For the past few years, I’ve grown tired of how Netflix has been conducting its shows. While it is nice to have an entire season available at once, the writing that goes into Netflix’s original series tends to be so sloppy that it seems to rely on binge-watching to gloss over its flaws. Instead of constructing a through line between the beginning, middle and end, what we end up with is shows that start with an interesting central premise and then drift off into random territory before coming back in for the finale.
Orange is the New Black has been guilty of this since Season Four. What was once a show dedicated solely to main character Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) grew into an ensemble cast that tackled prison life from different perspectives and walks of life. As great as it was to see a massively popular show not be centered on a white person, it often came at the expense of any kind of dramatic tension in the plot. Instead of a concrete idea with side-plots to supplement it, we got seasons that had no outline and felt more like vignettes than tightly spun dramas.
After season five ended with the ladies of Litchfield County getting sent to Maximum Security prison, I figured this new season would be the complete shake-up the show desperately needed. Instead, it’s just business as usual with the only solid plotline getting suffocated by poorly paced and awkwardly constructed flashbacks and diversions.
Source: Destructoid Review: Orange is the New Black – Season Six