Oz: Season 6 – DVD Review

credit: www.amazon.com

Studio: HBO Video
Release Date: September 5, 2006
Number of Discs: 3
Number of Episodes: 8
Running Time: 520 Minutes
MSRP: $64.98

Creator:

Tom Fontana

Cast:

Lee Tergesen………Tobias ‘Toby’ Beecher
Christopher Meloni……….Christopher ‘Chris’ Keller
J.K. Simmons……….Vernon ‘Vern’ Schillinger
Harold Perrineau……….Augustus Hill
Terry Kinney……….Tim McManus
Ernie Hudson……….Warden Leo Glynn
Rita Moreno……….Sister Peter Marie Reimondo
Lauren Vélez……….Dr. Gloria Nathan
Eamonn Walker……….Kareem Said
Dean Winters……….Ryan O’Reily
Scott William Winters……….Cyril O’Reily
Chuck Zito……….Chucky Pancamo
Kirk Acevedo……….Miguel Alvarez
Evan Seinfeld……….Jaz Hoyt
Otto Sanchez……….Carmen ‘Chico’ Guerra
B.D. Wong……….Father Ray Mukada
George Morfogen……….Robert ‘Bob’ Rebadow
David Zayas……….Enrique Morales
Anthony Chisholm……….Burr Redding
Michael Wright……….Omar White
muMs da Schemer……….Arnold ‘Poet’ Jackson
Sean Dugan……….Timmy Kirk
Tom Mardirosian……….Agamemnon ‘The Mole’ Busmalis
Zeljko Ivanek……….Governor James Devlin
Bobby Cannavale ……….Alonzo Torquemada
Joel Grey……….Lemuel Idzik

The show:

Following the tragic events of season five, the sixth and final season of this prison drama kicks into high gear right off the bat. Timmy Kirk (Sean Dugan) has been put on death row and claims to be possessed by the devil. Ryan O’Reily (Dean Winters) is still trying to get his brother Cyril (Scott William Winters) out of death row. Ryan’s mom, in an attempt to unite the prisoners of Oz, is putting on a play of “Macbeth.”

If you’ve never seen an episode of “Oz,” man are you missing out! “Oz” is a dramatic portrayal of the day-to-day life in Oswald Maximum Security Correctional Facility. Specifically level four, which is called Emerald City, hence the name Oz. The tension between the gangs is still high and because this is the last season of the show. All. Bets. Are. Off. Look at the cast of characters above, almost half of them will be dead by the time the credits roll on episode eight.

By no means is this show for everyone; “Oz” is extremely brutal and unrelenting. Violence runs rampant through the halls of Oswald Penitentiary; beatings, rapes, cut Achilles heels, slit throats, and murder after murder after murder.

However not everything is all bad in Oz. It turns out Augustus (Harold Perrineau) wrote a book about his time in Oz and Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker) makes his duty to get the book publish. Beecher (Lee Tergesen) ensures that Keller (Christopher Meloni) won’t be going to the chair. There are a few other good things happening this season, but that would be giving away too much. Besides, in Oz all happiness is fleeting. And in Oz, nothing and no one is as it seems.

Augustus Hill: our tour guide through the twisted world of Oz.

“Oz” was HBO’s first hour-long drama and always will be the best. This show is a cornucopia of fully realized characters. No one in this show is all good or all bad, for the most part. Some of the people are, to quote
Father Ray Mukada (B.D. Wong), “pure evil.” And despite the massive ensemble cast, each main character has a fully realized story arc and goal. Whether they reach their goal, well, that’s another story all together.

One of the greatest aspects of this show has always been Augustus Hill’s narration. Speaking directly to the audience, breaking the fourth wall. However, following the end of last season, Augustus now shares his narrating duties with fellow inmates who’ve died throughout the series, a different one each episode.

Anyone who’s been following “Oz” has been dying to see one thing happen: the parole of Tobias Beecher. This most gripping story arc along with every other important one is tied up in this most white knuckled, edge of the seat series. Episode 6: A Day In The Death…, is possibly the most emotionally gripping and satisfying episodes of not only this show, but any, as the fate of Cyril O’Reily is decided. This episode deals with the issue: is it okay to execute the mentally handicapped? It will have you in tears.

When the Reverend Cloutier (Luke Perry in a fantastic guest appearance) disappeared in season 5, everyone wondered what happened to him. We finally find out. Also, the rivalry between Beecher and Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) comes to a dramatic conclusion during the play of “Macbeth.” The immortal words Shakespeare are eerily appropriate coming from these two men who’ve hated each other for so long.

Most shows last episodes feel like last episodes. The writers try too hard to tie up all the loose ends and present a nice little package. While all the important plots and subplots are tied up here, nothing seems forced, and you don’t always get the ending you wanted. This episode has the same flow and feel as every other episode and when it ends, well, like the world, “Oz” ends not with a bang, but a whisper.

Just another day in Oz

Episodes:

Disc One:

Dead Man Talking

“Alvarez and Schillinger are moved back into the general population. Rebadow is thrilled to meet the new librarian, Stella Coffo. Timmy Kirk wants to be exorcized, and Schillinger receives an offer he can’t refuse.”

Winthrop: Hey there, Beecher. Enjoying life in Unit J?
Toby: Beats bobbing for apples with the Aryans

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Smell No Evil

“Mayor Loewen arrives at Oz unexpectedly. Dr. Nathan discovers why solitary inmates are getting sick. Redding is inspired by a new business plan at Oz, and Schibetta wants to put a curse on the O’Reily family.”

Ryan: Hey, Chucky, you got a minute?
Pancamo: For you, O’Reily, I got only 28 seconds. But the way you double-talk it should be plenty.

Sonata de Oz

“Schillinger’s visit with his ‘hero,’ Mayor Loewen, isn’t what he anticipated it to be. Officer Brass spends some quality time with Morales in solitary. Cyril undergoes a round of unusual therapy, and the Muslims give business a try.”

Howell: Good morning, my beloveds. Got a news flash for you. Your pal Martinez bought the farm.
White: Farm? What farm?
Penders: He died, stupid. What’d he die from?
Howell: I don’t know, but whatever he had, you clucks have it, too.
White: Wait, wait, wait, wait wait, look, buying a farm is a good thing, right? I, I, I mean, why that … tell me, why does that have to mean dying?
Penders: Shut up, Omar.
White: No, look, now that don’t make no sense. Sold the farm, lost the farm, the farm burned down, but –
Penders: Shut up, Omar!
White: That don’t make no goddamn sense.

Disc Two:

A Failure to Communicate

“Glynn receives some good news and some bad news. Keller and Beecher arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement. Poet and Redding nearly come to blows. Hoyt is transferred from Death Row, and Robson finally gets some redemption.”

Officer Johnson: (into radio) Base one, we got an 823 in B. (to Robson) Well, ain’t that a kick? One of you actually went an lynched yourselves.

4 Giveness

“Alvares receives some shocking news. Redding’s attempts at reform continue. Glynn receives a confession from Murphy. Morales’ medical suspicions are confirmed, and the inmates all have their own opinions on the new inmate, Idzik.”

Beecher: Same old story. I got f*cked in the ass.

A Day In The Death…

“Idzik goes head-to-head with his enemies. Changes are initiated in the hospital. The Loewen case becomes more complicated. The Muslims’ business hits a rough patch, and the inmates rally to support the O’Reilys.”

Ortolani: Not all heart disease will leave you dictionary dead, some will kill you and still leave you livin’. Yeah, we got a whole lotta walking dead in Oz.

Disc Three:

Junkyard Dawgs

“Three new inmates arrive in Oz, one of whom is tight with the O’Reilys. Busmalis and Rebadow prove they are the only ‘true Romeos,’ and an awards banquet leads to a fateful discovery.”

Bukowski:(as he is cornered by several Sicilian) Oh, I feel like Custer.

Exeunt Omnes

“The return of Martin Querns creates a huge stir in Oz. Father Mukada answers an unsolved mystery. The O’Reily family struggles to make amends. The prison production of ‘Macbeth’ ends wit ha staggering final act, leaving Oz in silence.”

Hill: So, what have we learned? What’s the lesson for today? For all the never-ending days and restless nights in Oz? That morality is transient? That virtue cannot exist without violence? That to be honest is to be flawed? That the giving and taking of love both debases and elevates us? That God or Allah or Yahweh has answers to questions we dare not even ask? The story is simple. A man lives in prison and dies. How he dies, that’s easy. The who and the why is the complex part. The human part. The only part worth knowing. Peace.

Note: Episode descriptions take from the DVDs.

The DVD:

VIDEO: How does it look?
(Presented with a 1.78:1 full screen aspect ratio)

This show has a nice grittiness about it. I believe it’s shot in 16mm, but I can’t find anything to back that up. Because it’s a prison show I think the grittiness of the film adds to the atmosphere of the show.

AUDIO: How does it sound?
(5.1 and stereo)

This show has an eerie atmospheric soundtrack that fits the show perfectly and it presented perfectly on this DVD.

Score: 9/10

Extras:

Season 5 Recap: A little reminder of all the drama that went down last season.

Deleted Scenes: A truly rare DVD moment indeed! Interesting deleted scenes!!!!!!

Audition Tapes: There’s a lot of good stuff in here, but the best is Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje who went on to play Simon Adebisi, auditioning for the roll of Augustus. (funny that both men that went for the roll met again on “Lost.”)

Commentary on Three Episodes (Dead Man Walking, A Day In The Death…, and Exeunt Omnes): Creator and head writer Tom Fontana is joined by some cast members to relive this show they obviously care a lot about. This is above average commentary. Not amazing, but if you’re a fan of the show you’ll enjoy this. You get some good behind the scenes stuff and a lot of witty banter.

Extended Edition of Exeunt Omnes: This “extended” cut of the episode runs an hour and 45 minutes. Which, confusingly enough, is the same length as the original. It makes me wonder if footage was cut from this new edition as well as added, I couldn’t tell. The footage that has been added in has not been cleaned up so it strands out as added footage. And just in case you don’t catch that, there’s a little time counter up in the top left corner just to make sure you know 100% that the footage you’re watching is added. Most the added footage isn’t so much added scenes as extended scenes but some interesting stuff is added (especially where Robson is concerned). The added footage might have served better in the deleted scenes section.