Orange is the New Black

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Season 6
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  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 11, 2013
Season #: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Orange is the New Black Image
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

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  • Summary: The prison dramedy returns for its sixth season with many of the ladies of Litchfield Penitentiary moves to maximum security.
  • Genre(s): Comedy, Drama

Trailer

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Orange Is The New Black: Behind Bars Featurette
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Jul 19, 2018
    80
    Season 6 is a return to near-peak form. [23 Jul - 5 Aug 2018, p.10]
    All this critic's reviews
  2. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Jul 18, 2018
    75
    Fans who hated the fifth season should mostly love the sixth, which is a return to normal, or as "normal" as "OITNB" ever gets. But the end does feel a little bit closer.
  3. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Liz Shannon Miller
    Jul 27, 2018
    75
    While Season 6 never attained the operatic heights of years past, it was a relatively solid advancement of this story.
  4. Variety
    Reviewed by: Caroline Framke
    Jul 16, 2018
    70
    Season 6 is indeed a marked improvement on Season 5. In fact, it’s even pretty good. But it also ends up highlighting the series’ overall weaknesses, making it more clear than ever just how frustrating it is when a show with this much promise loses sight of what could make it great.
  5. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Dan Fienberg
    Jul 20, 2018
    70
    The story that propels the 13 episodes is more focused and on a smaller scale than what was attempted last year, which isn't entirely unwelcome. But it's not always clear which big issues and ideas the writers set out to address in the new season. As it stands, Orange Is the New Black remains a show so full of rich characters, ripping dialogue and great performances that I can focus on those things and not the characters or storylines that don't work.
  6. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Kathryn VanArendonk
    Jul 18, 2018
    70
    Orange Is the New Black remains a worthwhile series, retaining its place as one of the strongest Netflix dramas. But the show’s commitment to telling all of its stories has become wildly overgrown, like a tree desperately in need of pruning. It has everything it needs, but it also has way, way too much.
  7. CNN
    Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Jul 26, 2018
    50
    The show enters its sixth season, however, looking like a fashion that's faded out of style, one that hasn't cleared the prison walls but which, in TV terms, has pretty clearly jumped the shark.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 6
  3. Negative: 2 out of 6
  1. poezwoez
    Jul 28, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The sixth season of OITNB honestly is way better than expected. I got scared after the season finale of the fifth season as nobody knew who would return and who wouldn't. However, this new location is very refreshing and exciting as everything is completely new; new enemies, new stories and new guards.

    The season is mostly focusing on how the riot is blamed on the inmates and how they should be punished, Taystee's trial as she's accused of the murder of Piscatella and also the rivalry between C-block and D-block. The combination of those three worked out very well and will have you hooked from the beginning until the end and is so well written. Suzanne aka Crazy Eyes and Taystee's acting work is some of the best I have ever seen.

    What is very missed are some of the characters of previous seasons, especially Maritza. A lot of the characters that they've got rid of were a huge part in bringing light and comedy in the show and you can tell they're missing as the humor does lack compared to the other seasons. Seeing Flaca alone is very strange and odd, however her friendship with Black Cindy is also very refreshing. I do prefer "Flaritza" (Flaca + Maritza) more. Not just Maritza is missed. I also miss Janae, Boo (she is seen in just one short scene in the beginning) and even the meth-heads Leanne and Angie. i'm hoping to see some getting reunited in the next season.

    This is one of the only times the show doesn't end with a huge cliffhanger. It has an extremely surprising, touching and unexpected ending.

    TL,DR: This season is good. The story line, writing and acting are on point but some of the old characters are truly missed.    … Expand
  2. marcmyworks
    Jul 31, 2018
    8
    This season gave a glimpse into the horrors of a super-max prison and although there are moments of real character development, at times theThis season gave a glimpse into the horrors of a super-max prison and although there are moments of real character development, at times the show can come across as forced and browbeating. The seasons villains Barb and Carol are probably the worst since Season 2's Vee, but they were slightly under-developed.… Expand
  4. Ascospore
    Jul 28, 2018
    5
    The new series is grim and all the best characters are now gone. Max may be real, it's not real enjoyable to watch.
  5. ozymandias79
    Aug 1, 2018
    4
    After the first season, this show has been doing a slow run up to the board, and midway through season 5, it took a swan dive. Season 6 wasAfter the first season, this show has been doing a slow run up to the board, and midway through season 5, it took a swan dive. Season 6 was BORING. Why did Netflix order so many episodes and seasons? The produces are obviously struggling to fill the quota. The shuffling of actors because of budget constrains is also obvious and annoying. Will orange is the new black bring it home for the final season - Doubtful. It will more than likely belly flop in the pool.… Expand
  6. Semtex_Steve
    Jul 29, 2018
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well after binge watching all the episodes of season 6 in three days I have to say this season was just a depressing mess. To start with Piscatella's murder getting pinned on Taystee was rushed and ridiculous to believe - one of the guards shooting him in the face with the gun the inmates in Frieda's bunker acquired after he was already dead from the pepper bullet that killed him at the end of the last season - with their claims backed up by a corrupt forensics investigator who we never even get to see. Then there's the very tired story of Alex and Piper, in which Piper mopes around for the first few episodes believing Alex is dead until - surprise, surprise - she isn't and they get back together to be their bland selves and not really do much for the rest of the season other than moping around with a broken arm (Alex) and planning to get kickball reinstated (Piper), seasoned with a few minor arguments with other characters that never actually lead anywhere and some tedious cute talk between themselves that really just seems to be used to take up time in episodes. Blanka decides she wants to get pregnant with Diablo's baby, using sperm smuggled in from the visitation area bathroom and getting help from Nichol's to artificially inseminate herself, then finds out that she's getting released early before being cruelly shipped off in an immigration van whilst Diablo waits outside for her looking sad with a bouquet of flowers because we can't have anything nice and everyone has to be depressed.

    The main plot revolves around a long standing feud between the Denning sisters Carol and Barbara, who killed their sister Debbie 30/40 years ago. They control C and D blocks. They are both incredibly boring and shallow characters who are bad because they are bad and have somehow spread their pettiness to the other inmates who are entirely happy to act as foot soldiers to their respective blocks because... because. Piper's kickball plan is set up as the catalyst for the war between the two blocks, with inmates gathering weapons and preparing for the penultimate fight at the end of the season, only for the inmates to suddenly realise how stupid the entire feud is and decide to just play kickball instead at the last moment, whilst their two paranoid leaders kill each other whilst hiding in a closet as they're waiting to use the big fight as a distraction to get to Freida and kill her because she screwed them both over years ago. That's about it.

    The guards are also stupid, unlikable characters who have a fantasy league where they score points for broken rules between their chosen inmates and actively encourage violence between prisoners so that they can win the game. None of them are brought to justice for this, despite Gloria Mendoza securing evidence and reading it out in front of her co-host Marisol Gonzales on their prison radio show before finding out that their not broadcasting yet and getting sent to the shoe. Gonzales shows some interest over the outburst, but ultimately doesn't do anything about it and continues with her radio show as usual after Mendoza is apprehended.

    The show is filled with depressing endings to multiple character arcs in this season, and seeing one kickball game where no one gets shanked and Piper getting set free (despite making it clear that she's unhappy about the entire thing and would rather stay with Alex in prison) just isn't enough to take the bitter taste away.

    The show used to be funny and entertaining with great comedy and black comedy mixed with well paced drama. Now its just a list of depressing story lines with flat "humorous" one liners in between depressing or boring scenes    … Expand
  7. LuMartins
    Jul 28, 2018
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I always used to defend the series when someone accused it of being pure torture porn, but for this season, torture porn is what it became. It's so sad to see that they are doing everything to make the series longer just because it is rentable, they are even reusing the same plot of "now the girls will have to face the big boss of the prison whom will bully and harass them for no particular reason" again. If you don't have any new idea of what to do in a prison set, just fisinish the series!

    I am so disappointed with this season for what I used to consider the best tv series I've ever watched.    … Expand

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Awards & Rankings

49
#49 Best TV Season of 2018
57
#57 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
75
#75 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

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