Is [SPOILER] dead in Orange Is The New Black? Her final scene with Aleida shocks Netflix fans

30 July 2019, 11:51

By Emma Clarke

OITNB viewers were shocked when Daya's mother Aleida returned to Litchfield Prison - but even more so by her dramatic final scene with her daughter.

**ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK SEASON 7 SPOILERS AHEAD**

After seven heart-wrenching seasons, OITNB has come to and end - and we need to talk about its conclusion.

The latest instalment, which dropped on Netflix last Friday, expanded its focus to not only explore the treatment of the female inmates of the prison in Upstate New York, but also to highlight the issue of ICE Detention Centres in the States.

Orange Is The New Black viewers were left heartbroken as new characters Shani and Karla were deported from the country and our favourite prison YouTuber, Maritza Ramos, was flown back to Colombia - despite not having grown up there.

Equally, Taystee's suicide story line also had fans in tears, as the OITNB old timer was considering taking her life after her wrongful conviction for the murder of Desi Piscatella in season 6.

Although fans got closure with some of the old inmates, like Piper and Alex, there were a few open-ended plot details that left fans reeling - none more so than the fate of OITNB OG, Dayanara Diaz.

Is Daya dead in Orange Is The New Black?

Dayanara (played by Dascha Polanco) was one of the original inmates at Litchfield, after she and her mum Aleida were busted for cooking and selling drugs from their New York City apartment.

While initially Daya was portrayed as a naive woman in her early twenties, who fell pregnant with CO John Bennett's baby, she then went on to convince another CO - George "Pornstache" Mendez - that the child was his, and he lost his job for it.

Daya's mum Aleida was released from prison previous to the final season, but her daughter remained in jail after confessing to killing a guard during the riot - not knowing that she hadn't actually fired a fatal shot from the gun.

She soon got to grips with prison life and transformed into a drug smuggling gang leader, who even went on to accidentally kill girlfriend Daddy in the latest season.

It was only in the final episode that Aleida was re-incarcerated, after she smashed a strangers' car, believing it to be her 13-year-old daughter's "paedo" boyfriend's vehicle.

The pair then engaged in a massive power struggle, as they fought to lead the drug-muling group. As Daya turns to her mother and says she doesn't know what it's like to kill a person.

In a shocking scene, Aleida then proceeds to punch Daya in the throat, saying, "maybe I'll know what it's like now," winding her and taking her out on the floor.

Now, it's not exactly clear whether Daya survived the brutal attack, as the scene cuts and moves onto another storyline elsewhere.

However, actress Dascha Polanco had previously told Digital Spy that should their be an OITNB spin-off series at some point, she doesn't see Daya being a part of it.

Polanco said: "I know that season seven is the end for me."

Naturally, fans are FTFO on Twitter at the shocking conclusion to season 7:

What do you think? Let us know @popbuzz.