Orange Is the New Black 5.08

Tied to the Tracks

Red and Flores continue to try and lure Piscatella into Litchfield using Humps' phone. they have a secret way in. Piscatella, thinking that he is dealing with Humps, tries telling the commander in charge about Humps but he just laughs at him.

Judy King and Aleida Diaz are on Meredith Viera's TV show. The two former inmates do not get along. Judy reveals that there was shooting in Litchfield. She drops enough hints so that Aleida knows that Daya was the shooter. 

Figueroa comes to negotiate on behalf of the governor. She talks to Taystee, the negotiator for the inmates. They make progress until Figueroa learns that one of the guards was shot.

Daya gets the backstory spotlight.

Mendoza finds out that her son is in a coma in the ICU. She wants to get out to help him but she can't. She tries talking to Caputo, who is still locked in one of the port-a-poddies. He tells her that she needs to do something to help end the current situation at Litchfield if she wants his help.

Nichols helps Red cope with high she is riding and the trip down.

Leanne and Angie continue to pick on Doggett. They have the help of the skin heads. Doggett tries to get help from Boo nut Boo is too wrapped up in her relationship with Linda. Doggett finally snaps, attacks Angie, and breaks her nose. She is punished by getting locked in one of the port-a-poddies. 

Suzanne continues to play with the guards until some of the other inmates decide to take them away. Suzanne reacts violently and gets flex-cuffed to her bed.

Mendoza talks Daya into talking to her mother. Aleida gives Daya a pep talk, tries to convince her to take charge of the situation. Daya calls Mrs. Powell who was set to adopt Daya's baby until Aleida told her that it died while Daya was giving birth. Daya tells Mrs. Powell that she wants her to adopt her child. She does not level with her about the identity of the father.

Flores sets a trap for Piscatella and then falls into it.

Taystee, Chapman, Cindy, Abdullah, Watson, and Soso debate whether they should get Daya and hand her over to the cops. They try to get her but come back empty handed. Daya winds up turning herself in after she gets off the phone with Mrs. Powell.

The episode ends with Piscatella breaking into Litchfield, after dark.

Thoughts

Berlin is not in this episode and there are no scenes that take place in her bunker. Murphy, Yoga Jones, DeMarco, and Romano are also not in this episode. Linda is only in it very briefly. Pornstache  shows up briefly for the first time since season 3. 

The backstory flashback belongs to Daya but Aleida is also in it. Daya is supposed to be 14 in the flashback scenes, according to the credits. It seems to be about how Aleida gave her bad advice and tried to control her life.

This episode is nowhere near as light as some of the recent ones. That's a plus. I don't mind humor but some of these jokes get stretched way too far. If only the rest of the episodes in this season are as good as this one. I doubt that will be the case.