Orange Is The New Black: Top 10 Moments Of Season 3
3. Nickys Departure
While Nickys departure early on in the season acted as something of a bad omen as far the rest of the episodes went, as shes easily one of the best and most beloved characters on the show so far, the actual circumstances and writing around her being dragged to Max constitutes one of the seasons best moments. Nicky has always been lovable to viewers; although we know that shes a drug addict, her struggles with heroin have always been sympathetically portrayed by the talented Natasha Lyonne. However, things take a different turn this season, where we see the presumed circumstances of Nickys detention at Litchfield in a flashback. In this episode, we see Nicky stealing cars, stealing money from her mother, and making all kinds of awful decisions to get her fix in the past, and in the present, similarly, we see Nicky being selfish and short-sighted when it comes to heroin. It isnt pretty, of course, but its the reality that many face with addiction, which is what make the scene so very effective. Though clearly to viewers she an incredibly likeable and overall good person, Nicky is trapped, effectively, between the unforgiving nature of her heroin addiction and the similarly unyielding prison system that has her going to maximum security in the blink of an eye. What makes it all the more effective is the Mothers Day flashback, where we see the root of Nickys struggles as a small child, simply looking to her mother for love and understanding.
Canadian student. Spends probably an unhealthy amount of time enthusing over musicals, unpopular TV shows, and Harry Potter. Main life goal: to become fluent in Elvish.
