We've been watching Orange is the New Black since its beginning. The first two seasons were good. Very different from ordinary "television". The characters were being developed and by the end of season 2, there was a good differentiation between characters and story lines. Season 3 seemed to be reaching, so the tack was taken to try to present backgrounds of the characters that had previously just been inmates...who were these women, where did they come from, what had they done to end up in Litchfield. Finally, season four presented us with new characters and situations as the prison was taken over by a for profit corporation. Familiar characters as CO's left and were replaced by more brutal mercenary CO's. The final episode of season 4 was artful, beautiful, sad, haunting. The show finally attempted to make a statement about the brutality of prison life and how easy it is for decent people to respond to brutality with brutality of their own.....In this situation, all is lost. No one wins. This is the best episode of the entire series.
Orange Is the New Black (TV Series)
Toast Can't Never Be Bread Again (2016)
User Reviews
Review this title9 Reviews
A heartbreaking success, but a moral gray area.
kiaranah19 June 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I tentatively give this episode a nine, on the grounds that I know it was incredible television. The emotion was there, the humour was there, and the drama was there. But the one thing lacking was a fan favourite character, which held this episode back from a ten and could easily have turned it into a one.
I thought that critically speaking, from a technical standpoint, this episode was beautiful. The writing was tight, the cast pulled off incredibly heartbreaking performances, and the message was clear.
The thing that is the most hard to swallow however, is the death of Poussey. Or alternatively put, the death of a black lesbian woman in a year for TV that so far has seen the death of at least six lesbian and/or bisexual women, and then killing her in a violent way that so vividly reflects the real world problems being faced by black Americans currently. And boy is that a tough pill to swallow.
Focusing first on the positives, we have basically everything excluding the specific way that Poussey Washington died. We are given a strangely cold and distant collection of starting scenes where we don't see any characters breaking, until gradually throughout the episode, one by one all of Poussey's friends break down. And this is with the juxtaposition of Poussey having the most magical and dreamlike night out in her flashbacks. I think this choice was beautiful as it not only highlights the specific tragedy that a life once so full is now over, but also gives the audience an oddly bittersweet final shot to close on so that some of them can choose to believe she's still out there somewhere, smiling across a river.
The two most emotional character moments to me came from Norma and Brook, and Taystee. Taystee's breakdown in the penultimate episode was an incredible and gut wrenching performance, and then in this episode she holds herself together. We see her icy and numb at the start, until finally in Caputo's office she breaks down in an incredible scene from the actress. The rage she exhibits at the end of the episode is something I'm sure many viewers were cheering for.
Then we had one of the smaller moments with Norma and Brook, as Norma who has been shown on the show to be a mute who had a difficult stutter in her past, sings to a crying Brook. It is so quick and subtle in this moment that casual viewers could not understand the levity, the sheer image of this speechless woman singing to a broken friend is so simple.
The focus on Baley, the unfortunate accidental killer of Poussey, was also heart breaking in its own way. Choosing to have the most innocent and genuinely moral of all the guards commit the crime is brilliant, but almost rage inducing as you wish you could blame him more. You wish it were premeditated, that it weren't an accident. The other C.O. telling Bayley that he strangled a woman to death once was brilliant, showing the audience kind of guard we /want/ to be responsible for her Poussey's death, there were real killers in that prison, and yet the audience is left with the prison guard equivalent of a puppy to place the blame on.
The way everything was done on this episode was fantastic, that's the part I'm struggling with the most in my internal review of the episode. It's now how it was done, but what was done. The writers intention is clear, they want to accurately represent the struggles and violent deaths currently being seen in society at the hands of armed guards and police officers. I won't deny that this is portrayed in a shocking, but stellar fashion that will have TV audiences reeling over the story for years. The problem really just becomes; should they have done it? Queer women and African Americans are already seeing people like themselves being killed every other day in the real world, and although fiction is not solely meant to be a reprieve from that, it is where the appeal comes from. And as the representation for these minorities, is so few and far between of them being represented as real and unique characters on our screens, the killing of one to mirror real life tragedies seems rather futile. The kind of audience that OITNB pulls are typically not the kind of audience who would be blind to the real life deaths that Poussey's was representing, so if the point was to bring these issues into the spotlight it can only ever very marginally succeed.
I think it was a beautifully crafted episode that accomplished everything it set out to, but I'm not sure whether it should have set out to mirror the real deaths that it did. I can't help but feel the emotional impact of an inmate's death, particularly one so sweet and gentle, could have been achieved in a way that was not so traumatizing for the viewers.
I worry the show may never come back from this for a lot of its fans, which is a shame considering the quality it gave us on a technical level.
I thought that critically speaking, from a technical standpoint, this episode was beautiful. The writing was tight, the cast pulled off incredibly heartbreaking performances, and the message was clear.
The thing that is the most hard to swallow however, is the death of Poussey. Or alternatively put, the death of a black lesbian woman in a year for TV that so far has seen the death of at least six lesbian and/or bisexual women, and then killing her in a violent way that so vividly reflects the real world problems being faced by black Americans currently. And boy is that a tough pill to swallow.
Focusing first on the positives, we have basically everything excluding the specific way that Poussey Washington died. We are given a strangely cold and distant collection of starting scenes where we don't see any characters breaking, until gradually throughout the episode, one by one all of Poussey's friends break down. And this is with the juxtaposition of Poussey having the most magical and dreamlike night out in her flashbacks. I think this choice was beautiful as it not only highlights the specific tragedy that a life once so full is now over, but also gives the audience an oddly bittersweet final shot to close on so that some of them can choose to believe she's still out there somewhere, smiling across a river.
The two most emotional character moments to me came from Norma and Brook, and Taystee. Taystee's breakdown in the penultimate episode was an incredible and gut wrenching performance, and then in this episode she holds herself together. We see her icy and numb at the start, until finally in Caputo's office she breaks down in an incredible scene from the actress. The rage she exhibits at the end of the episode is something I'm sure many viewers were cheering for.
Then we had one of the smaller moments with Norma and Brook, as Norma who has been shown on the show to be a mute who had a difficult stutter in her past, sings to a crying Brook. It is so quick and subtle in this moment that casual viewers could not understand the levity, the sheer image of this speechless woman singing to a broken friend is so simple.
The focus on Baley, the unfortunate accidental killer of Poussey, was also heart breaking in its own way. Choosing to have the most innocent and genuinely moral of all the guards commit the crime is brilliant, but almost rage inducing as you wish you could blame him more. You wish it were premeditated, that it weren't an accident. The other C.O. telling Bayley that he strangled a woman to death once was brilliant, showing the audience kind of guard we /want/ to be responsible for her Poussey's death, there were real killers in that prison, and yet the audience is left with the prison guard equivalent of a puppy to place the blame on.
The way everything was done on this episode was fantastic, that's the part I'm struggling with the most in my internal review of the episode. It's now how it was done, but what was done. The writers intention is clear, they want to accurately represent the struggles and violent deaths currently being seen in society at the hands of armed guards and police officers. I won't deny that this is portrayed in a shocking, but stellar fashion that will have TV audiences reeling over the story for years. The problem really just becomes; should they have done it? Queer women and African Americans are already seeing people like themselves being killed every other day in the real world, and although fiction is not solely meant to be a reprieve from that, it is where the appeal comes from. And as the representation for these minorities, is so few and far between of them being represented as real and unique characters on our screens, the killing of one to mirror real life tragedies seems rather futile. The kind of audience that OITNB pulls are typically not the kind of audience who would be blind to the real life deaths that Poussey's was representing, so if the point was to bring these issues into the spotlight it can only ever very marginally succeed.
I think it was a beautifully crafted episode that accomplished everything it set out to, but I'm not sure whether it should have set out to mirror the real deaths that it did. I can't help but feel the emotional impact of an inmate's death, particularly one so sweet and gentle, could have been achieved in a way that was not so traumatizing for the viewers.
I worry the show may never come back from this for a lot of its fans, which is a shame considering the quality it gave us on a technical level.
Great goodbye for a great character
hundiwafwaf8 March 2022
Love OITNB. It feels kind of like a family on screen and watched it every year since the start. This episode is great and most off all, never seen such a great goodbye for a loveable character in any series I watched.
Season 4: Riveting, powerful, phenomenal television
Red_Identity29 June 2016
What's sure to be the darkest, toughest-to-watch TV season of the year. I've loved this show from the beginning, and it's definitely always had dramatic story lines, but for a show being set in prison, it always way lighter than the premise would suggest. This season absolutely did not let off, and what we saw for the first time ever was a never-ending cycle of depravity, suffering, injustice, and pure chaos. I haven't been so angry watching a TV show in years (angry in the way intended by the writers, not due to unintentional poor writing like I can often get annoyed by), I haven't detested TV characters like some of the ones this season in years, and I haven't been so emotionally shaken and so depressed by a TV season in a long time.
I honestly wouldn't know if this was the best season of the show yet. The most powerful and emotionally-involving and emotionally-draining one of the show? Easily. But the "best"? Perhaps, but it definitely wasn't the most fun to watch. It really got to me. It was a season that was needed though, and I'm surprised it took them four seasons to really hit these points and themes home. Once upon a time Game of Thrones was the king of the TV ensembles, but there is not one weak link in this gigantic cast ensemble. Amazing work from everyone.
I honestly wouldn't blame anyone if they said they fell out of love with the show this season. It really went from 0 to 100 in terms of how disturbing it got. Of course I will be back, but wow was that draining
Oh, and with this season no one else will be claiming it should be under "Comedy" instead of under "Drama" at the Emmys. My opinion on that has absolutely changed as well.
I honestly wouldn't know if this was the best season of the show yet. The most powerful and emotionally-involving and emotionally-draining one of the show? Easily. But the "best"? Perhaps, but it definitely wasn't the most fun to watch. It really got to me. It was a season that was needed though, and I'm surprised it took them four seasons to really hit these points and themes home. Once upon a time Game of Thrones was the king of the TV ensembles, but there is not one weak link in this gigantic cast ensemble. Amazing work from everyone.
I honestly wouldn't blame anyone if they said they fell out of love with the show this season. It really went from 0 to 100 in terms of how disturbing it got. Of course I will be back, but wow was that draining
Oh, and with this season no one else will be claiming it should be under "Comedy" instead of under "Drama" at the Emmys. My opinion on that has absolutely changed as well.
A power pack ending of a great season
ankitdasofficial8 August 2020
Orange is the New Black Season 4 Episode 13
Review : This is exactly the kind of ending a season should have. The ending of this episode has made this episode extremely beautiful. There was a lot of tension from the beginning to the end of this episode And the episode ended with that excitement. In a nutshell, this episode is very, very good from beginning to end.
Acting : All the actors and actresses have performed very well in this episode.Every actor and actress, be it a small character or a big character, has done a great job.
Direction : In this episode, the director has shown his best work in this episode. Each scene is perfectly presented to the audience and the work that the director has done on each country separately That is very clear in this episode.
Story : The authors have introduced an extraordinary work in the case of this episode. Every storyline from the beginning to the end of the story of this episode is written in a wonderful way. A friend, someone's love, The writers have beautifully explained to the audience how difficult it is to leave suddenly.
Dialogue : In the case of dialogue, it must be said that some wonderful dialogues have been used from the beginning to the end of the episode and every dialogue has been delivered in a very high quality and very nicely delivered.
Background Score : Great background scores have been used and the quality of the background scores has been kept very high in this episode which has helped us to make the whole episode melodic.
Soundtrack : As I said before, everything from the beginning to the end of this episode is awesome. And the end of the episode has become even more awesome for an awesome soundtrack. A rebellious and emotional moment that has been created at the end of the episode has a very nice meaning to it and for him the end of the episode has become even more thrilling full and beautiful.
Cinematography : We get to see the workings of this amazing camera in this episode.
Editing : Very good editing.
Lighting : Great lighting.
Overall Episode : Judging from all aspects, I gave this episode ten out of ten stars. If I had the option to give a thousand stars instead of ten, I would feel free to give this episode a thousand stars.
Review : This is exactly the kind of ending a season should have. The ending of this episode has made this episode extremely beautiful. There was a lot of tension from the beginning to the end of this episode And the episode ended with that excitement. In a nutshell, this episode is very, very good from beginning to end.
Acting : All the actors and actresses have performed very well in this episode.Every actor and actress, be it a small character or a big character, has done a great job.
Direction : In this episode, the director has shown his best work in this episode. Each scene is perfectly presented to the audience and the work that the director has done on each country separately That is very clear in this episode.
Story : The authors have introduced an extraordinary work in the case of this episode. Every storyline from the beginning to the end of the story of this episode is written in a wonderful way. A friend, someone's love, The writers have beautifully explained to the audience how difficult it is to leave suddenly.
Dialogue : In the case of dialogue, it must be said that some wonderful dialogues have been used from the beginning to the end of the episode and every dialogue has been delivered in a very high quality and very nicely delivered.
Background Score : Great background scores have been used and the quality of the background scores has been kept very high in this episode which has helped us to make the whole episode melodic.
Soundtrack : As I said before, everything from the beginning to the end of this episode is awesome. And the end of the episode has become even more awesome for an awesome soundtrack. A rebellious and emotional moment that has been created at the end of the episode has a very nice meaning to it and for him the end of the episode has become even more thrilling full and beautiful.
Cinematography : We get to see the workings of this amazing camera in this episode.
Editing : Very good editing.
Lighting : Great lighting.
Overall Episode : Judging from all aspects, I gave this episode ten out of ten stars. If I had the option to give a thousand stars instead of ten, I would feel free to give this episode a thousand stars.
Reminded me of a Lower East Side theater production
dontspamme-7607820 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I liked this show from the start, but the last season or two has become a soap opera. Every crisis fades into another.
This episode has the death of a likable main character. But the scene where she dies is very staged. Like a small theater production where the actors stand still for dramatic effect.
While one inmate is going berserk, a guard doesn't notice he's crushing another inmate with his knee. She has no way to squirm out from under him or push him off. When everyone finally realizes what's happening, nobody gives any first aid at all. Nobody tries CPR. Then all guards make a circle around the dead inmate while all the other inmates are arranged around that circle. Everyone is still and silent.
There was nothing remotely realistic about that scene.
To top it off, the berserk inmate was supposed to be taken to the dreaded Psych ward (where unspeakable horrors occur), or even to the SHU (Solitary Housing Unit?). But no, she's back in her minimum security bunk in gen pop. This is the day after she beat another inmate senseless (at a sadistic guard's urging).
And speaking of minimum security, there are a lot of very hardened criminals who had committed extremely violent crimes. I doubt they'd be sent to such a lenient prison.
This episode has the death of a likable main character. But the scene where she dies is very staged. Like a small theater production where the actors stand still for dramatic effect.
While one inmate is going berserk, a guard doesn't notice he's crushing another inmate with his knee. She has no way to squirm out from under him or push him off. When everyone finally realizes what's happening, nobody gives any first aid at all. Nobody tries CPR. Then all guards make a circle around the dead inmate while all the other inmates are arranged around that circle. Everyone is still and silent.
There was nothing remotely realistic about that scene.
To top it off, the berserk inmate was supposed to be taken to the dreaded Psych ward (where unspeakable horrors occur), or even to the SHU (Solitary Housing Unit?). But no, she's back in her minimum security bunk in gen pop. This is the day after she beat another inmate senseless (at a sadistic guard's urging).
And speaking of minimum security, there are a lot of very hardened criminals who had committed extremely violent crimes. I doubt they'd be sent to such a lenient prison.
Perfect season finale (SPOILERS)
alexaharlow29 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Just brilliant, Poussey's was definitely the saddest and best written death in the whole of orange is the new black. This episode was a real breakthrough for Daya, shooting a guard. But still the start of her and everybody's downfall. The fact that it shows the best and worst days of Poussey's life is the perfect way to kill off a character. I only noticed the second time that I watched this episode that in Poussey's flashbacks she actually walks past CO. Bayley. It was just cruel that Judy king was prepared to be let out while the rest of the inmates had to suffer through the riot. The way this episode ends, Daya holding the gun and Poussey smiling Into the camera shows the happy and sad of this show. Overall one of the best episodes. Well done cast (especially Samira Wiley) and crew!
Awful
damius-3835727 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Worst episode of the series. You can really see how the writing has gone downhill. Just doing something pointlessly shocking doesn't make it impactful. It makes it cheap blow. This was like watching Daenerys kill everyone in GoT. Just a sad disappointment. A low for the writing.
Terrible!
detlic13 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Once this episode ended, I thought "Finally! Thank God! I was bored to death"!
Much longer than other episodes, they just dragged it out too long. Yes, after 15-20 minutes we saw and fully realized how the event hit them all... So, was another hour of more of the same really necessary?
Uneventful episode, only partial character development for very few characters (Crazy Eyes). The rest... Why? Just why? Not crucial for the story line, just pointless conversations and repetitive sadness outbreaks for more than an hour!
Kind of liked this season, but this is the worst episode thus far...
Much longer than other episodes, they just dragged it out too long. Yes, after 15-20 minutes we saw and fully realized how the event hit them all... So, was another hour of more of the same really necessary?
Uneventful episode, only partial character development for very few characters (Crazy Eyes). The rest... Why? Just why? Not crucial for the story line, just pointless conversations and repetitive sadness outbreaks for more than an hour!
Kind of liked this season, but this is the worst episode thus far...
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