Oz: Season 3 (1999)

Season three of Oz opens with the news that the name of the prison has been changed from Oswald Penitentiary to Oswald Correctional Facility. This is appropriate, according to narrator Hill (Harold Perrineau), because in Oz, "Nobody's penitent. Nobody's sorry." In addition, thanks to the machinations of the governor, the prison's health maintenance system has been privatized to save money. Dr. Frederick Garvey (Milo O'Shea) arrives on the scene to supervise the cost cutting. He deprives Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) of antidepressants, raising the ire of Dr. Nathan (Lauren Velez). Alvarez also tells Father Mukada (B.D. Wong), in confidence, that the guards have not been feeding him. A new prisoner, Coyle (rapper Treach) arrives in Em City, and immediately bonds with Wangler (J.D. Williams), but Nappa (Mark Margolis) isn't ready to trust the new man. Adebisi (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) apologizes to McManus (Terry Kinney) for his past behavior, claims he's done with drugs, and gets released from the psych ward. Warden Glynn (Ernie Hudson) reluctantly hires a new hack, Clayton Hughes (Seth Gilliam), the son of a guard who was killed in the prison years ago. McManus suspects that Metzger (Bill Fagerbakke) is in cahoots with the Nazis, but he can't get anyone to testify against him. Keller (Christopher Meloni) is released from the hole, and apologizes to Beecher (Lee Tergesen), who demands that Keller confess to attacking him, and testify against Metzger and Schillinger (J.K. Simmons). Metzger tries to intercede, leading to a bloody showdown. This episode was directed by Nick Gomez, who also directed the first episode of season two.

Oz is buzzing with news of Metzger's (Bill Fagerbakke) death. McManus (Terry Kinney) recommends an old friend, Sean Murphy (Robert Clohessy), to Glynn (Ernie Hudson) as a replacement. Schillinger (J.K. Simmons), unhappy with the prison's investigation into Metzger's murder, decides that the Nazis should investigate on their own. Cyril (Scott Winters) gets thrown into the hole after Robson (R.E. Rodgers) provokes him by talking about how the Nazis raped him. His brother, Ryan (Dean Winters), finds out he's had 40 years tacked onto his sentence for getting Cyril to kill Dr. Nathan's (Lauren Velez) husband. Coyle (Treach) gets reassigned to the barbershop, where he tells Hill (Harold Perrineau) a lurid tale of a gruesome murder of an entire family for which he was never caught. Hill, horrified by the crime, considers ratting out Coyle, who later tells Hill that a friend videotaped the crime. Said (Eamon Walker) meets again with Tricia Ross (Arija Bareikis), who is involved in the lawsuit over the riots. There is obviously some kind of mutual attraction between the two, and his followers chastise him. Said threatens a hunger strike when McManus won't allow him to keep food in his cell during Ramadan. Diane Wittlesey (Edie Falco) learns from McManus that her mother has died. Claire Howell (Kristin Rohde) flies into a violent jealous rage after seeing McManus comfort Wittlesey. Keller (Christopher Meloni) asks to be released from protective custody, but Beecher (Lee Tergesen) won't forgive him, and Keller is later stabbed by an unseen assailant. Adebisi (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) asks to be transferred to the AIDS ward, and his revenge plot begins to take shape. Dr. Garvey (Milo O'Shea) has another angry exchange with Dr. Nathan over the non-treatment of the suicidal Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo), and fires her. This episode was directed by actor Matt Dillon.

Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) is found hanging in his cell in solitary, prompting Dr. Nathan (Lauren Velez) to confront Dr. Garvey (Milo O'Shea) about his decision to cut off the prisoner's antidepressants. Governor Devlin (Zeljko Ivanek) makes a deal with Nathan to keep her from going to the media, and Garvey is fired. Nikolai Stanislofsky (Philip Casnoff), a Russian prisoner, arrives in Em City, and says he wants to shake hands with Richie Hanlon (Jordan Lage), who's on death row for killing a Russian. Hanlon, meanwhile, explains to Shirley Bellinger (Kathryn Erbe) that it was Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) that killed the Russian and forced him to confess. Coyle (Treach) wants Hill (Harold Perrineau) dead after Hill ratted him out for killing a family and videotaping the crime. Said (Eamonn Walker) asks the other inmate leaders for help in protecting Hill. Nappa (Mark Margolis) goes him one better, and Coyle is found dead, whipped to death in his cell. Claire Howell (Kristin Rohde) apologizes to McManus (Terry Kinney) for attacking him. After she beats a prisoner, McManus tries to have her fired, and she sues for sexual harassment. The prison is forced to keep her on. Ryan O'Reily (Dean Winters) finds a potential ally in Em City's new supervisor, Sean Murphy (Robert Clohessy). He also enters Cyril (Scott William Winters) into Oz's new boxing competition, over the objections of their grandmother (Anne Meara). Ryan finds a devious way to make sure Cyril wins his first bout. Rebadow (George Morfogen) gets a visit from his mother (Uta Hagen), who convinces him to meet his son and grandson for the first time. Nappa gets some shocking news about his health, as Adebisi's (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) revenge plot kicks into gear. Schillinger's estranged son, Andrew (Fred Koehler), arrives in Oz, and immediately becomes a target.

Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) goes to Glynn (Ernie Hudson) to try to get his son Andrew (Fred Koehler) moved into his unit, but Glynn refuses. Andrew ends up in Sister Pete's (Rita Moreno) rehab group, where, according to plan, Keller (Christopher Meloni) picks a fight with him, and Beecher (Lee Tergesen) defends the boy. He later asks McManus (Terry Kinney) to move Andrew into his pod, and McManus agrees. Claire Howell (Kristin Rohde) returns to work after filing a sexual harassment suit against McManus. Said (Eamonn Walker) gets a visit from his sister, who complains about Tricia Ross (Arija Bareikis), and mentions Said's former relationship with a white woman. Later, Poet (muMs) sees Said tenderly holding Tricia's hand. Sister Pete arranges for Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) to meet with the guard he blinded, Rivera (Nelson Vasquez), and his wife, Tina (Judy Reyes). But Alvarez has to agree to tell Glynn who raped his daughter to get out of solitary. O'Reily (Dean Winters) continues to fix boxing matches and win bets. Clayton Hughes (Seth Gilliam) gets transferred to the library after using an illegal stun gun on a prisoner. Hanlon gets out of death row on a technicality, but has an unpleasant surprise waiting for him in Em City. Adebisi (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) goes to both the Italians and the Latinos to ask for help in getting rid of Wangler (J.D. Williams). Wangler's mother visits him on his eighteenth birthday, and tells him that his wife is cheating on him with another man, and she suspects that man may be hurting Wangler's baby boy. Wangler gets Pierce (Male Baby Alexander) to hire someone to kill both his wife and her boyfriend. This episode was directed by actor Chazz Palminteri.

Cyril (Scott William Winters) decides he doesn't want to box anymore, angering O'Reily (Dean Winters). Cyril tells him that Cudney (William Cote), the Christian prisoner who supplies O'Reily with chloryl hydrate to fix fights, said he shouldn't fight. O'Reily goes and threatens Cudney, beating him with a bible. After Khan (Ernie Hudson Jr.) beats Wangler (J.D. Williams) in a boxing match, Poet (muMs) gets back at the Muslims by reading a poem in which he reveals that he saw Said (Eamonn Walker) cavorting with a white women. The other Muslims demand that Said stop seeing Tricia Ross (Arija Bareikis), but he refuses. Wangler gets the news that his wife has been murdered. While he's at the funeral, Adebisi (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) (with the help of the Italians and Latinos) moves against Poet and Pierce (Male Baby Alexander), and Wangler returns to Em City to find that he has a new cellmate. McManus (Terry Kinney) is thinking of fighting the sexual harassment suit to clear his name, but after talking to Gloria Nathan (Lauren Velez), he realizes that he uses the women in his life. A notorious Russian hitman, Kosygin (Olek Krupa) arrives in Em City, spooks Stanislofsky (Philip Casnoff), and shows no respect to Nappa (Mark Margolis). Keller (Christopher Meloni) continues his discussions with Peter Marie (Rita Moreno), probing into her feelings of loneliness. Beecher (Lee Tergesen) helps Andrew (Fred Koehler) get through withdrawal, and taunts Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) about their friendship. When Andrew attacks everything Schillinger stands for, the Nazi takes drastic action. This episode was directed by actor/director Steve Buscemi (Animal Factory).

O'Reily (Dean Winters) needs to fix another fight, as his brother Cyril (Scott William Winters) is going to face Pancamo (Chuck Zito), the huge mobster. Cudney (William Cote) has figured out what O'Reily has been doing, and won't help him anymore. In fact, he tells O'Reilly he's going to the warden with the information. So O'Reily pays Kosygin (Olek Krupa) to kill Cudney. He then slips some heroin into Pancamo's water bottle, and Cyril wins the fight. Stanislofsky (Philip Casnoff) goes to O'Reily to try to convince him that Kosygin can't be trusted, but O'Reily doesn't buy it. So Stanislofsky goes to Pancamo and tells him Kosygin spiked his water. Kosygin then goes after Stanislofsky, stabbing him in the neck. In preparation for their meeting, Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) looks at a photo of Rivera (Nelson Vasquez) taken immediately after Alvarez attacked him. Rivera's wife, Tina (Judy Reyes), comes to see Peter Marie (Rita Moreno), concerned about her husband's sanity. Nappa (Mark Margolis) tells his new cellmate, Ginzburg (Charles Busch), that he's writing a tell-all biography, and Ginzburg tells Pancamo. Adebisi (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) tells Wangler (J.D. Williams) of his plan to break McManus (Terry Kinney, who also directed this episode). Father Mukada (B.D. Wong) is looking into the death of Clayton Hughes' father in the prison 17 years earlier. When he talks to an older inmate, Giles (Austin Pendleton), he gets some shocking information. Keller (Christopher Meloni) continues to probe Peter Marie about her personal life. Beecher (Lee Tergesen) approaches Said (Eamonn Walker) for spiritual guidance. When Said welcomes Beecher, it further angers his fellow Muslims, who replace him as leader. The disgraced Said then moves into Beecher's cell.

Hill (Harold Perrineau) opens the episode with this epigram -- "Know thyself...That's the hardest thing any one of us could ever do." Sister Pete (Rita Moreno) has a sexual fantasy about Keller (Christopher Meloni), who skips a couple of sessions with her. Later, she confronts him about it, and realizes he's been using her to get to Beecher (Lee Tergesen). She confesses her lust to Father Mukada (B.D. Wong), and tells him she's going to stop being a nun. Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) meets with Rivera (Nelson Vasquez) and his wife, Tina (Judy Reyes), but Rivera won't forgive him for his brutal attack. Mukada confronts Glynn (Ernie Hudson) with the information he's gotten about the death of Clayton Hughes' (Seth Gilliam) father, and Glynn blows up at him. Glynn later tells Hughes the whole story, and admits that it was his fault. McManus (Terry Kinney) asks Diane Wittlesey (Edie Falco) about getting back together, and she turns him down, but when Claire Howell (Kristin Rohde) taunts the pair, Diane kisses him passionately. Nappa (Mark Margolis) finishes his memoir, with help from Ginzburg (Charles Busch), who then gets the disc to Pancamo (Chuck Zito), who destroys it, and gets Ginzburg to get rid of Nappa. Adebisi (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje) convinces Wangler (J.D. Williams) to accuse McManus of sexual harassment, and Adebisi goes to the media with the accusation. Said (Eamonn Walker) tells Beecher (Lee Tergesen) that he must ask for forgiveness from both Keller and Schillinger (J.K. Simmons). Keller accepts his apology, Schillinger responds to Beecher's attempt to "make things right" by trying to kill him. This episode was directed by Adam Bernstein, who directed the independent feature Six Ways to Sunday.