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“Orange is the New Black” recap (2.11): Take a Break From Your Values

There’s a superstorm bearing down on New York and it’s got the inmates feeling a little tense. Soso and the hunger strikers, which now includes Yoga Jones, Leanne and Angie, are discussing their final list of demands. Sister Ingalls is tired of their bickering and tells them to shush it or stuff it. Yoga is surprised the Sister is showing so much resistance since she’s in jail for her boundary pushing activism. Sister Ingalls says she’s just looking for a little silent contemplation, so naturally Leanne calls her a pussy.

Flashback to Sister as a young nun. As a young novitiate she’s getting a tour of the convent by an older nun, Sister Constance. Sister Ingalls inquires as to when she should expect Jesus to speak to her because so far it’s only been her talking. “Jesus, you’ll never believe what happened in gym class. Jesus, what’s the difference between Canadian bacon and ham? Jesus? Hello?” The older nun tells her that Jesus comes to those humble enough to listen. Sister Ingalls overhears some fellow novitiates talking about anti-war demonstrations and a young activist is born.

After the disastrous PR situation brought upon by Mendez’s arrest, Fig is planning a rock concert benefit against rape. “Rape and Roll,” is an actual suggestion. Man, she is the worst. (I’d like to point out that she is wearing a snakeskin-patterned suit.) She thanks Caputo for his assistance in the matter and informs him that the B Dorm bathroom is finally being fixed. By an approved vendor of course. Also, the warden is gifting him with some old riot gear, just in case. Of riots and stuff. Or Taco Tuesday!

Daya has poured her pain and humiliation into a comic for the newsletter and Piper comments on her bravery. Soso, weak from hunger, hands Piper her contribution; the hunger strike demands. Piper is like, “Listen here, Katniss NeverDeen, there is no way I can get this past Healy.” Soso begs her to try, and Chapman agrees to put it in with the expectation that it will be cut. Soso is grateful, even if she doesn’t trust a bitch. Piper walks off with Soso hot on her trail, blathering about Gandhi, which gives Bennett a chance to talk to Daya. Daya is not in the mood to deal with Bennett’s puppy dog eyes and pouty lying lips, so she bounces.

Poussey struggles with a heavy cart of books on account of her smashed up ribs and all. Vee approaches her and Poussey can only wish for a door to Narnia to pop up and let her escape this bullshit. Vee offers Poussey some Arnica for the pain, all the while reminding her that the Big House is actually Vee’s House. Poussey suggests that Vee got herself tossed in jail because it’s the only place she can get any respect. She calls Vee out on her Fagin-like ways. “You’re like a pedophile without the sex.” Vee doesn’t take kindly to the comparison and asks Poussey how much worse does she want it to get. Poussey, like a woman with nothing to lose, tells her to bring it.

Piper stops by Healy’s office and he is actually happy to see her. He’s placed an ad in the newsletter for Safe Space and feeling pretty good about his mad counseling skills. So much so that he skims right past the hunger strike demands and sends the newsletter off to print. Piper has a question but before she can ask it, Healy makes her write down a feeling and put it in the “Feelings Jar.” Piper wants to add someone to her call list. A certain bespectacled Queens dwelling Alex Vause. “It’s not a lesbian thing!” Piper assures him. (It’s always a lesbian thing.) He suggests that this is a bad idea but Piper tells him it will give her some much needed closure. He signs the request, and she places her feeling in the jar. Grateful.

Red is on a rampage and it’s not even lunch time! She’s looking for the traitor who sold out her smuggling tunnel. She turns her rage onto poor Frieda, who is minding her own business, playing cards. Red grabs her by the collar and Nicky has to pull her off. She follows Red into the bathroom and tries to calm her down. Nicky suggests that maybe Vee just figured it out all on her own. Just then, Cindy appears and points out that maybe their secret plans would stay secret if they didn’t scream about them in public places. Red confronts Cindy about the drugs coming in, and reminds her what happened to Trisha. Cindy remembers all too well but launches into this speech.

“I remember the Alamo too, but that don’t keep me from eating Mexican food. And drugs in the prison ain’t the craziest thing that’s ever happened. I’ll tell you what is though. You thinking you can open a road and say only white people can drive on it. Uh uh. This is America. The bathrooms may be segregated, but the market be free.”

As she leaves, feeling triumphant, she lets Red know that it was Boo who told Vee about the tunnel.

Outside on the loading dock, the COs are getting their shipment of riot gear. As the boys play with their toys, CO Bell stops by to hand out the newsletter, with O’Neill featured on the front page. This is how Caputo finds out about the hunger strike. He heads inside to confront Soso and the women. He’s not particularly interested in hearing their demands. The B Dorm bathroom is being fixed so that gets crossed off the list. The SHU is another subject entirely, and a sensitive one apparently since Caputo refuses to discuss it. He does let Yoga Jones know that Watson is being released later that day though. When he asks if there are any more questions, Sister Ingalls pipes up regarding the care of elderly inmates. She puts on her no nonsense habit and calls Caputo out for the so called Compassionate Release program. He quakes just a little in his boots. I went to Catholic school for 12 years, so I know the feeling.

Flashback to the young nuns being dropped off in front of the convent by a hippie in a VW bus. One of the head nuns sees them and sends them off to meet with Sister Constance, which means they are in big trouble. The novitiate that suggested the rally and swore they had Sr. Connie’s blessing, turns out to be the Lying Nun. Ha. Sorry. It’s too late though. Sister Ingalls has been bitten by the activist bug.

Watson does indeed get released from SHU, and Cindy can’t help but try and push her buttons. Watson is not in a good state from being isolated, and lashes out at her. Vee calms her down and they sit to eat. With impeccable timing, Pennsatucky comes by to announce sign ups for Safe Space. Watson asks what Safe Space is and Cindy tells her it’s where you can snitch comfortably and get a shot removed from your record. Watson thinks it sounds pretty good, actually. Pennsatucky stops at the table to ask if anyone wants to sign up, and mentions that Poussey did. Suzanne offers to keep an eye on her in case she decides to open up. Vee loves the idea and Suzanne promises, “my brain will always be there for you, thinking things so you don’t have to.”

At Polly and Pete’s, Peter is freaking out because nobody wants to put his Alaskan adventure story on the radio. Polly asks him to sit down because she and Larry want to tell him something. Pete has zero suspicions but it’s also likely that his brain is made of TimTams, so it’s not surprising. Pete thinks they want to talk about having a threesome, but Polly announces that she’s leaving him. When Pete tries to defend his abandoning the family, Larry gets in his face. Pete does what the Vauseman shippers only dream about in fanfiction, and pops Larry in the face.

Daya seeks out Aleida for some mommy time. Daya feels guilty about what happened to Mendez, but Aledia doesn’t understand why. Now she and Bennett can live happily ever after, so what’s the problem? The problem is, Daya is so angry and disappointed in him, she can barely look at the man. Aleida reminds Daya that she gets to sue the government when she get out and will be living large one day. Plus, she can collect child support from Mendez when he gets out of jail and extortion money from Bennett. Daya and Aleida were definitely not cut from the same cloth, and Daya can hardly believe what she’s saying. Aleida reminds her not to forget her dear mother when the money starts rolling in.

Alex Vause, barefoot and wearing yoga pants (yes!) answers a call from Litchfield Penitentiary. Piper doesn’t say hello, but instead asks Alex to explain why she changed her tune after she begged Piper to lie on the stand in Chicago. Alex explains that her nimrod of a lawyer guaranteed her testimony would put Kubra away for life, but it didn’t. There was a mistrial and Alex was released, but so was Kubra. Now Alex has a target on her back, and she’s living in a crappy apartment in Queens. (You, me and every actor in NY, Alex.) Piper is indignant that she’s the only one serving time for their crimes, but Alex kindly reminds her that she’s not the one in danger. Piper assumed that Alex is being protected by the police, but she’s on her own and scared to death. Piper instantly panics at the fear in Alex’s voice. The blood rushes from Piper’s face when she realizes her lady love is in danger. Piper tells Alex to flee, but Alex can’t leave the state for fear of breaking parole. The operator chimes in letting Piper know she only has thirty seconds left, and Alex quickly tells Piper to add her to her visitors list before the line goes dead. Piper is furious when the call drops and gets in trouble for slamming the wall and talking back to a guard. She blames her period and narrowly escapes getting a SHOT. Meanwhile at Alex’s, she is startled by pounding at her door. She grabs a butcher knife, but it’s just Jay, the guy who handles the garbage in the building. He’s taken by her panicked beauty, and mentions in passing that two men came by looking for her. Alex shuts herself behind the safety of her deadbolt.

Oh yeah, Polly and Larry congratulate themselves over how evolved they are by having an affair and then openly declaring their love for each other in front of Pete. Since Polly is feeling guilt about Piper, and Larry is happy with how they left things, they decide to go and do the same thing to her. Brilliant! Pick her up a cronut first, will ya.

At Safe Space, Healy wants to talk about feeeeeeeelings and processing. For a guy with lesbian issues, he sure is acting like one. The women there mostly just want a shot removed from their record. Healy hands over the talking stick (don’t let it touch the ground, Torrance!) and asks the women to release their feelings. Well, as long as they are on the feelings chart. Poussey gets the stick, but “bored” isn’t on the chart so she goes with “mad.” Just then, Suzanne walks in, and Poussey visibly stiffens. Suzanne sits next to Poussey and just stares. Poussey turns her attention back to Healy and confesses that perhaps feeling one’s feelings in prison isn’t the best course for survival. Healy swears he’s looking out for the women and asks what happened to her face. Suzanne zeroes in on Poussey, but Poussey is not fool. She lies and says she slipped in the shower.

Sister Ingalls is now in full on organization mode, advising Soso to reach out to organizations and inform them of the hunger strike. It’s the outside pressure that will get the ball rolling, she says. Leanne takes issue with Sister Ingalls stepping into a leadership role since it’s a leaderless movement. She and Angie have some new, nonsensical demands. However, they are easily swayed by the pizzas the COs bring by to taunt them into eating again. And then there were three.

Flashback to not too long ago when Sister Ingalls was consumed with one upping her fellow nuns (especially Sister Patricia) in the arrests-for-activism department. She and two male activists break into a nuclear power plant, defacing property and looking to get arrested. Sister Ingalls wants to create a photo op so she splashes fake blood all over one of the buildings, while mugging for the camera. Take that Sister Patricia.

Out in the yard, Yoga Jones approaches Watson to welcome her back. Watson doesn’t respond, so Jones reveals that Watson’s treatment was what inspired her to take part in the hunger strike. Watson is cold to her, insisting that Jones’ guilt is not her problem.

Big Boo emerges from a shed with another inmate after some al fresco sexy times. She runs smack into Red and her crew who proceed to call her out for being the rat. Red tosses a bag of candy at Big Boo’s feet, and informs her that she won’t be receiving any more favors from Red or the other women. She’s out of the family. Boo gets in Red’s face and tells her that’s just fine. She’d rather join Vee’s gang anyway. The candy is much better over there.

While Soso sits making protesting signs, Piper and Nicky play a mean game of foosball. Nicky gives Piper a lesson on the legalities of strip clubs, but Piper is of course preoccupied with thoughts of Alex living in danger in Queens. Piper thinks Alex should be in witness protection, but Nicky doesn’t get why Piper still cares so much. Piper just thinks that Alex is being screwed over by the authorities, and doesn’t want Kubra to get his hands on her pretty face. Nicky warns Piper that with the impending storm, the two of them will be in sandbag duty later that afternoon. Just then, Fig storms in and takes away Soso’s poster supplies citing their use in illegal demonstrations, and informs Piper that the newsletter is dead. On the way out, Caputo tells Fig that she’s just adding fuel to the fire. Since Fig isn’t afraid of a little heat, she instructs him to start force-feeding the women if the hunger strike doesn’t end soon.

Flashback to Sister Ingalls meeting with the HPIC (Head Priest in Charge). She’s been on the cover of the New York Times, has a new book out filled with salacious non-nunlike details, and has royally pissed off the church. Not only are they now refusing to stand by her in her court case, they officially kick her out of the sisterhood.

The Golden Oldies are working in the greenhouse and feeling overall bummed out that greenhouse activities have been shut down for the time being over the tunnel wars. They decide perhaps they should deal with Vee on Red’s behalf.

Suzanne ended up having a grand time in Safe Space while keeping an eye on Poussey. Taystee reiterates that Poussey is not a threat, but Vee questions Taystee’s loyalties. Vee tells Taystee that Poussey is now her responsibility and if anything happens, they will both face Vee’s wrath.

In Sister Ingalls’ bunk, Sophia sits watch after the nun has a fainting spell. Caputo brings Yoga Jones and Soso over to let Sister Ingalls know that the strike is over. Sister isn’t going down without a fight though. Caputo reveals to the other inmates that Sister has been excommunicated. Sister Ingalls shrugs. What can you do? She refuses to end her hunger strike, so Caputo has her sent in for force-feeding. As Sister Ingalls is wheeled through the hallway hearing cheers from the other prisoners, she’s on cloud nine. She’s also kind of delirious.

Piper stops by Healy’s office to ask him about the cancellation of the newsletter, but he’s got bigger bad news for her. She’s being transferred to a prison in Virginia. The Warden has listed her along with twelve other prisoners to be moved by that Saturday. Piper knows she’s being silenced but Healy says that prison transfers are random and not personal. Piper calls shenanigans. I call shenanigans. We all call shenanigans. Alex was supposed to come and visit and Piper is scared she will lose her chance to see her, at least for the remainder of her sentence. Or possibly forever.

Since the B Dorm bathrooms are being torn apart, the line for the remaining shower is mighty long. Big Boo sees Vee and calls her over to chat. Boo tells Vee that she’s ready to be a part of her crew, but Vee despises disloyalty, even if it did benefit her. She too leaves Boo to fend her herself. As Vee walks away, the Golden Oldies send Taslitz after her. Taslitz’s eyesight isn’t so great anymore, and she ends up shanking a woman with similar hair. Vee watches the attack from nearby, knowing right away that it was meant to be her.

Delirious in bed, Sister Ingalls cries out to God and asks why he still never speaks to her. As the medical staff comes in to force-feed her, she resists and begs them not to as the scene fades to orange.

Follow Dana on Twitter @danapiccoli

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