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The Capital Weekender with Kem Cetinay 7pm - 10pm
9 August 2018, 18:08
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.
After binge watching season 6 of #oitnb is anyone else still raging Bennett still hasn't came back 😂 #neverforget @MattMcGorry @OITNB pic.twitter.com/5iwn19Mu5w
— HanaAlexa (@HanaAlexaaaaa) July 29, 2018
Return sweet prince.
I STILL WANT ANSWERS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO JOHN BENNETT! WHY DID HE GHOST DAYA LIKE THAT?! WHERE DID HE GO AFTER THE ARREST??? #OITNB pic.twitter.com/Xu81ew3OyG
— Kiara (@Kiara_monet97) July 27, 2018
So many questions.
WHERE THE FUCK IS C.O. BENNETT !!!
— DRINKING ANAKIN SKYWALKER JUICE (@strangersith) July 30, 2018
I HAVE HAD E-FUCKING-NOUGH!!!
COME BACK AND GET OUR CRACKHEAD WIFE IN LINE!!! #OrangeIsTheNewBlack #OINTB pic.twitter.com/ltOxkay0Jw
Do not disrespect Daya like that.
Why does this show continuously leave stories with unfinished endings, for example where the hell is Bennett? What happened to Bayley? What happened to 70% of the characters? Why was Red more interested in killing Frieda than meeting her grandchildren? #OITNB
— ehh. (@okaybuthes) July 30, 2018
They have a point your honour.
Ok, where were Maritza, Norma, Yoga Jones, SoSo, Boo... @OITNB ?? And still no clue where Bennett's at. Great season and all but come on #OrangeIsTheNewBlack
— LIV (@oliviamarchesex) July 30, 2018
We agree.
Just finished #OITNB season 6 and got some thoughts:
— niamh🌻 (@niamhrandlesx) July 31, 2018
-reunite Maritza and Flaca asap
-badison can suck my dick
-casting for carol&barb young/old are PERFECT
-what did blanca do to be done dirty like that
-why you gotta do taystee even dirtier?!
-WHERE THE FUCK IS JOHN BENNETT pic.twitter.com/8SmpRWBmEw
Tea has been served.