"The Routine" is the pilot and first episode of the HBO prison drama television series '' Oz''. Written by

Tom Fontana Tom Fontana (born September 12, 1951) is an American screenwriter, writer, and television producer. Fontana worked on NBC's '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and created HBO's ''Oz.'' Early life and education Fontana was born on the west si ...

and directed by

Darnell Martin Darnell Martin (born January 7, 1964) is an American television and film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Early life and education Martin was born in Bronx, New York, the daughter of Marilyn, a dancer of Irish-American descent, and a ...

, it aired originally on July 12, 1997.

Starring

Ernie Hudson Earnest Lee Hudson (born December 17, 1945) is an American actor. His roles include Winston Zeddemore in the ''Ghostbusters'' film series, Sergeant Darryl Albrecht in ''The Crow'' (1994), and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's '' Oz'' (1997–2003). H ...

as Warden Leo Glynn *

Terry Kinney Terry Kinney (born January 29, 1954) is an American actor and theater director, and is a founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, with John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinise, and Jeff Perry. Kinney is best known for his role as E ...

as Tim McManus *

Harold Perrineau, Jr. Harold Perrineau (born August 7, 1963) is an American actor best known for his roles as Michael Dawson in the ABC television series ''Lost'' (2004–2010), Augustus Hill in the HBO television series '' Oz'' (1997–2003), Sheriff Boyd Stevens ...

as Augustus Hill *

Eamonn Walker Eamonn Roderique Walker (born 12 June 1962) is an English film, television, and theatre actor. In the United States he is known for playing Kareem Saïd in the HBO television series '' Oz'', for which he won a CableACE Award, and (since 2012 ...

Kareem Said The characters of '' Oz'', fictional characters on the television series about prison life, are a diverse mixture of inmates from various gangs and prison staff. Main inmates Key Other inmates The Aryans The Aryans are a f ...

Also starring

Kirk Acevedo Kirk M. Acevedo (born November 27, 1971) is an American actor. He is primarily known for his work on television for the portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series '' Oz'', Joe Toye in '' Band of Brothers'', and FBI Agent Charlie Francis i ...

as Miguel Alvarez *

Edie Falco Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Carmela Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series '' Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2015). She also ...

as Correctional Officer Diane Whittlesey *

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again ...

as Jefferson Keane *

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

Sister Peter Marie Reimondo ''Oz'' is an American drama television series set at a fictional men's prison created and principally written by Tom Fontana. It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by the premium cable network HBO. ''Oz'' premiered o ...

* Tony Musante as Nino Schibetta * J. K. Simmons as

Vern Schillinger Vernon Schillinger is a fictional character played by American actor J. K. Simmons on the HBO series Oz as a major antagonist. TV Guide included him in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time and ''Rolling Stone'' has ranked hi ...

* Lee Tergesen as

Tobias Beecher Tobias Beecher is a main character on the television show '' Oz'',Sean O'Sullivan and David WilsonImages of Incarceration: Representations of Prison in Film and Television Drama(Waterside Press, 2004) played by Lee Tergesen. He is one of only ei ...

* Sean Whitesell as Donald Groves *

Dean Winters Dean Gerard Winters (born July 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Ryan O'Reily on the HBO prison drama '' Oz'' and had roles in TV series'' Rescue Me'', ''30 Rock'', '' Sex and the City'' and '' Law & Order: Special Vict ...

as Ryan O'Reily

Guest starring

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (, ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor, director, and former fashion model known for his roles as Lock-Nah in ''The Mummy Returns'', Nykwana Wombosi in '' The Bourne Identity'', Heavy Duty in '' G.I. Joe: The R ...

Simon Adebisi Simon Adebisi is a fictional character played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on the HBO dramatic series '' Oz''. Initially a side character, Adebisi later serves as one of the main characters in the first four seasons, beginning with the fourth ep ...

* George Morfogen as

Bob Rebadow The characters of '' Oz'', fictional characters on the television series about prison life, are a diverse mixture of inmates from various gangs and prison staff. Main inmates Key Other inmates The Aryans The Aryans are a f ...

* muMs da Schemer as

Arnold "Poet" Jackson The characters of '' Oz'', fictional characters on the television series about prison life, are a diverse mixture of inmates from various gangs and prison staff. Main inmates Key Other inmates The Aryans The Aryans are a f ...

Jon Seda Jonathan Seda (born October 14, 1970) is a Puerto Rican actor. Seda was an amateur boxer who auditioned for and was given a role in the 1992 boxing film ''Gladiator''. He played the role of Chris Pérez alongside Jennifer Lopez in the movie ''S ...

Dino Ortolani Dino Ortolani, played by Jon Seda, is a fictional character who appeared in three episodes of the HBO series '' Oz''. Although he dies in the first episode of the series, which is more or less centered on his character, his death has a strong impa ...

* Jose Soto as

Emilio Sánchez Emilio Ángel Sánchez Vicario (born 29 May 1965) is a Spanish former doubles world No. 1 tennis player. He won five Grand Slam doubles titles and the men's doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Sanchez is the older brother of mul ...

* Desiree Marie Velez as Jeanie Ortolani *

Lauren Vélez Luna Lauren Vélez (born November 2, 1964) is an American actress and the identical twin sister of actress Lorraine Vélez. Her most notable television roles are as María LaGuerta on Showtime's ''Dexter'', Detective Nina Moreno on Fox's ''New Yo ...

as Dr. Gloria Nathan

Co-starring

O. L. Duke Orville Lewis Duke (August 12, 1953 – September 10, 2004) was an American stage, television and film actor. He was a member of the renowned Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre dir ...

as Paul Markstrom * Goodfella Mike G as

Joey D'Angelo The characters of '' Oz'', fictional characters on the television series about prison life, are a diverse mixture of inmates from various gangs and prison staff. Main inmates Key Other inmates The Aryans The Aryans are a f ...

* Tim McAdams as Johnny Post * Steve Ryan as CO Mike Healy * Philip Scozzarella as CO Joseph Mineo * Derrick Simmons as

Billy Keane William Keane is an Irish former hurler who played as a left corner-back for the Offaly senior team. Born in Banagher, County Offaly, Keane first played competitive hurling in his youth. He made his senior debut with Offaly during the 1984-8 ...

Plot

Augustus Hill, the series'

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

, introduces the audience to Cell Block 5 of the Oswald Maximum Security Penitentiary ("Oz"). Nicknamed "

Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Fictional description Located in the center of the ...

" or "Em City," the experimental block is designed to rehabilitate select inmates by allowing them certain privileges in exchange for greater surveillance. The violence of Oz is demonstrated right away as new inmate Miguel Alvarez is shanked before even being brought inside, horrifying fellow arrival

. The violence upsets Em City's unit manager, Tim McManus, who asks

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically ident ...

Leo Glynn to allow the

cannibal Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, b ...

istic killer Donald Groves into Em City, believing no inmate is a lost cause. Glynn reluctantly agrees on the condition that drug dealer Paul Markstrom, his own wayward cousin, be brought there as well.

Correctional officer A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...

Diane Whittlesey assigns the arrivals to their "sponsors", veteran prisoners who at least nominally look after them and ensure they integrate appropriately. Groves is assigned the kindly

; Markstrom's sponsor is Jefferson Keane, a fellow "Homeboy"; and Beecher is given

Italian-American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan area ...

mobster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix ''-ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and r ...

. Ortolani is not interested in babysitting the anxious Beecher, but gives him basic pointers for surviving Oz. Glynn informs the inmates that cigarettes will be confiscated due to new state laws. Beecher is alarmed to find cellmate

rifling through his possessions. Adebisi intimidates Beecher when he tries to stop it, and threatens to

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

him at bedtime. An unassuming-looking prisoner named Vernon Schillinger suggests that Beecher appeal to McManus to move out of Adebisi's pod, implying that Schillinger will gladly take Beecher into his own. Unfortunately, Beecher soon realizes Schillinger belongs to the

Aryan Brotherhood The Aryan Brotherhood, also known as the Brand or the AB, is a neo-Nazi prison gang and an organized crime syndicate which is based in the United States and has an estimated 15,000–20,000 members both inside and outside prisons. The Souther ...

and that he has just become Schillinger's "livestock." That night, Schillinger tattoos a

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. I ...

onto a petrified Beecher's buttocks. The following morning, McManus complains about the draconian laws passed by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

James Devlin, saying that banning cigarettes will make the inmates uncooperative.

, a radical black Muslim leader convicted of

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

, arrives at Em City. Keane and Adebisi try to intimidate Said out of his anti-drug preaching, but Said purposefully injures himself to display his determination. Ortolani, plagued by

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy ...

and violent flashbacks, puts in a request for a

conjugal visit A conjugal visit is a scheduled period in which an inmate of a prison or jail is permitted to spend several hours or days in private with a visitor. The visitor is usually their legal spouse, and the visit's purpose is usually sexual activity. The ...

with his wife. Later, he is furious to find out that

Irish-American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

hoodlum Ryan O'Reily, the victim of the assault which landed Ortolani in Oz, is coming to the same prison. Upon arriving, O'Reily sets out to arrange a hit on Ortolani. After getting into a bloody fight with gay inmate Billy Keane in the showers, Ortolani tries to flirt with Dr. Gloria Nathan in the infirmary. McManus punishes Ortolani by assigning him to work with the gay inmates in the AIDS ward. Nathan hates working with Ortolani and thinks McManus can't change people like him. Nonetheless, McManus successfully asks Nathan to dinner with him. Since Ortolani had attacked his brother, Jefferson Keane agrees to O'Reily's hit. When Ortolani reacts poorly to working in the AIDS ward, McManus vindictively cancels his conjugal visit, replacing it with a behind-the-glass visit between Ortolani and his family. Ortolani tells his wife to go on with her life as though he were dead. During Ortolani's next round in the AIDS ward, he is told by a patient named Emilio Sanchez that he wants to die. In the restroom, Ortolani and O'Reily get into a fight. That night, Ortolani suffocates Sanchez in a

mercy killing Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different euth ...

and is beaten, tranquilized, and left in

solitary confinement Solitary confinement is a form of imprisonment in which the inmate lives in a single cell with little or no meaningful contact with other people. A prison may enforce stricter measures to control contraband on a solitary prisoner and use addit ...

by the guards. As he is sleeping, a bribed guard lets one of Keane's henchmen, Johnny Post, pour lighter fluid on Ortolani and set him on fire. A dejected McManus examines the photos of Ortolani's corpse.

Deceased

- Suffocated by Dino Ortolani when he asked him to euthanize him and end his suffering (late stage AIDS with multiple terminal infections). *

- Burned alive in his solitary confinement cell by Johnny Post on orders from Jefferson Keane to avenge Billy Keane's (his brother's) severe beating.

Crime flashbacks

More prominent prisoners in ''Oz'' are given a stylized "crime flashback," narrated by Augustus Hill, depicting the crime for which they were incarcerated. The flashbacks of the debut episode were: *

- driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter of a minor. *

- arson in the second degree. *

- murder in the first degree and assault with a deadly weapon ( Ryan O'Reily wounded).

Production

Creator

pitched the idea of ''Oz'' to the cable channel HBO after years of dissatisfaction working within the constraints of network television and their expression-limiting censoring requirements. Executive producer

Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American filmmaker, comedian and actor. Levinson's best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as '' Diner'' (1982); '' The Natural'' (1984); '' Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987) ...

had visited penal institutions, such as the

Baltimore City Jail Baltimore City Detention Center (BCDC, formerly known as the Baltimore City Jail) is a Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services state prison for men and women. It is located on 401 East Eager Street in downtown Baltimore, Ma ...

and the

Maryland House of Correction The Maryland House of Correction, nicknamed "The Cut" or "The House", was a Maryland Department of Corrections state maximum security prison in an unincorporated area in Maryland. The prison opened in 1879 and became infamous for the high levels ...

, before when researching for his previous TV series and felt that the prison was an intimidating and scary place with many stories to tell and that a dedicated TV series about the subject matter had never been done before. HBO felt that they had had success with their previous prison-themed documentaries and decided to commission ''Oz'' as their very first hour-long dramatic series. Fontana felt extremely liberated and satisfied writing for ''Oz'', developing graphic scenes and breaking taboos with which, he says, he would have never gotten away in network TV. HBO constructed prison sets inside a warehouse near the Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The opening credits of the show feature Tom Fontana himself getting the "Oz" tattoo.

References

External links

"The Routine"
at HBO {{Oz (TV series) Routine, The Routine, The Routine, The