Age of The Nerd
The hit Netflix Original Series “Orange Is The New Black” season 6 is now streaming and at first we were very torn about whether or not we were going to be happy with the introduction of so many new characters, as well as, moving our beloved ladies of the Litchfield minimum security prison over to max, which is introducing a whole new world.
The new season got off to a bit of a slower start as we learned the fate of the prisoners after the extreme riot that occurred in season 5. We learned that majority of the characters had been moved up to the Litchfield Maximum Security prison and many had their prison sentences extended for their roles in the riot.
It was difficult to watch the characters being forced to rat each other out with threats from the investigators and in many cases loyalties that have been built up over the years were shattered, after all, it is prison and you simply must put yourself first. While there has always been new characters added to the “Orange Is The New Black” cast, we have to say that season 6 has given us the most new faces thus are and they have certainly do a fantastic job of building out their story arcs throughout the season to keep us curious as to just what the future will hold for these new prisoners and guards as well.
The front and center storyline in season six is the fate of fan favorite character Taystee, played by the amazing Danielle Brooks, who is facing major charges for her role in the riot. It was heartwarming to see former Litchfield warden Caputo (Nick Sandow) attempt to come to Taystee’s aid and prove her innocence, as well as, the way the creators tied in the NAACP and Black Lives Matter movement. We also see some surprising people turn their back on Taystee over the course of the season, helping to what will ultimately seal her fate one way or another. We will not reveal the outcome here, you will just have to watch and find out!
This season we also find Piper (Taylor Schilling) adjusting to her new life in max as she is tormented by her bunk mate Madison played by newcomer Amanda Fuller, and ultimately ends up with the big changes she must face at the end of the season shortly after she is reunited with her love, Alex (Laura Prepon).
Season 6 touches a lot of on the subject of abusive and unfair treatment of prisoners within the system. The guards in Max are despicable turning the inmates against one another and turning prison fights and more into a game for their own amusement. It is actually downright sick, but the sad part is these kinds of situations often happen in real life. The season also touches on how race can affect the way in which the tides of justice can turn in ones favors. We see prisoners such as Blanca, Taystee, Daya and Suzanne mistreated in some pretty horrific ways, while prisoners such as Piper, Alex, and others treated a bit differently.
It appears that everything and everyone is against these women and it is quite obvious that the system does not want them to succeed. The big bad this season is certainly the prison system itself and what it is causing these women to do to themselves and to one another.
We were very happy to hear that “Orange Is The New Black” has indeed gotten renewed for a 7th season which will air sometime in 2019, as we were left with a ton of questions as season 6 wrapped up. “Orange Is The New Black” has certainly proven with season 6 that it is far from running out of steam and despite a new setting and different circumstances for our favorite Litchfield inmates, the series is just as compelling as ever! Just please give us some Big Boo, next season!
