If you don't know anything about "Orange is the New Black," I'll give you a little background on what the show is about. The show is often referred to as OITNB so, if you ever hear anyone say that, you'll know what's going on. The show is a Netflix Original, and it is centered around the lives of the women within the Litchfield Prison. The series began with Piper Chapman, a woman in her 30s from New York City who is sentenced to 15 months in Litchfield Penitentiary.
All right, that's enough background information because I don't want to give away too many details if you haven't seen the show. My goal is to convince you to watch the show if you don't already, so here are five reasons I love the show!
1. The theme song
We all know a lot of shows with catchy theme songs that get stuck in our heads. OITNB is definitely one of those shows. The song is sung by Regina Spektor, and the lyrics are relatively easy to learn, and you'll be singing along in no time. You may even find yourself dancing along, maybe something like this.
2. The Characters
The thing about this show is every character is different. They have all ended up in prison for a multitude of reasons. Some of which we are unaware of until you progress through the seasons. Each character is complex and has different backstories that are revealed over the existing seasons. The reason why I love this is because as we learn about the characters backgrounds and life stories, we begin to understand the character a lot more. We form an attachment to the characters because we learn why they are the way they are. When first meeting a character, you may hate them, but sometimes after learning what they're all about, you learn to sympathize with them and you end up loving them.
2. The plot
OK, if I'm being completely honest, the plot is absolutely crazy! There are so many unexpected turns, and for the most part it's hard to guess what's going to happen next. The plot shifts between the characters on the show, and their different situations. It keeps you hooked, and of course, right at the end of the episode is a cliff hanger so naturally you have to continue watching the show even when you should sleep.
3. The lessons
Of course, being in prison isn't something we can all relate to, but the lessons they learn there can be applied regardless. Whether it's overcoming a fear or overcoming a drug addiction, there are many lessons within the show that you can take something away from. OITNB has many lessons in being the bigger person even when someone wrongs you. I think OITNB challenges social issues and brings them to light, making us all aware of the problems that exist in our everyday lives, but we refuse to acknowledge. These eye opening happenings certainly make the show hard to watch, but it really does open your eyes.
4. Diversity
The diversity of the show erases all predetermined assumptions of those who are in prison. Many races, nationalities, sexual orientation, age, religion, etc. are represented within the show. There are a multitude of minorities that are represented in the show. This is yet another one of the ways that this show breaks barriers of social issues. Despite preconceptions of who people expect to be in prison, OITNB shows that anyone, and I mean anyone can go to prison, and there are a wide variety of reasons why people end up in prison. The show will certainly change your view of those in prison.
5. Unity
Lastly, the unity of the inmates is incredible. The show epitomizes the ideals we learn as when we're young and somehow end up forgetting over time. Just because someone is different from you and not what you're used to doesn't mean that you should disrespect them or treat them any differently. The inmates find commonalities despite what they learned from their past, and they come together to form a bond.
Overall, the show does have it's heavier moments, and some that may be hard to handle (I had a hard time watching some of the scenes in the show as well as listening to some of the things the characters said). There are also some scenes that are quite graphic whether they involve nudity, sex, sicknesses, language, etc. That being said, the show is absolutely worth checking out and maybe even worthy of being your next Netflix binger. For those of us who have already seen the show, I'm anxiously awaiting Season 5 because by no surprise, I'm already done with Season 4.
