Previous | Memories | Tell Someone | Next
 
gracerene
gracerene
04 September 2015 @ 10:00 am
Orange is the New Black Feels  
I know I'm a few months late, but the roomie and I had a few other shows to finish before we could jump in. But we finally finished, and I have feeeeels. I really love this shows, NGL.

• Loving the Boo & Pensatucky friendship

• Stella can fucking get it

• Poussey is fucking adorable

• OMG BENNET SKIPPING OUT!

• Leann's backstory was really awesome/sad, but her turning super mean made me v angry

• Nicki leaving made me very sad

• The Norma cult was weird

• I love that Tastee is so into HP, I wonder how she'd feel about fanfic. Especially considering how well Suzanne's erotica was received!

• Morello getting her new beau to beat up Christopher! And then marriage! And then vending machine sex.

• I STG that the big company MCC that takes over the prison reminds me of home. (AKA my work)

• Rosa cameo!

• Weirdly digging the Caputo/Fig hate!sex

• I love how fleshed out all of the characters are. Like, Leanne is mega-mean to SoSo, but we get to see her backstory and see her kindness in other aspects of her life. And Healy has some mega-issue with race and sexuality, but then he's super decent to Red. IDK, it's nice seeing actual 3-dimensional characters. People aren't ALL bad, there's almost always good, and I like how they make all the characters in some way sympathetic

• Also, I just adore all the female friendships. I basically squeal with delight anytime adorable BFFs are on screen, which is like, every other scene

Any of ya'll OitNB fans? Thoughts on the most recent season? Fav characters? Least fav characters? Things you are looking forward to in the next season?
Tags: , ,
 
16 comments | Leave a comment
 
( Post a new comment )
[identity profile] sdkshelly.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 06:01 pm (UTC)
Ahhhh I LOVE OitNB like I can't even tell you. And I second everything up here, especially that bit about fleshed out characters and how they can turn someone you hate into someone you love a la Pensatucky. Because I couldn't stand her first season, but this last season, she stole my heart and I just felt for her so fucking much. Her and Boo are just love. Suzanne's storyline with her erotica and that girl crushing on her was one of my favorite parts of the season even though there were heavier issues going on, obviously, but I really love her so much. Her and Poussey are probably my favorite characters. And I really kind of dig what they're doing with Piper as well, even though omg I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle her so many times. But it's just so nice that there are so many women, well-explored, fleshed out women, that they can truly bring Piper's flaws out and explore her selfishness and narcissism without it being a statement on all women, if that makes sense.

I'm really looking forward to more Poussey and SoSo next season. (And also finding out what happens to Alex because omg.)

Anyway, yes. Basically. :DDDD
gracerene[personal profile] gracerene on September 4th, 2015 07:27 pm (UTC)
Yes! I'm still so amazed at how they were able to legitimately make Pensatucky likable. And it never felt forced or like I was being told what to think/feel. She's now one of my favorites, and I am so in love with her friendship with Boo and cannot even!

OO yes, Suzanne and her new boo. I loved that, the two sort of odd ducks tentatively flirting and it's so awkward and sweet and just adorable!

I agree that I actually enjoy the Piper storyline too. I mean, part of me is just screaming Noooooooo stop. But I like that they're able to explore that aspect of a women without it being the defining characteristic. And I also really love how they do it, because, I mean, she's not a bad person, and she legit thinks she's trying to help other people, and it doesn't even really occur to her that she's always trying to act in her best interests. And I think that's so realistic and relatable.

And the friendship + maybe more between Poussey and SoSo makes me very curious! I'm really interested to see how SoSo adapts to her new friend group, especially once all the meds flush out of her system and she becomes her regular self again. I loved Tastee as the mom, and I can't wait to see more familial interactions there. :D

Alexxxx! She was honestly sort of blah for me last season. I feel like Piper, in that I wasn't super into reformed!Alex. Especially because after how many times she fucked Piper over, IDK that she has much of a leg to stand on...but IDK. I'm definitely curious to see how that all plays out...
[identity profile] sdkshelly.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 07:41 pm (UTC)
Honestly, Piper and Alex have both been so horrible to each other, it sort of cancels out. I do wish they'd done more with her this season, though, so I can see why you felt blah about her. I'm hoping that one, she survives, and two, she gets a storyline away from Piper for a change. LOL
gracerene[personal profile] gracerene on September 4th, 2015 07:47 pm (UTC)
Yes, I agree. I think that with all of the other characters/storylines they were following. Alex was kind of left behind. But, as much as I thought it was blah, I also liked that they did something different with her character. This take-charge, can't-nothing-stop-me attitude being totally tempered to the point where she's breaking down, and acting sort of clingy and being super paranoid. I thought it was cool, but I think with so many other dynamic characters and plots, it wasn't cool enough to hold my attention much. :D
[identity profile] lq-traintracks.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 07:30 pm (UTC)
Omg, I'd totally subconsciously forgotten how the show leaves Alex! Like, lalala, that's not happening! Argh! <3
[identity profile] lq-traintracks.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 07:27 pm (UTC)
I love the show! Shelly and I watched all of s3 together and really enjoyed it! I would say my favorite parts of the season were the Boo-Tuckey friendship for sure, Cindy converting to Judaism for real, Suzanne's erotica (OMG, died laughing! and such a great nod to fic writers, I think), SoSo finding a place in 'Blasian' society :-), and -- as difficult as their stories were -- both Leann's and Dogget's backstories. My favorite character is Poussey, so I'd love to see more of her, even though the more you see of someone, the more likely they are to go through hell, so it's a push and pull kind of thing.

At first, I was really angry at Piper going darker. But Shelly told me about an article she read, probably on Autostraddle (and if you like reading about the show, I'd highly recommend checking them out!), about how typically leading women aren't allowed to be bastards like leading men are. Like, the lead in Breaking Bad, we're generally okay with him being horrible and can like him even when we hate him, but women aren't given that luxury. And ever since I heard that, I've actually really *liked* how horrible Piper got this season! LOL! It was very freeing to look at it that way.
gracerene[personal profile] gracerene on September 4th, 2015 07:36 pm (UTC)
It's so great! Even just writing this post about a few of my favorites, I kept thinking of a million more things I wanted to add. There are just a thousand little plot points and details that make it all so realistic and compelling and relatable.

Boo-tucky is the best thing ever. I still can't even believe how well it works, but every time they're on screen I get super happy. And I think I was legit tearing up during Cindy's speech about why she wanted to convert to Judaism. I thought it was such a beautiful storyline, and for a character that we've seen is fairly self-involved, I really loved that they added more depth to her character.

I love the backstories in general, but I think that Leann's might be my favorite. I was definitely getting a lot of hurty chest feels. And Poussey is one of my favorites too. She is just so fucking adorable and I definitely would love more of her. I'm really curious to see how her and SoSo develop....

I think I've seen that article, or something like it! I find that kind of thing so fascinating, especially when it makes you think of your own ingrained biases. When you think, okay, if this was a man, would I like this arc more? I've done that for myself with a few different books/shows, where I had to stop and make myself think about the root of my gut feelings. I definitely think that really applies to Piper's storyline, and as much as I agree that my gut instinct was NOOOOOOO, the more I really thought about it, the more I enjoyed it. :D
[identity profile] lq-traintracks.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 07:43 pm (UTC)
I teared up with Cindy, too. I think it was how they flipped that entire storyline (and person) so that something they were, at first, poking fun at and taking advantage of became more fleshed out and real for Cindy just as she became more three-dimensional herself. Like, it gave her dimension.

I'm excited for wherever they take Poussey and So So for sure! :-)
gracerene[personal profile] gracerene on September 4th, 2015 07:51 pm (UTC)
I think it was how they flipped that entire storyline (and person) so that something they were, at first, poking fun at and taking advantage of became more fleshed out and real for Cindy just as she became more three-dimensional herself. Like, it gave her dimension.

Yes! That's a great way of putting it!
[identity profile] sdkshelly.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 07:38 pm (UTC)
Yes! It was autostraddle. It was actually in the comments on one of their recaps (and I highly recommend their recaps, Grace! They are funny and on point and always point out different viewpoints I missed).

And yes, omg we've watched all of Orange together, haven't we?

And I can't believe I left out Black Cindy! I loved her Jewish storyline, so much. I think it rode the line on offensive (and I do know some people that were offended by certain parts of where that went and certain jokes, etc.) but I thought the journey ended up in this really beautiful place and also made me appreciate my own Jewish heritage a bit more, LOL. I also think Cindy is one of those characters that I really didn't like, after her backstory was revealed, and they turned her around for me too. Show is really brilliant.
gracerene[personal profile] gracerene on September 4th, 2015 07:45 pm (UTC)
Ooo, I'll have to look into them!

Yeah, I agree that there were a few times were the Judaism storyline made me feel a bit uncomfortable and seemed a bit offensive, but I also thought that made it feel all the more realistic, you know? Especially for Black Cindy's character. Her sort of careless attitude felt very realistic, her desire to use something meaningful for a silly personal reason. But I also thought they managed to show her legitimate desire to convert so beautifully, and sold me completely on it. I agree that she was one of the few characters that actually became less sympathetic after her flash back, and I loved that they showed here that there is more to her.
[identity profile] lq-traintracks.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 07:46 pm (UTC)
Wow, I think we have! ♥

I think it's an interesting microcosm, how often that happens, that it's hard to like some characters and connect with them until we've seen their backstory -- which I think is true of real people in real life as well. I think this show really unveils that. It's always making me rethink characters, which make me rethink how I think of people in the first place!
[identity profile] alley-skywalker.livejournal.com on September 4th, 2015 09:06 pm (UTC)
This is one of the shows on my waiting list to start watching! (However, I just started Vikings and a bunch of stuff comes back at the end of the month, so...)
gracerene[personal profile] gracerene on September 4th, 2015 09:47 pm (UTC)
It's awesome! I highly recommend. :D

Def let me know what you think when you end up giving it a go. :)
writcraft[personal profile] writcraft on September 5th, 2015 06:40 am (UTC)
I absolutely LOVE the show. However, I'm just reaching the end of S2 so I still have S3 to go and will have to come back and comment properly once I've seen that season. I dont mind spoilers at all, but I'd still like to be able to discuss with the full arsenal of knowledge.

OMG, I freaking LOVE Poussey. I so hope things work out for her...
gracerene[personal profile] gracerene on September 6th, 2015 01:06 am (UTC)
Oo, yes, please do come back when you've finished Season 3! There was a lot of good stuff in the 3rd season, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and your favorite bits!

Pouseey is pretty much everybody's favorite I've learned. She's just so freaking adorable, it's hard not to love her. :D