Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Piper begins life outside prison under parole rules, living with her brother while looking for work and trying to keep her marriage to Alex intact. At Litchfield, Alex becomes entangled with guard McCullough, while Piper develops feelings for Zelda. After Alex ends the affair, McCullough arranges her transfer to Ohio. Alex urges Piper to move on, but a conversation with Larry helps Piper choose her future: she moves to Ohio, works at Starbucks and studies law while visiting Alex.
The season follows several women through Litchfield’s consequences. Pennsatucky studies for her GED with Taystee’s help, but assumes she failed after Luschek neglects to secure her extra time; she overdoses and dies. Taystee later learns Pennsatucky passed, and the news helps pull Taystee back from suicide. She turns her skills into the Poussey Washington Fund, a small-loan program for women leaving prison. Red develops dementia and is moved to Florida, alongside Lorna, who cannot accept her baby’s death. Nicky takes over the kitchen and looks after other inmates.
The show also moves into immigration detention, where Flaca helps women contact lawyers and family. Maritza learns she was born in Colombia and is deported; Blanca, held since her release in the prior season, gets legal help and is freed after her case is reopened. She chooses to travel to Honduras and reunite with Diablo. Gloria leaves prison, while Taystee remains incarcerated for a murder she did not commit. Aleida returns to prison after attacking her younger daughter’s drug-dealer boyfriend and confronts Daya, now a drug leader. Aleida chokes her in their final scene, but the show does not confirm whether Daya dies.