Season 4 ended on an amazing cliffhanger. After thirteen episodes of increasingly vindictive behavior from the guards and rising anger from the inmates, viewers spent a year wondering how the show would follow through on all that build-up. The answer? Sort of badly. From the second the premiere begins, the vibe shift is clear: Whereas season 4 was scary and serious, season 5 immediately returns to the jokey demeanor of season 3. If you thought you were getting a mature, serious follow-up to the mature and serious season 4 finale, you were in for some real disappointment.
One of the worst parts about this is the way season 5 pulls back on the bold politics of season 4; it de-prioritized the compelling storyline of Taystee bargaining for better prison conditions, all to make room for Leanne (Emma Myles) and Angie (Julie Lake)’s “Beavis and Butthead” antics. The show loses its edge at the exact moment it needs it most, during what should be the most climactic, intense period of the entire series. The result is a TV show with a major hole in its legacy. The first four seasons all build up to this, and the final two seasons all deal with its repercussions, but the big event itself is the weakest collection of episodes in the series.
On the bright side, there are still plenty of good moments here, including some character-defining arcs for oft-ignored inmates like Soso (Kimiko Glenn) and Frieda (Dale Soules). Most importantly, the show at least remembers to make sure there are some legitimate consequences to the season’s events, with the cast being split up and permanently sent to different prisons. As messy and disappointing as season 5 was, at least it still sent the show into a fresh, interesting direction for season 6.