Will Orange Is the New Black ever get a spin-off? Possibilities explored

Orange is the New Black officially ended with Season 7 in 2019 after premiering in 2013. The creator, Jenji Kohan, and Netflix both agreed that season 7 will be the final one, with no renewal for season 8. Kohan, while speaking with The Guardian, expressed that she is done with "darkness and dystopia".

With this news confirmed, fans are speculating the possibility of any spin-off, and Executive Producer Tara Herrmann has hinted at some possibilities with character Aleida Diaz being at the centre of it. Read on to know more about what the creator has to say about the show's renewal.

Will Orange Is the New Black ever get a Season 8?

Orange Is the New Black ended with a major cliffhanger following Poussey's death, highlighting systemic racism and her close friend Taystee leading a silent protest demanding justice for Poussey and reforms within the prison. The protest almost devolves into a riot-like situation for the inmates, as they join hands to fight for their rights. However, the system fails them again, reflecting the dystopian reality of the contemporary world.

The show has offered a unique lens into the all-women's prison cell, exploring several women's lives and carving out some of the best and most complex female characters in television history. This is the reason fans are still anticipating something from the same world, a spin-off or a renewal, even after years of the original show wrapping up.

The sad news is that Jenji Kohan, the creator of the show, has already confessed, while speaking with The Guardian, that it takes a lot of mental exertion when you are writing dark and dystopian drama exploring themes of racism, injustice, and violence. Currently, she is done with the same.

"I’m f***ing done with darkness and dystopia. I think it’s bad for us at this point. I want to see more reflections of the lives we would like to live and worlds we would like to see. The dark is getting me down. When you’re writing a show in prison, you’re psychologically in prison for a good deal of time. It was time for release," said Kohan.

This reflects how the creator was burned out from the world she immersed herself in while writing Orange Is the New Black. It is the result of her creative burnout that the show has not been renewed for a new season despite several characters and lives to explore. She is now planning to move towards more uplifting and aspirational narratives that offer an escape to the viewers.

"I’d like to think that in some alternate universe, they go on, that the stories continue. And probably some excellent erotic fiction. But I have not gone down that rabbit hole. It was bad enough with Love Island."

Can there be a spin-off of Orange Is the New Black?

Orange Is the New Black gave seven groundbreaking seasons, leaving a cultural legacy and its fans hungry for more Litchfield stories. When Kohan closed the doors for a new season, the conversation shifted towards potential spin-offs. Tara Herrman, the executive producer of the show, suggested some possibilities of a spin-off. According to her, Aleida Diaz is the character who could be at the centre of the spin-off show, as exploring her life outside the prison would open another gateway to the stories and struggles, showing how their life in prison follows them even outside the bars.

Trending

"We’re very excited because now we have a few people on the outside, Aleida Diaz being one of them, and to be able to show the juxtaposition of what life is like for someone in Aleida’s shoes compared to someone who is in Piper’s shoes is very exciting for us." Said Herrman while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter.

Herrman also noted that the contrasting struggles of Aleida are compared to those of Piper Chapman. Her post-incarceration journey could spotlight the diverse challenges of re-entering society. Piper, being the show's grounding force, would allow the spinoff to maintain emotional continuity, as seen in the Orange Is the New Black spin-off, if there were to be one.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback