OrangeCrush

Season 3 as a whole was rather boring and quite a let down. The over use of back stories when they served no other purpose than to take up time illustrated classic LAZY WRITING! Yes, Daya’s mother was a horrible parent/person but how many times do we need to see it. How did showing us Bennett dancing in Afghanistan advance the story? No one went to Alex’s mother’s funeral including Piper. I could go on and on. The back stories became gimmicks this season because the writers were unable to develop a consistent plot for the season because they abandon thier central core character, Piper. So when they were short on story, they just threw in little flashbacks that were pointless in many cases. There was no arc this season. Piper’s business and the entire Piper/Alex/panty business arcs felt like there had been more filmed just it didn’t make it to the final cut. Anyone notice that their story went from A to B to G to M with a lot of story left for us to figure out what happened or how they got to where they ended up? It made little sense. I realize this will be an unpopular statement but when Jenji ditched Piper’s story as the central arc, the series began floundering season to subsequent season. Everyone loved Season 1, even if they complained about Piper and hated Larry, Season 2 came along and it was all over the place with the heavy handed over play of Vee and a much reduced Piper arc although initially raved about by critics after seeing only three episodes, the ending consensus was that Season 3 was plagued with uneven writing and underused characters already established. Then we were given Season 3. No central story unless you can call the cult following the central story when the leader of that cult/story line has no FUCKING LINES!!!! That was so boring it wasn’t even snooze worthy. Jenji has managed to take a really get story and fuck it up again. It is no wonder she was run out of network TV, then cable, then premium and ended up at Netflix. Sure she has a new project at HBO but she isn’t the show-runner. HBO has someone else show running her new project she is just the creator and Exec. Prod.

CherithCutestory have to say I have always agreed with your assesment of Piper and her relationship with Alex. To this day I do not comprehend why people think Piper is such a horrible person. I rewatched S1 and S2 and the Piper arc and how it relates to Alex is really interesting becaue it really does show the hold Alex has on Piper and not in a good way (for Piper). One question: Where is: Although I did not include any on my Reasons Piper Doesn't Suck thread. Can't seem to find it or is it contained within another thread on this board. Your query on how Alex will react upon learning Piper has been with other women and might just be experiencing that realization in real time i.e. Stella in S3 might be a pretty interesting arc to watch if Prepon can muster the skills to actually show talent in the acting department so Alex can display a bit more emotion than your old pet rock! People love Alex because she comes off as a sexy fox but Prepon is not known for her acting range. Hope her being exposed to that vast pool of talent on Orange will lift her performance this upcoming season.

CherithCutestory I love your analysis and comments on Vauseman. I totally agree with every thing you have posted. Too often Piper gets the hate because viewers are also being manipulated by Alex. Alex is no victim. Like Piper said, she is the wolf that eats lambs. They want to blame Piper for everything...things Piper never did and is not responsible for. I personally think Piper is the most complex, fleshed out really intriguing character is all of OITNB. I can't wait to see what they writers have in store for us in S3.

CherithCutestory I am so happy to finally see someone else who totally understands and appreciates Piper. She has been my absolute favorite character since Ep1, Sc1, Se 1. I really do not comprehend why so many people miss the complexity of this character and the revelatory and astounding performance that Schilling gives in the creation of Piper. She is remarkable. The character Piper Chapman is without a doubt the most complete, fleshed out and nuanced character I have ever seen on the small screen and probably rivals most portrayed on the big screen for what it matters.

Come on, Vee has to be dead! I do not believe anyone can be knocked unconscious and their eyes remain open! It just doesn't happen. That fixed glazed look in her eyes and the trickle of blood was a sure sing of a C.O.D. of blunt force trauma to the head (not to mention massive internal injuries from being slammed by the front grill of a speeding van). As for the release date of S3. If Netflix keeps up their past pattern look for a release at 12:01 EDT AM June 5.

CherithCutestory What a great analysis of the Piper vs Alex saga. I totally agree with everything you posted. I have always been one to defend Piper because I have thought people usually never cut Piper any slack especially calling her a whiny narcissist which I do not believe she is at all. I love Piper. What I find most interesting is that Piper really does try to be a better person. Sometimes her mouth commits before she has thought out how the impact of her words will affect her and those around her but all in all, Piper is at the core a good person who is trying to be truthful and honest with herself and those around her. I would love to see Piper and Alex grow individually so they could have a healthy adult relationship outside Litchfield and be the end game for thier story but I am not so sure Alex wants to change at all. People tend to overlook all of Alex's shortcomings but in the same stroke of a pen magnify all of Piper's flaws. They are both very flawed characters and unfortunately, Alex seems to be content remaining flawed where as Piper actively works to better her self.

Agree totally. This is a perfect example of "abuse of power". However, given the fact that the U.S House of Representitives is under Republican control, even if the staffer and Rep. were named, it would be highly unlikely the Ethics Committee would do any thing or that the member or his staffer would even be critized given the homophobic/conservative/ridgid mindset of that bunch. The Republicans are so shamefully anti EVERYTHING except rich white guys!

EXCEPT, that wasn't Laverne Cox in the flashback. It was her brother! Was there a big disclaimer on the submission DVD - NOTE: The part of Sophia in the flashback is played by her twin brother. Not Laverne Cox. Bet there wasn't. If there is no disclaimer or note about the stand in of the brother doing that part of the character, it is simply being decietful! If Cox does win, is she planning to cut the statue in half and give half to her brother who pulled most of the weight in that eposiode not Cox!

I didn’t question her gender but now that you have mention it, granted she has physically transformed herself into a woman but it doesn’t change her genes or chromosomes. How she perceives herself and how she is perceived are two very different points of view. My annoyance is with is strictly one from a personal observation. I think she looks and acts like a drag queen. It doesn’t change my opinion that there were members of that cast far more deserving of an Emmy nomination that Lavern Cox. Her performance was not special.

Have to disagree. I never thought Lavern Cox deserved a nomination. Yael Stone, Taryn Manning and Daneille Brooks gave much better all around performances than Cox. I think she was given the nomination specifically because she is a transgender actor and nothing more. What in her performance was so much better that she deserved a nomination over Manning, Stone or Brooks or several other cast members for that matter. Personally Cox is so over the top with her exaggerated drag persona it borders on being annoying. The girl just tries way to had to be a woman!

The closer it gets to the Emmy’s, the better I feel about OITNB making a really great showing this year. The show has had over a year to sink into the minds of the viewers and the launch of S2 was strategic by Netflix to say the least, smack in the middle of Emmy season! I think the show has a really good chance of getting 8 of the 12 awards. I would give them more but that would mean multiple wins in the same category. It could happen - a 3 way tie in guest and a tie in editing but not likely. I think Taylor’s chances become better and better the closer it gets to the deadline for vote submissions. Netflix is not sparing change in the promotion. Have you been around LA/Hollywood lately. Hard to turn a corner and not see Taylor’s face at every bus stop, on bill boards and just about every where Netflix can buy the space. Dreyfus is her biggest competition. JLD has was back to back Emmy’s. I don’t think she will get a third. Think the voters will want to pass the accolade to a new face. That is why I think Taylor really has a great shot at winning. I for one will be just crazy happy for her if this happens. Taylor has done a masterful job the character of Piper. Everyone- cast, the writers, the creator knows it. It is time for the Academy to honor it!

Having immersed myself several times in both season 1 and 2, I am at times still left with mouth agape at the performance of Taylor Schilling. She is such a unbelievable talent! WOW! She moves from dark, deep heart gripping drama to fall out of your chair comedy in a flash. Kohan was correct when she describe Schilling as a unicorn. But I am with all of you, I simply do not understand all the Piper hate!!! Piper is flawed but her journey from the opening of season1 to the close of season 2 has been a dramatic transformation of a hipster Brooklynite surface dweller to someone who is finally coming to terms with who she is. I for one have absolutely enjoyed watching the journey of growth and change. I also do not believe there is an actress out there today that could have delivered the character Piper Chapman better or more convincingly that Taylor Schilling. I just am eager to see where she and Kohan take this character in the seasons to come. I remember years ago having a conversation with Jennifer Beals about how the character of Bette Porter impacted her as a human being. Jennifer said she keeps Bette close because Bette really had become part of her (Jennifer) and they would always share a common heart. I can't help but think the growth that Piper Chapman experiences over the course of the many seasons that Orange will air will end up have a significant effect on the person of Taylor Schilling as Bette had on Beals. Taylor will always have Piper to look back to and reflect on how Piper overcame herself to become the strong and more authentic women we see her growing towards and hope she becomes by the end of production.

Couldn't be happier with all the nominanations. Taryn probably should have been included int that guest category but maybe he Academy thought having 4 of the six nominations from the same show a bit much so had to leave Taryn off the list. I have no doubt she was in the top ten of prospective nominees for that category,. there just has to be a cut off somewhere. Orange is the top buzz among entertainment journalist re: the Emmys. this bodes well for all the nominee. It is possible Orange could totally sweep the comedy section this year. Wow that would be simply great.

Noticed something on Imdb. Piper and Alex are scheduled to both be is all 13 ep.s in s3. Does anyone think that Jenji has seen the writing on the wall and wants to focus on Alex and Piper in S3. Wow, that can be really complex. Let's say that Alex doesn't know Piper was behind her getting violated. Nicky thinks Alex is a creep for stabbing Piper in the back in Chicago. Piper knows she was behind Alex gettin reing incarcerated. Does Piper play her cards close to the vest and act like she knows nothing or does Alex get it out of her? Are they at odds most of the season trying to hurt each other or has Piper really grown/Alex not so much and Piper becomes the adult. Wow, there are just so many avenues the writers can take in S3. I can not wait. I know Jenji plans to focus on guard in S3 but I would lay money they ribbon through out the season that acts as the glue will be Piper and Alex. I want to see Vausemen grow and become a real adult couple in a healthy relationship . Shit they have several years to work on this relatioship, just hope Jenji doesn't fuck it up int the mid term.

My wish for season three is that the writers return to the formula that worked so well in season one. This means Piper being the central figure from which the rest of the stories radiate. Sure Jenji wants to use Piper as her Trojan horse but damn the rest of the stories with out a lot of Piper really don't interest me all that much. So I want more Piper in season 3 and of course more Alex. They can sprinkle in the rest of the cast and tell their stories too but I really want to see Piper and Alex begin a dialogue on how to move forward if that is what the end game is going to be. They have to stop screwing over each other. Piper has done a lot of soul searching and is beginning to come to terms with who she is but still has some more growing and self examination to complete. Alex hasn't done any and reality if she doesn't begin to change really isn't the person I want in Piper's end game. Alex will just shit on Piper again and again if she doesn't begin to take responsibility for her action.