Chances are, if you have access to the internet, Netflix, Tumblr, or all of the above, you have heard of “Orange is the New Black.” If not, get your head out of a hole and start watching it. This won’t be a hard task, considering Netflix dumped the whole first season on at the same time this summer – it took me about five days to power through it while on vacation.

OitnB is set in a women’s prison and based on the true story of Piper Kerman. That being said, while the portrayal of the prison itself isn’t highly accurate even though it points out many faults in the system, the cast contains some of the strongest and most accurate female characters of any show I have seen in recent years.

Piper Chapman, the protagonist, isn’t exactly the most likable character. She heads into prison with this annoying mindset of “I am a middle class woman, I don’t belong here,” and frankly, I want to punch her in the face sometimes. However, Piper proves to be a rather dynamic character when she is forced to come to terms with several things, such as her criminal behavior and sexuality.

The show obviously touches on the stereotype that women’s prisons are filled with lesbians, however, it also touches on a subject more prevalent in recent times – transgender people. OitnB is also the first show to have a transgender woman actually played by a transgender actress (Laverne Cox); this is a major stride towards inclusion in the media.

However, if LGBT things don’t float your boat, don’t worry – OitnB touches on plenty of universal issues. My favorite character, a stern Russian woman named Red, battled with fitting in with the uppity people in society before becoming the ultimate prison kitchen overlord. “Crazy Eyes,” who’s obsessed with making Piper her prison wife, helps expose how mental health is treated in prisons, as well as open society’s eyes. Pennsatucky, a crazy religious meth head, epitomizes radical conservatism and what is usually entailed with it. The show also covers everything from homelessness to gender roles.

I’m not forcing you to watch OitnB, but I will tell you this – it is breaking ground. Hell, any show that can make me laugh while learning about timely issues is terrific in my eyes.