S01.E02: Tit Punch

[maraleia]

After insulting the food in front of the prison chef, Piper is starved out by the kitchen staff and struggles to offer up an acceptable apology.

 

[Hanahope]

Well, I bet prison food tastes better now, eh Piper?  And lol that now Alex will get starved for trying to help.  I wasn't sure if Piper threw the cornbread away because she decided to 'play by the rules' or because she hates Alex.  It was pretty funny the steps taken to keep food away from Piper, even unplugging the vending machines.  And loved the creativity on making the lotion for Red's back.

[bravelittletoaster]

I'm going to enjoy reliving this through a newb.  :)  I kind of wish I could go back and watch it all for the first time.  Because I never thought it was going to be as good as it ended up being.  And it just kept getting better and better [iMO] throughout the first season.

 

Too bad we couldn't import the discussions from TWoP about last season's episodes for you, but nice that you're writing something in these empty threads.

Edited July 11, 2014 by bravelittletoaster

[Hanahope]

Yeah, I tried to find the old TWOP forums to see some of the discussions, but I guess those got wiped completely.

 

And I have absolutely no info about how the story works out, so yup, definitely a complete newb here.  I'm going to guess that we get more backstory on other inmates, like they started to with Red.

[Cattie]

https://web.archive.org/web/20140330130615/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/forum/1240-orange-is-the-new-black-general-gabbery/

 

Individual episode threads work, too. Just wait for the redirecting.

Edited July 12, 2014 by Cattie

[bravelittletoaster]

Oh, cool.  Didn't realize those threads still existed anywhere on the web.  Thanks.  /back on topic now.

[Fisher King]

First time watcher here. Unspoiled.

 

Kate Mulgrew, where have you been? I wanted to HATE her character til the backstory played out.  I'm kind of dreading to find out what she did to wind up in prison.

 

I mean really, who can resist watching Mad Men? Funny when the fiancee turned over Piper's photo so he could watch without guilt.

 

Piper's having to pay the piper for the jalapeno peppers. Making that heat wrap for Red was a pretty brilliant move.

 

Love Laverne Cox.

 

 

[CherithCutestory]

When I saw it the first time I was still under the impression I would hate Piper because of what some friends had said to me. So, I didn't really realize how cool she was in this episode.

 

I loved that she was about to tell Healey about her and Alex to get a transfer and stopped herself. Piper decided early on to take care of her own issues by herself. Or Pornstache mocking her as she cried and when he walks away it was because she is sucking jalapenos to make the cream and held it the entire time he was there. The cream was resourceful but I think her throwing away the cornbread Alex gave her was bad ass. And I think it had as much to do with her getting food rights back as the cream. Yeah, she didn't do it because she was respecting the rules and refusing to eat in the caf until she was allowed to but Red didn't know it. And Norma's smile when she threw it away said a lot.

 

I also loved how Taystee had said she wouldn't like how she had to get the cocoa butter but when we saw her after she was just smiling and pleased with herself. Not remotely upset.

 

Larry refering to Piper being starved because she insulted the food as "foot in mouth disease" was so infuriating. What an asshole. It just is not the proper response to a loved one in prison telling you they are being starved. And the ditzy girl he is affectionately describining isn't the person who in her very short time in prison is already figuring out how to elaborately barter, risking starvation over taking something from an ex who snitched, and refused to ask Healey to fix her problems. It isn't like we are talking about a long period of time and prison has changed her. She is clearly a smart resourceful person. And he just doesn't seem to think of her that way.

 

People always seem to make Piper into what they want her to be. Larry sees her as a kind of ditz. Red sees her as the women who mocked her. 

Alex saying she had thought they were partners. Healey saying how he thought he understood her and treating her like his girlfriend.

But she really is a pretty consistent person not someone just changing with the wind here.

Edited January 5, 2015 by CherithCutestory

[OrangeCrush]

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.

[Armchair Critic]

Just started watching this series, will be reading the old threads.

[Actualized Peggy]

Me too, Armchair Critic!

Are we supposed to know or understand what Piper did for the woman (sorry, not good with the names yet) who was getting her hair done to get the shea butter she needed?

 

We saw both Piper and her walk out after the "deal", but I really don't get what could have happened between the two.

[tchaikca]

she gave up a big chunk of her hair! Taystee (woman getting hair done) had a blonde braid when she walked out, and Piper had a little short patch of hair.

[Actualized Peggy]

Ha... I thought it might be that, but I wasn't sure... I thought Piper's looked greasier after that, but it may have just been me. I watch this show on my phone, which probably doesn't help.

 

Thank you!

[kieyra]

Rewatching in honor of the finale. It’s very striking to go back to old episodes and remember that they used to have real food, fresh vegetables, etc. Instead of the corporate prison processed sludge.

(Obviously they play up the food in this episode because it’s the one where they are starving Piper out.)

Relevant podcast:

https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/short-stuff-prison-food.htm

Edited July 29, 2019 by kieyra