Over the past few years, TV viewing habits have shifted.
Whereas people once waited patiently all week for the next episode of their
favourite show, we now live in a world of “on demand” and “series record”; one
that allows the viewer to dictate exactly when, where and what they want to
watch. Even more recently, web-based media streaming sites such as Netflix and
LoveFilm have started commissioning their own original shows; allowing them to
deliver fresh and exclusive content straight to their subscribers. And with
full series being uploaded at once, the wait for a weekly fix is all but over.
Earlier this month, Netflix launched Orange is the New
Black; a new series that has potential to become the latest lesbian
fan-favourite.
Part laugh-out-loud
comedy, part heart-wrenching drama, full of on-point (verging on self-aware)
references and with just the right pinch of the absurd, OITNB delivers a modern
perspective of life in a women’s prison and is based on one woman’s real-life experience.
The show stars Taylor Schilling (pictured below left) as Piper Chapman; a pretty, artisan
soap-maker who shares a cosy middle-class existence with her fiancé, Larry
(Jason Biggs, forever to be remembered as the teenager with a penchant for
fruit-based pastries in American Pie). Their world is spun on its head when Piper’s
past life as the girlfriend of an international drug smuggler comes back to
haunt her and sees her sentenced to a year in Litchfield Federal Prison. As it
happens, that would be the very same prison in which Piper’s outrageously
beautiful, drug-smuggling ex-girlfriend, Alex (Laura Prepon, pictured below right), also happens to
reside.
What’s not to love?
Whilst primarily set within the confines of Litchfield,
episodes regularly flash back to the lives of Piper and her fellow inmates’ as
they were pre-prison. These scenes give an often harrowing insight into the
events in each woman’s life that led to her being locked up. The show also
follows Larry, a writer, as he tries to adjust to his new life a prison
widower.
Flashbacks to Piper and Alex’s passionate past are
definitely not the only references to lesbian life throughout the series, although,
it must be said, they are definitely some of the hottest. You needn't worry
about the show being slow burner either in this regard; a short but steamy
shower scene 21 seconds in (not that I counted) sets the tone for the series. Thankfully,
the majority of lesbianism portrayed seems natural, realistic and necessary to
the plot rather than for shock-value or titillation. There is also a broad ensemble of gay women
depicted; both in relation to where they fall on the butch/femme spectrum (if
such a thing should exist) and also with regards to age, race and social
background. Of course there are some stereotypes thrown in for good measure,
but the fact they are not portrayed as “the only way to be gay” is certainly
refreshing.
Fans of But I’m a
Cheerleader will be happy to see Natasha Lyonne play gay again, putting in
an impressive turn as recovering drug-addict, Nicky Nichols. Another great bit
of casting is that of transgender actress Laverne Cox as Sophia, a
male-to-female trans person whose story is, at times, nothing short of
heart-breaking. Some serious comic relief (with a huge side-portion of
sympathy) comes in the form of Uzo Aduba’s depiction of Suzanne “Crazy Eyes”
Warren, an inmate who wants nothing more than to make Piper her “prison wife”.
It really is difficult to pick out a single favourite amongst what turns out to
be a large and diverse cast of unforgettable, well-written and brilliantly
performed characters.
The goings-on in Litchfield are at times a little less than
believable and there are a few classic prison clichés thrown in for good
measure (nasty male prison guard, anyone?) but these certainly don’t detract
from the show as a whole. Some viewers may take issue with the regularity of racial
segregation and stereotyping throughout. These might best be explained as an
attempt at irony by the writers, in order to challenge the very notions being
portrayed. Undoubtedly prisons do often have a culture of cliques and gangs,
but based the rest of the writing in the show, I very much doubt what was
scripted is actually what the writers believe to be true. It would be
interesting to hear other perspectives on this.
Overall, OITNB is a brave show, both in terms of its dark content
and colourful, often excellent, dialogue. Rated 18, it doesn’t shy away from
the tough stuff. It could be argued that making a web-based series is
advantageous in the sense that there are no fussy commercial networks or
advertisers to appease. This seems to have allowed the creators to push the
boundaries and make the show exactly how they wanted. And I for one am glad
they made it exactly as they did; right down to theme-tune performed by the brilliant Regina Spektor.
The only bad thing about an online TV binge is that once
it’s done, it’s done. It’s like eating a massive chocolate cake in one sitting;
yeah it seems like a great idea at the time and it tastes so good, but in the
end you just end up feeling bad about yourself. Nobody wants to be a greedy,
guilty, cake-less person, do they? In
the two glorious days I spent watching
Orange is the New Black, I fully immersed myself in the lives of some
wonderful women I didn’t know a few days before. Now I genuinely care for them and
am going to be a bit lost without them. Thankfully for me, Netflix have already
commissioned a second season. In the meantime, I am trying to remind myself
that patience, before the internet, was a virtue.
Warning: video contains strong language and adult content
Have you already watched Orange is the New Black? Do you plan on watching it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Review by Julie Price - you can follow Julie on Twitter @JuliePee
