Those who stuck around for all seven seasons of Jenji Kohan's masterpiece, Black, have witnessed major evolutions in nearly all of the main characters. For the most part, the Litchfield prisoners we grew to know and love started out completely different than the people they eventually became as the series progressed.
So much information about these characters was uncovered in the final season. While some got a fitting ending, most characters on the show certainly deserved more. Which characters got their perfect ending? Which did not? Read on to find out.
DESERVED MORE - LORNA MORELLO
One of the most tragic endings on the entire series involved Lorna Morello, who proved to be struggling deeply with her mental health. Lorna always dreamed of having a fairytale life, with a dream husband and a bunch of babies to complete the picture. At one brief point, it finally seemed as though she had gotten what she has always wanted. Vinny was the loving man in her life that she dreamed of having, and eventually they had a baby together.
Tragically, the baby died due to illness, and Morello's deep desire to escape the reality of this truth caused her to be in complete denial about the death of her child. Unfortunately, the prison system could not offer her the proper care she needed in order to get better, so she ended up "falling down the rabbit hole" as Nicky put it. We are hoping that in the Florida cell, she gets the help she deserves.
FITTING ENDING - PIPER CHAPMAN
Piper has always been a representation of privilege on Orange is the New Black, and her character is often a stark contrast to what most of the prisoners must suffer through. Because she is wealthy and white, Piper has often gotten the upper hand in the prison system, and was allowed special privileges that most characters would never get to have in their wildest dreams.
One of those privileges was an early release. Although Piper struggled a lot to find her way as an ex-con and got unfairly judged because of it, she had it a lot better than most people. Her ending proves how much easier life is for her compared to the rest of the prisoners in Litchfield.
FITTING ENDING - SUZANNE WARREN
Suzanne Warren has grown up immensely behind bars. We have seen her go from the comic relief as the insensitively nicknamed "Crazy Eyes" who lusted after Piper, to a brilliant thinker with strong emotional intelligence and a desperate need to help others find their way. Suzanne has expressed her sadness at the end of the series for all she has gone through, yet somehow after all of the tragedy she has faced, she is still able to find hope.
After experiencing the loss of her two best friends, Poussey and Doggett, you would think she would lose it right after the latter's death. Yet she manages to find her composure and is able to honor her late friend by paying tribute to her favorite song that the rest of the prisoners (and guards) sing alongside her.
FITTING ENDING - NICKY NICHOLS
Nicky Nichols has experienced many tragedies while in Litchfield. The two great loves of her life had been taken away from her as well as her mother figure, and in the end, we assumed she was left with nothing. Yet in the final shot we see of Nicky, we are so proud to discover that she has gotten back on her feet and is better than ever. She ends up being a prison mom similar to Red, and just like her Red, Nicky is the head of the kitchen now.
DESERVED MORE - MARITZA RAMOS
Maritza's ending was so unfortunate and upsetting that we most certainly hope she was somehow able to eventually find happiness amidst all her struggles. Despite Maritza trying to help others in the ICE detention center by giving people phone numbers of lawyers to call, her good deed ended up getting her into more trouble. She was deported to Columbia, even though everyone she has ever loved lived in the U.S.. Where does she go from there? What happens next for her? We sincerely hope that Maritza is able to find her way because her character deserves to have a happy ending.
FITTING ENDING - FIG AND CAPUTO
Fig and Caputo started off as enemies on Orange is the New Black, yet their disdain for each other had ended up morphing into a steamy ion that neither of them could comprehend. For a while, they were simply friends with benefits, yet eventually Caputo wanted more. He had finally convinced Fig to be vulnerable with him, and they ended up quite happy together. It is even heavily implied that they've adopted a daughter.
DESERVED MORE - RED
Our hearts break for Red, who was so close to finding her freedom. Yet after being isolated in the SHU, it became apparent that something was wrong with the ionate cook. We slowly realized that she was living from dementia, and it terrified her as well as her loved ones. She didn't receive the special care from the prison system that she deserved, and it was so hard to watch as she slowly suffered.
FITTING ENDING - CINDY HAYES
Cindy was always a fascinating character on Orange is the New Black. She started off as the show's comic relief, yet as the series progressed, so did her character arc. She seemed to suffer a lot from low self-esteem which caused her to back out of a lot of important responsibilities. One of them was being a mother to her daughter.
Monica, her child, had always believed that Cindy was her sister and that Cindy's mother was actually her mom. Taystee seeks revenge towards Cindy for testifying against her in court by telling Monica who her actual mother is. This causes Cindy to be kicked out of her own home where she spends a period of time homeless. It isn't until then that she realizes she needs to make a significant change in her life no matter how challenging it might be. She is able to have a second shot at getting closer to her family once and for all.
DESERVED MORE - DOGGETT
Doggett most certainly deserved more on OITNB. Throughout her entire life, she was led to believe that she was stupid. It didn't help that her dad would constantly call her this, and it ended up damaging her self esteem to the point where she actually believed what everyone was saying about her.
Since Doggett is dyslexic, she was supposed to be allowed extra time on her test for the GED that she was studying so hard for. She didn't get the extra time and believed she had failed the test which caused her to overdose on drugs. As we later find out, she did the GED.
FITTING ENDING - SOPHIA BURSET
It's a rare occasion that someone on OITNB gets a happy ending, but we are so satisfied with the fact that Sophia is able to get one. Not only does she get an early release, but she also is offered $300,000 in order to prevent her from suing the prison and going to court for all of their mistreatment and wrongdoings. She gets a fresh start when she is released, and even opens her own hair salon which is what she has always wanted to do.