List of Oz episodes

The following is a list of the episodes of the HBO television drama, Oz. Each episode addresses a particular "theme" which is addressed during Augustus Hill's narratives, as well as during certain points in the actual episode. During the first six episodes of season 6, Augustus Hill shares the narration with another inmate. In the season 5 episode "Variety" the narratives were replaced by short songs sung by series characters, in a variety show format.

Contents

Series overview

Season Episodes Originally aired DVD release date
Season premiere Season finale Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
1 8 July 12, 1997 (1997-07-12) August 25, 1997 (1997-08-25) March 19, 2002 (2002-03-19) February 5, 2007 (2007-02-05) February 15, 2007 (2007-02-15)
2 8 July 11, 1998 (1998-07-11) August 31, 1998 (1998-08-31) January 7, 2003 (2003-01-07) August 6, 2007 (2007-08-06) August 16, 2007 (2007-08-16)
3 8 July 14, 1999 (1999-07-14) September 1, 1999 (1999-09-01) February 24, 2004 (2004-02-24) October 29, 2007 (2007-10-29) November 8, 2007 (2007-11-08)
4 16 July 12, 2000 (2000-07-12) February 25, 2001 (2001-02-25) February 1, 2005 (2005-02-01) March 8, 2008 (2008-03-08) March 20, 2008 (2008-03-20)
5 8 January 6, 2002 (2002-01-06) February 24, 2002 (2002-02-24) June 21, 2005 (2005-06-21) June 30, 2008 (2008-06-30) June 19, 2008 (2008-06-19)
6 8 January 5, 2003 (2003-01-05) February 23, 2003 (2003-02-23) September 5, 2006 (2006-09-05) September 22, 2008 (2008-09-22) September 18, 2008 (2008-09-18)

Episode list

Season 1 (1997)

The first season of Oz starred Ernie Hudson as Warden Leo Glynn, Terry Kinney as Emerald City Unit Manager Tim McManus, Harold Perrineau as inmate and narrator Augustus Hill, and Eamonn Walker as new inmate and devout Muslim Kareem Saïd.

It is also starred Kirk Acevedo as Latino inmate Miguel Alvarez, Edie Falco as correctional officer Diane Wittlesey, Rita Moreno as prison counselor Sister Peter Marie Reimondo, Tony Musante as inmate and Mafia boss Nino Schibetta, Leon Robinson as inmate Jefferson Keane, J.K. Simmons as inmate and Aryan Brotherhood leader Vernon Schillinger, Lee Tergesen as new inmate Tobias Beecher, Sean Whitesell as cannibalistic inmate Donald Groves, Dean Winters as manipulative Irish inmate Ryan O'Reily, and B. D. Wong as the prison chaplain Father Ray Mukada.

Recurring guest stars included Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as inmate and Homeboys gang leader Simon Adebisi, Rick Fox as inmate and former basketball star Jackson Vahue, Goodfella Mike G as inmate and Schibetta's right hand man Joey D'Angelo, Stephen Gevedon as biker inmate Scott Ross, Craig muMs Grant as inmate Arnold "Poet" Jackson, Zeljko Ivanek as Governor James Devlin, Tim McAdams as inmate and Homeboy Johnny Post, George Morfogen as long-term inmate Bob Rebadow, Steve Ryan as corrupt Officer Mike Healy, Lauren Vélez as prison doctor Gloria Nathan, and J. D. Williams as homeboy inmate Kenny Wangler.

Season 1 chronicled the spiritual and political journeys of many of the characters as they descend into insanity, rise and fall politically, and seek redemption. The season showed how the different gangs fight each other as well as the prison system, culminating in a riot in which the inmates take over Emerald City.

Series
#
Season
#
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Theme
1 1 "The Routine" Darnell Martin Tom Fontana July 12, 1997 (1997-07-12) Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary
 
2 2 "Visits, Conjugal and Otherwise" Nick Gomez Tom Fontana July 14, 1997 (1997-07-14) Sex
 
3 3 "God's Chillin'" Jean de Segonzac Tom Fontana July 21, 1997 (1997-07-21) Religion
 
4 4 "Capital P" Darnell Martin Tom Fontana July 28, 1997 (1997-07-28) Capital Punishment
 
5 5 "Straight Life" Leslie Libman & Larry Williams Tom Fontana August 4, 1997 (1997-08-04) Drugs
 
6 6 "To Your Health" Alan Taylor Tom Fontana August 11, 1997 (1997-08-11) Health
 
7 7 "Plan B" Darnell Martin Tom Fontana August 18, 1997 (1997-08-18) Unplanned events
 
8 8 "A Game of Checkers" Jean de Segonzac Tom Fontana August 25, 1997 (1997-08-25) Revolution
 

Season 2 (1998)

The second season of Oz starred Kirk Acevedo as Latino inmate Miguel Alvarez, Ernie Hudson as Warden Leo Glynn, Terry Kinney as Emerald City Unit Manager Tim McManus, Rita Moreno as prison counselor Sister Peter Marie Reimondo, Harold Perrineau as inmate and narrator Augustus Hill, J.K. Simmons as reformed Aryan Brotherhood inmate Vernon Schillinger, Lee Tergesen as the mentally unstable inmate Tobias Beecher, Eamonn Walker as inmate and devout Muslim leader Kareem Saïd, and Dean Winters as manipulative Irish-American inmate Ryan O'Reily.

It also starred Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as inmate and Homeboys gang leader Simon Adebisi, Edie Falco as correctional officer Diane Wittlesey, George Morfogen as long-term inmate Bob Rebadow, Lauren Vélez as prison doctor Gloria Nathan, and B. D. Wong as the prison chaplain Father Ray Mukada.

Recurring guest stars included Bryan Callen as Christian inmate Jonathan Coushaine, Kathryn Erbe as death row inmate Shirley Bellinger, Bill Fagerbakke as corrupt corrections officer Karl Metzger, Rick Fox as inmate and former basketball star Jackson Vahue, Craig muMs Grant as inmate Arnold "Poet" Jackson, Luis Guzmán as new inmate and Latino gang leader Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez, Zeljko Ivanek as Governor James Devlin, Jordan Lage as homosexual inmate Richie Hanlon, Eddie Malavarca as inmate and new leader of the mob Peter Schibetta, Tom Mardirosian as inmate Agamemnon "The Mole" Busmalis, Mark Margolis as Peter Schibetta's godfather and new inmate Antonio Nappa, Christopher Meloni as new inmate Chris Keller, Austin Pendleton as inmate and alzheimer's patient William Giles, Evan Seinfeld as new biker inmate Jaz Hoyt, J. D. Williams as homeboy inmate Kenny Wangler, and Scott William Winters as Ryan O'Reily's brother, Cyril O'Reily.

Season two of Oz continued to show the aftermath of the riot and the lessons each of the characters learned from it. Throughout the course of the season, each of its principal characters were forced to confront their own demons, and some prevail where others falter.

Series
#
Season
#
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Theme
9 1 "The Tip" Nick Gomez Tom Fontana July 11, 1998 (1998-07-11) Blame/Lying
 
10 2 "Ancient Tribes" Uli Edel Story by: Tom Fontana
Teleplay by: Tom Fontana & Sean Jablonski
July 20, 1998 (1998-07-20) Forced perceptions
 
11 3 "Great Men" Bob Balaban Story by: Tom Fontana
Teleplay by: Tom Fontana & Sean Jablonski
July 27, 1998 (1998-07-27) Historical impact
 
12 4 "Losing Your Appeal" Keith Samples Story by: Tom Fontana
Teleplay by: Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters
August 3, 1998 (1998-08-03) Love
 
13 5 "Family Bizness" Kathy Bates Story by: Tom Fontana
Teleplay by: Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters
August 10, 1998 (1998-08-10) Family
 
14 6 "Strange Bedfellows" Alan Taylor Tom Fontana August 17, 1998 (1998-08-17) Consequences
 
15 7 "Animal Farm" Mary Harron Story by: Tom Fontana
Teleplay by: Tom Fontana and Debbie Sarjeant
August 24, 1998 (1998-08-24) Animals
 
16 8 "Escape from Oz" Jean de Segonzac Tom Fontana August 31, 1998 (1998-08-31) Escaping prison life
 

Season 3 (1999)

The third season of Oz is starred Kirk Acevedo as Latino inmate Miguel Alvarez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as inmate Simon Adebisi, Ernie Hudson as Warden Leo Glynn, Terry Kinney as Emerald City Unit Manager Tim McManus, Rita Moreno as prison counselor Sister Peter Marie Reimondo, Harold Perrineau as inmate and narrator Augustus Hill, J.K. Simmons as reformed Aryan Brotherhood inmate Vernon Schillinger, Lee Tergesen as the mentally unstable inmate Tobias Beecher, Eamonn Walker as inmate and devout Muslim leader Kareem Saïd, and Dean Winters as manipulative Irish inmate Ryan O'Reily.

It is also starred Kathryn Erbe as death row inmate Shirley Bellinger, Edie Falco as correctional officer Diane Wittlesey, Luis Guzmán as inmate and Latino gang leader Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez, Mark Margolis as inmate and Italian gang leader Antonio Nappa, Christopher Meloni as inmate Chris Keller, George Morfogen as longterm inmate Robert 'Bob' Rebadow, Lauren Vélez as prison doctor Gloria Nathan, and B. D. Wong as the prison chaplain Father Ray Mukada, Granville Adams as Muslim inmate Zahir Arif, Arija Bareikis as Tricia Ross, the sister of dead inmate Scott Ross, Philip Casnoff as new Russian inmate Nikolai Stanislofsky, Robert Clohessy as new head CO of Emerald City Sean Murphy, Seth Gilliam as new CO Clayton Hughes, Tom Mardirosian as inmate Agamemnon "The Mole" Busmalis, Craig muMs Grant as inmate Arnold "Poet" Jackson, Kristin Rohde as new CO Claire Howell, J. D. Williams as inmate and Homeboy gang leader Kenny Wangler, and Scott William Winters as inmate Cyril O'Reily.

Series
#
Season
#
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Theme
17 1 "The Truth and Nothing But..." Nick Gomez Tom Fontana July 14, 1999 (1999-07-14) The truth
 
18 2 "Napoleon's Boney Parts" Matt Dillon Tom Fontana July 21, 1999 (1999-07-21) Napoléon Bonaparte
 
19 3 "Legs" Keith Samples Tom Fontana July 28, 1999 (1999-07-28) Running
 
20 4 "Unnatural Disasters" Chazz Palminteri Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters August 4, 1999 (1999-08-04) God's will
 
21 5 "U.S. Mail" Steve Buscemi Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters August 11, 1999 (1999-08-11) U.S. Postal Service
 
22 6 "Cruel and Unusual Punishments" Terry Kinney Tom Fontana August 18, 1999 (1999-08-18) Punishment
 
23 7 "Secret Identities" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar August 25, 1999 (1999-08-25) One's true identity
 
24 8 "Out o' Time" Barbara Kopple Tom Fontana September 1, 1999 (1999-09-01) The new year, end of the millennium
 

Season 4 (2000–2001)

Series
#
Season
#
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Theme
25 1 "A Cock and Balls Story" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana July 12, 2000 (2000-07-12) The U.S. prison system
 
26 2 "Obituaries" Kenneth Fink Tom Fontana July 19, 2000 (2000-07-19) Newspaper obituaries
 
27 3 "The Bill of Wrongs" Goran Gajić Tom Fontana July 26, 2000 (2000-07-26) The Bill of Rights
 
28 4 "Works of Mercy" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana August 2, 2000 (2000-08-02) Mercy
 
29 5 "Gray Matter" Brian Cox Tom Fontana August 9, 2000 (2000-08-09) The human brain
 
30 6 "A Word to the Wise" Keith Samples Tom Fontana August 16, 2000 (2000-08-16) Figures of speech
 
31 7 "A Town Without Pity" J. Miller Tobin Tom Fontana August 23, 2000 (2000-08-23) Prison economics
 
32 8 "You Bet Your Life" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana August 30, 2000 (2000-08-30) Gambling
 
33 9 "Medium Rare" Alex Zakrzewski Story by: Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar
Teleplay by: Tom Fontana
January 7, 2001 (2001-01-07) News and the media
 
34 10 "Conversions" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana January 14, 2001 (2001-01-14) Converting
 
35 11 "Revenge is Sweet" Goran Gajić Tom Fontana January 21, 2001 (2001-01-21) Revenge
 
36 12 "Cuts Like a Knife" Steve Buscemi Tom Fontana January 28, 2001 (2001-01-28) Shanks
 
37 13 "Blizzard of '01" Leslie Libman Tom Fontana February 4, 2001 (2001-02-04) Snow
 
38 14 "Orpheus Descending" Gloria Muzio Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar & Sean Whitesell February 11, 2001 (2001-02-11) Orpheus
 
39 15 "Even the Score" J. Miller Tobin Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar & Sean Whitesell February 18, 2001 (2001-02-18) Sports
 
40 16 "Famous Last Words" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana & Sean Whitesell February 25, 2001 (2001-02-25) Last words
 

Season 5 (2002)

Series
#
Season
#
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Theme
41 1 "Visitation" Alex Zakrzewski Tom Fontana January 6, 2002 (2002-01-06) Historical figures and prison
 
42 2 "Laws of Gravity" Rob Morrow Tom Fontana & Sean Whitesell January 13, 2002 (2002-01-13) The Three Laws
 
43 3 "Dream a Little Dream of Me" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana & Sean Whitesell January 20, 2002 (2002-01-20) Dreams
 
44 4 "Next Stop, Valhalla" J. Miller Tobin Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar January 27, 2002 (2002-01-27) Norse mythology
 
45 5 "Wheel of Fortune" Terry Kinney Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar February 3, 2002 (2002-02-03) Psychics
 
46 6 "Variety" Roger Rees Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters February 10, 2002 (2002-02-10) Variety show
 
47 7 "Good Intentions" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters February 17, 2002 (2002-02-17) Good intentions gone bad
 
48 8 "Impotence" Alex Zakrzewski Tom Fontana February 24, 2002 (2002-02-24) Erectile dysfunction
 

Season 6 (2003)

Series
#
Season
#
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Theme
49 1 "Dead Man Talking" Adam Bernstein Tom Fontana January 5, 2003 (2003-01-05) Death and the afterlife
 
50 2 "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Smell No Evil" Marc Klasfeld Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar January 12, 2003 (2003-01-12) Senses
 
51 3 "Sonata da Oz" Judy Dennis Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar January 19, 2003 (2003-01-19) Music
 
52 4 "A Failure to Communicate" David Von Ancken Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters January 26, 2003 (2003-01-26) Communication
 
53 5 "4giveness" John Henry Davis Tom Fontana & Bradford Winters February 2, 2003 (2003-02-02) Forgiveness
 
54 6 "A Day in the Death..." Daniel Loflin Tom Fontana & Sunil Nayar & Bradford Winters February 9, 2003 (2003-02-09) Causes of death
 
55 7 "Junkyard Dawgs" Theodore Bogosian Tom Fontana & Chuck Schweitzer February 16, 2003 (2003-02-16) Junk
 
56 8 "Exeunt Omnes" Alex Zakrzewski Tom Fontana February 23, 2003 (2003-02-23) True facts
 

External links