Orange Is The New Black Season 5 Review: 7 Ups And 4 Downs

The fifth season of Orange is the New Black has been available for a week now, and what a glorious week it's been for all of us missing the ladies of Litchfield. The strength of the show lies in its characters - it's just fun to be around them - so putting them in any circumstances would be a must-watch for most of its fans, but still the creators annually go out of their way to put the inmates in very different, interesting situations.

Season 5 focuses on the riot in Litchfield. Taking place in something approaching 'real time', over the course of just a few days, it presents what actually happens when the inmates take over a prison. As it turns out, they are fairly capable of running the facility themselves. Obviously not everything goes according to plan, and, as with every riot, this one must also end violently, but that inevitable outcome doesn't make the season any less enjoyable.

The show once again incorporates seriousness and humor into a greatly written story, producing one of its best seasons to date. Although, it must be said that the greatness of Season 5 of Orange is the New Black, like the inmates themselves, isn't without some serious flaws. (Contains spoilers.)