Orange is the New Black ended as a creative decision made by its creator and showrunner, Jenji Kohan. She decided during the show's fifth season that the story would conclude after its seventh and final cycle, allowing for extensive planning of the series' endgame.
The conclusion of the popular Netflix series was a deliberate choice to bring the narratives of the Litchfield inmates to a definitive close. Although the decision to end the show was made well in advance, the process of mapping out the final arcs for the characters involved considerable discussion and debate among the creative team to ensure a satisfying resolution for everyone.
