I'm loving this season. I'm on episode 10. I'll recap when I finish the whole season.

just finished episode 7 and LOVING the more back stories of these characters!

See corporations really don't know how to run things!

"Rosa Parks could walk through that door, but she got bed bugs? Bitch her ass going to the back of the bus, same as you"

Oh, my God. I'm so glad to have this show back in my life. I'm savoring the episodes.

When Healey called Alex a dumb bitch, yes it was in jest but I say that all the time and his laughter + the stares.

I just saw that Healey scene. It was hilarious. LOL. But I can't stand Healey's ol firmly pressed ass. Didn't we already see this story with him btw? With his wife and the translating and such? Boring! I'm not liking the awesome Red character being saddled with him.

I'm loving the "bed bugs" theme. LMAO

I just finished episode 5 - really really loved the character backstory and ending with the new sewing job... cue music "Mama said there'll be days like this..." Perfection.

Edited June 14, 201510 yr by alwaysAMC

I finished the season.. I'm kind of ready for the Alex/Piper merry go round to be over. I had hoped that with Alex screwing Piper over at the start of season 2, we would be free of it.

However, I liked that the majority of the stories no longer involve Piper or even Alex whatsoever. Actually, season 2's big story arc of V didn't even involve Piper whatsoever.. if at all.. if I recall. I actually think that the show could survive with Piper on it... her purpose was to introduce us to this world.. and season 1 was great at that.. but season 2 and now season 3 really shows that she could be released, and the show could continue on without her. Dark Shadows lasted 2+ years after Victoria Winters left so it's entirely possible.

I said I wouldn't post again til I finished the season...but I just have to shout out that magnificent Crazy Eyes/Taystee scene in episode 4. It literally knocked the wind out of me. BRAVO!!

Been a rough day for me, so this is not gonna be in any coherent order, haha, but.I just finished the season! Some thoughts (in spoiler tags for those who haven't finished):

First of all - I loved it. I liked the lighter tone, and I think it nicely set things up if they want to do another dark(er) storyline next year.

I was really pissed about Nicky, but I'm assuming she'll be back. I know Natasha Lyonne had a few film projects this year, so I'm assuming that's why she was written out.Which brings me to:

Now that Nicky and the Aussie chick are also in Max, it is ABOUT GOTDAMN TIME that Miss Claudette return. Michelle Hurst is able and working again and there is NO EXCUSE for us not seeing her next season. I was half expecting her to pop up this season.

It is absolutely insane to me how much they have humanized Pennsatucky. Wow, Taryn has always been fantastic: As the 'Tucky you loathed, loved to hate, and now just love. Her friendship with Big Boo was absolutely beautiful and so organic. Lea DeLaria is also a gem, and I hope we see more of her next season. I loved the peak into Boo's backstory.

Alex: a complete waste of space. She added absolutely nothing to the show. There was no reason whatsoever to bring her back. I assume they did so simply to appease Alex/Piper fans, but they fucked that relationship up anyway. They got back together after little to no conflict, were a happy prison couple, then broke up with even less fanfare. I pray that guy from the drug cartel that showed up in the finale will put a bullet in Alex. Bye bitch!!!

Piper is fine. She's no longer the lead, and that's fine - she works well in the supporting role.

I loved learning more about Flaka (spelling?), and the sad twist of her ending up sewing clothes in prison was really heartbreaking.

I thought for sure when Bennett bailed on Daya that we would see him again before the end of the season. Since we didn't, I'm assuming it's because of Matt McGorry's commitment to How to Get Away With Murder, which probably means we won't see him much next year either (which I'm fine with). Should be interesting to see where things go with Aleida's man being arrested by the DEA. I found myself wondering if Bennett had anything to do with that?

Mary Steenburgen is/was great - wish she had more to do.

The new Martha Stewart prisoner wasn't doing it for me right off the bat. She better be important as hell next year, cause we spent too much damn time hearing about her this year. I hope they have the actress locked down and she doesn't bail and cause some stupid rewrite. Just like Nicky/Boo with the heroin. They set that up like it was gonna be a huge season 3 story, but they had to wrap it up in like 2 episodes because of Natasha Lyonne's schedule. I hope they have everyone they need locked down for next season.

NORMA! Ugh, I absolutely love her. I think she does genuinely want to help people, and there really are those types of people out there who can just make you feel safe and loved, without ever saying a word. Her backstory was so heartbreaking. !@#$%^&*] that stupid man.

SoSo - Another character they really did something with. I could not stand her last season, but this season I felt for her so much and I absolutely loved that she found her place. I also love that Taystee has become the "mother" of the group - so beautifully, ironically full circle considering her past issues with "mother figure" Vee. Also, Black Cindy's journey to becoming Jewish was surprisingly touching. Nicely done.

How wonderful was it to see Rosa in a flashback? What an awesome character she was. Barbara Rosenblat is phenomenal.

Did I mention the Pennsatucky storyline? I know I did, but I just have to say again how much that broke me. I thought that was one of the highlights of the season. They have really come full circle with that character.

That brings me to Leanne. The laundry-room meth head I thought I would always hate, was one of my favorite characters this season! Omg! I never would've suspected the amish backstory there, and everything we saw helped make so much sense of the Leanne we know. Loved her, and Angie too. I felt so bad when Angie got out but didn't have anywhere to go, similar to Taystee at the end of season one. Unfortunately, that's an all-too-common reality.

I'm probably forgetting 100 things, so I'll come back and add more later.

Edited June 15, 201510 yr by Mr. Vixen

My plans to binge fell through, but I did finally watch the premiere. SO GLAD to see CO Bell so much. That lady just cracks me up every time she appears, and I don't know why.

I demand a spin-off series with Red's fine ass sons getting into stupid shenanigans.

Was I supposed to feel some kind of profound sadness for the chick whose boyfriend told her that he wouldn't be bringing the baby back? I mean, it was sad, but we barely know her, and her reaction just fell flat for me.

AMS it's funny you say that because Bell is my favorite CO as well.

Also, funny that I had the opposite reaction. I cried my eyes out for her when he said she couldn't see the baby anymore. I like her a lot, always have.

I want to.know quirky Angie's back story next season....I loved the back stories for most of the characters...some were surprising and added a bit more dimension to the characters especially flaca, Leanne, Norma and chin.

End of episode 3...

I don't understand why we're supposed to feel bad for Nicky. Her own actions got her into trouble, as they had in the past, and I guess I can have sympathy for a person who makes sh!tty decision after sh!tty decision because they just do not get it, but I don't like the angle of her being wronged by Luschek. They were both in it up to their elbows.

OK, after getting through half of the season, some thoughts:

PROS:

~ development of inmates outside of the basic white/black subcultures, particularly the Latinas. Those girls have been on the show since the beginning and have rarely been given the spotlight (outside of Daya, of course), so it's good to finally see more of them. Flaca is stupid, but whatever. I like Blanca's creepy ass.

~ the whole arc with the prison being set to close, Caputo getting the private investors interested, and the prison ending up under new management. Once again, it gives us a chance to know more about these background characters who've been there since the beginning, and it also lives up to the show's potential to have some good workplace comedy/drama stuff going on. Great job.

~ Alex/Piper are clearly NOT the focus in any way this season, making it really really easy to skip over their scenes. I can sense that that will be changing, but I can deal with it. I literally skipped all of their scenes in episodes 3-6, and it mattered naught.

~ I like Cindy now, finally.

~ The lack of a major, season-long arc is a welcome change, despite my obsession with Red vs. Vee last year. They're not trying to top that, but it's just as entertaining as that was, which I know I'm deep in the minority on that opinion. I like seeing the daily goings-on of the prison without big overarching umbrella story.

CONS:

~ Alex/Piper. Y'all already know I have not the time for this couple, but the writing for them has gotten even worse. It's like really bad 12-year-old girl fan fiction. They fight, they f!ck, they have "drama," but it's solved by cunnilingus. I'm over it, but I've never been under it, so it doesn't matter. I hate them, and it's time to cut them loose. Piper has shown that she can stand on her own as part of the ensemble, so honestly, the problem is that dark-haired bitch with the horn-rimmed glasses. Time for her to GOOOOOO for good.

~ as much as I love the backstories of people like Boo and Mei, it's really jarring to watch the show try to justify the actions of walking disasters like Nicky and Flaca. "Feel sorry for Nicky even though she was TOTALLY in on the heroin scheme, but that damn Luschek let her take the fall, how unfair to Nicky!" "Feel sorry for Marisol because even though that kid jumped off the roof, it was FAKE DRUGS and she was only selling it to look cool, how unfair to Marisol1" I'm not buying it.

Ohhh my goodness, I just saw the Mei scenes (ep 6). Touched my soul. This season is VERY low key and uneventful yet still manages to tug at my heart & keep my interest on lock. The comedy is also always on point. Really, really enjoying it.

I also adored getting to know Boo more a few eps back. What a terrific actress and character arc for her.

I was seeing so much hype and buzz over this Ruby Rose woman, and that was her intro to the show? She didn't even really have one; She was just there suddenly staring at Piper at a sewing table. Weird. She seriously is gorgeous tho.

OK, after getting through half of the season, some thoughts:

Flaca is AWFUL