Ashton Batey

CIS110-070
Relationship Stages (Revised)
09/17/14

In the Netflix series, Orange Is the New Black, Alex Vause and Piper Chapman have a
relationship. This relationship corresponds with Knapps relationship model. The time in which
they come together starts at a bar in there town. The initiation stage starts by eye contact and
smiling. Vause then approaches Piper Chapman. When Vause approaches Chapman they go
straight into the experimentation stage. They have an extremely flirtatious conversation at the bar
as they drink. After the night is over, they both go their separate ways and hope to see each other
again at the bar. A few weeks later they run into each other at the bar once again. This time, the
two women go straight into the intensified stage. They have an explicit conversation and talk
about personal things. Vause then flirts with Chapman and asks if they are dating in a non-literal
way. Chapman responds, flirtatiously, agreeing with the statement. After this conversation the
women then go back to Vauses apartment. Chapman and Vause are intimate at the apartment
which strengthens the attraction between them. They are in the integration stage due to their
conversation at the bar and intimacy. Chapman, in love, discovers that Vause is an international
drug dealer. Chapman is surprised, but accepts Vauses reality. They travel the world as Vause
deals her drugs. However, Chapman has family matters and her partners drug dealing comes with
a consequence. These family matters and drug dealing consequences cause differentiating in the
relationship. Suddenly, something goes wrong with Vause and her supplier. Chapman then gets
indicted due to the fact that she is guilty by association. Chapman then goes off to turn herself in.
This automatically causes circumscribing in the relationship. The boundary between their
communications is Chapman being in jail. Later in the season, Vause and Chapman dont have
any communication until Vause ends up in jail with her. When Chapman sees Vause in the jail

Ashton Batey
CIS110-070
Relationship Stages (Revised)
09/17/14
she avoids her. Effortlessly, Chapman then terminates the relationship claiming that she doesnt
want anything to do with Vause. After this occurs, Chapman gets very lonely in prison. The two
then go back into the initiation stage. They virtually start over with their relationship. They skip
experimentation and go straight into the intensifying, integration, and bonding stage. There is a
scene where they dance on each other, which gives off the message that they are intimate and
together. The prison then labels them as girlfriends. This is how Alex Vause and Piper Chapman
go through Knapps relationship model.

Orange Is the New Black. Dir. Jenji Kohan. Perf. Taylor Schiling. Entertainment One Benelux,
2013. Film.