L.M.: We got into some very heated debates in the writers’ room about which character it should be. And ultimately Jenji made a point that has really stuck with me, and that I’ve used as my centering device throughout the season — and that is, whatever character we chose, she wanted it to feel like that character had a future on the outside of prison ahead of them, so that the loss of that future would really be felt. Her point was that would be most clearly seen through Poussey, which I completely agree with.

How was it collaborating on Poussey’s death scene?

S.W.: I felt like I could breathe a sigh of relief. The script came off very, very beautifully.

L.M.: I was beyond honored when I found out that I would get to write it, not only because it was a story that I believe in telling but also because there’s a lot of trust between Samira and me. And I felt privileged that I would then get to be on set and be there for the entire cast as we went through this difficult process.

How did you develop that episode?

L.M.: It was important to everybody that we find a way to make it as gray as possible — like when two forces of good collide, a tragedy can result, instead of there is evil in the world and good in the world, and evil will prevail. We did flashbacks for Bayley to humanize that side of the experience. I hope it’s in there that racism can be a very subtle thing. And I’m hoping that the viewer walks away wondering, “If that person had been white, would they still have been on the floor that long?”

How did your castmates react when they read the script?

S.W.: It was crazy and overwhelming, which I’d anticipated. I got a lot of calls, a lot of text messages. I remember one of my castmates telling me that we should go get a drink and mourn Poussey’s life, and it didn’t sit well with me. And I told her: “You know, I don’t want to mourn. I want to celebrate her life.” It’s so funny talking about Poussey like she’s a real person but it really feels like that.