S03.E02: Bed Bugs And Beyond

[Princess Sparkle]

Thanks for filling that in for me.  Since the flashback didn't actually show how that grenade scene ended I kind of thought we'd see another part at some point and maybe Bennett lost his leg kicking it out from under the other GI.  But I think you have the right interpretation.  

 

Well, and we know how Bennett lost his leg - he got a MRSA infection from an infected hot tub.  Everyone else at the prison just thinks that he lost it when he was enlisted.

 

The Daya/Bennett storyline bores me to TEARS, but I think I'm giving Bennett a little more leeway because of how much I like him on How to Get Away with Murder.  I also read an article last week on how he sees the Bennett/Daya relationship, and it was pretty interesting and gave me a little more insight into how Bennett sees the whole thing.  I'm interested to see if his interpretation makes its way into this season.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Princess Sparkle

[Guest]

Thanks for the reminder.  I don't even recall the hot tub mention.  I don't watch that closely.  

at 44:29 the guy throws the grenade in.  Someone yells "Bennett kick it out".  Bennett freezes panics and jumps the other way to safety -  but Hero guy jumps on it.

 

 

I can't figure out to post a screen shot

Right but I meant we never saw it explode.  Or maybe it did and I missed that, too.  Or I forgot it already.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Guest

[DrSpaceman]

Makes me wonder if he is going to call off the engagement as well -- can you imagine marrying into a family with someone like Cesar ?  Regardless if the gun wasn't loaded, he pulled a gun and pointed at a kid because he wouldn't eat shitty microwave fries.  Who knows what Cesar would do if that kid ever talked back to him ?

Cesar is a total nutjob and whacked out in the head, but I have to say, his character is exciting and interesting just because he is different, and honest, I think, absolutely nothing he is hiding, unlike most characters on this show. He obviously has his faults, but there is no "layers" or underlying stuff going on with him, its all on the surface.

So, flashback Bennet was basically Asher from How to Get Away with Murder. I know he and Daya have a very problematic relationship in terms of power and authority, but I think they're adorable together. It's not going to end well, but I loved the gum wrapper proposal.

 

I can't stand Daya's mother. She is seriously the worst. 

 

I freaked out when Cesar pulled a gun on Emiliano. I feel so bad for all the kids in that house. I want to go save them all, but then I remind myself they're fictional.

 

And then there were Piper and Alex. Ugh. I love Red even more now for continuously calling Piper out on her shit.

Piper and Alex are the worst part of the show. I find absolutely nothing believable about them as a couple now or in the past, first of all. They have no chemistry together. ANd Alex in general I just don't care about in the least

[Guest]

I hate the Piper and Alex parts, too.  I read the book recently and I wish it was like that-- Alex wasn't in the story at all, except as some historical background, if I recall correctly (which I often don't).  But I do know book Piper was 100% with Larry only her entire prison stay.  Obviously the show is only loosely based on the book, though, too.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Cesar is a total nutjob and whacked out in the head, but I have to say, his character is exciting and interesting just because he is different, and honest, I think, absolutely nothing he is hiding, unlike most characters on this show.

He is definitely hiding the fact that he has a new girlfriend and he just had a baby with her!

[possibilities]

I also read an article last week on how he sees the Bennett/Daya relationship, and it was pretty interesting and gave me a little more insight into how Bennett sees the whole thing. I'm interested to see if his interpretation makes its way into this season.

I'd love to read that article. Do you remember where it was published?

I agree Cesar is interesting. He's scary as hell but he's not the character you usually see.

[Princess Sparkle]

I'd love to read that article. Do you remember where it was published?

 

I'm pretty sure this is the article I'm thinking of.  The bulk of the article is discussing his becoming a feminist (which is only ironic, since I remember Jezebel being pretty snarky when he said he was a feminist, which he does bring up).  The piece on Daya and Bennett is the first few paragraphs. 

Edited June 16, 2015 by Princess Sparkle

[Your Aunt Tilly]

Well, and we know how Bennett lost his leg - he got a MRSA infection from an infected hot tub.  Everyone else at the prison just thinks that he lost it when he was enlisted.

 

It's all I could think about when my son had a very nasty infection in his leg this past winter - especially while we were waiting for the culture results to find out if it was staph or the terrifying flesh-eating strep, and also to find out if the antibiotics that he was on were going to kill it.  (He recovered fully, whew!)

 

I'm not crazy about the pregnancy story - I think they're both very naive if they think he's going to be able to have the baby while she is in prison.  Although his scene at the end indicates that he got a great big dose of reality during his visit to Cesar.

 

I feel terrible for the kids in Cesar's care.  

[jsm1125]

I loved the shot of Cheng sleeping while standing up.

[DrSpaceman]

He is definitely hiding the fact that he has a new girlfriend and he just had a baby with her!

Is he?  He invited Bennett to his house knowing he would find this out and did not try to hide it from him, even openly talked about it with him

[aprilbabe]

Is he?  He invited Bennett to his house knowing he would find this out and did not try to hide it from him, even openly talked about it with him

He's not hiding it from Bennett, but he's definitely hiding it from Daya and Aleida. He mentioned bribing the kids  so they wont tell their mom and sister about his new GF and baby, and also I think he made a comment to Bennett  about not snitching and telling on him.

[DrSpaceman]

He's not hiding it from Bennett, but he's definitely hiding it from Daya and Aleida. He mentioned bribing the kids  so they wont tell their mom and sister about his new GF and baby, and also I think he made a comment to Bennett  about not snitching and telling on him.

 

 

That is true.  He is not hiding it very well though, or trying that hard to hide it, if he trusts a guy he met once or twice in Bennett to not tell anyone. 

 

Given that he held a gun to the head of a kid for not eating old fries, though, I suppose Bennett can imagine what might happen if he makes him mad

[questionfear]

That is true.  He is not hiding it very well though, or trying that hard to hide it, if he trusts a guy he met once or twice in Bennett to not tell anyone. 

 

Given that he held a gun to the head of a kid for not eating old fries, though, I suppose Bennett can imagine what might happen if he makes him mad

 

Plus Cesar can blackmail Bennett. If Bennett doesnt want to go to jail alongside Mendez he needs to keep his head down and his mouth shut. Cesar could and would rat him out in turn.

[nodorothyparker]

Piper and Alex and their drama bore me.  I also don't find the sex scenes between them remotely hot or even believable.

 

Daya and Bennett have been painfully naive and unrealistic from the word go, so it's not really a surprise that that's continuing this far into the game.  It also doesn't make me want to thoroughly shake the both of them any the less.  How sweet that he made you an engagement ring out of a gum wrapper, but if you could get your head out of the clouds for more than 30 seconds maybe answer how you realistically see this playing out.  With a mother with three years left on her sentence and the named father also in prison, social services is going to be picking that baby up from that hospital.  Maternal grandma is also in prison, so best-case scenario is grandma's husband? boyfriend? taking him/her and adding him/her to the pile of kids he's already parenting very badly.  If real daddy steps up, he goes to prison too.  I could sort of buy them not dealing with the reality of all this when it first happened but now?  I don't know how far along Daya is supposed to be but it feels like at some point some of this should have occurred to her.  You know you're in trouble when Aleida is your voice of reason and Mama Pornstache looks like your best viable option.  Yes, shaking Mama Pornstache down over a lie you started is bad, but these idiots' indignation is misplaced when they haven't come up with any solution remotely plausible.

 

Black Cindy spraying herself down with Lysol was great.  Bennett's flashbacks showing that he wasn't any kind of hero but a dancing doofus who hid when it counted felt very much in character.

Edited June 18, 2015 by nodorothyparker

[CleoCaesar]

What a long episode. This is NOT what I'd consider an attractive cast by any stretch of the imagination and seeing most of them in granny panties was hard on the eyes. /shallow

Daya and Bennett, who gives a crap about these morons. What does he even see in her?

The depiction of all these trashy families makes me sad because it's so realistic.

[TattleTeeny]

I feel like I don't even understand how they fell so in love. We didn't really even see it happen. Which, OK, maybe we're supposed to just assume that lots of stuff occurred outside of the confines of what we're shown in the episodes. But that makes it kind of hard to "agree" that they're madly in love.

[Thog]

 

What a long episode. This is NOT what I'd consider an attractive cast by any stretch of the imagination and seeing most of them in granny panties was hard on the eyes. /shallow

Maybe so, but you know what? That's one thing I really love about this show. People come in all shapes and sizes, and we're not used to seeing any but the most beautiful or airbrushed portrayed on TV (especially without clothes on). I would say that I'm happy that vulnerable young viewers are getting to see that not everyone looks like a supermodel, but honestly I'm middle-aged and I love that *I'm* getting to see this for almost the first time. No, granny panties aren't flattering on anyone, but that's really not the point here. I don't watch this show to see pretty. I love the diversity of this cast, not just in terms of age or ethnicity, but in terms of pretty much everything. These are some brave actresses.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Thog

[nodorothyparker]

I really appreciate the bravery of the cast that did walk around in decidedly nonflattering underwear.  I also appreciate how random the handing out of temporary uniforms seemed instead of the show just putting the more traditionally acceptable pretty bodies out there.  There was something very frank and real about it you don't often get to see on TV.

[Fredward]

I see Cesar as being the product of his upbringing but I don't doubt that in his own weird, problematic and abusive way he deeply cares about his family. Daya's mother gets a lot of flack for 'selling' her grandkid but to me she also seems like she realizes she can give him a better life with Pornstache's mom. Her getting cash out of that is both pragmatic and a sort of lashing out at the universe for the position she's in, especially in respect to this rich white lady. It's icing on the cake.

[Sesquipedalia]

Daya's mom's main motivation seems to be getting paid though.

 

Ditto to everyone who loved seeing women of all different shapes and sizes walking around in their granny panties. It was funny, but also sadly subversive in our superficial culture. That's also why I love the OITNB opening--all the different types of faces. I can't say that I don't skip over it after the first couple episodes because it's so long, but I love the idea of it.

[citychic]

I'm not so sure that Nicky taped that baggie under the desk. In this episode right after Leanne explains what will and will not be inserted into her vagina, and right before that glorious scene of black Cindy spraying herself  Luschek tears off his clothes to be washed because of the bugs, he throws his pants then grabs them back to clean out the pockets and out falls a dime bag of weed, he laughs it off and calls it sleepytime tea while stuffing it in his underwear. I'm inclined to believe if he would be willing to move that stuff for Nicky then he's got criminal intentions and wouldn't think twice of stashing and letting an inmate take the fall. I think there's more to this story.

[lion10]

But she's definitely the most beautiful.

 

Nah, that title goes to Maritza.

[Rahul]

My favorite moment in this episode was Black Cindy's song and dance while spraying herself down with Lysol.  "Little spray here, little spray there, little spray in my underwear makes the buggies back off..."

 

Black Cindy can be an absolute hoot but I almost feel guilty for enjoying her comedic reprieves because of what a reprehensible **** she was shown to be in her season 2 flashback episode.

[ZuluQueenOfDwarves]

Nah, that title goes to Maritza.

Nope, sorry, it's my imaginary girlfriend Poussey/Samira Wiley

Edited June 21, 2015 by ZuluQueenOfDwarves

[Kel Varnsen]

Black Cindy can be an absolute hoot but I almost feel guilty for enjoying her comedic reprieves because of what a reprehensible **** she was shown to be in her season 2 flashback episode.

Not me, funny/terrible people are like my most favourite thing on all of tv. It's the same reason Archet is my favourite show.

[Lnmop]

Nah, that title goes to Maritza.

Ok, I'll agree to a tie.

[citychic]

I'm not so sure that Nicky taped that baggie under the desk. In this episode right after Leanne explains what will and will not be inserted into her vagina, and right before that glorious scene of black Cindy spraying herself  Luschek tears off his clothes to be washed because of the bugs, he throws his pants then grabs them back to clean out the pockets and out falls a dime bag of weed, he laughs it off and calls it sleepytime tea while stuffing it in his underwear. I'm inclined to believe if he would be willing to move that stuff for Nicky then he's got criminal intentions and wouldn't think twice of stashing and letting an inmate take the fall. I think there's more to this story.

I went back and watched again. I'm wrong, it was Nicky.

[CleoCaesar]

I would say that I'm happy that vulnerable young viewers are getting to see that not everyone looks like a supermodel

That's plainly evident enough from real life.

Also, what are vulnerable young viewers doing watching this very adult show?

Edited June 21, 2015 by CleoCaesar

[jsm1125]

Does anybody else think that Aleida, Daya's mother, told Cesar to act crazily when Bennett came over so that Bennett would be scared into wanting to give the baby to Pornstache's mother? I can see her thinking of a scheme like that.

[DangerousMinds]

The Bennet/Daya baby drama is my least favorite part of the show.  I hope that thread gets wrapped up soon but honestly the "happiest" ending I can come up with is for the baby to die.  How bleak is that?

Because adoption would be worse than death?

[WatchrTina]

 

Because adoption would be worse than death?

Adoption by whom?  Pornstash's mom?  Where you just know, eventually, it would be revealed that he's not the father and then there would be a life-long legal battle between people trying to claim to be the baby's "real" family and the child would be torn apart by no knowing who they are or where they belong.  Or worse yet, the kid grows up thinking that Pornstash is her dad and also encountering emissaries from the Daya camp (because you just know they would not stay away), with each side of the family doing their best to blacken the other side in the eyes of the child.  What a horrible fate.

 

If Daya's baby could be snatched away and given to responsible people to raise, with no contact with any of her horrible blood relations or her FauxBabyDaddy then that would be a happy ending for the baby.  Daya, Bennet and even Daya's horrible mom would mourn the rest of their lives about the disappeared child and there would always be the risk that the baby would come looking for her birth parents when she was old enough and would then discover the complete shit-show that led to her birth, but at least she'd have a chance at a good childhood.  But that can't happen.  Daya will never agree to a closed adoption and even if she did, Pornstash wouldn't and they've probably put his name on the birth certificate so that asshole is going to be a looming presence in this baby's life no matter what. Yeah, that's a fate I would not wish on any child.