Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: yes, Orange Is the New Black is rushing the Brooke/Poussey relationship. Does that matter, if the relationship works? I mean, yes and no. There’s some narrative leeway afforded to OITNB because Poussey, after all, did save Brooke’s life. But they went from making furtive glances in each others’ direction to being what Brooke dubs “lezzy togezzy.”
But I don’t care. Kimiko Glenn and Samira Wiley do such a good job in their roles, and their relationship feels so honest, and quite frankly it’s just nice to see two of Litchfield’s saddest inmates find happiness together. “(Don’t) Say Anything” comes close to sabotaging their budding relationship, with the revelation that Brooke has some pretty backwards ideas about Poussey’s upbringing (“I’ve seen The Wire, I made assumptions…”). But this does lead to a great scene for Poussey, as she stops being star-struck in Judy King’s presence long enough to realize that only one of them fits the stereotype they’re assigned to, and it’s not the one whose mother has a Master’s in Art History and whose father is a Colonel in the Navy. Poussey can sometimes be an outlet for Orange‘s more maudlin storytelling tics – let’s not forget her ill-fated flirtation with alcoholism last season – but more often than not she really gives Samira Wiley a chance to shine.
Those two paragraphs are a mouthful, and that’s just one of “(Don’t) Say Anything”‘s multiple plots. OITNB is displaying some serious deftness when it comes to handling all these stray storylines. Sometimes it can show just how slight an episode is, and “(Don’t) Say Anything” is certainly that, but it’s so well-done that, again, leeway is afforded.
Like, how much time did you expect the show to devote to Taystee becoming Caputo’s secretary? It’s a nice callback to her victory at the job fair way back when, but more importantly, it’s pretty damn funny. All of Taystee’s lines are in contention for the funniest line of the episode. I’m a big fan of all her watch jokes (“You gonna ‘watch me’ watch me?”), and her phone skills, which leave a lot to be desired. But I think I’m most fond of her honesty with Caputo, who seems ill-adjusted to his new role as warden: “We’re only a few minutes late to meet Mr. Piscatella, and you the boss anyway, so relax.”
Ah, yes, Piscatella: I like the work Brad William Henke is doing in the role, and yeah, this is probably going to get dark (remember, we thought Coates was kind of funny at first too), but for now I’m enjoying his social ineptitude. It’s a subtle bit of characterization: Piscatella is more comfortable in a position of authority, as that dynamic is how he defines himself. Flash back to him refusing to wear a suit, being more comfortable in a uniform; and for all his intensity, he still defers to Caputo. In many ways, he’s a very stunted man, and Henke manages to convey that with only a few mannerisms. I love his ice-breakers with the new guards, getting in one woman’s face and demanding, “You tell me two truths and a lie.”
Look, shit is going to get dark. Twice this episode Piper was warned about being too big for her contraband britches, and she seems to be taking none of it to heart. Whitehill is guilty and also very, very confused, and Freida almost nonchalantly tells Alex, “We have to kill her.” But I consider slighter, funnier episodes like “(Don’t) Say Anything” a chance to hang out with some characters I genuinely like (even the ones I don’t like are satisfyingly formed). It’s nice to have the chance to do so.
A Few Thoughts
- “Felonious Spunk” is the most Piper Chapman name ever for a used panty company.
- As funny as this episode was, watching Caputo run into Donaldson was pretty rough.
- Healy, introducing Red to Judy King: “I’m sure you’ll find a lot in common. Hair, accents…”
- Taystee, on being Caputo’s secretary: “I’ve seen Shawshank and I don’t wanna go to Sig cause I did your taxes too good.”
- Nice Sisyphus reference, Suzanne.
- Nice 127 Hours reference, Morello.
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