#watched Orange Is The New Black Season 1 (Eps 1-13) #OITNB
It would be dismissive to simply label ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK as a "prison flick", although the concept of fictional incarceration dramas had littered the visual media landscape for years - from OZ, to PRISON BREAK, to even Eastern feature films like PRISON ON FIRE, the varied happenings and characters behind bars has provided folks who enjoy this particular genre, ample entertainment. OITNB is not different in that regard, but as well ups the curiosity quotient with an all-female prisoners in fictional prison; "Litchfield Penitentiary".
PLOT: "The series revolves around Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman living in New York City, who is sentenced to 15 months in a women's federal prison called Litchfield Penitentiary (operated by the "Federal Department of Corrections", a fictionalized version of the Federal Bureau of Prisons). She has been convicted of transporting a suitcase full of drug money to her former girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), an international drug smuggler/mule. The offense had occurred ten years prior to the start of the series, and in that time Piper had moved on to a quiet, law-abiding life among New York's upper middle class, so her sudden and unexpected arrest seriously disrupts her relationships with her fiancé and her family.
In prison, Piper is reunited with Alex (who named Piper in her trial, resulting in her ex-girlfriend's arrest), and they re-examine their relationship and deal with their fellow prisoners. The show often shows flashbacks of significant events from the past of various inmates. These flashbacks typically explain how the inmate came to be in prison or otherwise further develop the character's backstory." (Wiki)
It would be well cliched of me to mention that the series features a strong portrayal of a predominantly "female cast" - which technically is - but as well feature a male voice amidst this gathering of women, who in the end says as much of the human condition in this age and age, informed by generations back of cliches for each individual, religion, color and creed, and of course, their "sex".
For the conservative, the "shock value" would be the characters equal orientation, which in an of itself, is a cliche in this day and age.
The "cliche" for myself personally - after devouring the first season - is the treatment of "love", which treads beyond the frontiers of preconceived notions and expectations, and as well addresses them.
The cliched characters are given room to develop beyond their 1-dimensional sensationalism, progressing to a point where you might "feel" for them, save for the lead character "Piper", who is portrayed to spiral deeper down into despair and not be likable much … but then again, I'v only just finished Season 1 after a couple of days of binge watching, so will be looking forward to see what happens next to Piper last seen raging out against a fellow inmate!
Funnily enough, the characters made Pop! Vinyls from Funko I had previously featured, now makes more sense who they are, which further enriches my enjoyment of them haha
(Orange Is The New Black - Season 1 - Recap)
The numerous frontal upper torso nudity, sexual / carnal scenes, and similar-sex-kissing, outnumber the amount of tears and cries of anguish, with violence and violence towards women kept stringently at bay.
We do not get Netflix in this part of the world, in Singapore, but I am beginning to grasp the notion of adult programming (NOT the smutty kind, I insist), and begin to appreciate them, for providing another media experience beyond the PG-Family friendly stuff we here see on regular tv/cable, IMHO.
As a heterosexual straight single mid-40s aged male, it has been quite inhibiting watching programming done for teens and families, is all I can say in this matter :)
What I will say is this: #OITNB is good shit - Go watch it.
And while I am not necessarily a "fan" of the prison drama genre, but with OITNB, I recommend it as a well decent chronicle of the human condition (not "THE" human condition, but "A" human condition(s)") - which to me is personified with Episode#5 were Piper saw the chicken in the yard….
WHAT-IS: "Orange Is the New Black (often abbreviated to OITNB) is an American comedy-drama series created by Jenji Kohan and first released on Netflix on July 11, 2013. The series, produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television, is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, about her experiences in prison. The second season, consisting of 13 episodes, was released on June 6, 2014. The third season, consisting of 13 episodes, premiered on June 11, 2015. On April 15, 2015, the series was renewed for a fourth season, scheduled to premiere in 2016. The series has received critical acclaim and earned 12 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for its first season." (Wiki)
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