OITNB S3 E7 “Tongue-Tied” is about:

* Norma’s backstory. Norma doesn’t speak because she is an extreme stutterer (we have seen her sing before, so we knew that she wasn’t mute). Angie was a hippie who joined a cult where she (and several other women) married the fugazi guru of the cult. Ultimately, as time passes, Norma ends up being the only woman who stays with the increasingly bitter and failed religious leader Finally, she reaches her breaking point (as he seemed to be continuously emotionally cruel to her) and literally pushes him off a cliff.

The point is that while Norma seems to be a push-over and to be taken for granted by Red, she has a breaking point and she is incredibly giving and kind until she gets pushed too far (and that she is more kind than naive). Angie and several other inmates approach Norma to give the spiritual kindness but Red gets in the way.

Norma uses her “powers” to help get the kitchen back but when Red pushes her too far, Caputo shows up and informs everyone that they will be serving pre-packaged meals from now on. The implication being that Norma, after being taken for granted by Red, queered the kitchen. Norma takes off her apron, defies Red, and ends up meeting with the inmates anyway.

* Caputo struggles with the rules laid down by MCC, especially the rules that constrain his ability to train new correctional officers. When new CO Bayley reacts to a simple argument between two inmates playing Uno by pepper spraying everyone in the area, Caputo is awarded 6 hours of training time (instead of the normal 40). This was also the first episode where the name “Linda in Purchasing” was mentioned.

I will cover training in much more detail in upcoming recaps.

* Piper realizing that she can start a side-business (or hustle) selling panties to men on the outside by using excess Whispers fabric to sew extra panties and sell them after having inmates wear them. Vause supports her idea and their plan is to get her brother Cal to set up a website to sell the panties and on Vause convincing CO Bayley to be a mule for them.

Piper also connects with Lolly who she met when they were both incarcerated in Chicago.

* Cindy realizing that she will need to learn more about Judaism or risk losing her newly found Kosher meals.

* Suzanne becoming an underground writing success after Birdie rejects her first drama club script for being “too obscene.” Taystee passes the script to Poussey who loves it.

* The start of drama between Mendoza and Sophia. Yes, the same Sophia who set it up so that Gloria’s son could carpool to the jail in time for visits. Gloria’s son teaches Sophia’s son a bunch of 'bad language' and when Sophia complains, Gloria quits the kitchen and gets angry with Sophia (giving control of the kitchen back to Red).

You Live In Public Housing Because You Have A Record

Aleida tells Daya that she should give up her baby to Mendez’ mother so that the child doesn’t end up being raised in public housing with no future.

Aleida is, for the most part, right here. Most management companies, for instance, have blanket policies against accepting applications from people with felony convictions. HUD guidelines allow people in protected classes (race, otherly abled etc.) to challenge blanket denials but most formerly incarcerated people are unaware.

Virtually all formerly incarcerated people start out in public housing or renting from a private citizen landlord. If a formerly incarcerated person is lucky, they already owned a house or have the resources to purchase a house.

Aleida is wrong about ONE part of what she says though, MANY formerly incarcerated people are legally banned from public housing.