'Orange Is The New Black' Episode 2.10: "Little Mustachioed S–t"

Freshly back from furlough, Piper (Taylor Schilling) receives yet another letter from Alex (Laura Prepon), who she just can’t seem to get off of her mind. Flashbacks show the two in the first stages of their relationship. Piper gets punched in the face by the girlfriend she didn’t know Alex had and then forgives Alex when she runs into her at the bar, a cycle seen throughout their whole relationship. In another flashback, Piper tells Polly (Maria Dizzia) that she doesn’t think she’s a lesbian, but that she’s experimenting. Then, the doorbell rings and Piper and Polly find a bag on fire (with an unexpected surprise inside) – the oldest trick in the book. Once back in the present, Piper uses the same trick against Polly after finding out that Polly slept with Larry.

It seems that Vee (Lorraine Toussaint) has restored Litchfield to the way it used to be. Her group of girls runs the prison through intimidation, violence and bribery. She has successfully turned Taystee (Danielle Brooks) against Poussey (Samira Wiley) and forces Poussey to let her use the library for her business. Poussey hates Vee even more after Vee watches the officers take Janae (Vicky Jeudy) to SHU after they find her stash of cigarettes. Poussey is one of the only inmates who can see Vee for the bad person she really is. A drunk and angry Poussey confronts Vee, but Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba) kicks and hits her repeatedly.

Vee and Crazy Eyes are quickly taking over Litchfield. Using the tip she received from Big Boo (Lea DeLaria), Vee goes to the greenhouse to find the tunnel that Red (Kate Mulgrew) has been using to smuggle in contraband. But Red won’t let Vee take over her life again without a fight!

There are a couple of interesting visits in this episode. Sophia’s (Laverne Cox) son Mike, who we find out turned her in to the police, finally visits her and by the end of the visit, finally talks to her. Morello (Yael Stone) gets a surprise visit from Christopher (Stephen O’Reilly). He tells her that he doesn’t know how she did it but he knows she broke into his house. Morello leaves the room hysterically crying after Christopher screams at her and tells her she is psychotic. Nicky (Natasha Lyonne) comforts Morello once again and tells her that she loves her even though she’s “bat s—t crazy.”

At the end of the episode, Mendez (Pablo Schreiber) is fired and arrested for rape (consensual sex with an inmate is still rape). As he leaves Litchfield in handcuffs, he tells Daya (Dascha Polanco) that he loves her and he doesn’t care about the consequences. The scandal lands Litchfield Penitentiary is all over the news. Ironically, Mendez, who isn’t actually the father of Daya’s baby, shows more love and compassion for Daya than Bennett (Matt McGorry).