15 Things To Expect From Season 5 Of Orange Is The New Black

The wait is almost over.

Come June 9, the girls will be back.

Binge watching a series has the satisfying benefit of not having to wait a full week (or even months, since a great deal of shows enjoy leaving fans with “Mid-Season Finales” or “Winter Finales”) in order to catch up with your favorite characters. Fans of Netflix understand this, but they also know that they have to be prepared to wait up to a year or longer for their show to return. The pain can be very real. Especially for fans of Orange is the New Black, who suffered through one of the most soul-shattering seasons. Last year, audiences watched as fan-favorite Poussey (Samira Wiley) was crushed to death by a guard during a protest. Netflix released a teaser for the highly anticipated season 5 of the award winning show via their YouTube page. Based on this minute-long teaser, small yet useful Easter Eggs from the cast, and overall knowledge of the show itself, here are 15 things we can expect to see when Piper, Daya, Crazy Eyes, and the rest of the cast return.

15 Expect A LOT of Violence In The Three Days Following The Riot

Much of the cast has already confirmed that season 5 will take place over the course of three days, which is very different from the seasons that came before. So, given that, we can expect a crap load of violence to be bestowed upon the Litchfield Prison in a short amount of time. Not to mention the fact that they're in the middle of a riot. The final two episodes of season 4 played out like a Greek tragedy when the women started a war among one another, each group turning against the other. We witnessed the White Supremacists go toe-to-toe with the Blacks, which resulted in Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (the iridescent Uzo Aduba) beating the absolute crap out of her ex-girlfriend Maureen Kukudio (Emily Althaus). There was also the rise and the undeniable power of the Hispanics, and the individuals who wanted nothing to do with any of it. In the teaser, we see Daya Diaz (Dascha Polanco) holding a gun on one of the Litchfield guards, as the inmates pressure her to pull the trigger. Considering the fact that she's currently going through postpartum depression from giving up her new born baby, all signs point to her doing SOMETHING extremely violent. Will it be killing that specific guard? I'm leaning towards no. Considering the fact that we're in the middle of a riot, I expect we're going to see a crap load of blood - more so than any other season of the hit show.

14 Piper Chapman Will Continue To Be Whining About Something

Okay, I'm sure Taylor Schilling is a lovely person in real life. But her character Piper Chapman? The supposed MAIN character of OITNB? Well, she's so damn whiney and narcissistic that I'm shocked another inmate hasn't chopped her up and served her to the guards yet. Seriously, she's been crying and moaning about literally nothing for the past four seasons. First it was about her boring husband, then about her girlfriend Alex (Laura Prepon), then about how Alex screwed her over, then about her toothpaste, her bedding, her bunk mate, a hangnail, etc, etc. In the teaser, IN UNDER A MINUTE, she manages to get under my skin already by literally running the other way with Alex when she senses that s**t is about to hit the fan. “We're laying low, and we're staying out of trouble,” you hear Piper tell Alex. Seriously? Grow a freaking pair, Piper! The season hasn't even started yet and I hate you already. $20 bucks says she starts running and then starts crying about a pebble in her slipper. Someone shank the woman already, please.

13 At Least One Major Character Will Most Likely Die

Losing one of the only happy, optimistic, bright inmates in the entire damn prison was a crapshoot. Poussey was the heart of that prison, and it pained us to see her taken away in that sort of fashion. But was it necessary? The debate has been going on for the past year since the show runners killed off this non-white symbol of the LGBT community. Consequently, the show has been extremely controversial. Without uttering a single word about what's going on in the real world right now, the show took a powerful stand about innocent people being killed by law enforcement. This demonstrates the keen podium the series is using to be heard in the community. But will they do this to more characters? Perhaps not in that same shade, but they will. Show creator Jenji Kohan has been known to take aim at killing off characters who deserve to die (everyone remembers how satisfying it was to watch Vee (Lorraine Toussaint) get mowed down by the cancer-striken Miss Rosa (Barbara Rosenblat). However, she has leaned towards eliminating her loveable characters in a stronger attempt to prove a greater point. As long as Crazy Eyes isn't the sacrifice, I'll be okay (please let it be Piper, please let it be Piper… ).

12 You Will Cry - A Lot

I'm both hoping and dreading to see Samira Wiley in flashbacks this season. Though, considering the fact that the timeline only stretches over three days, we may not face that possibility. But it would be a shame for those close to Poussey not to see her everywhere during this standoff, especially her best friend, Taystee (Danielle Brooks). Wiley is such a versatile actress that the void in the cast will be noticeable, so I'm thinking that Kohan will use the character as a device and maybe shot some scenes with Wiley that will get our waterworks running overtime. For a show that's supposed to be a comedy (and was even placed in that category at award shows during its first couple seasons), we sure do find ourselves crying over events that take place with certain characters. Be sure to keep the tissues close by when watching this season.

11 Soso Will Finally Grow Into A Surprisingly Strong Character

Hey guys! Remember when Brook Soso (Kimiko Glenn) was just that annoying, talkative, tree-hugging character who you wanted to punch right in the nose whenever she came on screen? Those days are long over. Ever since Soso attempted suicide (she wasn't making any friends due to her talkative nature) and Poussey, Taystee, and Suzanne saved her life, Soso was on track to switch it up. She and Poussey got into a much needed mutual relationship - one that changes Soso's very nature. So when Poussey suffocates at the hands of a guard, the young woman is clearly traumatized. She runs off and gets drunk off of some liquor that Poussey had secretly made. I believe that over the three days, we're going to see Soso change dramatically. The once passive, yet passionate, protester will finally be pushed to the brink. She already tried to off herself once, but this won't be the case this time around. She's going to want justice for the only person who ever truly loved her for who she is; and she's going to fight.

10 Blanca Flores' Role With The Hispanics Will Shift

One of the most intriguing characters on OITNB has always been the most quiet one - Blanca Flores, played luminously by Laura Gomez. Blanca always had this madwoman-like feel to her mannerisms in the prison. She can sometimes be overlooked as a crazy badass broad who lost her mind, but we learned that wasn't the case during season 4. We saw through flashbacks that Blanca was once a home aid who was tormented by her old, mean white-lady boss. In prison, when the guards are seen inappropriately physically harassing some of the inmates, Blanca takes a stand by not showering, hoping that she'll smell bad enough to be left alone by the guards. She ends up protesting the guards' behavior by standing on top of a table in the cafeteria for days on end, which actually ends up leading to the riot. By doing this, I believe that Blanca will be a key factor in season 5 and take over as head of the Hispanics.

9 The Probable Return Of John Bennett - Who Will Still Be A Coward

I recall thinking this particular guard was rather dorky-cute when I saw him. It was clear from day one that John Bennett (Matt McGorry) had chemistry with Daya, as they would sneak doe-eyed glances at each other from across the prison pale corridor. And, like it usually happens in lady big houses (yeah, right), the geeky guard ends up knocking up the inmate and gets the hell out of town. This is what Bennett did… or so we think. We know that he probably had the crap scared out of him by Daya's mother's boyfriend, after Bennett pledged to take care of the baby once it was born. But after the boyfriend paid the guard a visit, Bennett bailed out of town. Or maybe he was just afraid of commitment. Whatever. Considering the unwanted publicity and news coverage, I expect that Litchfield is about to get hit with the riot, and Bennett may return, since Daya is a pivotal player. Hopefully, it won't be just to stand on the sidelines and watch everything play out. Though, I wouldn't put it past the spineless douche-hat.

8 Murderer Or Not, Daya Will Change Drastically This Season

Speaking of Daya - you see her face as she held the gun on the guard Humphrey (Michael Torphy) in the first trailer of season 5? She was clearly overwhelmed at the commotion going on around her with her inmates pressuring her to fire the gun and kill Humphrey. But… there's something in her gaze that's dangerous. When the footage in the teaser goes black, we hear the gunshot echo off the walls of the prison. All this signals is that the gun goes off, but we're unsure who is doing the shooting and who gets shot. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter following the season 4 cliffhanger, Polanco feels Daya is about to change. “The boiling point has tipped over,” she said. “At this point, Daya is thinking, 'F*** everyone. I'm going for it.” Does this mean she's just going to start looking out for herself and turn into a cold blooded murderer in order to save herself? She doesn't seem like the type, but postpartum depression has her in a chokehold, so anything is possible right now.

7 Guard Thomas Humphrey Will Hopefully Pay Dearly

When Thomas Humphrey came along, he sort of had a Bennett-like feel to him with his nerdish appearance and wide-eyed boyish facial expressions. However, we learned over time that he is nothing more than a sociopath with fatal intentions. In season 4, Humphrey forces Maritza Ramos (Diane Guerrero) at gunpoint to either eat a baby mouse or a napkin of dead flies. He stirred up tensions between the separate groups in the prison for his own entertainment. He was the one who forced the groups to fight it out, which resulted in Suzanne beating the stuffing out of Kukudio. All the other guards have horrible feelings about him, and the inmates fear him - except for Blanca. Now, Humphrey was actually the idiot who snuck a gun into the prison, and during the riot, Daya was able to get a hold of it and aim at Humphrey. The two stare each other down, proving that Humphrey is out of his mind, so it would make sense that someone ELSE who everyone believes is unhinged will be the one to finally give Humphrey what he deserves. I have a feeling Blanca will end up taking the gun from Daya in order to do it herself, and she'll find a way to get away with it due to the fact that the other guards are aware of Humphrey's insane tendencies.

6 Crazy Eyes Will Attempt To Atone For Kukudio's Beating

In season 4, audiences finally got to see what sent Suzanne to the slammer. And, of course, it was heartbreaking. She invited the young son of a family friend back to her apartment for popsicles, unaware that it was considered kidnapping, since the parents did not know. He goes, and they play video games, and she wants him to stay the entire weekend, which freaks out the boy, and he calls the police and tries to leave, but ends up falling off the fire escape presumably to his death. As a child, Suzanne was mentally underdeveloped, so all she saw when this occurred was that her friend was playing a game with her. Back in the prison, Suzanne is triggered by Humphrey and ends up beating her former girlfriend within an inch of her life, and once it's done, she's extremely remorseful. After Suzanne nearly killed herself, she's placed in the same hospital room with Kukudio, and the two appear to share a moment of forgiving sympathy. Based on photos of the new season, Suzanne will do everything in her power to help Kukudio get back on her feet.

5 Hopefully Nicky Stays Clean (For Three Days, At Least)

Nicky Nichols (Natasha Lyonne) struggled for years with a heroin addiction - even when she was placed behind bars, which is depressing, considering that she's some of the comic relief on the show, not to mention incredibly intelligent. After being sober for three years, Nicky falls back into her old habits and finds a way to get her hands on crack during season 4. It's Red Reznikov (Kate Mulgrew), her mentor, who ends up driving Nicky to get clean again after the latter expresses pure heartbreak at the younger woman's addiction. Fans are hoping that the violent events unfolding at Litchfield during the riot won't drive Nicky back into using, but based on Red's mother-like stronghold over her, it's likely she's going to smartly focus her energy on helping out her closest friends amidst all the violence.

4 Will Taystee Turn Against Caputo?

During the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards, some of the cast of OITNB dropped some scrumptious little Easter Eggs about season 5 of the critically acclaimed show (Danielle Brooks included). The actress who plays Taystee let us in on a couple little things. “Season 5 is done over the course of three days,” she said. “You will watch 13 episodes, and find out what happens over the course of three days. So, it will be very detailed, very intense, and you better get ready. Get your popcorn, your tissues, everything.” WELL, WE ALREADY KNEW THAT, TAYSTEE, DAMN. After Poussey is killed, Taystee heads to her office desk (she works up front for Joe Caputo, played by Nick Sandow) in order to distract herself. She becomes enraged when she hears Caputo make an announcement to the press regarding Poussey's death without mentioning the young victim's name. It's actually Taystee that incites the riot and is rooting for Daya to shoot Humphrey. It's possible that Taystee will turn her rage against Caputo in order to seek revenge for her best friend's brutal death.

3 Massive Showdown Between Piper And Maria?

Out of all the inmates in Litchfield, it's Maria Ruiz (Jessica Pimentel) who plays the role of diabolical mastermind and proved so during season 4. After Piper rats out Maria for being involved in a gang, and the latter gets years tacked onto her sentence, Maria burns a swastika onto Piper's arm. During a Hollywood Reporter interview, Ruiz reflected on her character. “She's hardcore, old school, and very fair, and isn't as much about power as she is the big picture,” the actress expressed about her character. “That's much more gangster.” Piper was traumatized by the incident, (I was nonchalant about it) considering she's a known Buddhist in the show. I have to admit though, Pimentel and Schilling seem to bring out the most dynamic elements of their acting style when they're put together, so I'm ready to see them face-off in a big way this season.

2 Alex Finally Getting Hers (Wishful Thinking, Perhaps)

Alex Vause, Piper's wishy-washy rat girlfriend was almost killed last season when a hitman, hired by her former boss (who Alex had snitched out to the feds), poses as a corrections officer and attempts to choke her to death. It's Lolly Whitehill (Lori Petty) who ends up saving the day by killing the man. Her, Alex, and Red bury him in the prison garden. The body is eventually discovered and it's Lolly who takes the blame after she goes crazy and is sent to the psyche ward. Even though Alex is consumed by guilt (she almost turned herself in as the murderer before Lolly went down), every slimy act she's done in the past doesn't expunge her from needing to be punished by karma in some way. Frankly, I'm shocked that she's survived this long. I understand that she's pretty street-smart, but at the first sign of danger, she tends to sing like a freaking canary.

1 The Inmates Will All Band Together To Fight, But Not For Long

The death of Poussey seemed to unite all the groups in Litchfield for a moment, but how long can they actually stretch out that moment? Things were coming to a head between the White Supremacists and the Hispanics. Then, when Maria branded Piper with a swastika (even though Piper wasn't part of the group) everything almost exploded. It's very doubtful that the groups will keep the peace long enough to win a war against the guards. Some are out for themselves, and under the cloak of war will attempt to turn on some of their most dangerous enemies, while others will end up getting hurt in the crossfire. The lure of power has a way of winning out in the end, something that Poussey's death can't even keep calm. Since the start of the show, that's all that seems to matter in Litchfield - who has the most power. I doubt that will change anytime this season.