'Orange Is the New Black' season 5 air date, news: Next season could be Piper's last

Months from its scheduled airing in 2017, Netflix's hit prison-based series, "Orange is the New Black" has been embroiled in one cancelatlion rumor after another. Since the production team has been mum about the plot they plan to tackle in season 5, speculations about the fate of the Litchfield inmates have also been circulating.

In a round-up of some of the more prominent rumors surrounding "Orange is the New Black," central among these are the ones saying that main protagonist, Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) could die in the upcoming season.

The shocking death of fan favorite inmate Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley) in the previous season now serves as a testament that nobody is safe in this show. But could series creator Jenji Kohan really put Piper's head on the chopping board?

In an interview at the Television Critics Association press tour early this year, as cited by Variety, Kohan said that although Piper served as the viewers' entrée into the world of Litchfield Penitentiary, it had never been Kohan's intention to focus the series on Piper until the very end.

Rumors have also been circulating about the upcoming season being Schilling's last, owing to an interview the actress did with Pop Sugar where she replied, "I don't know," when asked about her character's fate in the show.

However, reports about actors being kept in the dark about their characters' fate are not something new, and Schilling could simply just be referring to the fact that the production team has not yet told her what might happen to her character in the upcoming season.

There have also been speculations about Piper's possible release from prison in season 5, which seems like a more plausible way of taking Piper out of the equation so that the series can focus on the other inmates in Litchfield Penitentiary.

Other rumored plots for season 5 include Taystee Jefferson (Danielle Brooks) possibly waging a war against the commanding officers owing to her best friend Poussey's death and the possible return of Pornstache Mendez (Pablo Schreiber), John Bennett (Matt McGorry) and other previous Litchfield commanding officers.

Meanwhile, FunSided speculated that "Orange is the New Black" season 5 will air in mid-June 2017. Viewers who wish to catch up or relive past episodes of the show can check out Netflix where seasons 1 to 4 are currently streaming.