Tag Archives: Nicky Nichols

Natasha Lyonne Discusses the Fate of OITNB’s Nicky Nichols

In my eyes Orange Is the New Black season 3 hit a bum-note, when in three episodes in Nicky Nichols (Natasha Lyonne) was dragged off to maximum security for helping bring heroin to Litchfield and never returned.

Nicky Nichols 01

Now, this certainly made sense for her character’s offense, but here’s the thing – Natasha Lyonne is one of the reasons we love the show. She plays one of the best characters and she was suddenly totally gone. Never to be seen again.

During Orange Is the New Black‘s 2015 Summer TCA press tour panel, Lyonne fielded questions about her fate in season four like a pro, refusing to give any spoilers away to the room of reporters who wouldn’t stop trying to get any hints about her future.

Natasha told E!

“I was excited [about Nicky’s season three story]. We have an incredible puppet master in [showrunner] Jenji [Kohan] and there’s a great deal of trust that I have in that. I’m pretty much a person who is up for adventure and I thought it was wise to have there be a big consequence for Nicky’s playing around with heroin. It can’t all be fingering and cookies all the time. There’s going to be hell to pay at a certain point for playing with her personal fire.

I think it makes sense and I think that the stakes of the show and the reason it resonates and continues to is ultimately because of this underlying intensity to the fact that these people have lost their freedom and are up against themselves behind these walls. I think it’s a good thing to have major characters suffer major consequences. Otherwise, I think it might be a little bit too friendly and it loses some of its bite.”

Lets hope Nicky makes it back to Litchfield in season 4. Litchfield just isn’t the same without her!