Ah, yes. The A&E tradition of giving the editor a corner has finally fallen upon me. If you don’t know, I am a huge television junkie. Therefore, to kick off my new corner privilege, I have decided to enthuse about a popular television series: “Orange is the New Black.”

Released last year, the comedy-drama series is a Netflix-exclusive show that centers on Piper Chapman, a seemingly normal, innocent woman. However, her past soon lands her in prison, where the show is set. The audience eventually meets many of Piper’s fellow female prisoners, who have eclectic personalities and histories, and follows the incessant drama that ensues from compacting volatile, felonious women in one facility.

I must concede that the plot of the show never appealed to me, but I could not ignore the critical praise any longer. And to my surprise, I became hooked by the first episode. Netflix was smart for posting the whole season at once, because I soon found myself binge-watching the first two seasons within a couple weeks.

OITNB manages to shed some light on the humanistic side of some of the inmates. In fact, you begin to empathize with the prisoners. I never thought I would feel sorry for a drug dealer, gang member, and even a murderer. Yet creator Jenji Kohan manages to do just that while artistically intertwining the dark, realistic storylines with humorous, sassy quips. Even the opening credits, though long, show faces of actual former prisoners, which evokes a strong emotional appeal from viewers.
The acting in this show is superb, as proven by the several Emmy nods this show has accumulated. Whether they are playing psychotic stalkers to cold-hearted intimidators, the actresses have no trouble convincing the viewers that they are not to be messed with.

With a fair share of plot twists and solid acting, OITNB is a must-see show for anybody who does not mind crude humor and occasional graphic scenes. I highly recommend giving at least the first episode a chance.