No...I don't mean bunk-beds. I mean bunk.
I watched every season of Oz from start to finish and I have to say, it never wasn't entertaining. Anyone who thinks this show could be viewed by just anyone better think again. Here is just a taste of what you're in for if you decide to embark on the same journey that I just did: defecation, anal rape, (on camera...) suicide, gouging of eyes, shanking, urine being consumed, feces being played with, torture, more anal rape, (this time with a spoon...)and plenty of good old fashioned bloody violence. Needless to say, it's a graphic show, but unfortunately for Tom Fontana, (writer of most episodes in the series) it fails to remain plausible.
What starts out in season one as a well-acted, superbly-filmed prison drama degenerates into a wishy-washy, ridiculous, unsatisfying shock-fest that makes you scratch your head and say, 'how the hell could that happen?'
Examples of ridiculous plot lines:
1. Cyril O'Reilly, a mentally handicapped man is thrown into a maximum security prison, then sentenced to death for defending his brother and taking another man's life. Our right wing (of course!) Governor is cold-hearted and cruel and cares not for any prisoner, much less a retarded one...The political statements in this show are blatant and, as per usual with left wing TV, ludicrous.
2. Chinese refugees are thrown in maximum security prison. Please! Like this would EVER happen. Political refugees would be placed into a middle school before being thrown in with a bunch of murderers and rapists. Of course, one of these refugees who we grow to love is brutally slain in graphic detail for us to enjoy. Barf. Pure shock value.
3. Prisoners on work detail roam the halls, kitchen, and gym unsupervised. A prisoners' father and brother are even shanked, separately while they are visiting! In one scene, a Moslem gets sliced open with a box cutter by two Aryan thugs in a storage room. No one hears his screams. In another scene, a man gets his arms and legs broken on a wrestling mat while a guard watches and laughs. No one is held accountable.
4. In "Oz," every correctional officer is not only corrupt, but they are even gang members, murderers and sadists. If I had to bet, real correctional officers are deeply offended by this show. The CO's in "Oz" set up murders, are bought by prisoners for a pittance, and show no mercy. A female CO even 'rapes' several male prisoners! And of course, no one sees any of this or investigates the crimes. It's portrayed as 'just part of prison life!' Give me a large break.
5. In "Oz," murders take place on a daily basis. "Oz" has more murders in a given year than the entire city of Detroit. No one thinks to put in camera surveillance? The murders are brushed off unless they are committed by one of our main stars who we like. Then they are sent to death row.
6. Our main character, Tobias Beecher, slices and dices a guard (with fingernail clippers, no less...) and nothing ever comes of it. The guard is simply gone. It's never mentioned again in that episode, or later episodes.
7. Prisoners are purposely left alone with those who they seek to kill. In one scene, a vicious Aryan psycho is left alone with a dentist in a small office. The guard simply shuts the door. I guess the Aryan paid him $20... In another scene, as I mentioned above, a visiting lawyer, who happens to be a prisoner's father, is shut into a hallway so a pragg can shank him and gut him like a fish. When the visitor calls for the guard, the guard slams the door in his face. Guess he got paid off, too.
They tried to intertwine too many stories and introduce too many characters in "Oz," most of whom were uninteresting and did nothing for the main story lines. It probably could have been done in half as many seasons. The audience has to be 'reminded' of plot lines from prior episodes by these little black and white flashbacks. It gets very tiring trying to keep up with it all.
I could probably go on and on but it's not worth it. I did watch every single episode of this show and I did enjoy a lot of it. What I did like tallies up to be more than what I didn't, so for that, I'll say thanks to Tom Fontana, Levinson and crew. Lots of good acting and great lines. Lots of memorable scenes and I especially enjoyed the character Kareem Said who was, by far, the coolest man in the show.
If you can stomach wretched, shocking scenes, a lot of racial slurs along with derogatory terms and plenty of implausibility, I'd recommend buying this series. Buy every season because it is highly addictive. But get it used if you can. And get ready to pass it on because it's not the kind of show that many people will enjoy watching repeatedly.
6 out of 10, kids.
I watched every season of Oz from start to finish and I have to say, it never wasn't entertaining. Anyone who thinks this show could be viewed by just anyone better think again. Here is just a taste of what you're in for if you decide to embark on the same journey that I just did: defecation, anal rape, (on camera...) suicide, gouging of eyes, shanking, urine being consumed, feces being played with, torture, more anal rape, (this time with a spoon...)and plenty of good old fashioned bloody violence. Needless to say, it's a graphic show, but unfortunately for Tom Fontana, (writer of most episodes in the series) it fails to remain plausible.
What starts out in season one as a well-acted, superbly-filmed prison drama degenerates into a wishy-washy, ridiculous, unsatisfying shock-fest that makes you scratch your head and say, 'how the hell could that happen?'
Examples of ridiculous plot lines:
1. Cyril O'Reilly, a mentally handicapped man is thrown into a maximum security prison, then sentenced to death for defending his brother and taking another man's life. Our right wing (of course!) Governor is cold-hearted and cruel and cares not for any prisoner, much less a retarded one...The political statements in this show are blatant and, as per usual with left wing TV, ludicrous.
2. Chinese refugees are thrown in maximum security prison. Please! Like this would EVER happen. Political refugees would be placed into a middle school before being thrown in with a bunch of murderers and rapists. Of course, one of these refugees who we grow to love is brutally slain in graphic detail for us to enjoy. Barf. Pure shock value.
3. Prisoners on work detail roam the halls, kitchen, and gym unsupervised. A prisoners' father and brother are even shanked, separately while they are visiting! In one scene, a Moslem gets sliced open with a box cutter by two Aryan thugs in a storage room. No one hears his screams. In another scene, a man gets his arms and legs broken on a wrestling mat while a guard watches and laughs. No one is held accountable.
4. In "Oz," every correctional officer is not only corrupt, but they are even gang members, murderers and sadists. If I had to bet, real correctional officers are deeply offended by this show. The CO's in "Oz" set up murders, are bought by prisoners for a pittance, and show no mercy. A female CO even 'rapes' several male prisoners! And of course, no one sees any of this or investigates the crimes. It's portrayed as 'just part of prison life!' Give me a large break.
5. In "Oz," murders take place on a daily basis. "Oz" has more murders in a given year than the entire city of Detroit. No one thinks to put in camera surveillance? The murders are brushed off unless they are committed by one of our main stars who we like. Then they are sent to death row.
6. Our main character, Tobias Beecher, slices and dices a guard (with fingernail clippers, no less...) and nothing ever comes of it. The guard is simply gone. It's never mentioned again in that episode, or later episodes.
7. Prisoners are purposely left alone with those who they seek to kill. In one scene, a vicious Aryan psycho is left alone with a dentist in a small office. The guard simply shuts the door. I guess the Aryan paid him $20... In another scene, as I mentioned above, a visiting lawyer, who happens to be a prisoner's father, is shut into a hallway so a pragg can shank him and gut him like a fish. When the visitor calls for the guard, the guard slams the door in his face. Guess he got paid off, too.
They tried to intertwine too many stories and introduce too many characters in "Oz," most of whom were uninteresting and did nothing for the main story lines. It probably could have been done in half as many seasons. The audience has to be 'reminded' of plot lines from prior episodes by these little black and white flashbacks. It gets very tiring trying to keep up with it all.
I could probably go on and on but it's not worth it. I did watch every single episode of this show and I did enjoy a lot of it. What I did like tallies up to be more than what I didn't, so for that, I'll say thanks to Tom Fontana, Levinson and crew. Lots of good acting and great lines. Lots of memorable scenes and I especially enjoyed the character Kareem Said who was, by far, the coolest man in the show.
If you can stomach wretched, shocking scenes, a lot of racial slurs along with derogatory terms and plenty of implausibility, I'd recommend buying this series. Buy every season because it is highly addictive. But get it used if you can. And get ready to pass it on because it's not the kind of show that many people will enjoy watching repeatedly.
6 out of 10, kids.