Good girl turned dirty panty lynchpin Piper Chapman has her knickers romanced off her by a new inmate, writes Debashine Thangevelo
And so a new chapter starts in the third instalment of Jenji Kohan’s award-winning prison comedy-drama, Orange is the New Black.
The creator intends rocking the boat in a major way. Over the past two seasons, fans have witnessed Piper Chapman’s (Taylor Schilling) “dandelion” niceness eroded by the harshness she experienced with life behind bars.
After knocking the teeth off Pennsatucky, literally, the fanatical religious former drug addict, the other inmates thought twice before messing with her in season two. Let’s just say that act earned her crucial don’t-mess-with-me credentials.
And season three amplifies Piper’s deviation from model prisoner. She is now flexing her entrepreneurial muscles – inspired by her new job assignment in an underwear shop. Not only is she the new lynchpin selling used panties online, she has rekindled her romance with Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), who is still a nervous wreck about Kubra putting out a hit on her.
The arrival of Stella Carlin (Ruby Rose) – a new inmate – throws a monkey wrench in that blissful reunion.
However, unlike previous seasons where Kohan had stories that fed into one major story arc – à la Vee’s run of the prison land in season two – she has decided to spread the creative love. This time around, she is also exploring the back story of other mainstay characters who have been kept in the shadow in the first two seasons.
One such character is Leanne Taylor (played by Emma Myles). Better known for being Pennsatucky’s sidekick, we now learn of her Amish background contextualising her strong religious roots.
Meanwhile, a heavily pregnant Daya (Dascha Polanco) is conflicted about the future of her unborn baby.
The Dominican-actress shares: “There’s a lot of pressure on Daya to make a decision as to what is going to happen with this child. She is the ultimate parent right now.”
And then there is Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba), who is still mourning the death of her criminal guru, Vee.
Aduba notes, “The new characters bring a lot of new stories into the show. They bring added energy and expand the walls of Litchfield beyond what our viewers could have ever seen.”
She teases, “Before, she’s always been the idoliser, whereas now she’s become more of the one who is being idolised.”
Aside from Lolly (played by Lori Petty), who made a brief appearance last season, comedian Mike Birbiglia, Blair Brown, cast as a new prison guard, and Mary Steenburgen, are the fresh faces popping up this season.
THE GAME-CHANGER
Piper isn’t known for her faithfulness. She cheated on her former fiancé, Larry (Jason Biggs) with Alex in prison. And now… well, Alex gets to feel what Larry did when Piper takes a serious liking to newbie, Stella Carlin.
Just to put viewers in the picture, Rose, the stunning actress playing Stella, is an Australian model, DJ, recording artist, actress, television presenter as well as a former MTV VJ. She came out as a lesbian at age 16.
Rumour had it that she has been dating Phoebe Dahl, author Roald Dahl’s granddaughter, since last year.
On this season of OITNB, Rose says: “This is the sexiest season by far. I mean, half the time, my jaw is, like, on the floor.”
Her character, by the way, is a mysterious young Australian woman, who is enlisted in Piper’s new business venture. A notoriously provocative personality, the two openly flirt. She adds: “She’s cocky. She’s flirty. She knows what she wants. I don’t think Stella has ever really wanted something and not gotten it.”
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS BEHIND BARS
Hmm, with Vee no longer a threat, Red (Kate Mulgrew) is determined to reclaim her contraband throne. Of course, that means getting her kitchen back. If the past is anything to go by, she can be rather ingenious when she wants something. Let’s hope there are no backfires this time.
With Sam Healy warming up to her, she could finally walk away victorious in her planned kitchen coup.
By the way, there seem to be some sparks between the two.
Mulgrew adds: “I would say that this is marvellously flipped as opposed to season 2. It’s funny, it’s whimsical. It’s laugh-out-loud… I don’t know how these writers do it, but they are so smart. They find the hook, and suddenly you are in…”
And that’s just some of the dirty laundry, so to speak, on the menu.
• Orange is the New Black season 3 airs on M-Net Edge (DStv channel 102) on Wednesday at 9pm.