What Will Happen in Orange is the New Black Season 7?

Orange is the New Black season 5 ended on another cliffhanger. While this one wasn’t quite so tense and dramatic as the end of season 5, the future of many inmates still hangs in the balance. After a three-day riot and failed negotiations, Litchfield Penitentiary inmates were rounded up and herded onto two buses- all bar 12 inmates, that is. 2 of them (Pensatucky and Chang) escaped through a hole in the fence, while the remaining ten stood hand in hand, waiting for the inevitable arrival of the CERT Team who have been deployed to gather all inmates by any means necessary.

As it stands right now, pretty much all the fan favorites; Suzanne, Taystee, Cindy, Red, Nicky, Frieda, Piper, Alex, Gloria and Blanca, are all waiting for their fate to befall them. Others, such as Sophia and Daya, are elsewhere (the Shu and Max, respectively). Put simply, there have to be repercussions from the riot; consequences not just from the inmate’s behavior, but also from their treatment at the hands of guards- Piscatella’s treatment of Red and Alex in particular. But with inmates seemingly all being separated, and the show renewed for a further 2 seasons, where does Orange is the New Black go for season 6?

In many ways, it would be good to see some of Taystee’s wishes fulfilled; some of the inmates could end up in a minimum security prison with good healthcare, a better education program, and proper, paying jobs. But with nearly all of the inmates complicit in the riot- especially the central core of characters- that’s unlikely to happen. It also, sadly, seems unlikely that Suzanne will get very favorable treatment, and certainly not the mental health assistance she requires. Having spent much of the season being treated badly by others, she desperately needs to be placed somewhere that can help her, but the reality of prison life, is that facilities such as she would need are overcrowded and underfunded. Since OITNB strives to accurately reflect the issues facing female prisoners, it’s more realistic if we see her trying to settle somewhere new, away from the comfort and familiarity of Litchfield and her friends.

Taystee is likely to feel the heat the most, along with Daya, who has already confessed to shooting a guard. Taystee’s tenacity and courage is admirable, but she pushed too far and ended up losing everything, and this could well include the friendship and support of others. As a result, it is likely that season 6 will see her severely punished; possibly down in max with Daya. The same fate might well befall Red; though she spared Piscatella’s life and was the victim of a brutal attack by him, ultimately it’s likely the prison authorities will view her as a troublemaker, and her defiance won’t sit well with them.

But it’s not just the events of season five that have to be dealt with in season six. Given that the whole season took place over just three days, there’s also what happened in season four to be dealt with. Namely, the murder of Aydin, the guard who Alex murdered after he tried to kill her. Though Lolly confessed and is being treated in the psych ward, Alex is the one who actually, finally killed him, and now that his body is discovered, the whole tale is likely to come out once the immediate riot aftermath has been dealt with.

That could well mean separation for the newly engaged Alex and Piper. Piper only has three months of her sentence left, but that seems likely to be increased. Even so, she’s unlikely to be seen as a major security threat, and so while she might be transferred, it’s unlikely to be to a max security prison like Alex. Also heading to max will certainly be Frieda if her penchants for cutting up dead bodies, building survival bunkers, and building weapons is discovered. Meanwhile, it’s more likely that we’ll see Gloria, Cindy, and Blanca heading to a minimum security joint- possibly with Piper.

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In the real world, after a riot like that, the inmates of Litchfield would simply be put wherever there was space, but that’s not going to make for very good viewing. Far more likely is that the producers will use this as a chance to fade some characters out, and perhaps concentrate on those in max, and a certain group of those in another prison elsewhere. Then, of course, there’s always the possibility that season six will open with one or more deaths as the CERT Team move in.

While the consequences for the inmates are bound to be severe, so too must they be for MCC and the prison leaders. Caputo has long been a source of unease for fans; so many faults and yet he does seem to genuinely care for the welfare of his inmates. He’s just a bit useless. The fact that he immediately knew to look for the missing ten inmates in the pool seems to suggest that’s something he should have addressed a long time ago, as is the issue of the women’s work and education program, which by his own admission, is nothing more than slave labor. He has failed to speak up until absolutely pushed to, and, with MCC looking for a scapegoat and given that he aided Taystee in her negotiations, Caputo is likely to be it.

MCC is hugely liable for all that has taken place, but they’re likely to try and spin it any which way they can in order that no blame rests at their door. It would be good if season 6 covered the fallout from this at a corporate level as well as on the ground; it’s a chance for OITNB to do what it does best, which is raising the very real issues that face our prison system.

Finally, one storyline we’d really like to see turned about is the idea that Pensatucky has escaped and gone to live with her rapist. Yes, women returning to their abusers is a thing that happens all too often, sadly, but it would be good if OITNB used this as a chance to give voice to the abused, to show what happens when women find their inner strength and manage to walk away from a dangerous, abusive situation. Going forward into season 6, there’s a myriad of possibilities, and even the cast don’t know what’s to come yet. One thing is certain though; Litchfield as we’ve known it for the past five seasons, is no more.