Between the still-raging debate about the merits of House Of Cards Season 3, the recent launch of the Kyle Chandler-starring Bloodline, and the glut of promotion for the upcoming Marvel's Daredevil, Netflix has had a busy spring. As if all that weren't enough, the first trailer for Season 3 of Orange Is The New Black has just dropped... and it's glorious.
Season 2 of the prison dramedy was dominated by the intimidating presence of Vee, who ruled Litchfield with an iron fist and usurped Red's position as HBIC. But just as Vee managed to escape the prison through the tunnel in Red's greenhouse, Miss Rosa was also escaping in a Litchfield van... and the cancer-stricken escapee took the opportunity to gleefully mow down the woman who had made all of their lives miserable.
Now, with Vee apparently out of the picture, OITNB can refocus on the inmates we've grown to know and love over the past 26 episodes. And judging from the two-minute trailer, there are plenty of new feuds, new romances, and new drama to fuel the 14 episodes of Season 3.
Here are 11 things the trailer taught us about the new season of OITNB ahead of the June 12 premiere date:
1. Black Cindy Dreams Of Being A Famous Rapper
She makes the months of the year sound like "Rapper's Delight."
2. Litchfield's Getting Some New Blood
"Welcome to Litchfield two-point-nothin'!" Pennsatucky crows at a busload of new arrivals. Chief among the most recent class of inmates is actress Lori Petty, returning to OITNB after her one appearance in the Season 2 premiere as Lolly.
3. Big Boo Gets A Makeover
And she doesn't look too jazzed about it for some reason...
4. Piper Doesn't Even Appear Until A Quarter Of The Way In
Proving once again that OITNB is more of an ensemble show than anyone initially thought, Piper's "pointy blonde head" doesn't even appear in the Season 3 trailer until the 0:27 mark.
5. Alex Is Back
Despite only having appeared in four of Season 2's episodes, Laura Prepon is back full-time as Alex Vause in Season 3. Remember how Alex planned to skip town to get away from Cubra at the end of last season, only for Piper to notify Alex's parole officer about her plans? Yeah... I bet that particular plot line is going to resurface this season.
6. Everything's Coming Up Red
"Stop trying to mold the real world into the one inside your pointy blonde head. The world is better in black and white... and red." Seems like the (assumed) death of her arch-nemesis Vee has put Red back on top at Litchfield. It's good to see the chef with all of her attitude returned in full force.
7. Someone's Got Her Eye On Piper
Piper receives a not-so-subtle wink from a new admirer while in line at the cafeteria. But you know what I find even more interesting about this moment? Look who's eating lunch right behind Piper's suitor. That distinctive head of hair can't be anyone but the supposedly dead Vee, can it? Maybe Red's return to the top won't last as long as we all thought...
8. Sophia Lands On Gloria's Bad Side
"You need to get out of here before you add another 100 years to my sentence." I don't know what sparks the unexpected feud between these two characters, but I can't wait to find out.
9. Nicky Is Out In The Real World
Although Season 2 ended with recovering addict Nicky staring at Vee's stash of heroin, this glimpse of the character in the Season 3 trailer has her out in the real world. Of course, this could be a flashback to Nicky's past before prison, but I prefer to think that we're going to get to see her try to cope outside of Litchfield. (Her time on the outside probably wouldn't last long, judging by the meltdown she appears to be having here.)
10. Chang Says What We're All Thinking
"I love everybody!" So do we, Chang. So do we. (Except Vee. She's the worst.)
11. Suzanne Is Now An Aspiring Writer
"Crazy Eyes" has apparently started channeling her boundless energy into a productive activity: creative writing! However, the corrections officer played by new addition Marsha Stephanie Blake isn't too enthused about the work's rather pornographic content. "It's not just sex — it's love!" Suzanne argues. "It's two people connecting... with four other people... and aliens."
And now, watch the full trailer in all its orange glory right here:
Images: JoJo Whilden/Netflix; Screengrab/Netflix (12)
