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Orange is the New Black
Jun. 1st, 2014 11:57 amFinished the first DVD of S1 of Orange is the New Black - which is interesting series, although the lead is the least interesting and compelling character. Piper Chapman is a bit of a nitwit. But the other characters are appealing. And each episode gives us their back story, which are far more moving and relateable then our heroine's.
She's sort of the straight man to their stories.
The story, in case you've never heard of it, takes place in a Women's Federal Penitentiary in the US. The facility reminds me a little of Leavenworth Penitentiary.
Piper Chapman has surrendered herself to the facility for 15 months, after being charged with criminal conspiracy and drug trafficking. Ten years ago, she carried a bag full of money across international lines for her lesbian lover, who ran a drug cartel.
The statue of limitations is 12 years. Piper's life has changed dramatically since her relationship with Alex Voss, the lesbian lover. She's living a sort of hipster/yuppie lifestyle. Complete with male fiance, pregnant best friend, artisanal soap making business, and website. And her fiance is making a decent living as a writer. But alas, due to a few mistakes after college, she's stuck serving time in a prison for 15 months.
As I was told ages ago, the prison's not the problem, it's the people you are locked up with. Which makes sense, that's true about everything. Except we can usually avoid people we dislike or scare us, not in prison. And one of those people turns out to be her ex-lover, Alex Voss. Piper also has to contend with a prickly Russian chef, a crazy lesbian stalker who fancies herself in love with her, and her own stupidity. Plus a somewhat sexually frustrated fiancee, who hates to masturbate.
Each episode has as the B-plot line, a separate back story. Sort of similar to The LOST model. (We can thank LOST for this narrative style, since I don't remember seeing it much prior to LOST.) Shedding light on the personalities of each of the women that Piper encounters and serves with. Why they ended up in the prison, and what motivates them. I admittedly got a little lost during the Russian Chef's back story, but the others are fairly clear.
She's sort of the straight man to their stories.
The story, in case you've never heard of it, takes place in a Women's Federal Penitentiary in the US. The facility reminds me a little of Leavenworth Penitentiary.
Piper Chapman has surrendered herself to the facility for 15 months, after being charged with criminal conspiracy and drug trafficking. Ten years ago, she carried a bag full of money across international lines for her lesbian lover, who ran a drug cartel.
The statue of limitations is 12 years. Piper's life has changed dramatically since her relationship with Alex Voss, the lesbian lover. She's living a sort of hipster/yuppie lifestyle. Complete with male fiance, pregnant best friend, artisanal soap making business, and website. And her fiance is making a decent living as a writer. But alas, due to a few mistakes after college, she's stuck serving time in a prison for 15 months.
As I was told ages ago, the prison's not the problem, it's the people you are locked up with. Which makes sense, that's true about everything. Except we can usually avoid people we dislike or scare us, not in prison. And one of those people turns out to be her ex-lover, Alex Voss. Piper also has to contend with a prickly Russian chef, a crazy lesbian stalker who fancies herself in love with her, and her own stupidity. Plus a somewhat sexually frustrated fiancee, who hates to masturbate.
Each episode has as the B-plot line, a separate back story. Sort of similar to The LOST model. (We can thank LOST for this narrative style, since I don't remember seeing it much prior to LOST.) Shedding light on the personalities of each of the women that Piper encounters and serves with. Why they ended up in the prison, and what motivates them. I admittedly got a little lost during the Russian Chef's back story, but the others are fairly clear.