout star Laverne Cox, a transgender woman playing the show’s transgender character Sophia Burset. Each member of the cast plays a character that will make you root for them no matter how crazy they are.
There was no shortage of surprises this season especially concerning Alex Vause, played by Laura Prepon. Vause is Piper Chapman’s on again and off again lover, who is an instrumental part of her being in prison in the first place. Even Piper’s now ex-fiancé Larry Bloom, played by Jason Biggs, has a surprise or two.
Season two gives fans a glimpse into the past of a few characters past like Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren and Poussey Washington, whose status as second class citizens in the prison changes.
One of the more informational flashbacks of the seasons comes from Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson. A blast from not only Taystee’s past but the once czar of the kitchen, Galina “Red” Reznikov.
Enter Yvonne “Vee” Parker, played by Lorraine Toussaint, a slick worded drug queen-pin that lands her back in prison to shake up everything in Litchfield.
Even while dealing with the whirlwind that is “Vee,” things get even more chaotic as assistant warden Natalie”Fig” Figueroa brings back a correctional officer delightfully nicknamed, “Pornstache.”
This season of the show is far more emotionally diverse than the previous season for many characters, even with a fluff episode about the female reproductive system.
This was also the season of character development, with Chapman among others characters that were previously used for a few lines in past episodes.
“Orange is the New Black” only has one real downside; Netflix did not release the show one episode per week but in the season’s entirety.
Releasing all 22 episodes of the show gives fans what they want, a chance to binge watch their favorite show, a common occurrence among Netflix’s users.
“Orange is the New Black” is already scheduled to have a third season, giving fans another thing to cheer about in the series, according to O.I.T.N.B star Laura Prepon and confirmed by Netflix.
So sit down with your favorite snack and a cold drink, as you press play on the thrill ride that is “Orange is the New Black.”
