orange is the new black season 4 spoilers
"Orange Is the New Black," actress Laura Prepon (right), pictured with Taylor Schilling as Piper (left), teased the fate of her character Alex on Instagram. Netflix

Looks like Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) is the new Vee (Lorraine Toussaint)! Season 3 of the hit Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black” ended with a deadly cliffhanger -- one that could be comparable to that of Season 2’s brutal ending.

The sophomoric finale of the Jenji Kohan-created prison drama concluded with Miss Rosa (Barbara Rosenblat), who had recently learned her time on earth was limited, escaping Litchfield Penitentiary in the prison van. The scene was appropriately sound tracked to the tune of Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.”

On her way out, the terminal inmate spotted Vee, who also managed to slip through the prison’s cracks moments before she was arrested for the slocking of Red (Kate Mulgrew). But instead of giving her fellow prisoner a lift, she stepped on the gas and hit the villainous character at full speed.

“Always so rude that one,” Miss Rosa said, driving away from Vee’s lifeless body. But was Vee really dead? That’s the question fans were left speculating until the Season 3 premiere, which is when it was revealed that Vee truly was deceased.

[Warning: spoilers ahead for "Orange Is the New Black" Season 3!]

Now, fans are questioning the fate of another character following the third installment’s finale: Alex’s. Alex was fearful throughout Season 3 that Kubra (Eyas Younis) was going to have her killed after she ratted on him. And she had every reason to be scared! Alex previously witnessed first hand just how cutthroat Kubra could be when she watched one of his employees kill another.

While Piper (Taylor Schilling) thought her beau was just being paranoid, it turned out that Alex was right to fear for her life. Kubra’s employee/hitman Aydin (Juri Henley-Cohn) had snuck his way into the prison, acting as a correctional officer. The two came face-to-face during the finale in the gardening shed.

“This place would hire Forest f---ing Gump,” Aydin said with a toothpick dangling from his mouth. “Guy who interviewed me was so relieved to find someone who was qualified.

“You don’t have to do this,” Alex responded, nearly in tears.

“Yeah, I do,” he answered.

So did Kubra have Aydin sent to Litchfield to kill Alex? While that horrifying theory hasn’t be confirmed or denied, Prepon did reveal to fans that they should anticipate their favorite eyeliner-donning prisoner to appear in the fourth season, which is currently being filmed.

But does this mean Alex is alive? Either Piper's ex could be returning to Season 4 for a flashback or this photo means she survived her encounter with Aydin. But perhaps Aydin wasn’t there to kill Alex at all. Maybe Kubra sent his right hand man there to break Alex out of Litchfield. After all, Kubra always seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for the brunette beauty!

What are your theories regarding the fate of Alex Vause? Sound off in the comments section below.

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