Support NeoGAF

[Andrew.]

So I've been catching up with those old podcasts of "Out of The Game" and on a later episode the guys start discussing the greatness of the show and went into detail about its first couple seasons. Now I had always heard about it, and friends of mine back home used to rave on about it's characters, particulary the role of J.K. Simmons. It just never sparked my curiousity until now.

Fast forward to last night. I managed to get myself the first season and watched only the first episode, but I can tell I'm probably going to be hooked.

It has a different feel from most HBO series' that I've watched, Deadwood being my favorite.There's something about the performances and camera work that definitely give you a sense of unease and isolation. I mean it's a show based on a prison so it makes sense, right? The whole panopticon/Orwellian design of that facility is pretty remarkable and magnetizing to me since from a design standpoint, the only time Ive ever seen something of a similar build would be in some random sci-fi film.

The fact that the show starts by showing some everyman white dude getting locked in there really puts the viewer into his shoes. You dont know what to expect, much like Beecher and really arent prepared for anything in the upcoming future since this environment is completely unknown to him and the viewer. It was quite a shock to see two former members of Lost being stars, and then pre-Sopranos Edie Falco as a security guard. J.K. Simmons' role so far has also been pretty shocking (wasn't prepared for Beecher to become his bitch and get a swastika tattooed onto his ass, though Im sure Im in for a hell of a ride with more surprises).

All in all, Im impressed. HBO never really disappoints when it comes to its shows. Looking forward to knocking out the rest and then starting up The Wire for the first time.

Any other GAF Oz fans out there?

 

[Paskil]

Good show, but you should really set it aside and watch The Wire first.

 

[Andrew.]

Good show, but you should really set it aside and watch The Wire first.

But I just started it! The Wire is expensive too. 90 bucks on Amazon just for the entire series on DVD (no BR). Im sure its worth it, but I really wanna knock out Oz first.

 

[bestami]

I've recently marathoned this. Last season was so bad it was unwatchable for me. First couple of seasons are gold tho.

 

[Paskil]

But I just started it! The Wire is expensive too. 90 bucks on Amazon just for the entire series on DVD (no BR). Im sure its worth it, but I really wanna knock out Oz first.

I managed to snag a brand new copy on ebay for $45 a few years ago. It was some media store and I'm still not sure why it was so cheap. Was sealed and everything.

 

[Dyno]

Oz was ground-breaking in that it's a blueprint for all of the other serious, high-quality drama that would follow on cable. You can see a lot of people's favourite dramas in Oz. That said, it suffers from being the first and making all the mistakes that comes with being first.

There are some stand-out moments and great episodes but the prison is a ridiculous place where drugs are trucked in and bodies are trucked out. It's a sodomy factory built to horrify us, rather than depict what a real prison works like, even an experimental cell block.

When it came out it was really something but now I think other shows have eclipsed it in every way.