Orange is the New Black

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Season 6
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 11, 2013
Season #: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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Critic Reviews

  1. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Alan Sepinwall
    Jul 27, 2018
    60
    When both are in balance (Season Two’s arc with Vee), the series feels special, and like nothing else even within Peak TV. When they’re not (as was the case in the riot season), it can be hard to see how the two halves are part of the same show, for quality reasons as much as tonal ones. Season Six is in that more uneven vein.
  2. Vanity Fair
    Reviewed by: Richard Lawson
    Jul 27, 2018
    60
    there’s still a lot of value to be mined from this jumbled American collage, as profane and clumsy and poignant as life in the world can sometimes be.
  3. 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.

Awards & Rankings

82
#82 Best TV Season of 2018
73
#73 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
63
#63 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

User Reviews

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User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 73 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 73
  3. Negative: 8 out of 73
  1. LuMartins
    Jul 28, 2018
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link 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.    … Full Review »
  2. Semtex_Steve
    Jul 29, 2018
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link 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    … Full Review »
  3. 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.… Full Review »
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