Orange is the New Black seasons 1-4 ranked

by Daniel Falconer | 29 June 2016

So, you've had plenty of time to binge the fourth season of Orange is the New Black, so let us know what you think about all of the new episodes in the comments below! Before that though, we're going to share our opinions on all four of the seasons, ranked from least to most favourite!

Credit: Netflix

Least favourite season - Season 3

Let's face it, the third season of Orange is the New Black was a mashed up tangle of loads of little stories that never really amounted to anything. The most interesting thing that happened took place in the final few moments of the show (Alex being attacked by a prison 'officer'), and we had to wait a whole year for the fourth season to see what would come about from that. The standard of episodes wasn't up to par with those that we had seen come before, and coming off the back of an incredible second season, OITNB really had to pull something special out of the bag. It failed here.

A good season - Season 1

The first season of Orange is one that will have its place in fans' hearts for all of time, as it's the one that first sparked their love for the show. There were incredible moments and some just OK moments - what the first season did do though is feel out its surroundings, figured out what worked and what didn't and then went full throttle into season 2. It was the perfect introduction to the incredible ensemble cast we're still being taught more about in the series, and definitely worth a rewatch. There will be a lot of hilarious moments you'll have forgotten about...

A great season - Season 4

Things got dark quickly with OITNB this year. A chopped up body, drugs relapse and huge prison death were just some of the excrutiating scenes we were put through in the 13 new episodes. It wasn't going to take much to better season 3, but here the show managed to surpass every single third season episode that had come before it with each of its new 13 episodes, tying up loose ends and bringing some new elements to Litchfield that we hadn't seen before. Continuing to be an incredibly topical and provoking series, all watching must have had at least one wet eye at some point throughout the season.

The best season - Season 2

Season 2 had it all. A definitive, multi-layered villain with prior relationships with some of those we had already been introduced to during the debut Orange season, a great balance of humour and serious storylines and a more varied look at the prisoners in Litchfield. Every episode had us on the edge of our seats, and whilst season 4 truly was a brilliant ride, the show has never recaptured the same spark that was injected during the second season. Despite that, we have high hopes for the future - especially with the major cliffhanger we were left with following season 4!