2. Love Is Better When It Hurts
NetflixPiper has two love stories throughout Orange is the New Black, one with Larry and one with Alex. In season one, we see that she still isn't over Alex, which is not a huge shock to anyone watching - the signs really had been there from the start. When the pair get back together, albeit briefly, the audience let out a collective sigh of relief. Then in most of season two the pair are separated and we witness Piper pining for Alex and ultimately showing her true feelings when she worries frantically for her lost love's safety. The thing is the Larry and Piper love story was never all that interesting. The devoted fiancé waiting for his lover to do her time so he can marry her just isn't all that epic. It's a cute story, but where's the passion? I for one wasn't very invested in these two as a couple. It's all too vanilla. Now the Alex and Piper love story on the other hand is a hot mess of passion meets pain. You get the sense that these two are meant to be, that they are somehow drawn to each other despite the pain they cause. Their love feels more real, because they're having to fight for it. This is true to real life, though, isn't it? Love is so much more worthwhile when you've had to fight for it. The passionate Romeo and Juliet style romance is much more appealing than the kind of romance your mom and dad have. Fundamentally, we all want the burning desire of a meant to be love story. That's what Piper and Alex have.