Which Other Law & Order 'Repeat Offenders' Should Show Up Next Season On Orange Is The New Black?

The news that there will be a second season of Orange Is The New Black was exciting enough on its own, because the show is great and there are a million loose ends. Yesterday, the Season 2 news got even awesomer: joining the cast is Lorraine Toussaint. Last seen (by me) playing Lena's mother on The Fosters, Toussaint is best known to millions as Shambala Green, a recurring defense lawyer on Law & Order (the original and best).

I couldn't help wondering...which other recurring L&Oers would make good additions to Orange, and in what capacity could they be deployed?

(Please remember: over its 900 seasons, Law & Order had about 80,000 guest stars, so I had to confine it to my own favourites. I'm sure you have yours, which you should share in the comments.)

Tovah Feldshuh

Best Remembered From L&O As: Defense attorney Danielle Melnick.

Could Rock Orange As... Red's equally ruthless sister, in flashbacks.

Denis O'Hare

Best Remembered From L&O As: James Smith, a schizophrenic murderer who refuses to take his meds and defends himself, or tries to.

Could Rock Orange As... Larry's editor at New York magazine, who finally gets sick of pitches about Piper's incarceration.

John Fiore

Best Remembered From L&O As: Profaci!

Could Rock Orange As... A new guard, obviously -- one who calls all the inmates "dear" and actually seems sincere about it.

Ann Dowd

Best Remembered From L&O As: Patricia Smith, the sister of Denis O'Hare's guy. (It's a really good episode.)

Could Rock Orange As... A sweet playwright volunteering to teach a creative writing class at the prison, until some of the rougher inmates take advantage of her soft-hearted nature.

J. Smith-Cameron

Best Remembered From L&O As: Linda Drosi, mother of a groupie willing to commit perjury on a rock star's behalf when a fatal fire breaks out at a concert.

Could Rock Orange As... Doggett's chain-smoking dirtbag of a mother, who is dubious of Doggett's religious conversion.

Felicity Huffman

Best Remembered From L&O As: Hillary Colson, a suburban mom/secret high-class prostitute.

Could Rock Orange As... Mendez's hard-headed union rep, who pursues his case less zealously after he asks if she was born male.

Lauren Ambrose

Best Remembered From L&O As: Valerie Maxwell, a mentally challenged teenager raped by several classmates.

Could Rock Orange As... An inmate convicted of embezzling several hundred thousand dollars from a virtual-cash internet startup where she was Employee #3.

Allison Janney

Best Remembered From L&O As: Ann Madsen, a witness whose murder finally makes Ben Stone quit the D.A.'s office.

Could Rock Orange As... A county code inspector convicted of taking bribes from developers, toward whom Piper develops an intense antipathy for typically spurious ethical reasons.

Regina Taylor

Best Remembered From L&O As: Sarah Maslin, L&O's version of Anita Hill.

Could Rock Orange As... A trafficker running Miss Claudette's business on the outside, but with the unadulterated cruelty Miss Claudette was (sort of) trying to phase out.

Cara Buono

Best Remembered From L&O As: Shelly Taggert, who turned out her fellow college classmates in a prostitution ring.

Could Rock Orange As... A lesbian importer of counterfeit designer handbags who immediately becomes the belle of the prison ball.