'Orange Is The New Black' Episode 2.09: Recap: "40 OZ of Furlough"

It’s finally time for Piper (Taylor Schilling) to get a glimpse of freedom during her furlough to go to her grandmother’s wake and funeral. No one is used to this new Piper, who drinks alcohol while on furlough even though her father warns her that she’s not supposed to drink. Piper wants to have sex with Larry (Jason Biggs), but is devastated when she finds out he had sex with someone else and it’s someone she knows. The two agree that they love each other but that their relationship may really be over this time. After leaving her grandmother’s funeral, where her brother decided was a good time to get married, Piper pays Red’s (Kate Mulgrew) old business a visit. Upon arrival, Piper finds that Red’s store has closed and is for lease. While her furlough time begins to run out, Piper buys a Colt 45 and some fast food to enjoy before she returns to prison.

Some roles have been reversed in this episode; Healy (Michael Harney), after seeing a therapist (played by The Wire’s Deirdre Lovejoy) treats Pennsatucky (Taryn Manning) with true kindness as he is trying to be a good man again and Bennett (Matt McGorry) goes crazy with authority and gets a talk from Caputo (Nick Sandow). Caputo tells Bennett, “When I said prove it, I meant in a Coach Taylor kind of way, not in a terrify the inmates and get yourself suspended way.” While talking to Caputo, Bennett admits that Daya (Dascha Polanco) is pregnant and says that Mendez (Pablo Schreiber) must be the father. Red tells her girls that she is willing to make their relationship more of a democracy when she invites them all to the greenhouse for dinner with the help of the Golden Girls. However, Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) finds out Red has been sneaking in contrabands and tells Vee (Lorraine Toussaint) the secret in exchange for a share in Vee’s cigarette business.

The flashbacks in this episode are devoted to Red. We find out her reason for hating Vee and see a more sensitive Red when she first arrived at Litchfield. Red began her sentence sharing a room with Vee, who befriended her and convinced her to bring in contrabands through her connection with the prison’s food service. After Red took her advice, Vee turned on her and, with the help of the girls who follow her lead, she forced Red to let her take control of the contrabands coming through the kitchen. Vee’s girls beat Red up and threatened to get her sent to maximum security if she didn’t obey by their rules.