'Orange Is The New Black' Fans Are Pressed That CO Bennett Still Isn’t Back

9 August 2018, 18:08

By Sam Prance

We need him to return...

The sixth season of Orange Is the New Black is excellent for many reasons. The script is on point (a moment of appreciation for Adeola's one-liners), the new characters are sublime (give Carol and Barb all of the awards) and the storylines are some of the most gripping that the show's ever had (don't get us started on what happens to Taystee and Blanca). Five years on and it's still one of the best shows on TV.

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Nevertheless, there are one or two things that viewers are not happy about. Killing Kukudio off screen like that was not cute, the season finale didn't need to be THAT heartbreaking, and we are still not over all of the missing characters (reunite Flaca and Martiza now please). On top of that, CO John Bennett has not appeared on the show for an entire three seasons now and fans are not happy.

Bennett (Matt McGorry) first appears in OITNB in the pilot episode of the drama. In it, we learn that he's new to Litchfield as a Correctional Officer. He helps check in Piper and Daya on their first days. He and Daya soon begin a romantic relationship and, while performing oral sex, Daya finds out that Bennett has an artificial leg. Bennett used to be a soldier in the army; he lost one of his legs in Afghanistan.

Later in the season, Daya gets pregnant with Bennett's baby. To cover it up, she has sex with one of the other COs (George 'Pornstache' Mendez) and says that he raped her and the baby is his so that Bennett isn't fired. This works and Mendez is suspended from his position. However, in Season 2, Mendez returns and Bennett struggles to deal with the pressure of having a baby in prison.

To get rid of Mendez, Bennett tells Caputo that Mendez raped Daya. Mendez is then arrested and fired. However, Bennett confesses to Caputo that the baby is his soon afterwards and Caputo makes him keep it a secret. In Season 3, Bennett proposes to Daya but freaks out after meeting Daya's family (he sees Daya's stepdad/ex Cesar threaten one of his stepchildren with a gun).

Bennett then leaves his job and Daya. Daya intends to giver their baby to Mendez' mum Delia but her mum Aleida, who is also in jail, pretends that the baby died during birth and gives it to Cesar. The baby is later taken in by social services and seemingly adopted by Delia (after Aleida contacts her in Season 5). Bennett is not seen or mentioned after the second episode of Season 3.

Unsurprisingly, three seasons on, fans are still angry that he is yet to return. Surely he would have contacted Daya in some way? He was in love with her! Matt is now part of the cast of How to Get Away with Murder so we assume that he is not in the show now due to filming clashes but the OITNB writers could still tie up Bennettt and Daya's story in a better way.

Here are just a few of the complaints and requests to get him back on the show.

Some people are outraged that he's still not in it.

Return sweet prince.

Others want answers.

So many questions.

A couple of people are taking it too far.

Do not disrespect Daya like that.

And fans are annoyed that many of the storylines are still unfinished.

They have a point your honour.

Then there are those who want all of the fan favourites back.

We agree.

And last but not least there are those who have a lot of thoughts.

Tea has been served.