To some, summer might introduce opportunities for exciting beach trips, far-away vacations, or days spent soaking up the sun at the pool. For the average TV junkie, however, summer simply initiates a much more open Netflix binging schedule. Luckily for these television enthusiasts, the popular Netflix original Orange is the New Black is returning for a third season this June with new and veteran cast members, exciting new plots, and enough drama to keep viewers pressing “watch next episode” all day.
The trailer for the new season heavily features the return of Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), protagonist Piper Chapman’s (Taylor Schilling) on-again, off-again love interest who was released from prison after betraying Piper in their trial in season two. Another continuous plotline that the season’s new poster reveals will be in the spotlight is inmate Dayanara Diza’s (Dascha Polanco) pregnancy by prison guard John Bennett (Matt McGorry) and her attempts to conceal their relationship. Although she was able to blame the pregnancy on guard George Mendez (Pablo Schreiber) in season one, she still must face the hardships of being a pregnant woman in a penitentiary and that she will never be able to take care of her child in a normal family. The two other characters on the newest poster, Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (Uzo Aduba) and Galina “Red” Reznikov (Kate Mulgrew) will also have prominent storylines, but the show runners have kept quiet on the details of these new plots.
Some new faces of season 3 include model and actress Ruby Rose, who plays new inmate Stella Carlin. Carlin is only shown briefly in the trailer, as she winks at Chapman while Chapman blushes in return. It’s a possibility that the new inmate could start some drama between the Chapman and Vause, as the popular couple’s dramatic season two dynamic ended on the rocks. Show creator Jenji Kohan also revealed that there would be a Martha Stewart-like character coming to the prison, but did not say who would be playing the character. This new addition acts as nod to the memoir that inspired the show, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, which often discussed the possibility of Martha Stewart going to Danbury (the real prison that the fictional Litchfield is based off of).
With 14 new episodes dropping on Netflix on June 12 as well as being renewed for a fourth season, Orange is the New Black is sure to continue its success and be one of the summer’s most popular binge-watches.
