Orange is the New Black

[Blahblah]

Just started binge watching season 4. Anyone else?

[molecule]

We got through the first three episodes. We will either plow through the rest this weekend or will try to pretend we are mature grownups who can engage in delayed gratification and extend it all over the coming week

[notfundy]

Just started tonight ... but only got through first episode until Mr. NotFundy fell asleep.  Ha!  I have to work tomorrow during the day  so tomorrow night we'll pick up where we left off.  Won't be able to get thru it over the weekend.  We HAVE done that in February when the weather's really bad for House of Cards, though.  LOVE being empty nesters!  

I can't believe it's season FOUR already.   FOUR!     I  think I still like the first season of OITNB the most of the first three.  

I read that this year was going to be "darker" in theme.   Not sure I like that;  the show can get really, really sad especially when things like overcrowding and the privatization of prisons are happening in real life.   

Does anyone remember what the Emmy Awards people decided to do re: classification of OITNB as a comedy or a drama?  

The second year it was on Netflix, the producers of OITNB wanted to enter the show/actors as a comedy and were not allowed to do so, they had to enter as a drama.  It went back and forth. 

What say you, FJ members?   Is OITNB a COMEDY or a DRAMA?    (I just can't compare it to true comedies like VEEP so I vote DRAMA.) 

[Blahblah]

I lean towards drama. I really have to search for the funny bits but the drama is in your face.

[molecule]

10 hours ago, notfundy said:

The second year it was on Netflix, the producers of OITNB wanted to enter the show/actors as a comedy and were not allowed to do so, they had to enter as a drama.  It went back and forth. 

What say you, FJ members?   Is OITNB a COMEDY or a DRAMA?    (I just can't compare it to true comedies like VEEP so I vote DRAMA.) 

It is one of those rare shows that is just so complex and earthy that it moves back and forth between drama and comedy--but I would definitely say it is more drama.

We are in episode 4 now. In the flashback to Healy's mom in the kitchen, cooking him breakfast in the middle of the night, just for a moment, she looked and sounded a lot like JillRod in her posture and voice.

[AlysonRR]

It's definitely a drama. Particularly after watching season 4...  And it certainly draws attention to the issues of privatization of prisons.

[molecule]

Just finished it. Wow.

[Maggie Mae]

I don't think it's a drama. At all. It's not serious like a drama, and it might shed some light on some of the issues in privatization of prisons, but it's not a documentary or even realistic fiction. So much is over dramatic. 

That being said, I really like the show. 

"Crazy Eyes" episode in season four just devastated me. The anger over the mega corporations screwing people over is just something I live with 24/7, but forcing two humans to fight - and one of them being disabled - is horrific. Even the skin head girl was like "no I am not fighting her" and then Maureen. 

 

Okay, so WHAT is Maureen's backstory? She acts one way with Suzanne and then a different way with the skinheads (pretending to be illiterate )... She talked about her file with Caputo (?) and acted completely different. Ugh I can not wait a whole year. 

I am happy that Netflix puts the whole thing out at once, sort of. I kind of think they should drop it in blocks. Or put half the season out and wait a month for the next half. I HATED the fact that I got inadvertently spoiled by stupid idiots on facebook. Not everyone has the time or inclination to sit around watching 13 hours of TV at once. It showed up at, like noon on a workday. It's a stupid system. 

And I want season ending cliffhangers to just end already. Wrap up the season in one go. If it's quality TV, people will come back. STOP with the stupid gimmicks.

[PraiseDog]

I just finished season 4, Holy shit.

I definitely consider it a drama - what series dramas are ever 100% realistic, really?  There are some comedic parts, but most of those are character-driven, while the main plots are pretty serious.  I consider it funny the way Breaking Bad was funny.

I agree it's frustrating to end the season with a cliffhanger and have to wait a whole year to find out what happens, but I think Netflix does this because it generates a whole lot of buzz on social media.  And if they dropped it at 6pm on Friday, their servers would probably blow up 

 

[Imaginary_Wonderland]

I have been trying to spread this season out and not watch it all in one go. But I think I failed, as I only have two episodes left and will probably watch them tonight. I was worried too about seeing spoilers and ruining it, but mainly I just got sucked into it and wanting to know what happens next.

I only started watching this last July, and watched all the previous seasons back to back in a few weeks. And the wait for this new season seemed forever. I didn't realize before that the season has such few number of episodes.

Is 13 episodes a short season or is it more usual these days? I was surprised last night when I checked out how many I had left to see, I assumed I was half way through, not just 2 left. Yeah, gonna be a long year waiting til next one is released.

[Maggie Mae]

4 hours ago, PraiseDog said:

I just finished season 4, Holy shit.

I definitely consider it a drama - what series dramas are ever 100% realistic, really?  There are some comedic parts, but most of those are character-driven, while the main plots are pretty serious.  I consider it funny the way Breaking Bad was funny.

I'm thinking it's more like Weeds or a dark comedy.  It's not at all serious like Breaking Bad, IMO. Breaking Bad might have a joke or two to establish characters, but OITNB is much lighter. 

4 hours ago, PraiseDog said:

I agree it's frustrating to end the season with a cliffhanger and have to wait a whole year to find out what happens, but I think Netflix does this because it generates a whole lot of buzz on social media.  And if they dropped it at 6pm on Friday, their servers would probably blow up 

 

Oh even if they dropped it on a Friday at 6 pm I still wouldn't be able to watch it all before I got spoiled. I think they should be responsible and release it in groups. It's really unhealthy to watch TV all at once for that long. I honestly don't know how anyone can do it. Even TV critics who have to for pay, it's just so much sedentary behavior. 

[PraiseDog]

 I guess they expect that their fans are mostly adults who can control themselves and limit their watching, and their social media discussions, until they've finished watching the season and are ready to discuss it ?
 

I watched Weeds and was really entertained, but I find OITNB more serious, and important somehow.

Just my opinion, though

 

[violynn]

Definitely drama.  Probably Season 1 they went with the comedy to offset anyone who would back off watching a realistic prison drama, the amount of comedy dropped from Season 1 to 2, was obvious.  Maybe Jenji wanted the comedy rating thinking they'd have less competition in the awards category, but the drama far outweighs the comedy, especially Season 4.  I cannot imagine Season 5 being very humorous either.  But WOW, what a season this was.  I was stunned and saddened for a while.

[Maggie Mae]

30 minutes ago, PraiseDog said:

 I guess they expect that their fans are mostly adults who can control themselves and limit their watching, and their social media discussions, until they've finished watching the season and are ready to discuss it ?
 

I also think it's just kind of bad for the show. There are so many things to discuss other than the end, but since it was released all at once, the only thing people are talking about online seems to be the end. The episode where Piper was branded could have used some attention. Or Healy's backstory. I don't know, I just am hoping we are at peak "binge" watching. 

 

[theinvisiblegirl]

I watched season 4 all day the day it came out and finished at 3 AM on the 18th. It was such a dramatic season. I was freaking out over bits and pieces. The end of 4x12 crushed me...

I do think the writers have ruined several characters. The definitely ruined Maria the most. I don't like this new direction at all. I liked how Pennsatucky helped Nikki out, and everything with Sister Ingalls is always hilarious. The biggest 180 character-wise for me was Lolly. I hated her last season but this season, with her background, it really helped me to like and then love her.

[Destiny]

I just started the show, and I'm struggling to care about anyone or anything. I'm on ep 2...does it get more interesting further in, or should I just assume that this is not a show for me?

[Maggie Mae]

1 minute ago, Destiny said:

I just started the show, and I'm struggling to care about anyone or anything. I'm on ep 2...does it get more interesting further in, or should I just assume that this is not a show for me?

You just started season 1? 

My SO hates the show. I like it, but it's not for everyone. 

[Destiny]

7 minutes ago, Maggie Mae said:

You just started season 1? 

My SO hates the show. I like it, but it's not for everyone. 

Yeah. I'm on season 1 ep 2. I don't have anyone to root for...this isn't working for me but sometimes shows take a bit to get their footing so I'm going to give it til ep 3. Does the show change appreciably in season 1 at all?

[Maggie Mae]

17 minutes ago, Destiny said:

Yeah. I'm on season 1 ep 2. I don't have anyone to root for...this isn't working for me but sometimes shows take a bit to get their footing so I'm going to give it til ep 3. Does the show change appreciably in season 1 at all?

I don't really remember season 1, TBH. I remember the show changed drastically for the better once they stopped focusing on Piper and Piper's family. Looking through the episode descriptions on wikipedia, it appears that they start showing other inmate's stories in episode 2, which is surprising to me. 

[molecule]

I took me about half a season to decide I liked the show. My husband had daughter had both watched season 1, and I was in the room when they started watching season 2. Around the fifth or sixth episode, I started to care--and now I think it's wonderfully done. Most of the characters are complex and nuanced. Even the worst characters tend to have moments of compassion, and even the most lovable characters usually have moments when they do things they shouldn't. 

[Imaginary_Wonderland]

Oh man, Oh man! I know I only posted earlier today about this, and even though I thought up to that point there had been plenty of intense moments.

But those last two episodes I just watched now are another level. I feel all shuck up, like the cafeteria scene was totally unexpected, I did not see that coming.

I know that all sounds over-dramatic, but really I feel like it's been harrowing experience. And I feel stupid saying that. I am usually a hard nut, and don't cry over things like that especially in film or tv, unless it's an animal movie, like Homeward Bound or Black Beauty. But I was really tearing up over that scene, and the rest of it. Like someone already described it as stunned and saddened. So true! I felt like I spent the last episode, trying to process it all, and half way through, I remembered there was supposed to be a cliffhanger ending to keep the suspense up, all I could think was what more ! what next !

At the end of last season, I did feel left hanging and wanting to know what happens right away. But now, I am too numb almost to be bothered by the final scene. 

Today has been a weird day anyway, so maybe that is why I am effed up over it, I do feel stupid even typing this getting all over dramatic and emotional over a tv show.

I do think this season has been much darker than before, and while I would never classify it as a comedy, it did have more comedic touches and lighter moments before. 

[Mela99]

This season was nuts. I was so aggravated at so many points.... Gah. I don't know what I think. Frieda did crack me up at many points though.... but I lost ALL sympathy for Piper. 

[FundieFarmer]

I just started the show, and I'm struggling to care about anyone or anything. I'm on ep 2...does it get more interesting further in, or should I just assume that this is not a show for me?

I agree that it gets a ton better when they drop all the crap about piper and her holy and sanctimonious life before. I also agree that she is annoying AF now. I had some sympathy for her in the beginning- but there are other better characters to love.

I also concur that one problem in a show as meaty as this is that when it's released in a binge format, not as much gets discussed as we rush to see the finale. Piper's big old mess? Ok um...whoa. But more Maria's change. And Daya's progression...and watching her mother change through the whole season. Aaaaand the shitheaded Piscatella. And ultimately Poussey...which broke my damn heart. And whoever thought we could sympathize with Caputo? Anyway...yep. Lots to digest that didn't just happen in the last 5 minutes of the last episode!

[Jana'sHairScrunchie]

I have really grown to love this show and really appreciate the diversity of women it focuses on in terms of age, race, body type, etc. It really juggles a lot and it's one of the few shows that can make me sincerely laugh and cry in the span of a single episode. That said, this season had me sobbing at several points. It's been interesting to see the plot shift from being based on Piper's story and memoir to larger societal issues that are really coming to a head in America over the past few years. 

[PraiseDog]

On 6/24/2016 at 10:34 AM, Maggie Mae said:

I also think it's just kind of bad for the show. There are so many things to discuss other than the end, but since it was released all at once, the only thing people are talking about online seems to be the end. The episode where Piper was branded could have used some attention. Or Healy's backstory. I don't know, I just am hoping we are at peak "binge" watching. 

 

Good point - I never really thought of that aspect, but you're absolutely right. The whole plot line about the guy who got killed was the huge cliffhanger from last year, and played a huge part in this season - esp. Lolly and her backstory, which related to Healy's backstory- all very worthy of discussion, but this all got overshadowed by the last two episodes. 

On 6/24/2016 at 11:05 AM, Destiny said:

I just started the show, and I'm struggling to care about anyone or anything. I'm on ep 2...does it get more interesting further in, or should I just assume that this is not a show for me?

It definitely gets much better further in.  Piper becomes just one of an ensemble of characters, they quit featuring Piper's uninteresting fiance and family members (I do like her brother, though) and we get to know other characters, who are much more interesting and nuanced.