In July 2013, Netflix premiered its second original series: Orange Is the New Black (OITNB).
The move to create original programming has proven successful for the on-demand streaming service. Interestingly, shows created exclusively for online viewing purposes (i.e. House of Cards and Hemlock Grove) are becoming more popular than shows created exclusively for their host’s competitor, Hulu.
Inspired by the real life struggles of memoirist Piper Kerman, OITNB follows the life of Piper Chapman, a bisexual female charged with carrying drug money for her former girlfriend, Alex Vause. Chapman deals with the constant presence of her ex-girlfriend in the same prison as she, as well as the stress that her sentence is causing in her relationship with her fiancé Larry.
Quite frankly, I am in no way surprised at all of the attention this show has garnered. Its originality is refreshing, its characters are versatile and entertainingly complex, and the diversity and talent of the cast, and therefore the situations that are allowed manifest throughout the series, all culminate to make this show a hit.
To a lot of Pace students, the show has become somewhat of a summer treat, with the first season premiering July 2013, and the second set to premiere in June. Netflix even releases the whole season at once, allowing viewers to wrap themselves into blanket burritos and binge watch the entire show in a matter of days – or hours.
I feel that the success of OITNB can be attributed to many relatable angles that its plot implements. These elements include the struggles of LGBTQI people in the prison community, the burden of being the loved one of someone incarcerated, and the dangers of every day prison life.
Lauren Alves, a senior nursing student and OITNB fan, appreciates the representation of LGBTQI people and their struggles on screen.
“I loved the show, obviously,” Alves said. “I like how Netflix took on a show like this and I think there needs to be more shows about real women and their struggles.”
Like Alves, junior communications major Eboni Edwards enjoys the inclusion of gay characters as just that: characters.
“The show is funny, and they do the gay part pretty accurately, but for the most part it’s unrealistic,” Edwards said. “Women in jail are nuts, just like men…security should be tighter.”
Those who have yet to watch the show have nonetheless heard much about it.
“I haven’t seen it yet, [but] I’ve heard it’s good, and touches on some controversial topics,” senior psychology major Kay Lanza said. “It’s bringing the female prison system to light, which I haven’t seen before, and the cast is mostly female, which is a huge shocker considering there’s always a very small female to male ratio in movies and shows.”
OITNB creator, Jenji Kohan, has made a tough but loveable female cast, which is unsurprising, as her expertise has been proven successful through her other work in Showtime’s Weeds, Tracy Takes On, and Gilmore Girls.
What OITNB is doing for women on screen is great, and what it’s doing to my free time is wonderful as well.