Orange Is the New Black 7.03

And Brown Is the New Orange

Ward shuts down the SHU. The prisoners that are in the SHU are moved back to the cell blocks where they were before. This includes Red, Mendoza, Badisson, and Taystee, as well as a few more. Hopper objects. He wants to know how they are going to punish the prisoners without the SHU. Ward suggests that they should use positive reinforcement.

Fig is now the ICE Queen. Linda shows her around. Ramos and Flores start hanging out together. Ramos quickly learns that she has even fewer rights as an ICE detainee than she did as a prisoner. She tries various ways to get a message out but nothing seems to work. Everything does not go well between the two of them.

Flores gets the backstory spotlight. The focus is mostly on her relationship with Diablo, her boyfriend. Things go from great to much worse. He comes to see her at the ICE detention center and gets detained by ICE himself.

Piper's probation officer finds out that she lost her job. She tells Piper than she needs to find a new job immediately or else she might get returned to prison. Piper turns to her father. He has softened his stance a little bit and agrees to hire her.

Suzanne tries to get Tastyee and Cindy to reconcile. She gets some help from Doggett but it doesn't exactly work out. 

McCullough wants Vause to sell for her but all she can get her hands on are some of her mother's vitamins and other pills. They put on an act in front of Hellman to throw him off the fact that they are now working together. Hellman recommends that Ward have Vause transferred to a prison in Arkansas. She decides to transfer Baddisson instead.

Red and Mendoza are put in charge of a kitchen. They get Morello, Nichols, and Flaca to help them. They don't know it yet but its the kitchen for the ICE detention center.

Thoughts

Daya and Aleida are not in this episode. Berlin still has yet to make an appearance in this season. Caputo, Nichols, Morello, and Flaca only make brief appearances in this episode.

I think that Mendoza and the others in the ICE kitchen will help get help for Flores and Ramos.

I thought for a moment there that Ward's turn as warden might end in this episode. I'm not sure if she will still be the warden at the end of the show.

I'm starting to wonder about how this show will end. Will it have a happy ending? I doubt it but it might for one or two characters. I wonder if they will do a flash forward in the last episode.

I am still enjoying this show. I have my doubts about it sticking the landing in a way that satisfies me but I'm enjoying the ride, for now.