Orange Is The New Black

[offspring515]

Nah I just don't have the same issues with it you do. It's a superior show even with the warts. Generally speaking I do not care about how a show is talked up or perceived in the media. I just care if it entertains me.

[StretchMediatedHypertrophy]

Nah I just don't have the same issues with it you do. It's a superior show even with the warts. Generally speaking I do not care about how a show is talked up or perceived in the media. I just care if it entertains me.

 

*shrug* okay, but that's not exactly the completely opposite view you initially claimed to hold. I didn't say the show wasn't entertaining, so....whatevs.

[Stennick]

I just finished the season and I thought it wasn't near as good as the first season. The first season had me going through each episode waiting for the next. This season was really dull. I know I'm not supposed to like V but I don't enjoy a show where we go an entire season without the villain getting ANYTHING done to her. I mean V felt like Triple H circa 2003 for me. I have a lot of complaints about the show but my biggest complaint is that I think the show has too many stories going on. We go multiple episodes not seeing storylines advanced at all. Hell I'm struggling to really figure out what Piper did all season. She did some investigation that seemingly went no where. I'll come back for a third season but it won't be a day one watch for me. I waited 12 episodes for what exactly? I heard great things about season 2 and I loved season 1 but I was pretty let down. Maybe part of my issue is that I binge watched this and Game of Thrones at the same time. Atleast now I'm looking forward to Hemlock Grove the other only Netflix series I watch. I wasn't impressed with the ending of the 1st season but the second season can't bore me anymore than this season of OITNB.

[Kardo]

I liked super heel V. Every time she seemed defeated, turn and get more heat. On TV that's a hard thing to do without starting to get people rooting for you. 

[bink_winkleman]

I just finished this season and thought it was way better than the first season.  The Lost Boys ending was stupid and that last episode was a little shenanigan-y, but there was much less cutesy bullshit this season like that awful chicken episode in S1.  And Piper was actually likable this season.  The Morello backstory was great, too, and made the character much less goofy.  

 

I don't think it's by any means a "great" series, but it's worth the time.  

[The Comedian]

Might as well bring this thread back to life since the show is back...three episodes in and I'm already liking this season a lot more than season 2...thankfully Crazy Eyes has yet to Fonzie everything up despite TV critics tendency to fawn over her like she's the best character on the show...

[Technico Support]

I discussed this show with a coworker this morning and he had a great point.  Season 1 was a comedy and season 2 tried to make a really clumsy and all-too-sudden transition to dramedy.  Thing is, it's hard to do drama that when all of your characters are one-note caricatures.  Red, Black Cindy, Crazy Eyes, Tastee, etc are all very broad, overplayed characters and glomming a depressing or overly dramatic backstory onto them is just so awkward and ham-fisted.  You just can't give your comic relief characters gravitas and change the tone of the show by flashing back to their awful beginnings.  It could have been done but it needed to be carried out slower and with better writing instead of "here's the stereotypical Latina cook, now let's see the dramatic tale of how she got here."

 

I did enjoy season two but there's such a bizarre disconnect there between the characters as we see them in the present, played for laughs with very little nuance, and the circumstances revealed by their flashbacks.

[The Comedian]

Dramedy is tough to pull off. Rescue Me had similar problems with shifting from "idiot plot" comedy to horrible tragedy on a dime...

[(BP)]

This is the perfect disposable television program. I watch it when my wife is watching it, but I don't feel like I'm missing it when she watches episodes without me. If I need to catch up on something because I was washing dishes or walking the dogs, she can get me up to speed in one or two sentences. It makes me laugh and can be quite touching, but nothing sticks with me afterwards. It's a television commitment-phobe's dream show.

[The Comedian]

Yeah, I'd agree with that too. OITNB is not Breaking Bad or The Wire or The Shield or anything of that stature, even though it sometimes gets hyped to that level. I think  large part of the appeal is that, in an ensemble as broad as theirs, there's something for everyone. I mean, as a I mentioned before, Crazy Eyes gets a lot of hype. I can't stand her. She's not so much a character as she is an acting resume for Uzo Aduba. "Look, I can play crazy and do Shakespeare!" A lot of people hate Piper, one TV critic I read suggested the show should just have her character get released and continue without her. But there's enough characters getting enough time there that you're gonna like a few of them and latch on.

[PuroresuFan]

The "relationship" between Caputo and Fig is ridiculous. Nothing against bringing back Alysia Reiner to give her a paycheck but I thought it was a ridiculous pairing based on the sleazy interaction they had last season. It's odd that they've given Caputo and Healy these sympathetic situations to offset how they've treated various women in the past. I enjoy binge watching it but the storylines & characters just seem all over the place way too often.I'm hoping the new season of "Wentworth" comes out this year.

[BrianS81177]

Just finished season 5. Thoughts in spoilers. 

I liked having the whole season take place over the few days the riot lasted. Also liked that they downplayed Piper a bit. For being the main character of the show, she's really unlikeable in my opinion. Favorite episode was easily the one with Piscatella kidnapping all of Red's "family" one by one. Only real complaint was the methheads. Got real tired of their schtick (but to be fair I live in a town full of methheads so I have little patience for them). They set up next season really nicely too. Lots of story lines to pick up: Taystee blowing the one chance they had to improve their quality of life, Gloria falling out of favor with the rest of the hispanics, Daya's trial for shooting Humphrey, Linda being stuck in prison. Looking forward to next season.