Série : OZ

Hello,
I watched this serie 2 years ago but for this forum, I began to see the first season again because, as me, OZ is not well known enough. First you have to know it is a "classic" serie from HBO (1997), similar to the Wire or the Sopranos which takes place in jail...

The story :
Oz is the nickname of a high security prison : "Oswald State Correctional Facility" and, inside, there is Emrald city where the majority of scenes are filmed (but keep in mind oz is a fictional prison). What's Em city ? It 's a project created by Tim McManus where the most dangerous criminals and petty criminals are living together. The purpose is to improve the social interactions between prisoners and favour their rehabilitation by giving them differents tasks like the management of restaurant or post.
But Em city is just an utopia and every day, the jail' staff are faced with the violence of the differents gangs who kill each other for several reasons. There are rightly, many kind of gangs within the prison such as the muslim, the blacks, the mexicans, the italians, the bikers, the aryans ... who are fighting or make alliance.

At the beginning of each episode, Augustus Hill prisonner himself and cynical guy, talks about a random subject (it can be philosophic, moral, about human condition, prisoners rights...)  that you understand gradually during the episode. It's also him who introduces the new characters.

Oz is an original and really interesting serie. For example : you don't have main characters, just differents personalities that you like or hate according the way they acted.
I suggest you this show if you are looking for a different serie from nowadays. If you decided to watch it, beware, it's a violent show ! But so great and thoughtful !

Bye !

First episode (no spoiler just synopsis)

The serie begins with the first day in OZ of Tobias Beecher a different prisoner, a former lawyer and a pleasant guy who just made one terrible mistake in his life. We see his difficult adaptation in the jail especially when he discovers his cell mate : the crazy Adebici. Beecher meet Schilinger, and achieves to change his cell with him. Unfortunetly, Schillinger is a nazi and worst that Adebici...

Kareem Said a charismatic Imam and instructed person arrived in Oz. McManus and the director fear him and his intelligence. They see a negative potential leader.

We also follow the Dino Ortolanie's story an Italian who shot Ryan O'reilly a very smart Irish who also come in Oz. There are big tensions between them and O'reilly wants   his revenge. He makes an alliance with the black and their chief Jefferson Keane who also have troubles with the italians. Indeed, Ortolanie beat Keane's brother (who is gay) because he watched him in the shower....

Episode 2. Visits, conjugal and otherwise

With O'riley's help Keane achieved his revenge by burning Ortollani alive... The tension between italians and black increase.

By the way, this episode is about love and sex especially prisonner's relationship, the difficulty of feelings when you are locked.
Beecher gets his first conjugal visit with his wife but he has to ask the permission of Schillinger his new "master" since they have shared their cell. He uses Beecher's family in order to keep him as a slave.

Keene has a deep reflexion about his violent life and want to marry his girlfriend whereas he is sentenced to life without the possibility of release or parol. He also become closer of Said who tries to protect him.

To protect himself, O'reilley makes an alliance with Schibetta (italian's chief) by giving him the murder of Ortollani.

Episode 3. God's chilling

The italians found and kill the murder of Ortollani thanks to O'Rilley. The tension are at the peak between the italians and blacks with some fight between them. McManus fears this situation and thinks it can lead to riots.

Strangely, Keane do not want another revenge and has enought of all this violence (even if he know the responsability of O'reilley). So he turns himself to Saiid for becoming a muslim and saving his soul. He is rejected by his ancient group because of his new believies.

O'reilley dooes not trust Keane (when he suggested to make peace) and traped Keane with the help of the prison guardians. He is forced to fight against latinos whereas he does not want. Unfortunetly, he kills one of them.

Episode 4 : Capital P.

This episode is  a kind of debate about the death penalty. Beacause of the murders which increase lately, the governor has decided to restore the capital punishment, a decision which divides the staff of Oz. Keane is the first who suffers the consequences.

Beecher learns that Keane has been victim of a stitch up and want to save him in spite of the Keane's reluctances. But he stoped his investigation after Schillinger's threats.

We follow the  last days in OZ of Keane with a lot of emotions. At the same time we meet another prisoner : "the italian" who also sentenced to the death penalty for killing 39 women. So death penalty, in favour or not ?

I wanted to tell you well done for your presentation, it really make me wanting to watch it !

Thank you man, it's funny 'cause I feel the same way for yours. I'll watch Rick and morty

Episode 5 : straight life

The prison personnal are worried about the circulation of drug inside Oz. Mc Manus decides to separate Scibetta (italian chief and at the head of the drug's traffic) from his group by sending all the others italians out Em city. But McManus' strategy is useless, indeed Scibetta made an alliance with the blacks for selling his drug and denounce a corrupt officer (with O'reilleu's help even if this officer was his friend...) who used to run a parallel drug market.

Beecher begins to take hard drug as a response of the daily humilation from Schillinger...