I completely agree!
Piper annoyed the shit out of me in previous seasons. Her getting it with Alex did not surprise me, but it came out of nowhere though. Not sure if it's an addition to the story.
I loved the fact that they made it less about Piper and more about everyone. It makes everything a lot more interesting. I do agree, that coming into the prison and following Piper was a great entry though.
I loved Flaritza and I've always been a fan of Gloria. The ending was heartbreaking indeed..