The last episode for season 4 of "Orange is the New Black" had people glued to their screens as sheer chaos and mayhem ruled the grounds of Litchfield Correctional Facility. Cliffhangers were left here and there as avid fans of the drama/comedy series await its latest season, which could prove to be the darkest yet.
Riots and disarray was the theme of the season 4 ending, with Daya, played by Dascha Polanco, pointing a gun at corrections officer Thomas Humphrey, played by Michael Torpey. The way the story was going, it seemed no one was going to try and stop Daya from shooting the abusive CO, considering how he had been treating the inmates.
According to Cinema Blend, Taylor Schilling's character Piper, Laura Prepon's Alex, Selenis Leyva's Gloria, and Kate Mulgrew's Red may be returning to the series along with its growing ensemble. Lori Petty's breakout role as Lolly reserves her a spot for the upcoming installment as well, despite her character being in a psychiatric facility.
The well-loved character of Laverne Cox, Sophia, may finally be returning to season 5. She was absent for most of season 4, being stuck in the Security Housing Unit (SHU), so fans may get to see more of her in the next season.
If Piper and Alex are returning for season 5, it is no doubt that fans would love to know how their relationship would go. Predicting from how the plot sways since the first season, it is something that could go here and there.
Prepon told the Hollywood Reporter, "Alex and Piper, because it is a tumultuous thing, I don't know if people like that can stay together for too long. Something happens where they break up but because they really care about each other they get back together, and it's this whole push-pull thing. That's not going to change anytime soon."
What is certain is there will be a bigger cast by season 5, considering how the ensemble has grown. It won't come as a surprise if most of them will be in the SHU since the ending of season 4 was total disaster in Litchfield, yet that may be asking for a darker story.
There is no set date for season 5's release yet, although one can argue it will probably be around June 2017, since previous seasons premiered in the summer.
