Riot Grrrls.
I've watched all 13 episodes of Orange is the New Black's fifth season -- which is now on Netflix -- and though this is a review for the entire season, it will remain largely spoiler-free. For those who've finished Season 5, I'll have a separate piece running where I tackle the ending and other story-specific elements from the season.
Taking a different approach to things this year, either due to a desire to experiment with format or because of a need to stretch the series out after being renewed for three more seasons last year, Orange is the New Black's new season takes us on a quasi-real time journey through a handful of days during a hostage standoff following the final frame of the Season 4 finale. It's a condensed, concentrated run, nicely balancing its enormous ensemble (while also bringing some new faces into focus), that works well in some aspects while faltering in others.
Aside from the show's use of character flashbacks, there's really nothing present to help differentiate one episode from another. On Netflix, given the site's binge model, this isn't a new notion. You'll often find that many Netflix Originals feel like one long movie instead of a serialized show with discernible episodes.
And, for better or worse, that's by design. But Orange was sort of the outlier in this model. Orange did, more than other Netflix series, have themed episodes and more focused chapters, where certain characters were pushed to the front while others slinked into the background. In Season 5, that idea is all but gone and in its place is that whole "one long movie" feel that winds up working slightly against this particular 13.
Giving a little bit away right here at the top, Daya does pull that trigger. And following this, the inmates scramble into their separate corners and storylines as Litchfield gets sealed shut, the remaining guards are rounded up, and confusion sets in. And while part of the point of this season is to watch everything within the confines of this riot/stand-off sink and swell on the mass hysteria front, the idea that every episode contains every character (prisoners and guards) is an exhausting one. It's a crowded, chaotic mess that, at times, makes for a grating binge.
It's not unusual for one character to have one set storyline for an entire season, but within this hostage crisis model you're not going to get the breaks you usually do. If someone's all whacked out on speed, for example, you're going to watch them run around like a paranoid maniac for four or five episodes. Basically, the viewer's locked inside Litchfield too, forced to be a party to everyone's assorted adventures in activism as one huge event plays out over 13 episodes. It's different, and that's noble, but it also wears out its welcome before the halfway mark.
Now, on the upside, the immediacy and urgency of this event -- which sort of snowballs into a full blown "list of demands" scenario where the inmates find themselves in a place to perhaps bring about real, lasting change to the brutal and inhumane privatized prison system -- really does pay off Poussey's death. That tragedy wasn't just for shock and awe. It doesn't get, say, one tribute episode for the sake of grieving and then shuffled to the side. It's the lifeblood of Season 5, driving the story at its core even when most everything else in Litchfield has devolved into madness, pettiness, and comedic detours.
Taystee, Cindy, Alison, and Janae, using social media and astute negotiating skills, begin to realize that they might be able to bring about some notable forms of change (and maybe even some justice for Poussey) if they can make deals happen and stand their ground before things in Litchfield begin to disintegrate to a point of no return and they lose their upper hand. Meanwhile, several other inmates - like Daya, Gloria, and Maria - all have their own very personal challenges happening that may or may not work to undermine everything that's in play.
If you're looking for a more rounded theme for the season, Chapman brings up the Train Dilemma at one point (also known as the Trolley Problem). It's an ethical thought experiment in which one has to decide whether or not to actively kill one person or passively let five people die. Is the best outcome what you're after, or are you more concerned with the goodness of one's direct actions? Many characters this year find themselves in rather cramped space, morally, and have to decide whether or not to think in terms of the group or think in terms of their own specific unbending situation.
The tone this season is even trickier than usual. Orange has always functioned as a dramedy, notably getting Emmy nominations during its first few seasons (before the rules were changed to redefine comedy entries) for Outstanding Comedy Series. I'd say most of this season plays as a comedy, which which is strange given the circumstances and some of the reverse abuse that happens to the guards (some of which is pretty dark), and you may find yourself being more uncomfortable than usual watching some of it. Naturally, things start to get more serious and stark in the back half of the season when the old "these things never end well" adage begins to take hold and everyone starts to realize just how serious the situation is.
Some of the comedy works - like Martiza and Flaca's attempt to become YouTube makeover stars and the skinheads joining forces with Ouija and Pidge to create a coffee shop (allowing Ouija to unleash some amazing impersonations of other inmates) - while other offshoots flounder. Angie and Leanne, in particular, saunter around the entire prison like delusional dummies, generally making life miserable for everyone and counteracting any forward-looking progress with their smug idiocy. Like the random strike of a Whammy on Press Your Luck, these two generally add to the sluggishness of the season, often undermining everyone's "best laid plans" as if a dungeon master rolled a 20-sided die and landed on a random meth-head occurrence.
Likewise, there's a string of hacky horror movie moments in one chapter toward the end of the season that feel like they're being played comedically even though what's happening is a very gruesome concept. It doesn't work and it only serves to undercut a lot of the humanity that Orange usually tries to shine a spotlight on.
Meanwhile, Red spends this run obsessed with getting revenge on Piscatella (a story that helps shape the darker second half of the season), Chapman and Vause use the time to revaluate their love for one another and decide if what they're rekindling is more than just a fleeting moment, MCC exec Linda finds herself having to pretend to be an inmate in order to survive (thus, experiencing Litchfield dangers and indignities first hand), and both Lorna and Suzanne are forced to come face to face with their varying mental issues. Lorna, as it pertains to her delusional splits from reality, and Suzanne, because the riots have led to a severe lack of meds and structure.
Despite the cramped and hectic feel to Season 5, there are also still genuinely powerful moments that are able to rise up out of the calamity. No one gets to truly shine this year because of the all-inclusive nature of the story, but there are still some very powerful beats and arcs that help remind you that Orange can be a force when it sheds its snark and really digs into a character. Out of everyone, it's Danielle Brooks' Taystee who probably makes the biggest impact this year as someone fueled by both grief and intelligence and working to respectfully and passionately honor her fallen friend.
The Verdict
Orange is the New Black's fifth season corrals us in for a cramped and chaotic binge involving a tense standoff between the inmates and law enforcement. Because of the super serialized "real time" nature of the season, and the dire scenario involved, a lot of the comedy doesn't land right this year, making the story even more of a frustrating watch at times. Also, if it weren't for the flashbacks (which are a touch flimsy), you'd hardly know what separates one episode from another. There are, however, many moments throughout the run that strike a very emotional chord and remind us why this series is one of the best when it chooses to be.
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