Orange Is the New Black is one of the most popular and longest-running Netflix Originals. The comedy-drama series, created by Jenji Kohan, is based on the memoir of Piper Kerman, who spent a year in a women’s prison for drug trafficking. The show follows the lives of Piper and other inmates, as they deal with the challenges and conflicts of prison life.
The show has received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including 12 Emmy nominations and four wins. Uzo Aduba, who plays Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren, won two Emmys for her outstanding performance. The show also features a diverse and talented cast, such as Taylor Schilling, Natasha Lyonne, Kate Mulgrew, Laura Prepon, Danielle Brooks, Laverne Cox, and many more.
The seventh and final season of Orange Is the New Black premiered on July 26, 2019, and wrapped up the stories of the main characters. But many fans are still wondering if there is any chance for a season 8 or a spin-off series. Here is everything we know so far.
Orange Is the New Black Season 8 Potential Plot: What’s next?
The last season of Orange Is the New Black ended with some closure for most of the characters, but also left some questions unanswered. For example, what will happen to Piper and Alex’s relationship, now that Piper is out of prison and Alex has three more years to serve? Will they be able to overcome the distance and temptation? Or will they drift apart or cheat on each other?
Another question is what will happen to Taystee, who was wrongly convicted of murdering a guard and sentenced to life in prison. Will she ever get justice or a chance for parole? Or will she continue to struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts? And what about Suzanne, who helped Taystee cope with her situation and became her best friend? Will she be able to adjust to life without Taystee?
Other characters who could have interesting stories in a potential season 8 are Nicky, who became the new leader of the kitchen and tried to help other addicts; Gloria, who was released from prison and reunited with her family; Cindy, who was homeless and estranged from her daughter; Red, who was diagnosed with dementia; Lorna, who lost her baby and her sanity; Blanca, who was deported to Colombia; Maritza, who was also deported to Colombia; Pennsatucky, who died of a drug overdose; Daya, who became a drug lord and killed her mother; and Caputo, who faced sexual harassment allegations and broke up with Fig.
Of course, these are just some of the possible scenarios that could happen in a hypothetical season 8. There are many other characters and stories that could be explored or revisited.
Orange Is the New Black Season 8 Cast: Who’s in it?
If there was ever a season 8 of Orange Is the New Black, it would be hard to imagine it without the original cast members. However, some of them might not be available or willing to return for another season. For instance, Taylor Schilling, who plays Piper Chapman, said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she was ready to move on from the show after seven years. She said: “As an actor getting ready to say goodbye to a role that I’ve lived with for six years, it’s very poignant. It’s a very kind of surreal time. It’s as surreal as it was when the thing came out of the gate and was so powerful those first few seasons. It’s equally as surreal now to be ending it all.”
Other cast members who might not return for a season 8 are Laura Prepon (Alex Vause), Danielle Brooks (Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson), Natasha Lyonne (Nicky Nichols), Uzo Aduba (Suzanne Warren), Kate Mulgrew (Galina “Red” Reznikov), Yael Stone (Lorna Morello), Dascha Polanco (Dayanara Diaz), Selenis Leyva (Gloria Mendoza), Taryn Manning (Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett), Adrienne C. Moore (Cindy Hayes), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Aleida Diaz), Jackie Cruz (Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales), Diane Guerrero (Maritza Ramos), Laura Gómez (Blanca Flores), Jessica Pimentel (Maria Ruiz), Dale Soules (Frieda Berlin), Lea DeLaria (Carrie “Big Boo” Black), Laverne Cox (Sophia Burset), Michael Harney (Sam Healy), Nick Sandow (Joe Caputo), Alysia Reiner (Natalie “Fig” Figueroa), Matt Peters (Joel Luschek), and Beth Dover (Linda Ferguson).
However, some cast members have expressed interest in returning for a season 8 or a spin-off series. For example, Uzo Aduba said in an interview with Variety that she would love to play Suzanne again. She said: “I would do it again in a heartbeat. I love Suzanne so much, and I love the world that Jenji created so much. I think it’s so rich and there’s so much story left to tell.”
Will there be Orange Is the New Black Season 8?
The short answer is no. There will not be a season 8 of Orange Is the New Black. The show was officially canceled by Netflix in October 2018, four months after the release of season 6. The decision was made by the creator Jenji Kohan, who felt that it was time to end the show after seven seasons. She said in a statement: “After seven seasons, it’s time to be released from prison. I will miss all the badass ladies of Litchfield and the incredible crew we’ve worked with. My heart is orange but fade to black.”
The cast also confirmed the cancellation in a video posted on Twitter, where they thanked the fans and said goodbye to their characters. Taylor Schilling said: “Season 7, you will not be disappointed. It is a season you will not forget and we are going to give you everything and more that you could have ever wanted.”
The final season of Orange Is the New Black was released on July 26, 2019, and consisted of 13 episodes. The last episode was titled “Here’s Where We Get Off” and featured a montage of the main characters and their fates.
Orange Is the New Black Season 8 Release Date: Speculation!
Since there is no season 8 of Orange Is the New Black, there is no release date either. However, if we were to speculate based on the previous seasons, we could assume that a hypothetical season 8 would have been released in July 2024.
Similar Shows Like Orange Is the New Black
If you are looking for similar shows like Orange Is the New Black, you might want to check out these titles:
- Wentworth: A Australian drama series that follows the lives of women in a high-security prison.
- Russian Doll: A comedy-drama series created by Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, and Leslye Headland, that stars Lyonne as a woman who repeatedly dies and relives the same night in an ongoing time loop.
- Glow: A comedy-drama series created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, that follows a fictionalized version of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a women’s professional wrestling promotion in the 1980s.
- Weeds: A comedy-drama series created by Jenji Kohan, that follows a widowed suburban mother who becomes a marijuana dealer to support her family.
- Dead to Me: A dark comedy series created by Liz Feldman, that follows two women who bond during therapy for their grief over losing their husbands.
