Wentworth

Very similar to Orange Is the New Black, the only major difference is that Wentworth is strictly a drama, and humor is out of bounds. Otherwise, the two series are not that different. Both include flashback scenes that provide more insight into the characters, only Wentworth also focuses on the guards and not just the main character who is even pushed to the background in some episodes. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season and I’m looking forward to the next one. // Season 2 comes with a key change in the prison's leadership. With the arrival of Joan Ferguson – an interesting cross between Nurse Ratched and Reinhard Heydrich – the atmosphere gets sadistic, paranoid, and filled with scheming and intrigue. The series becomes more dramatic, gritty, and addictive. At least I find it hard to stop watching it, and I look forward to each new episode. // Season 3 is the most depressing one so far. The atmosphere gets even more tense. Governor Joan Ferguson intensifies her psycho-terror and only the most optimistic inmate would reach for the soap in the shower. Intrigue thrives on both sides of the bars, and the best thing is that the writing is so good that the plot doesn’t seem out of place for a moment. Everything feels extremely believable. // Season 4 was absolutely awesome. There’s nothing to criticize, I can only lavish praise on it. It has everything: a tense atmosphere, suspense, and plot twists. All of it is mixed in such a fantastic ratio that I couldn't tear myself away from the screen. Even as it escalates, it still feels extremely real. Joan Ferguson, just like Annie Wilkes, is some serious nightmare fuel for me. I'm getting chills just thinking about her. (2016.09.09)