Orange is the New Black: Season 2/ Episode 7 “Comic Sans” – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

Black Cindy is the focus of the episode, as is Red’s resurgence and Vee’s new booming business.

Review (with Spoilers)

In “Comic Sans” there is a strong focus on everyone trying to find some way to cope and deal with their situation the best they can. For some, like Cindy, it is with laughter; for others it is using, and abusing, their power; and for others it is just finding an outlet. Since with their past behind them and their future bleak, you are almost forced to do more than just wallow in self-pity. After all, no one is going to take care of you while you do nothing for them in return.

Topic 1: All Sides to the Story – Piper, Caputo and Bennett

With a quota system in place to make sure the write up numbers are good, and to make up for a prisoner who somehow escaped, Caputo cracks down on the correctional officers and forced them all to be a bit more like buttholes. Something which none of the prisoners appreciate, but Caputo hopes that maybe Piper’s paper, “Big House Bugle,” could hopefully remind inmates that despite the quotas that the administrators and COs are still human. In fact, he even allows himself to be the first featured administrator.

But this doesn’t mean Piper necessarily is trying to kiss the butt of Caputo and co. She still very much is trying to help Andrew, perhaps now without Larry, to find out where $2,000,000 went, much less the $200,000 for this gym the girls are supposed to have. Which assumingly may have gone to Fig’s husband’s senate campaign, but that’s my theory. Though, as we already know, Fig may not be the only one dealing with extortion, for Bennett still is being blackmailed.

Between Aleida, Flaca, and Ramos, Bennett has had enough and decides to make an example out of Ramos who decides to threaten him. He puts her in solitary and then gets flak from Daya about it. If just because the Spanish girls are supposed to look out for each other and surely Daya was expected to say something to her overzealous boyfriend.

Topic 2: Phoenix Rising – Red & Vee

With both Red and Vee in business, the contraband is flowing. However, even with the product flowing there are issues. Red still doesn’t have her old girls back, and while she is cool with the golden girls, you can see they will never really satisfy her. But for Red the biggest issue is Vee bringing in tobacco since now girls need fire, something which she believes will not end well. Vee doesn’t care of course, for now she is back in the hustling game and making good money on it. Though she does have a problem with Cindy as a dealer. With the respect that comes with demand, Cindy has been using her cigarettes to get people to clean her area, get stuff from the kitchen, and not getting the stamps she is supposed to. Vee doesn’t appreciate this at all and as she did with Poussey, while she doesn’t threaten or physically hit anyone, she does mess with Cindy’s head a bit.

Topic 3: Learning to Adapt – Black Cindy and Poussey

And speaking of Poussey, she gets the oddest visitor in the library. Said person being Nicky who originally came just for cigarettes, but ends up having a chat with Poussey. Being that Poussey and Taystee’s chemistry is known prison wide, Nicky wonders what is going on? And as she listens, her only advice to Poussey is to adapt. She may not like Vee, but Nicky notes that if you want to continue being friends with Taystee, you got to accept Vee in the process.

So when Black Cindy doesn’t deliver, Vee gives Poussey the shot at taking over her position. And with that there is a need to talk about Cindy’s past. She comes from around Pittsburgh and has pretty much always been this happy go lucky social butterfly. Thing is, as Vee says, she is very much like the grasshopper in the grasshopper and the ant story. She loves having fun, but hates responsibility. Hence why her daughter lives with her mom and thinks she, Cindy, is her sister. But after Vee verbally knocks some sense into Cindy, it seems she will at least attempt to work hard and show her worth. Though it may be a long road to get back in Vee’s good graces.

Things To Note

Wanda and O’Neill seem to reconcile after fighting last episode.

Polly and Larry are seemingly on the verge of having a full blown affair with them having sex. Though, in Polly’s defense, Larry pretty much has been far more helpful than Pete ever has and probably been more of a boyfriend than Pete.