Piper Chapman has come a long way on Orange Is the New Black. She's gone from a timid civilian to a hardened inmate over the course of three seasons. She's been threatened, beaten, and put in the SHU. Her fiancé and her best friend abandoned her in favor of each other, and her on-again, off-again relationship with Alex is enough to drive any sane woman crazy. In honor the return of OITNB this week, let's take a close look at everything Piper has gone through — including last season's romance with Stella. Then, check out what to expect on season four!
Ten years ago, when Piper and Alex are together, she's just a flighty, carefree young lady. Look at her crimped hair! She don't care.
Once she realizes she's really going to serve time, Piper has a mini meltdown, complete with some much-warranted sobbing.
She won't even know that there's a fingerprint-unlock feature, guys.
Not only does she think she's going to be able to keep up with her blog, she has high hopes that she and Larry will stay together.
She quickly finds out that telling your cellmates that you read up on the dos and don'ts of prison is a poor choice.
This is totally understandable, but not really conducive to her fitting in.
I mean, they're not exactly the type of friends she thought she wanted. But it could be worse, right?
It takes a while for Piper to adjust to being threatened, and when she inadvertently picks a fight with Red, she starts to crack.
It's early. Give her time, and she'll have no problem shanking someone.
Piper is aware that there's more to her than the squeaky-clean girl she is before Litchfield. The question is: how much will she give in to the other Piper?
This is a pretty pivotal scene, because Piper is finally letting her anger surface. She's mad to be in prison! She's upset that she can't dance with her ex! And most of all, she's frustrated with the repressed person she's become. Let the breakthrough begin.
One can only be starved, felt up, stalked, and threatened so much.
Pennsatucky picks the wrong time to attack Piper. She tries to shank her, and Piper fights back. Piper is done. She's just done, and she beats Pennsatucky within an inch of her life.
Do I believe Piper could physically rip someone's throat out? Absolutely not, but the fact that she's making the threat to begin with means everything.
She becomes romantically entangled with Stella, a new lady love.
Not only does she start a relationship with another prison, but she's really not even done with Alex yet. (If she'll ever actually be "done" with her.)
As it turns out, men pay a lot of money for prison panties.
The season ends with Piper alone, tattooing her own body with a shoddy prison tattoo gun.