Feminism, sexual perversion, peccadilloes, assault, and experimentation run strong in Season Three (2015). [See my reviews, “Orange is the New Black—Life Behind Bars”, August 7, 2013 and “The Backstory Behind Orange is the New Black”, August 15, 2013.] Nothing like this has been portrayed on television, without a suggestive body shot, excruciating violence, or even the victim’s voice.
OITNB scenes of how women can become more compassionate through sex with each other are so powerful, indeed so extraordinary and original, that the sexual scene is secondary to the emotional intimacy. And there is a humor as Piper borrows an idea from Japan by giving men what they will pay top dollar for: three-day old women prisoner’s panties, but made to Piper’s specifications.
This season of “Orange is the New Black” breaks even more boundaries with brutal honesty, on a tightrope between comedy and tragedy. At its best, season 3 stuns with new character development in a prison drama every bit as revolutionary as the now-classic “Oz”. There are some wasted opportunities with subplots that go nowhere and characters (especially Bennett) who we miss. But there is always Season 4—a must for 2016!