Courtesy of Netflix
The penultimate episode of Orange Is The New Black‘s third season pays off two long-simmering story lines in satisfying and painful fashion.
Let’s bitch it out…
There are a lot of dangling plot threads as we head into the third season finale so it’s good that ‘Don’t Make Me Come Back There’ makes a lot of headway in two particular instances:
1) Sophia (Laverne Cox) vs Gloria (Selenis Leyva): After percolating for the better part of S3, violence erupts when the inmates turn against Sophia. There were hints of malice in the last episode, and it erupts into a full-fledged attack when rumours swirl about Sophia’s parts. In the aftermath, she continues to find herself ostracized and her attempt to coerce Caputo (Nick Sandow) ends up putting her on the chopping block in order to avoid the negative PR that could threaten MCC’s bonuses. It’s further evidence of how MCC’s takeover of Litchfield has become a bureaucratic nightmare at the expense of its prisoners. At this point the repeated instances of MCC’s poor management of the prison are beginning to feel a little redundant, despite the effectiveness of Sophia’s outrage when she’s marched off to the SHU.
What sells this story line is Cox, whose reaction is appropriately indignant and wounded. To me, Sophia has always been underutilized on the series and the way that Cox handles the dramatic material reinforces how empathetic and likable she’s made the character despite receiving less screen time than some of the other actresses. The scene when Sophia asks for Sister Ingalls (Beth Fowler) for support is packed full of emotion, to the extent that something as little as a clasping of hands nearly elicits tears. Ingalls’ advice that Sophia stares down her detractors – a technique Sophia employs when she encounters Gloria on her way to the SHU – suggests that what was once a misunderstanding between two stubborn women has now spilled over into a full-on war. For now, however, all we’re left with is the haunting image of Sophia crying through the narrow window of her isolated cell.
2) Aleida Diaz (Elizabeth Rodriguez) semi-redemptive arc part two: S3’s emphasis on the power (and penance) of mothering produces excellent work from Rodriguez. We caught a glimpse of Aleida’s struggle with motherhood back in the season premiere and as Daya (Dascha Polanco) goes into unexpected labour, Aleida’s many unresolved issues rise to the surface. In flashback we learn more about the push-pull she feels between her selfish desire to be loved by Daya, which frequently circumvents her attempts to be a good mother. Aleida’s discussion with Ruiz (Jessica Pimentel) and, later, Gloria, emphasizes how she struggles to balance the two desires. This is evident in the scenes from the past when she “play acts” bad mother to drive Daya away so that she’ll enjoy camp, only to selfishly dismiss all of its positive impacts when it threatens Daya’s affection for her at the end of the summer.
This plays out in parallel with the present day as Aleida selfishly calls up Delia (Mary Steenburgen) and lies that Daya’s baby boy died in childbirth. Their shared grief initially appears legitimate, but knowing what we know of Aleida, it’s no surprise to learn that Daya actually delivered a healthy baby girl. Does Daya’s confirmation of love for her newborn suggest that Aleida did the right thing by keeping the family together…or will Daya come to resent this latest manipulation, further driving a wedge between mother and daughter?
Courtesy of Netflix
Other Observations:
- Who would have guessed that Piper (Taylor Schilling) would be just as annoying on her own as she was in her “drug dealing, backstabbing” relationship with Alex (Laura Prepon)? Everyone? Oh, okay. In the aftermath of the break-up, Piper grows closer to Stella (Ruby Rose) in both business and personal senses. Piper continues to be the most grating character on the series and her self-involved, delusionary attitude drives me mad. The moment Stella confesses she’s getting out the next week is hilariously satisfying thanks to Piper’s stunned “oh…oh…oh” reaction.
- Far be it for me to criticize if Litchfield is an accurate representation of prison, but how exactly does Red’s (Kate Mulgrew) corn-inspired dinner come together? Is this representative of the loosening of the rules following the MCC take-over, or is this just an opportunity to further investigate the Red/Healy (Michael Harney) relationship? Also: how the hell did she sneak the quiche into his office? If I worked at the prison, I would be a little concerned about that…
- Further cementing Healy’s good/bad status on the series: in contrast to supporting Red, his treatment of the despondent Soso (Kimiko Glenn) drives her to a suicide attempt in the aftermath of further bullying by Leanne (Emma Myles). Here’s hoping that Poussey (Samira Wiley) discovered her in time.
- I love Taystee’s (Danielle Brooks) shocked realization that she is the new mom to her crew. After counseling Suzanne (Uzo Aduba) in Vee’s absence, semi-supporting Poussey’s conversion to the cult of Norma and keeping fabulous loud mouth Black Cindy (Adrienne C. Moore) on a tight leash, it’s no surprise that everyone considers her the defacto matriarch.
- Revenge isn’t quite as sweet as Boo (Lea DeLaria) and Penns (Taryn Manning) anticipated. Their plot to sodomize Donuts (James McMenamin) with a broom after drugging him using left over drugs from Boo’s service dog ends on a surprisingly mournful note when Penns admits that she’s not angry; she’s just sad. The question becomes: what will they do now?
- I like how this drugging scene secretly anticipates Soso’s self-inflicted dosing. Our attention is so diverted by Boo and Penns’ actions that I thought the hand Poussey sees in the library is Donuts.
- Finally, we spend an extended time outside of Litchfield as Cal (Michael Chernus) and wife Neri (Tracee Chimo) scheme to increase production of the Whispers panty business. At this point I’m more interested in the business as a means to explore Litchfield’s cast of characters, so Neri’s duplicity about her college lesbian experiences and their experiment reproducing vaginal secretions feels superfluous. Similarly, Pearson’s (Mike Birbiglia) chat with his father about Sophia’s potential lawsuit feels more like an ill-advised attempt to rehabilitate his character and potentially align him with Caputo and the burgeoning union. The issue is that Pearson is better employed in the narrative as a patsy and a corporate whore than an ally.
Best Lines: Alas my computer crashed so I lost the long list of notable quotables, though most everything that came out of Black Cindy’s insensitive and politically incorrect mouth made the cut (as did Poussey’s comment about her Mickey Mouse ear-inspired hairdo).
Your turn: what did you think of Cox and Rodriguez’s dramatic chops? Are you surprised that Sophia ended up in SHU? Do you think Daya will forgive her mother when she learns the truth? Is Piper any less insufferable than usual? How did Red’s dinner come together? How much do you love Taystee and Black Cindy? Will Soso survive? Sound off below, but please refrain from posting spoilers from the finale.
Orange Is The New Black is available in its entirety on Netflix. Check in Thursday morning for our review of the final episode of S3.