'Orange is the New Black' season 5 spoilers: Lori Petty remains optimistic of Lolly's return, story to focus more on Daya after season 4 cliffhanger
The fourth season of "Orange is the New Black" brought viewers to a roller-coaster ride of emotions, and season 5 can't come soon enough. Good news is that production has already begun, and some of the cast members are giving fans sneak peeks of the new season through their social media profiles.
One of the highlights of season 4 is Lolly (Lori Petty) being sent to the Litchfield psych ward after a major breakdown, and her fate remains uncertain. With the season 5 production in its early stages, Petty told The Hollywood Reporter that she "absolutely" believes that Lolly will return to continue her arc and hopefully shed light on the mistreatment of mental illnesses.
"I certainly hope [we'll see Lolly again]," she said. "I do think we will. I can't say for sure, but I absolutely think we will. They are just now filming episode one [of season five] and you know how we ended season four. They have a lot to deal with right now! I'm just waiting on the phone call to get back on the plane. I'm sure it will come, but we have 13 episodes and they've got a lot to take care of, so we'll see."
Since the series has an ensemble cast, there are certainly a lot of interesting stories to tell. There are speculations that the next season will delve deeper into the characters of Daya (Dascha Polanco), Flaca (Jackie Cruz) and Maritza (Diane Guerrero). Daya found herself in a difficult situation when she pointed the gun to CO Humphrey (Michael Torpey) in the season 4 finale cliffhanger, and it remains to be seen if she really shot him. Meanwhile, the "Flaritza" duo has always been bonded over the seasons, and following the shocking death of one inmate, their banter might bring some color back to the gloomy prison.
"Orange is the New Black" season 5 is expected to be released in its entirety next year on Netflix. The critically-acclaimed series has been renewed through season 7.
