'Orange Is the New Black' Season 4: Taystee Becoming A 'Mother Hen' In New Episodes? [VIDEO]
Taystee (Danielle Brooks) is adopting a leadership role among her group in the fourth season of Netflix's Orange Is the New Black.
The season 4 trailer for Orange Is the New Black teases Taystee's new job as a receptionist at Warden Caputo's (Nick Sandow) office, and with more responsibility comes a newfound motherly role for the character.
Brooks spoke with Essence recently about Taystee's role in season 4 and how it relates back to a past relationship.
"She's taking on the role of the mother hen, not really wanting the title," Brooks said. "I think this is her way of honoring Vee [Taystee's deceased mother figure] whether she knows it or not. In season 4, there's a lot of trying to make sure the girls stay in line and it gets really, really deep."
The clip we got from the trailer shows Taystee struggling to adjust to her new job, despite her perky efforts. The moment is actually one of the few purely comedic parts of the trailer, suggesting that season 4 may be darker than the usual season of Orange Is the New Black.
Brooks' comedic performance as Taystee has made her into a fan favorite character on the series. The actress previously spoke on why she thinks Taystee has become so popular among the OITNB fanbase.
"I think it's because she says whatever she wants to. She brings a different color, a different way of showing life in prison versus what people are used to seeing," Brooks told AdWeek. "Taystee really is the joy of the prison. And there are so many layers to her character, especially later on when you discover why she is the way that she is and why she tries to find so much joy in this place. I think that for the audience, that's exciting because it's not just another 'angry black woman' without any depth. That's something that people can relate to."
Orange Is the New Black season 4 is set to drop on Friday, June 17 on Netflix.
