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| So many bodies of work have been created which give depictions of the supposed world that lives and breathes in prison. Many have shown that the prisoners who bide their time on the inside are of different ethnic backgrounds and that all have their loyalties and affiliations. They have been characters on celluloid, though, and that's about it. None have truly had life infused into them and been played with such realism-gritty, and graphic realism, as opposed to a sugar-coated, easier-to-swallow variation-as they have been on OZ. OZ is not a place where the bad guys have darker skin-people of all ethnic persuasions, apparently, are capable of equally horrific acts. The prison system is not solely run by a few C.O.'s, a big, mean warden, and the governor. There are a lot of people who fill many other positions and who must oversee numerous aspects of this system which seeks to box in more criminals that it can handle, get them to follow rules in an effort to keep those who bite their thumbs at society's rules under control. This is shown on the show. Another thing which is shown-and, which I think is incredibly important-is the fact that every single one of these convicts, no matter how inhuman the crime they've committed, are all human beings. That, and the fact that the system of justice is far from perfect. Issues ranging from freedom of religion and freedom of speech to the conflict that exists between the right to a fair and speedy trial and a just punishment are dealt with and brought up as food for thought in the form of monologues recited by one of the characters on every episode and through the different storylines that play out. The fact of innocent men sitting on Death Row because there just isn't enough money to cover the costs of DNA testing is brought up, as well as the debate over whether or not individuals with I.Q.'s outside of a certain range should be executed for crimes they commit. It is a brilliantly-written, well-acted, clever, and original show that has brought an intelligence to television that viewers have long been denied. There aren't a lot of good shows on TV, but among those that are, this is one of them. When it ends, it will certainly be missed. Hopefully, OZ as a show-and the various moral and legal standpoints it has touched on throughout the years it's been on the air-will not be forgotten. -Sandra |
| Thoughts from the site creators |
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| A simple jail story? A dynamic drama about men? A critique of modern prison or of society as a whole, or, all of these things and more? The following writings are thoughts from the creators of this site. That, and their goodbyes to the show. Enjoy. |
| Of the many excellent television shows to come out of HBO, some have received critical acclaim, others are fondly remembered, a few created controversy. Oz produced all three reactions. Oz looks inside and finds men who torture and are tortured. Men who, while disturbed, are caught between a rock and an Adibisi, and thats not a good thing. Oz explores men't thoughts, relationships, actions and reactions. It has tackled and entertained a Goyaesque theme of confined living hell. Besides this, there are a few reasons why I am fascinated with the show. Failures. They are all failures. Not only by judicial decision but by emotional reasoning. They just can't seem to get it. C.O.'s, staff, warden and mayor (perhaps us citizens too?) do not succeed. Whether it be prison interventions, age drugs, boxing matches or even the GED program. Again and again failure is present. |
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| Said: |
| Why did you come back, why do you still believe Emerald City will work? |
| Season 2 |
| McManus: |
| We either learn to change or we repeat our mistakes. We either become a part or our community or we remain isolated from it. In either case, the success of our lives depends upon us! |
| What is it about failing that I enjoy? Well, we can't all succeed, but we can all fail, right? How equal this makes us in an absurd way. Failure is not something to encourage, yet it readily appears when willing; failing does not discriminate. In Oz this is tenfold. Which brings me to the inner workings of men as a group. Forget the violence, the language, the nudity and what's left? Not much? Think again. Besides failure, there's love, honor and respect and not just by the inmates, the writers too have made an honest attempt to depict the many groups inside. Which is something considering the many prison movies made, from "Birdman of Alcatraz" to the more recent German inspired "The Experiment" that always come accross with sympathetic characters who just got there by misfortune. There is sympathy for Oz inmates, but they are not sympathetic characters. Put it all together and you get: Oz, the show. Oz takes chances where other shows remain motionless. How many sitcoms with 'friends' or family's with kooky dads/moms/kids and/or talking babies who may/may not have some disorder do we see? How many 'reality' shows with danger ever present (by the camera crew I suppose) featuring perfectly toned, mostly white citizens are there? Too many. Interestingly enough, like many arresting works that reject the conventional, Oz seems to have inspired no other work of the same kind. It has not changed the television drama which churns out tireless repetition of the same senario's mentioned above. Instead, critics praise it, while Emmy abandons it. Oz acts on the viewer like a gigantic mirror. With just eight episodes it reflects what goes on and makes us want to know more. It does not end with each episode, instead it continues well beyond the final credits. In Oz's case, less IS more. Unfortunately, it will end, come 2003. And it will be missed. Farewell Oz! I know I'll be missing you. LIGHTS OUT! (click) -Celestina |
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