Nobody was prepared for what Orange is the New Black did to us in its fourth season. It was the most crushing, unbelievable, enraging thing that the show has achieved, completely unforgivable and people are hurting bad. But what it did do was create one hell of an ending, one that changes the course of the show entirely, and we have a brand new teaser to remind us of it.
(Spoilers for Season Four)
Following Poussey’s death, a riot erupts in Litchfield that ends with Daya holding sadistic guard Humphrey at gun point, ending before we get to see if she shoots. This teaser replays that moment, though it ends with an unseen gunshot that silences everyone, but it’s still unclear as to whether or not she actually shot him.
I think it would’ve been better to avoid letting us know she actually shoots the gun; sure, it builds excitement, but it might make the actual moment fairly lacklustre, especially if she doesn’t actually shoot him. Still, from the sounds of it, Season Five is pretty hard to show off in a trailer. It takes place in real time over the course of three days following the riot, which is the perfect way to go about it. Poussey’s death is by far the most impactful event the show had had so far, so to just go back to the normal set up would be completely wrong. This had made waves, and this new format is what this storyline needs. Nothing is going to be the same.
Orange is the New Black Season Five is available on Netflix from June 9th