'Orange Is the New Black' News: Taryn Manning Talks Pennsatucky's Controversial Rape Story Arc [VIDEO]
Taryn Manning delves into the controversial plot development with her character in the most recent season of Netflix's Orange Is the New Black.
***Spoilers for season 4 of Orange Is the New Black ahead***
Manning, who plays Pennsatucky on Orange Is the New Black, had some interesting material to work with in season 4. After the spunky inmate was raped near the end of season 3, she spent much of season 4 dealing with the trauma and learning how to move on.
Pennastucky ultimately forgave her rapist for his actions, much to the chagrin of Big Boo (Lea DeLaria). The plot point also sparked some controversy among the show's fanbase, many of which were on Big Boo's side in regards to seeking revenge.
Manning spoke with Bustle recently about Pennsatucky's forgiveness
"I felt, to be honest, a little bit like, OK, we opened a can of worms, and now we're just resolving it so quickly," Manning told the publication, of the complex issue. "I think when you're in that atmosphere, there's not really a lot to hold onto. It's energy that's focused on you, and you're oxygenated just by the attention, poor attention or good attention. I hate to say it, but we're all human in that way."
This isn't the first instance of the show making some controversial moves; many fans were just as, if not more upset with Poussey's (Samira Wiley) death in the penultimate episode of the season.
"I always give it up to the writers - they're very controversial in doing things," Manning stated. "When I got this year's scripts, I was like, 'wow, OK, here we go.' They just hit us with these things."
Meanwhile, Pennastucky will have a little more spunk in season 5, as Manning teased.
"She's got a little bit of attitude again," Manning said. "She's kind of feeling boss, like, 'I got this, I've been through this...' She's just a piece of work."
She also said that the upcoming season is "special," with "many interesting things" set to happen to Pennastucky.
Orange Is the New Black season 5 will drop next summer on Netflix, while the first four seasons are available to stream now.
