Fandoms I Have Loved 8: Oz

[thefourthvine]

I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to Oz, I know nothing. But when has that ever stopped me before? Roll on with the FIHL, and if I get it wrong, hey, just tell me so.

Oz is a TV show. About a maximum-security prison. That did its damnedest to show prison life the way it really is. And it was written by Tom Fontana. This is all

Comments

[kassrachel]

Back when we got HBO, we flipped to Oz one day unknowingly. And saw Keller getting a blowjob, and then twisting the neck of the guy who gave it to him and leaving him dead on the floor. I went from "Guh -- you can do that on televsion?" to "Gaaaah! I didn't want to see that!" in about four seconds. That's pretty much Oz in a nutshell.

I only managed to watch for about a season. The thing is, it was one of the best-written shows I'd seen in a long time. It was absurd. There's this guy called the Poet, in a wheelchair, who narrated about half the episodes. There's this priest. Oh, man, there are so many of them and they are so fucked-up and it doesn't shy away from anything.

But in the end it was too dark for me. It was like a bad addiction. And then we relinquished HBO and Showtime and used that dough to get a Netflix subscription, and that was the end of my short but horrible fixation with Oz. :-)

[thefourthvine]

And saw Keller getting a blowjob, and then twisting the neck of the guy who gave it to him and leaving him dead on the floor. I went from "Guh -- you can do that on televsion?" to "Gaaaah! I didn't want to see that!" in about four seconds. That's pretty much Oz in a nutshell.

Wow. That's the best description of the show I've ever heard. Where were you with your instructive tales when I was writing this beast?

But. Um. It's also a perfect example of how I will never understand the plot, never ever ever. Keller gets a blowjob? And then kills the guy who gives it to him? Would this be serial Keller? Or...the hell, exactly?

Netflix was the better way to go, really. Although, as Oz is now out on DVD, you could in fact get Oz through Netflix. Not that I am trying to put a twist in your sobriety or anything.

[anenko]

But. Um. It's also a perfect example of how I will never understand the plot, never ever ever. Keller gets a blowjob? And then kills the guy who gives it to him? Would this be serial Keller? Or...the hell, exactly?

It's been a while since I watched Oz, but it goes something like this:

Beecher and Keller break up (again), leading to Beecher's slut stage.
Keller's old buddy ends up in Oz.
Beecher is a vengeful bitch, and sleeps with Keller's old buddy.
So does Keller, equally vengeful.
Old buddy plans to turn Keller into the feds for a string of murders. He tells Beecher. Beecher tells Keller. Keller gets one last blowjob out of the deal, and then breaks his old buddy's neck.

All told, it was a relatively *simple* string of events for Beecher and Keller.

[fanofall]

You know you can get OZ on Netflix, right? It's in my queue right now...

[ardent_muses]

Late to this party, but enjoyed this so much.

Oz was my first online fandom after a several-year break (the X-Files broke my heart). It was also my first positive intro to slash. And from there I briefly slid into (can you believe?) The Sentinel. Culture shock. But I digress *G*.

Oz is a rough sandbox to play in as a reader or a writer, but the good stuff really transcends the quality of most fan fiction, and that makes it a good place to be. And there's an incredible renaissance happening there -- lots of good writers who are passionate about the show. Also, much as Tom Fontana is an asshole, the overall quality of the show is really high. Particularly the acting.

I nodded straight through your write-up, until I got to this:

I also see him as just one of the many characters Tom Fontana has destroyed with his "twistiest twist that ever twisted" approach to plotting. I figure if Fontana can create 11 million versions of each of his characters purely for effect, I'm entitled to choose the edition I like the best, and I like my

[thefourthvine]

You aren't late to this party; I only posted it today. (And how did The X-Files break your heart? That's one fandom I'll never explore, because it strikes me as something you had to be there for. Plus, it eats fangirls for breakfast. So I'm not going there, and you can feel free to ruin it for me.)

So you went XF --> Oz --> TS --> dS? Um. One of these things is not like the other, and I'm thinking it's the one with the prisoners and the rape scenes and the highest body count since Pulp Fiction. No, wait; it's got a higher body count, and Tarantino cries nightly with jealousy.

Oz is a rough sandbox to play in as a reader or a writer, but the good stuff really transcends the quality of most fan fiction, and that makes it a good place to be. And there's an incredible renaissance happening there -- lots of good writers who are passionate about the show.See, now, that's exactly what I was going on about; the sand may be ground glass, but that just means that kids who play in it are tough as nails. And, as it happens, really good

[ardent_muses]

how did The X-Files break your heart?

Long story and fascinating to nobody but me *G* but the gist is that I was a Mulder/Scully shipper from day one and I finally got sick of hearing from The Creator that they would never "get together". Although two characters who risk their lives for one another and turn their backs on everything for each other and say things like "you are the only one I trust" -- well, if they are single, over 21 and hotter than two very hot things, I would say you got a couple of characters who are in love. Isn't that what *slash* is all about? Hello? So I gather he ended up putting them together anyway, after 7 or 8 seasons, and he did it in a half-assed way. But I was out of there by the fifth. I don't like being jerked around. Bitter? Moi? *G* (I still love catching the early S1 or S2 eps on TV, though. Such good stuff.)

So I went offline for a few years and then started watching Oz and developed a thing for Meloni and watched SVU, and found the lovely and gracious Meloni site (which you should check

[danibennett]

A little late but...

Oh my god. No no no. There was a reason I only watched one episode of Oz. I do not want to be sucked into the fandom. I. Do. Not.

Because um, the Ultimate Darkfic Wuss? That would be me. I like my characters angsty, but ultimately happy and for the most part good for each other. Not, you know, shanking each other in the back and breaking arms.

Oz is not a place where I want to spend my recreational time.

So why won't it leave me alone?!

[thefourthvine]

So why won't it leave me alone?!

Well, if you figure out, let me know. Because I also am the total non-fan of darkfic - I want happy endings in my fannish reading, dammit. If I want tragic and gruesome, hell, I can always read Ethan Fromme. But somehow the Oz tentacles are all over me. I can't help reading.

So if you figure out how to get rid of the curse of Oz, please, make the information public.

In the meantime, of course, there's a lot of really excellent fic for you to read...

[danibennett]

In the meantime, of course, there's a lot of really excellent fic for you to read...

Eeevil. Or, at least, it would be if I hadn't already READ THEM ALL YESTERDAY. Am I allowed to blame you for this?

More importantly, am I allowed to even talk about Oz fandom if the only canon I am willing to watch is that vid on my hard drive?

Of course I spent a lot of time yesterday reading Episode Guides too. Dammit.

All right, as soon as I return from darkest Africa after consulting many venerable witch doctors I shall announce the cure for the Oz curse publically. Maybe I can sell, it and buy myself some therapy time.

Also, Ethan Frome was the bane of my existence last summer, thanks to that freaking English AP reading list. It looked so innocent! DAMN YOU EDITH WHARTON.

[thefourthvine]

More importantly, am I allowed to even talk about Oz fandom if the only canon I am willing to watch is that vid on my hard drive?

Hey, I wrote a Fandoms I Have Loved about it, and I've only ever watched that vid. (And, thank you, that's quite enough; I don't need to, you know, see the rape scene and the branding scene and the myriad death scenes and whatever scene explains that godawful thing - that roadkill fungus creature, or whatever it is - that Beecher has on his face sometimes.) So, hell yeah - weigh in with the commentary. This is fandom. It's not like you need to pass comps to have an opinion here.

Am I allowed to blame you for this?

No. I am a fellow-sufferer, and it is wrong to blame the victim.

All right, as soon as I return from darkest Africa after consulting many venerable witch doctors I shall announce the cure for the Oz curse publically.Good. Just don't try the thing with the pentagram and the iron filings and the giant cauldron of stinking muck, because I did that last week and I don't feel my addiction

[apatheia_jane]

[apatheia_jane]

[sightsee]

'view him as manipulative, deceitful, and slick, but honestly in love with Beecher despite his own wishes and his own best interests.'

Best view ever. Would you mind if I friended you?