# Orange is the New Black **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399 "2013-07-13T14:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/61 "2013-07-19T19:48:22Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > Wasn’t she defending herself? Since Pennsatucky’s insanity and Christianity are well documented, it would be easy to link the chiseled cross to her. Everyone knows she was after Piper. The other inmates, especially Alex, can testify in Piper’s defense. I know Alex is avoiding her, but I don’t think she’ll let her go down for murder. Add in the fact that, as mentioned before, there are cameras everywhere, and Healy walked out, saw them and then just walked away. They’re in a main walkway, not some back corner that the cameras might miss. It also seems like another guard would have seen them out there, and raised an alarm. I don’t think Pennsytuckey is dead. Badly beaten, yes, but I think Piper would have stopped after she was down. Maybe the next season picks up several months later, after Piper has spent all that time in SHU? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/62 "2013-07-19T21:05:38Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I don’t really understand this comment. I imagine most of us, if we found ourselves behind bars, would similarly not know what other inmates may do to us especially in the first few weeks. As a TV viewer, though, I think not knowing what could happen makes you more engaged as you’d really want to find out what’s going to happen. I don’t think it’s in the story but the storytelling. The way the writers and showrunner play it, it’s like playing Minesweeper except that there’s a chance your monitor really will blow up in your face. Maybe this is the New Drama. Maybe it’s cheap cheating. I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![chicagowhitesox1173](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@chicagowhitesox1173](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicagowhitesox1173)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/63 "2013-07-20T06:39:37Z")
I just got done watching it and was hooked after first episode. Looking forward to season 2. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/64 "2013-07-23T04:04:28Z")
I think she’s still alive. Mostly because you’ll remember earlier in the episode they joked about getting her new teeth for Christmas and I think you may have been able to see Piper knock them out. Also, I think she’ll be able to get off with self defense. The note with the Rat, the shower thing that Taystee walked in on (she still had blood on her and the shiv in probably still in her cube) and most of all, she had the sharpened cross on her that everyone in the auditorium would have seen her with and the camera would have picked up on as has been noticed. They just have to make sure that the cameras conveniently miss Piper with the screwdriver. And, something that I’m guessing, that doesn’t need to be spoilered. I’m assuming that this is just going to be a two, maybe three season mini-series. I really hope they aren’t planning to stretch this out for years or worse, beyond her release. Finally, I wonder if we need to open a new thread for people that have finished watching it. Also regarding Pensawtucky (sp?). As much as she got on my nerves at first, she’s really grown on me. I can’t recall seeing her in anything else and I don’t know what she’s like IRL, but if she doesn’t talk like that, she’s doing an amazing job of acting. She’s really embodied the whole reborn Christian meets ex-meth head thing. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/65 "2013-07-23T04:09:50Z")
ETA, checking out some interviews with her on [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s3m1tOn6Fg), she does still sort of have ‘that voice’ but still. Also, I vaguely remember her from SOA. IIRC, she was dating someone. The Prospect maybe, I think she hung out at one of the ‘other’ bars. I don’t remember exactly, it was a long time ago and I only watched the first two or three seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/66 "2013-07-23T04:37:18Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Also regarding Pensawtucky (sp?). As much as she got on my nerves at first, she’s really grown on me. I can’t recall seeing her in anything else and I don’t know what she’s like IRL, but if she doesn’t talk like that, she’s doing an amazing job of acting. She’s really embodied the whole reborn Christian meets ex-meth head thing. I loved her backstory. I laughed out loud when they mistakenly thought she killed the abortion doctor because she was a Christian, not because the doctor had dissed her for having a 5th abortion. When she walked into the courtroom full of pro-life supporters…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/67 "2013-07-23T13:36:22Z")
About six eps in and I’d firmly place this at the _Lillyhammer_ end of the shelf, away from _House of Cards_. Watchable, has its good points, but not much more than that. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/68 "2013-07-23T16:20:51Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > ETA, checking out some interviews with her on [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s3m1tOn6Fg), she does still sort of have ‘that voice’ but still. > Also, I vaguely remember her from SOA. IIRC, she was dating someone. The Prospect maybe, I think she hung out at one of the ‘other’ bars. I don’t remember exactly, it was a long time ago and I only watched the first two or three seasons. My wife recognized her immediately from the Britney Spears trainwreck of a movie “Crossroads.” Judge away. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/69 "2013-08-09T13:14:28Z")
My husband and I watched (I think) Ep 7 last night. Or 8. Neither of us is interested in watching it as a marathon, altho one night we did watch 2 episodes in a row. It fits in when we hit a night that we don’t have something else we watch regularly, so we’re not left scanning the guide for anything of interest or watching yet another L&O clone. :rolleyes: I like the flashbacks - they really flesh out the characters. I don’t like Piper or her fiance and I fully expect their relationship to disappear. And I know nothing about prison life - are COs really that corrupt and power-mad? I find it irritating when government or military leaders are always portrayed as evil, maniacal, self-serving assholes - yes, some are like that, but most I encountered during my career were just people doing a job. So I have to wonder how accurately this represents most COs. I certainly don’t intend to find out from my own experience… ---
**Author:** ![Fluke54](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@Fluke54](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluke54)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/70 "2013-08-09T13:42:19Z")
I read the book so I put the series in my queue and I binged on it for a whole weekend. I loved it! Natasha Lyonne absolutely steals the series, what a crack up she is, and I was pleasantly surprised with Laura Prepon’s character. Damn, she looks great as well. Taryn Manning (Pennsatucky) sure does some great scene chewing as well. It’s hard to believe that in real life she is quite attractive. I am not liking Piper at all. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/71 "2013-08-09T13:43:26Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > Did I miss where they explained Pennsatucky name? It isn’t her last or first name, last name it Doggett. It appears to be a combination of Pennsylvaina and Kentucky but I don’t know why she would go by that. In Indiana (or, more accurately, southern Indiana), people will add “-tucky” to the end of a location to indicate the backwater nature of the area. My assumption is that Pennsatucky is from somewhere in Pennsylvania (described by many as “Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on the ends, with Alabama in the middle”), and someone has described where she’s from as “Pennsatucky” - and the moniker stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/72 "2013-08-09T13:46:43Z")
> [@Fluke54](#): > > I read the book so I put the series in my queue and I binged on it for a whole weekend. > > I loved it! Natasha Lyonne absolutely steals the series, what a crack up she is, and I was pleasantly surprised with Laura Prepon’s character. It wasn’t until the first time she talked that I said “Holy hell, that’s Donna.” What’s even stranger is that (in this roll) she looks uncannily like a friend of mine (right down to being 18 feet tall). Almost to the point of distraction sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/73 "2013-08-09T14:03:29Z")
I watched it all on Netflix the other day. It was ok, but nothing great, imho. I have very little sympathy for the lead. It wasn’t until the fourth episodes I started to find things I didn’t like about where the show was going. I might watch it next season… if I have Netflix. On to House Of Cards. ---
**Author:** ![Fluke54](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@Fluke54](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluke54)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/74 "2013-08-09T15:26:28Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > I watched it all on Netflix the other day. It was ok, but nothing great, imho. I have very little sympathy for the lead. It wasn’t until the fourth episodes I started to find things I didn’t like about where the show was going. I might watch it next season… if I have Netflix. On to House Of Cards. I’m not really feeling Piper, either. She comes across to me as whiny and needy. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/75 "2013-08-09T15:32:23Z")
> [@Fluke54](#): > > I’m not really feeling Piper, either. She comes across to me as whiny and needy. Yes I know. I HATED the part when the inmates were trying to ‘scare kids straight’, and Piper gave that speech to the girl in the wheelchair, and it turned out everyone was listening. That was so lame. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/76 "2013-08-09T15:41:24Z")
I loved it from end to end. I don’t expect it is realistic, but it is realistic within itself. I don’t know that I’m supposed to like Piper, I don’t. But then I don’t particularly care if I like a character so long as I’m interested in the journey they’re on (whereas, if it is an episodic show that resets each week, likability is much more important). I do not know how they write themselves out of the season ending bind but I do like that it was a conclusion that works equally well as a cliffhanger for a Season 2 or as a series finale if they hadn’t been renewed since it is easy to imagine the most likely outcome for piper. It is a sign of my brain going sideways that my first thought when the final scene started was This isn’t good for the shop manager guard’s career. They’re going to assume Piper had the screwdriver since it went missing and yet somehow it hasn’t been missing. I think this show highlights one of the interesting things about the Netflix model. They made all the episodes and then put it out there. If they made a wrong decision in episode four they can’t correct it in episode 7. But also, if they’re focusing on the wrong character they can’t adjust that. If _Breaking Bad_ had been released on this model, Jesse might still have been killed in the first season. If this had been a network show I suspect that by Episode 8 Red would have been getting repositioned for a much larger role. I did laugh at one friend who was very relieved by the throwaway line about makeshift eyebrow threading. Everybody’s perfect eyebrows was bothering her. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/77 "2013-08-09T15:50:11Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > I think this show highlights one of the interesting things about the Netflix model. They made all the episodes and then put it out there. If they made a wrong decision in episode four they can’t correct it in episode 7. But also, if they’re focusing on the wrong character they can’t adjust that. If _Breaking Bad_ had been released on this model, Jesse might still have been killed in the first season. If this had been a network show I suspect that by Episode 8 Red would have been getting repositioned for a much larger role. I thought about that too. There were things that bugged me and then I realized that since everything was done filming before it hit the air there was nothing they could do about it at that point. It the whole internet is yelling “We don’t care about [this person]” or “We LOVE [that person]” There’s nothing they can do about it until next year, if there is a next year. A great example is, without spoiling it, Boo’s new roommate had, um, no backstory. I have to assume that the writers and editors and producers had such tunnel vision trying to get this finished up that there WAS a backstory, that it WAS explained and it ended up on the cutting room floor. The whole thing was so strange and if someone had stepped back and paid attention they probably could have put 30 seconds worth of dialogue in to have it make more sense. If it were a network show, they could fix it in the next week or two or three, but now it’s out until next year or maybe they’ll just drop it altogether. I’m not the only person confused by that, right? I did laugh at one friend who was very relieved by the throwaway line about makeshift eyebrow threading. Everybody’s perfect eyebrows was bothering her. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/78 "2013-08-09T16:05:51Z")
To be honest, I think that’s as much a feature as it is a bug. Too many network shows will try to “tinker” especially if ratings aren’t hitting what they are expecting it to. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/79 "2013-08-09T16:08:28Z")
Just realized I forget to finish what I was saying WRT to the next part of what I was going to quote. I always think it’s funny how often you’ll see an actor who’s supposed to be playing a bum or a burned out druggie or a drunk or a guy who’s been in jail for twenty years or someone who’s been living the rough life or someone who generally hasn’t been taking care of themself then you see their big white teeth (and usually bright blue eyes). Though that’s probably more the fault of the casting director for hiring someone ‘pretty’ for what should be an ugly role or makeup for not making their teeth a bit less radiant. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399/80 "2013-08-09T16:11:59Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > My assumption is that Pennsatucky is from somewhere in Pennsylvania (described by many as “Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on the ends, with Alabama in the middle”) [Pennsyltucky](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsyltucky). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/orange-is-the-new-black/663399.md?page=5)