Orange Is the New Black – Kat’s Review

I had the chance to do some binge-watching this weekend, and I watched the entire first season of Orange Is the New Black on Netflix.

Season 2 Teaser Trailer

I have been hearing people talk about the Netflix exclusive, Orange Is the New Black for the last year, but I hadn't given it a shot before this weekend. After the first episode, I was hooked. Orange Is the New Black, or OITNB for short, is the story of Piper Chapman who finds her "normal" life with her fiance turned upside down when she is convicted of a crime that she committed 10 years earlier while living the life of a young naive twenty something with her then girlfriend, Alex. Incidentally, her Ex, Alex, is incarcerated in the same facility. Piper struggles to find her place or at the very least a middle ground where she can feel safe. OITNB gives an insightful look into a women's federal correction facility filled with women who have committed a myriad of crimes, and is based on the real-life memoir of Piper Kerman who spent a year in a minimum security prison.

The characters in the story are as complex and intriguing as they are simple and believable, and I really enjoyed the way that the history of the inmates, how they came to be prisoners, is portrayed through beautifully placed flashback scenes. There is a strange connection that you start to feel. You will literally find yourself empathizing with a few of these women, and fearing others. This series is so well done, that I binge-watched the entire season over the course of a few days, and when the final episode ended, I was shouting at the television because I didn't want to be left in such suspense! The good news is that the 2nd season OITNB will be coming to Netflix in June 2014, so I don't have to wait long to find out what happens to Piper and the rest of the crew.

I feel like I do have to add a warning, that if you are easily offended by language or nudity, this may not be the series for you. If you're not offended, then give it a shot. You just might find yourself screaming at your television wanting more at the end of that final episode too.