Everything You Need To Know About THAT Scene In "OITNB" Season 4
Yes, that one. All the spoilers ahead — you’ve been warned.
If you avoided spoilers and made it through the entire fourth season of Orange Is the New Black, you know that Poussey Washington, one of the show's most loved characters, was killed off in what is now easily the most controversial and emotional episode of the Netflix series.
In "The Animals," the penultimate episode of Season 4 in the Jenji Kohan series, Samira Wiley’s character is killed off in a scene that calls attention to the Black Lives Matter movement and echoes circumstances surrounding the deaths of Eric Garner in New York City and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
In the final minutes of the episode, a peaceful protest put on by the Litchfield inmates over CO Piscatella's inhumane treatment goes awry, leading to CO Baxter Bayley (Alan Aisenberg) restraining Poussey on the ground with his knee placed squarely on her back. Distracted by the commotion, the guard fails to notice he is applying so much pressure she can no longer breathe. Poussey even uses Garner’s own words, struggling to shout out “I can’t breathe” before losing consciousness. Taystee (Danielle Brooks), Poussey's closest friend throughout the series, is instantly by her side as the episode comes to a close.
Jojo Whilden / Via Netflix
Netflix
Samira Wiley found out her character was going to be killed off at the beginning of Season 4 production, but she had to keep the storyline a secret from her castmates, and the world, during filming.
In an interview with Vulture, Wiley said keeping this secret from her castmates and friends was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do.
"You're on a show for so long and you feel a part of it and then, all of a sudden, you get news like this, and it's a real shock," Wiley said. "I definitely needed the time and am grateful and thankful for all the executive producers being able to understand how delicate and sensitive this situation was. They made sure I was okay throughout the whole process."
Netflix