NetflixOrange Is the New Black is back and we know, you can't wait to get home from work to start binging on the new episodes. While you're stuck at work, why not see what the critics are saying about the hit Netflix dramedy about a women's prison housing some very colorful characters.
Season two picks up after Piper (Taylor Schilling) savagely beat up her attacker Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning) at the end of season one during the Christmas pageant. It's a brand new Piper for a brand new season.
HitFix's Alan Sepinwall said the first episode, which focuses almost exclusively on Piper, is a "strong episode" that highlights how much the character has changed. But it won't be the Piper show all the time. The attention shifts to the other ladies in prison, including new addition Vee played by Lorraine Toussaint, and rest easy, there are more flashbacks for the supporting players.
"Where last year was driven largely by Piper's assimilation into the prison culture and her on-again, off-again feelings for both Alex and Larry, here there's a bigger story that ramps up the tension and pace while still allowing for all the character touches Kohan and her team do so well. It's the show it was last year, but in many ways better," Sepinwall wrote.
The Huffington Post's Maureen Ryan tackled the Lost-like flashback sequences this season and said at times "the flashbacks are obvious and not especially effective at making the viewer feel more invested in the fate of the character in question (also, anything involving Piper's husband Larry feels fairly rote and bland this season). As with everybody's favorite island drama, a few flashback scenes were a struggle to get through, though others (especially the one focused on Uzo Aduba's Suzanne) gave the show's excellent array of actors much-deserved chances to shine."
Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter praised creator Jenji Kohan and her storytelling in season two with her diverse character lineup and called the show "one of the most vibrant, surprising dramas you'll find anywhere." Season two of Orange Is the New Black "delivers immediately, stays relevant and entertaining, and gives the impression that it has learned a lot of life lessons inside the system," Goodman wrote.
And now you're all the more excited about bingewatching Orange is The New Black season two. You're welcome. Also sorry.
Orange Is the New Black seasons one and two are now streaming on Netflix.