The second season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on June 6, 2014, at 12:00 am PST in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 51 and 60 minutes, with a 90-minute finale. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. The series is created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan.
The series follows Piper Chapman, forced to board a bus and a plane without being given any information. Later she discovers that she is in Chicago to testify in the trial of Alex's drug boss, Kubra Balik, and that the stay is temporary. Meanwhile, in Litchfield Penitentiary, a new inmate is rising to power into the prison, by manipulating other inmates and taking control of the drug contraband. Threatened by this new inmate, Red goes to war, to protect her family and her power.
Orange is the New Black received critical acclaim. The series received numerous accolades including: Producers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Comedy and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Uzo Aduba performance was awarded with the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. The second season was nominated to several Emmys: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Pablo Schreiber) and Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series. The series was nominated for the 72nd Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, meanwhile Taylor Schilling was nominated for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and Uzo Aduba for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. Lorraine Toussaint won a Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Contents
Cast and characters
Main cast
Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman, inmate
Uzo Aduba as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren, inmate
Danielle Brooks as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson, inmate
Michael Harney as Sam Healy, correctional officer
Natasha Lyonne as Nicky Nichols, inmate
Taryn Manning as Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett, inmate
Kate Mulgrew as Galina "Red" Reznikov, inmate
Jason Biggs as Larry Bloom, Piper's fiancé
Production
On June 27, 2013, prior to the series premiere, Netflix renewed the show for a second season consisting of 13 episodes. Jenji Kohan stated that the story for the second season would focus less on Piper Chapman and more in the cast as a whole. For the second season, Uzo Aduba, Taryn Manning, Danielle Brooks, and Natasha Lyonne were promoted to series regulars. Laura Prepon did not return as a series regular for a second season because of scheduling conflicts. In July, it was announced that Lorraine Toussaint had joined the cast in a recurring role. Toussaint said of the role: "Jenji has written one of the more complex characters I've ever played, and probably one of the more difficult characters I've played. I think it'll be interesting seeing how this character is received, because Jenji has written a character that plays and enjoys the game, and is incredibly engaging and draws people into her, into the big game and has, I have a great deal of fun." It was revealed that Lori Petty would have a guest role. In February 2014, Netflix revealed that the season was to be released on June 6, 2014.
Reception
Critical reception
The second season received critical acclaim, many praising Toussaint's performance as Vee. Rotten Tomatoes gave a rating of 98%, with an average rating of 9.1 out of 10 based on 42 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "With a talented ensemble cast bringing life to a fresh round of serial drama, Orange Is the New Black's sophomore season lives up to its predecessor's standard for female-led television excellence. Metacritic gave the second season a score of 89 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". David Wiegland of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the season a positive review, calling the first six episodes "not only as great as the first season, but arguably better."
Critics' top ten lists
Orange Is the New Black was considered one of the best shows of the year by many critics and journalists.
Broadcast
In Australia, the second season began airing on Showcase on July 16, 2014.