Orange Is The New Black was a breath of fresh air when it was first introduced on Netflix. Taking a classic prison-based storyline but freshening it up by focusing it on comedy, and on a women’s only prison, the show quickly became incredibly popular.
It was a show that could have you in tears of laughter one moment, and then tears of sadness the next because of how good the writing was. Every character felt important and fleshed out, making the ensemble cast a strong one.
Of course, with any hit show, there were some moments people were critical, but the show ended at the right time, without dragging on for too long. Over the course of the seven seasons, there were some major highs and lows, and within this list, we will rank the five best and worst episodes according to IMDb ratings.
Worst: Fake It Till You Fake It Some More (7.7)
One of the lowest-rated episodes in the history of the show was ‘Fake It Till You Fake It Some More’ which was from the third season of the show. The episode sees rumors fly around among the inmates as a higher-paying job assignment is brought into the prison.
However, in order to get the job, the inmates must take a test to get it, and the job isn’t revealed. The whole episode is dedicated to this mystery job, going through every other job in order to tease what it could potentially be. In the end, it is revealed to be a sewing factory job.
This does lead to some of season three’s biggest storylines, but the mysterious episode just didn’t work that well.
Best: Here’s Where We Get Off (9.2)
Many brilliant television shows often summer from having very poor endings (we are looking at you Dexter), but as you can see by the IMDb rating of 9.2, Orange Is The New Black didn’t suffer that problem. The final episode of this show was excellently done and got a deserved high rating.
It wasn’t easy for the show to wrap up due to the number of storylines that were going on at the time, but somehow the writers managed to pull it off. Every storyline is expertly tied together with sadness, love, and comedy, leaving a very satisfying finish.
The show ended in a seemingly perfect wat, and thankfully, it left many fans happy with what they saw. It could have left more questions than answers, but the ending felt definitive, as it should be.
Worst: State Of The Uterus (7.6)
Next on the list of lowest-rated episodes is ‘State Of The Uterus’ which took place from the sixth season of the show, gaining a 7.6 IMDb rating. In this episode, Daddy begins to deal with some serious backlash from a prank she did, which sees her start to lose some control of her group.
Badison attempts to plot some real revenge against her at the same time as the two groups quickly showcase signs of preparing for war against each other. As well as that, Flaca finds herself a co-host for her radio show as she continues to develop the new media for the prison.
Best: People Persons (9.2)
Next on the list of best episodes, with a 9.2 IMDb rating is ‘People Persons,’ which comes from season four of the show and features Caputo’s leadership being challenged. As well as the inmates are set for a long night of lockdown due to a discovery made by the team.
The body in the garden that had been put there by Lolly and Alex is located by Sam Healy and immediately sends Alex into a panic, despite Lolly being responsible. Caputo demands that the guards don’t question the inmates, but of course, that is what they do.
It’s an incredibly tense and funny episode of the show that has high stakes with issues taking place both inside and outside of the prison.
Worst: Beginning Of The End (7.6)
While the final season of Orange Is The New Black ended with a bang, it didn’t exactly start with one. The season seven premiere, ‘Beginning Of The End,’ gained a 7.6 rating from IMDb, and it feels deserved with the episode never really kicking into the next gear.
The episode spent a lot of time identifying where each character was and how they were coping, but it spent arguably too long doing that. Fans had a good idea of what was going on and wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of the new season, not establishing characters again.
A lot of focus was spent on Piper’s life outside of Litchfield as well, which happened to be one of the weaker, and least interesting storylines from the final season.
Best: We Have Manners (9.3)
‘We Have Manners’ is rated highly by IMDb, with a score of 9.3, and the episode just so happened to be the season finale for the second season of the show. Ending things with a bang, in typical Orange Is The New Black style, this episode saw the death of Vee take place.
It was certainly one of the shows most feel-good moments, killing off one of the nastiest characters to have ever been a part of the series. However, that isn’t the only reason it is a great episode, as it wrapped up the entire season perfectly, including all storylines.
Worst: Sh*tstorm Coming (7.6)
With an IMDb rating of 7.6, ‘Sh*tstorm Coming’ is next on the list, which also took place in the sixth season of the show. This season wasn’t one of the strongest in general for Orange Is The New Black, which might have been a deciding factor on why they wrapped things up the season after.
There was a lack of real buzz or excitement about this episode, with several storylines failing to really engage with the audience in the way most likely hoped. It was clear that things weren’t quite working out, but thankfully the show would get itself back on track in later episodes.
Best: The Animals (9.3)
‘The Animals’ isn’t just the opening line of the theme song, but it is also the title of one of Orange Is The New Black’s greatest episodes. This is probably the most well-known episode of the show and with good reason as it is a very heavy watch on the emotions.
The show doesn’t kill off too many characters, and when it does, they don’t tend to be main characters. However, this episode saw the death of Poussey, who was one of the most popular characters on the show. Being crushed to death by a guard, the writers certainly ensured it had some emotional weight behind it and real storyline potential.
Worst: Who Knows Better Than I (7.3)
Also, from the sixth season of the show, ‘Who Knows Better Than I’ is officially the worst episode of Orange Is The New Black, according to IMDb. It is a surprise that this was rated so low as this was actually the season premiere, which are crucially important episodes.
Obviously, the show is attempting to hook its audience at this point, and sadly this episode didn’t quite do that. Within the episode, the COs of Lichfield’s maximum-security unit work out how they feel about their new arrivals, and Suzanna is taken off her medication.
Of course, knowing how important that is to her, this is a poor decision as it leads to her hallucinating, with Orange Is The New Black really focusing on this storyline throughout the episode.
Best: Toast Can’t Never Be Bread Again (9.5)
This episode took place immediately after the death of Poussey Washington and saw mass confusion take place in the prison. As the guards come to terms with what is happened, they are forced to work out the best policy of tackling the situation, while the prisoners begin to rebel.
Ending in a shocking way as Daya shoots a guard, the episode is action-packed and unbelievably emotional. Finishing with shots of Poussey’s final night in New York, the popular character was given the perfect send-off.
