Liam Hoofe reviews the fifth season of Orange Is the New Black…
‘Stand Up’ is the slogan for Orange Is the New Black season 5 and the ladies of Litchfield, sorry, Bitchfield, certainly do that in the show’s most innovative season to date. Taking place over the course of a 3-day riot, Orange Is the New Black season 5 deals with the aftermath of Poussey’s unfortunate death at the end of Season 4, and the overflowing tensions inside the prison. Season 5, while in many ways, being more of the same, is very much a different beast to the seasons that came before it. Everything has been flipped on its head inside Litchfield and the inmates are now running the asylum.
Season 5 may not be as full of grand, dramatic moments quite like the first four seasons but what is offers instead is a season full of questions and moral ambiguity. A recurring theme throughout the show, as the prisoners begin to abuse the guards is whether the inmates are any better than their oppressors. Given the power, we see them abuse it on countless occasions throughout the 13 episodes – whether it’s forcing the guards to perform a talent show for them, or forcing them to perform sexual acts on them – as one of the inmates says ‘power erupts.’
More so than any other season, though, season 5 is about anger. An anger at a system that has constantly abused its power and oppressed those at the very bottom of the chain. This institutionalised abuse has now been given a martyr, and her name is Poussey Washington. I use her full name as this is what Taystee, the beating heart of the season’s early goings requests. Her impassioned pleas for a greater life are some of the season’s finest moments and her speeches and negotiations show what a great orator she is.
The riot setting also allows the show a new avenue for character development. For the first time in the show’s history, the characters are in control of their own fates. They get to wear their own clothes, which in itself is a very smart visual choice, allowing the characters to express their personalities more than ever before. It also, suggests for the first time in the show’s history, that perhaps some of these women are just natural criminals, that when even given the chance, they can’t stay away from crime.
The season has received a harsher critical reaction than any of its predecessors and there are certainly some problems throughout. The show’s treatment of the guards, despite carrying an obvious message, feels slightly ill-judged at times, especially as they chuck the body of a paralyzed man around the corridors like a rag doll. It feels as though the show is forced to play this for laughs t0 avoid being too dark, and that it can never quite admit to the atrocities that are being committed. It also makes some ill-judged references to shootings in America in its first episode – which, while being a clear attempt to highlight how we trivialise such events, still makes for uncomfortable viewing. The show also seems to rely on toilet jokes a lot in season 5, which is bizarre considering how out and out funny the script so often is.
One episode will definitely divide the opinion of the audience. A slasher movie inspired chase throughout the prison is played largely for laughs, but is also culminates in one of the season’s biggest storylines. It’s a bizarre choice, but in one single episode it almost highlights what is both good and bad about this season.
But these are small gripes and there is so, so much to love about this season. The performances, once again, are nothing short of outstanding and the show’s ability to make us laugh, cry, and even cringe is pretty much unparalleled right now. Listing all the show’s great performances would pretty much double the length of the article, but the usual suspects are all on the top of their game, with plenty of supporting characters being allowed room to grow due to the narrative structure. The uneven tone of the season – the constant switching between darkness and humour has been seen as a negative by many but in my eyes, it was a conscious decision – implemented to highlight the chaotic nature of the riot and life inside it.
What makes season 5 so tough, though, is the fact that every scene and victory throughout the season, is tinged with the inevitably of defeat. Every moment of redemption these women get will have a consequence. When the prison is stormed in the final episode, it is not a surprise, it feels inevitable – all of this was for nothing and everything will return to the way it was – worse, if anything.
It’s a farce – they know it, and we know it, but we want to believe otherwise and it is this that makes the show so brilliant – it’s the hope that kills you, time and time again. There is no white knight here, instead, there are abusive guards, extended prison sentences and a machine that will never stop. While season 5 may not be as out and out bleak as its predecessors – the long-term effects of the season’s event are difficult to think about. Roll on season 6.
What did you think of Orange is the New Black Season 5? Let us know in the comments below, and let Liam know on Twitter, here – @liamhoofe
Originally published June 14, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
