The Tip

For those of you who have been clamoring for this recap, let me sing: Anticipation! An-tiss-i-pay-ay-shun!

New credits. Kirk Acevedo, Rita Moreno, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen, and Dean Winters get bumped up to prime-starring status. Also, there are several rather disturbing shots from episodes to come, but I won't ruin them for you. An-tiss-ioh, okay, I'll shut up.

Hill mentions the riot as we flash back to "A Game Of Checkers." He tells us that "when the smoke cleared" after the SORT team's raid, six prisoners and two hacks were dead. And no one took the time to off McManus? I know these guys are criminals, but they could show a little decency. We hear that thirty-four others were injured as we see Mukada coughing from gas inhalation, Said getting slugged by the SORT team, and McManus being wheeled to the hospital after having been shot. Okay, I have hope after all. Everyone else gets shoved into Gen Pop, "except for the riot leaders, who were drop-kicked into solitary." We see the door close on a knit-cap-wearing Ryan. Hi, Ryan! We see Said and Adebisi as well.

Cut to the Pernicious Peewee telling reporters he's putting together a gubernatorial commission to investigate the riot. Without saying so, he lets on that he's going to make Glynn the scapegoat for the deaths. Little prick. We hear that "Alvah Case," dean of some law school, is going to head the commission. The PP says that Case is the most respected jurist in the state, and he has complete faith in him. Cut to Glynn's office, where the man in question turns and smiles, "Fuck you, Governor." Well, the man's won my respect already. Case is being played by Charles S. Dutton. It may interest you to learn that according to the IMDb, Dutton served a seven-year prison sentence, during which he studied theater. He was also married to D'Eartha from Charmed for six years. ["He also made the mistake of pulling over Tony Soprano." -- Sars] Anyway, Case exposits that the PP wants him to absolve him of any wrongdoing with regard to the riot response, and also to close Em City permanently. The PP smiles and insinuates that Case will be the state attorney general if he gives the report the PP wants to hear. Oh, that Pernicious Peewee. So pernicious. Such a peewee. Glynn enters, and the PP leaves. Case wonders aloud if the PP or Glynn committed any wrongdoing, and hesitantly tells Glynn that his head might roll, depending on what he finds. Glynn: "Yeah, you may be doing me one huge fucking favor." Ah, the pre-Six Feet Under days, when the word "fuck" still had some emotional impact. Sadly, after having been used in the best sentence ever uttered in history, "Fuck my legless grandmother," the word has gone pretty much as far as it can go. Not that I'm going to stop fucking using it or anything. I mean, fuck, you know?

Case wanders around Gen Pop, unescorted. Well, given the IMDb revelation, I guess he can take care of himself. He sees Beecher, who doesn't appear to have shaken that little case of the crazies he had at the end of last season. Beecher taunts Schillinger, and I'm betting we'll soon be approaching another twist in the little Oz mini-serial called "What Goes Around Comes Around," featuring new player Chris Keller. Uh-oh. I said the "K" word. That's going to cause some cyber-swooning. But that's a few episodes down the line. An-tiss-i-pay-shun! That's really annoying, isn't it? ["Yes." -- Sars] We see Wangler messily detoxing; then Beecher and Rebadow get led in to meet their new podmate, Robson, who actually has hair here. Looks good on him. Robson tries to posture about how the cell is his, but Beecher's listening about as much as I am, which is not at all. Hill asks Rebadow if he knows anything about Dobbins or Vahue, but the answer's no. Robson ineffectually tries to get everyone to shut up, and then hits Beecher in the face. That'll come back to bite you in thewell, you'll see. Wangler loses it, and the hacks beat him and drag him out of his cell.

Mukada leads a funeral service. We learn that Hunt and Novakovski (Who? Exactly.) died in the riot. Everyone grumbles when he also prays for the souls of the dead prisoners, but we don't find out their identities yet. Mukada prays for McManus as well, and we focus on Diane as she flashes back to holding the wounded simp in her arms. Pete tries to hold back tears. Boy, the things you miss on your day off, huh? Mukada huskily asks for forgiveness and the capacity to forgive, as Glynn flashes back to the Pernicious Peewee telling Glynn he's sending in the SORT team. Case looks pensive. Heavy scene.

Hill tells us that blame keeps the world spinning. Flash to McManus being wheeled somewhere, then cut to Case introducing himself to the bedridden annoyance. McManus is instantly hostile, as he thinks Case is just looking for a reason to shut Em City down, and refuses to answer any questions. Gee, Tim, could you put aside your precious Em City for a minute and cooperate in something that's, among other things, an investigation into the deaths of eight people? You need to be shot again. A lot.

Having had no luck with the bane of my existence, Case goes to see Said. He exposits that since Said came to Oz, he's converted many people to his cause, all the while "sowing seeds of discontent." Case, I like you, but you need to read the memo I sent to McManus several times last season, the one titled "IT'S A FUCKING PRISON." Case asks if Said created the circumstances that led to the riot, but Said too is uncooperative, pointing out that the commission is a fraud, as the Pernicious Peewee got to pick the person who's investigating his actions. "That's like me getting to pick the jury at my own trial." Said picking twelve people he considers to be his peers? That'd take longer than the O.J. jury selection. We see a sweaty, still-in-withdrawal, clearly cuckoo Adebisi. He's singing, which is highly appropriate, since he's also playing his instrument quite enthusiastically. When the door opens to reveal Case, the first words out of Adebisi's mouth are, "You want to lick my balls?" Adebisi would fit right in in certain parts of Fire Island, I'll tell you that much. Case, however, decides that he's not willing to see where further interrogation might lead, and leaves.