TV REVIEW: Orange Is the New Black, Season 2 (Episodes 10-13 + Season Overview)

Here is the last installment of episodic reviews of Netflix's Orange Is the New Black! These last few episodes really amp up the drama and provide quite the satisfactory ending. After my review of the thirteenth episode, I've included a note about the season as a whole as this first visit with season two of OITNB comes to a close (oh yes, there will be many more visits).

Episode 10 (Little Mustachioed S***s): What a title, huh? Anyway, we get some Alex and Piper flashbacks now that Alex is finding her way back into the fold after she got out early in the season premiere (and nope, I'm not over it). Unlike last season, when the late-season flashbacks focused on the crumbling of the relationship (who could forget Piper leaving Alex after the latter found out her mother had died?), this episode has flashbacks to the beginning of the relationship, specifically showing how, although it seemed Alex pulled all the strings in this relationship, it couldn't have started without Piper's brass attitude. We find out that Alex had another girlfriend when she started sleeping with Piper, which initially scared Piper (although I would also be scared if someone's partner left a bag of flaming poop on my doorstep), but soon we see that our favorite "lone wolf" knew what she wanted and wasn't going to back down because she was scared. Well, that's a tool that's gonna come in hand as the season starts to wind down. Piper has formed a business relationship with a journalist named Andrew who wants her to be his mole and get the scoop on what's really happening in Litchfield. Andrew divulges that Figueroa is essentially behind the whole thing, using fake contracts for the prison to get more money for her husband's political campaign. Piper was also busy dealing with putting the puzzle pieces together from the last episode where Larry told her he slept with someone else, figuring out it was Polly, and in a callback to the flaming poop incident, she sets the same thing up to happen on Polly's doorstep. Polly takes it like a champ, though, sighing "I deserve this," which actually made me happy that Polly recognized she wasn't innocent or undeserving of hate from her BFF. Elsewhere in the episode, Christopher (you know, that guy we thought was Morello's fiancé and then was actually the subject of her psycho-sexual crimes) shows up at Litchfield and accuses Morello of being the one who broke into his house, despite her being in jail. The COs don't pay him much attention, but I feel like he'll keep pushing and we might see Morello getting punished big time for her shocking actions. At least the prisoners don't seem to mind, especially Nicky, who says she'll love Morello no matter what. Speaking of Nicky, she does the right thing (phew!), and gives the heroin to Red (wait, what?). Yes, the right thing in this world of prison is not to rat out Vee and the girls but to give this evidence to Red, who surely will use this to her advantage. Poussey finds herself on the outs with Vee after getting wasted off her hooch (and not the good kind of wasted, the best kind of wasted being "chocolate wasted," of course) and trying to fight Vee in the bathroom, which leads to a really heartbreaking pounding from Suzanne to Poussey. It's sad on two levels; one, Poussey is trying to protect her friends from the monster that apparently only she can see, but two, Suzanne does not necessarily want to hurt Poussey, but does it because Vee has essentially corrupted her. And finally, as soon as we get Pornstache back, he's gone again. It broke my heart to see my favorite hardass out again after being back for, what, five seconds? But Bennett's "confession" to Caputo left him no choice but to have Mendez (that's Pornstache's real name, which hopefully you already knew, but it's important we don't pigeonhole him, people) arrested for rape. Still, as he as taken out of the prison, Pornstache proclaims his love for Daya which, although she doesn't like him at all, she uses as leverage against Bennett who won't say anything about his adoration for his...girlfriend? What exactly do we call these two? Are they boyfriend/girlfriend or just two people with a mutual attraction and some bad luck? Anyway, so Daya is still mad at Bennett and while everyone now knows she's pregnant, very few (read: the Latina family and the all-knowing Red) know it is with Bennett's child. You'll see as these episodic reviews become longer and longer that the drama is just getting poured into every episode near season's end, but every story is essential.

Episode 11 (Take a Break From Your Values): Season two of OITNB promised a lot of great things, but specifically, we knew we'd get flashbacks for characters we'd been dying to get an inside look at. After the start of the first season, that list, for me, included Taystee, Crazy Eyes and Morello, and those wishes were granted consecutively in the beginning of the season, but since we have a whole season to go, and not every episode needs a Piper flashback, we're treated to some unexpected flashbacks from less prominent players. Case in point: Sister Ingalls, not exactly as widely adored as the main cast, gets this episode to really shine. In previous episodes, Soso (you know, the tiny voice that reverberates through the halls even during the midnight hour) has organized a hunger strike to get the prison to cater to the inmates' demands. Initially, Sister Ingalls barked at the idea, basically calling  Soso an idealistic idiot (putting it a little lightly there, Sister). But she eventually jumps on board in the search for better benefits for elderly prisoners, such as herself, but we get to flashback to a time where Sister Ingalls was younger, full of life, and had ambition...and that ambition was not necessarily to follow in the light of Jesus, despite her title. Sister Ingalls sees that she has a close connection with a higher power, but feels she needs to do something more to make an impact on the world. At first, it's innocent stuff like going to a peace rally with some cool hippies (OITNB takes on the '60s!), but it soon escalates into multiple arrests and outlandish acts of notoriety, all because of the attention she earns from it. The idea that she's helping the world is overshadowed by, essentially, her wish to become well-known. I imagine that's something a lot of people can relate to, or even can see, like when your favorite underground band changes their sound to become more mainstream. Eventually, after writing a memoir called "Nun Shall Pass," Sister Ingalls is Sister no more; she is excommunicated by the Catholic church. Ingalls' ambition to receive attention is once again perceived in the present day, where she does less fighting for the inmates' rights, but rather for attention from the outside world. It seems all for naught, though, when everyone else in the hunger strike gives up (Leanne and Tiffany being swayed by pizza from the COs is great -- Leanne Pizzahands is the only way to refer to her from now on), Ingalls presses on and eventually lands in the medical sector, forced to eat. But at least she's got everyone's attention. Elsewhere in the episode, Pennsatucky gets a story! Kinda. Her and Healy are new BFFs and start a support group called "Safe Space" where the prisoners can talk about anything on their mind in a safe environment (although if the name wasn't obvious, you might not have anything to contribute to the group). Poussey signs up to join the group, but Vee thinks she'll use the opportunity to expose the tobacco scheme, so she sends Suzanne to the group to scare off Poussey because, umm, Vee is pure evil. Right. Healy also continues his quest for "Literally Just the Worst Ever" by informing Piper she has randomly been selected to be transferred to Virginia. And while the OITNB fan in me knows that there's no way she's leaving, I do get worried. We had a whole episode of Piper in a Chicago prison this season...might the show expand to new prisons, while still featuring the same ladies? Larry and Polly tell Polly's husband that they slept together and that she's leaving him, and if I'm honest, I'm over this storyline because it seems obvious, but because I'm not really invested in either character's happiness, although if Larry finds a way to get a silver lining out of Piper's prison sentence, then I guess he gets a happy ending that he deserves after having his fiancé ripped away from him. And of final note, Red's elderly ladies decide to stick up for their maroon-haired leader and devise a plan to...wait...kill Vee?! Oh, but it's too good to be true, because they end up attacking the wrong giant-haired black woman as Vee looks on. Now she knows Red's girls are after her...will Vee's girls be after Red soon? I really don't wanna see Taystee, Black Cindy, or Watson cross the line and get further screwed over by Vee.

Episode 12 (It Was the Change): Previous episodes teased a brutal storm heading toward Litchfield, and with some of the best natural disaster TV episodes in history, the hurricane outside was only matched by the storm brewing inside. The episode opens with the elderly ladies talking about non-Vee's attack, where Red easily spews one of the funniest line's in the show's history: "If you want to assassinate someone, vision is a basic requirement. It's like, step one: Pick a person. Step two: Kill that person." Kate Mulgrew's delivery is perfect. But she's got bigger things to worry about now that the accidental stabbing has Vee and her crew preparing for all-out war, even if they have worse things to worry about like their tobacco stash being destroyed by Poussey. Because of Poussey's actions, Vee takes it out on Taystee and kicks her out of the sisterhood. Taystee is desperate to be recognized by her friends and her "mother," but just like Cady Heron after she "confessed" to writing the Burn Book, Taystee is ignored. Black Cindy is too busy to care, she's obsessing about "standing on a bitch's head" if the flooding gets worse. And speaking of the flooding, it does get worse. The ladies are forced to evacuate their "ghettos" and basically have a giant sleepover in the common area/cafeteria with no power and buckets for toilets that have to be emptied when full. Charming! It does give Pennsatucky a time to FINALLY do something this season as her and Boo have a hilarious conversation about the "gay agenda," which Pennsatucky thinks is a real thing, and Boo goes along with for the fun of it. And even though everyone is gathered in the same area, the only thing we, the audience, can focus on is Red vs. Vee, which is totally on when they set up camp across from each other in the common area/cafeteria and have their families take turns keeping an eye on one another. We do have a few detours: We get Vee flashbacks in this episode that show exactly why you shouldn't cross her. We know Taystee's foster brother died in the flashback episode from earlier this season when we were first introduced to Vee, but we get some background tonight as to how it happened. Vee, a drug kingpin back home, learns that her foster son is now running his own business to compete with Vee, something Vee learns from a neighborhood cop/friend. Vee goes over to her son's house and ends up seducing him (!?!?!?!), while telling him to be safe. But when he makes a quick trip to the convenience store, he is approached in the park by the same cop, who calls in a fake crime and shoots the kid in the middle of a park, all at the hands of Vee. If you didn't already distrust her, this was the show's giant neon sign hanging over Litchfield saying "DON'T TRUST VEE." Piper uses the opportunity of everyone sleeping in the same place in the middle of the night to sneak into Fig's office and obtain the information pertinent to reveal her fraud. At the same time, Fig is ignoring the under water prison while at a campaign event for her husband, who she later walks in on kissing a male campaign assistant. I guess it's supposed to make us feel bad for Fig, but I don't. It just seems right that everything would come crashing down for her at the same time. Caputo does catch Piper walking out of Fig's office as the electricity returns, so it may not be victory after all. Poussey and Taystee are forced to go to the library and save books from the bottom shelf from water damage, and they finally have it out, verbally, and almost physically, before finally realizing how dumb they've been acting toward each other and who the common enemy is. Suddenly, everything starts coming together, but Red looks to throw a wrench in those plans when she attacks Vee, who is dumping the pee bucket outside. It looks like, for a second, Red might actually kill Vee, and I'm breathless until she lets go of Vee's neck and they declare a truce. Everything is so shiny between Red and Vee, but with Poussey and Taystee's problem resolution, I think Vee's journey to getting what she deserves is far from over. And then, lo and behold, we're duped once again when Red goes to clear out her greenhouse from storm damage and is attacked by Vee, who smashes Red's head in with a lock in a sock (is that a Dr. Seuss book?), and things are not looking good for Red. With one episode to go and the futures of Red and Piper in the balance, is OITNB headed for a huge shakeup?

Episode 13 (We Have Manners. We're Polite.): Last season's finale set up huge things for season two including the classic Piper/Pennsatucky battle, the Christmas pageant, and the fall in power of Red. But heading into this season's finale, there are almost double the question marks, which is why the finale takes 90 minutes to sort it all out, leading to one of the most satisfactory finishes to a television season ever. I think you'll be inclined to agree. But we'll start at the beginning of this marathon as the SIS (Special Investigative Service) from the Bureau of Prisons shows up to investigate Red's attack, trying to find the assailant. Of course, Vee is not going down for the crime, but she has no problem throwing one of her own under the bus for it, and this time, it's shockingly Suzanne who is blamed for the crime, partly on her own being since she tells the investigators that she doesn't remember being the person who attacked Red, but it might have been her anyway. Classic Crazy Eyes response, but it doesn't do well since the other prisoners who know nothing about the Vee-Red connection assume that Crazy Eyes would be that, well, crazy. At first, even Watson and Black Cindy go along with saying it was Suzanne, and the investigators seem to pin the whole thing on poor Suzanne, who doesn't know any better. When Red finally wakes up after her attack, she won't even tell the investigators it was Vee. Instead, she claims she doesn't know who attacked her. Red thinks that her silence is better than accusing Vee, since she knows Vee will get her revenge somehow. Eventually though, Sister Ingalls, who is still in the med unit on her hunger strike, convinces Red to confess it was Vee who attacked her, but Red says she'll only do it if Sister Ingalls eats and ends her hunger strike, something she is unwilling to do now that she has attracted a hoard of nuns outside the prison gates in support of Ingalls' mission. O'Neill, one of the COs, has some great scenes with the nuns outside, but of course, all the drama is on the inside. Piper shows Caputo the incriminating evidence against Fig, and when he confronts her, she tries to buy his silence with a blow job. Yep, they went there, and when I'm shocked that Caputo would drop this mission to get Fig exposed in exchange for some downstairs action, he is redeemed when he proclaims that he's already turned the evidence in and Fig has been fired. Caputo takes over her position and vows to make the prison a better place, starting by tying up the loose ends Fig left hanging like Sister Ingalls' hunger strike demands and Piper's prison transfer. But it doesn't look good for Caputo's "honesty is the best policy" future when Bennett comes to him and finally confesses that he was the one who got Daya pregnant, not Pornstache. Caputo tells Bennett to sweep that information under the carpet and never reveal it again. Meanwhile, Taystee and Poussey confront Watson and Black Cindy about turning on Vee, forcing them to realize all of the bad things she has done, capped off with beating Red to a pulp and making Crazy Eyes take the fall. The four "sisters" end up teaming together and go to the SIS officers, claiming that it was not Suzanne, who has sort of confessed to the attack, but rather Vee. The SIS officers try telling the ladies they're too late since Suzanne has already said she did it and Red has not yet told the officers it was Vee, but the last person you'd ever expect to stand up for the prisoners comes to their defense: Healy! He tells the SIS officers to listen to Taystee, Poussey, Watson and Black Cindy, and maybe, just maybe, starts to redeem himself. And while all of this is going on, Rosa and Morello road trip (accompanied by a CO, of course) to chemotherapy, while Morello hilariously tells the plot to her favorite movie, which turns out to be Toy Story. It's a funny moment in a finale filled with drama. When Morello and Rosa return to the prison, their accompanying CO hops out of the car when he hears the prison sirens going off. And why exactly might they be doing that? Vee, in a last ditch effort before being found guilty of attacking Red, returns to the greenhouse and lifts up the floor to find the underground portal Red used to receive contraband. Vee takes a dive into the portal and finds herself in the woods. Yes, Vee, our much-loathed villain, has escaped the prison. Back behind closed gates, the COs are looking for Vee in a panic, while Morello and Rosa sit in the van. With the COs distracted and the gas still running, Morello tells Rosa to make a go for it. Morello goes out of the car to pretend to talk to the COs about what is happening, while Rosa climbs into the front seat and hits the gas. The COs chase after her, but she is flying down the road, on her way out of the prison. Sister Ingalls and Caputo, who are going to confront the gaggle of nuns, run out of the way as Caputo yells "run, nuns, run!," in what has to be the funniest sight gag of nuns running out of the way of the speeding van that crashes through the gate and down the road, away from Litchfield. Meanwhile, we see Vee finding her way out of the woods and standing near the side of the road. Which road? It just so happens to be the same one Rosa is speeding down, and Rosa, mirroring the thought that is running through all of our heads, turns her wheel and slams into Vee, leaving her for dead on the side of the road, while muttering the now famous line, "Always so rude, that one." Talk about wish fulfillment! The episode ends with Rosa driving away, and while cop cars are heard coming for in the distance, this last moment of getting away with it reminds Rosa of her younger days and probably signals her last hurrah before her likely death from cancer.

So there you have it. A finale that tied up every story (well, almost every story) neatly and gave us the finish to a character we all loved to hate. Or did we just hate her? Yeah, probably the latter. Still, there is no denying Vee will go down as one of TV's best villains of all time. Ruthless, cold, and unwilling to sympathize with those she calls "daughter," Vee did everything in her power to maintain power, but her cold attitude is the one thing that ended up killing her. Lorraine Touissant played the role exquisitely, and while Vee is 99% likely dead, you can never say never to an evil force like that. But Touissant is just one of a plethora of actors who stepped up this season. Taylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Uzo Aduba, and Samira Wiley are among those who deserve the most praise this season, but really, everyone deserves recognition for a great season. The stories this season had a slow burn that led up to a great succession of final episodes. While the middle of the season dragged, it allowed time to highlight some of the background characters that did not get a lot to do in the final episodes that really focused mainly on Red's camp and Vee's camp. While some standout characters from last year got the cold shoulder this time around (Laverne Cox and Taryn Manning, who were seriously missed), we got to see breakout moments from Wiley and Adrienne C. Moore, to name a few. This is a show that started with a story of an entitled white woman landing in a female prison, but it has honestly grown into something much more, and much, much better than that. I'm already excited to binge this season at least two more times, probably more, and the countdown to next June begins. Comment below with your thoughts on this season!

Evan

TV REVIEW: Orange Is the New Black, Season 2 (Episodes 7-9)

Here is the next installment of OITNB episodic reviews. Enjoy -- and if you're still not finished this season, catch up already!

Episode 7 (Comic Sans): Black Cindy wasn't a big character last season, but she's pushed to the forefront in season two, and in this episode, we get some backstory on the sassy and fearless inmate. Through flashbacks, we learn Cindy hasn't changed much in prison; she was still the over-the-top loudmouth she is now. She used to be a TSA agent, which provides for some funny moments, and although we never see what exactly Black Cindy ended up going to jail for (we do see her rummaging through luggage and stealing an iPad), the biggest reveal of the hour is that Cindy's sister, whom she comes to visit on her birthday, is actually her daughter, unbeknownst to the little girl. Cindy's irresponsibility to raise the child on her own is questioned by her mother, and it adds some depth to the still-childish-herself character. Elsewhere in this episode, Vee continues her path toward becoming the most loathsome (but at the same time, awesome) villain on TV as her tobacco operation gets going, but has "her girls" doing most of the work. Piper and the other inmates launch their newsletter, which continues some hidden messages about the COs and workers at the prison. Meanwhile, Piper's ex-fiancè and her best friend, Polly, give into temptation and begin their affair, which elicits a chorus of "UGH"s from me. Also, Fischer finds out that Daya is pregnant, meaning its only a matter of time before that secret surfaces and the "ish" really hits the fan.

Episode 8 (Appropriately Sized Pots): Rosa continues her move to the big leagues as we get a whole episode focused on her. It's an appropriate, but also tragic, parallelism to Rosa's present day activities (chemotherapy) with her flashbacks (bank robbing). It turns out Rosa was a little bit of a badass who has bad luck with men (the men she loves die, so that's good) and also doesn't know when to say no (which ultimately leads to her arrest). And while Rosa learns that the chemotherapy isn't working and her time is limited, her curse ultimately seems broken when a teenage boy she befriends in chemo (they steal money from a nurse together -- charming!) finds out he is in remission. For a story about a cancer-stricken bank robber being given a death sentence, we actually get a sort of a happy ending. What's happening with everyone else? Piper has been granted furlough to visit her dying grandmother, somehow, as Healy continues his quest of being my least favorite character on literally any television show ever (am I alone in just hating this guy?!). Healy, who can never decide if he loves Piper or despises her, gets her furlough granted, and when Piper tries to decline after getting harassed by the other inmates (Suzanne throws a pie at her head -- classic Suzanne), he becomes the human equivalent of a popcorn kernel stuck in your tooth and refuses. To end the story on an even more depressing note, Piper calls to inform her mother that she has been granted furlough only to find out that grandma is already dead. Fischer gets fired by Caputo who has to deal with pressure from Fig, who is the only other character challenged Healy for the title of "Literally Just the Worst Ever." It's a shame Fischer doesn't have time to tell Caputo that she knows about Daya's pregnancy, but that won't stay a secret much longer. But it's all okay because in the end, a replacement for Fischer is needed and found in the form of...you guessed it...Pornstache! I can't lie and say I didn't cheer out loud when he got out of his car. How I've missed you, Pablo Schrieber...

Episode 9 (40 Oz of Furlough): Ah, outside world, I'd almost forgotten what you'd looked like. It's time to follow Piper as she heads out, briefly, into the real world on furlough for the funeral of her grandmother. And while grandma's funeral is front and center, there's a lot else for her to tackle. For starters, Red asks Piper to visit her restaurant and make sure things are running smoothly. Well, it turns out they aren't running at all, as the restaurant is now up for sale. At the funeral, while dodging questions from guests asking why she's not in jail, the awkward meter is dialed up to a hundred when Piper's brother and his fiancé get married...at the funeral. WHAT?! Oh, and if that's not awkward enough, Larry and Piper start hooking up in the bathroom at the funeral reception, but Larry confesses that he slept with someone else (without saying it's Polly, but still not great timing, Larry). But surprisingly, an episode heavily focused on Piper doesn't feature her flashbacks, but rather we get some intel on the beginning of the complicated Vee-Red relationship. Vee was already in the slammer when Red first arrived and convinced our firecracker Russian friend to use her outside connections, but as Red's power in the prison grew, so did Vee's anger, until finally Vee had her girls (the originals, not the ones we know and love currently) take care of Red...that is to say, they beat the crap out of her. What a complicated relationship indeed. But while Vee was on top back then, and until she got out of prison before her latest sentence (we still don't know how that happened), Red is working her way back to the throne at present-day Litchfield, and she finally gets the forgiveness of her prison family for last season's mishaps. One person not present, though, is Big Boo, who we find out is instead working with Vee. That's not gonna go over well. Vee probably doesn't care, though, because she's just out doing what she does best: being an ax wound and ruining lives. This week, she seemingly takes aim at Nicky, after her girls push heroin on a clean Nicky, who looks like she just might consider giving in. Fight the power, girl! Finally, as teased in the last episode, Pornstache is back and literally worse than ever, which is great news for us. Yes, I hate mean characters like Healy and Fig, but how do you not love Pornstache?! The pressure of Pornstache's return, mixed with guilt, causes Bennett to totally flip out on the inmates and irrationally tell Caputo that Daya is pregnant with Pornstache's child. GULP.

The end of the season is in sight and we're building up to a big finish not unlike the strong last string of episodes from season one. I'm hoping to have the final episode reviews posted tomorrow or Friday with a final overview of the season! Check back then...

"State of the Race" (Emmys): June 16th

It's time for this week's installment of "State of the Race," so let's break down any changes in this week's lineup.

Best Drama Series

1. Breaking Bad (=)

2. True Detective (=)

3. Game of Thrones (=)

4. House of Cards (=)

5. The Good Wife (=)

6. Mad Men (=)

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7. Masters of Sex (=)

8. The Americans (+1)

9. Homeland (-1)

10. Downton Abbey (=)

I think, unless the Emmys really don't care about truly recognizing the best, Homeland won't be in for a return nomination, so I'm sliding it further down my list. Homeland and Downton Abbey have both been nominated here multiple times, but I think their buzz is dismal and won't make a splash in this race, as opposed to the shows trying to sneak into the lineup, like Masters of Sex and The Americans, which jumps up one slot this week, although I still think this race is down to the top seven contenders.


Best Comedy Series

1. Modern Family (=)

2. Veep (=)

3. The Big Bang Theory (=)

4. Orange Is the New Black (=)

5. Louie (=)

6. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

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7. Girls (=)

8. Silicon Valley (=)

9. Parks and Recreation (=)

10. Shameless (=)


Best Drama Actor

1. Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad (=)

2. Matthew McConaughey - True Detective (=)

3. Kevin Spacey – House of Cards (=)

4. Jon Hamm - Mad Men (=)

5. James Spader - The Blacklist (=)

6. Woody Harrelson - True Detective (=)

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7. Michael Sheen - Masters of Sex (=)

8. Matthew Rhys – The Americans (=)

9. Jeff Daniels - The Newsroom (=)

10. Damian Lewis – Homeland (=)


Best Drama Actress

1. Robin Wright - House of Cards (=)

2. Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife (=)

3. Claire Danes – Homeland (=)

4. Kerry Washington – Scandal (=)

5. Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men (+1)

6. Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black (-1)

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7. Vera Farmiga – Bates Motel (+1)

8. Lizzy Caplan – Masters of Sex (-1)

9. Keri Russell - The Americans (=)

10. Michelle Dockery - Downton Abbey (=)

Tatiana Maslany is having a great season on Orphan Black, but the show itself isn't getting the level of praise it was last year. Her performance(s) is/are great, and she's certainly got a lot more name recognition this go around, but I'm not confident to put her too high on my list, so I've slotted her in sixth, bumping up Elisabeth Moss, although she could easily miss the cut, too. That could make room for Vera Farmiga and Lizzy Caplan. I moved Farmiga up one spot because she's getting good buzz and seems like she could return, but last year's lineup was super-sized and with stiff competition, it's not guaranteed, especially when I'm not confident that the Emmys would drop Moss and I'm still believing Maslany will get the nomination. But maybe we will get seven nominees again this year and drop some of the less deserving ones in favor of those who've really earned it. But this is a tough race. There will be big snubs, regardless.


Best Comedy Actor

1. Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory (=)

2. Louis CK – Louie (=)

3. Andy Samberg - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

4. Don Cheadle - House of Lies (=)

5. Johnny Galecki – The Big Bang Theory (=)

6. Matt LeBlanc – Episodes (=)

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7. Robin Williams - The Crazy Ones (=)

8. William H. Macy – Shameless (=)

9. Thomas Middleditch – Silicon Valley (=)

10. Chris Messina – The Mindy Project (=)


Best Comedy Actress

1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep (=)

2. Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation (=)

3. Lena Dunham – Girls (=)

4. Taylor Schilling - Orange Is The New Black (=)

5. Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie (=)

6. Anna Faris – Mom (=)

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7. Mindy Kaling – The Mindy Project (=)

8. Emmy Rossum – Shameless (=)

9. Melissa McCarthy - Mike and Molly (=)

10. Zooey Deschanel – New Girl (=)

Best Drama Supporting Actor

1. Aaron Paul – Breaking Bad (+1)

2. Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones (-1)

3. Dean Norris – Breaking Bad (=)

4. Josh Charles – The Good Wife (=)

5. Mandy Patinkin – Homeland (=)

6. Jon Voight – Ray Donovan (=)

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7. Charles Dance – Game of Thrones (=)

8. Jeff Perry – Scandal (=)

9. Jeffrey Wright - Boardwalk Empire (=)

10. Jim Carter - Downton Abbey (=)

I've moved Paul up, but it really won't matter until we see what tapes they submit (assuming they're both nominated, which...I mean...c'mon). It's possible that the double dip of an assumed Paul-Norris nomination could improve their chances, although that wasn't the case last year with Paul and Jonathan Banks. I'm also still not sold on Voight and maybe even Patinkin making it in, but I really am not confident enough to put anyone below #6 in the top tier yet. Overall, not the best of years for this category (and I feel like I've been saying that for years...).


Best Drama Supporting Actress

1. Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad (=)

2. Christine Baranski - The Good Wife (=)

3. Maggie Smith - Downton Abbey (=)

4. Christina Hendricks - Mad Men (+1)

5. Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones (-1)

6. Michelle Monahan – True Detective (=)

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7.  Bellamy Young – Scandal (=)

8. Monica Potter – Parenthood (=)

9. Archie Panjabi - The Good Wife (+1)

10. Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey (NEW)

FALLING OUT: Lena Headey - Game of Thrones

Lena Headey falls out this week because, after lots of pre-season buzz about what might be a great season for her, she really didn't have much to show for it. I feel like it's always that way with Headey's character, as she gets a few great scenes over the course of the season, but not enough to warrant a nomination. I feel the same could be said of Emilia Clarke this season, as well. Her story really stalled and the main thing she has going for her is that she was nominated last year and voters might just want to reward a GoT actress and stick with her. In all actuality, it should be Sophie Turner or Maisie Williams, but those young actresses have less of a chance than Clarke and Headey. So I bumped Clarke down a spot and moved Hendricks up, but only because I'm less confident in Clarke, not because I think Hendricks has a greater shot at the nom. I'm really thinking Bellamy Young sneaks in (and deservedly so), but I don't know who she would knock out among Monahan, Clarke, and Hendricks (assuming the top three are most likely safe). 


Best Comedy Supporting Actor

1. Ty Burrell - Modern Family (=)

2. Tony Hale – Veep (=)

3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family (=)

4. Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family (=)

5. Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

6. Adam Driver – Girls (=)

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7. Ed O'Neill - Modern Family (=)

8. Timothy Simons – Veep (=)

9. Simon Helberg – The Big Bang Theory (=)

10. Reid Scott – Veep (=)


Best Comedy Supporting Actress

1. Allison Janney – Mom (=)

2. Mayim Bialik - The Big Bang Theory (=)

3. Julie Bowen – Modern Family (=)

4. Sofia Vergara - Modern Family (=)

5. Anna Chlumsky – Veep (=)

6. Kate Mulgrew - Orange Is The New Black (=)

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7. Merritt Wever - Nurse Jackie (=)

8. Haley Cuoco-Sweeting - The Big Bang Theory (=)

9. Jane Lynch – Glee (=)

10. Chelsea Peretti - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

I will be in England for a month starting next week, so my Emmy updates may become a little infrequent but I'll definitely be posting my final predictions the week of the nominations, so just keep checking back!

TV Review: Orange Is the New Black, Season 2 (Episodes 4-6)

Here's the next installment in my series of episodic reviews for the just released season of Orange Is the New Black on Netflix.

Episode 4 (A Whole Other Hole): I had heard a lot of buzz about this episode before watching it because many reviews I read before the season debuted said that Morello's backstory was shocking. Well, the episode did not disappoint in that department. To begin, in the present day, Morello drives Rosa to her chemotherapy and, while left unattended for a few hours in the parking garage, she decides to drive off and visit the house of "fiancee" Christopher. In the previous episode, we'd learned via phone call that Christopher was now engaged to someone else. In flashbacks, we see Morello and Christopher meet, then we see Morello gushing over her boyfriend, but the shocking twist in the episode comes toward the end of the episode when we see Morello in court and Christopher testifying that she stalked him, threatened the lives of him and his girlfriend, and that she even planted a bomb under Christopher's girlfriend's car. WOW. I totally was not expecting that twist since Morello is the kindest inmate of them all, but it adds so much depth to her character and makes you reevaluate all the times she talked about her and Christopher's wedding, knowing now that they were not only never engaged, but they were never even romantically involved. To make matters even worse, in the present day, Morello breaks into Christopher's house, steals a wedding invitation, puts on his fiancee's veil and takes a bath in said veil, escaping just before being caught by Christopher. This episode definitely makes you think twice about Morello. Luckily, the rest of the episode shares a bit of a lighter note as Boo and Nicky partake in a competition to see who can sleep with more inmates, Red gets back into the contraband business thanks to a new greenhouse project she and the older inmates begin working on, and Burset gives a sex ed lesson after the inmates begin to learn more about their, umm, private areas. Overall, a great episode that delicately balances the funny antics we've come to love, while shocking viewers with new revelations and pulse pounding action.

Episode 5 (Low Self Esteem City): Even before she took over the kitchen, everyone knew not to mess with Gloria, but this episode really drives that point home. Yet, that wasn't the kind of person Gloria used to be, as we learn via flashbacks that she was abused by her hubby and was arrested because she was committing fraud by collecting food stamps to help run her convenience store, where her friend, a guru of some sorts, operated in the back room, surrounded by candles. By the end of the episode, however, Gloria is arrested and when her abuser comes back to the story to rob her, he ends up locking himself in the back room and sets himself on fire. A nice little kick of karma for Gloria, who is now stronger in prison, and after the Latinas' bathroom is overrun by a plumbing problem, she goes head to head with the blacks and their newfound leader, Vee, who is quickly working her way up the ladder. While in flashbacks, Gloria is submissive to the man who claims he loves her, then hits her, she's not putting up with the BS anymore and lets Vee know who is the boss, which is a great moment to see because Vee simply can't come in and suddenly be top dog. As Piper might say, "Bitches gots to learn." This episode also begins an important storyline with Piper's dying grandmother and her quest for furlough, which expands over the next few episodes.

Episode 6 (You Also Have a Pizza): After last season's Thanksgiving episode and Christmas paegant, this season we are treated to a Valentine's Day themed celebration. The prison is buzzing with excitement for the V Day party. This episode focuses heavily on Poussey, who isn't really in a loving mood after Taystee denies Poussey's advances. In flashbacks, we learn that Poussey's dad was in the army and Poussey fell in love with the daughter of a German officer. However, said German officer catches Poussey and his daughter together in bed, and soon, Poussey's dad is being discharged back to the United States. We see Poussey about to confront her lover's dad with a gun, but she is caught by her father and he dissuades her from continuing with the violent act. We don't know why she went to jail (but her willingness to shoot gives a good indication), but that's not what this flashback is supposed to teach. Poussey is a victim of unrequited love and that parallels in the real world as Taystee falls further into Vee's trap, beginning the tearing apart of Taystee and Poussey's friendship, which definitely made me hurt. Those two are the ideal best friends, right?! We get some cute scenes with Daya and Bennett pretending to be a real world couple, until Daya gets angry for basically no reason. Classic Daya. Suzanne and Morello share a really great scene, and for two characters that have never directly interacted before, I loved seeing these two together. It showed that while Suzanne is a heightened personality, she's still human.

The Morello episode was definitely the most shocking episode of the season as it made me reevaluate the character and further showed the power of these flashbacks to see what has changed about these ladies after entering prison. In comparison to seeing Piper grow from the very first episode to the bad-ass she is now, we're seeing a lot of evolution per character in just one episode. More reviews to come...

TV REVIEW: Orange Is the New Black, Season 2 (Episodes 1-3)

Last summer, Netflix released the first season of it's newest show, "Orange Is the New Black," to little (if any) fanfare. Granted, the release was still met with some interest since it was the site's second major series launch of the year after "House of Cards" in February. When "Orange Is the New Black" premiered in July, there was talk, which only intensified throughout the summer. The show caught fire as more and more fans flocked to Netflix to check out this interesting, thought-provoking, hysterical yet poignant, and suspenseful dramedy revolving around a women's prison. Was it the formula for a surefire hit? Of course not. But "OITNB" was the only show people could talk about, even when Emmy season rolled by and the show was not even eligible (because of its premiere in July, the first season will be eligible for this season's Emmys, and the second cycle will compete for the Emmys in 2015). And throughout the winter, it seemed anyone who hadn't gotten in on the "Orange" action was catching up, and thanks to Netflix's release pattern, that was entirely possible since all 13 episodes were made available right away. The revolutionary way of watching TV, plus an intriguing premise, outstanding performances, killer smart writing, outstanding direction, and water-cooler moments had everyone singing the praises of the show. As a new year rang, fans were ravenous for me, and last Friday, they got just that as Netflix premiered the entire second season of "Orange Is the New Black."

There is a common belief in the world of television of a sophomore slump, where a show that shined in its first season will decline in quality in its second season. It is plagued many great shows, and while there are few exceptions (recent examples include "Grey's Anatomy" and "New Girl"), it is possible for a show to see no downward dip. Luckily, for "OITNB" fans, this second season doesn't slow down or pale in comparison to the great first season. In fact, if possible, it improves.

Of course this is all a gut reaction. Unlike TV shows that unfold one episode a week, users could, if they wanted to, watch all episodes of season two of "OITNB" in a row, starting early Friday morning and finishing by dinner time the same day. But since most of us aren't hermits, and sitting in front of the television for thirteen hours straight is exhausting, it takes even the most dedicated of fans a couple of days. Personally, I binged six episodes on Friday, three on Saturday, none on Sunday (although I was wishing the whole day I could), and the final four episodes on Monday. I wanted to get the season done as soon as possible and soak it all in, but with hour-long episodes and the one-liners flying all around, it's easy to miss so much, which is why I plan on re-watching the season one more time during the end of summer or early fall. And you won't find me complaining. Why? Because I could watch this season again right now.

Sometimes, flying through thirteen episodes can seem like a chore and there can be so much happening that you get yourself confused. I can say that I experienced that when I watched season two of "House of Cards" is one week this past February. You won't find that with the new season of "OITNB." Even with a large ensemble, every story is perfectly fleshed out and receives as much time as it should. You are bound to have strong feelings on each character, no matter how small their story. The flashbacks that the show uses to inform audiences about inmates' former and free lives are anticipated for answers. Season long arcs do not disappoint in the least. If you're like me, you'll be laughing out loud, gasping for air, and jumping and clapping (more on that later) by season's end.

For the purpose of not spoiling viewers who haven't made it through the whole season like yours truly, I've broken up the reviews by episode. This post contains reviews for episodes 1-3, with reviews for 4-13 coming later this week and into next week.

Episode 1 (Thirsty Bird): The show takes a huge risk by placing the focus of its season premiere solely on two of the major players, but because this is Netflix and viewers don't have to wait a week to see everyone else, it's not a huge disadvantage. Actually, it works out well in the viewer's favor. The premiere picks up with an intense opening that sees Piper being pulled out of solitary and dragged out to a bus. Fans of season one remember the intense cliffhanger with Piper beating up Jesus-loving and deranged assailant Pennsatucky, yet the premiere is in no rush to answer the question that's been on our minds in the off-season: What happened to Pennsatucky? (With Taryn Manning, the actress playing Pennsatucky, upped to series regular status, we were 99% sure she survived.) The suspensefulness of the opening scene basically stays the entire episode, as even viewers are left to wonder why Piper is being placed on a plane and sent to a new, much less friendly prison. Once we see Alex at the new prison, things become a little more clear. Alex's former drug boss has been captured, and Piper and Alex are set to testify against him. The end of the episode, which finds Piper (against her wishes) testifying that she'd never met the man while Alex goes against her word and testifies that she knows the man, eventually working out a plea bargain that has her free to go, while Piper remains incarcerated. It's equally heartbreaking and anger-inducing as Alex, who'd told Piper she would lie on the stand, instead ends up a free woman despite being the one more deserving of jail time. It's easy to hate Alex, as stated from the beginning of season one, but even as Piper grew to love Alex last season, there is still reason to hate her, so when Piper screams at Alex as she walks away a free woman at the end of the episode, we share her pain. One final note: Taylor Schilling does an outstanding job in this episode, with highlights including the previously mentioned final scene and her revisiting of the Pennsatucky attack while talking to a plane passenger. This should be her Emmy tape for next year, just a heads up.

Episode 2 (Looks Blue, Tastes Red): After spending an episode with strictly Piper and Alex, we get almost a "Side B" season premiere as we revisit all of the other prisoners. Here, we get some of the answers we'd been searching for. Pennsatucky survived the attack, but was also placed in solitary, and this episode sees her release. Healy, who had seen the girls arguing before the fight broke out, pleads with Pennsatucky to keep quiet about what she saw, and she strikes a deal for a new set of teeth, since her already seriously messed up teeth were even further messed up (aka completely knocked out) in her beatdown from Piper. Her mouth is hard to look at, so it's good that she's got a brand new mouthful of pearly whites by episode's end. We see what has happened to Red now that she has lost not only her position as head of the kitchen, but the respect of her prison family, including Gina who she indirectly burned with a grease fire last season. She seemingly finds a new family with the elderly prison inmates. The majority of the episode revolves around a mock job interview that Taystee is competing in, and here we see some of her background story. Taystee was an orphan who got that name from a woman she meets named Vee, who becomes a mother figure to Taystee. Vee is also a drug dealer, which is important to the story, but what we really get from these flashbacks is that Taystee was taken in by a unique kind of family of her own after being up for adoption as a child. By episode's end, we don't know what it is exactly that landed Taystee in prison, but we do get a sight that really kickstarts the whole season: Vee, Taystee's "mother," has landed herself in prison with her "daughter."

Episode 3 (Hugs Can Be Deceiving): The breakout star of season one of "OITNB" was undoubtedly Suzanne aka Crazy Eyes, so fans were ravenous for a flashback episode for Piper's one-time prison wife. It doesn't disappoint. From an early age, we can tell Suzanne is different, and it's a heartbreaking story that shows Suzanne's self-doubt and fear of being included has haunted her her whole life. In mirroring flashbacks, we see Suzanne freeze at her high school graduation before she is due to sing a song, and then we flash forward (but still backward?) to the season one Christmas pageant where Suzanne freezes up. The result? An upset Suzanne stumbles outside to see Piper beating up Pennsatucky, then tackles Piper over and screams about Piper being her "mommy." It appears Suzanne's mental issues are far more severe than just being crazy for the sake of laughs, but it's a genius twist on the behalf of the writers. Suzanne's self-doubt works as a tool for Vee, who takes Suzanne, who is largely ignored by the other girls (specifically, Taystee, Watson, Poussey, and Black Cindy), under her wing. Vee uses Suzanne's lack of confidence to make her a minion. It's the beginnings of bad things from Vee. This episode also saw the arrival of Brook Soso, who really is there to show us that Piper is not taking any "ish" anymore. Her episode-ending confrontation with Soso ("I'm a lone wolf, and a vicious one. Don't make me rip your throat out") is a promise that Piper has changed for good, and for the better.

These first three episodes are among my favorites of the season, largely because "Thirsty Bird" is unlike any episode of "OITNB" we've seen so far, and Taystee and Crazy Eyes are among my favorite characters, so I've been dying for their flashback episodes. More episodic reviews coming later this week...

"State of the Race" (Emmys): June 10th

It's time for this week's installment of "State of the Race," but with minimal movement this week, I'll only be highlighting the categories where there are changes.

Best Drama Series

1. Breaking Bad (=)

2. True Detective (=)

3. Game of Thrones (=)

4. House of Cards (=)

5. The Good Wife (=)

6. Mad Men (=)

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7. Masters of Sex (=)

8. Homeland (=)

9. The Americans (=)

10. Downton Abbey (=)


Best Comedy Series

1. Modern Family (=)

2. Veep (=)

3. The Big Bang Theory (=)

4. Orange Is the New Black (=)

5. Louie (=)

6. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

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7. Girls (=)

8. Silicon Valley (+1)

9. Parks and Recreation (-1)

10. Shameless (=)

A small bump for Silicon Valley, since I think it will be easier for a new show to break into the race versus a veteran whose time has already been served like Parks and Recreation. Silicon Valley's finale brought some buzz, but most likely too little too late. This race is down to the top seven contenders.


Best Drama Actor

1. Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad (=)

2. Matthew McConaughey - True Detective (=)

3. Kevin Spacey – House of Cards (=)

4. Jon Hamm - Mad Men (=)

5. James Spader - The Blacklist (=)

6. Woody Harrelson - True Detective (=)

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7. Michael Sheen - Masters of Sex (=)

8. Matthew Rhys – The Americans (=)

9. Jeff Daniels - The Newsroom (=)

10. Damian Lewis – Homeland (=)


Best Drama Actress

1. Robin Wright - House of Cards (=)

2. Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife (+1)

3. Claire Danes – Homeland (-1)

4. Kerry Washington – Scandal (=)

5. Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black (=)

6. Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men (=)

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7. Lizzy Caplan - Masters of Sex (=)

8. Vera Farmiga – Bates Motel (=)

9. Keri Russell - The Americans (=)

10. Michelle Dockery - Downton Abbey (=)

Support for Homeland is going to suffer this year, but Margulies' show is hitting the mark, so I think she's in a better position than most are expecting. A redo of that snub from last year would truly be shocking.


Best Comedy Actor

1. Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory (=)

2. Louis CK – Louie (=)

3. Andy Samberg - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

4. Don Cheadle - House of Lies (=)

5. Johnny Galecki – The Big Bang Theory (=)

6. Matt LeBlanc – Episodes (=)

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7. Robin Williams - The Crazy Ones (=)

8. William H. Macy – Shameless (+1)

9. Thomas Middleditch – Silicon Valley (-1)

10. Chris Messina – The Mindy Project (NEW)

FALLING OUT: Michael J. Fox - The Michael J. Fox Show

William H. Macy's deserving performance climbs up a notch, while Thomas Middleditch slides down. Since they're both technically newcomers to the category, I think Macy's performance is louder, showier, and he's the veteran -- all of these things will give him an advantage. I've taken Michael J. Fox out of the top ten because, really, did he have any shot at a nomination? I've put in The Mindy Project's Chris Messina, whose Critics Choice nomination helped his buzz increase.


Best Comedy Actress

1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep (=)

2. Amy Poehler - Parks and Recreation (=)

3. Lena Dunham – Girls (=)

4. Taylor Schilling - Orange Is The New Black (=)

5. Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie (=)

6. Anna Faris – Mom (=)

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7. Mindy Kaling – The Mindy Project (=)

8. Emmy Rossum – Shameless (=)

9. Melissa McCarthy - Mike and Molly (=)

10. Zooey Deschanel – New Girl (=)

Best Drama Supporting Actor

1. Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones (=)

2. Aaron Paul – Breaking Bad (=)

3. Dean Norris – Breaking Bad (=)

4. Josh Charles – The Good Wife (=)

5. Mandy Patinkin – Homeland (=)

6. Jon Voight – Ray Donovan (=)

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7. Charles Dance – Game of Thrones (+1)

8. Jeff Perry – Scandal (-1)

9. Jeffrey Wright - Boardwalk Empire (=)

10. Jim Carter - Downton Abbey (=)

As Game of Thrones wraps up its excellent season, Charles Dance inches closer toward the top tier. This is such a weird year for the category and I think Voight and Patinkin could easily miss out, with Dance being the likeliest option as of now to replace one of them. Next week's finale looks promising, and if it delivers any buzz for Dance, he could end up in the top tier.


Best Drama Supporting Actress

1. Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad (=)

2. Christine Baranski - The Good Wife (=)

3. Maggie Smith - Downton Abbey (=)

4. Emilia Clarke - Game of Thrones (=)

5. Christina Hendricks - Mad Men (=)

6. Michelle Monahan - True Detective (=)

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7.  Bellamy Young – Scandal (=)

8. Monica Potter – Parenthood (=)

9. Lena Headey - Game of Thrones (=)

10. Archie Panjabi - The Good Wife (=)


Best Comedy Supporting Actor

1. Ty Burrell - Modern Family (=)

2. Tony Hale – Veep (=)

3. Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family (=)

4. Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family (=)

5. Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

6. Adam Driver – Girls (=)

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7. Ed O'Neill - Modern Family (=)

8. Timothy Simons – Veep (=)

9. Simon Helberg – The Big Bang Theory (=)

10. Reid Scott – Veep (NEW)

Putting Reid Scott in the top ten now because Pablo Schrieber of Orange Is the New Black, who previously held the #10 slot, is now submitting to Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.


Best Comedy Supporting Actress

1. Allison Janney – Mom (=)

2. Mayim Bialik - The Big Bang Theory (=)

3. Julie Bowen – Modern Family (=)

4. Sofia Vergara - Modern Family (=)

5. Anna Chlumsky – Veep (=)

6. Kate Mulgrew - Orange Is The New Black (=)

----------

7. Merritt Wever - Nurse Jackie (=)

8. Haley Cuoco-Sweeting - The Big Bang Theory (=)

9. Jane Lynch – Glee (=)

10. Chelsea Peretti - Brooklyn Nine-Nine (=)

Due to the lack of change in this week's survey, I may not update next week if there are, once again, no changes, but check back next Monday to see if that sticks.