'Wentworth' season 5 release date, plot news: Series gets early renewal for fifth season, plot to explore aftermath of Bea's death

"Wentworth" recently wrapped up its fourth season with a major death in the finale which came as a shock to fans. Fortunately, the series returns next year for a fifth season to tell more stories about the Wentworth inmates.

SoHo TV Australia made the announcement through the network's official Facebook fan page, with a video post and a caption which reads: "Wentworth season 5 confirmed." Set in modern-day Australia, the series follows Bea Smith (Danielle Cormack) after being charged with the attempted murder of her husband. The previous seasons showed how she made her way up from the bottom of Wentworth prison's hierarchy, but she later on died in the season 4 finale. As of now, it remains to be seen how the story will move forward without her.

Depicting dark tones in every episode, the series easily gained popularity among viewers in Australia and other countries. One of its unique features is how various gender identities among women in prison are presented. Viewers became more intrigued when a transgender female inmate named Maxine Conway entered the picture.

In an interview with Stuff, actor Socratis Otto shared how he prepared for the role which is completely different from the usual characters he portrays. "I did educate myself, but not necessarily in terms of what it would be like to look like a woman because the brief was for an unambiguously male recently transitioned to a woman," Otto explained. "The majority of trans women in their late 30s to early 40s are quite masculine because their bone structure doesn't change and their voices stay the same. Maxine looks like a typical trans woman in her 40s."

Otto's role shares similarities with Laverne Cox's character Sophia Burset in "Orange is the New Black," who is also a trans inmate serving time in a women's prison. However, Cox is a real-life transgender woman whereas Otto identifies himself as straight. While learning more about his character, Otto mentioned how fascinating it was for a man to mentally shift into a woman. "For me, it was all about the psyche and what was happening internally, not only physically but also to her heart."

A definitive premiere date for "Wentworth" season 5 is yet to be announced, but the series is expected to premiere on 2017.