'Orange Is the New Black' season 4 spoilers: Alex is alive; Will Stella return?

(Orange is the New Black / Twitter)"Orange Is the New Black" season 4 returns on June 17.

"Orange Is the New Black" will finally return on the streaming platform Netflix with season 4 next month. While fans wait for Piper and the rest of Litchfield's fate, here is a roundup of what is known so far about the upcoming season.

Season 3 finale showed the arrival of a bus full of new prisoners in the premises of Litchfield. One of the new faces who will be joining the cast is actress Jolene Purdy. However, the streaming site has not revealed her character yet — whether she will portray an inmate or someone from the outside.

After three seasons of playing a recurring role, two stars were already promoted to series regulars, namely Flaca's Jackie Cruz and Big Boo's Lea DeLaria. This could mean that both characters' backgrounds will be explored more.

Season 3 finale episode ended with a cliffhanger showing Kubra's assassin pointing the gun on Alex. There are speculations that Laura Prepon's character will be dead. However, season 4 promo photos and trailers reveal that she is alive and breathing.

Meanwhile, Australian actress Ruby Rose, who played as Stella, may or may not return in season 4. It can be remembered that Stella was moved to a maximum facility in season 3. In an interview with Pop Sugar, Rose did not deny nor confirm her character's return. She said, "It could go either way."

Things don't look well for the show's centerpiece either. Piper might even get herself in too much bigger a trouble next season. In a separate interview with Pop Sugar, Taylor Schilling revealed that this is going to be a tough year for her character. However, she is determined to survive in prison.

"Piper's outsides are becoming less and less important," Schilling said. "She's kind of moving further and further away from the idea of what she thought she was. She's becoming more practical. She's becoming a creature of the prison, and there's no space for excess. Her only need is for survival."

"Orange Is the New Black" season 4 premieres on Friday, June 17, at 12:01 a.m. on Netflix.

Copyright © 2015 Ecumenical News