Why Yellow is The New Orange

What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say "women's prison" and "television drama"? It's a no-brainer, right? Orange is The New Black all the way.

When the pilot aired in 2013, OINTB was in its own league. The captivating plot was brought to life by a stellar ensemble cast. Piper Chapman, (played by Taylor Schilling) is in federal prison for a crime she did 10 years ago. Piper is smart, but not prison-smart, and she's got a lot to learn, just so she can survive.

Right from the start, OINTB gets raw, visceral, and real. We explore the lives of each of the inmates, one by one. We get to see the heartbreaking stories that brought them to prison. OINTB was excellent at drawing the contrast between the inmates' tough exterior and their personal dreams. One minute, you feel sorry for an unlucky woman, and the next, she is stabbing someone with a shiv.

OINTB is an acclaimed hotbed for LGBTQ+ romances and narratives. Piper meets her ex-lover Alex(Laura Prepon), who hired her 10 years ago to carry drug money. Alex and Piper build a love-hate dynamic that eventually blossoms into unapologetic desire. In every corner of the prison, there is a heated romance, and we see all the racy little details.

If you liked OINTB, 'Locked Up' is your next fix

Although OITNB was intriguing, it was also confused. I was surprised to know that OITNB entered itself as a comedy in the Emmys. Comedy? It has its amusing moments, but I don't think the violent ugliness that this series portrayed so well can fall under a comedy. A dark, twisted comedy perhaps.

But 'Locked Up' doesn't hesitate to be a wild thriller. In this Spanish prison-drama, Macarena Ferreiro (Maggie Civantos) has landed herself in prison because of one fateful mistake. Her life is ruined, and she fights tooth and nail for her freedom, as her family does outside prison. This well-written, addictive plot gets sordid and shocking- once you start watching, you simply cannot stop.

The storyline(at least the first two seasons) also reminds me of Sidney Sheldon's 'If Tomorrow Comes'. While Macarena is not completely innocent, she shares a few traits with the brilliant book's leading lady, Tracy Whitney.

When it comes to gore/sex, Locked Up (Vis a Vis) brings it all to its viewers. Creator Alex Pina says it has “the most sex and violence we’ve ever seen on TV in Spain”. Lively romances, rousing characters, grappling twists, this series has it all.

For my fellow 'Money Heist' maniacs

Apart from being exciting Spanish thrillers, what do Money Heist and Locked Up have in common, you ask? Only two of the best actors in the world.

Up first, we have Alba Flores, our beloved Nairobi, who plays Saray Vargas in Locked Up. Saray is a hot-headed inmate who can be a trusted, loyal ally, or a violent nightmare of an enemy. While Nairobi's fortune in Money Heist ended in a gut-wrenching manner, Saray may just have a brighter light at the end of her tunnel.

And then there is Zulema Zahir, played by a magnificent woman who leaves me wondering why she isn't hailed as the best actor ever. 'Locked Up' is a love letter to this fiercely talented, highly underrated beauty, Najwa Nimri.

In Money Heist, Najwa plays the witty, stone-cold Inspector who manages to be shrewd, eccentric, and feisty all in one character.

And here, in Locked Up, she plays Zulema Zahir, a hardened, ruthless criminal, who cares about nobody but herself. Zulema is the embodiment of wickedness. She is hearty, cruel, psychopathic, and she is one of the most innately powerful characters I have ever seen on-screen.

Zulema is so badass that she has scorpions as pets. Scorpions.

If you like Orange is The New Black, you will enjoy Locked Up. If you like the impeccable acting of Alba Flores and Najwa Nimri from Money Heist, you will love Locked Up.

If you like both OITNB and Money Heist, you really need to get your mind blown by the sheer perfection that is Locked Up, today.