Orange Is the New Black season 7, episode 4 recap: How to Do Life

Taystee gives us an emotional scare in this episode of Orange Is the New Black in what is otherwise a mediocre episode.

Orange Is the New Black is a great show, and it’s previous seasons are a testament to that statement. In recent seasons, it has struggled to maintain an allure or even a storyline that manages to keep us engaged from start to finish. I’ve noticed that in its final season, the series is still focusing time on filler episodes with details that aren’t crucial or important to the overall storyline.

However, the manner in which this episode of Orange Is the New Black comes to a close, it did make me forget what is otherwise a fairly boring episode. We haven’t spent much time with Lorna this time around, but this episode changes that. Over the course of seven seasons, we’ve come to realize and learn that Lorna lies—a lot. So when Vinnie comes to visit her bearing horrible news about their son, Sterling, she isn’t willing to accept it. The poor thing contracted pneumonia and ended up passing away, but Lorna can’t and won’t accept it.

I’ve usually felt a bit indifferent towards her, but this part of her story really broke my heart. She’s been so lost and confused throughout the series and has struggled to find her identity, so losing the one thing that may have given her just that is absolutely gut-wrenching.

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The ICE detention center continues to be the heartbreaking part of the season so far, likely giving us just a small insight into what it may actually be like in real life. It’s tough to think and understand that a detention center like this isn’t fictional, but rather a reality of the world we live in. Which is why when Flaca eventually gets a hold of Maritza’s mother and learns that Maritza was born in Columbia, not the U.S., I felt my heart shatter.

It’s a bit too much to bear at this point in Orange Is the New Black because I’m not sure what that means for Maritza as we get further into the season. Is she facing possible deportation? What will happen?! Ugh, I hate this.

In the outside world, Piper is trying to adjust to her new job but her father is certainly not making it easy for her. It makes me feel so annoyed at just how angry he is despite her efforts, so I’m hoping that changes before we get to the end of the season. He really should just try, it’s his daughter!

A lot of changes are happening at Litchfield thanks to the new Warden. Tamika is set on bringing in more educational reform to the prison, and I think it’s great. She’s definitely meeting a lot of resistance but she’s still pushing through.

While most of this Orange Is the New Black episode dips and rises plot-wise, when we get to the very end, all those feelings change. You see, Taystee is over her bad luck and frustrated with what life now has in store for her—prison and only prison. She attempts to ask Daya to give her whatever she gave Daddy. At first, we don’t realize she’s asking for herself but when we do, it’s very emotional and stressful.

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When Daya refuses to help her or give her the drugs for a lower cost, Taystee tries to take matters into her own hands by attempting to hang herself. That moment becomes a strong wake-up call for her to change and try to take a different road. I always knew she’d be able to because Taystee is strong AF and while this may be a major roadblock right now, I know she’s about to really turn things around.

How did we all feel when you see Lorna make a fake Instagram page for her baby? Ugh, the feels.

Let us know your thoughts on this episode of OITNB in the comments!

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