Episode Report Card Djb: D | 1 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT The Love Pope
By Djb | Season 4 | Episode 4 | Aired on 08.01.2000
Ray enters the kitchen to let Sister Pete know that he has some bad news -- "The Cardinal is coming" to Oz so he can "say a mass, meet with the staff, and then with some prisoners." Apparently, Ray used to work in the Cardinal's office, but was transferred to Oz when he questioned authority too frequently. Sister Pete plans to make herself ten different kinds of scarce that day, because she is considering leaving the convent, because Chris Meloni picked some lint off her sweater once last season, but Ray lets her know this won't be possible, as the Cardinal has specifically requested to see her. Eh? "Well, apparently this whole thing started because his eminence received a letter from a prisoner." Anyone want to guess who that prisoner is? Anyone need me to tell you? Fine. It was Keller. And now you know.
Cardinal Stubing (that's right, folks, it's The Love Boat's venerable helmer and Mary's wacky sidekick Murray from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Gavin MacLeod! All hail!) enters the chapel at Oz and greets Ray. He tells him in this segue-free zone that he transferred Ray to Oz because he had a big ego. Short scene. Onward!
Cut to the "Body of Christ" wafer offering part of the service. Sister Pete takes communion, and we cut again to Cardinal Stubing and Sister Pete sitting alone in a room. He tells her that the God grapevine has it that she's been questioning the convent, and he tells her of his first unpleasant experience as a priest, way out in the country, where it was hard to turn the world on with a smile or even take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile. Sister Pete understands. And you should know it. With each breath and every little movement she shows it. He tells her to pray. She says she is constantly praying. She throws her hat up toward the ceiling of the room and the frame freezes on her liberated self. Actually, that was just the opening theme song from Mary Tyler Moore. Except for the part where he tells her to pray. Which she really is doing. Go, Sister Pete. You're gonna make it after all! She kisses his ring, and Cardinal Stubing utters a hearty "God bless you, sister." Sister Pete walks through the prison and is offered a slightly more weighted "God bless you, sister" from Keller.
Said is telling a group of familiar faces about the prisoners' victory in their case against the state, to the tune of $45 million. But the state is appealing, he tells them, a particular issue considering that this is an election year and Devlin would never agree to give them their money before he's back in office. Rebadow observes that the prisoners of Attica waited thirty years for their money, and O'Reily pipes up with a derogatory joke about Rebadow's advancing age. The meeting breaks up, and the old man sticks around to ask Said if he has ever killed anyone. Said hasn't, he says, but I imagine the intent behind the question was rhetorical anyway, as it opens the door for Rebadow to introduce a flashback from the Short Attention Span Theater, as we are treated to a rather vivid retread of last week's neck-compromising of Hernandez via Rebadow's ice pick. It's yucky to watch. Again. Said offers a variation on the ol' "and you're telling me all of this because...?" argument, and Rebadow turns the topic to Jason "The Boy Formerly Known as Boy" Kramer (turns out he has an actual name after all. My bad, really), telling Said that he had a premonition that Jason will go free. Not a good thing, he adds. Said knows he is guilty and, based on the overwhelming evidence against him, he will certainly be convicted again. Rebadow asks if this entire crusade to get the wronged man a new trial is merely "theoretical," and Said spits out a favorite line of this week, which I rewind and repeat numerous times because I like feeling like an overly righteous, self-empowered tough guy sometimes, too: "There is nothing theoretical about justice." Said tells Rebadow that there is no way Jason Kramer will go free. Rebadow, always creepy but most often only creepy in a really good way, tells him to pray that he's right.