We’re back to do a 4 part blog for the final season of Orange is the New Black. In Part 1, we discuss Piper and Alex’s relationship, Taystee and Suzanne’s ending, and Joe and Fig dealing with the #MeToo movement. My name is Kent, and I am the guy who came up with the questions. I also leave comments in bold every once in a while. I have 3 ladies here to help me out, start up a bit of a conversation. Please, leave a comment or like this or pass it along to someone you know who enjoys this show.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
1. A) Did you enjoy Piper’s story outside of prison? B) Did you prefer Zelda or Alex for Piper’s love interest? C) Did you enjoy Alex with CO McCullough? D) What the hell was the point in McCullough’s story this year and did feel remotely necessary? E) Piper chose Alex in the end. Was this the best-case scenario, in your opinion?
Kristi: Piper was ok outside. She still annoyed the hell out of me. Why does she need to be so damn whiney! I get she was lost but come on. She was in what, 18 months? I know dudes that have done way more time and adapted to freedom way better! (Yeah, I feel like most of us know people who have served much longer and adapted better and faster. This was a Red in Shawshank situation.)
McCullough’s story was just a test of Piper and Alex’s relationship. Ended up working out. Got them both out of Dodge.
Alex is Piper’s drug of choice. They had some toxicity in their relationship but I think they can figure it out. They do seem pretty good together. In the end, they accept each other’s baggage. That’s what we all want in the end. (I’m glad that you made the drug analogy. So much of these prison shows revolve around drugs, and Alex was quintessentially Piper’s.)
Cece: I absolutely loved Piper’s life outside of prison. She finally became bearable this season. Her decision to stay in a toxic relationship with Alex was so not a smart move. I thought Zelda would have finally been the one to break her of her abusive habits. As for the CO/Alex story, they didn’t do much to actually make McCullough seem like she wasn’t ‘just crazy’ the whole time. That was fucked up to me. (Zelda seemed like the perfect rehab for Piper, but she just couldn’t get past the addiction. I honestly hate what they did with McCullough because I liked her character for most of her time, but this season was quite insulting. Not everybody needs a happy ending or a poetic ending, but based on what they showed us, the ending didn’t totally add up, from y perspective.)
Raylene: Piper has been annoying to me for a few seasons now. I think Alex and Piper would have always been intertwined. I think we need McCullough’s story because it gave more insight into her character. (McCullough’s story was well done. It was interesting that she tried really hard to fit in only to have Handsy McHands all over her at night. That one incident seemed to jade her for life, which seems a tad over the top.)
Kent: A) Piper’s life on the outside was a mixed bag. I didn’t really enjoy her time with Cal and Neri, it wasn’t funny and I think they wanted it to be. Piper working for her dad was a bit better for me, especially the cookie. B) I preferred Zelda’s personality but in the long run, Piper would have brought Zelda down to her level. C) I hated the Alex and McCullough story arc this season. Just a way to give them screen time and inane conflict. D) I liked McCullough’s backstory. It didn’t transition well into her present though. The lesson was seemingly not to try to fit in and not rock the boat, but I felt that the backstory would have lended more to her turning in the assholes that she worked with. Wasted potential on a good character.
E) This was the only way for the story to end between Piper and Alex. If you thought it may play out differently, I’m not sure that you have been watching the same show that I have been. Best case? I say yes only because Piper would have ruined Zelda’s life, so at least Zelda can find a better relationship. I am also watching the Legend of Zelda cartoon at this moment, so that’s quirky timing.
2. Caputo and Fig continued their relationship all season. A) Do you feel that the show handled the #MeToo movement well given the story with Joe and the CO that he fired? B) In the beginning of the show’s history, Fig wasn’t a well-liked character. By the end, was she likable to you or just more easily understood? C) How fantastic was the little girl that sang Colt 45 by Afroman?
Kristi: I think they think they did but I didn’t love it. For me, it showed how women overreact to some things. Like, I have a vagina but I also have balls. He tried to apologize for being an ass but the pity party overcame it. Rather than listening, she jumped to conclusions. (CO Susan Fischer seemed to take something that was big in the moment and tried to get in on the action and as you said, had a “pity party” of sorts. Part of being human is making mistakes and trying to atone for them. I liked how they had Joe try to learn and make things better and showing how unwilling Fischer was to listen.)
She was both likable and more understood. She was trying to move up in her career. Something lost women try to do. We look like bitches because sometimes that needs to come out to move up. That’s the way of life. Works for me 🙂 (Women are definitely in a problematic position at times when trying to advance their career. If they come in too aggressively, they’re labeled a total bitch. If they are too nice, they get trampled over. Given those options, I’d choose to be perceived as a bitch and make money.)
Cece: I honestly loved seeing their relationship grow. I used to hate Fig but she was bearable this season. I think they handled Caputo’s situation okay, I guess. And the little girl was awesome, haha. (Fig has absolutely grown to be a favorite of mine, and I never really expected that.)
Raylene: I am over the whole me too movement. I have liked Fig always the relationship was perfect for them both. That little girl was just meant to be with them. (Yeah, #MeToo.)
Kent: A) I admit to having groaned out loud when the Fischer story happened because I assumed that Orange would handle this in a ridiculous way like they had handled seasons 5 and 6. They surprised me and handled this in a more realistic grey area. Yes, Joe perhaps should have handled her firing better, and she had a gripe. But her gripe shouldn’t have really been lumped into the #MeToo movement, in my opinion. So I liked that both sides were in the wrong. I also liked them showing how unwilling she was to listen to him and attempt to at least have a conversation. This felt like an honest reflection of the #MeToo movement.
B) I used to loathe Fig. Over the past 2 seasons, she has risen up my list of favorite characters. She was one of the very few characters that got better with time while so many got boring, bland, or annoying. C) The little girl was the highlight of the season for me. For anybody who spends time with me listening to music, you have most likely heard some Afroman with me. Out of any character’s story arcs, this was my favorite one.
3. Taystee started off the season full of anger and rage over everything that happened to her while Suzanne tried to make amends and fix Cindy and Taystee’s relationship. A) Did you like that Taystee accepted the role of a tutor? B) Did Taystee cross the line with sending the letter to Cindy’s daughter? C) Did Cindy deserve everything that happened to her? D) Was this season a waste of a good Suzanne story or did it serve a meaningful purple (I meant to say purpose, but I must keep it purple because it’s funnier)? E) Did you enjoy the chickens storyline at all?
Kristi: I don’t know that she truly accepted that role. She worked it but I feel like it wasn’t her true goal.
No, I don’t think she crossed the line. She’s trying to help
I think Suzanne grew a lot this season. Her story was my favorite. From crazy eyes to an actual human with feelings and thoughts. It was pretty awesome to see her grow. Did it serve a meaningful purple? I mean, what is purple? It’s a color, its grapes, wine? Yes I like wine.
The chicken story was chickens. I liked it. It was off the wall story with Susan. It helped her grow. I liked it. (You may be right in that she didn’t truly accept the role, I hadn’t considered it way. Suzanne really did grow and while I loved her in the comedy role, this was perhaps the best way to end Suzanne’s story, and she’s a character that deserved this send-off. It was totally a meaningful purple, like my bathrobe, my sheets, my blanket, etc. I also like wine. I want some right now but I drank it all 2 weeks ago.)
Cece: I love Suzanne. She will forever be one of the most consistent characters throughout the whole show. She is just a pure cinnamon roll. As for Taystee & Cindy: I think Taystee being the tutor was so awesome. Maybe she did go overboard with the Cindy letter, but at the same time, she was pissed because she knew she’d be there all alone for the rest of her life while Cindy got to go explore the world. (I have never heard someone referred to as a cinnamon roll, but I kinda dig it. I also wish we had a Cinnabon remotely close to me. My thighs are probably thankful that I don’t. Now I want some wine and a Cinnabon.)
Raylene: I think Taystee had to make the best of it since her life is now in prison. Cindy deserved what she got but it did help the family heal and grow. Suzanne had the most growth she seemed to be able to handle life situations better. Well, chickens are awesome but I’m probably biased. (The letter did help things in the long term, I would agree with that. I figured the chickens would be your favorite part. Any blog with you and Kristi, it is always easy to mention any animal or dragon and get responses.)
Kent: A) I think Taystee actually embraced the role. MY thought process is that she wants to educate as many women to help ensure that they avoid so many of the mistakes that she or her friends have made. I think that she finds some solace in that. B) Hell no she didn’t cross the line. If she could have done something more, I would have supported it. The consequences were interesting, to say the least, and may have been the best-case scenario.
C) Yes, Cindy deserved everything. She had a relatively decent outcome in the end given what she did. D) Just because Suzanne’s story was different doesn’t make it bad. It was very good, as usual. I remember reading something negative about it and I was a bit surprised. I thought it was well done and needed to complete her story. E) I enjoyed the chickens in that we got some Suzanne and Loli scenes. I plan on having chicken wings tonight.