HBO's 'Oz' Cast Discs the Show That Changed TV Forever</tle><meta name="tle" ntent="HBO's 'Oz' Cast Discs the Show That Changed TV Forever" /><meta name="scriptn" ntent="Oz creator Tom Fontana and key st members reflect on the HBO seri' endurg legacy and how changed TV forever." /><meta name="keywords" ntent="oz, oz tv show, oz seri, oz tv seri, oz hbo, hbo oz, oz history, oz st, oz creator, tom fontana" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="webse" /><meta name="theme-lor" ntent="#000000" /><lk href="/_assets/sign-tokens/quire/static/imag/" rel="in" /><meta property="og:se_name" ntent="Esquire" /><meta name="fb:app_id" ntent="171874009543995" property="fb:app_id" /><meta name="article:publisher" ntent=" property="article:publisher" /><meta name="fb:pag" ntent="84169421673" property="fb:pag" /><meta name="twter:se" ntent="@Esquire" /><meta name="google-se-verifitn" ntent="1vf5i9wM7chlCFc_0XI_e-oCfDf4sEvp32sTGKokQ" /><meta property="og:tle" ntent=" An Oral History of 'Oz,' the Show That Set Off TV's Big Bang" /><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="Twenty years ago, the HBO seri let the Amerin viewg public we weren't Kansas anymore." /><meta name="robots" ntent="max-image-preview:large,max-snippet:-1,max-vio-preview:30" /><lk rel="apple-touch-in" href="/_assets/sign-tokens/quire/static/imag/" /><meta property="og:image" ntent="" /><meta property="og:image:width" ntent="1200" /><meta property="og:image:height" ntent="600" /><meta name="thumbnail" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent="" /><meta name="" ntent=" /><meta name="twter:image" ntent="" /><meta ntent=" property="og:url" /><meta name="to-publish" ntent="never" /><meta property="og:type" ntent="article" /><meta name="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image" /><meta name="article:opn" property="article:opn" /><meta ntent="TV" property="article:sectn" /><meta ntent="2020-08-21T05:15:11Z" property="article:modified_time" /><meta ntent="2017-10-25T15:38:47Z" property="article:published_time" /><meta name="sailth.excerpt" ntent="A man is brand wh a swastika. 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g4r5va">{font-fay:Glanz,Glanz-fallback,Tim,Serif;font-weight:normal;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2rem;le-height:1.25;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.125rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.37499rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h1 class="css-g4r5va exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>The Great <em>Oz</em><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css 2qf7xf">{lor:#515150;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.0625rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.3125rem;le-height:1.3;}} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:#FF3A30;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:#000000;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-2qf7xf exadjwu8"><p>Twenty years ago, the HBO seri let the Amerin viewg public we weren't Kansas anymore.</p></div><style data-emotn="css 18k4ks7">{lor:#161616;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacg:0.02rem;marg-bottom:0.625rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.3;}} span{font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacg:0rem;text-transform:palize;}@media(max-width: 48rem){ span{le-height:2rem;font-size:0.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){ span{le-height:2rem;font-size:0.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){ span{le-height:2rem;font-size:0.875rem;}}</style><div class="css-18k4ks7 exadjwu7"><style data-emotn="css 1eqkg5m">{lor:#161616;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;letter-spacg:0.02rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;-webk-text-stroke:0.005rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.3;}}</style><addrs class="css-1eqkg5m ehvvd9m2"><style data-emotn="css 19e0noj">{lor:#161616;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacg:0.02rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;text-transform:upperse;-webk-text-stroke:0.005rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.3;}}</style><span class="css-19e0noj ehvvd9m1"><style data-emotn="css 1sa04t">{borr-radi:50%;vertil-align:middle;marg-right:0.3125rem;object-f:ver;}</style><img src="" alt="Headshot of Adrienne Wtenfeld" tle="Headshot of Adrienne Wtenfeld" width="40" height="40" dg="async" fetchPrry="high" class=" css-1sa04t ehvvd9m0" /><style data-emotn="css 7l5upj">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href="/thor/2392/adrienne-wtenfeld/" class="css-7l5upj e1c1bym14">Adrienne Wtenfeld</a></span><style data-emotn="css 1bcsdhu">{display:le-block;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;marg-left:0.625rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.75rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.75rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.75rem;le-height:1.3;}}</style><time class="css-1bcsdhu exadjwu6">Published: Oct 25, 2017</time></addrs></div><style data-emotn="css 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data-emotn="css woto36">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.5rem;paddg-right:3.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{max-width:45.25rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem) and (max-width: 100rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}} em{font-style:alic;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}{clear:both;ntent:" ";display:block;font-size:0.7rem;le-height:1.5rem;height:0rem;visibily:hidn;}</style><div class="article-body-ntent article-body longform-body css-woto36 ewisyje7"><style data-emotn="css am5pt0">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;}{float:left;text-transform:upperse;font-weight:bold;marg-right:0.9375rem;marg-bottom:-0.625rem;marg-top:0;}{font-fay:Glanz,Glanz-fallback,Tim,Serif;font-size:6.25rem;font-weight:normal;le-height:0.75;marg-right:0;paddg:0.6rem 0.75rem 0 0;}@-moz-document url-prefix(){{marg-top:0.625rem;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){{marg-right:0.3125rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{le-height:0.75;}} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;} em{font-style:alic;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="body-dropp css-am5pt0 et3p2gv0">A man is brand wh a swastika. Another is thanized bed wh a hand over his nose and mouth. A third is sprayed wh lighter fluid and set aflame. And that’s jt the first episo. Two s on, ’s clear that the 1997 premiere of <em>Oz</em> was the Big Bang of Great TV. An HBO ensemble drama set si the Oswald rrectnal facily, refed what you uld do on non-work televisn—pretty much anythg, turned out—while fearlsly probg the unexplored tensns Amerin life. Whout , there would be no <em>Sopranos</em>, no <em>Breakg Bad</em>, no <em>Walkg</em><em> Dead</em>, no <em>Game of Thron</em>. </p><style data-emotn="css aeyldl">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;} em{font-style:alic;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;}</style><p data-no-id="1" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><span></span>Several key st members jo creator Tom Fontana to reflect on the show’s endurg impact. </p><style data-emotn="css 18pb4rg">{borr:0;borr-bottom:th solid black;marg:1.875rem 0;clear:both;}</style><hr data-no-id="2" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><p data-no-id="3" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong></strong><strong>Tom Fontana: </strong>We were really uncharted terrory, bee HBO had never done a drama seri before.</p><p data-no-id="4" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Dean Wters (Ryan O'Reily): </strong>Who watch HBO 1997 at 11:00pm? Nobody. Tom [Fontana] was approachg issu whout kid glov on 20 years ago, and that’s why I thk <em>Oz</em> didn’t really fd s footg ially.</p><p data-no-id="5" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">Don’t get me wrong, there were amazg wrers on televisn before Tom and after Tom—I won’t lie about that. But if you talk to any wrer worth his gra of salt, whether ’s Vce Gilligan or David Simon, any of the guys, they’ll say all started wh Tom. Ameri is playg tch up.</p><p data-no-id="6" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Lee Tergen (Tobias Beecher): </strong>When Method Man first met Tom, he was like “<em>You’re</em> the one who wr this stuff? A forty-year-old Italian guy om <em>Buffalo</em>?” Tom is my bt iend the world.</p><style data-emotn="css 1mtk2uq">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{clear:both;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:70%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:0rem;float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:60%;marg-left:1rem;marg-right:lc(-30% - 1rem);float:right;clear:right;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="7" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><div class="css-p7qblm ewcw41w0"><img alt="Human, Jaw, Transparent material, " tle="Human, Jaw, Transparent material, " loadg="lazy" width="1876" height="1960" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><style data-emotn="css 78jldq">{paddg-left:0rem;}</style><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css 8h7i7x">{width:0;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;letter-spacg:0.02rem;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.3;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}</style><div class="css-8h7i7x e1xqj1sx1">Christopher Meloni as Chris Keller</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">HBO</span><style data-emotn="css 1vpjmnm">{lor:#595959;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;paddg:0 0.3rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70028rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70028rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:0.75rem;le-height:1.3;}}</style><span class="css-1vpjmnm e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd1">Alamy</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="8" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>J.K. Simmons (Vern Schillger): </strong>Tom Fontana is equal parts geni and mentor and <em>pater faia</em>—and you know, jt a great guy.</p><p data-no-id="9" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Christopher Meloni (Chris Keller): </strong>It was btaly bed wh poetry. Harold Perre was the Greek chos, the grand observer of the silly gam that humankd plays. I thought that was a ol way to prent a show that also had mate rape and all that other btal stuff. There was nothg like on TV.</p><p data-no-id="10" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Kathryn Erbe (Shirley Bellger):</strong> I didn’t appreciate the show as much when I was on as I do now. </p><p data-no-id="11" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Ra Moreno (Sister Peter Marie Reimondo): </strong>Near the end of the first season I went to Tom, wh whom I’ve bee very close by the way, we are now ar iends—I said to him, "You wouldn’t happen to be Catholic, would you?" And he said, "Yeah! How’d you know?" I said, "Only a Catholic uld have wrten this show." The remptn, the vlence—there’s somethg so Catholic about all that to me. Apparently, some prits agreed wh that.</p><p data-no-id="12" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Tergen: </strong>There was one cric who said, “This show offends me, and offends God.” I love that a TV cric has the ear of God. </p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="13" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><style data-emotn="css 1eiql25">{text-align:center;marg:0rem;paddg-top:0.9375rem;paddg-bottom:0.9375rem;}</style><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><style data-emotn="css ow0dpz">{borr:0.3125rem solid #FF3A30;borr-radi:100%;ntent:'';display:block;height:2.1875rem;left:50%;marg:-0.99rem to 0 -1.33rem;posn:absolute;width:2.1875rem;}</style><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-ow0dpz eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css la9czl">{font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.625rem;le-height:1.2;marg:0rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.75rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.375rem;le-height:1.2;}} b, strong{font-fay:her;font-weight:bold;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}{ntent:'＂';display:block;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:3.4375rem;le-height:0.72;font-style:alic;paddg:0.3125rem 0.875rem 0 0;}</style><blockquote class="css-la9czl e1pe3zr90">"There was one cric who said, 'This show offends me, and offends God.' I love that a TV cric has the ear of God."</blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="14" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Fontana: </strong>I thought to myself, "Unls I have actors who are relatively unknown, the dience is gog to go ‘Oh there’s that guy.’” That wasn’t te obvly of Ra Moreno or Ernie Hudson, bee they had e to wh wh very tablished reers, but for the most part I wanted the fac to be h. I wanted the dience to only know them as the character on <em>Oz</em>. </p><p data-no-id="15" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>J.K. Simmons: </strong>There was this qut for credibily for a lot of playg the tough guys and we were kd of feelg our way—for all of except Chuck Zo of urse, who is an <em>actual</em> tough guy. The rt of were jt a bunch of mil theater sissi.</p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">I would always tell people that what mak <em>Oz</em> so great is that ’s shot New York and New York actors are the bt, blah, blah, blah. Of urse, I’ve been livg L.A. for the past 14 years, so I’m not que sure what <em>that</em> says. </p><style data-emotn="css 1736von">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="17" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><div class="css-p7qblm ewcw41w0"><img alt="Mcle, Arm, Shoulr, Event, Cht, Stg, " tle="Mcle, Arm, Shoulr, Event, Cht, Stg, " loadg="lazy" width="1600" height="900" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-8h7i7x e1xqj1sx1">J.K. Simmons as Vern Schillger</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">HBO</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="18" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Wters: </strong>You had an environment where any given day you have 68 guys and you need to blow off some steam and we all realized early on that the wrong way to blow off that steam would be to avoid each other; was more about embracg each other bee the ntent of the show was so hard, what we were puttg on mera that the only way to levate that was to have a lot of fun. I’m tellg you, I’ve never had that much fun on a set. Bis Edie Fal, Betty Buckley, Ra Moreno, and Lren Velez, was like a pirate ship.</p><p data-no-id="19" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Tergen: </strong>It was so predomately male—except for the sexit woman on the pla, Ra Moreno— was like a at hoe, except I hate ats.</p><p data-no-id="20" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Harold Perre (Augt Hill):</strong> We didn’t have big trailers or assistants or any of that kd of stuff on set wh . We had the makhift rooms where we uld go and s if we had to get ready for the next scene but they weren’t anythg glamoro. If we had lunch, everybody would eat a mon area. </p><p data-no-id="21" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">When there was nothg to do, you’d see guys the rner playg rds or dog phups, or we’d be makg plans about somethg we were dog later, or supportg somebody’s new rap group. It felt like a real brotherhood. It’s actually the clost I’ve ever felt on any set I’ve ever been on. Kirk Acevedo was the bt man at my weddg.</p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="22" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-ow0dpz eagam8p0"></span><blockquote class="css-la9czl e1pe3zr90">"You’d lerally have J.K. Simmons and Lee Tergen chokg each other a scene, and the director would yell 'Cut!' and they would drop their hands and say, 'Wanna go bowlg?'” </blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="23" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Fontana: </strong>You’d lerally have J.K. Simmons and Lee Tergen chokg each other a scene, and the director would yell “Cut!” and they would drop their hands and say, “Wanna go bowlg?” This bunch of actors hung out together, they went to nightclubs together, they had dners together. They were remarkably tight, I gus bee what they were expected to do on the show was so sort of btal and extreme, that they wanted to be able to feel like they were protected by their fellow actors and felt an abily to munite wh their fellow actors when the meras weren’t rollg.</p><p data-no-id="24" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Simmons: </strong>I took Eamonn Walker to see his first Amerin baseball game at Yankee Stadium, which really eaked people out, bee the first season had aired by then, and people were seeg the head of the Aryan brotherhood and a black Mlim together at a Yanke game. We turned a lot of heads.</p><p data-no-id="25" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Tergen: </strong>You know was funny bee J.K. won the Osr for <em>Whiplash</em>, I texted him, “Oh my god, I jt realized I licked the boots of an Osr wner.” And he go, “If memory serv, you also shat the face of an Osr wner.”</p><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="26" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><div class="css-p7qblm ewcw41w0"><img alt="Adaptatn, " tle="Adaptatn, " loadg="lazy" width="3008" height="1960" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-8h7i7x e1xqj1sx1">Ra Moreno as Sister Peter Marie Reimondo</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">HBO</span><span class="css-1vpjmnm e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd1">Alamy</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="27" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Moreno:</strong> At the pot that I was ved to play Sister Pete I was still dog all of the Lato bullsh. Not out of choice necsarily, but bee that’s what there was. Tom asked to have dner wh me and my hband. I said to him, "So tell me, what is this show about?" He said a maximum-secury prison. I said, "Well who would you want me to play ?" "I’d like you to be the nun." I nearly choked on my ke! "You want me to play a nun?" I’d played all kds of floozi—but a nun? Then I said, "Wh my luck, this show will be a succs and I’ll be stuck wearg a wimple for the rt of my reer." And he said, "Oh, no, no, this is not that kd of nun at all." On the spur of the moment, I asked, "Could she have a bottle of whiskey one of her file drawers for when thgs get really rough?" And he said, "Of urse." So I said, "Okay, I’m ."</p><p data-no-id="28" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">It was a semal experience—I loved every mute. And got me a new kd of rpect the bs. A lot of people thought, "Well, she’s ser about what she do." In other ways, prived me of a lot of employment bee all the people who were a posn to st me said, "She looks like hell."</p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="29" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-ow0dpz eagam8p0"></span><blockquote class="css-la9czl e1pe3zr90">"A lot of gay people I’ve known over the years have told me that relatnship—as fucked up as was—ma them feel was okay to be gay."</blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="30" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Tergen: </strong>There was all this stuff back then about Will Smh and <em>Six Degre of Separatn</em>. In the play there was a kiss and he didn’t wanna do the kiss the movie versn bee Denzel Washgton said, “Don’t ever kiss a man on film bee will you.” I said to Chris, “I don’t know exactly where this is gog, but I know this is gog to be a big al for the two characters and stead of shyg away om , I thk we should try and make sexy.” And he went “Wowwww.”</p><p data-no-id="31" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">And a lot of gay people I’ve known over the years, different people who were gay, have told me, that relatnship—as fucked up as was—ma them feel was okay to be gay.</p><p data-no-id="32" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Meloni:</strong> It was not only a ep honor but an eye-openg experience. I got all of this feedback gay men who basilly were sayg, "Thank god. Fally, a three-dimensnal gay character"—albe a psychopathic one, but that asi. "We don’t want the guy sashayg wh the lisp. We jt want a man who happens to be wired a certa way."</p><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="33" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><div class="css-p7qblm ewcw41w0"><img alt="Event, Human body, Performance, heater, Drama, Actg, Scene, " tle="Event, Human body, Performance, heater, Drama, Actg, Scene, " loadg="lazy" width="3374" height="2475" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-8h7i7x e1xqj1sx1">Christopher Meloni and Lee Tergen wh creator Tom Fontana</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">HBO</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="34" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Tergen: </strong>We shot 12 hours a day, which is not a lot, but we got maybe two tak, so your foc has to be credible. It was down and dirty, our drsg rooms were like plywood partns on the sixth floor of the Chelsea market buildg where we shot . And was bare bon</p><p data-no-id="35" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Wters: </strong>I really learned to be a Swiss clock on <em>Oz</em>. Tom Fontana and Jim Fnerty, who produced , expected you to show up, know your l, keep your mark. If you’re gonna qutn somethg, you don’t do on the day of; you do when you get the scripts. I also leaned that actors are sendary—’s all about the wrg.</p><p data-no-id="36" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Simmons: </strong>You show up at 7 AM, you leave at 7 PM, you do your job, there’s no drama except the drama that’s on the page. That’s the vibe that I try to brg and try to help create on every set that I work on.</p><p data-no-id="37" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">I would get home om shootg wh a swastika tattooed on my cht and my wife would go off to her job Disney’s <em>Bety and the Beast</em> on Broadway, a slightly different vibe.</p><p data-no-id="38" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Erbe:</strong> If you were a problem, if you ma difficult for other people, then your character would die. </p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="39" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-ow0dpz eagam8p0"></span><blockquote class="css-la9czl e1pe3zr90">"I would get home om shootg wh a swastika tattooed on my cht and my wife would go off to her job <em>Bety and the Beast</em> on Broadway."</blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="40" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Fontana: </strong>Chris Albrecht gave me a plete ee hand. When someone says, “You n show anythg you want to show,” there’s a gidds—“Ooh, I n throw mud all over the place!” But what I quickly learned was that I had a rponsibily to tell the story and to e the vlence and the sex and the language when was necsary for the character, as opposed to me jt gog, “This will be fun.” The st was pretty game to try anythg if felt right for the character.</p><p data-no-id="41" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Moreno: </strong>One time I was so upset about somethg that Tom wrote—a character receiv his son’s <em>hand</em> the mail—that the next day I me to work and I rolled up a newspaper and I spotted him and I started to beat him up wh . "How uld you do this?!" And I really went crazy—I was so upset. He jt kept sayg, "What did I do? What did I do?" I said, "You know what you did!"</p><div size="large" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="42" class="align-right size-large embed css-1mtk2uq e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><div class="css-p7qblm ewcw41w0"><img alt="Hair, Face, Forehead, Head, Neck, Ch, Shoulr, Hairstyle, Arm, Cht, " tle="Hair, Face, Forehead, Head, Neck, Ch, Shoulr, Hairstyle, Arm, Cht, " loadg="lazy" width="540" height="720" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><div class="css-78jldq e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-8h7i7x e1xqj1sx1">Dean Wters as Ryan O’Reily</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">HBO</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="43" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Wters:</strong> I’m a very nonvlent person so there were scen, like the rt scen the first season and some of the fight scen, when I got sred. And thank God we had a really rmed stunt un. Bee sometim you fet that you’re actg, and there were fely moments where got a ltle out of hand. There was scene the kchen where my brother and I are servg food to the prisoners and Schillger wks at my brother, basilly alludg to the fact that he had raped him, and I remember losg . I jumped over the unter, which was not scripted, and they had to rtra me. That’s me beg a bad actor.</p><p data-no-id="44" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Perre: </strong>We were showg not jt the vlence but the aftermath of the vlence, which is somethg that you don’t often see. A guy stabs somebody, one guy di, but then another guy liv wh . It chang him and mak him different some way or another. I thought that was really groundbreakg, not jt vlence for vlence’s sake but to let you know the st of that kd of vlence.</p><p data-no-id="45" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Meloni: </strong>How many tim have you opened a newspaper and gone, “I n’t image how cel one person n be to another.” On <em>Oz</em>, we don’t even scratch the surface.</p><p data-no-id="46" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Tergen:</strong> J.K. said to me, “I get when people see me on the street and say, ‘Hey you dirty Nazi bastard.’ The creepy thg is when somebody’s like, ‘You’re speakg my language.’”</p><p data-no-id="47" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Simmons:</strong> I would get guys g up to me ocsnally wh a certa look their eye, and I would nod and se and try and get out of the suatn as quickly as possible.</p><p data-no-id="48" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Fontana: </strong>I got a ll om HBO sayg that some Aryan group had threatened not only me, but Barry Levson, my bs partner, and Jerry Lev, who at the time was the CEO of Time Warner. HBO wanted to get bodyguards, but I said no, and not out of some bizarre bravery. I jt thought if I start beg aaid, I’m never gog to wre anythg aga. So I didn’t take the bodyguards. And I’m still alive.</p><p data-no-id="49" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Moreno:</strong> I said to Tom, "You know, I’ve always wonred what would be like to get to the sensual life of a relig person. You know, one of her ssns wh one of the prisoners, maybe someone my age, she uld start gettg a csh?" And he loved that ia, but Tom beg Tom—and a wrer, and perverse—had me fall madly love wh a sexual predator way younger than I.</p><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="50" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><div class="css-p7qblm ewcw41w0"><img alt="Fun, Event, Conversatn, " tle="Fun, Event, Conversatn, " loadg="lazy" width="1024" height="576" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-8h7i7x e1xqj1sx1">Kathryn Erbe as Shirley Bellger and Terry Kney as Tim McMan</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">HBO</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="51" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Erbe: </strong>It was a very new experience for me playg someone like Shirley. I did thgs for that character and for Tom that I never have done other suatns. I jt tried to su up and do the job, and divorce my own judgment and my own emotns om her. </p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="52" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-ow0dpz eagam8p0"></span><blockquote class="css-la9czl e1pe3zr90">"Each week I would read the new script wh trepidatn, wonrg, 'Oh my god, what am I gog to have to do this time?'"</blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="53" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">When Shirley was hanged, I did the scene wh my then hband askg him how I should die. That day after work, when I’m home after dner washg dish, I thought, “Wow, I was dyg today and now I’m home washg dish. This is a really weird life.”</p><p data-no-id="54" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">I was kd of shocked by how eely the sick, twisted impuls would e to my head. Each week I would read the new script wh trepidatn, wonrg, “Oh my god, what am I gog to have to do this time?”</p><p data-no-id="55" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Simmons:</strong> I get home one day and there’s a msage on my answerg mache: “Hey J.K., s Tom. Had a qutn about somethg I’m thkg about wrg for your character and I jt want to talk about before we go ahead wh .” I’m thkg to myself, This guy has had me beat the crap out of people, rapg them, he’s had me ccify a guy—what the hell is he thkg about havg me do that sudnly now he feels the need to get my approval for? What twisted act of mayhem is store?? I ll him back and he says, “Would you be willg to sg?” </p><p data-no-id="56" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Wters: </strong><em>Oz</em> was such a gift. But ’s tough bee ’s like flyg private for your first flight and then havg to fly mercial for the rt of your life. Nothg has even remotely e close to .</p><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="57" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><div class="css-p7qblm ewcw41w0"><img alt="Stg, Human, Conversatn, Mician, Long hair, " tle="Stg, Human, Conversatn, Mician, Long hair, " loadg="lazy" width="3008" height="1960" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><div class="css-8h7i7x e1xqj1sx1">Lee Tergen as Tobias Beecher and Harold Perre as Augt Hill</div><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">HBO</span><span class="css-1vpjmnm e6iqd0">//</span><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd1">Alamy</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="58" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Tergen: </strong>The show gave you a chance to look at people that you ially didn’t thk you had anythg mon wh. But once you unrstand their story, you start to see the siari and that’s what was great about and I thk what needs to be happeng more now.</p><p data-no-id="59" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">I was a church up Harlem and there was an eight- or ne-year-old boy next to me, and he’s like, “Are you Beecher?” I say, “Yeah.” He go, “I told my mom that was you but she didn’t believe me.” I turn to the mother and say, “Isn’t he too young to watch this show?” And she said, “No. He has got to know that there is a horror show out there. That ’s not ol to go to jail.”</p><p data-no-id="60" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Perre: </strong>One of the qutns that I was always asked is: Are prisons for retributn or rehabilatn? And I don’t thk we’ve answered yet. </p><p data-no-id="61" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Erbe: </strong>Tom saw prison as a microsm of the untry.</p><p data-no-id="62" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><strong>Fontana:</strong> If you have a clear enough visn about what you want to say and the world you want to pict, there is an dience willg to experience wh you. I thk a lot of tim televisn we dumb down bee we thk the dience is too stupid to unrstand. And what I thk I learned om <em>Oz</em> was that, at least the HBO subscribers, were more than willg to look at the world om a different pot of view.</p><p data-no-id="63" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0">Also, I always thought <em>Oz</em> was the funnit show on TV.</p><hr data-no-id="64" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><p data-no-id="65" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><em>A versn of this article appears the November '17 issue of </em>Esquire<em>.</em></p><p data-no-id="66" class="css-aeyldl et3p2gv0"><style data-emotn="css 15g0gpe">{background:#FF3A30;background-lor:#FF3A30;-webk-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;borr:th solid #FF3A30;borr-radi:2rem;lor:#000;display:le-block;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:0.875rem;letter-spacg:0.04rem;le-height:1.3;paddg:0.625rem 1.25rem;-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;text-ratn-lor:#FF3A30;text-ratn-thickns:.0625rem;text-transform:upperse;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 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height="1159" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="//" class="ptert css-1i6sckr e1c1bym14"><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/" loadg="lazy" alt="ptert in" height="to" width="to" class="css-1l3i1cl ewcw41w1" /></a></div><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-1mcfn5x e6iqd2">Marc Hom</span></figptn></div></div></div><style data-emotn="css qplj0i">{font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;marg-top:0.625rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.125rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.25rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:2.5rem;le-height:1.1;}} b, strong{font-fay:her;font-weight:bold;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}</style><h2 data-no-id="68" class="css-qplj0i et3p2gv0"></h2><style data-emotn="css 2ok9l4">{marg-top:1.875rem;borr-top:th solid #595959;}</style><div data-jam-id="thor-b" class="css-2ok9l4 e13rjwo40"><style data-emotn="css f0b5z8">{display:grid;grid-template-lumns:to 1;grid-lumn-gap:0.625rem;paddg-top:1.25rem;paddg-bottom:1.25rem;clear:both;}</style><div class="css-f0b5z8 e19xk9rq8"><style data-emotn="css irehmq">{borr-radi:50%;height:60px;width:60px;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{width:40px;height:40px;}}</style><span class="css-irehmq e19xk9rq1"><style data-emotn="css o0wq4v">{width:100%;height:100%;borr-radi:50%;vertil-align:middle;object-f:ver;}</style><img src="" alt="Headshot of Adrienne Wtenfeld" tle="Headshot of Adrienne Wtenfeld" width="100%" height="100%" dg="async" loadg="lazy" class="css-o0wq4v e19xk9rq3" /></span><div><style data-emotn="css 3sqxrq">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;grid-gap:4px;-webk-align-ems:basele;-webk-box-align:basele;-ms-flex-align:basele;align-ems:basele;-webk-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webk-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;}</style><div class="css-3sqxrq e19xk9rq7"><span class="css-0 e19xk9rq5"><style data-emotn="css 1yunoig">{lor:#161616;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacg:0.02rem;-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-lor:her;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-transform:upperse;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.3;}}{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><style data-emotn="css 1kgdfad">{lor:#161616;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacg:0.02rem;text-transform:upperse;lor:#161616;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacg:0.02rem;-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-lor:her;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-transform:upperse;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.3;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.3;}}{lor:#595959;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a href="/thor/2392/adrienne-wtenfeld/" class="e1c1bym13 css-1kgdfad e1c1bym14"><span>Adrienne Wtenfeld</span></a></span></div><style data-emotn="css pqlu">{lor:#161616;font-fay:Lsanne,Lsanne-fallback,Arial,sans-serif;letter-spacg:0.02rem;marg-top:0.625rem;text-transform:upperse;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.4;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1.3;}}</style><div class="css-pqlu e19xk9rq6">Books and Fictn Edor</div><style data-emotn="css 8u8x58">{display:-webk-box;font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1rem;le-height:1.4;overflow:hidn;paddg-top:0.3125rem;-webk-box-orient:vertil;-webk-le-clamp:5;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{-webk-le-clamp:10;}}>*{display:le;} em{font-style:alic;font-fay:CharterItalic,Geia,Tim,Serif;} p{marg:0rem;} p a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;} p a:hover{text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-8u8x58 e19xk9rq4"><p>Adrienne Wtenfeld is the Books and Fictn Edor at Esquire, where she overse books verage, eds fictn, and curat the Esquire Book Club. </p></div></div></div></div><style data-emotn="css ciejky">{clear:both;marg-top:1.25rem;}</style><div id="journey-le" class="css-ciejky e1cslvxz0"></div><style 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THE GAYS
FROM GAY TO STRAIGHT? THE CONTROVERSIAL THERAPY
"OZ": TEN YEARS {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY MICHAEL JENSENJULY 11, 2007/3:50 PMBY MICHAEL JENSENJULY 11, 2007 / 3:50 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"\"OZ\": TEN YEARS LATER","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-07-11T19:50:40.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-07-11T19:50:40.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"MICHAEL JENSEN","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WH SHOWS SUCH AS SIX FEET UNR AND THE SOPRANOS, PREMIUM BLE WORK HBO HAS A SERVED REPUTATN FOR EDGY, QUALY DRAMA. BUT WAS ON THIS DAY TEN YEARS AGO THAT THE WORK PREMIERED OZ, S FIRST ONE-HOUR DRAMATIC TELEVISN SERI. SET WH A MAXIMUM SECURY PRISON SOMEWHERE THE UNED STAT, THE PRISON DRAMA BROKE BOUNDARI WH S VLENCE, PROFANY AND NUDY, AS WELL AS WH S DIVERSE AND MULTI-RACIAL ST OF STRONGLY IMAGED CHARACTERS. TOM FONTANA, WRER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR OZ, RECENTLY SPOKE WH ABOUT THE SHOW AND S PLACE TELEVISN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FROM THE BEGNG, “THIS SHOW'S ABOUT POWER” {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PREMIERG BEFORE WILL & GRACE OR QUEER AS FOLK, AND NNG UNTIL 2003, OZ WOULD ARGUABLY GO ON TO DO BETTER THAN EHER OF THEM SHOWG THE FULL SPECTM OF MALE SEXUALY. THE DRAMA NVCGLY PORTRAYED THE MYRIAD WAYS SEXUALY ULD BE EXPRSED BETWEEN MEN WHETHER GAY, BI OR STRAIGHT. IT WOULD ALSO GIVE VIEWERS ONE OF TELEVISN'S MOST MEMORABLE MALE/MALE RELATNSHIPS THE LONG-NNG, POWERFUL AND PLEX ROMANCE BETWEEN PRISONERS CHRIS KELLER (PLAYED BY CHRISTOPHER MELONI) AND TOBIAS BEECHER (LEE TERGEN).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN OZ PREMIERED, FONTANA WAS SIMULTANEOLY JUGGLG ANOTHER CRILLY-ACCLAIMED SERI, HOMICI: LIFE ON THE STREET WHICH WOULD HAVE S OWN GROUNDBREAKG GAY MOMENT WHEN DETECTIVE TIM BAYLISS (KYLE SER), WAS OUTED AS A BISEXUAL JANUARY 1998. HOWEVER, BAYLISS' BISEXUALY NEVER WENT BEYOND A FEW DAT AND DISCSNS WH -WORKERS. FONTANA EXPLAED WHY THE NATURE OF OZ ALLOWED HIM TO GO FURTHER EXPLORG THE CHARACTERS' SEXUALY THAN ON HOMICI:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THE THG IS WH HOMICI, YOU KNOW, WE DID SO LTLE ABOUT THE TECTIV' PERSONAL LIV, BEE WHAT WE REALLY WANTED WAS THEIR CHARACTERS TO BE REVEALED THROUGH THEIR WORK. [...] WHEREAS THE DYNAMIC OF OZ ALWAYS WAS — BEE THIS SHOW'S ABOUT POWER — AND SO THE ELEMENT OF SEXUALY AS RELAT TO POWER... WHETHER 'S STRAIGHT, GAY, BI, OR WHATEVER... ALWAYS WAS PLAY, OM THE VERY BEGNG.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}INED, OM THE BEGNG, THE SHOW FEATURED GAY CHARACTERS PROMENTLY. SOME MAY HAVE BEEN ON THE TRADNAL ‘GAY MAN' NG OF THE POWER LADR — NAMELY, THE BOTTOM OF THE PECKG ORR. SUCH WAS THE SE WH FIRST SEASON CHARACTER BILLIE KEANE (DERRICK SIMMONS), THE EFFEMATE BROTHER OF MATE JEFFERSON KEANE (LEON), WHO NEED PROTECTG OM THE OTHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT LATER SEASONS ALSO SHOWED GAY MEN WHO WERE UNABASHEDLY WILLG TO ASSERT THEMSELV. RICHIE HANLON (JORDAN LAGE), A GAY PRISONER WHO ENTERED OZ SEASON 2, QUICKLY ENUNTERED SEXUAL HARASSMENT OM FELLOW PRISONER MARK MACK (LEIF RIDLL), BUT WAS UNWILLG TO TAKE THE ABE:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MACK: YOU'RE A FAG. YOU SUCK DICK. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HANLON: I SUCK THE DICKS I WANT TO SUCK, SO F*** {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEG SET PRISON, HOWEVER, THE SHOW ALSO ALT ANKLY WH THE SEXUALY OF PRISONERS WHO DID NOT NSIR THEMSELV GAY, YET WERE DRIVEN TO SAME-SEX RELATNS EHER THROUGH LONELS OR THROUGH RAPE. ONE OF THE PRIMARY WAYS THE THEM WERE EXPLORED WAS THROUGH THE CHARACTER OF TOBIAS BEECHER. BEECHER WAS A WEALTHY, MIDDLE-CLASS LAWYER, HBAND AND FATHER, WHO FOUND HIMSELF OZ (THE NICKNAME FOR THE OSWALD STATE CORRECTNAL FACILY) AFTER ACCINTALLY KILLG A GIRL WHILE DRIVG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TOTALLY UNEQUIPPED FOR PRISON LIFE THE FIRST SEASON, BEECHER FELL PREY TO VERN SCHILLGER (J.K. SIMMONS), THE WHE SUPREMACIST LEAR OF THE ARYAN BROTHERHOOD OZ. SCHILLGER'S HOMOPHOBIA DID NOT PREVENT HIM OM TRYG TO RAPE ANY UNPROTECTED WHE MAN WHO ME THROUGH THE GAT OF THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER FOUGHT BACK OM HIS IAL “PRAG” (I.E. SEXUAL SLAVE) STAT, EVENTUALLY TABLISHG A LEVEL OF PENNCE OM SCHILLGER, ALTHOUGH THE POWER STGGLE BETWEEN THE TWO MEN WOULD NTUE TILL THE END OF THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ONCE EE OF SCHILLGER, THOUGH, BEECHER ALSO STGGLED WH THE LONELS THAT FONTANA SAYS WAS ANOTHER CENTRAL THEME OF THE SERI:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“IT WASN'T THAT I WAS THKG, ‘OH BOY, HERE'S AN OPPORTUNY TO SHOW A LOT OF GUYS F***G', WAS REALLY AN OPPORTUNY, FOR ME, TO TALK ABOUT THE LONELS, AND HOW THE LONELS, ANYBODY'S LIFE, BE PENSATED [FOR] [...] THAT'S WHY THE FIRST SEASON I HAD THE THG WHERE [THE ERNOR] GOT RID OF NJUGAL VISS [FOR THE PRISONERS], BEE I WANTED THE STAK TO BE TENSIFIED AS OPPOSED TO THERE BEG THIS RELEASE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A LOVE STORY EMERG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ENTER CHRIS KELLER, A STRAPPG, CHARISMATIC, BLUE-EYED, SEXUALLY AMBIGUO PRISONER WHO BEME BEECHER'S PODMATE EPISO 2:4. KELLER SUPPORTED BEECHER THROUGH THE NEWS OF HIS WIFE'S ATH, ALL WHILE OFFERG PANNSHIP, WRTLG LSONS AND THE APPARENT PROMISE OF A IENDSHIP WH NO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A PRISON FILLED WH CLIQU, POWER STGGL AND MANIPULATN, KELLER SEEMED LIKE A GODSEND. THE PREVLY HETEROSEXUAL BEECHER WAS VERY QUICKLY SMTEN — AND WH A FEW EPISOS, BEECHER AND KELLER WERE EXCHANGG CLARATNS OF LOVE WHILE KISSG THE LNDRY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN REALY, HOWEVER, KELLER WAS LEAGUE WH SCHILLGER, AND HE EVENTUALLY LIVERED BEECHER OVER FOR A BEATG WHICH BOTH HIS ARMS AND LEGS WERE BROKEN. ABOUT THE MEN'S RELATNSHIPS AND THE BETRAYAL, WHICH OCCURRED AT THE END OF THE SEND SEASON, FONTANA SAYS: “THAT WAS AS FAR AS I KNEW THE STORY.” [LGHS] “I MEAN LERALLY, THAT WAS AS FAR AS ... SO THAT WHAT YOU DISVERED WAS THAT WAS ALL A LIE, THAT EVERYTHG THAT KELLER HAD DONE WAS A LIE, AND THAT WAS WHERE MY HEAD ... NOT THAT I WAS GONNA LEAVE , BUT THAT'S AS FAR AS I HAD MY HEAD, ABOUT WHERE ULD GO.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE SAYS THAT SEEG MELONI AND TERGEN A FAKE ROMANCE WAS WHAT SPIRED HIM TO MAKE A REAL ONE: “THE KELLER/BEECHER THG REALLY GREW OUT OF THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THE TWO ACTORS, CHRIS AND LEE, THE SENSE THAT MY ORIGAL TENTN WAS SIMPLY FOR KELLER TO BE A CLASSIC SEXUAL PREDATOR, G THE BEECHER CHARACTER. BUT THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE TWO ACTORS ONSCREEN WAS SUCH THAT I WENT, ‘WELL WA A MUTE, THERE'S MORE HERE AND 'S MUCH MORE TERTG THAN ANYTHG THAT I WOULD HAVE NCEIVED OF.' [...] IT WAS EXCG TO SEE THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THEM, SO THAT'S WHY I STAYED WH THAT STORY TERMS OF BEECHER 'S VELOPMENT AS A CHARACTER.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PART OF THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE TWO ACTORS ME OM THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY VTED THEMSELV THEIR ROL, SO THAT EVEN THEIR UNSCRIPTED MOMENTS THEY WERE BELIEVABLE AS TWO MEN LOVE. IN FACT, OVER THE NEXT FOUR SEASONS, SOME OF THEIR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS WOULD BE WORDLS: KELLER SUALLY NNG HIS HAND OVER BEECHER'S ARM; THE LOOK BEECHER'S EY WHEN HE GO TO VIS KELLER HOSPAL AFTER HE HAS BEEN JURED; BEECHER ANXLY NNG HIS FGERS THROUGH HIS HAIR BEFORE GOG TO SEE KELLER FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER A LONG SEPARATN. THE WAY KELLER PS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE TURNG AROUND WHEN BEECHER SAYS HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LOVE, STCTN, SACRIFICE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT HELPED THAT AS THE STORYLE UNFOLD WAS LS A STORY ‘ABOUT' SEXUAL ORIENTATN THAN WAS ABOUT THE DUAL NATURE OF ANY LOVE: THE SIRE TO PROTECT AND RE FOR SOMEONE VERS THE SELFISH SIRE TO POSSS THEM AT ALL STS. THIS NFLICT WAS PARTICULARLY ACUTE FOR THE BISEXUAL KELLER, A PRIME MANIPULATOR WHOSE RELATNSHIPS WH MEN AND WOMEN BOTH SI AND OUTSI PRISON HAD BEEN DRIVEN BY A NEED TO SEE IF HE ULD TREAT THEM BADLY AND STILL GET THEM TO E BACK TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AWARE OF HIS OWN STCTIVE TENNCI LOVE, KELLER STGGLED TO ATTA THE MORE NOBLE ASPECTS OF SACRIFICE AND SELFLSNS. AT THE END OF SEASON 4, HE NFS TO A CRIME THAT BEECHER HAS MTED ORR TO TRY AND PROTECT BEECHER OM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FONTANA SAYS: “WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE TERTG WOULD BE, IF YOU TAKE THIS GUY WHO HAS BEEN A SEXUAL PREDATOR, AND OVER THE URSE OF TIME, THE LIE OF ‘I'M LOVE WH BEECHER' BE THE TTH OF ‘I'M LOVE WH BEECHER'. AND HOW DO THAT AFFECT [KELLER] AND SOFTEN HIM AND MAKE HIM E TO A DIFFERENT KD OF PLACE? I MEAN 'S A CLASSIC LOVE STORY THE SENSE THAT BEECHER'S GENUE LOVE FOR KELLER CHANGED KELLER AS A PERSON, AND KD OF EED HIM TO THE POT WHERE, GOG OM BEG PLETELY SELFISH, HE ULD THEN BE PLETELY SELFLS. BUT EVEN SO, WAS HE [REALLY]?”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN OTHER WORDS, N A LEOPARD TLY CHANGE S SPOTS?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SENT TO A DIFFERENT PRISON TO AWA TRIAL, KELLER TRI TO PH BEECHER AWAY - PARTICULARLY SCE HE KNOWS THAT BEECHER MAY BE UP FOR PAROLE. BUT BY THE BEGNG OF SEASON 5, AFTER KELLER'S FALSE NFSN HAS BEEN DISVERED, BEECHER IS SENT BACK TO OZ. THROUGHOUT THE SIXTH AND FAL SEASON, AS BEECHER ONCE AGA HAS A CHANCE AT EEDOM, KELLER BE CREASGLY SPERATE AND STCTIVE HIS EFFORTS TO KEEP BEECHER WH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FONTANA SAYS: “WHAT I WAS GOG FOR WAS, WHAT [KELLER] SAID TO [ BEECHER ] TERMS OF ‘RUN AS FAR AWAY OM ME AS POSSIBLE' [AT THE END OF SEASON 4], WAS A GENUE ACT OF LOVE. BEE I THK HE KNEW OF HIS OWN OBSSN. AND HE KNEW THAT THE OBSSN WOULD LEAD TO A TERRIBLE OUTE. SO HIS IMPULSE WAS TO SAY ‘OK, I'M GONNA PH YOU AWAY'. BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THE LOVE BE THE THG THAT HE KNOWS HE HAS TO HAVE. SO HOPEFULLY 'S ABOUT THE PLEXY OF LOVE, BEE ON THE ONE HAND, HE LOV BEECHER ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT HE'S BAD FOR HIM. AND YET ON THE OTHER HAND, HE LOV HIM SO MUCH, HE HAS TO [TRY AND] STROY BEECHER, A WAY, STROY HIS EEDOM, ORR TO POSSS HIM.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DPE THE CREASGLY DARK TURN TAKEN BY THE RELATNSHIP, FONTANA SAYS: “I DO THK THAT THEY TLY DID LOVE EACH OTHER. AND THE WAY THAT LOVE N BE BOTH BLISSFUL AND BTAL. THEY LOVED EACH OTHER FULLY, WASN'T JT HEARTS AND FLOWERS KD OF LOVE, HAD ALL THE BUMPS AND GRDS OF A REAL RELATNSHIP, AND OF AN TENSE ... YOU KNOW, KD OF PRIMAL RELATNSHIP.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER AND KELLER'S UNSEEN SEX LIFE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER AND BEECHER'S ROMANCE CERTALY RAN THE EMOTNAL GAMUT. AND, PRE-QUEER AS FOLK, MAY HAVE BEEN MORE FULLY-REALIZED PHYSILLY THAN ANY OTHER MALE/MALE RELATNSHIP ON AMERIN TELEVISN. BUT A SHOW THAT NEVER FLCHED OM SHOWG VLENT RAP BETWEEN MEN, AS WELL AS SEVERAL FAIRLY GRAPHIC (IF AGGRSIVE) MALE/FEMALE UPLGS, WAS STRIKG THAT BEECHER AND KELLER NEVER GOT MUCH BEYOND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SURPRISED WHEN THIS IS POTED OUT TO HIM, FONTANA STAT THAT THE LACK OF A SEX SCENE WAS “TOTALLY UNNSC ON MY PART”, AND CERTALY NOT THE RULT OF ANY WORK CENSORSHIP: “YEAH, NO, HBO DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, HBO NEVER TOLD ME DON'T DO ANYTHG. SO WASN'T HBO SAYG ‘OH, TOM, PLEASE DON'T SHOW TWO MEN HAVG LOVG SEX.' THEY DIDN'T ... NOBODY SAID THAT.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE REFLECTS: “I THK [ WAS] BEE MY MD ... I THK THAT THE SEX THAT WE DID SEE, WHICH WAS FAIRLY VLENT — EVEN THE SE, LIKE, THE FIRST SEASON WHEN EDIE FAL'S CHARACTER [DIANE WHTLEY] SLEPT WH TERRY KNEY'S CHARACTER [TIM MCMAN], WAS NOT AN ATTRACTIVE SEX SCENE, WAS A SPERATE SEX SCENE. AND TO GO BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYG BEFORE, THE SHOW WAS REALLY ABOUT POWER AND THE LACK OF POWER. AND THE SEXUALY AND THE VLENCE WERE ED AS A PRISM FOR AN EXAMATN OF POWER. AND SO A SOFT AND LOVG SEX SCENE BETWEEN TWO OF THE CHARACTERS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN UNTER TO WHAT WAS MY HEAD ABOUT WHY I WAS SHOWG ANY SEX AT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I MEAN, IF YOU THK ABOUT , WHAT WOULD A SEX SCENE BETWEEN [BEECHER AND KELLER] HAVE BEEN LIKE? I MEAN BEE THEY DID LOVE EACH OTHER, WOULD HAVE HAD A KD OF ... WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE, LIKE, NICE SEX. WHICH WASN'T PART OF THE TAPTRY OF THE SHOW, IS I GUS WHAT I'M SAYG, WHICH IS WHY STCTIVELY I GUS I NEVER WENT THERE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KIDDG, HE ADDS: “BUT — YOU KNOW, F*** , LET'S GO BACK AND SHOOT THE SEX SCEN BETWEEN [MELONI AND TERGEN]! THEY'D DO , THOSE TWO CLOWNS! THEY'RE READY!”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE IS PROBABLY RRECT SAYG THIS. THE RELAXED RPONS OF THE TWO ACTORS TO QUTNS ABOUT THEIR SAME-SEX STORYLE, ALONG WH THEIR PASSNATE ONSTAGE KISS AT THE 2000 GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS, WERE PART OF WHAT ENARED THEM TO GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON A SHOW THAT ALSO HAD A LARGE STRAIGHT FANBASE, THOUGH, FONTANA SAYS THAT HE NEVER FOUND HIMSELF PRSURED OR CRICIZED FOR THE BEECHER/KELLER STORYLE: “THE DIENCE NEVER SEEMED TO DITE THAT, AND THE WORK NEVER SEEMED TO DITE THAT, AND THE REVIEWERS NEVER SEEMED TO DITE THAT.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}COMFORT THROUGH BTALY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PART OF WHAT MA THE RELATNSHIP MORE ACCEPTABLE TO STRAIGHT MALE VIEWERS, PARTICULAR, MAY HAVE BEEN THE SHEER BTALY OF THE WORLD THAT OZ PICTED. IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO SNEER AT BEECHER AND KELLER AS WEAK OR “FAGGY” WHEN, ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THE CHARACTERS WERE ALG WH SUATNS THAT MOST MEN, WHETHER STRAIGHT OR GAY, WOULD STGGLE TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE SHOW ALSO HAD A BROKEBACK MOUNTA-LIKE QUALY OF SIMPLY PRENTG YOU DIRECTLY WH THE MEN'S RAW EXPERIENCE, WH NO APOLOGI OR JTIFITNS OFFERED FOR DOG SO. WHERE WILL & GRACE SUBSTUTED JUDY GARLAND JOK FOR SEXUALY, OZ TOOK YOU STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF A DARK, TENSE LOVE AFFAIR, A WAY THAT WAS HARD TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON , A FEMALE POSTER RELLED WATCHG OZ WH HER BOYIEND, WHO SHOUTED “NO!” WHEN HE SAW BEECHER AND KELLER KISS. SHE THOUGHT HE WAS REACTG HOMOPHOBILLY, BUT TURNED OUT THAT HE WAS SHOUTG TO BEECHER: “DON'T TAKE HIM BACK, YOU IDT! HE BROKE BOTH YOUR ARMS AND YOUR LEGS!”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ONE OF THE TERTG THGS ABOUT OZ WAS THAT DREW SEVERAL ACTORS WH A RAP/HIP-HOP BACKGROUND — NOT TRADNALLY A MUNY IENDLY TO HOMOSEXUALY. IN THE URSE OF THE SHOW'S N, THERE WERE GUT APPEARANC OM LL COOL J AND MASTER P, AS WELL AS LONGER-LASTG TURNS OM PERFORMERS SUCH AS METHOD MAN, AND LORD JAMAR OF THE GROUP BRAND NUBIAN. ACRDG TO FONTANA, HOWEVER, NO-ONE ON THE SHOW EVER VOICED A PLAT ABOUT THE BEECHER/KELLER STORYLE OR THE SHOW'S GAY NTENT — AT LEAST NOT TO HIM:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“OH, YOU MEAN TERMS OF AN ACTOR WHO WASN'T VOLVED THAT STORY GOG, LIKE, ‘MAN, I N'T BELIEVE YOU'RE DOG THAT'? UM ... THE TTH IS I N'T ANSWER THAT, BEE IF THEY HAD I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FIRED THEM.” HE LGHS. “AND THEY PROBABLY KNEW THAT. BEE ... YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE ... WHAT WAS WONRFUL ABOUT THE ST OF OZ WAS THAT THEY GOT THE WHOLE THG, THEY UNRSTOOD THE WHOLE THG, AND SO ... I MEAN IF ANYBODY HAD A PROBLEM WH , NOBODY ARTICULATED TO ME. BUT LIKE I SAID THEY PROBABLY WERE AAID TO, BEE THEY KNEW I'D GET PISSED OFF. BEE I DON'T THK 'S RIGHT FOR PEOPLE TO BE CRICIZG OTHER PEOPLE'S STORYL.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GETTG TO HEAVEN OM OZ {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WH THE SHOW, OTHER PEOPLE WHOM YOU MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED TO BE AGAST THE BEECHER/KELLER ROMANCE WERE THE CHARACTERS OF SISTER PETER MARIE REIMONDO (PLAYED BY RA MORENO), AND FATHER RAY MADA (PLAYED BY OUT ACTOR B.D. WONG), A CATHOLIC NUN AND PRIT RPECTIVELY, WHO SERVED THE PRISON POPULATN. IN FACT, BOTH CHARACTERS WERE SYMPATHETIC TO THE RELATNSHIP, AND EVEN WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO ARRANGE FOR THE LOVERS TO MEET. SPEAKG ABOUT THEIR ATTUS, FONTANA (WHO SERVED AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ON THE 2004 DOCUMENTARY IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, A FILM ABOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALY) SAYS THAT:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THE NATURE OF THE PRITS AND NUNS WHO WORK PRISONS IS VERY DIFFERENT OM WHAT THOSE CLOWNS THE VATIN DO. AND THE AMERIN CATHOLIC CHURCH IS ... ONCE YOU GET TO THAT LEVEL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MTED SOCIALLY TO, WHETHER 'S PRISONS OR WHATEVER THEY'RE MTED TO, THEY DON'T MAKE THOSE KD OF JUDGMENTS. I KNOW A LOT OF ACTIVIST PRITS AND A LOT OF ACTIVIST NUNS, AND THEY WOULDN'T BE THOSE JOBS IF THEY SUDNLY WERE TRYG TO BE DICTATORIAL ABOUT, ‘OH, HOMOSEXUALY IS THIS,' OR ... THE ON THAT I {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“NOW MAYBE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE MUCH MORE HARD-NOSED, BUT THE ON THAT I KNOW AND THE ON THAT I MET [WHILE DOG REARCH FOR OZ], SPECIFILLY THE PEOPLE THE PRISONS, WERE REALLY VERY OPEN AND LOVG, AND UNRSTANDG OF THE LONELS AND THE FEAR THAT EXISTS PRISON, AND HOW THAT N GENERATE DIFFERENT KDS OF RELATNSHIPS. SO, FOR ME WAS NEVER AN ISSUE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NONE OF THIS IS TO SAY THAT BEECHER AND KELLER NEVER MET WH ANY DISAPPROVAL PURSUG THEIR RELATNSHIP. KAREEM SAID (PLAYED BY EAMONN WALKER), THE LEAR OF THE MLIM PRISONERS OZ, WAS HORRIFIED BY HOMOSEXUALY — A FACT WHICH SOMETIM PUT A STRA ON HIS OTHERWISE CLOSE IENDSHIP WH BEECHER. MANY OF THE PRISONERS HAD THE PREDICTABLE MACHO DISMISSIVE ATTU ABOUT ‘FAGS'.{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AT THE SAME TIME, THE BEECHER/KELLER ROMANCE DID FULFILL THE IAL OF A SAME-SEX UPLE ON TELEVISN WHOSE RELATNSHIP WAS OPEN AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY EVERYONE AROUND THEM, WHO DID NOT SPEND TIME AGONIZG OVER THEIR SEXUALY, AND WHOSE ISSU AS A UPLE WERE MOSTLY UNRELATED TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NEHER OF THE CHARACTERS ULD EVER HAVE BEEN SCRIBED AS ROLE MOLS. THEIR RELATNSHIP WAS BORN PARTLY OUT OF RTRICTN AND LONELS, AND MIGHT NEVER HAVE HAPPENED OUTSI OF OZ. BUT THE WAY THAT RELATNSHIP WAS WRTEN AND STAGED, ALWAYS CLUD AN ELEMENT OF GENUE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE RELATNSHIP IS ULTIMATELY A DOOMED ONE, BUT THAT LOVE WAS EVINCED OM THE VERY FIRST TRODUCTN OF KELLER UNR THE HEADG “BOY MEETS BOY”, WHEN THE MERA PANS OVER BEECHER AND KELLER'S FAC AS ONE OF THE SHOW'S CHARACTERS READS A LOVE POEM, TO THE PROMISE THAT KELLER MAK BEECHER AS HE IS LED OFF AT THE END OF SEASON 4:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER: I'LL SEE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER: WHEN?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER: BACK HERE. OR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER: YOU REALLY THK WE'RE GONNA GET TO HEAVEN?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER: AH ... YOU AND ME TOGETHER? GOD DON'T HAVE THE BALLS TO KEEP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GET OZ ON DVD OM OR WATCH RE-NS ON HBO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

THE GAYS

The Gays are one of the many prison gangs si Emerald Cy. They are viewed as one of the weakt gangs Oz, both bee the majory of mat Oz are homophobic and bee they are not ntrol of anythg. The gays are lead by Richie Hanlon until his ath, then by Tony Masters... * oz tv show gay *

And yet, for s, lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer people rarely ever saw displays of affectn. It may appear quat now, when we have TV seri like Hulu’s Love, Victor (about a Latx teen explorg sexual fluidy) or Netflix’s Bondg (about sex work and alternative sexualy), but the great gay panic set off by Ellen DeGener g out on her s 1997 was a bombshell that didn’t necsarily nvce the works that they’d open the gat to LGBTQ experienc.

Luckily Will & Grace buted 1998 and the groundbreakg NBC seri nvced many that gay people might not be so toxic (and wouldn’t sre off advertisers) — so much so that Vice Print Joe Bin later creded wh changg his md about same-sex marriage. Dpe the fact that lns of Amerins wnsed two men raise a happy and healthy dghter om the fort of their livg room sofas, took a fan mpaign to lobby Disney-owned ABC to fally allow Mchell (gay actor Jse Tyler Fergon) and Cameron (straight actor Eric Stontreet) to kiss ( fally happened 2010). For years, ranged, perverse, and spible homosexuals were on full display — pecially om Ryan Murphy, who remas our most proment culture czar when to queer characters on TV.

But he’s also supplied at least one murro (ghostly) gay man on Amerin Horror Story and too many crazi on Nip/Tuck to unt. From the Roy Cohn-flected Army-McCarthy heargs — which was the first time many people heard the word “homosexual” uttered on TV — through the “don’t ask, don’t tell” Neti, that clud The Goln Girls and Digng Women, to our current glter-and-glam era of RuPl’s Drag Race and almost-anythg-go pansexualy. In that way, ’s breakg siar ground to the Sundance Now seri This Close, om af actors Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman, about a straight woman and gay man who are bti lookg for love and unrstandg.

FROM GAY TO STRAIGHT? THE CONTROVERSIAL THERAPY

From Gay to Straight? The Controversial Therapy: Directed by Brian Campbell. Wh Mehmet Oz, Clay Aiken, Gabriel Arana, Eliza Byard." data-id="ma * oz tv show gay *

And while the seri received as much hate mail as adoratn — an evable byproduct of beg the first show to have openly gay male lead characters — lasted eight seasons before endg 2006.

"OZ": TEN YEARS {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}TVBY MICHAEL JENSENJULY 11, 2007/3:50 PMBY MICHAEL JENSENJULY 11, 2007 / 3:50 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"\"OZ\": TEN YEARS LATER","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-07-11T19:50:40.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-07-11T19:50:40.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"MICHAEL JENSEN","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"TV"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WH SHOWS SUCH AS SIX FEET UNR AND THE SOPRANOS, PREMIUM BLE WORK HBO HAS A SERVED REPUTATN FOR EDGY, QUALY DRAMA. BUT WAS ON THIS DAY TEN YEARS AGO THAT THE WORK PREMIERED OZ, S FIRST ONE-HOUR DRAMATIC TELEVISN SERI. SET WH A MAXIMUM SECURY PRISON SOMEWHERE THE UNED STAT, THE PRISON DRAMA BROKE BOUNDARI WH S VLENCE, PROFANY AND NUDY, AS WELL AS WH S DIVERSE AND MULTI-RACIAL ST OF STRONGLY IMAGED CHARACTERS. TOM FONTANA, WRER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR OZ, RECENTLY SPOKE WH ABOUT THE SHOW AND S PLACE TELEVISN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FROM THE BEGNG, “THIS SHOW'S ABOUT POWER” {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PREMIERG BEFORE WILL & GRACE OR QUEER AS FOLK, AND NNG UNTIL 2003, OZ WOULD ARGUABLY GO ON TO DO BETTER THAN EHER OF THEM SHOWG THE FULL SPECTM OF MALE SEXUALY. THE DRAMA NVCGLY PORTRAYED THE MYRIAD WAYS SEXUALY ULD BE EXPRSED BETWEEN MEN WHETHER GAY, BI OR STRAIGHT. IT WOULD ALSO GIVE VIEWERS ONE OF TELEVISN'S MOST MEMORABLE MALE/MALE RELATNSHIPS THE LONG-NNG, POWERFUL AND PLEX ROMANCE BETWEEN PRISONERS CHRIS KELLER (PLAYED BY CHRISTOPHER MELONI) AND TOBIAS BEECHER (LEE TERGEN).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHEN OZ PREMIERED, FONTANA WAS SIMULTANEOLY JUGGLG ANOTHER CRILLY-ACCLAIMED SERI, HOMICI: LIFE ON THE STREET WHICH WOULD HAVE S OWN GROUNDBREAKG GAY MOMENT WHEN DETECTIVE TIM BAYLISS (KYLE SER), WAS OUTED AS A BISEXUAL JANUARY 1998. HOWEVER, BAYLISS' BISEXUALY NEVER WENT BEYOND A FEW DAT AND DISCSNS WH -WORKERS. FONTANA EXPLAED WHY THE NATURE OF OZ ALLOWED HIM TO GO FURTHER EXPLORG THE CHARACTERS' SEXUALY THAN ON HOMICI:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THE THG IS WH HOMICI, YOU KNOW, WE DID SO LTLE ABOUT THE TECTIV' PERSONAL LIV, BEE WHAT WE REALLY WANTED WAS THEIR CHARACTERS TO BE REVEALED THROUGH THEIR WORK. [...] WHEREAS THE DYNAMIC OF OZ ALWAYS WAS — BEE THIS SHOW'S ABOUT POWER — AND SO THE ELEMENT OF SEXUALY AS RELAT TO POWER... WHETHER 'S STRAIGHT, GAY, BI, OR WHATEVER... ALWAYS WAS PLAY, OM THE VERY BEGNG.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}INED, OM THE BEGNG, THE SHOW FEATURED GAY CHARACTERS PROMENTLY. SOME MAY HAVE BEEN ON THE TRADNAL ‘GAY MAN' NG OF THE POWER LADR — NAMELY, THE BOTTOM OF THE PECKG ORR. SUCH WAS THE SE WH FIRST SEASON CHARACTER BILLIE KEANE (DERRICK SIMMONS), THE EFFEMATE BROTHER OF MATE JEFFERSON KEANE (LEON), WHO NEED PROTECTG OM THE OTHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT LATER SEASONS ALSO SHOWED GAY MEN WHO WERE UNABASHEDLY WILLG TO ASSERT THEMSELV. RICHIE HANLON (JORDAN LAGE), A GAY PRISONER WHO ENTERED OZ SEASON 2, QUICKLY ENUNTERED SEXUAL HARASSMENT OM FELLOW PRISONER MARK MACK (LEIF RIDLL), BUT WAS UNWILLG TO TAKE THE ABE:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MACK: YOU'RE A FAG. YOU SUCK DICK. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HANLON: I SUCK THE DICKS I WANT TO SUCK, SO F* {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEG SET PRISON, HOWEVER, THE SHOW ALSO ALT ANKLY WH THE SEXUALY OF PRISONERS WHO DID NOT NSIR THEMSELV GAY, YET WERE DRIVEN TO SAME-SEX RELATNS EHER THROUGH LONELS OR THROUGH RAPE. ONE OF THE PRIMARY WAYS THE THEM WERE EXPLORED WAS THROUGH THE CHARACTER OF TOBIAS BEECHER. BEECHER WAS A WEALTHY, MIDDLE-CLASS LAWYER, HBAND AND FATHER, WHO FOUND HIMSELF OZ (THE NICKNAME FOR THE OSWALD STATE CORRECTNAL FACILY) AFTER ACCINTALLY KILLG A GIRL WHILE DRIVG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TOTALLY UNEQUIPPED FOR PRISON LIFE THE FIRST SEASON, BEECHER FELL PREY TO VERN SCHILLGER (J.K. SIMMONS), THE WHE SUPREMACIST LEAR OF THE ARYAN BROTHERHOOD OZ. SCHILLGER'S HOMOPHOBIA DID NOT PREVENT HIM OM TRYG TO RAPE ANY UNPROTECTED WHE MAN WHO ME THROUGH THE GAT OF THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER FOUGHT BACK OM HIS IAL “PRAG” (I.E. SEXUAL SLAVE) STAT, EVENTUALLY TABLISHG A LEVEL OF PENNCE OM SCHILLGER, ALTHOUGH THE POWER STGGLE BETWEEN THE TWO MEN WOULD NTUE TILL THE END OF THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ONCE EE OF SCHILLGER, THOUGH, BEECHER ALSO STGGLED WH THE LONELS THAT FONTANA SAYS WAS ANOTHER CENTRAL THEME OF THE SERI:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“IT WASN'T THAT I WAS THKG, ‘OH BOY, HERE'S AN OPPORTUNY TO SHOW A LOT OF GUYS F*G', WAS REALLY AN OPPORTUNY, FOR ME, TO TALK ABOUT THE LONELS, AND HOW THE LONELS, ANYBODY'S LIFE, BE PENSATED [FOR] [...] THAT'S WHY THE FIRST SEASON I HAD THE THG WHERE [THE ERNOR] GOT RID OF NJUGAL VISS [FOR THE PRISONERS], BEE I WANTED THE STAK TO BE TENSIFIED AS OPPOSED TO THERE BEG THIS RELEASE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A LOVE STORY EMERG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ENTER CHRIS KELLER, A STRAPPG, CHARISMATIC, BLUE-EYED, SEXUALLY AMBIGUO PRISONER WHO BEME BEECHER'S PODMATE EPISO 2:4. KELLER SUPPORTED BEECHER THROUGH THE NEWS OF HIS WIFE'S ATH, ALL WHILE OFFERG PANNSHIP, WRTLG LSONS AND THE APPARENT PROMISE OF A IENDSHIP WH NO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN A PRISON FILLED WH CLIQU, POWER STGGL AND MANIPULATN, KELLER SEEMED LIKE A GODSEND. THE PREVLY HETEROSEXUAL BEECHER WAS VERY QUICKLY SMTEN — AND WH A FEW EPISOS, BEECHER AND KELLER WERE EXCHANGG CLARATNS OF LOVE WHILE KISSG THE LNDRY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN REALY, HOWEVER, KELLER WAS LEAGUE WH SCHILLGER, AND HE EVENTUALLY LIVERED BEECHER OVER FOR A BEATG WHICH BOTH HIS ARMS AND LEGS WERE BROKEN. ABOUT THE MEN'S RELATNSHIPS AND THE BETRAYAL, WHICH OCCURRED AT THE END OF THE SEND SEASON, FONTANA SAYS: “THAT WAS AS FAR AS I KNEW THE STORY.” [LGHS] “I MEAN LERALLY, THAT WAS AS FAR AS ... SO THAT WHAT YOU DISVERED WAS THAT WAS ALL A LIE, THAT EVERYTHG THAT KELLER HAD DONE WAS A LIE, AND THAT WAS WHERE MY HEAD ... NOT THAT I WAS GONNA LEAVE , BUT THAT'S AS FAR AS I HAD MY HEAD, ABOUT WHERE ULD GO.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE SAYS THAT SEEG MELONI AND TERGEN A FAKE ROMANCE WAS WHAT SPIRED HIM TO MAKE A REAL ONE: “THE KELLER/BEECHER THG REALLY GREW OUT OF THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THE TWO ACTORS, CHRIS AND LEE, THE SENSE THAT MY ORIGAL TENTN WAS SIMPLY FOR KELLER TO BE A CLASSIC SEXUAL PREDATOR, G THE BEECHER CHARACTER. BUT THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE TWO ACTORS ONSCREEN WAS SUCH THAT I WENT, ‘WELL WA A MUTE, THERE'S MORE HERE AND 'S MUCH MORE TERTG THAN ANYTHG THAT I WOULD HAVE NCEIVED OF.' [...] IT WAS EXCG TO SEE THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THEM, SO THAT'S WHY I STAYED WH THAT STORY TERMS OF BEECHER 'S VELOPMENT AS A CHARACTER.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PART OF THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THE TWO ACTORS ME OM THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY VTED THEMSELV THEIR ROL, SO THAT EVEN THEIR UNSCRIPTED MOMENTS THEY WERE BELIEVABLE AS TWO MEN LOVE. IN FACT, OVER THE NEXT FOUR SEASONS, SOME OF THEIR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS WOULD BE WORDLS: KELLER SUALLY NNG HIS HAND OVER BEECHER'S ARM; THE LOOK BEECHER'S EY WHEN HE GO TO VIS KELLER HOSPAL AFTER HE HAS BEEN JURED; BEECHER ANXLY NNG HIS FGERS THROUGH HIS HAIR BEFORE GOG TO SEE KELLER FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER A LONG SEPARATN. THE WAY KELLER PS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE TURNG AROUND WHEN BEECHER SAYS HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}LOVE, STCTN, SACRIFICE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT HELPED THAT AS THE STORYLE UNFOLD WAS LS A STORY ‘ABOUT' SEXUAL ORIENTATN THAN WAS ABOUT THE DUAL NATURE OF ANY LOVE: THE SIRE TO PROTECT AND RE FOR SOMEONE VERS THE SELFISH SIRE TO POSSS THEM AT ALL STS. THIS NFLICT WAS PARTICULARLY ACUTE FOR THE BISEXUAL KELLER, A PRIME MANIPULATOR WHOSE RELATNSHIPS WH MEN AND WOMEN BOTH SI AND OUTSI PRISON HAD BEEN DRIVEN BY A NEED TO SEE IF HE ULD TREAT THEM BADLY AND STILL GET THEM TO E BACK TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AWARE OF HIS OWN STCTIVE TENNCI LOVE, KELLER STGGLED TO ATTA THE MORE NOBLE ASPECTS OF SACRIFICE AND SELFLSNS. AT THE END OF SEASON 4, HE NFS TO A CRIME THAT BEECHER HAS MTED ORR TO TRY AND PROTECT BEECHER OM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FONTANA SAYS: “WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE TERTG WOULD BE, IF YOU TAKE THIS GUY WHO HAS BEEN A SEXUAL PREDATOR, AND OVER THE URSE OF TIME, THE LIE OF ‘I'M LOVE WH BEECHER' BE THE TTH OF ‘I'M LOVE WH BEECHER'. AND HOW DO THAT AFFECT [KELLER] AND SOFTEN HIM AND MAKE HIM E TO A DIFFERENT KD OF PLACE? I MEAN 'S A CLASSIC LOVE STORY THE SENSE THAT BEECHER'S GENUE LOVE FOR KELLER CHANGED KELLER AS A PERSON, AND KD OF EED HIM TO THE POT WHERE, GOG OM BEG PLETELY SELFISH, HE ULD THEN BE PLETELY SELFLS. BUT EVEN SO, WAS HE [REALLY]?”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IN OTHER WORDS, N A LEOPARD TLY CHANGE S SPOTS?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SENT TO A DIFFERENT PRISON TO AWA TRIAL, KELLER TRI TO PH BEECHER AWAY - PARTICULARLY SCE HE KNOWS THAT BEECHER MAY BE UP FOR PAROLE. BUT BY THE BEGNG OF SEASON 5, AFTER KELLER'S FALSE NFSN HAS BEEN DISVERED, BEECHER IS SENT BACK TO OZ. THROUGHOUT THE SIXTH AND FAL SEASON, AS BEECHER ONCE AGA HAS A CHANCE AT EEDOM, KELLER BE CREASGLY SPERATE AND STCTIVE HIS EFFORTS TO KEEP BEECHER WH {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FONTANA SAYS: “WHAT I WAS GOG FOR WAS, WHAT [KELLER] SAID TO [ BEECHER ] TERMS OF ‘RUN AS FAR AWAY OM ME AS POSSIBLE' [AT THE END OF SEASON 4], WAS A GENUE ACT OF LOVE. BEE I THK HE KNEW OF HIS OWN OBSSN. AND HE KNEW THAT THE OBSSN WOULD LEAD TO A TERRIBLE OUTE. SO HIS IMPULSE WAS TO SAY ‘OK, I'M GONNA PH YOU AWAY'. BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, THE LOVE BE THE THG THAT HE KNOWS HE HAS TO HAVE. SO HOPEFULLY 'S ABOUT THE PLEXY OF LOVE, BEE ON THE ONE HAND, HE LOV BEECHER ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT HE'S BAD FOR HIM. AND YET ON THE OTHER HAND, HE LOV HIM SO MUCH, HE HAS TO [TRY AND] STROY BEECHER, A WAY, STROY HIS EEDOM, ORR TO POSSS HIM.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}DPE THE CREASGLY DARK TURN TAKEN BY THE RELATNSHIP, FONTANA SAYS: “I DO THK THAT THEY TLY DID LOVE EACH OTHER. AND THE WAY THAT LOVE N BE BOTH BLISSFUL AND BTAL. THEY LOVED EACH OTHER FULLY, WASN'T JT HEARTS AND FLOWERS KD OF LOVE, HAD ALL THE BUMPS AND GRDS OF A REAL RELATNSHIP, AND OF AN TENSE ... YOU KNOW, KD OF PRIMAL RELATNSHIP.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER AND KELLER'S UNSEEN SEX LIFE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER AND BEECHER'S ROMANCE CERTALY RAN THE EMOTNAL GAMUT. AND, PRE-QUEER AS FOLK, MAY HAVE BEEN MORE FULLY-REALIZED PHYSILLY THAN ANY OTHER MALE/MALE RELATNSHIP ON AMERIN TELEVISN. BUT A SHOW THAT NEVER FLCHED OM SHOWG VLENT RAP BETWEEN MEN, AS WELL AS SEVERAL FAIRLY GRAPHIC (IF AGGRSIVE) MALE/FEMALE UPLGS, WAS STRIKG THAT BEECHER AND KELLER NEVER GOT MUCH BEYOND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SURPRISED WHEN THIS IS POTED OUT TO HIM, FONTANA STAT THAT THE LACK OF A SEX SCENE WAS “TOTALLY UNNSC ON MY PART”, AND CERTALY NOT THE RULT OF ANY WORK CENSORSHIP: “YEAH, NO, HBO DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, HBO NEVER TOLD ME DON'T DO ANYTHG. SO WASN'T HBO SAYG ‘OH, TOM, PLEASE DON'T SHOW TWO MEN HAVG LOVG SEX.' THEY DIDN'T ... NOBODY SAID THAT.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE REFLECTS: “I THK [ WAS] BEE MY MD ... I THK THAT THE SEX THAT WE DID SEE, WHICH WAS FAIRLY VLENT — EVEN THE SE, LIKE, THE FIRST SEASON WHEN EDIE FAL'S CHARACTER [DIANE WHTLEY] SLEPT WH TERRY KNEY'S CHARACTER [TIM MCMAN], WAS NOT AN ATTRACTIVE SEX SCENE, WAS A SPERATE SEX SCENE. AND TO GO BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYG BEFORE, THE SHOW WAS REALLY ABOUT POWER AND THE LACK OF POWER. AND THE SEXUALY AND THE VLENCE WERE ED AS A PRISM FOR AN EXAMATN OF POWER. AND SO A SOFT AND LOVG SEX SCENE BETWEEN TWO OF THE CHARACTERS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN UNTER TO WHAT WAS MY HEAD ABOUT WHY I WAS SHOWG ANY SEX AT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I MEAN, IF YOU THK ABOUT , WHAT WOULD A SEX SCENE BETWEEN [BEECHER AND KELLER] HAVE BEEN LIKE? I MEAN BEE THEY DID LOVE EACH OTHER, WOULD HAVE HAD A KD OF ... WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE, LIKE, NICE SEX. WHICH WASN'T PART OF THE TAPTRY OF THE SHOW, IS I GUS WHAT I'M SAYG, WHICH IS WHY STCTIVELY I GUS I NEVER WENT THERE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KIDDG, HE ADDS: “BUT — YOU KNOW, F*** , LET'S GO BACK AND SHOOT THE SEX SCEN BETWEEN [MELONI AND TERGEN]! THEY'D DO , THOSE TWO CLOWNS! THEY'RE READY!”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE IS PROBABLY RRECT SAYG THIS. THE RELAXED RPONS OF THE TWO ACTORS TO QUTNS ABOUT THEIR SAME-SEX STORYLE, ALONG WH THEIR PASSNATE ONSTAGE KISS AT THE 2000 GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS, WERE PART OF WHAT ENARED THEM TO GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON A SHOW THAT ALSO HAD A LARGE STRAIGHT FANBASE, THOUGH, FONTANA SAYS THAT HE NEVER FOUND HIMSELF PRSURED OR CRICIZED FOR THE BEECHER/KELLER STORYLE: “THE DIENCE NEVER SEEMED TO DITE THAT, AND THE WORK NEVER SEEMED TO DITE THAT, AND THE REVIEWERS NEVER SEEMED TO DITE THAT.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}COMFORT THROUGH BTALY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PART OF WHAT MA THE RELATNSHIP MORE ACCEPTABLE TO STRAIGHT MALE VIEWERS, PARTICULAR, MAY HAVE BEEN THE SHEER BTALY OF THE WORLD THAT OZ PICTED. IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO SNEER AT BEECHER AND KELLER AS WEAK OR “FAGGY” WHEN, ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THE CHARACTERS WERE ALG WH SUATNS THAT MOST MEN, WHETHER STRAIGHT OR GAY, WOULD STGGLE TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE SHOW ALSO HAD A BROKEBACK MOUNTA-LIKE QUALY OF SIMPLY PRENTG YOU DIRECTLY WH THE MEN'S RAW EXPERIENCE, WH NO APOLOGI OR JTIFITNS OFFERED FOR DOG SO. WHERE WILL & GRACE SUBSTUTED JUDY GARLAND JOK FOR SEXUALY, OZ TOOK YOU STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF A DARK, TENSE LOVE AFFAIR, A WAY THAT WAS HARD TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ON , A FEMALE POSTER RELLED WATCHG OZ WH HER BOYIEND, WHO SHOUTED “NO!” WHEN HE SAW BEECHER AND KELLER KISS. SHE THOUGHT HE WAS REACTG HOMOPHOBILLY, BUT TURNED OUT THAT HE WAS SHOUTG TO BEECHER: “DON'T TAKE HIM BACK, YOU IDT! HE BROKE BOTH YOUR ARMS AND YOUR LEGS!”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ONE OF THE TERTG THGS ABOUT OZ WAS THAT DREW SEVERAL ACTORS WH A RAP/HIP-HOP BACKGROUND — NOT TRADNALLY A MUNY IENDLY TO HOMOSEXUALY. IN THE URSE OF THE SHOW'S N, THERE WERE GUT APPEARANC OM LL COOL J AND MASTER P, AS WELL AS LONGER-LASTG TURNS OM PERFORMERS SUCH AS METHOD MAN, AND LORD JAMAR OF THE GROUP BRAND NUBIAN. ACRDG TO FONTANA, HOWEVER, NO-ONE ON THE SHOW EVER VOICED A PLAT ABOUT THE BEECHER/KELLER STORYLE OR THE SHOW'S GAY NTENT — AT LEAST NOT TO HIM:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“OH, YOU MEAN TERMS OF AN ACTOR WHO WASN'T VOLVED THAT STORY GOG, LIKE, ‘MAN, I N'T BELIEVE YOU'RE DOG THAT'? UM ... THE TTH IS I N'T ANSWER THAT, BEE IF THEY HAD I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FIRED THEM.” HE LGHS. “AND THEY PROBABLY KNEW THAT. BEE ... YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE ... WHAT WAS WONRFUL ABOUT THE ST OF OZ WAS THAT THEY GOT THE WHOLE THG, THEY UNRSTOOD THE WHOLE THG, AND SO ... I MEAN IF ANYBODY HAD A PROBLEM WH , NOBODY ARTICULATED TO ME. BUT LIKE I SAID THEY PROBABLY WERE AAID TO, BEE THEY KNEW I'D GET PISSED OFF. BEE I DON'T THK 'S RIGHT FOR PEOPLE TO BE CRICIZG OTHER PEOPLE'S STORYL.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GETTG TO HEAVEN OM OZ {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WH THE SHOW, OTHER PEOPLE WHOM YOU MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED TO BE AGAST THE BEECHER/KELLER ROMANCE WERE THE CHARACTERS OF SISTER PETER MARIE REIMONDO (PLAYED BY RA MORENO), AND FATHER RAY MADA (PLAYED BY OUT ACTOR B.D. WONG), A CATHOLIC NUN AND PRIT RPECTIVELY, WHO SERVED THE PRISON POPULATN. IN FACT, BOTH CHARACTERS WERE SYMPATHETIC TO THE RELATNSHIP, AND EVEN WENT OUT OF THEIR WAY TO ARRANGE FOR THE LOVERS TO MEET. SPEAKG ABOUT THEIR ATTUS, FONTANA (WHO SERVED AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ON THE 2004 DOCUMENTARY IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, A FILM ABOUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALY) SAYS THAT:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THE NATURE OF THE PRITS AND NUNS WHO WORK PRISONS IS VERY DIFFERENT OM WHAT THOSE CLOWNS THE VATIN DO. AND THE AMERIN CATHOLIC CHURCH IS ... ONCE YOU GET TO THAT LEVEL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MTED SOCIALLY TO, WHETHER 'S PRISONS OR WHATEVER THEY'RE MTED TO, THEY DON'T MAKE THOSE KD OF JUDGMENTS. I KNOW A LOT OF ACTIVIST PRITS AND A LOT OF ACTIVIST NUNS, AND THEY WOULDN'T BE THOSE JOBS IF THEY SUDNLY WERE TRYG TO BE DICTATORIAL ABOUT, ‘OH, HOMOSEXUALY IS THIS,' OR ... THE ON THAT I {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“NOW MAYBE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE MUCH MORE HARD-NOSED, BUT THE ON THAT I KNOW AND THE ON THAT I MET [WHILE DOG REARCH FOR OZ], SPECIFILLY THE PEOPLE THE PRISONS, WERE REALLY VERY OPEN AND LOVG, AND UNRSTANDG OF THE LONELS AND THE FEAR THAT EXISTS PRISON, AND HOW THAT N GENERATE DIFFERENT KDS OF RELATNSHIPS. SO, FOR ME WAS NEVER AN ISSUE.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NONE OF THIS IS TO SAY THAT BEECHER AND KELLER NEVER MET WH ANY DISAPPROVAL PURSUG THEIR RELATNSHIP. KAREEM SAID (PLAYED BY EAMONN WALKER), THE LEAR OF THE MLIM PRISONERS OZ, WAS HORRIFIED BY HOMOSEXUALY — A FACT WHICH SOMETIM PUT A STRA ON HIS OTHERWISE CLOSE IENDSHIP WH BEECHER. MANY OF THE PRISONERS HAD THE PREDICTABLE MACHO DISMISSIVE ATTU ABOUT ‘FAGS'.{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AT THE SAME TIME, THE BEECHER/KELLER ROMANCE DID FULFILL THE IAL OF A SAME-SEX UPLE ON TELEVISN WHOSE RELATNSHIP WAS OPEN AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY EVERYONE AROUND THEM, WHO DID NOT SPEND TIME AGONIZG OVER THEIR SEXUALY, AND WHOSE ISSU AS A UPLE WERE MOSTLY UNRELATED TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NEHER OF THE CHARACTERS ULD EVER HAVE BEEN SCRIBED AS ROLE MOLS. THEIR RELATNSHIP WAS BORN PARTLY OUT OF RTRICTN AND LONELS, AND MIGHT NEVER HAVE HAPPENED OUTSI OF OZ. BUT THE WAY THAT RELATNSHIP WAS WRTEN AND STAGED, ALWAYS CLUD AN ELEMENT OF GENUE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE RELATNSHIP IS ULTIMATELY A DOOMED ONE, BUT THAT LOVE WAS EVINCED OM THE VERY FIRST TRODUCTN OF KELLER UNR THE HEADG “BOY MEETS BOY”, WHEN THE MERA PANS OVER BEECHER AND KELLER'S FAC AS ONE OF THE SHOW'S CHARACTERS READS A LOVE POEM, TO THE PROMISE THAT KELLER MAK BEECHER AS HE IS LED OFF AT THE END OF SEASON 4:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER: I'LL SEE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER: WHEN?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER: BACK HERE. OR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BEECHER: YOU REALLY THK WE'RE GONNA GET TO HEAVEN?{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KELLER: AH ... YOU AND ME TOGETHER? GOD DON'T HAVE THE BALLS TO KEEP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GET OZ ON DVD OM OR WATCH RE-NS ON HBO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

* oz tv show gay *

It was Cher-lovg Jack (Sean Hay) and alholic, right-wg sociale Karen (Megan Mullally) as much as Will (Eric McCormack) and Grace (Debra Msg) that enared Amerins to the sassy s, wh l like: “Commandment number one the gay bible: Thou shalt not vet my ex’s ass.

Adapted om gay director Jt Simien’s breakout film of the same name, about black llege stunts g to terms wh a “post-racial Ameri, ” the seri explor them of race, genr, and sexualy by skewerg jt about everyone for hypocrisy and double standards.

In the send season, he manag to evolve beyond simple trop and is given space to explore his queer inty, cludg havg his heart broken by Silv (a self-scribed “Mexin Italian gay vers top otter pup”), fdg a boyiend (of sorts), and even beg rejected by another black man bee of his sk lor — provg that, spe all the talk of “muny, ” ’s never easy to fe lastg bonds. The show plays to the gay-for-prison fantasy so many straight men seem to still harbor, but also shows how you n enjoy male-male timacy while also beg a harned badass.

The Gays | Oz TV Wiki | Fandom

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THE GAYS

FROM GAY TO STRAIGHT? THE CONTROVERSIAL THERAPY

EN.BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM OZ TV SHOW GAY

The Gays | Oz TV Wiki | Fandom

Recent Posts

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Contents:

THE GAYS

FROM GAY TO STRAIGHT? THE CONTROVERSIAL THERAPY

*EN.BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* OZ TV SHOW GAY

EN.BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM OZ TV SHOW GAY