It’s only fitting in a season defined by its relentless desire to challenge the faith of its characters, for the third season finale of “Orange is the New Black” to present the inmates with an actual miracle. Obviously the hole in the fence has a very good reason for being there and there is also a very good reason the inmates are able to take advantage of it, but they make the narrative feat executed by Jenji Kohan and the other writers no less miraculous. Those reasons might even make the final scene more special when you stop to consider all of the events that had to transpire to make it possible.
“Trust No Bitch” begins not long after the closing moments of the previous episode and lets Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning) and Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) come to terms with not fully exacting their revenge on Coates (James McMenamin). The blossoming friendship between Pennsatucky and Boo has been one of the biggest successes of the season and to see them in this moment only solidifies the pairing.
There is a bit of banter back and forth, mostly they’re upset they were unable to utilize the broomstick in a way it was certainly not intended to be used. It’s a fairly standard “Orange is the New Black” scene, humor punctuated with subtext you don’t really have to look too hard to find. That is until they realize Pennsatucky still has van duty and will once again be alone with Coates. There is a real horror to the possibility and a real hopelessness in the outlook. Most of the inmates are in hopeless situations but what keeps the show fun to watch is the ingenuity the inmates have to escape said hopelessness.
Pennsatucky’s word salad, “Nancy Grace Ears Catnip Funeral”, comes out of nowhere, as does her fake seizure. It’s a smart gambit, any sort of neurological symptom and Litchfield and MCC won’t want to put her back behind the wheel. The only thing the plan didn’t account for was the necessity for van duty to continue with or without her. When Maritza (Diane Guerrero) introduces herself to Coates as the new driver, Pennastucky and Boo are once again devastated. This season has been full of examples of the system getting the better of the characters, inmates and COs alike, it’s surprising when one so late in the season can still feel like a sucker punch. Their belief in justice isn’t entirely misplaced but it should still be tempered by the fact justice isn’t always fair.
That isn’t to say all is lost for those stuck in the system. Sweet, psychotic Morello (Yael Stone) marries her short-time love, Vince Muccio (John Magaro). They share a moment of happiness (despite the prison not allowing for conjugal visits) and a hefty verse of the best Foreigner song (he said without irony). Morello’s plot in these final few episodes has been strange to say the least but it was still able to produce a touching and very necessary scene. It served as a smaller miracle before the big one – Morello, who wants love more than anything, was somehow able to find it despite being in prison. She never gave up hope that one day she would find happiness, her belief was in destiny and “happily-ever-after”.
Black Cindy (Adrienne C. Moore) turned out to be my favorite character of the season. Cindy stepped into the spotlight this season, helped in no small part by Moore’s incredibly strong performance, and served as the most reliable and interesting lens through which faith was explored. Her exploration was literal, and her journey converting to Judaism ended up being more real than anyone could have anticipated. Her final speech to Rabbi Tatelbaum (Eric Zuckerman) is really powerful. It looks like she even surprises herself with the emotion pouring out.
Her quest isn’t about going from Christianity to Judaism, it isn’t even about getting to eat Kosher meals, it is simply about belief and truth. Cindy finds truth in being able to question everything, she sees tacit permission in Judaic teachings to question God and if she can question something as ethereal as God, she can absolutely question what landed her in Litchfield and what she can do about it. She finds strength from questioning. What excites me most about her new found religiosity, provided she sticks with it, is the collision course it sets her on with MCC next season. MCC is not an organization that likes to be questioned but if anyone could wear them down, it’s Cindy.
MCC is going to have a lot to deal with next season even if Cindy isn’t a constantly questioning thorn in their side. The breadcrumb trail running through the season that leads to the Lake of Freedom is blatantly obvious in hindsight – everything from MCC bringing in inexperienced guards, to Caputo (Nick Sandow) dealing with Danny (Mike Birbiglia), to Chang’s (Lori Tan Chinn) hidden oranges, to Norma’s (Annie Golden) cult, so many little details and story beats all come together in one final mad dash to the lake.
The finale lingers at the lake letting the inmates (and us) revel in a tiny taste of freedom even if it is only fleeting. There is a simple pleasure to feeling sand between your toes and doing so on your own terms. This moment in the lake will be something none of the inmates forget even if they are released in a week and never face imprisonment again. It’s a moment of pure joy and happiness experienced in an environment built upon hopelessness and repression. To end the season with such optimism even as dozens of new inmates pour into Litchfield to occupy the newly installed bunk beds, is important.
Finally, conspicuous by her absence at the lake is Piper (Taylor Schilling). There is only one reason she isn’t present at the lake, she’s in prison. She’s come a long way from the Piper who first arrives at Litchfield in “I Wasn’t Ready“. Her decision to literally “trust no bitch” and set up Stella (Ruby Rose) was the tipping point that signals the full transformation into “Prison Piper”. Like Walter White becoming Heisenberg or Jimmy McGill embracing his Saul Goodman persona, there are many small steps along the way, many chances to turn back, once they go over the tipping point though, that’s it, for better or worse their only faith is in themselves.
Piper inadvertently girds herself against what is to come – the fence will be rebuilt next season and once again the Lake of Freedom will be tantalizingly out of reach. She can’t miss something she never had which will only make her belief in and reliance on herself that much stronger. Changed by the cleansing waters, the other inmates will carry the reminder of another life with them and remember miracles can happen in the most unlikely of places.
Thanks for sticking with me over these past several weeks as I’ve worked through the season slowly. This is a show that I am a really big fan of and while it will probably never top the high of season two, I still found a lot to enjoy this season. What did you like? What didn’t you like? Are you looking forward to season four?
