‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 3 Episode 11 Recap: ‘We Can Be Heroes’

Orange Is The New Black “We Can Be Heroes” took a look back into Caputo’s history, while in the present, Piper is expanding her business to the detriment of her relationship with Alex.

Orange Is The New Black Recap

Despite hating each others guts, Fig (Alysia Reiner) and Caputo (Nick Sandow) have started a sexual relationship that disgusts them both. At the end of one of their hotel room romps, Fig hits Caputo with some armchair psychology. “You fancy yourself a nice guy, but you’re not,” Fig tells him. “You’re a deeply angry and resentful man, because the world doesn’t appreciate you how you think you deserve.”

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Flashback to high school, Caputo got a loss and a dislocated shoulder after stepping up to do an exhibition match with a boy who had down syndrome. As an adult, he dropped out of a band on the cusp of fame and fortune after learning that his girlfriend was pregnant – by one of his bandmates – and took a thankless job as a corrections officer for benefits. In the end, he’s left by the girl, who goes back to the rock star father of her child.

In the present, Caputo learns that the guards are trying to unionize to improve their work conditions. They want to be full-time employees with benefits again. He advises they cool off for the time being, but does take the issue to Pearson (Mike Birbiglia). Before any progress is made, Caputo has to deal with another problem: Angie Rice (Julie Lake) has been released from prison after a computer error gave her the I.D. number of a Sarah Rice, who was the inmate that was actually supposed to get out of jail.

Flaca (Jackie Cruz), inspired by the guards’ union literature that she finds in a garbage can, decides to educate the likes of Yoga Jones (Constance Shulman) and DeMarco (Lin Tucci) about their collective bargaining rights. As the union rep, Flaca tells Piper (Taylor Schilling) that they want fair pay for providing her with the in-demand product, or they’re all out. Flavor packets aren’t going to cut it anymore. She suggests Piper come back to her with a better deal so they can talk.

Crossing the picket line is Stella (Ruby Rose), who points out that Piper has been avoiding her while handing over the panties. Piper is trying to keep her distance from Stella after cheating on Alex (Laura Prepon), who believes that she was deluding herself when she thought Piper was hooking up with the new Australian inmate, adding of her latest encounter with Lolly (Lori Petty) that she “beat the shit out of a crazy person.”

With a paranoid Alex not being of much use to Piper, she seeks advice from Red (Kate Mulgrew), who also has some experience with organized crime. Red, who worked with the Russian mafia, gives Piper some hard truths. First, she needs to stop screwing around on her girlfriend/business partner because it’s bad business. It’s also bad business to have a revolt with her worker bees, so Red tells her it’s time to pay them a fair wage. As for Red, for her services, she wants 8% off the top.

In order to pay the women, Piper needs a phone, which Red tells her will be easy to find in a prison rife with contraband. After she finds one, Piper runs to Alex to tell her about the new plans for the business. Alex isn’t impressed or interested. According to Alex, what Piper is creating is a legitimate crime network, taking what was meant to be a silly distraction way too far. Piper wants the old felon Alex back.

Without Alex’s support, Piper pushes forward and gets her girls together for a meeting. She explains to them how and how much they will be paid – eight bucks a pair – going forward. Their “benefits” will include one chicken and one beef flavor packet a week. There’s one catch. Flaca, their union rep, has been fired. Piper warns Flaca that if she rats the business out, she’ll be taking a lot of money away from her friends. Later on, Piper brags to Alex about how she handled Flaca, but doesn’t get the reaction she had hoped for. Alex calls the move gross, and is overall disgusted with Piper’s power trip. In turn, Piper is disgusted by Alex’s paranoia. Alex decides to end their relationship and step away from the business.

Meanwhile, Caputo is trying to track down Ang, while leaving the useless Pearson back at Litchfield. They’re in agreement that it’s in the best interest of both of their jobs if they can quietly get Ang back to camp. In a stroke of luck, Caputo finds Ang at the bus station, as she didn’t know where she should go. When he returns to Litchfield, he urges Pearson to take the guards’ conditions to the board. Pearson sees where he’s coming from, but asks Caputo if pulling for the underdog has ever really worked out in his favor. Though the answer, per flashbacks, is a resounding “no,” Caputo meets the guards at the bar and agrees to advise them on their new union.

Season 3 Episode 11 Odds & Ends

Leanne continues to bully Soso with her final act chopping off her hair as she slept.

Big Boo gets Doggett to see the horrible nature of Coates and vows to help her get revenge on him.

Sophia continues to be on the receiving end of Aleida’s transphobic slurs, which have spread around the prison.

Berdie gets fired over Suzanne’s Time Hump Chronicles.

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