Orange Is the New Black's sentence just got extended for at least three more years, after Netflix ordered an additional three seasons of the award-winning prison dramedy.
Season 4 is already in production, and set to debut later this year; this order is for seasons 5, 6, and 7. The deal includes creator Jenji Kohan sticking around as showrunner.
“Three more years! Not quite a political term, but still plenty of time to do some interesting things. In some cultures, ‘May you lead an interesting life,” is a curse, but I don't live in those cultures,” Kohan said in the press release. “Here's to keeping it interesting. Thanks Netflix! Both thanks and you're welcome Lionsgate! And kudos and gratitude to the stellar cast and crew and writers and producers and editors and musicians and mixers and shleppers… with whom I have the pride and honor of crafting this show. Three more years! Three more years!”
As one of TV's best series (even if the third season was a slight step down from the first two), I'm glad Orange's future is secured for a very long time. But I do wonder what, if anything, this means for central character Piper Chapman. At the start of the series, Piper was beginning a 15-month sentence, and each season so far has covered roughly three months. If the show stuck with that timeline, Piper would be up for release at the end of season 5, if not sooner, depending on good behavior, prison overcrowding, etc. The show could certainly function without Piper, who's become less of a pure lead and more a part of the ensemble with each season, or the timeline could change, or she could get busted for something else (say, her bootleg panty business) and have her sentence extended as a result.
Kohan will have a very long time to figure that, and everything else, out.
What does everyone else think? You glad Orange is going to have, at minimum, a 7-year run? Or do you think the show's better off ending sooner?