‘Orange Is The New Black’ season 3, episode 4 review: Big Boo takes center stage
Well we are still worried that we’ve lost Nicole for the rest of season 3 of “Orange Is The New Black” now that she’s been shipped off to a max prison, but we are pressing on! What we have found the most interesting about this season so far is that the Piper and Alex storyline is the one we care the least about, which is a big turn for us since it was always the one we were the most invested in.
Have you ever wondered more about Big Boo’s past? Well then this is the episode for you! We had a chance to see her rebelling against her parents as they tried to force her to wear dresses and be feminine while she pushed back with that sharp tongue we have come to love. She has some real intimacy issues, and it stems from the fact that her mother wouldn’t accept the fact that she’s gay. Even when her mother was dying and Boo went to see her, there was still tension about the way she looks and after a fight with her father decided to not say good bye to her mom. We haven’t had a lot of back story on Big Boo, and we’ve been dying to know more about her. A beautiful performance and a heart breaking story about acceptance that we’ve all felt at least once in our lives.
Back in the prison Big Boo has become closer with Doggett after learning that she didn’t shoot that nurse in the clinic for religious reasons, but really Boo’s motivation is that Doggett gets money from the fanatics and she thinks that maybe she can get a piece of it by pretending to be a gay woman turned straight by religion. After seeing Big Boo push so hard her whole life not to be forced to fit in with what her parents or society want her to look like or be like, it was interesting to see her put on a mask for the church. Of course it doesn’t last long and Big Boo’s true self came roaring to the forefront.
With it being Piper’s birthday, a visit from her parents pushes her further into her relationship with Alex as they make a commitment to be monogamous. We like this connection between them a lot better then the angry sex thing that was going on at the beginning of the season… it feels more organic.
Caputo has convinced financiers to come on a tour of the prison, and although he’s got the staff on their best behavior, they just can’t control Suzanne who found that this was the best time to strip her clothes off and wear a mop as a wig as she continues to struggle with the fact that Vee is gone. After the tour it looks like the investors aren’t that interested in the prison, but later Caputo gets a call saying that they are going to finance the prison.
We really miss having Nicole’s presence at the prison and we aren’t the only ones. It was clear that her absence was felt by a lot of the inmates. There was a really nice moment between Healy and Red over Nicole leaving and the nice things she said about him. We are still secretly hoping for a romance between these two, and after seeing Healy bring Red rose seeds we can see that this is where his head is at. Episode grade: B+
What did you think of this episode of “Orange Is The New Black”? Leave us a comment below and tell us your thoughts on the season so far. If you want more news on the show then head over to the link here and let us be your guide. Also if you want more great TV scoop sent your way then be sure to sign up for our weekly CarterMatt newsletter. (Photo: Netflix)