Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Challenge #6

In your own space, share a favourite piece of original canon (a show, a specific TV episode, a storyline, a book or series, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much. . Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

The following post contains spoilers for seasons two and three of the HBO prison drama OZ.

OZ is a series that ran on HBO for six seasons from 1997 to 2003. It focuses on the inmates and staff at the fictional Oswald State Penitentiary in upstate New York and never shied away from the harsh realities of prison life (please keep that in mind if you choose to jump in and watch it).

One of my favorite pieces of OZ canon comes at the end of the third episode of the third season ("Legs"). At the beginning of the third season, Tobias Beecher (the former lawyer jailed for a drunk driving accident whom viewers have been following since the beginning of the series) is in the infirmary recovering from having his arms and legs broken- an act of violence that involved a correctional officer, Karl Metzger, Beecher's former abusive cellmate, Vern Schillinger, and Beecher's current cellmate and love interest, Chris Keller.

As he gets out of the hospital, Beecher works to get revenge. He deals with Metzger first (in a very creative way that I won't spoil here), then stabs Keller in a storage room. All of this happens in the first two episodes.

In the third episode, Keller gets out of the infirmary and starts his plan to win Beecher back. He manipulates his way into being Beecher's cellmate again. The dialogue at the moment of their reunion is beautifully written and Lee Tergesen as Beecher does a terrific job going to the edge of confessing Beecher's guilt, then pulling back, then confessing again, and giving Christopher Meloni's Keller just enough pause to think that maybe the gentle, gullible pushover/prag Beecher had stabbed him. He then explains that he needs to find a way to get Schillinger.

The end of the episode presents a solution as Vern Schillinger's son, Andy, is incarcerated and brought to the cell block where Beecher resides. The little laugh that Tergesen gives at the end is part relief, part joy, and part crazy. After everything that Schillinger has put Beecher through in the previous three seasons, the viewer is just as giddy to see the revenge play out as Beecher is. It's a great moment in a series full of great moments.

Now that the reveals are out, I wanted to rec some of my favorite fics from this year's OZ Magi.

Simple Pleasures by colleendetroit - This OZ fic about Rebadow and Busmalis breaking out of Oz is bound to put a smile on your face. Full disclosure, this was written for me and it's just perfect. Colleen's Rebadow and Busmalis voices are so spot on, I thought she was channeling Tom Fontana. There is plenty of humor throughout from the antics of the two on the lam to the frustration of the warden and the staff in dealing with the situation. If you haven't looked at it already, be sure to check it out.

An Oz Christmas Carol by vanillalime - There are so many of my favorite things in this fic that I didn't venture to comment on it until after the reveal, but it's basically what the title implies - an Oz version of the Dickens' story "A Christmas Carol". Tim McManus is Scrooge, Leo Glynn, Cyril O'Reily, Chris Keller, and a mute Omar White are the ghosts. It's a long read, but well worth the time.

Untitled Response to Wish 11 by apple_pie_champ - A series of vignettes that show moments that were turning points in the lives of inmates and, in some cases, set them on the path to Oz. What I really love about it is that all of the inmates showcased were in the pilot episode so it basically takes us to the moment where we were set on the path to Oz.

And I'll wrap it up with my own contribution - The Waiting Game - Written in second person, it shines new light on the Schillinger/Robson relationship. Without giving too much away, it does involve a touch of BDSM.

There's much more to enjoy in addition to the fics I've mentioned here, so check out the master list over at oz_magi. And a huge thank you to trillingstar for making this all happen once again.

trillingstar prompted me with Mukada's confessional scenes from season 1, episode 3 "God's Chillin'".

( Forgiveness )

Things seem to have gotten rather stagnant in our little OZ community. I think people will be all-in for Magi again this year, but everything else seems to have stalled. I have a tiny idea that's been flitting around the corners of my mind for ages- writing prompts based on a particular season, be they a character, a moment, or a quote.

If anyone wants to join in, just leave me a comment with a particular season, and if you want to write for a major character, a minor character, a moment, a quote or any combination of the above and I'll respond with something.

No minimum max word or image count. No deadlines. You can write for one prompt or for all the prompts. No pressure. This is just for fun.

Example: Season 1
Major Character: Ryan O'Reily
Minor Character: Huseni Mershah
Moment: Alvarez loses his baby
Quote: "God comes to visit me every one in a while, actually he comes more often than I'd like. But he's God. What can I say? That I'm busy, that I'm in the shower... He knows."

There's a poll up to gauge participation for this year's Oz Magi. Please go here to sign up to write or do art - video/wallpaper/icons, etc. The requirements aren't overly taxing.

If you've been away from the fandom for a while, come on back.

If you haven't seen an episode of OZ, it's the perfect time for binge watching at least 3 seasons guilt-free. And then jumping in.

Off-the-wall suggestions are welcomed. Rarepairs are loved.

Come on over and check it out!

Summer of Oz is drawing to a close. I've had a great time seeing what everyone has created. And now we'll have a couple months to recharge before Magi starts up again. ;)

I have entered the age of technology, finally turning in my flip phone for an actual smartphone. I doubt I've even tapped its capabilities, but I like what I've seen so far.

Does anyone else watch "Murder in the First"? The guy playing Sugar Cascade is giving Taye Diggs a run for his money. That could be some slashy fun there. Sadly, each season seems to be a standalone so I don't hold much hope to see Cascade in 2016.

One week from now I'll be in beautiful Lincoln Nebraska (ok, the verdict is actually out on that one) and on my way to South Dakota for a week's vacation. I still have some planning to do, but most of the things are set. I'll try to post some pics as we make our way along. They won't all be of hockey arenas, I promise.

So I'm coming home from work today, talking to my dad about the new guy in the office. Doesn't really know what he wants, but wants to try everything until he figures it out, has fairly off-the-wall ideas that won't really fly with the establishment the way it is, snarky as all hell.

And then it hits me.

I work for Tim McManus.

(The dude even looks like him if you slap on a pair of glasses. Very freaky.)

A wonderful writer has gifted me with an incredible Ryan O'Reily story for oz_magi. It's a series of scenes going from childhood to just past Cyril's accident with many entertaining detours in between.

Check it out - In the Before