The series Orange is the New Black was a big hit for Netflix, so why did it end with season 7? There are a lot of factors that go into ending a show, whether that be cancellation or the creator decided his or her series has reached its natural end. While it may have been a success, OITNB was not immune to either of those factors.
OITNB follows Piper Chapman after her past entanglement with a drug dealer catches up. She's sentenced to 15 months in jail, only to be put in the same prison as the ex-girlfriend (Laura Prepon) who got her involved in the first place. Her time in prison forces Piper to question the privilege she's experienced her entire life. As the series progressed, OITNB became more of an ensemble show, exploring the pasts of the women locked up with Piper.
As it turns out, there wasn't much drama behind the decision to end OITNB. As Digital Spy reported, Creator Jenji Kohan simply decided it was time for her show to end and Netflix agreed. Kohan had said prior to the show's end that she envisioned a seven-season run, and she made good on that promise. Despite what some fans may have wanted, there were never plans for Orange is the New Black season 8.
Kohan was quoted all the way back in 2o17 — two years before the show actually ended — as saying she envisioned a five-season arc for OITNB. In a rare move, Netflix was on the same page. The streaming platform is notorious for canceling its shows after three or four seasons. Letting OITNB ride out for seven seasons remains almost unheard of. OITNB was one of Netflix's earlier original series, so perhaps the streaming giant had a soft spot for the show. But nonetheless, the mutual agreement between Kohan and Netflix gave her ample time to end the series her own way on her own terms. It's an opportunity that many showrunners don't get.
That speaks to the influence that OITNB held in its run. The massively popular show helped to usher in the era of original streaming content that Netflix has since become known for. From the stories it covered to its unprecedented popularity, Netflix owes a lot to the show. While some storylines were weaker than others, the show consistently brought audiences in. So the least that Netflix could do was ensure that Orange is the New Black could go out when it wanted and in the exact way it wanted to do so.