"Medium Rare" by Tom Fontana, Story by TF and Sunil Nayar [The box.] Hill: Oz. The name on the street for the Oswald State Correctional Facility, Level Four. Now in Oz, our entire day is structured. We know when we'll eat, sleep, work, when we'll have free time. Now, giving a man who's locked up free time is a joke, 'cause there are still all kinds of restrictions as to what you can and can not do. Some people try to better themselves by reading, or exercise. Some pray. Some plot. Some just watch tv. [Em City. Quad.] TV Announcer (VO): Live, from Burbank Studios in Burbank, California, it's time to play "Up Your Ante." And here's your host, Gordon Elliot. Elliot (on tv): Hello, and welcome to "Up Your Ante." And let's meet our first contestant tonight, Mr. John Carpenter. [studio applause] Now let's meet our star. Joining us this evening, the lovely, the divine, the purr-fect Miss Eartha Kitt. [applause] Eartha, thank you so much for being here. The category is "Style and Fashion", take a look at this photograph. Can you tell me what kind of beard this man is wearing? Carpenter (on tv): I think I need a hint. Elliot: Eartha? Kitt (on tv): Well, I can give you a hint: It can also be called a "Rob Petrie." Elliot: Oh. Carpenter: "Rob Petrie?" Pancamo: It's a goatee, you stupid fuck. Morales: Come on, just say it, just say, goatee. Beecher: He could say goatee, but he'd be wrong. Busmalis: That's not a goatee? Beecher: Van Dyke. Hoyt: Van Dyke? Beecher: "Rob Petrie?" You get it? Hoyt: No. Who's Rob Petrie? Poet: Yo, would y'all just fucking clam it up so I can hear the answer? (Buzzer.) Murphy: Count! Carpenter (on tv): It's either a Dick or a Van Dyke - (TV is shut off. The prisoners complain as they line up for count.) Hill (VO): Yes, television. Keeps us busy. Keeps us happy. [Warden's office.] Logan: I'm what we call a segment producer. Each of our shows is divided into four ten-minute stories, anchored by a different newsman. I work for Jack Eldridge. Glynn: Ah, I like Eldridge. He's a ball-buster. That piece you did on heating oil? You really tagged that corporate clown. Have a seat. Logan: We want to do a three-part series on Oswald. You know, "inside one of America's toughest prisons." Glynn: No. Logan: No? Glynn: Like I said, I saw what he did to that guy, and I don't want to be that guy. Logan: What have you got to hide? Glynn: Nothing. But in the four years since we had the riot, life around here has been rough. Attitudes are just starting to settle down. You bring in a tv camera, you're going to stir the situation up. Logan: Well, I've spoken to the Commissioner, and he's agreed. Glynn: I'll call the Governor. Logan: He also agreed. Glynn: Well, if you already had permission, if you already knew it was a done deal, why'd you even ask me? Logan: To get your honest reaction. [Staff Meeting.] Logan: First, we're gonna do an overview of life in Oswald. Then, we're gonna to follow one new prisoner coming in, and we will close with Jack Eldridge spending the night locked in a cell. McManus: Spending the night? Logan: Yeah, just him and one real inmate. LoPresti: By the way, when does the great man get here? Logan: Not till the day we actually shoot. For the next few days, I'm gonna have a crew here while I do preliminary interviews with you staff members and as many prisoners as possible. Please understand, our goal is to show the audience how incredibly difficult your jobs are. And to kick "60 Minutes" in the ass. Glynn: That's all. [Cafeteria.] Glynn: Tomorrow, and for several days, a television crew will be walking the halls taping a piece on Oz for their newsmagazine. (Prisoners cheer.) Quiet down. Quiet! Now, I know, when the cameras are rolling, you guys will run through your bag of tricks, plead innocent, run scams, cry foul, or whatever else you think is gonna get you some attention, get your faces on tv. But let me warn you: When those cameras are gone, I'll still be here. When the story airs, I will be watching, and I won't forget what you say, or what you do. That is all. [Em City.] (buzzer) Murphy: Lights out. [Morales-Guerra pod.] Morales: I've gotta think of some good shit to tell this (unknown). He's only gonna use the best stuff. Guerra: You're gonna make shit up? Morales: Well, I can't tell him the truth, can I? But I want to be on camera. Can't let these matinee-idol looks go to waste. (Guerra laughs. Morales hits him in the back through the mattress.) Morales: Be quiet. Guerra: Ay, yi yi. [Said-Arif pod.] Arif: You're gonna sit down with those news people? Said: Yes, I am. I've got a lot to say about the conditions up in here. Arif: Well, what if they ask about Adebisi? Said: Adebisi. The court found me innocent of his death, by way of self-defense. Even McManus testified on my behalf. Arif: But still, they're reporters. They're bound to dig up old bones, and make us Muslims look bad. Said: Arif, I am not afraid. [O'Reily pod.] Cyril: We're gonna be on tv? Ryan: I am. But if you see a camera, you duck out of sight, all right? Cyril: Why? Ryan: You don't remember Jack Eldridge? Cyril: No. Ryan: Well, I do. He fucked us over, Cyril. He fucked us real bad. This might be our chance to get even. Go to sleep. [FB: Crime scene.] White: Hey, girl! (He shoots a woman on the street, but leaves a child alive.) Hill (VO): Prisoner number 01W711, Omar White. [The box.] Hill: Convicted January 4, 2001, murder in the first degree. Sentence: 75 years. Up for parole in 20. [Processing.] White: That's what I'm talking about, check it out. Look at the poontang here. Murphy: This is receiving and discharge, where prisoners come in, where prisoners go out, unless they're in a body bag. Logan: Okay, so which one is Omar White? Murphy: White, Omar. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. C'mere. I'm Officer Murphy. This camera crew has been authorized to follow you on your first day. You got a problem with that? White: Oh, like uh, like I'm gonna be on tv? I ain't go no problem with that. What, you and me, baby? Murphy: Easy, Omar. Logan: Mr. White, you will be serving 75 years for murder. Is that correct? White: Look, I ain't even know the bitch, I mean, why the fuck, why would I shoot her? Logan: Well, she was a prime witness at your cousin's murder trial. See, the mistake was not killing that little girl, too. White: You think? Shit. I mean, shit, shit - Murphy: Get back in line, you mutt. White: Who the fuck you calling mutt, huh? Murphy: Jake, Willard, escort Mr. White back in line. Get out of my face! White: Hey, hey, hey! You see this? I'm getting hosed up in here, in this motherfucking - get your hands offa me! Who you fucking with? PA: So, uh, five hundred prisoners arrive each week. Murphy: Uh-huh. PA: And how many are released? Murphy: Not enough. [Em City. Quad.] Murphy: This is Emerald City, also "Em City," the experimental cell block started by Tim McManus five years ago. (As he talks, various prisoners walk in front of the camera, making rude gestures.) In Em City, the prisoners are given a lot more leeway than the rest of Oz. Hoyt: Hey, baby, how about a little - (He pulls out his penis.) Murphy: Hey, Hoyt, move along. Jesus. Logan: Okay, the first one I want to talk with is, uh, Tobias Beecher. Murphy: Um, alright, this way. [Classroom.] Logan: Okay, Mr. Beecher. The way this works is that you and I are just gonna talk, very informally, no pressure, and based on our conversation, we'll decide if you get interviewed by Jack Eldridge. Beecher: So the camera is not on now? Logan: No, yeah, it's on. But we can turn it off, if you want. Beecher: I don't care. Logan: Okay. You came to Oswald in 1997 as the result of a DUI and vehicular manslaughter conviction. Beecher: Uh-huh. Logan: Prior to that, you were a successful lawyer from a prominent family with a wife and two children. How has being in prison changed you? (Beecher doesn't answer.) Well, describe some of your experiences since coming to Oswald. Beecher: Describe - ? Hmm. You ever read the Book of Job? Logan: According to the file, at one point you had your arms and legs broken, and at another you were stabbed. Beecher: Yeah. You want to see the scar? (lifts his shirt) Logan: You once tied a fellow inmate down and defecated on his face. Beecher: Yeah. Logan: Is that what it takes to survive? Beecher: I'm not the man I was. Or maybe now, I'm the man I always was and never knew. Logan: All of these incidents involved two other prisoners, Christopher Keller and Vernon Schillinger. Tell me about your relationship with them. Beecher: They sing in the choir together. (A scuffle breaks out in the quad below between Poet and another inmate.) Logan: What's going on? Beecher: Either he stole drugs or he owes for drugs. [Classroom.] Logan: Are there a lot of drugs in Oswald? Keller: Define "a lot." Logan: Well, how many people in this unit use heroin on a regular basis? Keller: I don't know. Logan: One in two? One in three? One in twenty? Keller: (pretends to do the math) I don't know. Logan: Okay. How about sex? Keller: Is that an invitation? Logan: Right. Is there a lot of homosexual activity? Keller: Well, by "homosexual" do you mean deep-rooted love of one man for another, or guys fucking guys in the ass? Logan: Ass-fucking. Keller: Shit happens. Logan: And the authorities - ? Keller: Frown on it. (He looks at Murphy.) But they do their darndest to stop it. Logan: As they do on the drug taking. Keller: Yes. Logan: And have you? Keller: What? Logan: Fucked a guy up the ass? Gotten fucked? Keller: Well, if I had, why would I say so to you? Logan: Tobias Beecher. Keller: What about him? Logan: I don't know, you tell me. Keller: We sing in the choir together. [Em City. Quad.] Busmalis: That camera's making me so nervous I can't even shuffle. Rebadow: Give me the cards. Busmalis: Do I look okay? Rebadow: You look like you. Busmalis: Oh, shit. When I was on tv after I escaped, I couldn't believe how bad I looked. My skin was gray. Logan: Gentlemen, I'm looking for some background information on a Tobias Beecher, his relationship with Vernon Schillinger - Busmalis: Get the fuck away from me! Murphy: Okay, relax Busmalis. Come on, let's talk to somebody else. Come on, come on, come on. Rebadow: Nice. Now all of America's gonna see you acting like an asshole. [Beecher's pod.] (Keller enters.) Beecher: What do you want? Keller: That news bitch was asking an awful lot of questions. What did you tell her about me? Beecher: Get the fuck out of here. Keller: You tell her anything about us, you tell her anything about anything - Beecher: And what, huh? What are you gonna do? CO: Shakedown! (bangs on the pod) Keller: Later. (He leaves. Beecher throws his book against the wall.) [Em City.] (COs and dogs go through the pods, search various prisoners. The camera crew tapes.) CO: What do we have here? (He removes drugs from a prisoner's sock.) Come on, Brea, I'm taking your ass to the Hole. [Cafeteria.] (Group.) Keller: I think I take drugs because I know they're destructive, I feel unworthy of love - Beecher: Oh, Christ, what a load of shit! Sister Pete: Tobias. Beecher: No - look at him being all sincere and cuddly because of them. Keller's nothing but a poser. Keller: Shut the fuck up, Beecher. Ryan: Yeah, shut up, Beecher. You're spoiling this for everybody, man. Beecher: Oh, yeah, O'Reily? Oh, right - you and Keller are butt buddies, now. Let me see, when did that happen? When who died? (Keller and Ryan both get up, headed for Beecher.) Sister Pete: (stops them) Stop it! That's enough, now! Stop Stop it! Turn that camera off. Turn it off, right now. Now! Turn that light off. Off! [Psych.] Logan: Tobias Beecher and Christopher Keller. Sister Pete: What about them? Logan: There's a lot of bad blood. Sister Pete: There's a lot of spilled blood. Logan: Why? Sister Pete: The men in Oz are very distressed, mentally, physically, and morally. Logan: Christopher Keller, for example, is a sexual predator, so does that factor into his problems with Beecher? Sister Pete: You know, I'm really not comfortable, ah, specifically talking about these cases. Logan: Okay. Have you ever been harassed? Have you ever been sexually threatened by one of the inmates? Sister Pete: No. No. [Em City. Laundry Room.] Ryan: Hey, what are we gonna do about Beecher? Keller: Do? Ryan: You heard the guy in Rehab. The fucker almost goes public about us killing Shemin and Browne. Keller: He's playing around. He's never spilled all the beans. Ryan: Oh, you're sure of this? Keller: It's just his way of saying that he still loves me. Ryan: You know, the two of you are just so fucked up. (goes to leave) Keller: (grabs him) Whoa. Don't you hurt Beecher, O'Reily. You hurt Beecher, I might have to hurt you. Ryan: Don't be making any threats, K-boy. It might put me in a bad fucking mood. [Unit B.] Robson: Vern, check her out. Schillinger: She's not my type. Robson: Your type? She's got a pussy, ain't she? Schillinger: Yeah, and like you're gonna get anywhere near her pussy. Murphy: Unit B is your typical cell block. PA: And how many units are built like this? Murphy: Uh, ten. Hey, Vern, you're up. Robson: Hey, what about me? I give good story. Logan: Yeah? Robson: Yeah. Logan: Maybe later. Murphy: Alright, this way. Come on. [Schillinger's cell.] Logan: So, you're a white supremacist? Schillinger: You people, from the media, you love to label us. I know, no matter what I say here, you're gonna trim it, and make me look like a monster. But, I'm no monster. I'm a widower, whose first son died tragically. I'm gonna be a grandpa. I believe in family, in America, in God. Does that sound evil to you? Logan: Now, your other son, Hank, has been accused of kidnapping Tobias Beecher's children and of murdering his son Gary. The FBI believes you orchestrated the crime. That sounds pretty evil to me. Schillinger: (puts his hand over the lens) Lady, you don't want to be having opinions about things that you could not possibly understand. Logan: Well, if I didn't know that you were such a fine, upstanding citizen, I might consider that a threat. Tidd: Yo, I got something to say. Schillinger's a pussy. Robson: Shut your face, nigger. (He slams Tidd up against the bars of the cell. A fight breaks out in the Unit.) Murphy: Stop taping! Logan: Keep shooting! Keep shooting! (Murphy drags the crew out of the Unit.) Murphy: Move, move, move. Move it, that's it. [Processing.] PA: So, this Beecher story - you think it has legs? Logan: Oh, yeah. Usually the less people are willing to say, the better the story. I've just got to figure a way in. Murphy: Each prisoner is assigned a number and a photograph, and then they're sent to their respective units. Logan: And White's going to Em City, right? Murphy: Yeah, God help us. [Em City.] (Murphy walks White to his new pod, Hill's.) Murphy: Here you go, home sweet home. (to the crew) Come on, let's go. (they leave) Hill: Yo. White: What, you a cripple or something? Hill: No, I'm physically challenged. White: Well. You got any tits? Hill: No. I don't do drugs no more. White: Well, you ain't no faggot or nothing? Hill: No. White: Thank God for that. I can't stand no motherfucking faggots. They drive me crazy. [Em City. Quad.] Logan: So what now? Murphy: It's nighty-night. (Buzzer.) Mineo: Lights out. [Em City. Unit Manager's Office.] Murphy: Hey. McManus: The fourth estate is gone? Murphy: Yeah, for today. Glynn: Any problems? Murphy: Well, we had a minor skirmish in Em City and a major battle in Unit B. McManus: They got everything on tape? Murphy: Oh, yeah. Glynn: Did our guys respond? Murphy: Both incidents it's over in a flash. Glynn: You know, I don't care if the prisoners look bad, I just don't want us to. MMurphy: Well, she seems to bemostly focusing on Beecher. McManus: His is a cautionary tale. Glynn: Let's hope Logan doesn't dig too deep. I wouldn't want her uncovering any skeletons. McManus: You mean Adebisi. Glynn: Among others. [The box.] Hill: Television is a medium rarely well done. My uncle Bilbo said that. Okay, somebody said it first, but my uncle Bilbo was the first one to say it to me. Now, don't get me wrong, I love watching the news on tv, Dan and Tom and Peter and maybe a little Jim Lehrer if I'm feeling brainy. I flip back and forth between news shows in hopes of catching the same story, 'cause each news show tells a story a different way. ABC leaves out a fact that CBS makes a big deal of. CBS interviews its expert, who totally disagrees with NBC's expert. NBC goes in depth, while ABC gives the same story five seconds air time. You see, I figure if I catch all three versions, maybe, combined, I'll get a little taste of the truth. [Em City.] (Buzzer.) Mineo: Count! (Prisoners exit their pods.) White: (trying to get tits off prisoners) Yo, yo, yo. Come on man! How come you want to do me like that, dog? Ryan: Omar, my man. Jesus Christ, you're looking a little crispy there, brother. W hite: I gotta get some tits. Ryan: Wow. You know, times are lean right now. The hacks, they're doing too good a job keeping that shit out of Oz. Trick is, you gotta know the right person. You have a good day. White: Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. Look, I been to every nigger up in here! They think I'm a narc, man! I'm fucked - they don't even know me, I mean -- Ryan: Hey, hey, hey, shh. Abracadabra. (hands him drugs) White: What you want in exchange for this? I ain't gonna suck your dick or nothing like that. Ryan: Hey, I'm no fucking fag. I just might need you to take care of a little business for me, that's all. White: No problem. Ryan: Knock yourself out. [The Hole.] Poet: Hypocrisy. Hip-o-crisy. That's what this is. You see, they strip me of my clothes, they strip me of my rights, they strip me of my self-respect. All 'cause they say I broke the rules, traffickin' in illegals. But they, they more guilty than I could ever be. Fuckin' uppity-ups. They the ones that let Adebisi sing and snort and suck. And when the blood run out, when his blood got split, the truth ran out, and a wall of lies got built. After Said greased him, fucking hacks acted like he ain't never even breathed in. And then the lies got buried with his number. Logan: You're saying there was a cover-up? Poet: Yeah, there's a cover-up. Sheets and blankets enough to cover up all them high and mighties. Logan: The warden, too? Poet: The warden more than most! Murphy: All right, come on, that's enough. Poet: You see, you see? They still trying to shush me. Logan: You got any evidence to back up these accusations? Poet: Yeah. There's a videotape. Adebisi, he documented the whole drama, just like you doing right here. You hear what I'm saying? Right up until the fade. You ask O'Reily, you ask Said - Murphy: All right, shut up, Poet. Come on, let's go, we gotta move on. Logan: Hey, he's got something to say. Murphy: He's always got something to say. Come on, let's go. Poet: Hypocrisy. Murphy: Okay. Poet: Conspiracy! Murphy: Right. Take a nap. [Em City. Phones.] Logan (on phone): Jack, I found our story. I'm not sure about all the details yet, but something screwy happened surrounding the death of an inmate. Yeah, and evidently, it's all on videotape. Well, the sooner you get here, the better. (she hangs up) Officer Murphy - Murphy: You ready? You're gonna love Death Row. Logan: Yeah, rather than do that, I want to go back and interview a couple of prisoners again. Murphy: Okay. Logan: And I'd like to do some in private. Murphy: Private? Logan: Without you present. Murphy: That's not gonna happen. Logan: Don't worry. I'll get permission. [Hallway.] (Inside, the camera crew are alone with Ryan.) McManus: She asked to see Said and O'Reily again? What's she want with them? Glynn: Murphy thinks it might have to do with Adebisi's death. McManus: But O'Reily wasn't involved with that. Glynn: I know. [Em City. O'Reily pod.] Cyril: I miss Mama. Ryan: So do I. Cyril: Why'd she have to die, Ryan? Ryan: I told you a thousand times, Cyril. The cancer ate her up. (White approaches.) Hey, Miss Sally's on tv, why don't you go watch, okay? Please? Cyril: All right. (He leaves, White enters.) Ryan: How's it going, cuz? White: I need some more tits. Ryan: Whoa, I don't got a never-ending supply, know what I'm saying? White: I know, just a little bit, you know, just to stop a little bit, you know what I'm saying? Ryan: You know, it's too bad you got here when you did. Six months ago, we had tits coming out of our fucking asses. When this guy Adebisi ran the operation, the well never ran dry. White: What happened to him? Ryan: He got shanked. But that's not the point. When he died, the spicks, and the wops, they took over everything, and between you, me, and this sink, they're doing a half-assed job. White: How come brothers don't organize? Ryan: They should. They need a leader. I mean, right now all they got is this fool Poet. He's a complete come stain. White: I know, he used to run my block. Ryan: Well, there you go. Maybe you should step up, huh? White: Yeah. Ryan: C'mere. (hands him a tit) Have some. You see, to get anybody's attention around this place, you've got to do something large. White: (snorting) Large. Ryan: Yeah, like see, Adebisi, he was large and in charge, bigger than life, feared by one and all. White: Yeah, well, that's what I want. I want 'em to fear me. Ryan: Then you got to kill somebody. But not just anybody. You've gotta go huge. Monumental. Somebody famous. [Entrance desk.] CO: Walk through, lady. Step over here, open your purse. Next. (Eldridge steps through, the metal detector sounds.) CO: Put all metal objects in there. You are visiting? Lady: Peter Thorpe. CO: Go through again. (Eldridge steps through the detector again, it goes off again.) And your name is? Lady: Helen Keating. CO: Your watch. Eldridge: For Christ's sake. What do you think I'm trying to smuggle in, a fucking bazooka? Logan: Officer, can you please - M urphy: Uh, Tom, listen, he's okay, let him in. CO: Oh, why didn't you say? (Eldridge steps through, the alarm sounds again.) I'm a big fan. [Gymnasium.] Logan: Jack? Eldridge: Yeah. Logan: This is Ryan O'Reily. Eldridge: Uh-huh. Logan: Jack Eldridge. Eldridge: Oh, how do you do? Ryan: Hey. You don't remember me, do you? Eldridge: No, I'm afraid not. Have we met? Ryan: Yeah, about twenty years ago. Eldridge: Oh, well, you'd understand, then. Ryan: Yeah, you must meet so many people in this job, right? Eldridge: Yeah, what was the circumstances? Ryan: Oh, it's not important. Eldridge: Oh. Logan: Okay, Ryan, comfortable? Ryan: Uh, yes. Logan: And we are rolling. Eldridge: Where were you when Adebisi died? Ryan: The common room. Eldridge: Any inkling as to what was going to happen to him? Ryan: No, no, as far as I could see, Said and Adebisi, they were getting along just fine. Eldridge: Okay, so walk me through this. You were in the common room - Ryan: Doing nothing. Eldridge: And? Ryan: I heard this noise from Adebisi's pod, and, and, uh, he had these white curtains hanging up in the room, and they just went red with blood everywhere, splattered. And then, um, Adebisi, he falls out of the pod, down on the ground, dead, and Said follows out with a, uh, with a shank, still in his hand. Eldridge: Well, have you any idea what led to the fight? Ryan: No. Eldridge: Hm. You tell me there were curtains on the windows of Adebisi's pod. Is that unusual? Ryan: Yes. Eldridge: Was Adebisi privileged? Ryan: Uh, privileged? Eldridge: Well, was he allowed to get away with things the rest of you weren't? Ryan: Can you hold on for a second? (to Logan) excuse me, you want to kill these things? Logan: Sure, yeah. Guys, cut. What's the problem? Ryan: You want that kind of knowledge, you're going to have to pay. Eldridge: Oh, we don't pay informants. Ryan: Then I'm not saying another syllable. Logan: Ryan, in the pre-screen you said that you would tell everything you know. Ryan: Look, I tell, it's gonna cost me. The warden's gonna get my ass like one of them proctoscopes. All I'm looking for here is a little compensation. Eldridge: No! Get the fuck out. Ryan: Suit yourself, Mr. Eldridge. (he gets up) Pleasure to see you again. Eldridge: Bastard. Find out where the fuck I know him from. PA: Mr. Eldridge, how am I going to do that? Eldridge: Well use your head! I certainly didn't meet O'Reily at a cocktail party on the Upper East Side. Twenty years ago. I bet I did a story on him. Track it down! Commendable work, Logan. Nice fucking interview. [Library.] Eldridge: A pleasure meeting you, finally. I've admired you for years. Said: Thank you. The feeling is mutual. Eldridge: I've read both your books. Said: Well, actually, there are three. Eldridge: You know, I've always felt that your conviction was politically motivated. Logan: Gentlemen, we're ready, if you are. Eldridge: Just relax, speak your mind. Minister Said, you murdered Simon Adebisi. Said: No, I defended myself. He attacked me with a knife. Eldridge: Why? Why did he attack you? Said: I was under the impression that we were going to talk about the conditions in Oz. Eldridge: Well, isn't this one of the conditions? Brutality, senseless violence? Said: Ah - Eldridge: Was his attack on you unmotivated? Said: No. Eldridge: So, you said something to him, you did something to him? Said: I am a Muslim. I did not agree with some of the ways that Adebisi was conducting himself. Eldridge: Then, why did you ask to move in to Adebisi's pod? You see, I have here a form, signed by you, requesting the change. If you hated Adebisi so much- Said: I didn't say I hated him. Eldridge: Then why live with such an animal. Said: I was trying to save him. Eldridge: Yet instead you killed him. What about the videotape documenting Adebisi's conduct? Said: You know, right now I would like to move past this particular conversation, and speak about the larger issues. Eldridge: Do you deny that there's a videotape? Said: Every day, we suffer fundamental civil rights abuses - Eldridge: The tapes, yes or no? Said: I am done talking with you. Logan: Minister, we are only trying to get the facts. Said: That part of the story is over, don't you understand? Adebisi is dead. Adebisi is irrelevant. Eldridge: Nothing that brings about the death of a man is irrelevant. You want us to hear what you have to say, fine. You have to tell us what we need to know first. Said: And then which part will be aired? [Em City. Unit Manager's office.] Murphy: They're definitely working the angle on Adebisi. Glynn: His death? Murphy: Nope, what went on before that. Poet told them about the videotapes that Adebisi made. Glynn: Christ. Murphy: Yeah. And they're trying to verify that the tapes exist. McManus: Maybe we should pull the plug. Glynn: We can't do that. I spoke to both the Commissioner and the Governor, and they feel if we back out now it'll only look worse. And since I never told either of them about the videotapes, well I sure as hell can't tell them now. McManus: Well, you may have to, Leo. The truth may have to come out. [Stairwell.] Logan: Hey. McManus: Hey. Logan: So, you've got information for me? McManus: I can't go on-camera and say the things that need to be said. Logan: Why not? McManus: Because it'll be the end of Leo's career, and the Governor will have enough ammunition to close down Emerald City permanently. Logan: Okay, so then what would you be willing to say? McManus: On-camera, nothing. But as deep background, the guy you want to go after is Martin Querns. Logan: He ran Emerald City after you. And what about that videotape? You seen it? Come on, talk to me. McManus: What you're asking me to do is betray a friend. Logan: A friend? He fired you. McManus: With good reason, and he gave me back Em City. Like I said, go after Querns. [Warden's Office.] Querns: Leo, what the fuck is going on? I get a call asking me if I'm willing to be interviewed by Jack fucking Eldridge? Glynn: Well, they found out what went on in Em City when you were in charge. They heard about the videotapes. Querns: Fuck. When you asked me to resign, you said no-one would ever know the reason, that we were going to keep it internal so that neither one of us would get hurt. Glynn: Refuse to do the interview. I did. Querns: Fine. Where are the videotapes? Glynn: In a safe place. Querns: What are you keeping them around for? Destroy the tapes, Leo. Destroy the goddamn, motherfucking tapes now! [Kitchen.] (Glynn is feeding videotape through a meat grinder.) [Men's room.] Eldridge: Warden. Glynn: Mr. Eldridge. Eldridge: I understand you've cancelled our interview. Glynn: That's right. Eldridge: May I ask why? Glynn: You can ask. I won't answer. Eldridge: Come on, off the record. Between two guys holding their dicks. Glynn: When I was running for lieutenant governor, I spent too much time in front of the camera. Eldridge: Between you and me, off the record, that's bullshit. You've spent how many years at Oswald? Glynn: Too many. Eldridge: Yet it'd bother you to leave, right? To quit, or be forced out because of some indiscretion, because some mishandling of the job was exposed on tv. Glynn: I've spent my entire life punishing people, and over the years I've had to make choices, some good, and some led to violence. Lives have been lost, and I, I wonder, could I have stopped the carnage. Eldridge: Simon Adebisi. Could you have prevented his death? Glynn: Yes. Balls-out truth, I should be fired. But I'm afraid whoever they bring in to replace me would only be worse. It's a terrible thing to reach this point, and realize your whole life has been a sham. Eldridge: But for a man whose job has been to punish others, you ultimately punish yourself more than anyone. Glynn: Off the record? Eldridge: Yes. Glynn: No comment. [Entrance.] Eldridge: Lisa? Logan: What? Eldridge: The Adebisi story is a dead end. Logan: What? Jack, no. Eldridge: My instincts tell me that none of the principles are gonna come forward with the facts. Logan: We've faced tougher resistance than this before. I can get McManus to crack. Eldridge: There are people who do things for malicious reasons, this prison is full of them. I don't think Leo Glynn is one. He's imperfect, but he's not incompetent. Logan: That is no reason not to expose what happened here. A man died. Eldridge: Yeah, from all appearances, a bad man. Logan: Oh, you're making judgments, now? What, Simon Adebisi's life is not as important as the Pope's? Eldridge: Don't get high and mighty with me. I've brought Presidents, serial killers, corporate giants to their knees. Logan: And now is not the time to go soft. Eldridge: I'm going home. Big day tomorrow. Logan: You're making a mistake, Jack! Letting this story go is a fucking mistake! Eldridge: Yeah, probably. But you know, every once in a while, even the newsman has to have a heart. CO: Hey, can I have your autograph, Mr. Brokaw? (Eldridge leaves.) What a dick. [The box.] Hill: Journalists are supposed to be impartial. They're supposed to keep their personal opinions to themselves. However, on tv, we know what the reporter is feeling. We see Sam Donaldson or Angie Mitchell giving us the facts, but with the camera that close up, we can also tell by a raised eyebrow, a tiny inflection, what they really think about the person who they're reporting on. Now, Walter Cronkite, he had the poker face. Nobody ever knew what old Walt was thinking. So while he was telling the truth, he was also lying to the camera. That's genius. [Kitchen.] White: Yo, yo, yo, O'Reilly my man, yo. I forgot to thank you for getting me put down in the cafeteria, man. This shit is dope. Ryan: Oh, hey, no problem, cuz, no problem. Hey, come here, come here, come here. I got a little something for you. A little morning pick-me-up. It's called a duster. So, Omar, I hear you're the lucky fuck who's gonna spend the night in the cell with Jack Eldridge. White: I'm gonna be a tv star and shit, like uh, like um, ah Martin Lawrence, or Mark Simpson and shit. It's good. Ryan: (laughing) Have some more, have some more. I just hope he doesn't disrespect you, that's all. White: Dis me? How the hell he gonna dis me? Ryan: Well, I overheard him telling somebody yesterday that you were a faggot. Yeah, that's what he said. White: Hey. Ryan: Yeah. White: I ain't no motherfucking faggot! Ryan: Oh, oh, hey. Omar, Omar, Omar, hey. I know that, but you know them newsmedia cocks, they love to twist shit around. You know, they don't give a fuck about the truth. They make a guy look the way they want him to look, for the sake of the story, to boost the ratings, you know what I'm saying? White: What the motherfucking - This motherfucker ain't calling me no faggot! Ryan: But the funny thing is, is the tabloids say that Eldridge is actually a faggot. White: I heard that somewhere, I know. Ryan: Yeah. He's like one of them closet cases, you know, but to cover up his shame, he's gonna skunk you on national television. Pancamo: Hey, O'Reily. Those eggs ain't gonna fry themselves. Ryan: I'm coming. Pancamo: Okay, let's go, man. Ryan: I'm coming, I'm coming. (to White) Hey, if I were you, tonight, when I was alone with that cocksucker, I'd teach him a thing or two about being a real man. Enjoy that. [Entrance.] (Eldridge goes through detector, which goes off.) Eldridge: Hello, hello. PA: Mr. Eldridge. Eldridge: Hello, Lisa. Logan: Jack. Eldridge: What did you find out about Ryan O'Reily? PA: When he was sixteen, you did a piece on urban gangs - about how the black kids were taking over the turf of the whites, especially the Irish. Eldridge: I interviewed O'Reily? PA: Yeah, and his brother Cyril. Here are the transcripts. Lisa? Logan: I have no time to read that. Did Jack make O'Reily look bad? PA: I reviewed the tape last night, and, yeah. The O'Reilys came off as being brutal, heartless. Eldridge: I want to see that tape. Murphy: Let's go, come on in. Watch the paint. [Em City. Upper level.] (The pod is being wired for the broadcast.) Murphy: At five o'clock all prisoners are locked down in their cells, at nine o'clock, lights out. Eldridge: Until, uh? Murphy: Six a.m. Guerra: Oh, mamacita. Murphy: Keep it in your pants, Guerra, let's go, keep it moving. Jesus. [Em City. Quad.] White: There's the fuck. Ryan: Hey man, Omar, just chill out until tonight. White: No, no, no. That bitch is mine. Ryan: Omar, hey, Omar, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait - White: Get the fuck off. Ryan: Hey, hey! Omar! White: Hey! Hey, you! You fuck. You fuck. Murphy: What's the problem, White? White: I got your punk for you, alright? Murphy: White, what's your problem? White: Problem? He's my problem. (grabs a camera) This. This is my fucking problem! Murphy: (restrains him) Hey, hey, hey, relax. Relax, hey. CO: Calm down, White. (White pulls a shank.) Murphy: Lockdown! Put down your shank. White: You want some more? (The SORT team arrives, restrains White.) White: Motherfucker! Motherfucker! Motherfucker! [Warden's office.] Glynn: This is exactly why I didn't want you here in the first place. I think, at the very least, you ought to postpone. Logan: No. By postpone, you mean never reschedule. McManus: Our concern is for your safety, Mr. Eldridge. Eldridge: I've been in this game a long time. I can take care of myself. Murphy: So we're gonna go ahead with it tonight? You're gonna sleep in the cell? Logan: Yeah. But now we're gonna have to find someone else to match up with Jack. McManus: Or we could, we could put you in a cell alone. Eldridge: Ted Koppel did that on "Nightline." It was complete horseshit. Murphy: Then who? Eldridge: I've been reading the files on the O'Reily brothers. The younger one, uh, Cyril, he's now brain-damaged and under medication to control his actions. I choose him. [Em City. Unit Manager's office.] Ryan: I don't want my brother involved with this, okay? I refuse. McManus: O'Reily, I don't have a choice, you don't have a choice. Let's just try to make it through the night and pray for the best. Ryan: You know what? You pray. Say a whole fucking rosary. [Em City. Computer Room.] Eldridge: Have you tested the camera? Logan: Twice. They're good to go. Eldridge: All right. Lock me up. McManus: I wish you'd let the SORT team be here. Eldridge: No, I want this to be like any other typical night. Murphy: Here we go. (Murphy leads him into the pod and leaves him.) Eldridge: Hello, Cyril. I'm Jack Eldridge. Cyril: Hello. (He has a flash of memory.) Logan (VO): Jack, you ready? You're on. Eldridge: It's five pm, and already - ah. (He cuts.) It's only five p.m., but the prisoners of Emerald City are already in lockdown for the night. Two to a cell, with nothing but a pair of beds, a sink, and a toilet. The room is about the size of the average American bathroom, and it smells like one, as well. Imagine, if you can, spending the rest of your life locked up with a complete stranger in your bathroom. Cyril: Who are you talking to? Eldridge: That camera, which I want you to ignore. (Cyril has another flash of memory.) [Computer Room.] Eldridge (VO): So this evening, here we are, at Oswald Penitentiary. Logan: Jack, you've got to move to your left, you're blocking him. Eldridge (VO): (sits down on bed) What do you do before lights out? [The wired pod.] Cyril: Wait. Eldridge: For what? Cyril: The lights to go out. Eldridge: Um, here. (They stand.) And then? Cyril: Um, I say my prayers, and sleep. Eldridge: And what do you pray for? Cyril: I pray to Jesus, that Ryan will be safe, and Aunt Brenda, and that daddy'll smile, and to take care of my Mama in heaven. Eldridge: Your mother died? Cyril: Years ago, in the hospital. I hate hospitals. [Computer room.] Cyril (VO): I hate the smell. Of hospitals. [The wired pod.] Cyril: And the medicine tastes bad. Ryan tells me to take my medicine, but I don't sometimes. Like today. [O'Reily pod.] (Ryan can't see into the wired pod. He gets a signal from another prisoner that everything is okay.) [The wired pod.] Eldridge: What about, uh, before the accident? Do you remember anything about that? Cyril: There are flashes, once in a while. Like, now. I see you, and I think maybe I know you. (Cyril flashes back.) Eldridge (VO): We've met, years ago, when you were fifteen. You and your brother and I, we talked about your lives in the gang. Cyril: You make Mama sad. You made Mama cry. You gave my Mama cancer. (He hits Eldridge.) [Computer room.] Logan: Oh, shit! Murphy: Central, this is 11, we've got a 66. Cyril: Ryan said at the grave that you gave my mother cancer. (he continues to pummel Eldridge) Ryan: (screaming) Cyril! Cyril! (The SORT team arrives.) Cyril: You gave my mama cancer! Ryan: Cyril! Cyril! Cyril! (Cyril is carried away by the SORT team.) Cyril: You gave my mama cancer! Ryan: Cyril! Cyril! Cyril! Cyril: Mama! Mama! Ryan: (pounding on the door of his pod) Cyril! Cyril: Ryan! (Logan runs into the pod. Eldridge is on the floor, bloody.) Logan: Jack, Jack, Jack! Oh, Jack! Eldridge: Lisa, did you - Logan: What? Did I what? Eldridge: Get it all on tape? [The box.] Hill: Television has the power to enlighten, to inform, to lay the bare truth before the eyes of the public. Television is an extraordinary gift, as much a miracle from God as Lazarus rising from the dead. But do we use the gift wisely? Have we ever? [Em City. Quad.] TV announcer: News anchor Jack Eldridge became a part of his own story yesterday, as what many industry insiders called a ratings stunt backfired. Convicted murderer Cyril O'Reily brutally beat Eldridge, causing the veteran reporter to suffer a severe concussion, four broken ribs, and a punctured lung. He remains in Benchley Memorial, in critical condition. [Staff lounge.] TV announcer: Despite the objections of Eldridge's producer, Lisa Logan, the network has decided not to air what was intended to be a three-part series on life inside Oswald's Maximum Security Prison. The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Logan resigned in protest. We all wish Jack a speedy recovery.