Back To Index Oz: Complete First Season
 Barnes & Noble There is no Scarecrow, Tin Man, nor Cowardly Lion in this "Emerald City," an experimental cell block of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison, a.k.a. "Oz." The show -- created by Homicide executive producer Tom Fontana -- plays out each week like a vicious Beat poem from a psychopath. With no holds barred (literally), it focuses on the chaotic day-to-day routine of prisoners, guards, and administrators. The man behind the curtain is Tim McManus (Terry Kinney), a reform-minded optimist operating sometimes with, and sometimes against, Warden Leo Glynn (Ernie Hudson). In the debut season (1997) collected here, Oz flourished with tense, character-driven story lines built around the prisons numerous inmates and fluctuating roster. Each episode is a dense soap opera with abstract interludes of narration by hobbled inmate Augustus Hill (Harold Perrineau) -- effectively a Greek chorus in the slam-angry form of an urban poet. Viewers learn early on that Oz is a virtual tinderbox of brutal competing gangs, corrupt internal politics, and despair: a place where one suspects a Survivor season would fail to go the distance. Among the famous faces in this first season are future Sopranos costar Edie Falco (as a corrections officer) and, in a role reversal, Homicides Detective Paul Falsone (Jon Seda) as a prisoner. This collection includes all eight episodes from the groundbreaking first season: "The Routine" -- Several new inmates arrive to meet Ozs diverse, gang-banging population of Latinos, Muslims, Westies, Aryans, and wise guys. Among the newcomers is Muslim activist Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker), who seems destined to start a prisoner riot. Hotheaded Dino Ortolani (Seda) gets burned. "Visits, Conjugal and Otherwise" -- Cowardly prisoner Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen) gets a conjugal visit with his estranged wife; an inmate stabbed upon arrival is visited by his grandfather, who is also an inmate; Jefferson Keane (Leon) asks to marry his girlfriend on the outside; Ortolanis enemy Ryan OReily (Dean Winters) is transferred to Emerald City; and wise guy Nino Schibetta (Tony Musante) investigates his paisans murder. (Directed by Nick Gomez.) "Gods Chillin " -- When Governor Devlin (Zeljko Ivanek) visits, Glynn warns the gang leaders to quiet their boys down or else suffer a prison lockdown. Meanwhile, Keane finds God, and Beecher gets in with OReily. "Capital P" -- Capital punishment has been reinstated, and Keane is first on the list, while prison psychologist Sister Peter Marie (Rita Moreno) protests; Said has health problems; and OReily sends a nasty message to Schibetta. "Straight Life" -- The infiltration of drugs into Oz has reached unprecedented levels; Beecher is forced into counseling; and an undercover investigation by McManus and Glynn backfires in a deadly way. After the death of his baby on the outside, Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) begins to lose his mind. "To Your Health" -- Three generations of Alvarezes -- all prisoners -- are united when the partiarch, Ricardo (Tomas Milian), suffers from Alzheimers disease. Beechers drug abuse takes its toll; Schibetta gets it in the gut; NBA all-star Jackson Vahue (Rick Fox) arrives at Oz; and violent Muslim Huseni Mershah (Roger Guenveur Smith) isnt the only thing paining Said. "Plan B" -- Said and Mershah part ways, permanently; prisoner Donald Groves (Sean Whitesell) pulls a no-no on Glynn and gets fired, by a firing squad; bitter and jealous Vahue breaks a cello belonging to Eugene Dobbins (Zuill Bailey); and Beecher gets his revenge on neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger (J. K. Simmons). "A Game of Checkers" -- A sensational season-ending riot breaks out when two inmates get into a fight over checkers. Theres no place like home. Tony NigroCustomer ReviewsWrite your own online review >Number Of Reviews: 2 Average Rating: Ray, A reviewer, December 7, 2003 The BestThis is the best prison epic for the screen ever made. Season 1 is so far still the best season in my book.Also Recommended: Oz: Season 2 Escape From Alcatraz The Shawshank Redemption AndersonvilleA viewer The Time Has Come for OzAfter seeing the Oz over and over again, and then meeting with the stars of the show at the Holyfield fight, I was very impressed how they communicate with their fans. Me, for one. It was a honor to speak with them. Hope you remember me, Pearl Polto the author of Credit Lifeline Thanks for being so friendly. Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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