Original subtitles

[static drones]

[bright tone]

[tense jazzy music]

♪ ♪

[tense percussive music]

- 6% of the total prison population

is 55 and older.

That's double ten years ago.

We say 55's old

'cause criminal life adds about

ten years worth of wrinkles.

Still, in Oz, you get decent food,

exercise, regular checkups.

And if you don't get whacked

you live longer than you would in your own hood.

0 [grunting]

[dramatic trumpet tones]

Yeah, the prison system.

It can keep you alive,

but it can't take care of you.

- I'm telling you, we're ignoring the problem.

We have to deal differently with aging inmates.

- That's right; Oz was designed to punish the young.

To keep 'em in line, to keep 'em down.

But with a guy like Rebadow,

we don't need to keep him down.

- So what are you proposing?

- We turn Unit 2 into a cellblock

exclusively for seniors.

They sleep together there,

they can eat all their meals together there,

they can play cards,

they want to watch the TV shows they wanna watch.

- On Saturday night, bingo?

- Why not?

We need to keep 'em active.

- And less stress will help slow down the aging process

which will help save on medical costs.

- Plus, the older guys are not a security problem.

So you can save money on the officers.

- McManus, you've been awfully quiet today.

Never thought I'd ask,

but do you have an opinion on this?

- Sure.

Sounds like a good idea.

- That's it?

- Yep. - Hmm...

Fine.

I'll run it by the commissioner.

Meeting adjourned.

- Finally.

- [laughs]

- Hey, Tim, you okay?

You don't look so good.

You feeling all right?

- I said yeah, okay?

- Okay.

Are you free for dinner tonight?

- "Dinner"?

You think I'm an asshole.

- I do not think--

- Well, I appreciate the offer.

But the last thing I need from you

is a mercy dinner.

- Bob Rebadow's in the hospital, Kenny.

- So?

- So I'm pissed off about that!

- So?

- So, I hear you're responsible!

- Where'd you hear that from?

- Oh, I got ears everywhere, Kenny.

I know it's true.

You don't hit old men, Kenny.

You don't hit old men--

- What--what do you want, McManus?

- You see those guys out there?

If I tell 'em to, they will gladly kick your ass!

- So what? I'm not afraid of them!

- You're not? - No!

- Well, what are you afraid of?!

- I ain't afraid of nothin'!

- Nothing? - Nothing!

- You afraid of this? Huh?

You afraid of dying?

You little fuckin' punk ass!

- [coughing]

- Get him the fuck outta here!

- [gasping and panting]

[dark music]

- [exhaling]

- Leo, what are you doing here?

- Same thing you are, I guess.

I like to work out when no one else is around.

- I'll ignore you if you ignore me.

- McManus...

You okay?

- Why does everybody keep asking me that?

- I don't know.

Past few weeks you seem different.

- I'm fine.

- Commissioner rejected our proposal

for a senior citizens unit.

- Big surprise.

Commissioner didn't reject it,

Governor Fuck-Wad did.

- Well, Devlin's almost out of office.

He's on trial for taking those kickbacks,

for lying, fraud,

extortion.

- I'll miss him!

- I've been hearing rumors

that you're living in Emerald City.

That you never leave the grounds,

you never go home anymore.

- Since when do you listen to gossip?

- I've been dancing down these hallways a long time.

I've seen this place change people completely

and not just the prisoners.

If you're not careful, Tim,

Oz will nick away at your soul.

- Huh.

That's the first time you ever called me "Tim."

- You know, you don't even have to be 55t o be old.

[tense percussive tones]

- Take a break. - Okay, Mr. McManus.

- How you feeling?

- I can't stay here anymore.

- In the hospital? - In Oz.

- Why?

- I'm afraid.

- Of what?

- Them, the young.

When I first came to Oz

we treated our elders with dignity.

But these kids, it's all different now.

I've decided to leave.

- Leave?

Escape.

- How you gonna do that?

- God will show me the way.

[tense percussive tones]

♪ ♪

[guards laughing]

♪ ♪

[gasps]

[pounding on door]

[panting]

♪ ♪

- The human body,

it's amazing.

Made up of all these...

cells and neutrons

and veins and shit like that.

So many little pieces,

so many things that can break down.

Add to that the wear and tear we give our bodies

what with the drugs and drinking

and chicken fried steak.

Man, that any of us is still standing,

still breathing.

It's a miracle.

- Breakfast time, boys!

- Let's go, Alvarez.

- [speaking gibberish]

- I think maybe we got a problem.

- What? - Look at Alvarez.

- [mumbling]

- Hey, Alvarez.

- You think he's sleeping?

- Alvarez?

- [mumbling] - Alvarez!

Alvarez!

- [mumbling]

- Call for the doctor.

- Prisoner number 43A515, Ricardo Alvarez.

Convicted March 3rd, '43, armed robbery,

sentence: 20 years.

Convicted June 6th, '61, murder in the first degree.

Sentence: life imprisonment, solitary confinement.

- Ricardo, We're gonna start with a series of tests.

- [speaking Spanish]

- You have to go home?

- [speaking Spanish]

- Your mother.

Ricardo, where are you? - [speaking Spanish]

- Do you know what city you're in?

[speaks Spanish]

- [speaks Spanish]

- So, we're agreed?

The medication's controlling Cragen's paranoia?

- Yeah, we should keep him on it.

- Definitely.

- Thank you. Next is Miguel Alvarez.

- Oh, yeah, I'm scheduled

to do a psychiatric re-evaluation on Thursday.

- Good luck, Pete, his baby died right after birth.

He's pretty depressed.

- He's about to become even more depressed.

His grandfather Ricardo Alvarez, has Alzheimer's.

- Oh, boy, does his family know?

- No, not yet.

Ricardo's son, Eduardo, is an orderly in my ward.

I'll tell him when he comes in for his shift.

- Eduardo, that's the one with no tongue, right?

- Uh-huh. - I'll talk to Miguel.

- Listen, Tim, could I do that?

If you don't mind.

- Hey, I'm always willing to give up an opportunity

to deliver bad news.

Next.

- Miguel, I need you to come with me.

- I didn't do shit. - Miguel, please?

Come on.

- Maricón.

- How come no one knew 'til now that Ricardo's mind was going?

- He's in solitary, Miguel.

He hardly says three words a day to anyone.

- There's nothing we could've done to stop the disease anyway.

- So what happens now?

- Well, that's the tricky part.

- Unfortunately Oz is just not equipped

for long-term custodial care.

And there isn't anywhere else to send him.

- You're telling me the state doesn't have a place

to take care of its old prisoners?

- The state?

The state's attitude toward the elderly,

any elderly, in or out of prison,

is hurry up and die.

- I wanna see my grandfather.

[monitors beeping]

- Hey.

- Hey.

- It's me, Miguel, and Eduardo.

- Hey!

- Eduardo, your son.

Miguel, grandson.

- Hey!

[whimpering]

Hey, hey, hey...

Hey, hey, hey.

- You know what we should do with Ricardo Alvarez?

- What's that?

- Let him go free.

- Hey, hey, hey, hey...

hey, hey, hey, hey.

- "Let him go free"?

The man is a convicted killer.

- He stabbed the inmate who cut his son's tongue out.

- And he's old.

- He's old, Leo.

- Old doesn't necessarily mean nice.

If you have any doubts about that,

spend ten minutes with my mother-in-law.

- Leo, a 31-year-old inmate

costs $21,000 a year to maintain.

A senior costs three times that amount.

- Since when did you get so interested in the budget?

- Since I figured out that the money we're gonna waste

taking care of Ricardo Alvarez

could be put to much better use.

- Besides, Ricardo doesn't know where he is

or even why he's here!

There is such a thing as criminal menopause, right?

Look, he cannot commit the crime again.

The man is no longer a threat to anybody.

- Yeah, but it didn't change what he did.

And it doesn't change his sentence.

Life imprisonment means just that.

Besides, if he really doesn't know he's in prison,

then he's already free, isn't he?

- While I was growing up,

both my father and my grandfather came to Oz.

You know, when I was little, I always wondered

what was so great about prison

that they'd wanna leave us and come here.

But you a kid, you know,

what do you know?

- Yeah.

So, the word "grandfather,"

what does the word

mean to you, emotionally?

- Nothin'.

Don't mean nothin' at all to me.

[chuckles] "Pizza" means more.

"Doorknob."

- Would you like "grandfather"

to mean something to you?

- Yeah.

- Dr. Nathan's not sure how long

your grandfather has to live.

Look.

Since your father's an orderly in the prison hospital

and is gonna spend the remaining time with your grandfather,

there's no reason you can't do the same thing.

Maybe if you take care of him

you'll learn to care for him.

- You know, in my family,

Ricardo was like a god.

You know, he was a legend.

My grandmother used to show me these pictures.

You know, tell me stories all about him.

And I wanted--I wanted to be like him.

You know? - Yeah.

- And now I see he's just a man.

You know, he's just an old man

and he's rottin' away.

I don't wanna end up like my grandfather.

- You don't have to, Miguel.

- Oh, really?

Well, I don't see it going down any other way.

- Rebadow.

I'm sorry you didn't make it out.

- It's okay. It was worth it.

The adrenaline rush,

I felt 25 again for a moment.

- Here's your dinner. - I don't want it.

- Okay. What do you want?

- I'd like a few years at the end of my life

to be free.

- Do we care for people when they're sick

'cause we actually care about them?

- [mumbles] Guys...

- Or do we care for them because when our time comes

we want someone to care for us?

Or does it matter?

At least you got your health!

Don't you hate it when people say that?!

I mean, you lose your job, you lose your wife,

you're in prison

and some punk-ass do-gooder says,

"At least you got your health!"

Like that's supposed to make you feel better!

So what if I'm broke?

So what if some dealer wants to cap my ass?

At least I ain't got a tumor!

I swear the next person that says "A.L.Y.G.Y.H." to me,

I'ma make sure they ain't got their health much longer.

- You say you were having nightmares.

Can you remember any of them?

- No. Ow.

- What's the matter?

- My tooth hurts.

It's been hurting for a week.

- Then go see a dentist.

- No.

- Why?

- I hate the dentist.

- All dentists, or just Dr. Cochern in particular?

- The concept of dentists.

- Well, then what?

You prefer the concept of pain?

Make an appointment, Groves.

Okay? Okay?

- Oh, God. - What?

- Oh, sweet Jesus.

Donald Groves is coming in to see me.

- So?

- Gloria, he ate his parents.

I'm not sticking my fingers in his mouth.

My fingers are my livelihood.

- He's been working in the ward as an orderly.

He seems harmless.

- So you'd stick your fingers in his mouth?

- If I had to.

If he's in pain, you have to. - No, I don't!

- What about the Hippocratic oath?

- Dentists don't take the Hippocratic oath.

We don't make any promises to anybody.

How's that gas working?

You feel happy, calm?

- Uh-huh. - Good.

Okay. Let's have a look.

Open your mouth.

Wide.

Wider. Wider.

- It can't get any wider.

- All righty then.

They look fine. - It hurts.

- It's probably nothing. Don't be a baby.

- Who you calling a baby?

- Nobody.

Forget it-- forget I said anything.

Ah-ha.

There is a tooth that's rotted out.

So we're going to have to pull it.

That means I have to take a needle

and inject some novocaine in your mouth.

- I hate needles. - Everybody does.

Then I have to drill.

- I hate drills.

- Right now, so do I.

Right now I wish there were holistic dentistry.

- I'm in pain.

- Well, you're going to be in a lot more

before we're finished.

But after that, you won't have any pain.

See, if I cause you pain,

it's not my fault, so don't bite my head off.

I mean--

- I know what you mean. - Okay.

Let's get started.

First, the Novocain.

Open wide.

Carol?

Could you give me a hand here, please?

- This is my tooth.

It was in my head.

This tooth and I have been together since we were kids.

This tooth chewed on my mom.

- You should sell it. - Sell it?

- Sell it.

The tooth from the mouth of Donald Groves.

You know how much that's worth on the open market?

- How much?

- Plenty.

- Who would wanna buy my tooth?

- Collectors. - Collectors?

- Collectors. People collect everything.

Stamps, salt and pepper shakers,

world's fair tchotchkes.

Some people collect crime stuff.

Lindbergh ladder,

Ted Bundy's toenail clippings,

and this.

- We'd have to get to a fence, though, right?

- We're in prison.

How hard's that gonna be?

- But Ross, if we get a good price...

I still got 30 more.

- The mind is just like the body.

It's under constant assault.

From fear and hate

and our old pal loneliness.

These stings are as deadly as any cancer cell.

The mind

is just like the body.

The fact that the mind can survive

is a miracle.

[pots clanging]

[clamoring, cheering]

[indistinct shouting, whistling]

[balloon squeaking]

[cheers and applause]

Damn! All right, yo, all right.

Our next contestant

is the lovely and talented,

Tobias Beecher!

[cheers and whistles]

[wolf whistles]

["I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good" plays]

♪ ♪

♪ Never treats me ♪

♪ Sweet and gentle ♪

♪ The way he should ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I've got it bad ♪

♪ And that ain't good ♪

♪ ♪

♪ When the weekend's over ♪

♪ And Monday rolls around ♪

♪ I end up ♪

♪ Like I start out ♪

♪ Crying ♪

♪ My heart out ♪

♪ He don't love me ♪

♪ Like I love him ♪

♪ Nobody could ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I've got it bad ♪

♪ And that ain't good ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I've got it bad ♪

♪ And that ain't ♪

♪ Good ♪

[cheers and applause]

[cheers, whistling]

- Yo, chill, y'all rowdy-ass motherfuckers.

Shut up.

Yo, next up on the stage...

You ready? Chill!

All right.

Next on stage, our very own Bailey,

doin' a drum solo.

- Well, we knew Beecher was doing drugs.

- Yeah, but now I'm beginning to figure it out.

He thinks of himself as a victim.

So, he's not gonna get better

unless he feels he can control his life.

- He's in prison, Pete Marie.

His life is totally out of his control.

- Yeah, well, now we have to get him back to before

when he was in charge.

We have to remind him

that there's another victim involved here.

A little girl he killed.

[dramatic tones]

- Hello.

My husband wouldn't come.

He said he was afraid he might kill you.

This is Kathy.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...

I'm not sure why I came.

At the trial I was sitting behind you,

I could barely see your face.

I guess I just wanted to finally...

see you.

See your eyes and to tell you...

That I miss her.

Every single moment of every single day.

Oh, you fucking bastard!

I hope you die in here you motherfucking--

I hope you rot in hell!

You killed my baby!

- I don't know.

Maybe I let Schillinger treat me like dirt

because I deserve to be punished,

because I...

I killed Cathy Rockwell.

Because I destroyed

her family...

And my own.

- And you hate yourself for that.

- Yes.

I guess I hated myself back before too.

I hated myself so I drank too much.

And then I hated myself for drinking too much

so to punish myself, I drank more.

Sister...

I don't wanna hate me anymore.

[labored breathing]

- Hey.

Don't think you're fooling me.

I know the only way you got through that variety show

was by using drugs.

- Look, I--

- Hey, I told you I don't want you doing that shit.

- I'm sorry, sir.

- No. I'm sorry.

Here, put it on.

[dramatic tones

Perfect fit.

No, no, no, no leave it on.

- Come on.

If I go out there with this thing on,

one of those black guys is gonna kill me.

- Yeah, I know.

- What is this?

- There's a new kid in town.

- Okay, that's great.

I'm happy for you. I'll move to another pod.

- No. - Why not?

I don't want some nigger to have your ass.

- Goodbye, prag.

[indistinct chatter]

- O'Reilly, I need your help.

- I'm here.

- Schillinger wants me dead.

He just gave me this to wear.

- [exhales sharply]

- What am I gonna do, man?

- Well, if you gotta go, you gotta go high.

You ever try PCP?

- The trial of James Devlin

opened today in the state courthouse,

not far from the capital building

where the governor has ruled with an iron fist

for the past year.

Devlin, who says he will not resign

even if convicted, faces 25 years in prison

for fraud, extortion, racketeering,

and obstruction of justice.

[eerie music]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music intensifies]

♪ ♪

- Yeah, motherfucker, how's that?

I'm sorry, sir!

I'm flyin' outta here!

[inmates shouting]

- Beecher, get down!

- Here I go!

Get me outta here!

Cock-sucking motherfuckin'--

- Get a damn fucking doctor!

- Fucking bitch!

How's that feel?

all: Beecher, Beecher, Beecher!

- Get a fuckin' doctor!

[all shouting]

- [groaning]

Help me!

Help...

- I need you to keep your hands out of your face.

Calm down. - Oh, shit.

- Give me a couple of 4x4's and some tape.

Oh, man, glass got into his eye.

I'm not sure I can save it.

We need him to get him to Benchley Memorial

for surgery as soon as possible.

- Fuck, I'm gonna kill that motherfucker.

God, Beecher, you're a dead man!

- You have to go back to drug counseling.

- Fuck off.

- If you don't I'll transfer you out of Emerald City.

- Fuck off!

- Tobias, we're trying to help you.

- Fuck off!

- Look, if you're afraid Schillinger's gonna kill you

I'll place you under protective custody.

- Fuck off, fuck off!

Fuck off, fuck off!

Fuck off!

Fuck off, you fucks!

- People say, "she broke my heart."

That's bullshit, man.

The heart can't break; it's a muscle.

Muscles tear,

muscle cramp.

Yeah, the heart's a muscle.

So's the brain,

so's the dick.

- O'Reilly.

Give this guy the mop.

You're through with the bucket brigade.

- Good.

- Dino Ortolani ran the kitchen

like a Swiss watch, the best.

Joey was good, Markstrom too.

But this Adebisi character...

He's not really...

He's not really focused on the job, you know?

And he abuses the privilege.

Everybody steals, but he steals too much.

You're a smart guy.

And you've been very efficient

doing the jobs I've asked you to do.

So, I'm putting you in charge of the whole cafeteria.

- What are you talking?

I run this kitchen.

- And you're doing a half-assed job.

- I got rotten fruit,

I got cold entrees.

I got Glynn complaining about cost overages.

- I'm not working with him. - Fine.

Hows about I have you transferred

back to the sweatshop?

- I don't like the sweatshop.

- Then shut the fuck up! Okay?

It's all yours.

- All right, ladies, back to work.

[indistinct chatter]

What?

- We had a deal.

We were partners. - We still are.

When it comes to running tits.

That part of the operation I got no complaints with.

But the kitchen,

I can't afford you fucking up.

O'Reilly will do a good job.

- Fuck that pretty little mick.

- Hey, Adebisi.

You make your peace with us anyway you can.

I say O'Reilly's gonna run the kitchen

as good as Dino ever did.

- You wanna bet on that?

[inmates yelling angrily]

- What the fuck is going on here, Wangler?

- Nothin'. - Exactly.

Pick up the goddamn pace!

- We've been going as fast as we can, man.

- Everybody quiet down.

- You're not foolin' me.

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Adebisi, listen to me.

I know why Schibetta put me in charge over you.

He's doing the old divide and conquer.

As long as he keeps the two of us at each other's throats,

he's got all the power.

- Cocksucker.

[glass shattering]

What are you doing? - Let's face it.

The both of us only got one goal in mind.

And that's to take over Schibetta's drug trade.

[glass crunching]

Together we can do it.

- Together?

- We gotta make him think that we're enemies.

Keep him off guard 'till we kill him.

- We kill them, the mob kills us.

- They won't know.

If I ever put this in his food...

- Glass.

- As long as we make it fine, he won't be able to taste it.

Over time the glass will cut his insides up.

- He'll die slowly.

- Painfully.

- You're one sick motherfucker, O'Reilly.

Coming from you,

that's a compliment.

- Wangler!

- What's up?

- Give me Schibetta's food.

- Got you.

- And tell everyone to start working full speed.

- Okay.

Everyone, move your asses now!

- So, Ryan, if you were released from Oz today,

what would you do?

- Travel. - Where?

- Around.

Since I got here,

I've been reading brochures and vacation guides.

They're great for when you're taking a shit

or before you go to sleep.

While I'm sleeping,

I actually dream about going to these places.

- Like?

- Morogoro. - Morogoro?

That's a jungle, isn't it?

- Yeah, you knew that?

- Yeah. - Yeah, it's in Africa.

- Yeah.

- You wanna go with me?

- Me? - Yeah.

You and me. You know?

- I'm twice your age and I'm a nun.

- Yeah, well, growing up and going to St. Pat's,

I never had a nun like you.

- St. Pat's, huh?

Tough neighborhood.

- Yeah, I learned the alphabet the hard way.

DEA, HIV, IOU... - I see.

- You know, Sister,

I got 12 years 'till my parole.

I wanna be alive to make that parole.

I'm gonna walk out of here.

I'm gonna survive.

- You still got that Demerol?

- Nine of spades.

- Trump.

- You okay, Nino?

- Yeah, yeah, just a little agita.

I told ya...

You're making the red sauce too spicy.

I don't know what the fuck you're putting in it

but it's too fuckin' spicy.

- Trump.

- I was addicted to crack.

Then I had my accident.

Lying in the hospital bed, I went through detox.

But that was easy.

The doctors had me on morphine,

demerol, percodan.

I didn't know I was in pain.

I didn't know I was in the hospital,

paralyzed.

Then I came here and went into counseling.

I take it one day at a time, you know.

Every day I think about drugs,

about not doing drugs.

Every single day, every single hour,

every single minute.

Staying straight has become my obsession.

My new addiction.

[indistinct chatter]

- 12 years for his conviction in the attempted rape...

- Oh, shit, Jackson Vahue got 12 years.

- Yeah, and I hear he's coming to Oz.

- Judge Anthony Pipitone levied the maximum sentence

saying that Vahue's conviction

should send a signal that no one,

especially a famous sports figure is above...

- Hey, McManus, i been waiting to see you, man.

You really oughta get wheelchair access to your office.

- Put it in the suggestion box.

- Hey, I wanna be Jackson Vahue's sponsor.

- How come?

- The man is one of the greatest b-ball players

of all time, and I'm one of his biggest fans.

- What makes you think I'm bringing him to Emerald City?

- 'Cause, like everybody else, you're a star fucker.

- Oh, well, nobody can ever accuse you

of being an ass-kisser.

All right, you're Jackson Vahue's sponsor.

- When does he arrive?

- Tomorrow. - Great.

- You think you can get the marching band ready by then?

[cell door slams]

[dramatic music]

- Where do you think you're going?

- Ahh!

[whimpering]

No!

[distorted tones]

- Prisoner number 97V588, Jackson Vahue,

convicted August 17th, '97.

Attempted rape, assault.

Sentence: 12 years.

Up for parole in five.

- Vahue,

you wait here for a transport to Em City.

The rest of you scum fucks,

now that you had your shower

and you're all sweet and squeaky clean,

are gonna follow Officer Smith to your new accommodations.

Let's go, this way.

Right through there. Come on. Come on. Come on.

Hey, Jackson,

can I get your autograph?

It's for my kid.

[tense percussive music]

- Yo, what's up, Jackson?

- Jackson. - Man, right there.

- Yo.

[indistinct chatter]

- Jackson! - Jackson, What's up, baby?

[indistinct chatter]

[hoop rattling]

- Nice shot, yo!

Thought I'd find you here.

- You just go ahead and leave me the fuck alone.

- Hey, man, I'm just here to help you get adjusted.

- What, adjusted to this shit?

Where you from, you from the projects?

- Yeah. - Oh, well, me too.

You spend all your time adjusting, right?

Yeah.

Figuring out how to fuckin' stay alive, right?

Figuring out why you don't have nothing.

But you got about three ways you can get out.

You can sell some drugs or sing,

or this shit right here.

They all take some talent, man.

I just happened to be lucky.

Fuckin' jump, I could hang,

I could put this ball in the hoop.

Oh, I got adjusted,

I got famous, I got rich.

I got used to the touring, the endorsements, the women.

[sighs]

Maybe not the women.

I fucking blew that, boy. God, I blew that!

The one thing I'm good at don't mean dick in here!

So how the fuck I'm supposed to adjust to that?

Fuck you. I ain't doing this.

- Oh, yes, you are.

- What's the story here?

- Mr. NBA won't do his work assignment.

- It was explained to you, right?

Everybody in Em City has a job to do.

- Give me another job, then, 'cause I'm not doing this one.

- You don't get to choose.

- Look, pal.

I don't do windows, okay?

I don't do windows!

- Well, now you get to clean that up.

- George Washington Carver.

He was born to slave parents,

but he worked his way up

and through Iowa State college,

becoming a botanist and an agricultural chemist.

Now he discovered hundreds of uses for the peanut,

the sweet potato, and the soybean.

Now...

Mr. Vahue, are you listening to me?

- Sure. Soybean.

[buzzer sounds]

- All right, we'll pick up here next week.

Uh, Vahue...

Now, I know you're a big hot-shot basketball star.

If you don't start paying attention in the class,

you're going on report.

- Go ahead, nigga.

- Oh, no, my friend, you're the nigger.

- You got any drugs? - No.

- Then what the fuck good are you?

[indistinct chatter]

- Hey, Jackson,

we made this special for you.

- Thanks, man. - No, thank you.

I won ten grand on that Bulls game.

- What, you looking for an autograph?

- No, my brother.

Your fame means nothing tome.

Except of that you are important to many children.

You are a role model.

- I didn't ask to be nobody's fuckin' role model.

All right? - Nonetheless you are.

And that carries an enormous responsibility.

- Hey, look, man, fuck you, all right?

Go preach that shit to somebody else.

- [chuckles]

All right, my brother.

All right, but we will talk again.

- Yeah, don't bet on that.

Assalamu 'Alaikum, brother.

- Eat me, nigger. - Whoa.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- Who do you have to fuck to get high?

♪ ♪

- Come on, son.

Come on, son, let me squeeze them titties.

Man, what, come on.

Yo, I've been fiendin' for this freedom.

I've been beggin' for the B.

I've been jonesin' for the-- for the jump over the wall.

But all I keep coming back to is them titties.

Round and firm,

for the vein burn.

I keep--I keep bugging over the reasons

for the shit I yearn.

Years in this piece

got me wantin' the shit that I unlearned.

Got me wanting to block it out.

Forget about--

erase it from my think!

[slurping the air]

- Psst, come here, brother.

- No.

- What, you don't wanna get titillated?

- No.

- Come here, boy. Don't be a pussy.

- Man, I've been clean almost two years.

- [chuckles]

Man, this one little hit ain't gonna kill you.

Come on.

We talking about the '95 Bulls game.

- Yeah, you scored 58 points.

- That's right.

That ain't all I scored.

A little three-way with two cheerleaders.

- [murmuring appreciation]

- Yeah, you always been my hero, man.

- That's me, fucking role model.

- Fuckin' role model. - Yeah, boy, come on.

- Maybe just--just one.

- [indistinct murmuring]

- Yeah, you get a hard-on here, now.

- [sniffing]

[echoing thuds]

[tense music]

♪ ♪

[hoop swishes]

♪ ♪

- You know that's been up Kenny's ass, right?

- Next is Kareem Said.

- Dr. Prestopnik diagnosed him for hypertension,

prescribed Calan,

but his vital signs have yet to stabilize.

- He's not taking his medication.

- That doesn't make sense.

A guy like Said has everything to live for.

- Well, my guess is that he's concerned about the effect

the drug's gonna have on his mind.

He doesn't want his judgment clouded.

- Well, I can understand that.

Oz is the last place you wanna let your guard down.

- Can't you switch his prescription?

- Yeah, but they all have side effects.

If we don't get him to take something and soon,

it's only a matter of time

before his blood pressure explodes.

- Don't think of me as a psychologist.

Don't think of me as a nun.

Think of me as your mother!

Kareem, take your medicine!

- Sister, I thought I was in here

for psychiatric evaluation.

- You are,

because when you play fast and loose

with high blood pressure you are crazy.

- Oh, Sister, I'm far from crazy.

You see, God endowed me with a mind.

A free will.

He gave me the ability to chose.

I choose to be drug free.

- And you make the choice how?

By considering the facts.

The fact is you will die.

- My physical condition

is a small part of a greater reality.

Now, it's been hard,

but I am now at peace with this, Sister.

Now why can't you be?

- [stammers]

- [chuckles]

Assalamu 'Alaikum, Sister.

You're a good woman.

- Yeah.

- [chuckles]

Okay.

Huseni Mershah,

this is Kareem Said.

Kareem's gonna help you

get used to the routine in Emerald City.

- Assalamu 'Alaikum, brother.

- Assalamu 'Alaikum.

- Here, cuffs.

- Assalamu 'Alaikum, Hunt.

- Yeah, have a nice day.

[dramatic music]

- Prisoner number 97M688,

Huseni Mershah,

also known as James Monroe Madison.

- Yo, yo, yo!

- Convicted August 11th, '97.

Attempted murder,

assault in the first degree.

- It's done!

- Sentence: 20 years,

up for parole in three.

[camera shutter clicking]

- A Jew shot Omar Salim

'cause he figured Salim gon' rip off his little store.

Salim didn't even have a weapon on him.

- And the Jew got off. - Oh, you know it.

So We had to teach the Jew a little lesson on respect.

- Thank you, Brother Huseni.

But now we pray.

- Said, listen...

I think we gotta do a little more than pray.

- [chuckles] We will, brother.

Believe me, we will.

- "Believers are like a single man.

"If his eye is affected,

"then all of him is affected.

If the head is affected..."

- Hey, you wanna shut the fuck up?

Yo!

- You got a problem?

- Your bullshit's making me sick.

- Don't insult the Holy word.

- Suck my dick, asshole.

[scattered laughter]

[tense percussive tones]

♪ ♪

- What's the problem here, guys?

- There ain't no problem, officer.

- Sit...down.

♪ ♪

I'm sorry if we disturbed you.

- Fuck you. - Nice, nice, Ross!

If you can't handle that, take a walk!

- Fuck you, too. - Okay.

- Everybody, sit down.

- He was making fun of the Word of God.

- God does not need you to defend Him from a moron.

What God needs you to do

is to reign in your basic instincts.

What God needs you to do

is just to be a little patient, brother.

The more little skirmishes you get us involved in,

is the more you weaken the Holy War

we about to fight.

- So where are you from, minister?

- From? - Yeah, where you from?

You're not from the ghetto, right?

- I was born in the ghetto.

But unlike most, I got out.

I've traveled the world, Huseni.

Studied the great religions.

And I've sat at the knee of mystics, shaman, and madmen.

I know the world, Huseni. - Yeah.

Maybe you been on a mountaintop for so long

you forgot where you came from.

- I have not forgotten who I am.

- Well...

Maybe Allah sent me to remind you.

Hmm?

[chuckles]

- [chuckles]

- Hey, Imam Said's movin' slow, man.

It worries me.

- He knows best, brother.

- Yeah, well, he's blessed by Allah and all of that.

But that don't mean he can't be wrong.

- So?

- So, I'm thinking,

you know, he might be more valuable to us

as a symbol rather than as a leader.

- A symbol? What do you mean?

- Nothing, man, nothing.

I'm just talking smack, man.

I'm just...

I'm just wasting time.

- [panting]

- Huseni!

- What, what?

What, what?

- [coughing] - Imam?

- [gasping]

- Are you having a heart attack?

- Call the doctor.

- It is the hand of God.

It is the will of Allah!

- [rasping] Help me...

Help. Help me!

- You must go ahead and die.

- [groaning and gasping]

[cries out]

- All those little aches and pains,

eventually, they add up to something.

Body, mind,

body, mind,

they gotta work together, or they don't work at all.

You gotta take care of your body.

You gotta take care of your mind.

You gotta love your body.

Most people don't.

Most people hate their bodies.

You gotta get your mind to love your body.

Even if you're fat around the middle,

or even if things don't work like they're supposed to,

you gotta love your body.

'Cause it's all you got to hold on to.

It's all you got.

I'll make a deal with you.

I'll love your body

if you love mine.

[dramatic tones]

[tense jazzy music]

♪ ♪

[bright tone]