All good things must come to an end, even if they don’t start out so great (ahem, prison). Yes, Orange Is the New Black is gearing up to kick-off its final season on Netflix. But now that Piper (Taylor Schilling) has been released and the rest of the gang is all over the place, what will happen?
Here are all the details you need to know before diving in to the show’s last season.
The final season of the Jenji Kohan-created dramedy debuts on Friday, July 26. Netflix shared the news via Twitter with a set of new photos featuring Piper out in the real world.
You have 13 new episodes to look forward to when OITNB arrives. Better clear your calendar.
You bet there is. Netflix dropped the full trailer on June 26. It shows Piper trying to get back on her feet after being released from prison and the ladies seeking justice after what happened in the season six finale.
Yes, she will. Even though Piper has been released, the series continues to follow her as she endeavors to get a job and return to her normal life.
Everyone from Laura Prepon, who plays Alex, to Uzo Aduba, who plays Crazy Eyes, are coming back. In addition to those two ghosts from Piper’s past, Danielle Brooks’s Taystee, Natasha Lyonne’s Nicky, Kate Mulgrew’s Red, Dascha Polanco’s Daya, Laura Gomez’s Blanca, Adrienne Moore’s Cindy and Dale Soules’s Frieda are all coming back for more OITNB. Also, Selenis Leyva will return as Gloria, Nick Sandow as Joe Caputo, Yael Stone as Lorna, as well as Taryn Manning as Tiffany ‘Pennsatucky’ Doggett. Laverne Cox (Sophia Burset) told PureWow exclusively that she will be back, too.
Season six ended with a massive miscarriage of justice: Taystee was found guilty of a murder she didn’t commit. The majority of the season centered on the fallout of the riot in season five that left Poussey (Samira Wiley) dead. As post-riot tensions came to a head, Blanca was carried off to an immigration detention center and Piper was allowed an early release from prison. Did we mention she and Alex celebrated a prison wedding with Nicky officiating and now they’re lawfully wed?
Sophia was also released, Daya developed a heroin addiction in order to deal with the fact that she accepted a murder charge for shooting a guard and Crazy Eyes decided to go off her mental health medication. Yep, a lot happened.
Now that Piper is out in the real world, she’s experiencing the very real difficulties that ex-convicts live through as they struggle to readjust to society. It appears that she gets a job in an office and tries to reconnect with some women (kind of) like herself. She also visits Alex in prison, so it seems that their romance is surviving the stark differences in their lives (Piper is free; Alex is not). But, it’s likely their marriage will be tested due to all the change. Alex also started dabbling in the drug trade again in season six, so that will likely cause some issues between them.
The final season will also likely shed light on Blanca’s immigration woes, Daya’s addiction, Crazy Eye’s mental health and Taystee’s fight for the truth. Despite her mental health issues, Crazy Eyes is the only one who knows Taystee and Daya didn’t commit the murders they’re accused of. But will she be able to get them off the hook? It sure didn’t help that Taystee’s close friend Cindy delivered false testimony that made her look guilty. You better believe the show will explore their fallout.
Lionsgate TV chairman Kevin Beggs announced in November 2018 that there is a potential spinoff in the works. “We’re already in discussions and, when the timing is right, we’ll talk further with Jenji about a potential sequel,” Beggs said.
Whether it happens or not, Danielle Brooks told PureWow exclusively that she’s so in.
Catch the final season of Orange Is the New Black on Netflix, Friday, July 26.
