"Oz" Escape from Oz (1998)

Director:

Jean de Segonzac

Writers:

Tom Fontana (creator)
Tom Fontana (written by)

TV Series:

"Oz" (1997)

Original Air Date:

31 August 1998 (Season 2, Episode 8)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Aryan | Gay | Prison Life | Latino

Cast

Kirk Acevedo	...	Miguel Alvarez
Ernie Hudson	...	Warden Leo Glynn
Terry Kinney	...	Tim McManus
Rita Moreno	...	Sister Peter Marie Reimondo
Harold Perrineau	...	Augustus Hill
J.K. Simmons	...	Vern Schillinger
Lee Tergesen	...	Tobias Beecher
Eamonn Walker	...	Kareem Said
Dean Winters	...	Ryan O'Reily
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje	...	Simon Adebisi
Edie Falco	...	Officer Diane Whittlesey
George Morfogen	...	Bob Rebadow
Lauren Vélez	...	Dr. Gloria Nathan (as Lauren Velez)
B.D. Wong	...	Father Ray Mukada
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Governor James Devlin

Quotes:

Governor James Devlin: The celebration of Ramadan is at the center of Islamic worship. Therefore, I am pleased, in the grand tradition of this holy time, to bestow clemency on a prisoner. Kareem Said has been an outspoken critic of our administration but, political differences aside...
[...]

A Disappointment

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

From the outset of the first episode of series two of OZ there is a great feeling of profound disappointment . Episode one starts with an investigation in to the riot that tore apart Emareld City . The problem is that after this episode has finished you realise that the plot hasn't progressed , in other words it's a completely disposable episode . There's also something else noticeable . Due to a lack of violence ( Apart from a scene of someone getting the tip of their penis bitten off ) the dialogue contains an even larger amount of swearing than usual . It's almost like Tom Fantana and co. have got together and said " Okay no one gets raped or murdered in this episode . Let's prove it's an adult series by using the "F" word and every opportunity

The disappointment continues and you find yourself asking if maybe Fontana had envisaged OZ as a show that was to last for one series only , got recommissioned and found himself puzzled how he was going to continue it . That's the impression I'm left with since much of it never rings true . For example Peter Scibetta blackmails Warden Glynn since Glynn has a relative working for the mafia . Hmmm . Unlikely and as the season continues you wonder if Peter would be capable of running for a bus never mind a mafia racket, but I guess that's why he's in prison ? Perhaps the most obvious change is that Beecher is no longer a victim of sexual abuse but has become psychotic . This means there's a lack of focus for season two since Beecher's plight was very much something theaudience could latch on to

Some people might say this is where the " real " OZ started since it introduces characters like Keller , Robson and Cyril O'Reily . Maybe but it also introduces characters like Giles who speaks in literal riddles which becomes very tiring , and Busmalis who never does anything evil . Busmalis and Bob Reabadow take part in the most ridiculous subplot the show had seen in that point and that is they manage to dig a tunnel in their cell . It's not just any tunnel , it's one that must run for a couple of hundred yards and is propped up with planks of wood . Apparently they managed to do this without anyone noticing . Even the most outrageous episodes from season one never suffered from any gaps in logic . Indeed what made season one so compelling is that everything thing seemed so real despite the usual prison clichés

Season two sees the show changing from violent and compelling drama to become a violent soap opera almost like an American male version of Aussie schlock classic PRISONER CELL BLOCK H and one can't help thinking both the show and its audience deserved much more in its second season