OITNB's Samira Wiley on shocking Poussey plot twist
Spoiler Alert! This segment contains key plot information from season 4 of Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black fans are still reeling after the gut-wrenching end of the show's fourth season.
(Last chance to stop reading if you're not caught up!)
Fan favourite Poussey Washington, played by Samira Wiley, is suffocated by a prison guard — one of "the good ones" — during a peaceful protest.
The Juilliard-trained actor learned of the distressing, ethically thorny scene long before her cast mates. For nearly a year, she quietly contemplated the end of her character's narrative arc, and the significance of killing the show's "moral compass."
Now that the episode has aired, Wiley joins guest host Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss tough issues that the finale forces into light, such as race, violence, and incarceration.
"I want people to be mad about this," says Wiley, "but I would hope that people are mad about what's going on in the actual world, and not mad at the show for doing our job and reflecting it."
The season's final episode was penned by the actor's real life girlfriend Lauren Morelli.
WEB EXTRA | Orange Is the New Black is as intense and relevant as ever this season. The Netflix series is based on Piper Kerman's prison memoir is a mix of drama and dark comedy. It delves into the racial and economic tensions of a women's prison.