Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Favorite Characters: Poussey Washington (Orange is the New Black)


Don’t ask me how, but in watching season 2 of Orange is the New Black, I managed to restrain myself to a single episode a day.  In the grand scheme of things, I realize that spreading it out over 13 days in lieu of binge-watching doesn’t dramatically shorten the wait until season 3, but it’s something.  Expect plenty of Orange is the New Black meditations in the coming days; naturally, though, I have to start with Poussey.  (Note:  while I won’t get into major spoilers, I will be including season 2 stuff, so read at your own discretion.)
 
When I finished season 1, I waxed on Poussey’s relationship with Taystee, but today is all about Ms. Washington herself.  Her exuberant personality won me over in season 1 – the inmates at Litchfield deal with their situation in different ways, and the Poussey we first meet is one who rolls pretty well with the punches.  She’s excellent at finding things to laugh about (even in prison,) she’s tirelessly supportive, and though she’s not afraid to get serious and speak her mind, she’s most content just shooting the breeze with her friends.
 
The new crop of episodes delve much deeper into Poussey, and while what we get isn’t as all-out fun, it draws a picture of this woman that’s a lot more detailed.  We still see Poussey’s capacity for joy and humor, especially early in the season – the Stand and Deliver cracks me up – but she goes through a serious trial by fire that tests her limits on all sides.  When Vee, someone from Taystee’s past, shows up in prison and tries to get Taystee back under her thumb, she quickly recognizes the importance of driving a wedge between Poussey and Taystee, and Poussey’s fight to keep her friend is grueling.
 
So what’s revealed about Poussey over the course of this storyline?  First, we see that she’s a good judge of character – she makes a piercing, spot-on observation about Vee that pinpoints her better than any other line in the series – and she isn’t easily swayed by flattery or manipulations.  She’s a born extrovert who craves companionship and values her relationships above all else, and the surest way to press her berserk button is to try and take away the people she cares about.  When push comes to shove, however, she won’t play nice with people she doesn’t respect just to keep her place at the table.  She’s fiercely loyal even when people don’t always deserve it, and she has an inner strength that drives her to face off against those who are bigger and more powerful than her.
 
She also gets her very own flashback episode to her pre-Litchfield days, which provides further insight.  Unlike some of the inmates we’ve met, she comes from a loving middle-class family with a wonderfully supportive father.  She was an army brat who moved around a lot, living in other countries and forming close attachments that were severed every time her dad was inevitably transferred again.  Though it’s obvious that she feels incredibly deeply, she’s developed the skill of pretending she doesn’t – it’s easier to cut ties with someone when you insist that you never really loved them.  It’s an interesting shade when you look at her frequent wisecracking and occasional tough-girl posturing:  a lot of it is genuine, I’m sure, but at least some of it must be rooted in this same defense mechanism.
 
Oh, and did I mention she’s a QPoC who’s both traditionally unfeminine and gorgeous?  Poussey for the win, people!

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