#oitnb 5x11

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews… Orange is the New Black (S05E11) Breaking the Fiberboard Ceiling Airdate: June 9, 2017 @oitnb Ratings: @netflix original Score: 6.5/10

**********SPOILERS BELOW**********

The line between right and wrong continues to become more and more unclear, but the line telling Lorna (Yael Stone) she’s pregnant is clear as day. I couldn’t remember if Lorna had some opportunity to have a conjugal visit with her husband in the past… And then it hit me. Season 3, after Lorna and Vinnie (John Magaro) are married, an opportunity presents itself. Even though conjugal visits aren’t a ‘thing’ at Litchfield, It was CO Bell (Catherine Curtin) who looked the other way while they banged against the vending machine with headphones to drown out Lorna’s ecstasy. I have to wonder… Will this change things for Vince? Had he already considered this? Does the thought of having a baby with someone who is a little off kilter frighten him? I think we, as an audience, almost buried this happening for the most part. Many of us were scrambling to figure out what was going on with Lorna or just figured this was just another one of her outlandish outbursts… But since 5 has happened in almost real time and S4 flew by as well, I’m thinking that Lorna could be around 3 months pregnant, if that.

Then we have the issue with Suzanne and Lorna… Cindy being compelled by Taystee’s (Danielle Brooks) inaction and concentrations on negotiations that I fear will never truly come to fruition (something I’ve feared from the start), to deal with matters usually delegated to Taystee who just isn’t having it right now… She’s a woman possessed… A woman on a mission. These women are being eaten alive by a corrupt private prison system, either the privatization stops or the insanity continues. More to that later as the subject is really just an after thought and a device to move Cindy and Suzanne’s joint storyline along as well as for a bit of comic relief with Taystee and Fig (Alysia Reiner) discussing the names of their vaginas… Thx, Caputo (Nick Sandow), for that one!

Lorna has been withholding medicine from Suzanne. As powerful as Lorna’s speech was, as much truth to it as there was, ultimately this is someone who also is in need of dire psychological rehabilitating and intense therapy work making an uninformed decision about Suzanne’s medication. When it comes to drugs like Lithium and other heavy anti-depressants, that’s a road that should only be traveled if absolutely necessary. I suffer from extreme bouts of manic depression, bi-polar disorder, and anxiety. I have tried it all, and with my expertise in the fields of experimental psychology and a good grasp of sociology, I can tell you Suzanne’s extreme behavior isn’t something that is too far from reality.

I had read a few comments challenging the source of Suzanne’s behavior… And I just want to say, Suzanne is beyond bipolar disorder, and yanking those meds from her cold turkey can produce extreme side effects. It’s not like opiate withdrawal… It’s more like static and misfired electrical impulses that you can feel like mini-explosions in your brain. Anything taken regularly that alters your 5-HT (serotonin) release on a regular basis can have monstrous effects. Paxil, Zoloft, and any SSRI reuptake inhibitors are straight dangerous to just 'stop’ and I would say that Suzanne probably needs something a bit more extreme, or that airs on the side of more of an anti-psychotic. That’s not the point. The point is; I didn’t treat her but I do know that she has a serious mental disorder and any medication taken on a regular basis from benzodiazepines to opiates to anti-depressants must be carefully weaned and monitored by a professional or someone with the will-power of a well-bred stallion. And for the record, Uzo Aduba has been the highlight of this season. As the season winds down to the end, for me, she’s clearly the MVP. Secure her nomination now. Matter of fact, just in case, we’ll have a TVTime/Spotlight Saga end of the year awards, in case any of our favorites get shafted. Uzo, you’re a lock.

Speaking of great performances, I really believe that Adrienne C Moore who plays Cindy is also been working hard to be a possible top contender. This is her best season yet… The nuance she’s brought to Cindy, a more focused and self-aware Cindy, one who is aware of problems and the bigger picture outside of herself, has been incredible to watch. Adrienne’s scenes with Uzo have been nothing short of amazing and as determined as she was to quell the situation with Suzanne, she showed a real underlying concern for whether she was doing the right thing or not. This is an all new Cindy and it’s so amazing to see some of these women grow as actresses and add notches to their characters that are more than words on a page or stage direction. Excellent work, Ms. Moore!

Selenis Leyva has also been serving up some of her best work, and although I’ve received feedback from mothers who understand her motivations (believe me, I understand too, more than some of you may know)… It still feels a bit out of character for Gloria to make these batty decisions. I had a feeling that not only would all of this blow up in all of these women’s faces, but that Gloria in particular would receive a swift kick in the gut of privatized prison reality. I hope for change for these women, I really do… Hopefully we get that in a later season, but for now I don’t see good things in their future. And the fact that all of Gloria’s hard work disappeared underneath the fence is a sure fire sign that this determined mother won’t be getting that furlough she’s been working so hard for. God, I hope I’m wrong. Selenis has really conveyed the pain and confusion she’s experiencing during all of this so well, I just wish that her angle was approached in a more realistic manner for her particular character.