THE LONG-AWAITED second season of Orange Is The New Black is streaming in its entirety on Netflix as of today, meaning fans are clamouring to get home tonight for a binge.
But what if you haven’t watched it, and need to be up to speed for the chats in the pub tonight? Or perhaps you need a quick reminder before you start into season two?
Here’s a quick cheat sheet on what’s happened so far. There are spoilers, so if you’re planning on watching it yourself, please do not proceed beyond the Crazy Eyes buffer.
What’s it all about?
The show based on Orange Is The New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, a memoir by Piper Kerman.
Piper (played by Taylor Schilling) has to uproot her perfect life and leave behind her fiancé after being sentenced to prison for carrying drug money for her former girlfriend, Alex, ten years previously.
At first, she is bullied and humiliated by her fellow inmates but soon finds her niche in the weird world of Litchfield Prison.
By the end of the first season however, Piper is completely alone. Having alienated her friends and allies in the prison, when we last see her she’s taking out her frustration on the crazed Pennsatucky. With her fists.
Other important characters
They’re basically all important (Taystee, Poussey, Sophia and Nicky, we’re looking at you) but these are the ones who will have the most stuff to deal with in season two:
Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) Piper’s former girlfriend, who conveniently is doing time in the same prison. She and Piper rekindle their relationship while in the clink, but Piper breaks her heart by choosing Larry.
Larry Smith (Jason Biggs) A struggling writer, Larry at first uses Piper’s experiences in prison to further his own career. He’s now having doubts about their marriage after finding out about Alex, and seeing how being locked up has changed Piper.
Red (Kate Mulgrew) Originally the ruler of the roost as the head of the prison kitchen, Red is kicked out after it’s discovered she’s sneaking in contraband. Will she be able to claw her way back to the top?
Daya (Dascha Polanco) Daya makes a huge mistake by falling for prison guard John Bennett almost instantly, and now he’s gotten her pregnant. She takes extreme measures to hide the pregnancy by sleeping with prison officer Pornstache, but will they pay off?
Now go forth, and chat/watch with confidence.
