Orange Is the New Black is back and more addictive than ever for its third season on Netflix. The Emmy Award-winning show debuted all thirteen episodes at once, giving viewers a chance to binge over the weekend. In an effort to savor the flavor, we caught up on the first three episodes of OITNB, and now we’re bringing you the highlights!
Find out what happened to Miss Rosa (Barbara Rosenblat) after she escaped from prison, the status of Bennet (Matt McGorry) and Daya’s (Dascha Polanco) relationship, and whether Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) is back in Litchfield.
What Happened To Rosa?
We know Rosa was on her way out last season (she was given just a few weeks to live), but what happened to her after she ran over Vee (Lorraine Toussaint) and transformed into a free-spirited younger version of herself? Turns out Rosa ran the prison truck into a quarry, so — in the words of Red (Kate Mulgrew) — “the woman went out like a champ.”
Alex Is Back In Jail and Things Are Super Weird
Remember last season when Piper (Taylor Schilling) asked her BFF to tell Alex’s probation officer that she was trying to skip town? Yeah, well now Alex is back in jail, and she’s less-than-thrilled. Piper doesn’t come clean until the second episode, but Alex is absolutely livid. The good news is that she channels her rage into some steamy, angry sex until she and Piper eventually kiss and make up — but the problem? Now that Alex and Piper have forgiven each other, their physical connection lacks passion. Relationship status: just friends?
We Know Why Nicky Was Thrown In Jail
After three seasons, OITNB finally gave us Nicky’s (Natasha Lyonne) backstory: this well-meaning heroin addict was so desperate for drugs that she thought it would be a good idea to steal and sell a rare copy of The Old Man and the Sea (spoiler alert: it was a terrible idea). Nicky’s wealthy mom hired a high-power lawyer in an attempt to reduce her daughter’s sentence, but you know how it goes: mo’ money, mo’ problems.
Speaking of Nicky, She’s Sent To Max
Wondering what happened to Vee’s heroine stash? Nicky found it, and while she had every intention of teaming up with Lushek (Matt Peters) to deal, she couldn’t resist the drug’s siren call. Nicky ended up hiding a baggie under Lushek’s desk, and was caught by Caputo (Nick Sandow) after the “meth heads” ratted her out. Sadly, Nicky was sent to Max, and watching her say goodbye to Red (her prison mom) was truly heartbreaking — especially when juxtaposed against flashbacks with Nicky and her real mom. Let’s hope she gets out later this season!
Uhm, Bennet Might Have Left Daya
Not to be alarming, but Bennet is officially dead to us. Up until now, this proud dad has been thrilled about parenthood — and he actually popped the question to Daya early in the season. However, after visiting Daya’s family and being alarmed by their living conditions, he drives his car into the unknown distance — leaving a borrowed baby crib abandoned on the side of the road. Meanwhile, Daya is seriously considering letting Mendez’s mom raise her baby — despite the fact that she isn’t the real grandmother.
There’s A New Counselor In Town — And She’s Awesome
Give a warm welcome to Counselor Rogers (Marsha Stephanie Blake)! This friendly and well-meaning officer is relatable, talks to the inmates like they’re her friends, and even managed to get Alex and Piper to declare their feels during a drama class (because yes, she started a drama class). Of course, we know how quickly the Litch breaks people…will Counselor Rogers lose her good-guy lease on life by the end of the season? That remains to be seen!
Changes Are Coming
Caputo started this season on a bad note when he learned that Litchfield was closing, but before you panic, there’s a light at the end of this tunnel. Thanks to his nemesis, Figueroa (Alysia Reiner), Caputo gets a chance to hand over Litch to a business corporation — but he can only swing it if they “make the criteria.” We’ll have to wait and see what that means, but life at Litch is either going to get a lot better or a lot worse.
Tell Us: What do you think of Season 3 of Orange Is the New Black thus far?
