Orange Is The New Black: Season Four (2016/Lionsgate Blu-ray Set)

Picture: B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B Episodes: B+

A storm is coming to Litchfield Woman's Prison. The prison is over populated and underfunded, Caputo is now the director and new guards are in charge. With the mass of new inmates there a shift in the prison's politics and power, as racial fear increases, tensions begins to tearing apart the prison splitting loyalties and friends. And by the time it's over, nobody will be innocent and there will be blood on everyone's hands in Orange Is The New Black: Season Four (2016).

Caputo is now the director of the prison, but he spends more time with the administration than watching the prisoners. The prison more or less gets run by new prison guards, who use excessive force and abuse their power on inmates for their own amusement. The prison's new inmates soon turn the prison into three opposing camps ...the Dominicans, Blacks, and Whites, all fighting over food, territory and resources. Piper's position within the prison and her underwear business is threaten by the new gang. Alex killed a man (in self defense) and buried his body in the prison yard.

They say you can tell how society is by the treatment of it's prison and prisoners ...in how society handles the worst people of their society. Orange is the New Black is like watching inner city high school violence and drama rolled into a prison setting. Each episode includes flashbacks of the inmates/guards past to show their backstory and how they got there. The series focuses on the power struggles within the prison between characters with race and class, the abuse of authority, greed and power, and who is the current alpha dog/queen.

The 1080p 1.78 X 1 image looks very solid and consistent from episode to episode, while the lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 mix is nicely recorded and rich throughout, making fir a very watchable combo. Extras include gag reel, set tour and commentary with cast and crew.

Episodes include...

Work That Body for Me - Caputo is promoted. The inmates escape (temporary) through a hole in the prison fence. Alex kills a guard, cuts up his body and buries it in the prison garden.

Power Suit - With the addition of new inmates, racial tensions flare as the Dominicans realize they are the new majority within the prison and they attempt to take control of the prison.

(Don't) Say Anything - Lolly begins to crack under pressure to where they hid the dead guard's body. Alex and Frieda believe Lolly has become a liability and should be killed too.

Doctor Psycho - Alex and Frieda consults Red on should they kill Lolly. Healy, a prison guard/counselor manages to convince Lolly she imagined the whole thing and of the killing.

We'll Always Have Baltimore - Due to overcrowding and low supplies causes tension within the prison black market. Piper attempts stop the Dominicans from organizing backfires and instead she creates a White Neo-Nazi group.

Piece of Sh*t - Luschek the security guard feels guilty about his role in sending Nicky to maximum security. Piper blackmails Maria causing her prison sentence to increase 3 years ...and cause ALL the Dominicans to see and hate her as the leader of a White Hate group.

It Sounded Nicer in My Head - Piper begins to realize she's burned too many bridges and the damage is irreversible and that she HAS become a power hungry Nazi.

Friends in Low Places - Piper searches for forgiveness and begs her former friends to understand she is not at fault for her intentions, even thought it was her fault for creating all the hate groups.

Turn Table Turn - Things get worst for the Dominicans as the guards continue power tripping with strip searches and them abusing their powers.

Bunny, Skull, Bunny, Skull - The guards continue to use cruel and unusual punishment. The dead body is discovered in the garden and causes a prison lockdown.

People Person - The prison is in lockdown and the guards use torture methods to interrogate the prisoners. Healy realizes Lolly was telling the truth and rats her out.

The Animals - The guards don't listen to Director Caputo's orders. The inmates stage a peaceful protest and the guards attempt to break them up, but end up accidentally killing one of the inmates.

Toast Can't Never Be Bread Again - The administration attempts to find a scapegoat to avoid blame of their abusive methods, inhuman treatment of prisoners and their lack of taking responsibility. The inmates riot when the hear the verdict and gets their hands on a gun ...which was illegally brought in by one of the guards.

- Ricky Chiang