If you’ve been paying attention to what Netflix has been doing, you know that they have finally decided to put an end to Orange is the New Black (OITNB). The popular show, that was originally based off a memoir written by Piper Kerman, started in 2013 and the sixth season was released this June. Last week, Netflix released that OITNB would end after the seventh season airs. Many people were shocked to hear the news.
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However, if we’re being honest…this move is long overdue. The first four seasons of OITNB were amazing!
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But as the show continued, it became obvious that the writers and creators were struggling to keep up the same momentum. Following the death of Poussey in season four, it became clear that there was no clear direction for the show and they were using the painful death of a beloved character to keep interest. Viewers had high expectations for season five, but the season left viewers feeling unsatisfied and confused. There was a lot of confusion and no one was really sure what to expect from season six.
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After watching season six, I came to a realization. The show no longer needed the main character, Piper Chapman. As a viewer, I found myself more interested in the stories of every other prisoner and wished they would stop including Chapman. Considering the show is based off of the memoir, I knew that was not something that could happen and wondered how much longer Netflix would force us to endure this downward spiral.
While I understand the disappointment of the show ending, this is the right call in the long run because the main story has been over for a long time. However, if Netflix could find a way to create a spinoff that does not include Chapman’s story, I can guarantee that viewers would happily accept that as an alternative.
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