Orange is the New Black has been one of the most popular and influential Netflix original series of all time. For many, it was the reason to sign up to the streaming service, delivering a bunch of stellar episodes in its opening season, and maintaining the interest of millions who invested everything right up until its closing moments.
Having come to a close in Season 7, where we saw a bunch of characters both old and new, fans had to bid goodbye to those fictional women they had taken into their hearts. Maintaining a sense of realism, not everybody got their happy ending, but the conclusion to seven seasons of drama was a satisfying one.
Here, we take a look at where the characters, residents and former inmates of Litchfield all ended up, when all was said and done.
Piper Chapman and Alex Vause
These star-crossed lovers have had one of the most tumultuous relationships in television history, but whilst many thought they wouldn't be able to make it to the end of the series still trying to work on their prison marriage, that's exactly what the pair did.
Piper spent much of the season working in her father's firm, coming to terms with being on the outside once more and opening up to new friends about her time behind bars. She even met a woman called Zelda, with whom she shared a mutual attraction.
Alex meanwhile, was forced to deal phone chargers by CO McCullough, who at first looked to be helping her escape the clutches of CO Hellman. CO McCullough's attraction to Alex became a dangerous part of their working relationship, and when Alex gave into her lust for the officer, before ditching her and telling her that her future was with Piper, CO McCullough forced through a transfer for Alex, from Litchfield to Ohio.
The series ended with Piper and Alex putting aside all of their doubts, and giving their all to their relationship, despite the many years they'd have to wait to be together on the outside. It was left up to audiences to decide whether or not they thought that would work out.
Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson
For a huge chunk of Season 7, it looked as though Taystee may actually be working towards getting her murder conviction and life sentence overturned. Unfortunately, whilst Suzanne's diary of truth about Piscatella's death was a great read and a valuable piece of evidence, Taystee's lawyer informed her that it wouldn't be enough to lodge an appeal and get her case heard once again in court.
Taystee struggled with this news, and battled with thoughts of taking her own life from the start of the season, right up to the finish. After a very important chat with then-Warden Tamika Ward, however, and a packet of certificates which showed how her tutoring of other inmates was helping them turn her life around, she decided to stick out her time in Litchfield, working with those who were coming up to their release date and doing her all to ensure they wouldn't immediately fall into poverty once they'd made it into the open world.
Cindy Hayes
Without a doubt one of the most disappointing characters, Cindy Hayes is a woman who many thought would eventually confess to lying, and help Taystee escape prison. Cindy enjoyed her taste of freedom a little too much, however, despite ending up living on the streets as homeless when her daughter Monica found out the truth about her parents.
Cindy ended the season attempting to build bridges with her own mother, as well as her daughter, offering to open up about her life before prison, and promising honesty with Monica for the first time in her life.
Nicky Nichols
With a huge redemption arc this season, Nicky had a lot to deal with from the jump. Her best friend Lorna, the woman who she has always loved, was going through a huge trauma, whilst her prison mom Red, had to cope with a diagnosis of early-onset dementia. Not only that, but long-time friend and fellow inmate Alex, was to be sent away to a different prison.
Nicky's future quite clearly involves her looking after her fellow prisoners, taking on all of the skills and personality traits she's learned from Red, and applying them with excellence.
Lorna Morello
After being told by her partner that their first-born had died following a battle with pneumonia, Lorna built up a wall of denial that eventually saw her moved from general population to that where those struggling with mental issues and the likes spend their time behind bars. Known as residents of Litchfield as 'Florida' - because it's where you go to retire and spend the rest of your days - she looked as happy as she could be there, blissfully denying the fact that her son had passed away.
Maritza Ramos
Perhaps the most tragic end came for Maritza this season, who was bungled back into incarceration by officers despite being recently fleed, before being put before the immigration courts because she had no legal American birth certificate. Born in Colombia, but having grown up in the United States, Maritza hoped that spending her years since childhood in the country would ensure she was welcome to remain. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and she was deported by ICE, in a gut-wrenching and highly topical send-off.
Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren
This was as good as it was going to get for Suzanne. Whilst her chicken coop was shut down, and her friendship with 'P-Tuck' came to a sad end, she found herself on a path to a better life. She remained behind bars, and it was left up to audiences to decide what sort of future she had in store.
Tiffany 'Pennsatucky' Doggett
Poor Tiffany just wanted something to be good at. Though she passed her GED exam, she never got the opportunity to discover her results, throwing her life away in a drug overdose because of the lack of support from CO Luschek during her studies. Throughout her life, she was always told she was too stupid to amount to anything. If only she had held on a little longer, she would have realised she was capable of anything if she put her mind to.
Dayanara Diaz
There was a time when Daya was a character you could root for. This season however cemented her role as a junkie lifer, who wasn't interested in anything other than making money, and dragging others down with her if she got the opportunity. She would end the series using her younger sister as a connect to bring drugs in from the outside, and even suggested to her mother that she would do the same with another sibling when they were old enough. If anyone had to die this season, it should have been Daya, but as we all know far too well, life's not fair.
Aleida Diaz
Aleida looked to be onto a winner with Head Guard, CO Hopper, whom she shared a relationship with on the outside. The pair brought drugs into the prison and were making a steady living, despite it being an illegal one, but when she stepped to the adult boyfriend of her 13-year-old daughter, she found herself breaching parole and ended up back behind bars.
She and CO Hopper were caught by the warden and other officers sleeping together on prison grounds, leading to Hopper's dismissal from Litchfield, and a lack of support for Aleida on the inside.
At war with her daughter, she would eventually end up punching Daya in the throat and strangling her - potentially to death. We never get confirmation of Daya's death or survival following the attack, so we're left with the lasting image of Aleida mounting her offspring, with anger and disgust in her heart.
Galina 'Red' Reznikov
Beloved by audiences since her very first appearance, it was very upsetting to see Red's declining health through Season 7. Diagnosed with early-onset dementia, we saw her struggles with retaining memories worsen as the episodes went by. In the end, she was sent to serve the rest of her prison time in Florida, where she reintroduced herself to former enemy, Frieda Berlin. At least somebody benefited from Red's terrible luck.
Blanca Flores
It looked as though Blanca was going to be deported from America without being given a shred of information about her boyfriend Diablo for some time, this season. When she became friends with fellow ICE inmate Karla, however (RIP angel), she learned how to stand up for herself in court and ensure she would be given a fair trial.
With the help of a powerful lawyer, she turned her case upside down, and was given a green card. Despite this, and being allowed the chance to remain in the States, her boyfriend Diablo was not, and was instead forced to return to Mexico. So, using her newfound freedom, Blanca decided to travel to Mexico herself, and live there with her man. A stunning and brave moment, for a woman who had America at her feet.
Gloria Mendoza
It looked as though Gloria would be getting another five years added onto her sentence, despite her release date being just over a week away. When she and the other kitchen staff were caught with a mobile phone, she copped to being the one who brought it in, so that the other inmates wouldn't also have to suffer charges.
After a chat with CO Luschek however, in which she told him how useless, uncaring and pathetic of a human being he really was, the officer got high before admitting to smuggling the mobile into the prison. This meant that the charge against Gloria was dropped, and she made it out of Litchfield, and back to her children, before the season was over.
Marisol 'Flaca' Gonzales
After attempting to help a bunch of inmates being kept incarcerated by ICE until their immigration trial hearings, Flaca decided that she would spend the rest of her time inside doing exactly that, despite the kitchen staff being caught with a mobile phone.
Maria Ruiz
Though the idea of sharing her child with another woman, after learning that her ex was in a new relationship, sent shivers down the spine of Maria at first, this season saw the once-violent and impulsive inmate turn over a new leaf. Apologising to those she had wronged, we last saw Maria in the Litchfield visitation room, reading a book to her daughter, and allowing her ex's partner to join in.
Orange is the New Black, Seasons 1-7, are available now to stream, exclusively on Netflix.
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