During the baptism, however, Chapman changes her mind - ending all chances of reconciliation between the two characters. In an effort to reconcile, Piper initially agrees to be baptized by 'Pensatucky'. In the tenth episode of the series, Pensatucky starts a 'faith healing ministry', but ends up under psychiatric care after she forces a wheelchair-bound juvenile delinquent to walk.Ĭhapman eventually confesses that she was the one who got Doggett thrown into psych, creating the first round of tensions. Doggett apparently "finds" religion in prison, and believes herself to be a messenger from God. Piper Chapman faces the greatest danger to her life from mentally-disturbed Tiffany 'Pensatucky' Doggett, a drug-addict who goes to prison after shooting a nurse at an abortion clinic. Mendez is unaware of this, and ironically falls in love with Diaz. It is later revealed that Diaz and the other women inmates had orchestrated Mendez's suspension as an act of revenge for his many abuses. 'Pornstache' gets his comeuppance, after he is caught having sex with Dayanara Diaz (Dascha Polanco), and is suspended-without-pay by the prison warden. He inadvertently causes the death of 19-year-old inmate Tricia Miller (Madeline Brewer), who overdoses on his drugs. Mendez coerces 'Red' into helping him smuggle drugs, and often trades drugs for sexual favors from drug-addicted inmates. Larry eventually finds out that Chapman still has feelings for Alex, and ultimately breaks up the marriage engagement - leaving Chapman heartbroken.ĭuring a prison lockdown for a misplaced screwdriver, Chapman is molested by "Pornstache" Mendez (Pablo Schreiber), the abusive corrections officer who is used to getting his way in prison.
An absurdly dysfunctional love-triangle ensues when Alex starts making advances on Piper as well. This action however further encourages 'Crazy Eyes' to pursue Chapman. This event creates tension between the two characters throughout the series.īesides radical lifestyle adjustments, Chapman has to contend with unwanted romantic-advances from fellow inmate Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren (Uzo Aduba 'Crazy Eyes' does many things to get Piper's attention, but is rejected each time. In later episodes, the viewer learns that it was in fact Alex who had ratted Piper out to the FBI - in an effort to get a lighter sentence. As it turns out, Vause and Chapman are staying in the same prison. Seen in flashback, the bisexual Chapman naively carries drug money for her former lesbian lover Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), who was running an international drug cartel at the time. In an iconic scene that defines the series, 'Red' serves Chapman a bloody tampon wedged between a sandwich at breakfast. When she complains about the food, Chapman gets on the wrong side of 'Red' Reznikov (Kate Mulgrew) - Russian mob wife and ruthless matron of the prison kitchen. Piper initially struggles to adapt to prison life such as sharing communal showers, and having to sleep on top of her blankets, prison-style. Chapman tearfully leaves behind her supportive fiancé Larry, who promises to marry her at the end of her prison term. The show is clearly not for children, so parental discretion is strongly advised.Įpisode One of 'Orange is the New Black' begins with Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a pampered upper-middle class lady, who is putting her life on hold to serve a 15-month sentence at a women's prison for a crime she committed ten years ago.
Instead, we will go over key moments that drive the series.Īs a word of warning, the show does feature explicitly mature subject matter, scenes of violence, and graphic nudity. Keep in mind that this will not be an episode-by-episode synopsis guide, and such resources are already available on the internet. This week, we will focus more on the events leading up to Season One's cliffhanger ending - with main-character Piper Chapman beating "Pensatucky" into a bloody mess. Last week, we covered what some of these reviewers had to say. Season Two spoilers have begun emerging on the web, due to a number of early reviewers whom have had the good fortune to have seen the previews for the Netflix original series. For viewers planning to binge-watch the entire 13 episodes of Season One before the upcoming release date, turn away for there are spoilers ahead! With few days left to go before the Season Two premiere of 'Orange is the New Black', here are some highlights from the previous season.