Orange is the New Black: The 21 craziest moments thus far

CO George “Pornstache” Mendez is framed for pregnancy with rape allegation

Mendez quickly becomes a sort of perfect villain on OITNB, immediately asserting himself as a tragic yet unforgivable foe. He’s also a darkly funny character in his most cruel moments. But he is a bad dude through and through, and that ugliness is brought out in spades by the incarcerated women around him.

He’s the kind of authority figure that is blatantly doing wrong at every turn, but it’s always his word against the inmates’. He abuses his power and subjugates Litchfield’s women by verbally abusing them, sexually harassing them, and generally treating everyone like dogs. So it’s satisfying to see him victimized by Daya and her family as they frame him for rape. Daya lures him into the broom closet, lets him have his way, and then runs to the Litchfield administration with the baby proof.

It’s moments like these that set the pace for OITNB. The characters bounce back and forth between moments of tenderness and ruthlessness so fast it gives me whiplash sometimes. But in the early seasons, there were many moments of vindication like these, moments that we typically wouldn’t relish in polite conversation but say something profound about how people capitalize on each other’s shortcomings.