‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 5: Returning Cast And Burning Questions After Explosive Finale

Orange is the New Black has been renewed for seasons 5, 6, and 7 so there is a lot more Netflix binge watching of Litchfield’s women to come.

With an explosive finale, it is unclear which cast members will be coming back for Orange is the New Black Season 5. In Season 4, we saw the inmates fight back against a more oppressive staff led by Piscatella. While the head honcho is not fully aware of some of his staff’s action, he doesn’t do much to prevent it either. Things came crashing when Poussey Washington died during a prison protest. Dayanara has also been spending time with the wrong crowd and we last saw her holding a staff member at gunpoint.

So, which cast members can we expect to see in Orange is the new Black Season 5? Marisol Gonzalez, Piper Chapman, ‘Crazy Eyes’ Warren, Taystee, Alex, and Sam Healy are some of the regulars that we can expect to return.

Dayanara is coming back but she will likely end up in maximum security regardless of whether she pulls the trigger or not. Daya’s mother and some of the inmates in maximum security or the psychiatric ward may not come back for Season 5, such as Lolly, Ruby Rose’ Stella, and Miss Claudette from Season 1.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dasha Polanco, who plays Daya, thinks her character may pull the trigger due to her emotional state:

“I could see her pulling the trigger. Daya’s definitely experiencing some postpartum depression. She might pull back and think about being a mother and not wanting to miss the opportunity of being with her child. But a woman going through postpartum — at that point, they’re very fragile and very sensitive.”

Judy King is likely to return in Orange is the New Black Season 5, we last saw the celebrity try and get out of the prison after Poussey’s death but she got caught in the middle of the riot. King can play a significant role in the next season whether she is released from prison or not.

Some fans suspect that Judy King will expose some of the things happening in Litchfield. Taystee and Soso are not going to rest until Poussey gets justice but will it be enough?

Alex and Piper are our favorite on/off couple that are stuck in a prison together. At the end of Season 4, they seem to be getting close again but Piper does not know that Alex killed and dismembered someone while in prison.

Laura Prepon spoke to THR about her character Alex and her relationship with Piper:

“That incident really solidifies a lot of the relationships in the prison. 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.”

Orange is the New Black Season 5 may also be getting some more inmates. While it has not been confirmed, there are rumors of another batch of prisoners joining next season, which will complicate things further. Caputo is having enough trouble running the prison as it is, so how will he handle more?

The Netflix hit series will likely have a release date that is similar to previous seasons due to its early renewal. Therefore, you can expect Orange is the New Black Season 5 in June 2017.

Who are your favorite inmates or staff?

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[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]