TELEVISION REVIEWS

MOVIE AND TELEVISION REVIEWS

TELEVISION

Orange is the New Black

Starring: Taylor Schilling, Kate Mulgrew, Laura Prepon, Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Abuda, Laverne Cox
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Synopsis: The story of Piper Chapman, a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to fifteen months in prison after being convicted of a decade-old crime of transporting money for her drug-dealing girlfriend.
Language: English
Status: 2 seasons, renewed for 3rd season

Netflix has been churning out original series with mixed results. Hemlock Grove, for example, was one of their series that I simply didn’t enjoy. I’d heard good things about Orange is the New Black from friends and ended up giving it a try. Hours later, I was still engrossed in the lives of these prisoners as season one came to a close. Rarely am I so invested in a series that I binge watch an entire season in a day. I was excited to begin season two and was only disappointed that it came to an end.

Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) is a seemingly normal girl living a normal life with her boring boyfriend, Larry (Jason Biggs). Their lives are interrupted when Piper’s past comes back to haunt her. She used to be a lesbian with a hot girlfriend, Alex (Laura Prepon), who influenced her to smuggle drug money. Alex and other members of the cartel were arrested several years after their breakup. Someone named Piper in the trial and now she faces 15 months in a federal women’s prison.

This isn’t only about Piper’s story. The writers wisely delve into the backstories and lives of the women she meets during her incarceration. These women each bring a depth to the story that was otherwise lacking from the real Piper Kerman’s memoir. Alex, the woman who complicates Piper’s life in ways she’s not prepared for, is among these women. Other notable characters are Red (Kate Mulgrew), the strong Russian woman who runs the kitchen with an iron fist, and Sophia (Laverne Cox), the male to female transgender, who works in the hair salon.

The prison guards and administration also figure into the mix with characters. Healy, the anti-lesbian counselor, has his own problems both inside and outside of the prison. Fischer, a female officer, struggles with being an authority figure which the prisoners take advantage of. Problems run rampant from sex to the bad conditions in the prison.

The action isn’t limited to inside the prison. Outside life is featured as Larry tries to cope with Piper’s incarceration as well as her best friend, Polly, giving birth without her. Things are further complicated by visits from Piper’s overbearing mother. However, the action outside of the prison isn’t nearly as interesting as what’s going on inside.

The show can be heartbreaking and hilarious. All of the women on the show bring their characters to life in surprising ways. The bonds that they’ve built will keep you watching episode after episode. Ultimately, we learn along with Piper that life never throws us anything that you’re not strong enough to survive.

Rating: 4.5/5

TELEVISION

Hannibal

Starring: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Synopsis: Explores the early relationship between the renowned psychiatrist and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
Language: English
Status: Airing; 2 seasons

Following up a performance by Anthony Hopkins as the titular character is going to be hard on any actor. Mads Mikkelsen does a splendid job as the suave, cunning psychologist with a sinister side. It’s a performance that shouldn’t be compared to his predecessor. Mikkelsen uses a subtle, sophisticated charm to make the role his own. The true star is Hugh Dancy as the fragile FBI profiler, Will Graham. He’s a man trapped in his own personal hell caused by peering into the minds and lives of serial killers. His imagination runs wild, showing him torturous images of these killers and their creations. It’s in Dancy’s portrayal of this introverted and antisocial man that captures the viewer. We’re watching him unravel with each case he takes and each time he encounters Dr. Lecter. It’s a suspenseful show that often takes time to build in pace. There isn’t a huge level of gore, but significantly more than you’d see on your average basic cable station. The artful, artistic way the kills are handled as well as the dream sequences will set this apart from shows like CSI. Hannibal is much more of a psychological horror than it is a crime drama.

Rating: 4/5

TELEVISION

Game of Thrones

Starring: Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Maisie Williams, Emilia Clarke, Iain Glen, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Genre: Drama, Adventure, Fantasy

Synopsis: Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.

Language: English

Status: Airing; 4 seasons

George RR Martin’s epic fantasy series would be a challenge for any company to adapt. There is far more to cover than most series from the sheer amount of characters, sweeping backstories and intricacies to the dragons and direwolves. Airing the show on HBO was likely the best way to do it. Each season is comprised of ten hour long episodes, which gives the producers more freedom to explore the world that Martin created. Some fans may not have been happy with the choices the production company has made. Characters have been aged up and changed for good reason. Daenerys Targaryen, for example, is thirteen in the first book when she’s sold into an arranged marriage. This is the type of series to really immerse yourself in. Having an actress of the appropriate age wouldn’t translate well into a tv series simply due to the content of her storyline. Each actor and actress in the series is incredibly talented whether they’re seasoned veterans like Sean Bean and Lena Headey or newcomers like Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner. The sets and costumes are well crafted to set the tone of the series. Sex, blood and gore are unavoidable, but ultimately tasteful for the source material.

Rating: 5/5