The legacy of Orange Is the New Black is its fearless expansion of the television ensemble. It proved that stories about women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and the impoverished could drive a global hit. It forced viewers to empathize with the "criminal." A Season 8 risks tarnishing this legacy by becoming a "zombie" show—a series that continues not because it has a story to tell, but because the IP is valuable.

Despite the cancellation, several factors perpetuate the myth of a Season 8:

Exploring the lives of older or mentally ill inmates like Red and Lorna.