*If you haven't yet finished Orange is the New Black Season 4 STOP READING NOW! Spoilers ahead!*
Orange is the New Black is by far one of Netflix's most popular original series. Whether you've been a dedicated fan of the show from it's original air date in 2013, or you're a late comer who jumped on the band wagon because all of your friends wouldn't shut up about how awesome the show is; you've probably had 1 or 2 teary eyed moments of emotion with our girls behind bars.
Season 4 as a whole took stands on a lot of controversial issues facing us today, such as mistreatment of trans-gendered individuals, how the world views and treats individuals who suffer form mental illness, the controversy of surrounding the way privatized prisons are run, and prison overcrowding to name a few. But I don't think any of these topics or any presented in any of the previous 3 seasons could have prepared us the steaming platter of emotion and heartbreak that the writers served us in regards to the "Black Lives Matter" movement in the finale of this most recent season. Poussey Washington, one of the most beloved characters on the show, suffocated by a CO (one of our acclaimed "good guy officers" Baxter Bayley) in the midst of what started as a peaceful inmate protest (mimicking the death of teen Eric Garner in NYC, 2014) in Litchfields cafeteria; and if that wasn't bad enough, left to lay on the prison floor or two days (resembling the death of Michael Brown in Furgeson, 2014).
This was quite a statement being made my OITNB writers to say the least. Not only did they make the choice to kill off one of the most beloved characters of the show, but to do it in a way that hit so close to recent tragedies that have occurred in our world today, it just made here death feel all the more horrible and real.
The show goes on to end the season with Mr. Coputo (another noted "good guy" characters, who seemed to always have a moral compass, even if he was powerless to act on it) in a press conference announcing that Litchfield would be standing behind Officer Bayley's, that his job would be reinstated, leaving with no mention of Poussey's name or her death in specific terms; leading to an all out prison riot and leaving audiences at the edge of their seats, already counting down for the season 5 release date to be announced.
For all of this, I applaud all of the OITNB writers. Although they successfully shattered my heart into a thousand pieces, leaving me sobbing in front of my computer screen as they killed off my personal favorite character on the show; Poussey's death speaks to more than that.
Her death makes a statement, and speaks to injustices present on our world today.
And what is a better way to make comments on political issues and short comings in our world today than on an entertainment platform enjoyed by thousands of people, with characters audiences have formed an emotional connection with over the past 4 seasons.
I'm not sure where OITNB writers will take the show from here, but I'm sure it will be another emotional ride for the shows dedicated fans.
Fans and characters will not be forgetting Poussey anytime soon. Her infectious laugh, her joyous spirit, her jokes, her love for books and her ability to make the best "hooch" in lockup, will all be missed dearly in the shows coming seasons.
RIP Poussey Washington. Litchfield will never forget you.
