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 Piccoli 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 Vause is already a villain before the audience meets her, but the audience's "perception of her changes throughout the show", from a villainous figure to a sympathetic individual. Vause has "a great sense of humor about the whole situation" and is "pretty caring and insightful".
TV Guides Liz Raftery considered her 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 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". 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 Vause than Chapman's purview allowed.
PopMatterss J.M Suarez described Vause as street-smart, "fearless" and "intimidating", 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, despite 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 seems more loyal and genuine in her love for Chapman.
The A.V. Clubs 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". Mahn said that, growing up poor, a free ride wasn't a possibility in Vause's world. She "left her scruples at the door" when she built her life on an alliance through her father's drug dealer, "worked hard, gambled big, and lost everything".
Autostraddle posited that Vause hates and fears vulnerability, and is a complicated character; the writer found her sexual threat to Doggett "troubling", but she empathized with Vause as a young girl "who would do anything for the life she was cheated out of". 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." Longo praised Prepon's performance, and hoped the series progressed Vause's storylines.
The Guardians 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". Kristi Turnquist of
The Oregonian said that although Vause was only in a few episodes of the second season, she "turns up to devastating effect early on". In a review of the season two premiere, Horatia Harrod of
The Daily Telegraph felt that Vause is dedicated to self-preservation and "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 "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 called Prepon's portrayal "unforgettable" and wrote that Vause's wicked attitude and bespectacled look have made the character a "cult favourite".
The Wall Street Journals Candace Jackson said that Prepon is "excellent in this role as ever", walking a "believable line between flirtation and manipulation". Spencer Kornhaber of
The Atlantic said Vause was "correct [...] when she diagnosed how inconsistent Chapman's worldview is", and her "return, in letter and in flashback, offers another lesson in moral relativity and personal transformation."
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 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 likely return to her former felonious life "does raise some good points" regarding issues with the prison system.
The Advocates Nico Lang described Vause as a notably popular
femme fatale character, whom the show brought back after the second season "despite the fact that the real-life character was barely in [Kerman's memoir] at all". Charlotte Richardson Andrews wrote in
Sight & Sound that Vause is one of the show's "believable and investment-worthy"
queer characters, and the "tangled, romantic dance that [she and Chapman] do is compelling, nuanced and sexy where, in other hands, it might have felt exploitative". In
Digital Spy, Emma Dibdin described a "power shift" in the third season between Vause and Chapman and how this positively impacts both characters; "[their] power dynamic is so dramatically shifted that everything about them feels fresh. [Vause] is more vulnerable than we've ever seen her, utterly shattered to find herself back in jail." Emily Ambash of
CutPrintFilm wrote that Vause is "emotionally broken" when she reenters prison; "embarrassed and ashamed of her own choices" and her failure in handling her brief freedom. Vause and Chapman's dynamic in the third season feels "fresh", as they confront their issues in the present without passive aggressiveness and without a focus on the past, and they are forced to "question their faith not just in each other but also in themselves when dealing with each other." Michael Hindle of
Comingsoon.net said that while "one has always had power over the other in some form or another, now [they] are more or less on an even playing field". Joshua Alston of
The A.V. Club felt that Vause's return to prison "lands with a surprisingly soft impact". The character Stella "appears right on time to drive a wedge between [Chapman and Vause] just as a functional relationship becomes possible", and the show "manages to make [the looming love triangle] feel consequential." In her review of the third season, Jessica Kiang of
Indiewire wrote that Vause and Chapman "come spectacularly together but find, again with some insight, that they’re a couple whose fire can burn on hate much easier than on routine." Libby Hill argued in her
New York Times review of the second episode, that their on-off relationship has become "toxic", and they have "little meaningful interaction" with other characters while they are entangled in their tempestuous dynamic, making them "emotionally unavailable" to other characters and to the audience. Hill hopes Vause is more integrated into "Litchfield's culture" and has more humanizing interactions with other characters as she did with Nicky in the first season.
The A.V. Clubs Myles McNutt said that although he understands the significance of their intertwined story playing out in prison, their present storyline compels them to exist "independently of anything around them", removing them from ordinary life in the prison community. Perri Nemiroff of
Collider felt that it was "an unexpected and unearned twist" that Vause would reconnect with Chapman (through "hate sex") soon after finding out Chapman was responsible for her being back in prison. Their role play in the prison's drama class, however, "balances the palpable hostility with humor and heart, making the scene wildly entertaining, but also ensuring that the moment really means something, too." In
Entertainment Weekly, Jonathan Dornbush wrote that Vause and Chapman engaging in angry sex after Chapman's hand in taking away her freedom is "another shift in their power dynamic". Vause is "still in jail, still lost her life on the outside, and she may be in more danger now than ever, but at least she can control something." Ambash said that the drama class
improv exercise is necessary as it compels Vause and Chapman "to consider their real-life situation" and "find a sort of reconciliation". Keith Nelson Jr. of
Digital Trends found Vause's speech to a correctional officer about the malleable and interpretive nature of morality to be frank "societal commentary". Sarah Bredeman of
FanSided opined that the commentary Vause made to Rogers is "one of the best 'we are not your salvation, you can’t save us, and this ain't no Dead Poet’s Society kinda situation' speeches", and "it really hits home a good point." Kelly Lawler in
USA Today suggested that, as opposed to how Chapman painted her, Vause's legitimate concerns over the danger she is in makes her one of the most rational individuals on the show. Perri Nemiroff of
Collider said that Vause's season three flashbacks of her witnessing what her drug cartel boss is capable of made her present situation "far more dynamic and tense", giving her anxiety full credibility.
Alan Sepinwall of
Uproxx felt that the character's flashback, like Nicky's in an earlier episode, was "covering familiar territory solely to support prominent stories each was getting in the present", but at least both flashbacks were "somber" enough to make them an "interesting contrast" to the concurrent comedic moments. In his review of the eleventh episode, McNutt wrote that Vause's "isolation is turned around, and what once felt like a failure of the show's writing becomes a logical character choice." He began "respecting Vause's struggle to embrace her situation — it may not have served the season to this point," McNutt said, "but it serves here as a productive counterpoint to [Chapman]". Ambash said Vause and Chapman's absence from the season's final group scenes – as Vause is trapped with the man sent to kill her, and Chapman is off tattooing herself in the chapel – symbolizes their heightened distrust in others and the prison system itself. "For [Vause], unlike [Chapman], this wasn't her choice. With safety stripped from her, and ties of trust cut by others, it's no surprise [Vause] is kept away now from the freedom of the lake." Vause's season three storyline "highlights real issues regarding prisoners' safety", Ambash noted, "especially when no real background checks are performed on new, untrained officers, who end up with easy access to inmates". Moreover, "it serves as a reminder that [Vause and Chapman] have basically switched roles". Lauren Chval of
Chicago Tribune said that Vause "knows who she is and what she wants", trusts her instincts and has "never flipped on her feelings for Chapman". Chval praised Prepon in the role, and felt that Vause is "always more interesting in her scenes without Chapman". Perri Nemiroff of
Collider said Prepon has been successful "taking Alex from a strong inmate you don’t want to mess with to someone super vulnerable who's fearing for her life." Rick Porter of
The Hollywood Reporter praised Prepon's performance as Vause encounters the man sent to kill her, writing, "Prepon sells the heck of out Alex's disbelief and fear in the scene." In ''
Harper's Bazaar, Emma Dibdin wrote that Vause having to kill, dismember, and bury her would-be murderer was "the beginning of a season that saw almost every one of our beloved inmates go through her darkest hour yet." According to Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya of Autostraddle'', Vause and Lolly's "greenhouse murder" became one of the "most suspenseful through lines" of the season.
The Atlantics Spencer Kornhaber considered Vause's "saga" to be some of series' "darkest scenes yet." Several themes explored in the season are evoked in Vause's storyline. Jen Chaney of
Vulture noted that the "murky issues surrounding blame" are prompted from the outset of the season, as both Vause and Lolly become responsible for the homicide of the hit man, "yet neither of them are true 'murderers' in that both were motivated by self-defense. It’s a case of both women doing wrong and neither of them doing wrong." Kornhaber of
The Atlantic said that Vause's acknowledgement that her attacker "was a person", echoed "a mantra that’s surfaced in various forms across the season". Myles McNutt of
The A.V. Club wrote, "the season has been consumed by the idea of guilt" and it manifests on Vause and Chapman's attitudes and behavior; in a latter episode, they decide "they aren’t willing to do anything that would add to their sense of guilt".
Vultures Kathryn VanArendonk observed the notion that "regret is real, but time only moves in one direction" reflected on Vause and Chapman's conversation about changing the past, and the need to claim selfhood in Vause wanting to acknowledge the humanity of her attacker. Myles McNutt wrote that Vause being compelled to finish killing the man, instead of letting him die by Lolly's deed, "makes it more visceral, and creates an internalized event to frame her understanding of her status as a 'criminal' in the season to follow." Hannah Shaw-Williams of
Screen Rant regarded Vause taking the life of her attacker as "one of the premiere’s most emotionally powerful scenes, which reveals that despite her background as a hard-as-nails heroin dealer, Vause has never actually had to kill anyone before." In
Paste magazine, Matt Brennan commended "the quiet, tearful moment in which Vause [...] decides to end his life." Her "remorse for this choice, and for all the choices that led to it, is palpable," Brennan noted, "even if his death amounts to self-defense." Emma Dibdin wrote in
Digital Spy that while Vause's on-off lover Chapman "[insists] she's a force to be reckoned with", Vause "goes through the real moral transformation, pushed to brutal extremes by the hitman sent to kill her." Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya of
Autostraddle considered the scenes of Vause helping Lolly reconcile her thoughts and emotions "a cutting and intimate look at self-care and coping mechanisms." McNutt opined in
The A.V. Club that the circumstances of Lolly's paranoia, the lack of evidence that the correctional officer was a hit man, the lack of trust in a broken system, and the difficulty in explaining away Vause and Lolly's actions in the homicide, meant that Lolly being taken away was "tragic" but ultimately "probably the best case scenario" when someone would have to be held responsible. Ed Power of
The Telegraph found it "wrenching" to see Vause "haunted by doubt and guilt", praising the show for "peeling back the layers, showing a new side to a person we thought we already knew", and the "disquiet and disbelief that flashed across Vause's face" in response to Chapman in the
crack scene. Alan Sepinwall of
Uproxx wrote that Vause and Chapman needing to be under the influence of drugs "to finally be honest with each other about all their recent tragedies seemed about right for a relationship that's always thrived on a high level of drama." In her review of the season's ninth episode, Pilot Viruet of
Decider remarked that it is "good to see [Vause and Chapman] getting along and not plagued by relationship dramatics." In his review of the season's finale, McNutt wrote that he found Vause "reacting to death by thinking about the hitman's humanity rang true to her arc". Prepon received praise for her performance in the fourth season. Dana Schwartzof of
The Observer lauded Prepon in the premiere episode, writing that her performance should be up for
Emmy consideration. Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya of
Autostraddle wrote that Prepon is "giving her best performance to date on the show, effectively capturing the turmoil of Alex’s mind and the psychological toll of this secret." ==See also==