Oz - Sylvain Person

Hi Mister Cox,
I watch a lot of series (especially during the holidays); however I hardly ever finish the seasons in their entirety for lack of time, annoying episode(s), new series more interesting...I just finished Breaking bad and Malcom.
So I begin the series “Oz”, it’s an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series of 56 episodes. It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by HBO.
"Oz" is the nickname for the Oswald State Correctional Facility, formerly Oswald State Penitentiary, a fictional level 4 maximum security prison. The series reminder the prison of the Attica prison in New York State which was in 1971 the scene of very violent riots.

Abstract:

At Emerald City, an experimental district of Oz, we meet the various prisoners who live together by clans: Mafios, Aryans, Latinos, Muslims, blacks, homosexuals... No leader appears out of the lot with the exception of Kareem Said, a Muslim writer who preaches non-violence and abstinence.

Personal Analysis:

From this episode, the bases of the series are posed. We accompany Tobias Beecher in his first encounter with the prison Oz. For his first day, he displayed a courteous smile by presenting himself to the other prisoners, but he soon learned that life in prison had nothing to do with life in society. Here, the law of the strongest prevails. He first falls into the same cell as Adedisi, who steals his personal belongings from him. The next day, the smile he had on his arrival totally disappeared. Vernon Schillinger gets his confidence but Beecher has no idea what Schillinger expects of him. The latter will make Tobias Beecher his slave by convincing Tim Mc Manus (the creator of Emerald City) to place him in his cell. This is the beginning of Beecher's descent into hell.
Upon his arrival in Emerald City, Kareem Said told Tim Mc Manus that Oz now belongs to him and can take control of the prison at any time. We don't know the reals intentions of this character. The actor who plays the part of Kareem Said arrives to reveal a real fear for the spectator. We know beforehand that this character will become emblematic of the season 1.

Abstract:

The prison staff is looking for the murderer of Ortolani (member of the Italian clan), because we learned that Ortolani was burnt by another member of the Italian clan at the end of episode 1. Meanwhile, we see how the inmates react when visiting their wives for some and their families for others.

Personal Analysis:

The theme of this episode centers around the subject of Sex. Conjugal visits play a large role in this episode, and are ultimately banned by Governor James Devlin in an attempt to save the tax payers money.
Again, Tobias Beecher continues to have the morale attacked in this episode. First by Schillinger who continues to humiliate him and then by his wife who comes to visit him. She tells him that one of his children made a drawing of the family but this one did not draw their father. Returning to his cell, Tobias Beecher rips his family photos. Schillinger speaks to him of his two sons who have the same values as himself.
We can see in this episode how Kareem Said can influence Leo Glynn (director of Oz) who accepts Jefferson Keane's marriage that he refused when Tim McManus asked him the same thing before. McManus is worried about his credibility with the prisoners. This situation confirms what Said said in the first episode: "Now Oz belongs to me! »
The staff of the prison already feared a riot because of the murder of Ortolani.
There is also a rather unexpected humorous passage despite the gravity of the situation with Jefferson Keane's marriage in the prison. His wife may not be with him and it is Adebisi who must replace her in the ceremony.

Abstract:

The tension is increasing following the deaths of Ortolani and Johnny Post (member of The HomeBoys which is a gang of black prisoners in Oz). Leo Glynn then summoned the main leaders of each gang, Schibetta (Italian clan), Said (Muslim clan) and Jefferson Keane (HomeBoys), to tell them to calm their groups or otherwise he would be forced to close the prison. The arrival of Governor Devlin, at the origin of the ban on conjugal visits and cigarettes, does not help matters.
Meanwhile, Jefferson Keane finds God at the moment when two Latinos eager for vengeance finds him (because they think he killed Ortolani)

Personal Analysis:

This episode, whose theme is God, begins with a mass in homage to Johnny Post. Prisoners sing the Mass in gospel and, paradoxically, the prison seems to have become for a short time a real church.
Tobias Beecher goes to see Sister Peter Marie and explains to him that his faith in God has diminished since his arrival in Oz. There is something. His wife filed for divorce after seeing the swastika that Schillinger tattooed on his buttocks. Sister Peter Marie tries to give her faith in God by explaining that God is in each of us. But Tobias Beecher doesn’t agree with her, he replied to Sister Peter Marie: “If god is in each of us, it’s a tumor”.
Donald Groves, a cannibal in the Prison Oz, wants to convert to Catholicism to "eat" the Eucharist that represents the flesh and blood of Christ. During the communion, the priest will hesitate to give him the ostia.
Kenny Wangler, a young delinquent who arrives in the prison, is in admiration before Kareem Said but the prayers fatigue him quickly and he prefers to go and take drugs in the Adebisi band.
Jefferson Keane, as for him, becomes more and more spiritual and aspires to do good around him through the teaching of Kareem Said.
This episode is dramatic for Jefferson Keane because he found faith in God unfortunately he is forced to use violence (while Kareem Said had forbidden him to fight to keep faith) to defend against 2 corrupt guardians who want to kill him. The idea that getting out in Oz is impossible is further strengthened in this episode.

Abstract:

Governor Devlin reinstated the death penalty in the state. The first prisoner scheduled to die is Jefferson Keane who killed a guard during a set-up. Before his execution, Jefferson Keane donated a kidney for his sick sister. Tobias Beecher, a former lawyer, is going to see Jefferson Keane to tell him he can take his defense. After the death of Keane, Richard the Italian, who has smothered several women, is executed by injection.

Personal Analysis:

The theme of this episode is the death penalty. We see in this episode the opinion of each of the characters: We have Sister Peter Marie who demonstrates against the death penalty at the risk of being fired from Oz, Jefferson Keane himself who refuses the help of Beecher and prefers to die rather than to return to prison, and to bring about perpetual settlements.
This episode abounds with very beautiful scenes very strong and rich in emotions
A very tragic scene in which Miguel Alvarez goes to the hospital to see one last time his baby who is dying. Another very sad scene shows the father of Jefferson Keane bid farewell to him before his execution. I love this series very much because it deals with different themes, not necessarily related to the prison.

Abstract:

The drug traffic in Oz was never as important in spite of all the efforts of Mc Manus and Glynn to stop the traffic.

Personal Analysis:

The central theme of this episode is of course the drug, this theme was already very present since the start of the series. During this episode we see Beecher shooting more and more to escape his life in prison (we noticed an evolution of the character, the drug seems to free him from all the pressures he has within the prison), small chords on the traffic between Heely and O'Reily, and the traffic between Schibetta and Adebisi. It also shows how prison guards spend drugs, drug discussion groups, and of course the effects on the characters who take drugs.
Some passages of this episode make me think of the film Trainspotting (especially the bad trip of Beecher)