Orange is the New Black Season 4 Episode 11 Review: People Persons
Elizabeth Harlow
at
.
The heat was on.
On Orange is the New Black Season 4 Episode 11, Piscatella turned on Caputo, which let the loose cannons on the CO staff break free. With dissension among the ranks, tensions are on the rise. How long before Litchfield devolves into a real life Stanford Prison Experiment – or has it already?
The flashback's to Suzanne's crime were heartbreaking in so many ways. Not just because of the tragic death of young Dylan, which she tried to stop, but because Suzanne clearly was not a capable adult even before her incarceration. It seemed like there were obvious ways that the situation could have been avoided.
And it was upsetting that this woman who was not able to really take care of herself was found competent enough to end up in a federal facility. She had no understanding that she had essentially kidnapped Dylan, and the death was an accident. She needed to be placed in a facility that could address her needs, not locked up without treatment.
Something's clearly not wired right in Maureen's head either, but Crazy Eye's developmental issues make her an easy target for victimization, and her reaction to Humphrey's "fight club" and Kukudio's taunting were exactly like a child's. Eventually, she lost control of her emotions, and lashed out at those hurting her.
So, like, we didn't get to finish dinner, so are we gonna, like, get a second dinner like hobbits or....
Crazy Eyes
Then there were Lolly's heartbreaking scenes. Healey's realization of his own failures was hard to watch, but it was Lolly's confused cries as she was taken to Psych that had me tearing up. Again, it's hard to fathom how she was found competent to stand trial, let alone stable enough to warrant prison instead of a hospital.
The way that the other inmate/patient was being tied down, it's hard to imagine that Lolly will get the help that she needs in Psych. It doesn't help that with no corroboration, Aydin's death will be ruled as a homicide and not as defensive action. Poor Lolly will be stuck in a prison within a prison.
She'll likely end up medicated out of her mind, even though in the past she has come up with alternative methods to manage her psychosis. I doubt that MCC employs a full time therapist or psychiatrist to treat and monitor those in their care, so keeping the mentally inmates restrained and drugged is the cheapest easiest course of action.
I've really tried so hard, but the harder I try, the worse things seem to get.
Healy
Caputo may have good intentions, but the fact that he continues to kowtow to MCC and not do what he knows to be right is beyond frustrating. All the goodwill that's he built up over the past seasons is being blown because of the way he toes the company line.
And don't get me started on his relationship with Linda. Every time she does something that I think will finally make him wake up, he stays with her. I'd like to the character at least a little disgusted with himself, like he was when he was sleeping with Natalie. Linda is arguably worse. Fig was just worn down, she has no empathy.
But a bad boss and a bad girlfriend only give Caputo so much moral cover on what's happening at Litchfield. His leadership, or lack therof, is directly responsible for the situation with the guards. MCC might not give him all the resources he needs, but his inattention let the problem go on for far too long. It's been an open barn door situation for a while now.
Caputo: You've never actually been to Litchfield, have you? Have you ever been in any prison.
Linda: It never seemed necessary.
Piscatella's open rebellion against Caputo only opened the door for Humphrey to be more public about his psychological torture. I don't know what was more disturbing, that he instigated the inmate fights and was betting on them, or that no one at all objected.
As for the captain, I don't understand how his cognitive dissonance isn't giving him on hell of a migraine. His inability to view prisoners as people even as he tacitly acknowledges the bad behavior of his men boggles my mind.
I'm interested to see how Bayley handles what he saw – and the fact that he didn't try to stop it. I was surprised that he didn't tell Coates about the fight inside. "Gerber" didn't just get his nickname for his baby face. I thought he'd go crying to somebody right away. He was clearly conflicted.
Red: If they question you, do not speak to them. They'll tell you someone has already confessed. Do not believe it. It's a manipulation.
Frieda: Another manipulation? They hit you repeatedly in the face.
With Nikky getting clean with Pennsatucky's help, and Lolly getting sent to Psych, there's bound to be some adjustments being made in Red's family. I'm hoping that Taystee will at least try to leverage her influence with Caputo after what happened to Crazy Eyes, the odds of him listening and taking action grow slimmer by the day.
The big question for the final two episodes is what can possibly stop the guards from their reign of terror. I look forward to finding out.
Watch Orange is the New Black online, and stay tuned for TV Fanatic Amanda Steinmetz's take on Orange is the New Black Season 4 Episode 12! We can't wait to hear your thoughts on "People Persons" in our comments section!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
