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"Tied to the Tracks" is the eighth episode of the fifth season of Orange Is the New Black. It is the sixtieth episode of the series overall. It premiered on June 9, 2017. It was written by Carolina Paiz and directed by Michael Trim

Synopsis[]

While Taystee sits down with a negotiator, Red and Blanca put their own plans into action. Gloria counsels Daya and asks Caputo for a favor.

Plot[]

Present[]

Red and Blanca Flores discover a vent in the basement, through which they (using CO Humphrey's cell phone and assuming his identity) instruct CO Piscatella to enter the prison that night. They argue over how they will subdue him once they get him inside.

Taystee, Janae Watson, Piper Chapman, and Soso set up a table in preparation for the negotiator to arrive. They speculate over who it might be, but are shocked to find that the governor's office has sent none other than Natalie Figueroa ("Fig"), the former warden. They are joined by Black Cindy and Alison Abdullah, who farmed out the task of babysitting Suzanne Warren and the hostages to Pidge and Ouija in exchange for a Twix bar. However, Pidge and Ouija grow aggravated when Suzanne tries to stop their friend Cabrera from hitting on Luschek, so they take the hostages back and tie a wailing Suzanne to her bunk.

A refreshed-looking Judy King, newly released, prepares to go on television to give an exclusive interview about what she witnessed during the ongoing riot, but is dismayed to find that she will be sharing her limelight with Aleida Diaz for a talk segment titled "Riot Girls." Aleida goes into detail about the special treatment Judy received at Litchfield, but Judy fires back by stating that Aleida had been released before the riot even began and it was she, Judy, and not Aleida, who had witnessed the shooting of CO Humphrey. This takes everyone aback, as no one outside Litchfield was yet aware that there had been any shooting. When pressed for details, Judy states that she cannot remember the name of the shooter, but describes her as "That Spanish girl that doesn't speak Spanish. You know, one with the puffy lips." Still on air, it dawns on Aleida that Judy is talking about her daugher Dayanara Diaz. The footage is watched both by the inmates and law enforcement outside, leading to the ridicule of Piscatella (who had been trying to convince the SWAT team that he was in contact with Humphrey) and speculation among the inmates as to how Daya's actions making the news might affect them.

A distraught Gloria Mendoza calls the hospital and insists she speak to the doctor treating her son Benito Mendoza ("Benny"). The doctor informs her that Benny was in a fight and is now unconscious, suffering from a hematoma on his brain. Desperate to see her son, Gloria goes to see Joe Caputo (still locked in a Porta-Potty called "the Poo") to beg for furlough. Taking pity on her, Caputo tells her to go to his office and dial three on the phone, stating that someone may be able to help her. However, he warns her that if she wants the authorities to grant her furlough, she will have to help end the riot. A short time later, after news of Daya shooting Humphrey has reached the media, Gloria is the one to break the news to Daya and insist she take ownership of her actions. Daya relents and calls her mother, who tries to tell her to plead self-defense, but Daya hangs up on her.

Taystee, representing the inmates in the negotiations with Fig, trades verbal spars with her over the state of MCC's budget and secures four demands with relative ease, leading to excited optimism among her inner circle witnessing the discussion. However, the negotiations turn sour when Fig receives a phone call informing her about the shooting. Faced with amnesty being pulled off the table or even an end to negotiations entirely, the inmates have to decide whether they will passively allow Fig to walk out and invite negative consequences for the entire prison, or actively condemn Daya so that the rest of the inmates might have their demands met. Still pursuing justice for the death of Poussey Washington, they decide to turn Daya in. Daya herself, realizing after her conversation with Aleida that following her mother's advice has never ended well, has arrived at the same conclusion. She makes a last phone call to Delia Powell, who had tried to adopt Daya's baby in season 3 but was told by Aleida that the infant died ("Don't Make Me Come Back There"). Daya confesses that Aleida lied and that her baby, whom she named Armaria Diaz, is alive and in foster care. She begs Delia to take custody of the baby girl instead. With both Daya and her own son George Mendez - who presumably does not know the baby is not actually his - pleading with her to take Armaria, Delia agrees. Her daughter's future secured, Daya turns herself in just before Fig walks out on the negotiations.

In the pharmacy cage, Nicky Nichols is arguing with Lorna Morello Muccio over the latter's supposed pregnancy (which Nicky does not believe is real) when Red and Blanca show up asking for needles. Immediately put off by their frenzied manner, Nicky and Lorna lock Red and Blanca in the pharmacy with them. Finding the piece of severed thumb Red took from Humphrey, Nicky immediately accuses Blanca of giving Red drugs. In response, Blanca and Red show Nicky the "energy vitamins" they have been taking, which Nicky immediately identifies as pharmaceutical-grade amphetamines in a vitamin bottle. Nicky and Lorna immediately dismiss Blanca and Red's plan to punish Piscatella as a speed-fueled pipe dream. They allow Blanca to leave, but Nicky insists Red sleep off the drugs. Lorna takes Humphrey's phone and texts Piscatella to call him off, but by this time Piscatella is aware that he is not really communicating with Humphrey.

Tiffany Doggett tries to use the bathroom, but is chased off by Brandy Epps, who is acting as Leanne Taylor and Angie Rice's new bodyguard. Brandy insists that Tiffany now must stay at least 300 feet away from Leanne. Trying the remaining Porta-Potties outside that aren't being used as punishment cells, Tiffany is again blocked, this time by Skinhead Helen. Desperate, Tiffany resorts to urinating in a hallway, but she is harassed by Leanne and Angie again. They follow her to the dorm, where Tiffany breaks Angie's nose in retaliation for the harassment. Tiffany is placed in the Poo as punishment.

Blanca tries to rig up a booby trap outside the vent to subdue Piscatella, but her efforts go nowhere. As night falls, Piscatella - dressed in SWAT gear - takes a pair of bolt cutters to one of the doors and sneaks inside the prison.

Flashback[]

Dayanara Diaz and Aleida Diaz[]

A teenage Daya sits on a rooftop smoking weed with her friends Claire and Paolo. When Daya puts out the joint, Paolo complains that there was at least one puff left. In reply, Daya blows the remainder of her smoke into his mouth. A moment later, Paolo points out a pair of legs sticking out around a corner, which Claire and Daya fear is a dead body, but it turns out to be a stunt dummy Paolo placed there earlier to prank the girls. Rolling their eyes, the girls walk away. Claire asks Daya if she was flirting with Paolo earlier, and when Daya says no Claire confesses that she is into Paolo and wants to go for him. Daya tells her friend that Paolo is all hers.

Later, Aleida returns from the bodega where Paolo works, and tells Daya that he asked about her. Aleida thinks that Paolo has a crush on Daya, but Daya brushes this off, telling her mother that she has known Paolo forever and that Claire likes him anyway. Aleida in turn tells Daya that she has to look out for herself, not-so-subtly encouraging her to pursue Paolo regardless of her friend's feelings.

Later that week, Daya, Paolo, and Claire all attend a party. They dance together, Paolo seemingly alternating between both Daya and Claire as dance partners, but he is taken aback when Daya - acting on her mother's advice - tries to kiss him. He rebuffs her, exclaiming that he thought she knew he was into Claire. Paolo and Claire walk off together, leaving Daya standing alone.

Later, Daya explodes at Aleida, blaming her because neither of her friends will speak to her following the incident at the party. Aleida retaliates by going out and leaving Daya in charge of her siblings, and the issue stays unresolved.

Memorable Quotes[]

"So if I just take a shit in a can and I label it 'chili', you gonna eat that?"
— Nicky, to Blanca

Galleries[]

Present[]

N/A

Flashbacks[]

N/A

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Starring[]

Special Guest Stars[]

Co-Stars[]

Music[]

N/A

Trivia[]

  • The episode was leaked on April 28, 2017.
  • The actress playing Young Daya in this episode's flashback is Dascha Polanco's real-life daughter, Dasany Kristal Gonzalez.

References[]


Navigation[]

Daya's Flashbacks
The Chickening  •  Don't Make Me Come Back There  •  Tied to the Tracks?
Aleida's Flashbacks
The Chickening  •  Mother's Day  •  Don't Make Me Come Back There  •  Tied to the Tracks  •  Minority Deport?
Episode Navigation
Season 1 I Wasn't Ready  •  Tit Punch  •  Lesbian Request Denied  •  Imaginary Enemies  •  The Chickening  •  WAC Pack  •  Blood Donut  •  Moscow Mule  •  Fucksgiving  •  Bora Bora Bora  •  Tall Men with Feelings  •  Fool Me Once  •  Can't Fix Crazy
Season 2 Thirsty Bird  •  Looks Blue, Tastes Red  •  Hugs Can Be Deceiving  •  A Whole Other Hole  •  Low Self Esteem City  •  You Also Have a Pizza  •  Comic Sans  •  Appropriately Sized Pots  •  40 Oz. of Furlough  •  Little Mustachioed Shit  •  Take a Break From Your Values  •  It Was the Change  •  We Have Manners. We're Polite.
Season 3 Mother's Day  •  Bed Bugs and Beyond  •  Empathy Is a Boner Killer  •  Finger in the Dyke  •  Fake It Till You Fake It Some More  •  Ching Chong Chang  •  Tongue-Tied  •  Fear, and Other Smells  •  Where My Dreidel At  •  A Tittin' and a Hairin'  •  We Can Be Heroes  •  Don't Make Me Come Back There  •  Trust No Bitch
Season 4 Work That Body For Me  •  Power Suit  •  (Don't) Say Anything  •  Doctor Psycho  •  We'll Always Have Baltimore  •  Piece of Shit  •  It Sounded Nicer in My Head  •  Friends in Low Places  •  Turn Table Turn  •  Bunny, Skull, Bunny, Skull  •  People Persons  •  The Animals  •  Toast Can't Never Be Bread Again
Season 5 Riot FOMO  •  Fuck, Marry, Frieda  •  Pissters!  •  Litchfield's Got Talent  •  Sing It, White Effie  •  Flaming Hot Cheetos, Literally  •  Full Bush, Half Snickers  •  Tied to the Tracks  •  The Tightening  •  The Reverse Midas Touch  •  Breaking the Fiberboard Ceiling  •  Tattoo You  •  Storm-y Weather
Season 6 Who Knows Better Than I   •  Shitstorm Coming   •  Look Out for Number One   •  I'm the Talking Ass   •  Mischief Mischief   •  State of the Uterus   •  Changing Winds   •  Gordons   •  Break the String   •  Chocolate Chip Nookie   •  Well This Took a Dark Turn   •  Double Trouble   •  Be Free
Season 7 Beginning of the End   •  Just Desserts   •  And Brown Is the New Orange   •  How to Do Life   •  Minority Deport   •  Trapped in an Elevator   •  Me as Well   •  Baker's Dozen   •  The Hidey Hole   •  The Thirteenth   •  God Bless America   •  The Big House   •  Here's Where We Get Off
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