'Orange is the New Black' binge recap: Trust no one

Spoiler alert! The following contains spoilers for Orange is the New Black season 3 episode 12. 

Are you binge-watching season 3 of Orange is the New Black? We are too! You can read all our recaps here.

Orange is the New Black finished its third season exactly the way it started: On a joyous note that is stained by a little bit of reality creeping in. The image of the inmates frolicking in the pond -- of Cindy's mikvah, of Crazy Eyes' new love, of Soso's acceptance, of Gloria and Marisol's reconciliation, of Norma and Red's --  all of this is just ever so slightly tarnished by the bunk-beds being installed and the lines of women in orange uniforms waiting to enter Litchfield. Because -- as the season has hammered home time and time again -- no matter what any of these women do to change or better  their own lives, they are ultimate pawns of the system, trapped by the corporate machine.

Because as fun as it is to frolic in a pond when maintenance just takes down part of the fence, it doesn't change the harsh realities of life. Sophia is still in the SHU, Caputo has marched up corporate ladder, the guards are walking off the job, Alex has probably been murdered (and it's Piper's fault), Cesar is in custody and the kids are heading to foster care, Big Boo helped Pennsatucky escape a rapist only to put Maritza in his path, Morello married a man who clearly didn't know about the conjugal visit rule, Healy is in love with Red and it's gross, Norma isn't magical and Piper saved her business by throwing Stella under the bus. Reality in Litchfield can get pretty dark sometimes.

But despite all that, this season was significantly lighter than last, free of the heaviness that Vee's presence gave. Our characters weren't fighting each other as much as they were fighting the world and its many, many injustices. Some people came out of the fight with their hands clean, and some came out with tacky homemade infinity tattoos under their armpits after selling out one girlfriend and getting another one murdered (in case you didn't know, I really hate Piper).

Of all the characters left in limbo at the season's end, I'm most concerned about Sophia, whose fate is almost entirely up in the air at this point, as one of her champions quit (we'll miss you Mike Birbiglia) and the other decided he's not going to care about other people anymore (pro tip: never take advice from Fig!). While we wait to see what happened to her next season, I'm going to officially start Laverne Cox's Emmy campaign right now. Yeah, OITNB should be in the drama category. And it should also win.

Whatever problems that are left hanging, in the end it's all cool, guys, because a celebrity chef is coming to the party at Litchfield for season 4. And what could be better than another red-headed chef in the mix?

Thanks for joining me on this wild weekend of binge-watching. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.