Orange is the New Black

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 11, 2013
Season #: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 871 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 776 out of 871
  2. Mixed: 51 out of 871
  3. Negative: 44 out of 871
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User Reviews

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  1. mdhenshaw
    Sep 10, 2014
    5
    The first 5 episodes of this show are great, but by the time you get to episode 3 of season 2 it's difficult to believe that it's the same show. The show attempts to pass it self off as a comedy, but it's neither funny or dramatic. OITNB is full of two dimensional stereotypical characters. Frankly it's shocking that the show has received so much acclaim.

    The show is neither intelligent    The first 5 episodes of this show are great, but by the time you get to episode 3 of season 2 it's difficult to believe that it's the same show. The show attempts to pass it self off as a comedy, but it's neither funny or dramatic. OITNB is full of two dimensional stereotypical characters. Frankly it's shocking that the show has received so much acclaim.

    The show is neither intelligent or creative and it's certainly not funny. It's just sad that show based on an amazing true story has turned into this colossal waste of time.    … Expand
  2. SimpleMethod
    Sep 6, 2013
    5
    I couldn't finish this show. It really got boring and repetetive and I was sick of listening to all the female characters complaining about numerous things.
  3. Gamer147
    Aug 6, 2013
    6
    I wouldn't say it's one of the best series I ever watched, but I did enjoy watching the first few episodes. It got boring after a while, they had too many flashbacks so they could tell the character's stories, didn't really roll with me.

    I can see there's a lot of potential for lovable characters since you really get to know them, guess some people might really like this show.
  4. geedup
    Nov 5, 2013
    6
    This show is meandering at best. I have watched 4 episodes so far and I do not know where it is going-which is good. But a bit boring. The characters are slowly revealing themselves but WAY too slowly. I do like the flashbacks to tell the back stories of the characters but cannot stand the boredom between events within each episode. Each episode is about an hour but could easy be toldThis show is meandering at best. I have watched 4 episodes so far and I do not know where it is going-which is good. But a bit boring. The characters are slowly revealing themselves but WAY too slowly. I do like the flashbacks to tell the back stories of the characters but cannot stand the boredom between events within each episode. Each episode is about an hour but could easy be told just as well in 30 minutes.… Expand
  5. muntingprinsipe
    Oct 17, 2013
    5
    Because a lot of people have made a buzz about this series, I spent a night downloading all the 13 episodes for season 1. Until now, I still haven't watched episode 10. I am busy watching other TV Shows. I just don't find the same fondness others have found about the show. I could see that the stories are great but it is not necessarily a standout series. The settings are new but the restBecause a lot of people have made a buzz about this series, I spent a night downloading all the 13 episodes for season 1. Until now, I still haven't watched episode 10. I am busy watching other TV Shows. I just don't find the same fondness others have found about the show. I could see that the stories are great but it is not necessarily a standout series. The settings are new but the rest about it are normal.… Expand
  6. seagullcanfly
    Jul 30, 2013
    5
    Based on the pilot alone, I can't say I'm terribly impressed by the show. I felt at one point I was watching what would happen if one of the cast of Friends had to go to prison. Orange also wants to appeal immediately to the demographic that is still shocked or entertained by models as lesbians who eventually realize they want to marry a man, the lure used with Kissing Jessica Stein inBased on the pilot alone, I can't say I'm terribly impressed by the show. I felt at one point I was watching what would happen if one of the cast of Friends had to go to prison. Orange also wants to appeal immediately to the demographic that is still shocked or entertained by models as lesbians who eventually realize they want to marry a man, the lure used with Kissing Jessica Stein in the past.

    The supporting characters are written so flat it would suggest the writers wanted to make sure you understood who everybody was immediately based on characters you've seen in countless television shows before.

    Even the minor surprise for the episode would have been better if it had been delayed.

    Some of the aspects of prison life are fairly accurate, but others are strange. I'll revisit my review after subsequent episodes.    … Expand
  7. aboy26
    Aug 6, 2013
    6
    When I first heard about this show I thought it was going to be a US version of the UK show Bad Girls, I heard that jenji kohan created the show and it had the storyline of taking drugs over the border, I thought that it was going to be like weeds, so I wanted to watch a little bit so I seen the trailer and it looks like a good show and it is, considering the fact that it's a true storyWhen I first heard about this show I thought it was going to be a US version of the UK show Bad Girls, I heard that jenji kohan created the show and it had the storyline of taking drugs over the border, I thought that it was going to be like weeds, so I wanted to watch a little bit so I seen the trailer and it looks like a good show and it is, considering the fact that it's a true story (it's hard remaking a story that happened in reality) as soon as it came out I had a marathon of all the episodes, it's very sharp sometimes grossing and sometimes really uncomfortable.… Expand
  8. Viperspider
    Jun 15, 2014
    5
    4 episodes in and I'm not really interested. The stories are kind of boring and the general events are pretty dull. The back stories are kind of interesting, but they're very short. Ironically for a show that's called Orange is the New Black there isn't much orange in it - but there's a whole lot of beige.
  9. ariel84
    Nov 17, 2014
    5
    my bf binge watched the first season the other day when he was sick. so i decided to watch (i'd been avoiding it, wary that its view of prison would be too unrealistic). and, yes, this depiction is laughably comfy. no prison has such nice visiting rooms, the food looks amazingly good (salads??), and, sorry, uh uh, there ain't no salons in prison. even the makeup on some of the women is farmy bf binge watched the first season the other day when he was sick. so i decided to watch (i'd been avoiding it, wary that its view of prison would be too unrealistic). and, yes, this depiction is laughably comfy. no prison has such nice visiting rooms, the food looks amazingly good (salads??), and, sorry, uh uh, there ain't no salons in prison. even the makeup on some of the women is far too nice. the guards seem casual and lackadaisical. i detest jason biggs. the piper/larry romance is boring. what will keep me watching, tho, are all the other characters.… Expand
  10. rawtomato
    Jul 26, 2013
    5
    I find the show very entertaining. Women prison is an interesting setting for a show, and the writers do a good job of making the characters interesting. They go into common backgrounds of broken families and heartbreaking upbringings sometimes, and then balance that with some characters who just make bad decisions. The pace of the show keeps you watching episode after episode. I give it aI find the show very entertaining. Women prison is an interesting setting for a show, and the writers do a good job of making the characters interesting. They go into common backgrounds of broken families and heartbreaking upbringings sometimes, and then balance that with some characters who just make bad decisions. The pace of the show keeps you watching episode after episode. I give it a medium score for two reasons. One, prison is not that fluffy. One in 25 people are sociopaths in the real world, and I would bet that number is much higher in prison. The show portrays the inmates as having hearts of gold. I don't mind the hearts of gold perspective, but sometimes the show really loses me because it is so unrealistic. Also, the worst inmate is a Jesus freak, and I really hate that they make her the bad guy. Religion does a lot for addiction and ex convicts, and this show does a supreme disservice by portraying religion in prison in a bad light. That alone makes the rest of the show seem mediocre.… Expand
  11. Hamburgler
    Aug 2, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Netflix made a good move with this show. It's not quite on par with House of Cards, but infinitely better than Hemlock Grove. I enjoyed the first season, but I have mixed feelings about it and probably will not watch any subsequent season.

    This show isn't a realistic depiction of women's prison. Read the book by the real Piper Kerman if you want that. There's no tampon sandwiches, no guards impregnating inmates, no staged suicides, no brutal violence, an no lesbian sex taking place in every nook and cranny of the institution. But all that stuff is what makes good TV, and keeps you hooked in. The show does a good job of conveying the surreal experience of the main character, even if it borders on absurd at times.

    The reason I have mixed feelings about the show is this: this show's target audience is privileged, white liberals. And it does a FANTASTIC job of tickling all the political erogenous zones of said target audience. Not only does the show aim to confirm progressive beliefs about prison, but manages to shoehorn liberal dogma into nearly every episode. Allow me to elaborate.

    There's the basic Hollywood playbook stuff: Non stop lesbian sexual encounters, the plight of the transgendered in prison, and a comedic depiction of prison racial tribalism as seen through the lens of white privilege. Actual gangs do not exist in the show. Then there's the hardcore dogma...

    The prison is run by corrupt administrators who are drunk on the job, embezzle money, have sex with the inmates, deal drugs, stage suicides, and are arguably bigger criminals than the women they are in charge of. This applies to almost every guard, counselor, and administrator in the show. There is one guard who is deliberately kept "clean and pure", so that she can approach the main character and proclaim that they are only different because one of them got caught. The guard professes to have also made "bad choices" in life a euphemism frequently used in place of "committed crime" in the show.

    The inmates' back stories are explored, via sob-story flashbacks, usually showing that they are victims of circumstance or committed justifiable crimes. There's one who murdered a rapist, one who accidentally shot a kid on her property, the street kid who wants to payback all the victims of her shoplifting, a host of substances abusers, and the protagonist who was busted for muleing drug money a decade earlier just barely making the statute of limitations. There are no hardened criminals who get flashbacks.

    There's the obligatory scene where an inmate explains how prison is preferable to working minimum wage If that doesn't scream "privileged white liberals believe this, but very few minimum wage workers do" then you probably found it equally plausible that a bunch of inmates would spend their money on pocket radios to listen to NPR.

    Then there are the "Christians" in the show. One is a nun who chained herself to a missile silo or something. She is the "good Christian". The rest of them are violent methamphetamine abusers with horrible teeth. The leader of the "Christians" is a meth-head who has had multiple abortions, but unwittingly gained the support of a "pro-life" organization after gunning down a clinic worker on the day of her fifth abortion. She even had the aforementioned "pro-lifers" literally cheering for her at trial. That's how she came to the Lord, you see.

    They even wrote in a scene where the Christian meth heads tee up the protagonist for a slam-dunk monologue that made evangelical atheists everywhere climax in their pants. Piper declares herself a champion of science, explains that religion is a crutch, ponders the fate of non-Christians in foreign lands, and even manages to work in a reverent incantation of the name Neil deGrasse Tyson.

    At some point during the show, almost every villain charter, from guard to meth-head, will make it clear that they are a "conservative" by complaining about liberals, Obama, or dropping some other hint. The writers probably thought they were being subtle there, but it's pretty obvious.

    In spite of being full of so much liberal dogma, they actually managed to make the show funny and entertaining. And it really does hold your attention, and keep you wanting more. That's why it gets a five and not a zero.    … Expand
  12. licoco
    Aug 21, 2013
    6
    I was a bit ambivalent about this show. It wasn't what I thought it would be, and yet, it was. I think there are some truisms here, but hyperbole also.

    On a scale of 1 10, I give it a 6.

    Terrible, terrible ending to Season 1, and I most likely won't return.
  13. Phoxly
    Apr 22, 2014
    6
    While this show certainly gave me countless laughs, I was often put off by the clearly political undertones. The acting is great, the characters (at least the main ones) are solid, and I loved the unique female prison setting that it uses. Although like I said before, the political undertones were not my favorite, and they would often halt any laughter or excitement I had with continuingWhile this show certainly gave me countless laughs, I was often put off by the clearly political undertones. The acting is great, the characters (at least the main ones) are solid, and I loved the unique female prison setting that it uses. Although like I said before, the political undertones were not my favorite, and they would often halt any laughter or excitement I had with continuing the show. This show is a good one, and kept pulling me back in despite the rather biased political content that is constantly shoved in your face. This is a great show that is plagued with politics. If I wanted to have an internal dispute based on biased politics, I would watch Fox News. Please don't give us what we already have enough of in this country. Long story short: Good show that could have been great.… Expand
  14. Reptorian
    Jul 2, 2016
    4
    When I have first watched Orange is the New Black, I do find that the interactions among characters was somewhat interesting, and the idea is sort of fresh. There are some stuff that they did was successful, and there was some stuff they didn't do very successful. For the part that they did successful, they did established an atmosphere of what prison for women tends to look like to aWhen I have first watched Orange is the New Black, I do find that the interactions among characters was somewhat interesting, and the idea is sort of fresh. There are some stuff that they did was successful, and there was some stuff they didn't do very successful. For the part that they did successful, they did established an atmosphere of what prison for women tends to look like to a extent (I can't say to what extent since I have no idea what prison for women actually is like), but I can't imagine it'd be too far off. The part that they didn't do very successful is keeping the interaction between characters worth watching, and there were unnecessary displays of sexuality, and arguably a lot of the conversations with sex involved isn't really needed (I admit, this may have to do with my somewhat irreligious puritan views of sex, but as a individual reviewer, I believe my review still counts). If they were to tone down on the unnecessary displays of sexuality, and conversation regarding sex, and focusing on making the general interaction between characters more interesting, then by all means, I would find the show much more interested. Right now, it is very easy to walk away from because I find it overall pretty bland as a show, and as much as I would like to try to not to be harsh on the show, I'm going to vote it a 4/10.… Expand
  15. Satanski
    Aug 1, 2018
    6
    Would be a great show, if not for Chapman and her smugler friend. They are boring and unnecessary characters.

Awards & Rankings

25
#25 Best TV Season of 2013
9
#9 Most Discussed TV Season of 2013
13
#13 Most Shared TV Season of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. The Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Kristi Turnquist
    Jun 24, 2014
    80
    Quibbles aside, watching this superb cast working together remains a pleasure, and it makes Season 2 of Orange Is the New Black an irresistible summer viewing choice.
    Read full review
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Jul 18, 2013
    80
    Orange has graphic scenes that aren’t for kids. But they aren’t played for cheap gags, either, and that attitude serves the production well. With Schilling in top form, this Orange tastes fresh.
    Read full review
  3. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matthew Wolfson
    Jul 16, 2013
    75
    While it's not apparent that the show's personalities add up to anything more than themselves at first, they ultimately prove to be compelling studies of people trying to work through glaring mistakes and obvious limitations to fashion some sort of livable present.
    Read full review
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