After a tense confrontation between the White Power gang and Flores, Piper has to choose sides, and advises Happakuka to get a gang of her own. Nicky returns to Litchfield amid chaos, and runs into Lolly, who tells her about the new "military presence," and surveillance drones. We then spend time in a flashback to Lolly's days as a budding journalist. Black Cindy, Suzanne, Taystee and the girls continue with their plan to snap a photo of Judy King. Caputo's education proposal undergoes some changes...into a chain gang. Aleida has no plan what she's going to do when she gets out, with no job or education. Nicky cracks the case of the "shower pooper" for Lorna. Healy discovers Lolly's "time machine."
This episode provides examples of the following tropes:
- A Day in the Limelight: Lolly now has a turn, showing she has voices in her head that have made her think the government's after her.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Piper's not invited to Nicky's Welcome Back party.
- Bodyguard Betrayal: After being mistreated by Piper one too many, Hapakuka gives Piper up to Maria and her gang.
- Break the Haughty: After being a selfish, egotistical backstabbing "gangsta" throughout season 3, Piper gets branded as punishment for framing Maria and starting a white supremacists group for "protection".
- Brutal Honesty: Big Boo tells Piper, to put it lightly, "Everyone hates you".
- Call-Back: Nicky reminds Piper of Yoga's metaphor that jail is like a mandala.
- Cassandra Truth: Even when Lolly tells the truth, no one believes her.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Maria and her gang brand Piper's arm to look like a swastika.
- Executive Meddling: In-Universe when Caputo finds that his education plan is less educational and more of a chain gang.Linda: Technically, it's a school. As long as we emphasize the school part, we don't have to pay them eleven cents an hour.
- Funny Schizophrenia: Strongly averted. Lolly's mental illness and the voices in her head make her life a living hell. She loses her job, her home, and ends up in jail.
- Ironic Echo: Piper saying she's quite "gangsta" now and all success in the panty business goes to her head. It comes back to bite her when Maria and her gang show up to torture Piper.Maria: Oh, yeah, you real "gangsta" Chapman!
- Jerkass Has a Point: Since the Season 3 finale, Piper has been trying to play like she's a badass. Now it comes back to her.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Just when Piper was planning to throw Hapakuka "to the wolves" for her own protection, Hapakuka decides to throw Piper "to the wolves" (Maria and the Dominican girls) as payback and for her own protection.
- Memetic Mutation: The blurry photo of Judy King being chased by Black Cindy trying to give her a hug is quite popular on the internet.
- Mistaken for Racist: Judy King is mistaken by the other inmates for being racist, for needing "protection" from the black inmates and having some special services provided for her in her own room.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Because Piper treated Hapakuka like shit, she gets thrown to Maria and her gang.
- Mood Whiplash: A relatively light episode takes a VERY dark turn at the end.
- Mother Russia Makes You Strong : When asked why she's not tired, Red replies "I'm Russian."
- Not What It Looks Like: Judy King thinks the black inmates are trying to kill her for her 80's puppet show, when in actuality they're just trying to take a photo of her to make some money.
- Odd Friendship: The way Healy talks to Lolly is sweet.
- Old Shame: Judy doesn't have many, but her ridiculous puppet show from the 80s surfaces.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Red notices that Nicky isn't eating much food and Morello notices Nicky hanging out with Angie after her drug business (all a sign of using again).
- Pay Evil unto Evil: After putting up with Piper's mistreatment of them, Hapakuka, Maria and her gang decide to teach Piper a lesson.
- Shout-Out : To The Lord of the Rings. Nicky compares Max's SHU to Mordor.Big Boo: Well, you're back in the Shire now.
- Also to Phil Collins: Maureen's name sounds like a Phil Collins song.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" plays loudly through the party during Piper's torture scene.
- Squick: How Angie's getting drugs into the prison, and the reason for shower pooping.Nicky:: To understand the mind of a degenerate, you must enter the mind of a degenerate.
- Take That, Scrappy!: After letting her pride and ego go to her head, Big Boo tells off Piper when the former is complaining about not being invited to Nicky's party.Big Boo: (to Piper) Kid, no one wants you here! Everybody hates you!
- Time Skip: It's not clear exactly how much time has passed. Each of the first three seasons took about three months, and the fourth season started right where the third season left off. As of this episode, Nicky comments how much weight Boo has lost, and all the changes around Litchfield so some time passes, or maybe the fourth season takes place over a longer period than the previous three.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Maria and the Dominican girls delivers one to Piper as they kidnap her and prepare to brand her with a swastika as punishment.
- Big Boo delivers one to Piper when she complains about not being invited to the party after everything that's happened.
- Situational Sexuality: Nicky lampshades this to the newly married Morello as she tries to hook up with her.
- Values Dissonance: An in-Universe example, with Chitlin' Joe. It Crosses the Line Twice.
- You Need to Get Laid: Nicky insists she can still satisfy Morello even though she's married and her husband's on the outside.
