Anybody made it through this new season of Orange is the New Black? That was going to be my next binge, but I got through the first episode and I'm just not feeling it. I've always enjoyed the show, but it seems to have lost it's punch. It now feels like it is just a parody of itself. Does this new season get any better?
Yeah, I managed to finish it eventually ( for the first time in my life I've been suffering from a touch of insomnia, probably the hot weather).
Unfortunately as this all takes place in a womens prison the characters and storylines have become similarly trapped by their own limitations, and a large number of them feel heavily repetitive on the previous seasons themes. So watching this is going to feel more than a little stale at times ,particularly through the early episodes ,though overall I thought it better than most of last season, once you get through the inital set ups.
I do think the writers and producers have recognised that it needs something to refresh it a bit , and a few storylines and character arcs are pretty much wrapped up by the end of this so its worth sticking with it for that alone, the pay offs are often surprising. I did laugh at how the final episode finished though and how differently that would have turned out if it had been gender swapped.
But thats part of my interest in watching the series, at how very differently its written and directed against my more usual choice of viewing. It does strike a nice balance of emotional understanding and understated agendas across most of its broad cast and its often an easy and enjoyable ( if not compelling) watch.
I'll still take Scandinavian Noir over it any time, but since that last brilliant season and final fantastic episode of "The Bridge" I'm struggling to find any good stuff, at least until the next season of "Dark".