Tag Archives: Taylor Schilling

Orange is The New Black for Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose will be donning an Orange Jumpsuit for OITNB season 3
Ruby Rose will be donning an Orange Jumpsuit for OITNB season 3

How exciting!  The future is looking a little more orange for the stunning Aussie presenter/DJ/model Ruby Rose after announcing that she’ll be joining the cast for the hugely popular prison comedy/drama Orange is the New Black’s third season.

Making the announcement via US Elle magazine, Rose used twitter to let us all in on her characters name with the hashtag #StellaIsHere.

The upcoming third season will see Rose as Stella Carlin, an inmate “whose sarcastic sense of humor and captivating looks quickly draw the attention of some of Litchfield’s inmates.” including Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) and Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling).

The news of Ruby’s involvement in series three has already boosted the talented Aussie’s profile in the US with numerous news and entertainment outlets jumping on the Ruby Rose bandwagon.

Ruby Rose: 5 Things to Know About Orange Is the New Black‘s Newest Addition – People Magazine
Australian Model Ruby Rose Is The Newest Addition To The Orange Is The New Black Season 3 Cast! – Perez Hilton
Ruby Rose, model and DJ, set to appear on ‘Orange is the New Black’ Season 3 – New York Daily News
Meet the New Love Interest on Orange is the New Black – TIME

 

In addition to the casting of Rose to season three, familiar faces from season one and two including Samira Wiley (Poussey), Yael Stone (Morello), Dascha Polanco (Diaz), Selenis Leyva (Mendoza), Adrienne C. Moore (Black Cindy), and Nick Sandow (Caputo) have all been upgraded to series regulars!

Orange is the New Black doesn’t return until June where it will stream to Netflix subscribers while here in Australia, Foxtel channel Showcase airs the series.

Orange is the New Black Returns

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Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) has blood on her hands

It’s bigger, it’s better, it’s more ballsier and it’s back with a bang! The quirky sleeper cult hit Orange is the new Black (OITNB) returned for it’s second season via Netflix this month (the entire season released in one hit) and is due to hit Australian screens July 16th and thankfully, the show does not suffer from second season disappointment (Dexter anyone?).

With the foundations laid for the main characters during season one, season two brings us Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) loosing some of her spotlight to the supporting characters that have now been beefed up and brought to us front and center. Characters including Big Boo (Lea DeLaria), Leanne Taylor (Emma Myles), Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley) and Black Cindy (Adrienne C. Moore) – among others, are given more time to shine, grow and allow us to learn more about them – making OITNB less of a show about Piper Chapman’s foray into prison and more of a wonderfully dark, funny and touching ensemble.

So with the focus less on Piper and more on the inmates, the prison staff and on Piper’s friends and family, one need not worry about the show changing too much and straying away from what made us love the show in the first place.  There’s a new character joining the prison in Vee Parker (great casting of Lorraine Toussaint), a returning inmate with past connections to Red (Kate Mulgrew) and Taystee (Danielle Brooks) and who plays a major part in this second season shake-up that brings race wars to the forefront between the black, Hispanic and white groups and leaving Red (Kate Mulgrew) trying to keep herself afloat in the bid to be top dog.  The suspicions of Fig (Alysia Reiner) and her penchant to spend prison money on personal items come to light along with prison guard John (Matt McGorry) and inmate Diaz’s (Dascha Polanco) pregnancy woes plus we get to learn a little more about Morello (Yael Stone) and her mystery fiancee Christopher.

The incredibly diverse roster of characters – from race to religious beliefs and sexuality, so varied it is, is only viable due to the shows setting yet each identifiable trait is given just the perfect amount of vibrancy and life.

If there was one thing that I was disappointed by – it would be the under-use of Taryn Manning as Tiffany ‘Pennsatucky’ Doggett who (no real surprise) survived her beating by Piper in the season one finale.  Pennsatucky played such a major part in season one – right until the season finale that seeing her being ‘muted’ down in this second season was a let down.  Don’t get me wrong, Pennsatucky still has some killer scenes and one liners and getting to see her struggle with identity is a fresh angle for the character but it’s nothing on what we were offered in season one.

While the closing scenes of this second season are in no way as brutal or shocking as it’s lead-in, we are left with some clean slates and some minor loose ends that lead the way for an exciting third season.

Orange is the New Black starts Wednesday July 16th 8:30pm on Showcase for FOXTEL.

 

Top OMG TV Moments of 2013

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There’s no denying that there has been some shocking and incredible “OMG” moments this year on television.  From Game of Thrones to The Walking Dead and Pretty Little Liars, these moments immediatley incur bouts of crying, laughing, anger, yelling and everything in between.  Check out my list of my top OMG moments from 2013!

RICK SENDS CAROL PACKING: The Walking Dead

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After admitting to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) that she was the one who killed Karen and Dave, Rick takes it upon himself to tell Carol (Melissa McBride), while out on a supply run, that she is no longer welcome to stay with the survivors within the camp grounds.   We’ve seen Carol, who has been a member of the group from the beginning, emerge as a strong player this season and Rick’s decision and her subsequent absence split fans right down the line.

TRAVIS AND LAURIE KISS: Cougar Town

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Travis (Dan Byrd) and Laurie (Busy Phillips) have always had a fun and flirty kind of relationship, but it’s always been that one where the guy likes the girl more than vice versa but when Laurie decides to explore her growing feelings for the teenage son of her best friend, it results in a rather awkward feeling kiss between the two.  We’d all been hanging for Travis to finally get his, but now it’s happened, most of us were wishing it didn’t.

THE BIG TWIST: Homeland

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Well were we all not played for fools!  Here we all are bitching and moaning about how bad Homeland had become.  We couldn’t figure out why or where such a great show had gone wrong.  Brody (Damien Lewis) was MIA and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) had Carrie (Claire Danes) committed to an asylum and we were getting too much focus on Dana only to have it all turn around and be revealed that Saul and Carrie were in fact working together all along in a bid to draw out a foe that could become an ally.

ASHLEY MARIN HITS DETECTIVE WILDEN WITH HER CAR: Pretty Little Liars

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Poor Ashley Marin (Laura Leighton) found herself on the receiving end of some unwanted harassment from an overly inquisitive Detective Wilden (Bryce Johnson) who demands that her daughter Hannah (Ashley Benson) keeps quiet about an indiscretion she witnessed involving him and a young lady.  never one to listen to demands, Ashley finds herself in a screaming match with Wilden before suddenly putting her foot to the pedal and throwing him over the bonnet of her car before speeding off!

THAT TAMPON SANDWICH: Orange Is The New Black

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New inmate Piper learnt the tough way not to piss off the lady who rules the prison kitchen!  When word get’s back to prison chef Red (Kate Mulgrew) that Piper (Taylor Schilling) has been less than impressed with the food on offer, Red takes it upon herself to ensure that Piper will never make comments like that again by serving her up a bloody tampon sandwich!  The scene itself was highly unsettling and intentionally confronting.

DEBRA MORGAN DIES: Dexter

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In the series finale, we knew someone was going to die.  Most of us expected it to be Dexter, or even Hannah, perhaps Quinn…it was never meant to be Dexter’s sister Deb.  After being involved in a shoot out with Oliver Saxon, Deb is wounded and is rushed to hospital.  The doctors all seems to think all should be ok but complications following the surgery lead Deb to have suffer a massive stroke leaving her in a permanent vegetative state.  It’s here Dexter lands the final blow, removing Deb off her life support effectively killing her.

RAYMOND DENIES BEING LIZ’S FATHER: The Blacklist

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It’s the theory that everyone seems to have – Raymond Reddington (James Spader) is actually Elizabeth Keen’s (Megan Boone’s) birth father.  It’s been hinted at right from the get go…his selecting her to be the only one he deals with, his wanting to know more about her life, his knowing certain things about her husband, but in the closing scenes of the final episode of the first series, Liz flat out asks Red over the phone “Are you my father?” to which Red replies “No.”

THE BOMB: Home and Away

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Known for it’s annual end of year shake-up, Home and Away offered up one heck of an explosion involving fan favourites and unexpected faces and leaving us not knowing who has survived.  After continuously butting heads with her boss Bianca (Lisa Gormley) and Bianca’s husband Heath (Dan Ewing) Jade (Tasma Walton) decides to get her revenge in the form of a bomb placed inside Bianca’s laptop bag.  We then spent the whole episode wondering when the bomb will go off as the bag changes hands numerous times before going off inside the hospital in which pregnant Ricky (Bonnie Sveen) is being treated.  Irene (Lynne Mcgranger), Bianca, Heath and Doctor Nate Cooper (Kyle Pryor) are also there when the bomb goes off.

HELENA CUTS OFF OLIVER’S TAIL: Orphan Black

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Things got a bit weird when it was revealed Neolution club owner and believer in self-directed evolution Oliver (David Richmond-Peck) was actually sporting a real life tail.  After coming to Sarah’s (Tatiana Maslany) aid while in a fight with Oliver, psychotic clone Helena wins the upper hand and swiftly chops Oliver’s tail off…then makes her way back to the dancefloor to partake in a rather ghastly dance with said tail still in her hands.

TULLY CHEATS ON HER GIRLFRIEND: Big Brother

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Fun and funky social media expert and lesbian Tully quickly turned into a sullen and sobbing mess after entering the Big Brother house.  She missed her girlfriend Tahlia but thankfully she had housemate Drew to lean on and talk to.  Quickly though that talking turned into sleeping in the same bed and sharing sneaky kisses when suddenly the two swapped secret “I love you” bombs leading to Tahlia to make a very public break-up via twitter.

MATT AND KIM’S FIRST ROOM REVEAL: The Block

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Not ones to be left hidden among the pack, West Australian couple Matt and Kim had planned to something controversial when it came to styling their first room – the guest bedroom.  Their inspiration?  Artist Jackson Pollock, he of the abstract expressionist movement (or paint splash era).  While the final result was clearly shocking, it was more ‘kids gone wild’ than Pollock admiration.

THE RED WEDDING: Game Of Thrones

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I don’t watch Game of Thrones, but even I found myself on YouTube watching the events that led to THAT video going viral showing fans reactions to the wedding as it aired.  While I may have no idea who was who or why everyone was being killed, but the red wedding sure stuck to it’s name after half the people in the room celebrating were slaughtered, including a very heavily pregnant woman!  “May the rivers run red with the blood of the non-believers.”

Orange Is The New Black Pulls No Punches

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Laura Prepon and Taylor Schilling

Tonight’s second episode of Orange Is The New Black (airing on Showcase 8:30pm) is funnily enough titled “Tit Punch”.  It’s not often you find shows willing to be so blatant about it’s episode titles.

For those still yet to tune in, think Wentworth but not as dark and with stereotypical male prison guards (sleazy and greasy) yet has some insanely graphic scenes that may make you squirm.

After last weeks episode, “Tit Punch” still wants to remind us that Red (played wonderfully by an almost unrecognizable Kate Mulgrew) served Chapman (Taylor Schilling) a tampon in her lunch.  It was a VERY full-on scene and the fallout of Chapman’s rant against Red’s cooking continues on tonight.  We finally also get a little insight into ‘Reds’ back story leading up-to how she found herself in prison.

The best scene in tonight’s episode is another showdown between Red and Chapman.  She’s still being starved out by the prison chef and has had enough!

Orange Is the New Black airs tonight on Showcase, 8:30pm

Showcase Picks up Orange Is The New Black

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Orange is the new Black

I’ve talked about my love for this show, which aired earlier this year in the US on Netflix, and now, those with access to Showcase via Foxtel will soon have the chance to watch this great show!

Orange Is The New Black follows engaged Brooklynite Piper Chapman (Taylor Shilling), whose decade-old relationship with drug-runner Alex (Laura Prepon) results in her arrest and year-long detention in a federal jail. To pay her debt to society, Piper must trade

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her comfortable New York life with fiancé Larry (Jason Biggs) , for an orange prison jumpsuit and a baffling prison culture where she is forced to question everything she believes about herself and the world at large.

As she struggles to adjust to her new reality, she finds unexpected laughter, tears, conflict and camaraderie amidst an eccentric and outspoken group of inmates.

Orange Is The New Black  will première, Wednesday October 9 at 8.30pm on Showcase.

Coming Soon: Orange Is The New Black

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Cast of the the Netflix original series Orange Is The New Black’

Jenji Kohan is no stranger to television shows based around drugs and suburban housewives.  Back in 2005 and lasting 8 seasons, Kohan brought us Weeds,  the quirky dramedy about a suburban mother who turns to dealing marijuana after the death of her husband and now, Kohan has followed that up with Orange Is The New Black.

Based on the real-life memoirs of Piper Kerman, Orange Is The New Black brings us an often funny and sometimes dramatic look at Piper Chapman (played by Taylor Schilling), who finds herself leaving behind her perfect suburban life (including loving fiancée, witchy mother and a soon-to-be successful business) for 15 months inside a low-security women’s prison for transporting drug money across international borders 10 years earlier.

Orange Is The New Black is more Winners and Losers than it is Wentworth.  Wentworth gave us a tough, in your-face and highly gritty look at life inside a women’s prison, Orange Is The New Black offers a somewhat satirical view even giving us the women’s prison genre typecasting – waspy blonde thrown into the lions den of heavy-set lesbians, aggressive black women from the Bronx, horny prison guards and even a transsexual, but, every character is so well cast and acted, this is easily forgiven.

So Orange Is The New Black worth a look in?

I say absolutely.  The all-star cast (all playing against type) is worth a look alone.  Joining Taylor Schilling is Laura Prepon (That 70’s Show) who plays Piper’s ex-girlfriend Alex Vause and Jason Biggs (of American Pie fame) as Piper’s fiancée Larry Bloom.  Natasha Lyonne, Tarryn Manning, Lea DeLaria and an unrecognisable Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek Voyager) with Russian accent as prison chef Red are all involved too.

I’m currently 5 episodes in and loving it – though  a word of warning, brace yourselves for Laura Prepon’s eyebrows. They alone, need a show of their own.  

Orange Is The New Black is due to hit our screens before the end of the year and has been confirmed for a second series.