<P> Matthew Wolfson of Slant Magazine described Vause as intelligent, "with the instincts of a pragmatist, but without a strategy--a striking and emotionally direct person who may have closed off too many options for a workable future". Dana Poccoli of AfterEllen said that Vause could be considered a villain in the first season as she is the reason Chapman is in prison, but she is also a "fascinating character that we want to understand and spend time with ." Writing in The Daily Beast, Victoria Kezra similarly suggested that before the audience meets her, Vause is already a villain, for she is "responsible for Chapman's illegal activities" and named her ex-lover to receive less prison time . What is "wonderful" about the character, Kezra added, is that the audience's "perception of her changes throughout the show", from a villainous figure to a sympathetic individual . She observed that Vause has "a great sense of humor about the whole situation" and is "pretty caring and insightful". TV Guide's Liz Raftery considered Vause a polarizing character, asking "is she a master manipulator or just misunderstood?". She proposed that Vause "seems to think of herself as a bad person but maybe she isn't, whereas (Chapman) is so convinced that she's a good person and is totally taken aback whenever anyone challenges that ." Gerri Mahn of Den of Geek wrote that unlike Chapman, Vause "doesn't harbor any illusions about who she is or what playing by the rules will get her". Vause had named Chapman in her trial both to receive a lighter sentence and out of resentment from Chapman breaking her heart years earlier; she sincerely loves Chapman, Mahn considered, and "continually came to her defense throughout season one", turning her down when she realized Chapman was using her as "someone to fall back on when Larry doesn't come through". </P> <P> Tim Surette of TV.com said that Vause's season one flashbacks fit the character well, and "instantly gave us a story to be interested in", as they provided a more rounded view of the character than Chapman's purview allowed . J.M Suarez wrote in PopMatters that the character of Vause is "fearless and intimidating" as well as street - smart, contrary to Chapman who is "sheltered" and "often afraid and deferential", and it is "in highlighting these differences in prison, that their eventual backstories have even more impact ." Greco Patti of Vulture complimented Prepon's "nuanced" portrayal, and noted that, notwithstanding Vause's illicit occupation and her role in Chapman's imprisonment, she is a woman who "came from nothing, who loved and lost, and who maybe got used", and she seems more loyal and genuine in her love for Chapman . The A.V. Club's Myles McNutt considered Vause's relationship with her crimes to be "complicated"; he appreciates when the show does not filter character development solely through Chapman, deeming it "productive" when Vause had "a chance to open up to Nicky (Nichols)". McNutt also said that Vause's conflict with Doggett, who saw her as "coming from privilege", is meaningful for Vause as it is a trigger for her "past struggles with class hierarchies". According to McNutt, Vause's despondency regarding her absent father "could either gain (her) new perspective and put her life on the right track or (she could) try to fill the absence as quickly as possible", the latter of which she chose . Mahn deliberated that, growing up poor, a free ride wasn't a possibility in Vause's world . Vause "left her scruples at the door" when she built her worldly life on an alliance through her father's drug dealer, Mahn assessed . "She worked hard, gambled big, and lost everything". Autostraddle posited that Vause hates and fears vulnerability, and the scene where she is locked in a dryer and pleads Chapman to stay echoes the past, when Vause pleaded with Chapman before Chapman left following news of Vause's mother's death . Additionally, Vause is a complicated character for the writer, primarily because she found her sexual threat to Doggett "troubling", while seeing Vause as a young girl "who would do anything for the life she was cheated out of" was something with which she empathized . </P> <P> In Den of Geek, Chris Longo wrote that, as the first season played out, Vause "was vilified, then the tables turned when she won Piper's friendship, then they turned upside down during their inevitable hookup . Alex, for all the bad she's done, seems like a woman who stays true to her word . And now after breaking Alex's (and Larry's) heart, Piper is the one who's vilified ." Longo praised Prepon's performance, and hoped the series progressed Vause's storylines . The Guardian's Tom Meltzer wrote that Prepon plays Chapman's "jilted" former lover "with subtlety and unabashed smoulder". In his review of the first season, Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe described pre-prison Vause as "icy cool", and called Prepon a "revelation" in the role . David Hiltbrand wrote in The Philadelphia Inquirer that Prepon plays the character with "real vigor". Maureen Ryan of HuffPost also praised Prepon's portrayal, commenting that "underneath the cool - girl exterior is a whole lot of pain and loneliness, and Prepon has done a wonderful job of subtly bringing those notes forward ." Chris Jancelewicz of The Huffington Post Canada deemed Vause "charismatic", adding that Prepon "excels as the bad girl influence". </P> <P> Kristi Turnquist of The Oregonian stated that although Vause would only be present in a few episodes of the second season, she "turns up to devastating effect early on". In a review of the first episode of season two, Horatia Harrod of The Daily Telegraph commented that Vause is dedicated to self - preservation and thought that "another betrayal" of Chapman "reached new depths", thus she found it "puzzling" that Vause's bad - girl routine "seems to have won her a fan following, while (Chapman) is reviled ." Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast noted that there is something about Vause that "convinces (Chapman) to throw her lifelong caution to the wind ." Kate Zernike of The New York Times said that Vause is "calculating" and that "there's something black cat - like about (her)--she slips into the frame and you know things are about to go bad, or at least, get interesting ." Chris Harvey of The Daily Telegraph described Prepon's turn as "unforgettable" and explained that Vause's wicked attitude and bespectacled look have made the character a "cult favourite". In her review of the season two premiere, The Wall Street Journal's Candace Jackson wrote that "much like in Piper Kerman's real - life experience, (the Chicago facility) is where (Chapman) runs into Vause". Prepon is "excellent in this role as ever", Jackson commended, walking a "believable line between flirtation and manipulation". Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic observed that Vause was "correct earlier in (the second season's premiere) when she diagnosed how inconsistent Chapman's worldview is: "it is so hard to keep up with what is black and white for you"." According to Kornhaber, Vause's "return, in letter and in flashback, offers another lesson in moral relativity and personal transformation . We finally see how (Chapman's) cultivated naivety and (Vause's) cultivated knowingness created a passionate, dangerous pairing early on ." Danielle Henderson remarked in Vulture that Vause "has balls" for sending Chapman letters after the incident in the season two premiere . In her review of the second season's finale, Zernike wrote that although Vause may not be the "typical re-entering felon", her speech to Chapman about needing to violate her probation, flee, and possibly go back to her former felonious life, "does raise some good points" regarding issues with the prison system . </P>

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