If you haven’t already, you should definitely watch "Orange is the New Black." The Netflix show, created by Jenji Kohan, is an original series that is set in a women’s prison. This show gives you insight into what life – including relationships – can be like behind bars, what can land you in jail and how life works as a prisoner.
1. The cast is diverse.
Most casts are only composed of white people and have a token minority to add some sort of “balance” to the cast. However, OITNB provides a wide range of characters from white, Hispanic, black and Asian backgrounds.
2. It is modern and set during present time.
The setting is modern day New York. This allows the viewer to feel more up to date with what is happening in the series. This also keeps the viewer updated with the sentencing for the crimes each inmate has been arrested for.
3. The actors are amazing.
I know this is more opinion-based, but, honestly, the actors are amazing. Many of them have been featured on "Law & Order," and if you remember Donna from "That 70’s Show" then you will love seeing her again as Alex Vause.
4. It is LGBTQ-relevant.
The show gets into the LGBTQ community and features relationships between a man transitioning to a woman and her changing relationship with her wife and son. It also shows that people can be bisexual and have relationships with men and women. The show portrays the difficulties transgenders have to face with daily hormones, and the pack mentality that they face when people begin to discriminate.
5. It makes you think about what life behind bars is like.
This show depicts what life behind bars can be like: the way the food is prepared and how the bathroom situation can be affected by bad plumbing. Also, we get to see how inmate-guard relationships and prison cliques can form.
6. It shows the corruption in government offices.
Litchfield is a federal prison run by Natalie Figueroa, whose assistant is Joe Capputo. I don’t want to give any spoilers but what happens with the management of the prison will shock you!
7. The backstories for the inmates are engaging.
Every inmate has a story which is presented in the form of flashbacks throughout the series. This gives the audience a sense of wonder because the flashbacks are not always presented in the moment you meet the character, and new background stories are presented throughout the series.
8. It lives up to the hype.
Another opinion-based point, but honestly when you hear that your friends have been binge watching this show on Netflix, there is a reason for that: this show is amazing! The show will leave you on the edge of your seat and leave you wanting more with each passing episode.
