Why will we be staying in on Friday, June 6th? Because Orange is the New Black Season 2 will premiere on Netflix that night, of course! Sure, there are a lot of great series on TV these days, but our favourite show happily exists on Netflix – and we’ve been waiting months to find out what will happen to Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) in Litchfield Federal Penitentiary after the dramatic end to Season 1.
If you haven’t started watching the kickass series, which is like Oz meets Sex and the City meets The Wire meets Girls, we suggest doing a Season 1 marathon to get ready for the June 6th premiere of the second season. Trust us, you can easily watch all of the first season in one sitting if you’ve got enough microwavable popcorn on hand. It’s that good… and we know Season 2 is going to be even better than the first. Here’s why we think Orange is the New Black Season 2 will rule summer 2014…
Piper Chapman Has Been Schooled
The Season 2 trailer opens with Chapman getting released from solitary confinement (where she was clearly placed after what went down in the final minutes of Season 1 opposite Taryn Manning’s unforgettable character, Tiffany ‘Pennsatucky’ Doggett). As guards retrieve Chapman from her high-security room, a voiceover of the lead character says, “I’m prepared to behave like a model inmate, and I feel I no longer pose a threat.” How very untrue this will clearly be. Chapman now knows the ropes and has not only been desensitized to the often violent and vulgar ways of prison life, she’s also now proven to the other inmates that, if you mess with her, she will defend herself… to the death, if necessary.
Tiffany ‘Pennsatucky’ Doggett Will Be Back
If you haven’t watched Orange is the New Black Season 1, then: first, shame on you; and, second, skip over this part. For all of us who watched in shock as Chapman defended herself successfully when Pennsatucky attacked her in the yard in the final minutes of the first season, we have spent months wondering whether or not the incredible Taryn Manning will be back to resume her role. We were thrilled to find out that one of our favourite characters will be back for Season 2. Does this mean Chapman didn’t kill her in their showdown? We can only assume so, given that Chapman gets released from solitary at the very start of the second season – meaning she likely didn’t get locked up alone for very long. That said, where else would an inmate who murders someone in jail go, anyway? We’re pretty sure death row is still located in prison. The cast has been mum about the plot happenings of Season 2, so it’s quite possible Pennsatucky could appear only in flashbacks or visions, but we have our fingers crossed that she’s alive and well and ready to wage war on her enemy.
Everyone Is Back, In Fact
While Laura Prepon was on the fence for a long time about whether or not she would be returning to Orange is the New Black for Season 2 as Chapman’s once and future love interest, she’ll definitely be back for at least part of the second season. We’re more than pleased that some of our favourite characters are also getting even bigger roles for Season 2. Crazy Eyes (Uzo Aduba) and Taystee (Danielle Brooks) are now official regular characters on the series – a smart decision given their obsessive fan base. Black Cindy (Adrienne C. Moore), Poussey (Samira Wiley), and Janae (Vicky Jeudy) are also back, along with Big Boo (Lea DeLaria), Daya (Dascha Polanco), Bennett (Matt McGory), Red (Kate Mulgrew), Flaca (Jackie Cruz), Sophia (Laverne Cox), and female guard Fischer (Lauren Lapkus).
Red’s Backstory Will Unravel
Sure, we’ve seen some of Red’s flashbacks to her former drug-smuggling ring, but we’re psyched that more about Red’s past will surface in Season 2, even with regards to her past in prison. After all, she’s been locked up for quite awhile, so she’s had quite the soap opera of a time over the years. In the trailer for Season 2, we hear Red say, “A woman I knew a long time ago came back in yesterday.” Red is tough and drama isn’t exactly something she entertains, so this story line is definitely going to be juicy.
A New Character Named Vee Will Shake Things Up
The prisoners might come and go (and come back again) at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary, but the main cast is made up of some of the most underrated talent in Hollywood. We’re extremely excited for Faye Yvette McQueen to join our favourite prison gang as Vee, the former inmate Red refers to in the trailer for Season 2. From the looks of the trailer, it seems like Vee and Crazy Eyes might be Litchfield Federal Penitentiary’s hottest new item. June 6th can’t come fast enough.
Do have a favourite character on Orange Is The New Black? Let us know who and why in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.