1. Casting and background

2. Storylines
     Season 1    Season 2    Season Three    Season Four    Season Five  

3. See also

4. References

Poussey Washington is a fictional character played by Samira Wiley on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. She is a recurring character in season one and two and a main character from season three until her death in season four.

Casting and background

Wiley was first told about the auditions for Orange is the New Black by a friend from Julliard, Marco Ramirez, who was a writer for the show. After she discovered that another Julliard friend, Danielle Brooks, had won a role in the show, Wiley asked Brooks to rehearse lines with her to prepare for her audition for the role of Poussey Washington, the on-screen best friend of Brooks' character. Wiley's audition was ultimately successful; she appeared in 12 out of 13 episodes of the series' first season and was featured throughout the second season. Orange Is the New Black is Wiley's first time as a series regular.

Storylines

Season 1

Washington is first seen in the second episode, however, her character is not properly mentioned until the third episode. She has been in prison for two years at the start of the series with four years to go. She is almost always shown with Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson (Danielle Brooks), either supporting her or messing around together. When Jefferson is granted release on parole, Washington becomes upset and agitated when she doesn't speak to Jefferson before her release. As Jefferson is being released, Washington tries to get her attention; she catches her eye and Jefferson dances, which Washington laughs as through the window. Her mother died during her second year in prison, as revealed in the twelvth episode. Washington is a good-natured jokester and is revealed to have a kind nature; when Tricia Miller (Madeline Brewer) dies, she gives her friends a bottle of her prison-made toilet hooch to help them mourn their loss. When Jefferson is re-incarcerated due to intentional parole violation, Washington becomes visibly annoyed, however, quickly makes friends with Jefferson. She is revealed to have a good singing voice in the Christmas play, where she sings a rendition of "Amazing Grace".

Season 2

It is implied that Washington is in love with Jefferson, but the feelings are not mutual. This is explored throughout the season. Washington is approached by Vee (Lorraine Toussaint) about selling her prison-made toilet hooch, Washington rejects the idea as she prefers to share it with her friends. Vee takes this as an insult and punishes Washington over this perceived lack of loyalty and loss of potential business by exploiting her unreciprocated romantic feelings for Jefferson to isolate her from the tribe, causing a rift in their relationship. Poussey is one of the few black inmates to whom Vee's manipulation tactics are immune to and she begins a campaign to fight Vee's influence and actions throughout the season. Vee uses Washington's affection for Jefferson against her, and their beefs become violent, much so that at one point, Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren (Uzo Aduba) threatens and physically assaults her on Vee's non-verbal command, which causes Washington deep emotional trauma. Eventually, Washington retaliates and causes irreparable damage to Vee's tobacco business by stomping on several tins of tobacco and pouring bleach on them. Realizing that she cannot be intimidated, Vee decides to mollify her by ejecting Jefferson from her gang, which she takes out on Washington. They later make up after a final confrontation in the library.

Season Three

Washington becomes interested in the apparent spiritual teachings of Norma Romano (Annie Golden). After her trouble with Vee and memories of her deceased mother, she becomes depressed and turns to alcohol. She also immerses herself in Warren's sci-fi erotica book. She eventually comes to the conclusion that she feels the way she does because she is lonely, without a girlfriend. In the final episode of the season, Washington discovers Brook Soso (Kimiko Glenn) in the library after an overdose on antidepressants. She, along with Jefferson and Warren, nurses Soso back to health. After the incident, Soso is accepted by the Black Girls as one of their own. She and Soso are later seen holding hands and joking around on the beach behind Litchfield, implying a budding relationship.

Season Four

Washington becomes overjoyed when her favorite celebrity chef, Judy King (Blair Brown) is sent to Litchfield. Judy King is initially assigned to Washington's bunk in the ghetto, but Joe Caputo Nick Sandow quickly removes Judy to find her a white roommate. Washington frequently gets tongue-tied around Judy King, leaving her bemused with the impression she is retared. At the same time, a romantic relationship between Washington and Soso develops throughout season four, though it was temporarily jeopardized when Soso told Judy King an offensive and stereotypical narrative of Washington's background to explain her seemingly odd behavior around Judy. Later, she and Soso realize that this situation happened because the two do not know each other very well. They resolve to get to know each other's backgrounds.

In the penultimate episode of the series, Washington is accidentally suffocated by CO Baxter Bayley (Alan Aisenberg) during an initially peaceful demonstration in the cafeteria to protest Captain Desmond Piscatella (Brad William Henke) and his irrational treatment of the inmates, where inmates stood on tables and demanded his resignation. When Piscatella calls additional guards for backup, Warren becomes upset, and Washington attempts to de-escalate the situation. Piscatella orders CO Bayley to restrain Warren and escort her to psych, which Washington protests to. While struggling with Suzanne, he improperly restrains Washington face down while kneeling on her back. As Warren continues to struggle with Bayley, he continues to put all of his weight on Washington, who is unable to breathe. Washington dies accidentally by being suffocated due to compression asphyxia from Bayley kneeing on her back. After Bayley is pulled off her, the inmates and staff realize that she is not moving. Piscatella calls for a medic, and Jefferson pushes through the crowd to see Washington's body on the floor. Jefferson begins to sob as she curls up next to Washington on the floor while others look on in shock. Piscatella orders lock down in which all inmates are confined to their bunks, TV and phone calls are blacked out, and guards corroborate their version of events. Angered by the morally questionable response to events, Caputo sends Piscatella home, debriefs Bayley, and contacts MCC. It becomes apparent to Caputo, staff, and inmates, that no response plan exists to address a death in general population; Washington's body is left on the cafeteria floor for a day until the coroner arrives. Washington's death becomes even more heart-rending when it is revealed that she was in prison only as a non-violent offender; she had been convicted of trespassing and possession with intent to sell less than a half ounce of unspecified drugs, probably marijuana, shown by her backstory. Inmates and staff appear shaken by Washington's death; Norma Romano comforts Soso by rocking and singing to her, and Soso later gets drunk off the remainder of Poussey's contraband hooch. Inmates stop by a makeshift memorial, donating food and giving their condolences. Caputo contacts her father, and is visibly upset at having to do so.

Season Five

Washington's death continues to be a central issue throughout the season. Justice for her is one of the main demands of the ongoing prison riot. She is seen in a flashback episode, which shows Jefferson's first day at Litchfield and how they became friends.

See also

• List of Orange Is the New Black characters

References

[[Category:Orange Is the New Black characters]][[Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2013]][[Category:Fictional criminals]][[Category:Fictional lesbians]][[Category:Fictional characters from North Carolina]][[Category:Fictional LGBT characters in television]]

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