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Why has no one seen the show "Oz"? Not having HBO myself, I've been watching the DVDs (with my Mother, of all people... we share such interesting tastes). This was HBO's first hour-long drama. It paved the way for "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos" but is, in my humblest of opinions, vastly superior to either show.
"Oz" is an evilly-gleeful prison drama with wonderful Shakesperian characters and overtones (I can't wait to see the final episode where the prisoners stage a production of "Macbeth"... ohhh, that is so gonna hurt...). Also, it's best not to get attached to any of the characters, since very few will survive the entire series. Hell, you're lucky if you make it through a season.
J.K. Simmons, pitch-perfect as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies, is so astoundingly, beautifully evil here as the leader of the Neo-Nazis. Lee Tergensen as Tobias Beecher has shown such character growth over the seasons, starting with being the Nazi's bitch to become the prison psycho to now being one of the most unpredictable characters (and possibly the show's only real hero). He and Simmons are "Oz"'s Itchy and Scratchy, and by the time the show's over these two are gonna do a whooole lot more horrible shit to each other. In the meantime, Beecher and "Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit" star Christopher Melioni are one of the greatest couples I've ever seen on screen. Plus, the show has Ernie Hudson! Winston Zedmore himself!
It's a crime this show was virtually ignored, at least relative to the constant "Entertainment Weekly" critical fellating of "Sopranos" and "Sex and the City." I don't buy TV shows DVDs too often, but when I get the money this is so going in my collection, right alongside "Twin Peaks" and "Farscape." Y'know, when I get the cash to afford them too.
"Oz" is an evilly-gleeful prison drama with wonderful Shakesperian characters and overtones (I can't wait to see the final episode where the prisoners stage a production of "Macbeth"... ohhh, that is so gonna hurt...). Also, it's best not to get attached to any of the characters, since very few will survive the entire series. Hell, you're lucky if you make it through a season.
J.K. Simmons, pitch-perfect as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies, is so astoundingly, beautifully evil here as the leader of the Neo-Nazis. Lee Tergensen as Tobias Beecher has shown such character growth over the seasons, starting with being the Nazi's bitch to become the prison psycho to now being one of the most unpredictable characters (and possibly the show's only real hero). He and Simmons are "Oz"'s Itchy and Scratchy, and by the time the show's over these two are gonna do a whooole lot more horrible shit to each other. In the meantime, Beecher and "Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit" star Christopher Melioni are one of the greatest couples I've ever seen on screen. Plus, the show has Ernie Hudson! Winston Zedmore himself!
It's a crime this show was virtually ignored, at least relative to the constant "Entertainment Weekly" critical fellating of "Sopranos" and "Sex and the City." I don't buy TV shows DVDs too often, but when I get the money this is so going in my collection, right alongside "Twin Peaks" and "Farscape." Y'know, when I get the cash to afford them too.
