The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
Orange is the New Black creator admits season 5 wasn't their greatest
'We had lost a bunch of the original writers'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Orange is the New Black was once one of the most acclaimed shows on television, critics finding Jenji Kohan’s prison drama/comedy hard to fault.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the review aggregator website, the first four seasons all hold ratings above 93%, the second — often held as the series best — reaching 98%.
However, season five couldn’t quite match those heft heights, scoring 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many writers from the original seasons had let to peruse their own projects, including Carly Mensch who created the Netflix series GLOW (Kohan produces the series).
Speaking to The New Yorker, Kohan and executive producer Tara Herrmann admitted the fifth season — which deals almost exclusively with a prison riot that breaks out after season 4’s climactic death — was a little pear shaped.
“We had lost a bunch of the original writers,” Herrmann told the publication. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just a new dynamic—people were attached to the characters as viewers, not as creators.”
Kohan added that some plots read like “fan fiction,” speaking with nostalgia about the show’s “O.G. writers.” Only two writers from season five have been rehired to work on season six.
Read our interview with Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments