Episode Report Card Megyn: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Ryan's Hope
By Megyn | Season 4 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.10.2001
The next day, in the gym, Ryan coaches Cyril as they practice boxing. Jia walks in, saying he wasn't able to exercise while in the cage with no room to move. Ryan tells him they're trying to work out, so shut up. Jia starts to stand on his head, and Cyril says he wants to try it. Ryan starts to stop him and Cyril irritably pushes Ryan's hand off him; Jia, pleased that Cyril wants to learn from him, starts telling him he'll teach him all kinds of things "better than that bullshit boxing." Cyril wants to learn. Jia takes him down and Ryan flips out, so Jia turns on him just as Cyril gets up and, of course, he attacks Jia for messing with Ryan. He hits Jia one time and he's out. The hacks hold Cyril back, and we then see blood pooling next to Jia's head. Ryan sees it and whispers, "Oh fuck."
Warden's office. Gloria enters. Leo asks about Jia. He's in a coma. Tim says, "Another knock-out for Cyril O'Reily." Pete chides him, "Jia provoked Cyril." Tim thinks they should just ship Cyril off to the Connolly Institute. Gloria argues that it would be a "tragic mistake." Tim" "For who?" Actually, Tim, that would be "whom," but since this isn't a show that practices proper grammar, I don't go there. Well, maybe with you, because I almost always want to thump you in the nose till you cry. God! He is such a pompous windbag! Gloria disagrees with Tim and thinks that Ryan is Cyril's "only lifeline to reality, and if we separate them, he's going to spiral into lunacy." McManus says, "We keep him here, he gets into more fights, maybe puts someone else in a coma...I think we should transfer him out today." Gloria tells him he's being cruel. Tim would rather be cruel than blind. Oh, don't get me started on how blind you are, McRib! I think that ever since Gloria rallied to have Ryan and Cyril participate in the aging pill experiment, Tim senses that she likes Ryan, and for that reason didn't want to hook up with him. What he needs to realize is that maybe she just finds him repulsive. Or maybe that's me. Pete has an alternative. Place Cyril in protective custody and allow Ryan regular visits. Gloria likes the idea; so does Leo, who probably slept through the whole discussion. Tim says, "Fine, as long as he's out of my hair." And…what hair would that be, apple-head?
O'Reily pod. Cyril's packing his pudding cups and telling Ryan that he "doesn't want to go." Ryan tells him he has to or they will send him far away. Cyril starts to scrunch his face up and cry. Ryan comforts him and strokes his head. Scott Winters actually does a good job here. Ryan walks him out and tells him to be tough. Morales walks over to Ryan and tells him he "owes [him] for eliminating Jia." Ryan sort of ignores him since he just sent his brother packing. We see Arif staring at Ryan until Ryan says, "You got a problem, friend?" Arif walks away. Later, in Said's pod for the red-shirted sitting ducks, Arif confesses to him that he witnessed Ryan murdering Patrick Keenan. We see the helpful flashback. He tells Said that he wants to go to the authorities, or Ryan will continue hurting people. We cut to Ryan telling Glynn that it's all bullshit and that "Patrick was [his] friend." Leo says, "The informant has no motive to lie." Ryan slys that, when the TV crew was shooting in Oz, he didn't tell them about Adebesi, even though he could have. Leo asks him if that means he expects the favor returned. Ryan confirms that, and Leo yells, "Fuck you!" He plans to investigate the charges, and if he finds any evidence, Ryan is headed to death row.