Ep 6. Ching Chong Chang

In Orange is the New Black season 3 episode 6, titled "Ching Chong Chang," the viewers are taken on a journey with Chang, the enigmatic inmate known for her silence and skill in smuggling items into the prison. This episode offers a much-needed peek into Chang's backstory, which has been shrouded in mystery since the show's inception.

The episode begins with Chang, as usual, silently attending her duties in the kitchen. As she goes about her day, flashbacks from her past start to reveal themselves. We see Chang as a young child growing up in China and struggling to cope with the loss of her mother. As she begins to learn English and spend time with her father, Chang develops a love for gambling which ultimately leads to her getting caught up in the criminal underworld.

Back in the present, Chang reveals her ability to smuggle in large quantities of contraband to some of the other inmates and they quickly begin to take advantage of it. The kitchen becomes a bustling market with Chang as its sole supplier. Seeing her profit margins rise, Chang begins to feel empowered by her newfound position of authority. This leads to a feud with the other kitchen workers and tensions run high as the prison population braces for a possible war between different factions.

As Chang's flashbacks continue, we see her getting married to her husband, who she detests, for the status that comes with it. Eventually, when she finds out that he has been unfaithful, Chang decides to leave him and start her life afresh in the United States.

Back in the present, Chang encounters a group of inmates who refuse to buy anything from her, leading to a confrontation that ends in her getting beaten up. This sequence is a turning point for Chang, as she realizes that her strength and survival instincts extend further beyond her ability to smuggle.

The episode concludes with a stirring montage of Chang's memories, both good and bad, before cutting back to her continuing her duties in the kitchen. As the camera zooms out to show the prison compound in its entirety, we are left to ponder the complexities of Chang's character and the life that brought her to where she is today.

Overall, "Ching Chong Chang" is a powerful and beautifully crafted examination of a character who the audience was made to believe was simply a side player. The narrative is multi-layered and emotionally resonant, and the performances from the cast are top-notch. This episode showcases why Orange is the New Black is often lauded for its ability to create fully-realized characters out of seemingly insignificant people.