Lorna Morello has always been one of the more sympathetic characters in this show: a bit obsessive, yes, but then again, it’s completely understandable that she would need to cling onto something in order to make it through the day. However, this episode takes her situation to a whole new level, shading in a very disturbing side to her character.
Her flashbacks serve as an interesting contrast to those of many of our other prisoners; whereas with them, our initial conceptions might’ve slowly fallen away as their underlying humanity was revealed, here, Morello’s delusions come to full force to overshadow what we knew about her beforehand. Some people are in prison because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, some people are in prison because they truly deserve it, and some people are in prison because they’re profoundly disturbed. That last one applies to Morello.
Yael Stone gives a magnificent performance, conveying the inherent bleakness of her situation and the nonexistent future Morello still holds in her mind. The final shot of the episode–Morello wistfully staring at the film, with tears in her eyes, while detailing her wedding plans–is a perfect encapsulation of her character, the woman who’s not only delusional, but also dangerous. When you make a bomb and place it under the car of the girlfriend of the guy you only went out with once, there’s something very, very wrong. When you smile in court and act as if the guy testifying about your volatile nature is just exaggerating, there’s something very, very wrong.
And yet, it’s difficult not to feel something for Morello. She’s suffering from mental illness, but others may not be able to see it as well as they can for Suzanne. It’s truly heartbreaking to watch her wearing that wedding veil in that bathtub, but then again, that truly reflects how unpredictable she can be, how dangerous she is.
She’ll continue to cling on to a fantasy, and we’re now looking at her in a whole new light.
GRADE: A-
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Taystee and Poussey share a kiss, then cuddle. It’s an interesting exploration of sexuality in the prison environment, and the idea of friendship can certainly blur with sexual needs, especially in confinement. Taystee’s not gay, but cuddling is her way of meeting Poussey halfway. It’s friendship. Of course…
-Grr, Vee. Stop driving a wedge between all my favorite characters!
-That entire female anatomy discussion/argument is also keeping in line with the sexuality theme permeating the episode, and it’s a reflection of not only the women’s parts, but also of the various women in general.
-Piper’s definitely starting to shape her own identity in prison, and it’s certainly fun to watch. Schilling is, as always, great, and I especially love her line about Inspector Gadget being a bad detective.
-So, Brook and Nicky get it on, and Big Boo misses out. Blanket ain’t going to be Piper’s anytime soon now.
-So, uh, not a very good idea to have Morello driving, eh? This revelation reverberates not only throughout future episodes, but also throughout all past scenes we’ve seen of the character. There’s something chilling added to each one now.
-Larry and Polly have their own Morello-esque moment this week: obviously not quite as crazy, but they live out a nice little fantasy when they tell the old woman on the street their “story”.
-O’Neill’s expression during Sophia’s female anatomy lecture is priceless.
Photo credit: Netflix, Orange Is the New Black
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This really was my favorite episode this season by far. Stone was riveting. The scene with Morello on the phone in jail has to be one of the best scenes in the entire series. Great review!
I agree with Pop Eye, this was definitely my favorite episode – perhaps of the entire series! It was so incredibly unpredictable. Nice review!