While the twists and turns in store for Orange Is The New Black Season 5 are anyone’s guess at this point, we at iDigitalTimes predict some characters will take on larger roles in the story, particularly Flaca, Maritza (together known to OITNB fans as “Flaritza”) and Daya.
Spoiler warning: the remainder of this article makes reference to climactic story events from Orange Is The New Black Season 4. If you haven’t watched the latest episodes yet on Netflix, turn back now.
Season 4 of Orange Is The New Black saw a seismic shift in the dynamics between the inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary. A simmering three-way turf war between the white, Latina and black inmates gave way to a major uprising against the brutal new guards, headed by the bearded ogre Piscatella (Brad William Henke). This resulted in the tragic accidental death of fan-favorite character Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley) at the unwitting hands of CO Bailey (Alan Aisenberg).
Now that the hilarious best-friend duo of Poussey and Taystee (Danielle Brooks) is sadly no more, who will take their place by bringing some lighthearted banter to the show? “Flaritza” is our best guess: that’s Flaca (Jackie Cruz) and Maritza (Diane Guerrero). We saw a lot more of both characters this season, learning about Maritza’s past, scamming rich pervs for money at nightclubs and luxury car dealerships in the fifth episode of Season 4, “We’ll Always Have Baltimore.” The pair bonded over defecting from Piper’s panty scheme, the trauma of CO Humphrey (Michael Torpey) forcing Maritza to eat a baby mouse, and enjoyed pampering themselves with clay masks in preparation for the onslaught of news cameras in the finale. The growth in Litchfield’s Latina population was a central thread of Season 4 and they’ll likely continue to be a dominant force among the women in Season 5, particularly as Poussey’s friends continue to cope with the repercussions of her unexpected death.
Daya (Dascha Polanco) is another character we’re probably going to see a lot more of in Season 5. Her role was reduced (relative to previous seasons) throughout much of Season 4, though she did fall under the potentially harmful influence of Maria after her mother, Aleida (Elizabeth Rodriguez), was released from Litchfield. The cliffhanger conclusion of the Season 4 finale, “Toast Can't Never Be Bread Again,” saw Daya holding CO Humphrey’s gun and threatening to shoot both him and another guard.
We at iDigi predict Daya won’t take the shot, even though Polanco recently told The Hollywood Reporter, “I could see her pulling the trigger. Daya's definitely experiencing some postpartum depression. She might pull back and think about being a mother and not wanting to miss the opportunity of being with her child. But a woman going through postpartum — at that point, they’re very fragile and very sensitive.”
Even though Daya’s moving with a rougher crowd for much of Season 4, it’s unlikely she’d throw her life – and possibly her newborn child’s future – away in an instant. Besides, such a rash mistake would devastate both her mother and Gloria and we still need to find out if she has a future with Bennett, the father of her child.
Orange Is The New Black is slated to release in its entirety on Netflix in summer 2017. The show has been renewed through its seventh season.
What do you think will happen in Orange Is The New Black Season 5? Which characters do you hope to see more of? Let us know in the comments!
