Watch Orange is the New Black with Mumsnet and win an iPad mini

[AliceMumsnet]

Last month we started Watch with Mumsnet, a new TV club, in which we'll be watching and discussing some great TV series together. Last month, we got stuck into Gossip Girl, and this month we'll be watching the all-new, exclusive-to-Netflix, Orange is the New Black.

Orange is the New Black follows the life of Piper Chapman, a middle-class Brooklynite who has to pay her debt to society when her past as an international drug runner comes back to haunt her.

Arrested and then imprisoned in a federal jail, Piper is forced to trade her comfortable New York life with fiance Larry for an orange jumpsuit and a strange new world of everyday indignities that force her to question everything she thinks she knows.

There's already much excitement and discussion about the series from Mumsnetters:

"I am addicted. Love it. Highly recommend." Cutitup

"Me too! It's real watch-as-many-as-you-can-in-a-row tv. I love the fact that each character has a story, and the black humour. It's very good on female relationships as well." PepeLePew

"TV show of the year!! Absolutely brilliant characters and acting!! I've watched it once all the way through on my own and again all the way through with DP who loved it too!" LeslieKnope

You can watch the whole series instantly on Netflix here, and if you subscribe to Netflix now, you get the first month free.

Once again Netflix are offering you a chance to win an iPad mini. All you have to do is watch and discuss the series with other Mumsnetters on this thread to be entered into the prize draw. All contributions are welcome, whether or not you've watched the whole series - but if you?re not sure where to start, here are a couple of the questions that we think the series prompts:

Do you think the show has strong female characters?
Who's your favourite?
How do you think you'd cope if you were sent to prison?
Do you think you'd deal with prison life better than Piper?

Happy watching!
MNHQ x

This prize draw is now closed.

Oh and..

Do you think the show has strong female characters? Yes, of course it does.
Who's your favourite? Crazy Eyes, Russian cook, and Born again Christian Girl.
How do you think you'd cope if you were sent to prison? Erm, not well.
Do you think you'd deal with prison life better than Piper? If I went to a holiday camp style prison like that, yes. If I went to a real prison, no.

Just started to watch. Am very interested to see how this will develop. Captain Janeway a plus!

My dh and I started watching this last week and we're now 10 episodes in. After we finally finished the amazing Breaking Bad And Justified we were looking for a new tv fix and my dh watched an episode of this while I was out one evening. For the next two weeks he pestered me to watch it as if I liked it we'd watch it together but if I didn't then he'd watch it on his own some other time. I really wasn't that fussed - the title put me off to be honest, sounded a bit flakey. I wasn't put off by the fact it was a Netflix original though - the whole reason we signed up to Netflix was so we could watch series 4 of Arrested Development, which was also a Netflix one, and that was awesome.

Well, now we are so hooked. I was a bit dubious at first about the fact that this show/book even exists because it's about a middle class white girl who made a mistake, as though the very notion of a middle class white girl going to prison was so unheard of that it merited a book deal etc. But I think the show deals with this issue well, as she learns to accept that she absolutely deserves to be there and this is frequently actively addressed - as well as her disgust towards Healy in his attitude that 'she's not like the others' and she protests and says that she is - she had actually committed a crime. It's great that she takes ownership.

Favourite characters - Ah, gotta love me some Crazy Eyes. I love the brief scene where we see her with her parents on visiting day, the way she tries to behave and calls her mum 'mommy' and is so sweet, and they talk about her granny getting a new boyfiend and she's laughing gleefully. I was also very touched by the scene where Nicky is withdrawing and Red hugs her and Nicky is crying and shaking with pain. That was some good acting! That was raw!

But I love love love Sofia! If this show is remembered for nothing else, It should be remembered for Sofia. Finally we have a programme where a transgendered woman is played by a transgendered woman and represented as a woman and not a series of 'OH you go girlfriend!' cliches. I think it will go a long way towards helping society accept transgendered women are not flamboyant movie depictions of drag queens but real women. And she can act! The pain and sadness in her eyes, conveyed with such subtlty, is beautiful.

I also like Poussey ("Accent a droit, bitch!") and Yoga Jones. And of course, Red. I really felt for her when we saw how she had been excluded from that group of speed-walking bitches.

But by god I hate Pornstache and Pennsatucky!

If I was in prison - I'd probably be like Crazy Eyes. Then at least that way I'd be left alone and I could get some reading done.

I just recently started watching this and already hooked! I think the last one I watched was episode 4 or 5. I like piper, she is a sympathetic character. I am finding her best friend/business partner a bit of a bitch though. In prison I like the one who is flirting with the guard and I like red.

One thing that I really like is the theme tune by Regina spektor!

A little late to the discussion sorry, but I loved this series. I watched it as soon as I registered for Netflix in the summer and was hooked. The series are what keep me subscribed to netflix, I've watched all three weeds series and am working through Breaking Bad.
As a criminologist, I wAs always going to be interested in a series about prison life and Orange is the New Black is a good take on it. I use episodes of this in my discussions with students.
I think what I find most compelling about the whole series is that fact that Piper continually makes wrong decisions, or gets herself in a position where dominant people force her into decisions and that is why she is in prison to start with and it's why she is in the predicament she is in. It's almost frustrating to watch that and I found myself yelling at the screen for her to grow up and take control over her life.
Without wanting to give away spoilers for those who haven't watched the finale, the one time she actually does stand up for herself and take control is at the end, an act will have dire consequences on her future (& has left me waiting very impatiently for series 2) ;)

Oh and a couple if other points:
I hate the intro, the music is good but the mouths freak me out and it's far too long (but not nearly as bad as the very dire Homeland intro)

The points I made above about Piper making bad decisions and losing control of her life to other more dominant people is very similar to Weeds (also on netflix and amazing, so watch it).

Just started watching it and already like it. Pipers mother has some great quotes. Haven't watched enough to decide on my favourite character.

Red was Captain Janeway in Star Trek Voyager Trekkie alert, my dad's influence she does the Russian accent brilliantly, love her! I had to google it as it was annoying that I recognised her but couldn't place the face

Right, I've only got one episode left to watch now so I thought I'd come back to the thread and think about the questions...

Do you think the show has strong female characters?
Yes!! It s great to watch something with fantastic female characters and so many of them! All the men in the show are such weirdos - & pipers fiancé is so wet! I like how we are finding out about all the woman slowly, & really getting to know the characters.
I love the humour and the relationships between the women.

Who's your favourite?

Ooh, I don't know if I can pick just one... I really like taystee & pousee's friendship. Piper is funny & it's been great watching her character change over the course of the series.
I love crazy eyes! She is brilliant! I felt so sad for her though when she was listening to Larry on the radio :(

& I love Sofia! She just looks awesome!!

Don't like pensatucky but she s so watchable! I'm a bit nervous about the last episode, doesn't look good for her & piper.

How do you think you'd cope if you were sent to prison?
I would not cope at all. Every one would hate me!! I'd have to get a job in the library & hide there. I really wouldn't be able to cope with the showers and toilets with no doors. I suppose you get used to it quickly though.

I think moustache & Healy are quite scary. More scary than the other inmates. I would be worried about getting on the wrong side of them & like Healy I would say the wrong thing to Healy & get sent to solitary!

Do you think you'd deal with prison life better than Piper?
Well, I wouldn't have said the food was shit to red :) that was a big mistake! I think she's doing ok now though. She has made some friends - even though she keeps managing to piss everyone off! She has made some scary enemies too. Pensatucky & Healy are still a problem for her.
I think she should dump Larry & Alex & work on being by herself for a while.

We are really loving the series & am dreading watching the final episode :(

I've just downloaded the book though so I should be ok for a bit !!

Totally compulsive viewing. I liked the way that none of the characters were completely sympathetic or unsympathetic, even the least likeable had some depth.

Can I join even though I watched it months ago? (I'm sooo ahead of the fashion for once!!!!)

Do you think the show has strong female characters?
Yes - it couldn't really not, being a woman's prison! It is refreshing that they didn't just talk about men (although men were a fair part of it one way or another)

Who's your favourite?
Red, she was mad but believably-mad. And just fantastic, and so strong a person!

How do you think you'd cope if you were sent to prison? Do you think you'd deal with prison life better than Piper?
Badly. But at least I would keep my head down, and not get into trouble! It really is quite amazing how much trouble she gets into. Some is a shade too predictable, but then it is good to be shouting at the screen DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!! etc.

I loved the series, watched the whole thing in record time and recommended it to loads of people. I also think Netflix worked really well, but wish they had more selection. Everything I think "ooh, I wonder if they have xxxx" they never do :(

I'll join, only watched a couple so far.

Yes the show definitely has strong female characters.
My favourite is Red although I too find it hard to get startrek out of my head! Piper just annoys me

There is no way I'd cope well with prison life, I'd be the drudge people pleaser!

Now THIS is more like it after being forced to watch that Gossip Girl Guff . Far more interesting characters and story lines and even some actual acting! Thanks for the tip, Mumsnet!

On episode 7 now..so easy to watch and very enjoyable. I find the characters realistic and like learning their back-stories.
Like how they portray prison life..feels realistic - couldn't tell you if it actually is - and don't want to find out! In answer to the question, I would cope very badly if I had to go to prison!

i have watched FOUR today on the free for a month deal

fricken love - will buy the book too

Hooley guacamole I've just got my life back after addictive lay watching the whole series over two days. Loved it. So many conflicting opinions - I like Alex and I hate her, I like Piper one minute and the next think she's hideously annoying. What an end. Argggh! When is series two. Nikki, crazy eyes, tastey and her friend and red are my faves.

I'm thinking who is tastey

Ah. I gotya

Do you think the show has strong female characters?
Yes I think the show has some strong female characters.

Who's your favourite?
Now this is hard, there are a couple in contention for my favourite but I think Claudette Pelage pips it.

How do you think you'd cope if you were sent to prison?
About as well as Piper, not at all.

Do you think you'd deal with prison life better than Piper?
No, not really. I'd probably keep my head down more.

I'm a bit slow to the party on this one and hadn't even heard of the series until it was mentioned on the previous Gossip Girl thread.

I've just started watching this today and have gone through four episodes (and far too much Christmas chocolate).

I'm really enjoying it! Feels like it has very strong characters in it and a lot of emotion. I think it helps that all the actors seem very strong which is always a good start for a TV series (I can't stick with things that have terrible acting, it just grates).

Looking forward to continuing with the rest of the series. I know I wouldn't cope with prison at all well (not that I have any knowledge of what it is like, just basing it on this show).

I have just finished watching this. I loved it - very addictive. Had to limit myself to two episodes a night but could easily have binge-watched if I didn't need to get up in the morning

It passes the Bechdel test with flying colours, which is nice. I think the main characters are very well-drawn; I liked that each episode had an "A" plot within the prison and a "B" plot focusing on the backstory of one of Piper's fellow inmates.

Are the female characters "strong"? I think so, in that they are complex and human and have their own stories in which they are protagonists.

Loved the ending - won't spoil it for anyone but it definitely left me dying for a second series.

Oh yes - how would I cope in prison?

UNBELIEVABLY BADLY . No, really, I'd fall to bits. The utter lack of privacy, no safe space, nowhere I could be alone or call "mine". I'd be a wreck.

As to the prison hierarchy, I think I would just...I don't know...I guess I'd do whatever I had to for as quiet a life as possible God, just thinking of it makes me anxious.

Meh. Just like boarding school

I was hesitant to watch it, as I'd read the book, and often the film/programme isn't as good as the book (or maybe I just have a superior imagination. ) However, a friend and I have watched a good few episodes over Christmas and it's compulsive viewing.

Love seeing the characters brought to life. It is different in many ways to the book, but as it's a strong series with fascinating characters it works, so you're not constantly harrumphing, 'Well THAT wasn't in the book!'

I'd be hopeless wreck in prison. No family, no friends, no freedom, no privacy. God, no GIN! There would be upsides, I suppose, no oh snoring, no housework, no shitty commute, but no gin would break me.

Now to persuade oh we really do need a netflix subscription of our very own...

I love it! only (binge) watched the first 6 episodes so had to skim these comments to avoid being spoiled! Think I first properly laughed out loud at 'I have a wife. A prison wife. Her name is Crazy Eyes, and she follows me everywhere.'

It would be interesting if anyone who has experience with UK prisons could talk about the differences/similarities? For example, it'd be interesting to know if the 'sticking with your own tribes/races,' is as prevalent here, where there's not such an ethnic mix (in most areas, excepting large cities), and we don't have the history of black/white segregation, etc. I was astonished at how blatant this was, especially in the voting episode.

off to watch ep 7!