Robert Rorke from the New York Post thinks the hit show has had its day, but we’re inclined to disagree.
If we said the words “The L Word behind bars”, you’d think we were describing the greatest TV show of all time, right? But sadly, that isn’t everyone’s idea of telly heaven…
In a review of the third season of the Netflix hit, New York Post’s Robert Rorke lamented the fact that the “hottest show on TV” had become “boring” and accused writer of Jenji Kohan of turing it into what he calls a “gay soap”.
“Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon, as the show’s would-be star-crossed lovers Piper and Alex, have NO chemistry and can’t squeeze out an ounce of sexual tension between them,” he wrote. “The only streetcar these two are riding is named perspire.”
Ouch.
And while Ruby Rose’s arrival as Stella Carlin has fans across social media in a stir, Rorke remains resolutely unimpressed.
“Orange already had three gay characters on the show: Poussey (Samira Wiley), Nicky (Natasha Lyonne) and Big Boo (Lea DeLaria). And now they have Ruby Rose coming on as a character who will be in a romantic triangle with Schilling and Prepon. Has creator Jenji Kohan lost her nerve — after delivering two great seasons — by just making this into a gay soap?
“If all we have to look forward to now is flirting, crying and screwing, we’re going to get out of this jail on good behaviour.”
Of course, Rorke’s opinion is perfectly valid and there are bound to be some of you that agree with his assessment of things over at Litchfield. I will admit there were moments in the new season I longed for something grittier, something a bit more Wentworth perhaps, but those thoughts were quickly squashed by the wonderful writing which masterfully combines comedy with drama, as well as the magnetic performances of each and every one of the cast members.
And while such glorious depictions of alternative sexualities might be unsettling to those used to the more one-dimensional character offerings or less diverse shows we’ve grown accustomed to, we’re tired of being the token character and think it’s our time to shine.
Here’s hoping Orange wears that “lesbian soap opera” badge on the sleeve of its prison scrubs and continues to inspire more from other shows lacking in such rich and diverse representation.
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