'Orange Is The New Black' Episode 2.04 Recap: "A Whole Other Hole"

Going along with Orange is the New Black’s recent theme of flashbacks, “A Whole Other Hole” concentrates on Lorna Morello’s (Yael Stone) life before Litchfield. The episode opens with a heartbroken Morello, disheveled with tissues stuck all over her body, who found out in the past episode that her ex-fiancé Christopher (Stephen O’Reilly) would be marrying a woman, Angela, on the same day she believed he was going to marry her.

Morello, whose job at the prison is to drive the van, embarks on a trip to the hospital to bring Miss Rosa (Barbara Rosenblat), a fellow inmate, to get her chemotherapy treatment with Fischer (Lauren Lapkus), the nicest officer at Litchfield. After hearing a sad love song on the radio, Morello abuses her privileges as the van driver and drives to Christopher’s house. She breaks in and, while taking a bath in Angela’s veil, Morello thinks back to her pre-Litchfield days. Through flashbacks, the viewer sees Morello buying incredibly expensive items, like Prada shoes, and calling the company to say that the item was never delivered in order to get a full refund. One of the flashbacks shows Morello meeting Christopher, who Morello continues to tell everyone she speaks to in prison is her fiancé. Despite the fact that Morello seems to believe, or want to believe, that she and Christopher are getting married once she finishes her sentence, a flashback shows Morello was actually stalking the man she only went on one date with. Christopher got a restraining order and, while testifying in court about Morello’s mail shopping fraud, tells everyone that he and Morello never had an actual relationship and that she stalked him and threatened him and his fiancé. Christopher tells the court that Morello put a homemade bomb under Angela’s car. Who would’ve thought that the sweet and innocent seeming Morello was capable of all of this?

Piper (Taylor Schilling) is really gaining confidence, especially after she is assigned to bunk with Red (Kate Mulgrew). She avoids Red’s wishes and moves Red’s books, saying, “What are you going to do? Not feed me?” This new attitude is a reminder of just how much prison has changed Piper; she doesn’t let anyone push her around anymore. Eventually, Piper and Red form a somewhat nice friendship and Red even shares her feelings on her old friends in the kitchen. Red says, “My friendship used to come with perks. Now I’m just an angry old Russian lady.” Red finally gives in and sits with the Golden Girls in the cafeteria. She has a newfound interest in the green house and begs Healy (Michael Harney) to let her and the Golden Girls fix it up, so she can boss them around.

Taystee (Danielle Brooks), once confident in her identity, seems to be questioning herself and her sexuality. Her outgoing personality has been vacant since Vee’s (Lorraine Toussaint) arrival and she’s confused as to whether or not she is a lesbian. She has always had a great friendship with Poussey (Samira Wiley), but when Poussey kisses her, she tries to convince both Poussey and herself that she is not gay.

At the end of the episode, Morello is still in her fantasy world. She continues to tell everyone that she is getting married to Christopher and that they are deeply in love. It will be interesting to see how long Morello can hold up the charade.

– Jennifer Hogan

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