"You Also Have A Pizza"
Written By: Stephen Falk
Directed By: Allison Anders
Flashback Of: Poussey
GRADE: A-
Brief Description: Love is in the air in Litchfield.. Not just with the prisoners, but with the prison guards and Larry and Poussey and everybody else. "You Also Have A Pizza" only covers about 48 hours worth of time around Valentine's Day, yet it feels like months. So many characters get great little moments, and this episode shows what a true ensemble cast this is really is and also that Piper is the star of it.
Let's get the major story points out of the way first before we get into the little characters moments. "You Also Have A Pizza" closes some mini arcs while also setting up some new ones. We finally figure out exactly what Red's plan is, as she finds an unused sewage system that she can sneak supplies in and out of. While it's extremely unbelievable that a security flaw of this magnitude actually exists, I'll buy it for the sake of this particular story. Red's power is on the rise as she hands out gifts to the fellow White inmates to get back in their good graces. While it's a great first gesture for some, it doesn't work for Gina and The Mute as they're still mad at her (rightfully so) for causing Gina's burn (which seemed even more apparent in this episode to me).
Vee, on the other hand, has no problem smuggling in supplies and getting the girls on her side. The switching of bathrooms with the Hispanics still doesn't make a whole lot of sense as we see in the beginning what terrible hygiene conditions they have to endure, but having all the Blacks on the custodial crew allows Vee to smuggle in tobacco for cigarettes. I actually don't buy in that the fellow Blacks would whole-heartedly support Vee, especially the outspoken Watson who seems to get the worst of it, but no matter, Vee now has every Black on her side. Except for Poussey.
The friendship between Poussey and Taystee seems completely over has the Vee divide seems to big to patch up. Although losing out on a loved one is not new territory for Poussey. The flashbacks show Poussey as a military brat stuck in Germany, but in love. However, the girl she's sleeping with happens to be the Big Bossman's Daughter, and when he catches his daughter and Poussey in bed together, he ships Poussey's dad, and therefore Poussey as well, back to the States. Poussey now loses ANOTHER love and almost shoots The Bossman down before her father intervenes. Orange Is The New Black is capable of telling compelling stories to give complexities to background characters, but the Poussey flashbacks just felt tired and cliche. We didn't really get any new information at all about Poussey that couldn't have been shown to us via her time in Litchfield. However, it was a love story that not only added depth to the Taystee/Poussey/Vee relationship, but to the central theme of love in this New York prison.
Back in Litchfield, almost every character gets a heartwarming scene. Bennett and Daya spend Valentine's Day together and have sex in an empty office, Nichols and Big Boo call off their fuck bet after it ends in a tie, Healy, in a very lovely scene, calls his wife Katya to try and fight for her, Caputo tries to get with Fischer, although she seems more into Luschek, the heavyweight and bitchy security guard get a nice background line or two in, Flaca and Maritza kiss in the kitchen (thank you Wikipedia for names!), and most importantly Larry kisses Polly in part to get back at Piper.
Larry visits Piper for the first time since they broke up and we get more negative consequences both to Piper's need to be loved right now as well as her arrogant condescension. She calls Larry "The Moon" which Larry in turn spits the metaphor back into Piper's face calling her "The Sun"- the thing that needs to be in the center of the Universe. Yet even though Larry storms off, Piper still does digging for him looking into Natalie Figueroa's corruption and embezzlement. It seems obvious that Figueroa's ends up in an orange jumpsuit, but probably not until season's end.
They are so many story lines going on at once this episode and Jenji Kohan and crew are juggling them to perfection. If the flashback scenes had been stronger, this would have been an "A+" episode. We're about halfway done with Season 2, and it feels like it's only going uphill from here.
EXTRA NOTES:
* As much as this episode is about love, it's also about power. Vee and Red have their own power going in their separate circles, but I imagine soon they'll both compete to become top dog. They certainly act like friends right now, but soon they'll be enemies. We also see Pennsatucky kicked out of her own crew as Leanne now becomes the leader of the druggies as well as the Hispanics really taking advantage of Bennett's ability to smuggle contraband into the prison through his leg.
* Another great little moment is when Suzanne shows Morello Christopher's marriage certificate. Two crazy ladies embracing each other's craziness.
* Not a whole lot of laughs in this episode, although Suzanne arguing with the mop at the beginning of the episode was not only humorous, but really shows you how smart and self-aware she can be.
* Brook was discussing her theory that Ferris Bueller's Day Off was actually all about Cameron during the Valentine's Day party. I recommend you all read up on the theory; it's really interesting. Although, as interesting as it might have been, it was the straw that broke the camel's back to have a nun swear at her to "Shut The Fuck Up". As much as Piper acted like her shit didn't stink, she was never *this* annoying.
*PORNSTACHE UPDATE: Still no Mendez, but at least we get his name mentioned. He's still alive! Daya finds the Valentine's Day card Mendez sent her and mistakenly thinks it was from Bennett.
Click here for my thoughts on Episode 1 - "Thirsty Bird"
Click here for my thoughts on Episode 2 - "Looks Blue, Tastes Red"
Click here for my thoughts on Episode 3 - "Hugs Can Be Deceiving"
Click here for my thoughts on Episode 4 - "A Whole Other Hole"
Click here for my thoughts on Episode 5 - "Low Self Esteem City"
NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN THE EPISODE, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON "YOU ALSO HAVE A PIZZA"? LET US KNOW ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!
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