Orange Is The New Black Season 6 Review: One Of The Best Seasons Yet

If you read my previous reviews, you know I barely made it through season 5. The pacing was WAY off. Having an entire season focus on a three day riot was a big mistake IMHO. See details here I'm happy to report that season six of "OITNB" is much improved.

A change in location (Litchfield Maximum Security) allows for a reset. We meet some new characters which also help mix things up. They include: feuding sisters Barb (yes, that is Mackenzie Phillips) and Carol Denning, Badison and Daddy (played by Vicci Martinez). New guards include: Hopper, Ward (an old friend of Taystee's), Ginger, Young, Hellman and Alvarez. They are "on average" crueler than what we're used to. Some staff from up the hill also make the move-- Luschek and McCullough (who has PTSD from being held hostage last season). Joe, Linda from Purchasing (who blackmails her way to a VP job) and Fig (temporary warden) are back as well. Joe and Fig reignite their on again / off again relationship. They are surprisingly a super cute couple-- very dysfunctional but still lots of fun to watch.

We lost a few original characters to other prisons (Big Boo) or they're just MIA (SoSo, Maritza, Chang, Yoga Jones, Norma). The rest of the ladies are up the hill. They include: Suzanne (my absolute favorite), Piper, Red, Taystee, Cindy, Gloria, Maria, Blanca, Freida, Nicky, Flores, Blanca, Lorna, Sophia (who we only see briefly), Alex, Pennsatucky, and Daya.

The prison is divided into several wards: Block C (controlled by Carol), Block D (controlled by Barb), and Block B (where the "grannies, trannies, and loonies" live). C and D are continually at war. Freida manages to con her way into B (where she's safe for a little while).

The Feds are determined to bring the killers of Piscatella and Humphries to justice (and quickly). The only problem is the police team that entered the prison after the riot accidentally killed Piscatella and then framed the women (but only Cindy, Suzanne and the audience know this). But it doesnt matter to the Feds who is really guilty. They must charge two women with murder (life sentences) and three more for an additional 10 years. All the women scramble to try to save themselves. They eventually reluctantly turn on Red and Taystee-- which is heartbreaking to watch.

Frieda plays a more prominent role this season as she maneuvers her way into "Florida" (Cell Block B) to hide from the sisters (who she ratted on years ago in order to be transferred up the hill). That Frieda is a sly old fox and sharp as a tack. She can get out of any situation. In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I want to be with Frieda.

We also get to see more of Daya's mother Aleida Diaz as she tries various schemes to get her other children out of foster care. She moves in with long time guard Hopper. As you can imagine, Aleida gets in all kinds of trouble. I really enjoy watching Elizabeth Rodriguez act. I hope she gets an even bigger part next season.

In other news, Piper and Alex have a prison wedding. How sweet. Piper is released early. Can she stay out of trouble on the outside and will she still have the same feelings for Alex on her release date (which is like four years away)? I'm not sure the odds are good.

Sophia is also released (thanks to a deal with Linda to drop a lawsuit Caputa is trying to bring against the MC). Some cash also doesn't hurt in sealing the deal. Blanca (who is also released at the same time) is not as lucky. She is automatically turned over to ICE for deportation. I knew she was in trouble after declaring "this is the best day of my life". Never, ever say that. You're just tempting fate.

In the most heart breaking development of the season, Taystee goes to trial for being the ringleader of the riot. She refuses to plead out and possibly get a shorter prison sentence because she knows she's not guilty. Despite Caputo attempting to help her (and the support of the ACLU and BLM), Taystee is still found guilty. I fear that Taystee might try to off herself after the verdict. And can we stop here for a moment to acknowledge the STELLAR acting abilities of Danielle Brooks? She might be able to cry better than anyone on TV/film. I truly felt her pain while watching those scenes.

The climax of the season looked like it's going to be an all-out blood bath between the cell blocks (due to Barb and Carole's hatred of each other). Luckily the only deaths are the sisters who fittingly manage to kill each other. The rest of the ladies end up enjoying a game of kickball (after deciding there's no reason to fight each other).

And to set us up for even more trouble next season, MCC granted early releases to some, so they could be replaced with more hardened prisoners (and the company could make more money). They also decide to open Immigration Centers as well. Looks like Litchfield Max is going to be even more crowded next year. And there will definitely be a season 7 since the show was already renewed. If the series did end here though, it would have been a good way to go out.

Grade: 5 Monsters (out of 5). Excellent! I really enjoyed this season. In fact, its one of my favorites. The pacing issues that plagued the show last season have been resolved. The new setting and new characters inject fresh blood into the series. The show didnt spend too much time on any one character but instead touched a number of different stories.