Straight Life

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Not to be confused with the autobiography of jazz saxophonist Art Pepper


Season 1, Episode 5, "Straight Life". Directed by Leslie Liebman & Larry Williams, written by Tom Fontana.

Return to the Oz Episode Guide.

Contents

[edit] Brief Synopsis

McManus is concerned about the infiltration of drugs into Em City. His attempt to find out how drugs are getting in leads to the death of an undercover narcotics officer. Schibetta and O'Reily work together to get a CO busted for bringing drugs into Em City. Schibetta negotiates with the Homeboys on working together in the drug trade. Scott Ross begins serving his sentence at Oz in Emerald City and strikes up a deal with his old friend, CO Diane Wittlesey. Said is diagnosed with high blood pressure and urged to take medication. Alvarez continues to struggle with the death of his son. Beecher's drug use escalates as he continues to be bullied by Schillinger.

[edit] Extended Synopsis

Tim McManus is concerned about the drugs in Emerald City. McManus asks Kareem Said for help in curbing the drug use, but Said declines as he says he does not want to get killed. McManus speaks to Nino Schibetta who is also uncooperative. McManus retaliates by having all of Schibetta's men transferred out of Em City.

Schibetta approaches Paul Markstrom and discusses smoothing things over with the Homeboys. Together with Simon Adebisi, they strike a deal to work together selling drugs in Oz. Schibetta only reveals that he will be getting his deliveries through the mailroom.

McManus talks to Ronald Poklewaldt trying to get him to snitch on how drugs are getting into Em City. Poklewaldt tries to get info from Ryan O'Reily and Tobias Beecher on how the Homeboys get their drugs, but there is no way they are going to tell him anything.

Drugs are detected in a package the mailroom. Somehow, the guards have been alerted to the shipment. Schibetta confronts Adebisi and asks him to "plug the leak." Markstrom is found hanging in the gym. Warden Leo Glynn admits to McManus that Markstrom was a narc (not Glynn's cousin as he had told McManus earlier). McManus is infuriated, but Glynn says he figured the less people knew the better. Glynn is determined to find out who is responsible. He orders a lockdown.

Schibetta tells Adebisi the mailroom was just a test and not really the way he gets drugs into the prison.

During the lockdown, Miguel Alvarez is restless. He does LSD with Donald Groves in their shared pod. Later, apparently still tripping on LSD, Alvarez hallucinates that he's holding his baby. Groves says, "Your baby is dead," and Alvarez weeps.

McManus pressures Diane Wittlesey to continue their romance and says he loves her. Diane says what they did on the night of Jefferson Keane's execution was "really f***ed up." She receives file about a new prisoner, Scott Ross. She knows him. Scott and Diane's ex used to ride together. She greets him coolly at his intake. Later, Ross runs into Vernon Schillinger and they appear to know each other as well.

Glynn announces that officers will no longer be allowed to work double shifts. Wittlesey is financially strapped and upset about this change. McManus offers to take care of her, but she is not interested in continuing their relationship. Diane had earlier turned down a money making offer from Ross. She goes back to Ross and agrees to bring in one carton of cigarettes per day Ross to sell to prisoners.

Said is diagnosed with hypertension. Said tries to explain to the white doctor that this condition is brought on by racism. Dr. Prestopnick urges him to take drugs to counteract this, but Said says "my mind must remain clear," and refuses. Later Bob Rebadow approaches Said in his pod and says that he knows Said is ill because God told him. Rebadow says Said is angry, angry at God. He also says Said is afraid of dying and was confronted with this fear when he witnessed Jefferson Keane's execution. Said says, "get out of here, old man," and begins to pray fervently.

Prisoners see a news story on TV about Governor James Devlin having an affair.

McManus asks Said again how drugs come into OZ. Said says, "Look at your own house." McManus discusses with Glynn the possibility that COs are bringing in drugs. We see CO Mike Healy handing drugs to O'Reily while walking by. Schibetta asks O'Reily to "shut down" Healy because his business is cutting into Schibetta's. O'Reily agrees because he wants to work with Schibetta. He goes to Healy and asks for more. O'Reily approaches Poklewaldt and tells him to snitch on him (O'Reily). O'Reily and Healy are caught making an exchange, and are both busted. Healy is fired and O'Reily goes to the hole. O'Reily refuses to testify against Healy but tells a CO that Poklewaldt snitched on Healy. Immediately after, Poklewaldt is wheeled into the infirmary after being beaten.

Schillinger says to Beecher "the romance has gone out," and tells Beecher to start wearing lipstick. Beecher refuses and Schillinger says, "I can wait." Beecher gets high on drugs and shows up for his job with Sister Peter Marie. Peter Marie recognizes this and talks with McManus about Beecher's drug problem, wanting to "nip it in the bud". They arrange for a visit from Beecher's mother. She confronts him about the drug use, and he says "you don't know what it's like in here."

Beecher attends drug counseling session with other inmates. He is high and freaks out after listening to Whitney Munson tell a story about strangling a prostitute while high on opium. Schillinger hires a drag queen to give Beecher a "make-over." Beecher goes to Schillinger with his face made up, and Schillinger and Ross laugh at him.

In the ending scene, McManus is seen smoking a joint in a dark hallway.

[edit] Cast

Also Starring:

Guest Starring:

With:

[edit] Characters first seen in this episode

  • Whitney Munson (only episode)
  • Scott Ross
  • Ronald Poklewaldt (only episode)
  • Tobias Beecher's Mother

[edit] Flashbacks

  • Ronald Poklewaldt - In for arson, he is seen setting a fire station on fire.
  • Scott Ross - Arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell - as it is his third offense, he gets life under three strikes law.
  • Whitney Munson - Discusses his addiction to opium after the war ended. He strangled a prostitute in 1945 while high on opium.
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