There are not many shows that can lay claim to changing the television landscape during their lifetime, but Orange Is the New Black is one of them. As Taylor Schilling's Piper readjusts to the outside world, in a new life that's set up for her (and other ex-cons) to struggle with and fail at, the rest of the inmates in Litchfield Max (the setting since the riot in Season 5) do their best to either face their fate or alter their course. Naturally, the predictable and generic choice for a TV series coming to an end would be to right wrongs and see justice prevail, but Orange dances to a vastly different beat.

You might think redemption is in store for a handful of these complex inmates, but you'll only be right half of the time. Some go the distance while others trip right before the finish line. Surprisingly, the fate-game, given the massive ensemble, adds a layer of suspense to Orange's unique dramedy recipe.

Also, while Season 7 contains a decent amount of returning faces, it also stays honest to the credo that "sometimes people's stories just end." Sometimes folks vanish. Beneath Orange's trademark witticisms and woke whimsy is a sinister source code that embraces chaos and directly showcases how each character accepts or rejects life's cut-throat uncertainties.

Gut-wrenching but gripping, must watch for series fans.