‘Orange is the New Black’ Season 4: What to Expect

— -- The women in orange and khaki are back. And this time, there are more inmates in orange than ever. Though the season premiere starts off on the slow side, episode one sets us up for what’s sure to be an interesting season, with shifting dynamics and plenty of new prisoners to spice things up amongst Litchfield’s familiar faces.

Fair warning: spoilers ahead.

Season 4 picks up right where Season 3 left off -– in the potentially contaminated water of the nearby lake, as the inmates, in their heyday, embrace a moment of accidental freedom.

Meanwhile, once suspected killer, Lolly, ends up a hero when tragedy strikes the greenhouse. A guard, really a hit man for the kingpin Alex once worked for, has his belt fastened around his victim’s neck when Lolly swoops in, saving the day. The unlikely team, Alex and Lolly, is left with the guard’s dead body to take care of.

In case there was any shred of hope remaining, you can officially say goodbye to the innocent blonde from season one. Inside the prison, Piper seems to be letting the panty power get to her head. “If you haven’t heard yet, you will. I am a force to be reckoned with,” she warns an unamused Lolly, though it is unclear where Piper’s allies lie, if they even exist at all.

As Piper seems to be losing her sanity, Crazy Eyes finds herself the surprisingly saner one after the escape leaves her and her new love interest, Maureen Cucudio, alone in the forest together. We suspect we’ll be seeing a lot more of Cucudio, a silent lurker until now, throughout this season.

Caputo, struggling to hold down the fort as it is, is placed under even more pressure with the arrival of celebrity inmate Judy King. And she’s only one of a busload of new inmates –- a situation that is sure to further complicate the politics of Litchfield Penitentiary. They are accompanied by a new slew of guards, and they mean business. With a new warden, plenty of fresh inmates, and upgraded C.O.s, the world behind bars we have come to know and love is about to undergo some serious changes.

But fear not. The beloved Healy does eventually make his debut, and, surprisingly, has quite the delightful demeanor. The two favorites we don’t hear much from in this first episode are Big Boo and Chang.

Despite the relatively slow start, the action (and gore) picks up significantly by the end, and the Season 4 premiere lays the ground work for a season that is certain to shake things up.