'OITNB' Fans Are Desperate To Know If Flaritza Will Be Back For Season 6

An Orange Is the New Black without Flaritza? That's a television scenario I don't think I could handle. Last audiences saw of the fan-favorite duo was their separation at the hands of a SWAT team taking over Litchfield following the prison's turbulent three-day riot. Inmates were being hauled off to undisclosed alternate facilities and the BFFs ended up in different bus lines. It was gut-wrenching to watch them be torn apart. Will Flaca and Maritza be in OITNB Season 6? Their fate is unknown going into the series' next installment.

"I love you!" Maritza called out to Flaca in the finale of Season 5. While the cliffhanger of an episode — well, the whole season, TBH — was tough to swallow, those agonizing final moments were an emotional doozy for loyal fans. Flaca and Maritza have been teammates, confidantes, and a double scoop of comic relief throughout the show. Not seeing them together would shake the show's dynamic up even further.

"Who knows what could happen. I have no idea, but I hope that we are not separated. I hope that the bus is going to the same place," Jackie Cruz, who plays Flaca, told PopSugar following last year's finale.

"Maybe we will get to see more vulnerable moments. Flaca is very funny, she's made everyone laugh with Maritza. If we are separated, I don't know if you are going to get that anymore," she added, discussing her character's potential future.

Diane Guerrero, the actress behind Maritza, opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about how real her bond with Jackie is — on screen and off. She explained:

If we were separated on the show and not working with each other every day, after five years, it would not be the same. This journey has been more incredible because she's been with me. When you connect with that one person and open up yourself to them as an actress, we've done that with each other. We open our hearts to each other and to the world on this show. Everything you see is true.

Fans of Flaca and Maritza's friendship aren't shy about their feelings regarding their possible more permanant split. Hopefully a reunion is near.

Many details about Season 6 are still being kept under wraps — the cast and crew have remained tight-lipped about what's in store for the show's inmates and administration. Even the entire cast hasn't been confirmed, although main members Alex (Laura Prepon) and Piper (Taylor Schilling) are definitely returning.

Orange Is the New Black's tense fifth season took place over the span of three tumultuous days as the prisoners of Litchfield rioted over poor treatment following Poussey's death at the hands of guard Baxter Bailey. According to a teaser for Season 6, audiences should expect to see a "whole new world" when the show returns to tackle the aftermath of what went down.

Danielle Brooks, aka Taystee, teased to Variety back in December:

This season is different for sure. Coming off last season’s finale, there’s no up from there. There’s nowhere you can go that’s a positive. So you’re definitely going to see all of the girls trying to figure out how to get out of this rabbit hole they’ve created. Who is loyal to whom? Who is standing alone? Who is motivated by their own personal will to get out of prison? Who lies and who tells the truth? All of that stuff will come out this season.

"I'm always excited about every season and what's going to happen, but this season, I feel like it’s an amazing facelift," Adrienne C. Moore, who portrays "Black Cindy" Hayes, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter last August.

Change can be good for a series entering its final chapters (the show was picked up for a sixth and seventh season, but beyond that is up in the air), but let's hope beloved match-ups like Flaritza get more screen time. Give the people what they need!

Orange Is the New Black Season 6 starts streaming on Netflix on Friday, July 27.