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Oz


HeavyT

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Anyone seen the HBO drama Oz? its set in a prison, mainly revolving around an experimental unit where prisoners are given privelidges if they attend classes and the like. A really good programme, its pretty dated in its strange narrative, but well woth a watch. Its a "who's who" of guys who were later in Law and Order. Some really, really brutal scenes, as you would expect from an american prison drama, but if you ouldn't handle the likes of the rape scene in scum, I wouldn't suggest going near it!

 

Was really dissapointed with the ending, although I seen it coming when main characters started dying left right and centre.

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Season 1 really just lays the groundwork, it starts getting more interesting in the second season. The cast is so big, that it took the first season for me to really geta feel for the characters. Unfrotunately, seasons 5 and 6 arent so great.

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Got all 6 seasons. First saw it as a teen when it was originally on channel 4 at weird times of night, and absolutely fell in love with it, but only watched it all through in order a couple of years ago. I firmly believe it's one of the best TV dramas of all time, and based on past discussions, I know there's a few people on here that agree.

 

I'd agree that season 1 takes a while to set the scene and get going, but I'd say that by the 4th or 5th episode, it really hit its stride. I kind of disagree about seasons 5 and 6. They're not quite as white hot incredible as seasons 3 and 4, but there's not an episode there that bored me or seemed out of place. Just didn't *quite* achieve the heights of earlier seasons.

 

Honestly can't recommend the show enough.

 

edit: re: the ending, it wasn't planned, as they were hoping for a renewal. I'd say the characters dying thing was pretty much in keeping with the show's history, they always killed off main characters when necessary, I'm not sure they were gearing up for it to end the way it did. It was disappointing as it left things unfinished.

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Excellent show, was introduced to it whilst at Uni or just after with those late Channel 4 showings. I've not seen it since and if am honest have forgotten most of what happens, just remember it being great. I've been meaning to get around to again, to see if my mind is playing tricks on me or not, but I've not got that far yet. Watching it whilst hammered or stoned or both was probably not the greatest of combinations for a great memory. Zedmore/Link/Mr Eko is a winning combination mind.

 

Edit: The series are quite short though 8 eps per series iirc, So its easy enough to go through. I shall track it down again after Spooks, Caprica, and whatever else. Ive got on the to watch list. The complete box set is 35 quid on Amazon at the mo.

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Got all seasons on Region 1 DVD, only to then have released over here. Don't think the UK releases have episode commentries though.

The importance of the show is understated, being the first 1hr continuing drama on HBO, it laid the groundwork for The Sopranos, Big Love, The Wire et al to follow

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Yes, we've had many threads on it.

 

First 3 and half seasons are fucking outstanding television. The rest...not so. There's some good stuff in there but it's surrounded by alot of ridiculous shit.

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Simon Adebisi managed to make male rape cool, that takes some doing. My favourite TV drama of all time, even if I fucking HATE HATE HATE Omar White and it's no coincidence that his introduction coincides with the decline of the show.

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By the later seasons, the plot had become a bit ridiculous, several of the best charaters were dead by this point, Omar is annoying as fuck and a poor character. The first few seasons had an aura of reality to them the later ones not so much. Still decent viewing though, when I first saw Oz years back I saw the later episodes first and loved them, seeing them now after the stellar beginnings of the show made them seem a bit dissapointing.

 

Although I assumed it was a bit abrupt, things did seem to go into overdrive and happen at a lightning fast pace during the last season, which gave me the impression they felt it was going to be over.

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They knew S6 was going to be the final season. It was S4 when the whole thing was up in the air, as they lost the lease on the set, and while they were writing/shooting that season, there was a big possibility that would be the final one. That's why

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

Beecher has that weird dream sequence about being paroled. Had they had to end there, the 'it was all a daydream' bit would have been ditched, with the show going out on Beecher going free.

 

[close spoiler]

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Why bother revealing that bitch woman CO to be pregnant right at the end? or any of the other loose ends? simply not enough time?

 

Do you guys think they could ever bring this back, keeping some of the main characters/bringing some back (McManus, Beecher, Diane, Peter Marie, Mukado, Miguel, Chucky etc.?) from before along with some new guys and make it as good as before? despite it deteriorating in the later episodes, I still think a lot could be done with an ongoing prison drama like this. Em City was great as it gave them an excuse to give the characters more freedom and personality.

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