| Series Name | |
| Oz episode | |
| Airdate | August 18, 1997 |
| Production No. | 107 |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous To Your Health |
next A Game of Checkers |
"Plan B" is the seventh episode of the first season and the seventh episode overall of the HBO television series Oz.
Theme []
This episode deals with unplanned events.
Summary []
Following his heart attack, Said banishes Huseni Mershah, but Mershah tells Glynn and McManus about Said's plans to start a riot. Following a shakedown, he is transferred out of Em City, where he is labeled an outcast, and commits suicide later on. Donald Groves, who wants to follow Said, decides to kill Glynn, but by accident kills an officer in the process. While Groves is awaiting execution, the guards brutally beat the inmates for retaliation. Hill admires a cellist, Eugene Dobbins, and through this decides to find a role model other than Vahue. O'Reily and Adebisi take down Schibetta. Beecher manages to stand up to Schillinger by attacking him in the gym and defecating on his face.
Plot []
Mershah tells the other Muslims that Said told him he should lead if he were to die. Alvarez sees Said and tells him the inmates had a pool on if he'd survive or not. Alvarez has Groves fetch Dr. Nathan. She and McManus tell him he has to take his medication if he wants back in Em City and he agrees to. Said tells his gang about how Mershah left him to die and instructs them to ignore him. Mershah tries to talk to Arif who merely ignores him to recite scripture. Later Mershah threatens Said. He talks to Adebisi, He tries to appeal to the fact they are of the same skin and to get him to kill Said by lying that Said was responsible for Keane's death. Adebisi sees right through him and refuses. Mershah comes to McManus and Glynn, telling them Said wants to start a riot. Mershah claims he's coming forward to stop the violence but McManus knows he's doing it for revenge. McManus refuses to her anything from him and sends him out angrily. This annoys Glynn who feels McManus has stopped him from possibly getting information but McManus says they weren't going to get useful information out of him anyway. Eventually Glynn tells him to have a shakedown in Em City.
The shakedown happens and Said seems to be the only one without a weapon. The inmates all guess Mershah is the rat and spit on him as he's moved out of Em City. Mershah accuses Said of being a poor teacher before leaving. After Mershah hangs himself Said arranges to meet with a reporter and tells him to look into Mershah's death. Glynn and McManus are furious with McManus feeling Said is trying to destroy him but Said says he gives himself too much importance. Glynn orders a media blackout much to Said's chagrin. Later Wittlesey and the other guards come and take a number of the things muslims use to practice their religion on orders from Glynn. Said is annoyed but tells his gang they don't need Prayer beads or Koffis to practice their religion. Later Glynn tries to give a speech about the recent deaths in Oz but is unable to finish as the Muslims all bang their spoons on the table. Groves comes to Said and tells him how much he respects him.
Groves tells Alvarez that Said thinks Glynn and McManus are guilty of far worse crimes than the prisoners. He reveals his intent to kill Glynn to impress Said. Alvarez tries to talk him out of it but Groves still plans to go through with it. Groves attempts to stab Glynn but Officer Smith jumps in the way and is killed in the process. Groves is sent to Death Row. Glynn talks to Groves who tells him he has to understand that it wasn't personal. Glynn doesn't care for his explanations and simply asks him how he wants to die. Groves tells him firiring squad and also informs him that the officers guarding him have been beating him. Despite his hate for Groves Glynn is displeased by this and tells the guards he should fire them. Mukada gives a speech, urging the guards not to punish all the inmates for a crime committed by just one of them. They clearly do not take it to heart as they lay random beatings on Jackson and O'Reily. Hunt asks Glynn if he can be on the squad that kills Groves. Glynn seems hesitant but agrees to think about it. Glynn questions O'Reily about what guards were involved in his beating but he won't name anyone as he fears it will make things worse.
At a staff meeting Burrano excuses the guards beating of inmates much to McManus's disgust. McManus pushes Glynn to fire them while Burrano insists he let it it continue. it is Gordon Wood 's first day. Diane makes an effort to be nice to him and encourages him to ask any questions. Wood turns out to be a muslim and leaves Said a gun. Groves gets a visit from Smith's mother and starts to cry when she tells him that she forgives him and loves him. Groves overdoses on pills and has to be saved by Dr. Nathan who's annoyed by the pointlessness of saving him so he can be executed. Alvarez talks to Rebadow and tells him it would better for him to grieve for Groves than to stay in his pod and hide all the time. As Groves is having his last meal he asks Mukada to write down his last words and tell Smith's mother what they were as he wants her to feel better. Mukada says it's a great idea and agrees. Mukada can't go in the room where Groves is killed but is allowed to listen through the speaker. Unfortunately there is a problem through the speaker. Devlin tries to fix it but it doesn't work. The squad kills Groves and an upset Mukada asks Burrano what Groves's last words were but Burrano replies he was not really listening. Diane finds Hunt drinking. He tells her about his guilt over possibly killing Groves. She shows concern for him and sends him home.
Augustus talks too Eugene Dobbins who tells him he feels lonely having nobody to play his cello with. Soon after this Augustus again caves to peer pressure and gets high with Jackson and Kenny . Later he confides about the situation to Sister Pete . She promises to make sure he isn't found out as a snitch and encourages him to find a new hero. Augustus later catches Vahue roughing up Dobbins and has to stop him. Later on Jackson and Kenny break into Dobbins's cell and destroy his cello. Afterwards Vahue seems to feel guilty.
When Ryan comes to ask Nino for a game of pinochle ,Nino rudely dismisses him and calls him a "stupid mick bastard". O'Reily talks to Scott, having noticed Nino talking to Said. They both fear about the muslims starting a riot soon and agree to have each other's backs if it happens. O'Reily says he will try to get the homeboys on side. He speaks with Adebisi who seems disinterested but agrees. O'Reily tries to bring dinner with a shattered glass in it to Nino but Nino isn't hungry. Annoyed that his plan seemingly isn't working he gives the dinner to Dobbins who thinks O'Reily is being kind. Later at dinner Nino suddenly starts bleeding and has to be taken to the medical ward. O'Reily visits him to force food down his throat and smugly asks "who's the stupid mick bastard now".
Schillinger complains to McManus about Beecher's humiliation of him. McManus tells him there is still a chance his eye can be saved and that he has to pick someone to move out of Em City. Schillinger says it should obviously be Beecher as Beecher was the one who attacked him. McManus asks if Beecher's actions were unprovoked but Schillinger knows he's already made up his mind. McManus sends him to Gen Pop much to his anger. McManus speaks with Beecher In the hole who asks to be moved to another prison but McManus says he is not a travel agent.
Beecher is let out of the hole and is working out in the gym when Schillinger comes in. Schillinger says Beecher's a dead man to which replies "not today". He then knocks Vern unconscious with a weight before defecating on his face as the other inmates cheer him on.
Narrations[]
"The best laid schemes of mice and men most often go astray." That was written by Mr. Robert Burns way the fuck back in 1785, and it still is news. In Oz, we got all sorts of schemes to change our lousy, lonely lives. But no matter how much we plot and plan, something outside our control always comes along and fucks things up. You take Tobias Beecher. 6 months ago, if you'd ask him where he planned to be today, he'd of said "at his daughter's 4th birthday party". Instead, he's howling at the moon thanks to some bad angel dust. Old Vern Schillinger. Before he got to Oz, he wanted to get America back on the right track. The white track. Now Beecher smashed a piece of glass in his pure Aryan eye. Timmy McManus. He's slowly watching as his dreams for the perfect prison fart away. And then there's the Reverend Kareem Said. He was working on a way to bring the brothers together. To fight the injustices we endure, in the name of justice. He was working it and working it, 'til a heart attack worked him over.
People do terrible things to people. That's why we got so many prisons in the world. People rape other people, they rob and beat and cheat other people. But the worst crime of all is betrayal. And there ain't no jail terms for that.
You wanna kill a man? Stick a shank in his chest. You wanna torture a man? Feed his loneliness. Fiending for friendship, for peace, he will search everywhere. And when he realizes that he won't find it, he will destroy himself.
Prisoner number 97G414, Donald Groves. Convicted July 3, '97. Two counts, murder in the first degree. Sentence: life imprisonment.
Donald Groves. Convicted August 21, '97. Murder in the first degree in the death of corrections officer Lawrence Smith. Sentence: death.
"The best laid schemes of mice and men." I don't get the mice part. Were the mice back in Burns' time smart enough to make a plan? We got mice in Oz but they don't seem too bright. It's the rats you gotta look out for. Our rats come in all shapes and sizes.
Prisoner number 97D403, Eugene Dobbins. Convicted August 18, '97. Murder in the second degree. Sentence: 22 years, up for parole in 8.
We all got problems. Impossible problems. And then we meet someone who's g bigger problems than we have. Or at least, they can't handle their problems as well. And somehow, their weakness gives us strength. Simple truth #62: You help someone, you help yourself. So, I did what Sister Peter Marie said. I got myself another hero. And who'd have guessed? It's me. Yeah. I'm proud because my plan worked. I did my best. But unfortunately for Dobbins; my best, it ain't good enough.
If you listen to the poets, they'll tell you that a big bad event in someone's life changes them. If you lose the woman you love, or your legs, you suddenly find a kind of beauty inside yourself. That's what they say, the poets. Truth is, you don't. After a big bad event, you only become more of the person you already were. It's after a big bad event that you find out the real person you always were inside.
We think we know what we need. We spend our time figuring out how to get what we want, who can help us, who's in the way. We make our moves, and sometimes we get lucky. We get exactly what we want. And life gets worse. Simple truth #22: Be careful what you wish for, brother. Be very, very careful.
Deceased []
- Huseni Mershah: Suicide by slitting his throat.
- Mr. Groves (flashback): Beat to death with hammer by Donald Groves.
- Mrs. Groves (flashback): Beat to death with hammer by Donald Groves.
- C.O. Lawrence Smith: Stabbed to death by Donald Groves.
- Donald Groves: Executed by firing squad.
- Unnamed violinist (flashback): Stabbed to death by Eugene Dobbins.
- Nino Schibetta: Internal bleeding from glass laced food by Ryan O'Reily and Simon Adebisi.
Crime Flashbacks []
Donald Groves-Murder in the first degree (two counts)/Murder in the first degree.
Eugene Dobbins-Murder in the second degree.