Orange Is The New Black's Return Date Announced With New Teaser

orange is the new black piper

Though the Netflix drama on everyone’s mind right now is House of Cards, which premiered all thirteen episodes of its second season last Friday to positive reviews, another award-winning show from the streaming giant is already waiting in the wings for its chance in the spotlight. At the end of the final episode of Cards‘ second season, Netflix teased and revealed the season two premiere date for prison-set dramedy Orange is the New Black, which broke ratings records for Netflix and earned four Writers Guild of America nominations for its first season.

Netflix will release all thirteen episodes of the second season on June 6 and the tense, fifteen-second announcement teaser showed a lot of familiar faces and one intriguing new one. Check it out below:

Of course, we see favorites like twisted correctional officer Mendez (Pablo Schreiber), duelling kitchen queens Red (Kate Mulgrew) and Gloria (Selenis Leyva), inmates Nicky Nichols (Natasha Lyonne) and Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren (Uzo Aduba), and protagonist Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling). Lorraine Toussaint is also now in the mix as former drug runner Vee. Noticeably absent from the teaser are Pennsatucky Doggett (Taryn Manning), whom Piper beat into a bloody pulp in the season one finale, and Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), Piper’s ex-girlfriend, who’ll be taking on a slightly reduced role this season.

I actually preferred the first season of Orange is the New Black to House of Cards – its ability to create fascinating, three-dimensional characters was remarkable, and I never felt bored or confined by the show’s prison setting. In essence, showrunner Jenji Kohan created an entire world and fleshed out its fascinating particulars in just thirteen episodes. I’m really looking forward to diving back in, especially now that Kohan has announced the show will be turning away from Piper to spread its focus across all the inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary.

Are you excited for season two of Orange is the New Black? Let us know in the comments section!