NOTE: OITNB season three spoilers ahead!

After finishing "Orange is the New Black" season three in five days, I’m now at a loss as to what to do with my free time, so I suppose it’s time to write about it.

This season felt vastly different than the previous two. It was more serious, deeper and more current. The plot thickened with the introduction of new characters, more in-depth back stories for the entire regular cast and new prison drama. This season held my short attention span for many hours at a time. While I loved some parts of it, I could do without others.

The Positives of OITNB Season Three

• More in-depth back-stories: This season explains more and more about how all of the characters ended up in Litchfield. You watch scenes outlining their childhood and how their parents or other events helped shape their current personalities. Season three brings viewers closer to the cast; it has a much more personal feel than the previous two.
• The introduction of new characters: Season three introduced many new characters, my favorites being prison counselor Berdie Rogers (Marsha Stephanie Blake) and inmates Stella (Ruby Rose) and Lolly (Lori Petty). Berdie’s drama classes serve as a constructive outlet for the inmates to let out their emotions — something they have been in dire need of. Berdie’s intellect and kindness make her a quality addition to the show. Not only is Stella a tattooed badass, but she also has a sweet Australian accent, and she’s beautiful. Stella plays a big role in the second half of the season at the new prison enterprise Whispers as well as in Piper’s underground Felonious Spunk endeavor. She’s a helpful worker, but simultaneously stirs up drama in Piper and Alex’s love life. Lolly is another character who adds drama to the prison environment. She seems to be out to kill Alex, but the show takes a quick twist and Lolly reveals herself to be "crazy," as Alex puts it. All of these ladies bring their own unique traits to spice up Litchfield.
• Brings LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) issues to the forefront of popular media: One really cool facet of OITNB is that there are many lesbian characters and even one transgender character. Many of these women are homosexual outside of the show and the transgender inmate, played by Laverne Cox, is a transgender woman in real life. The show does not portray these women as weird or irregular because of their sexuality. It portrays them as regular women who have landed themselves in prison. There is virtually no difference between the heterosexual and homosexual women — as it should be viewed in real life.

The Negatives of OITNB Season Three

• The sex scenes: OITNB has been known for its raw sex scenes between people of all orientations. The scenes in seasons one and two are almost tame compared to those in season three. While I personally don’t mind the sex scenes in the show, they seem to bother some people, making the show a bit harder for them to watch. If the sex scenes were a little less graphic, perhaps an even wider audience would tune in.
• The loss of characters: Throughout the show, characters have died and been transferred to other prisons, and we have dealt with these losses and moved on. But season three stole from us one character I really enjoyed: Nicky Nichols. After being framed for having heroin inside the prison, she was carted off to the maximum-security facility. Here’s to hoping Nicky rejoins the cast soon, because I’ve missed her this season.

Predictions for next season:

Honestly, the possibilities for season four are endless. Season three ended with two busloads of new inmates being dropped off at Litchfield. I would guess that the new prisoners will bring unlimited drama as they attempt to fit in at the jail. In the last fifteen minutes of the finale, a man from Alex’s past who is ready to kill her confronts her. Season four is bound to start here and reveal how the showdown will end; I think Alex will finesse her way out of the situation and live to spend another day in Litchfield. Lastly, since Piper planted copious amounts of contraband in Stella’s bunk right before her release, Stella will be staying around for a while. I’m predicting passionate fighting between Stella and Piper that, after the drama blows over, will bring the two together to carry on Felonious Spunk and a romantic relationship.