Capital P
- Episode aired Jul 28, 1997
- TV-MA
- 57m
Governor Devlin has reinstated capital punishment in the state--and the first Oz prisoner scheduled to die is Jefferson Keane, who killed a Latino in their skirmish. Before he's executed, Ke... Read allGovernor Devlin has reinstated capital punishment in the state--and the first Oz prisoner scheduled to die is Jefferson Keane, who killed a Latino in their skirmish. Before he's executed, Keane donates a kidney to his ailing sister.Governor Devlin has reinstated capital punishment in the state--and the first Oz prisoner scheduled to die is Jefferson Keane, who killed a Latino in their skirmish. Before he's executed, Keane donates a kidney to his ailing sister.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe movie Jefferson Keane is talking about with Susan Hayward starring in it is I Want to Live! (1958). It is based on the real life case of Barbara Graham, a prostitute who in March of 1953 helped three men gain entry into the home of an elderly woman (whose son in-law was a millionaire) in an attempt to rob her, however they savagely beat her to death upon finding nothing of value in her home. Graham, along with two of her accomplices (the third was murdered for agreeing to testify against the others), were found guilty of attempted robbery in the first degree and murder in the first degree and were sentenced to death. Graham was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin Prison on June 3, 1955; at the time she was only the third woman to be executed by the state of California.
- Quotes
Vernon Schillinger: So the state's gonna let Keane choose which way he's gonna go out. Me, I'd take hanging.
Mark Mack: What about lethal injection?
Vernon Schillinger: That's for pussies.
Donald Groves: They say that lethal injection causes no pain. How do they know? Did someone come back from the dead and say they didn't feel anything?
- ConnectionsReferences Bambi (1942)
- SoundtracksJailhouse Rock
Written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
I like that this episode reinforces the established trend that central show characters will be killed off and that potentially nobody is safe. It adds stakes to the show to know there will be no magical reprieves.
In the last ten minutes another death row inmate is examined, perhaps as a contrast to Jefferson Keane's stoicism and philosophical departure. This inmate revels in his depraved nature and laughs his way to the lethal injection. I wonder if it could have been handled more deftly, perhaps by introducing him earlier in the episode. The idea of this guy confessing to many many more murders I thought was fascinating and I wish they explored it more. Also he was probably the most compelling actor and character in the episode - I wish he could have gotten more screen time and a bigger part in the story. As it is, it feels a bit tacked on. Like an afterthought to throw something else in around the capital punishment theme.
The idea of violence feeding violence and corruption permeates the show. We see even "righteous" McManus is not immune to lashing out in bursts of spontaneous anger. We see that the state is eager to commit violence against those who have been imprisoned for doing that very thing.
Moments of levity were nice. I love the origin story of Bob and how he learned to speak with God during an unexplained blackout that saved him from the electric chair. God told him to play the oboe apparently, which he refused to do. Zany character. It was cute watching Bob and Beecher scheme together to get the damning video tape evidence that might exonerate Keane. Like two eager boys playing at being spies and heroes.
I didn't love the acting from the Keane family here: the gay brother felt exaggerated and the father felt slightly soulless. That's a shame in a show that is generally quite well cast.
Bd wong's priest character is given some background here in regards to his insubordination With the cardinal as the reason he is stuck in a bad gig at Oz. We see the starts of a potential questioning of faith here as he ministers to the unrepentant serial murderer - hopefully future episodes will capitalise on this.
I always enjoy Beecher interacting with the white supremacist. I feel this tension between them is building well on a simmer throughout these first four episodes.
We see O'Riley ramping up his malevolent puppet master character trying to play all sides against each other for his own gain. He seems destined for a downfall and I'm curious to see how the show will handle the arc of such a character.
What's the overall message here about state power? We get some statistics and whatnot but I ultimately think this is a show better suited to voyeurs than to politically minded social activists. We watch Oz for the thrills.
- injury-65447
- Jun 5, 2020