Orange is the New Black

      As it grows, the Netflix streaming service is slowly developing its own brand of show making.

Netflix is able to have all the freedom of a private channel and added freedom since it’s on the internet. With this freedom, and exceeding success, Netflix has produced shows that seem to break the mold and be able to have lasting impacts in their storytelling yet keep them in the modern world. This is no different in the case of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black.

       Inspired by the book of the same title by Piper Kerman whose book detailed her experience in federal prison giving the show running line of realism that makes it that much more interesting. OITNB details the story of Piper Chapman, an ex-criminal, who winds up in federal prison putting her hopes of marrying her fiancé and starting her business on hold. Piper must do her best do stay true to herself as she is faced with all manner of obstacles that come in prison, most of all being that her old running partner is being held in the same prison.

       Set in a fictionalized version of a state penitentiary OITNB brilliantly depicts a more comedic and somewhat esoteric version of federal prison, the comings and goings and all its inhabitants. The show is filled with a cavalcade of characters, each with their own quirky personalities and seeing them interact and share in the Stockholm syndrome as the chemistry between the different actors is nearly perfect.

       One of the main draws of OITNB is that it’s not just about the character of Piper, in fact her story seems relatively miniscule to the plights of the other inmates. The show, while primarily being a comedic affair, still boasts a good deal of drama as each character has a story to tell and you’ll be engaged every step of the way as their individual stories unfold.

       It achieves this by revealing bits and pieces of backstory as each character’s story is told in the present, making the intriguing question of what makes a “monster” tenfold. You feel a sense of empathy if not sympathy for how and why the women ended up in the prison all while it relates to the current plot thread.

       Of course being set in a women’s prison a majority of the cast is female but that doesn’t stop OITNB from making the most out of the male characters it has. Playing off the, “man in a woman’s world,” trope to the fullest extent of hilarious character moments. Most of all being the male C.O.s who also have great personalities beyond being  just regular security guards.

       OITNB is one of the most engaging shows out there and shows a lighter and more interesting side of prison and what it means to know who you are when society doesn’t distract you.

       

       The show has finished its second season and he third season is set to be released June 12^th.