Dascha Polanco reveals whether her “OITNB” character Daya is capable of *you know what* in the finale
**WARNING: MAJOR OITNB SPOILERS AHEAD**
Orange is the New Black has always been pretty bonkers (does anyone else get mild panic attacks while watching? Yeah, me too), but Season 4 has been absolutely INSANE. Let’s talk about that ending. The season wraps up, mid-prison riot, with Daya holding a gun to that scumbag C.O. Humphrey while the rest of the women cheer. WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN? Well, Dascha Polanco, who plays Daya, says that she thinks her character is certainly capable of killing him. Omg.
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Polanco explains why she thinks Daya could actually pull the trigger:
“I think Daya’s definitely experiencing some postpartum depression. She might pull back and think about being a mother and not wanting to miss the opportunity of being with her child. But a woman going through postpartum — at that point, they’re very fragile and very sensitive.”
She continues:
“Daya may be nice and naïve, but she did live in a household where there was a lot of anger and that resides within her. Knowing that it’s a guard on the floor, especially, she has resentment and that really flipped that switch.”
Omg. Omg. Omg. Omg.
To recap what has been going on with Daya this season: Not only is she grappling with her fiancé, Bennett (woke feminist bae Matt McGorry), abandoning her, but she also had to sit by while her daughter got funneled into the foster care system due to her mother’s poor judgment.
And THEN, on top of all of this, her mother, Aleida, who Daya isn’t all that wild about but it’s her mother and her major ally after all, gets released. Now Daya is all alone. While she’s somewhat relieved that Aleida might be able to get her daughter back, the new mother is realistic. She says, “I’m gonna miss you. And you’re probably gonna fuck up my kid.” Damn.
Polanco explains that, with Aleida gone and her life in shambles, Daya has to finally grow up in a way:
“Throughout the seasons we’ve seen different stages of Daya and in season four, you really get to see her become a woman. At one point, there’s a role reversal and you see her become a mother to her own mom. But there’s something she’s harboring inside and you know she’s going to have a point where she’s going to break and rebel. For the most part, she’s very disappointed with the people around her.”
We love that this season is highlighting the complexities of postpartum depression — and hints to an even more heartbreaking affect of the condition next season.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. How are we going to wait a year?!
