‘Orange Is the New Black’: What We Need to Happen in the Final Season

Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black is coming to an end following its seventh season, but there are still a number of loose ends that need to be tied up before Litchfield Penitentiary closes its doors for good.

On Wednesday, Netflix announced via video released by the official OITNB Twitter account that following its upcoming seventh season, which is set to be released sometime in 2019, the series would be coming to a conclusion — an announcement that, while upsetting to fans, wasn’t entirely shocking given the events of the sixth season.

With only a single season left and a number of storylines left open and needing conclusion, there are a number of things that not only should happen, but need to happen before the series ends.

Keep scrolling to see what we think needs to happen in Orange Is the New Black‘s final season.

Red Needs to Absorb the Power of the Chicken

The only thing that Red wants is to absorb the power of the chicken that is smarter than all other chickens, and season seven, the final season, seems like a good time for that to finally happen.

While the chicken first made an appearance in season one, it has a long history at the prison, having become something of a legend, and it has been the thing of Red’s cooking dreams for years. It is perhaps the most iconic non-romantic OTP of the series (at least for us).

While it isn’t likely that the series will end with every single inmate that fans love being released from prison, it’s easy to image Red cooking a feast with the single chicken that she has had her sights set on since season 1, and honestly, with the determination she had to capture it, she deserves to absorb its power.

Nicky and Morello Need to be Endgame

Although Lorna Morello is currently betrothed to her former prison penpal Vince Muccio and had gone into labor in the season six finale with his child, the chemistry between Nicky and Morello is undeniable.

Their relationship at first seemed to be nothing more than physical, but it became clear quickly and over the course of several seasons that they connected on a much deeper level, and it has been the OTP of crowds of fans since season one.  And who can forget the scene in season five while Morello and Nicky are locked in the pharmacy when Nicky confessed her love?

“Maybe you’ll realize that you were just hopelessly in love with an incredible, insane, beautiful woman who is never going to love you back.”

There has already been one prison wedding, two if you count Morello and Vince’s, but who’s to say that there can’t be one more between Morello and Nicky?

Having Fig and Caputo become endgame would also be a nice touch to send the series off.

Taystee Needs Justice

At the close of season six, Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson was handed down her punishment for her involvement in the season five prison riot, a movement she led in an effort to get justice for Poussey: guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of C.O. Desi Pescatella. The conviction, despite it being wrongful, meant that Taystee’s sentence expanded to a life sentence, something that broke the hearts of fans.

While it is easy to imagine that this is something that could easily happen in a corrupt judicial system, Taystee not only needs justice of her own before the series concludes, she deserves it. With supporters at her back and both Cindy and Suzanne aware of the truth of Piscatella’s death, there is the slim chance of hope that should Taystee appeal her conviction, she will win.

An Actual Vauseman Wedding

Piper and Alex’s relationship has been a series of ups and downs, but through it all they managed to constantly find their way back to one another. Theirs is a love story for the ages, or at least, an epic love story for a series about a women’s prison.

With Piper granted early release in the season six finale and Alex still having several years left of her sentence, it is possible that the series will end with the two still separated by a pane of glass and talking through a phone. What fans deserve, however, is to see the two out of prison and acclimating to their life of freedom, one where they aren’t being taunted by Badison, and tying the knot in an actual ceremony, preferably surrounded by the friends they made while behind bars.

The prison wedding was nice and all, but their romance deserves a real wedding.

Blanca Needs to be Freed (Again)

Taystee isn’t the only character who needs justice before Orange Is the New Black ends.

While Piper and Sophia were able to walk out of prison after being granted early release, Blanca Flores’ early release meant a very short-lived freedom. As soon as she stepped foot outside of Litchfield, with her husband Diablo waiting to pick her up with a bouquet of flowers, she was greeted by ICE agents, handcuffed, and led onto a bus.

It is entirely possible that her story will end there, but after a season that showcased an entirely different side to her, including her stating her wish to start a family, she, too, deserves a happy ending. With Linda Ferguson having announced that MCC is opening an immigrant detention center, it is entirely possible that Blanca will be seen again, hopefully this time getting her happy ending with Diablo.

Bring back the Missing Inmates

It was one of the most frustrating aspects of season six for fans, and it is something that has lingered over the series even after people finished their binge-watches – the sudden absence of a number of favorite characters, including Maritza Ramos, Big Boo, Janae Watson, Alison Abdullah, Brook Soso, Yoga Jones, Leanne Taylor, and Angie Rice.

While season six gave fans a glimpse of what may have happened to the missing characters in the premiere, with Big Boo at a Cleveland prison following the riots of season five, their absence could not be filled by the new inmate additions.

Although it is currently up in the air as to whether or not all or any of the absent characters will return, fans are anxious for reunions, including that of Flaca and Maritza and Boo and Pennsatucky, and bringing the characters back for the final season would tie up multiple loose ends that have been left in their absence.

We Need Answers on C.O. John Bennett

The missing inmates weren’t the only characters to disappear from the series. C.O. John Bennett has been missing since season three.

Bennett notably found himself in a world of trouble after falling in love with Daya, which led to several pitstops in the closet and a pregnant Daya. While their secret prison romance led to C.O. George “Pornstache” Mendez being fired, it ultimately came to a crashing halt after Bennett met Daya’s family and then abandoned a crib on the side of the road and sped off in the distance, never to be heard from again.

Bennett’s absence, and the fact that he has not so much as even been mentioned, has been an angering point for many fans, and it seems about time for Bennett to man up, return, own up to his faults, and attempt to smooth things over with Daya.

There Needs to be a few reunions

Throughout the first six seasons of OITNB there have been a number of reunions between characters both inside and outside of prison, but there are still a number of reunions that need to happen.

For starters, Red needs to reunite with her grandchildren. She was mere seconds away from having visitation with them in season six, but her desire for revenge caused her to attack Freida instead, landing her in the SHU.

After being released from prison, Aleida needs to get her own children back. She made every effort that she could in season six to get custody of them again, eventually resorting to helping run a drug ring inside of Litchfield in the hopes of earning the money she’d need for an apartment. After witnessing what happened to Daya, she is now more determined than ever to steer her children on the right path.

Both Gloria Mendoza and Maria Ruiz also are on the list of characters who need to be reunited with their kids. Their fight to see their children led to a feud between the two, and neither getting a happy ending when they both landed in Max with Mendoza getting an extended sentence for her involvement in the season five riots.