"To Your Health"

Episode #:6 (1.6) To Your Health
Season:1
Air Date:8/11/97
Producers:Levinson/Fontana
Writer:Tom Fontana
Director:Alan Taylor
 
Synopsis:
Three generations of Alvarezes--all prisoners at Oz--are united when the partiarch, Ricardo, is found face down in his cell, suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Meanwhile, Tobias Beecher, who as the neo-Nazi Schillinger's "girlfriend" has been forced to wear women's clothes, flips out after taking PCP and sends Schillinger to the hospital with an eye cut. Other inmates aren't exactly the picture of health, either: mob boss Schibetta has stomach pains caused by ground glass intentionally mixed in with his food, and Muslim leader Kareem Said has a heart attack after refusing to take medication for high blood pressure. Also, NBA all-star Jackson Vahue arrives in Oz; new Muslim inmate Huseni Mershah's violent nature causes problems for Said.
 
Starring:
ERNIE HUDSON as Leo Glynn
TERRY KINNEY as Tim McManus
HAROLD PERRINEAU as Augustus Hill
EAMONN WALKER as Kareem Said
 
Also Starring:
EDIE FALCO as Officer Diane Wittlesey
MURPHY GUYER as Officer Eddie Hunt
B.D. WONG as Father Ray Mukada
KIRK ACEVEDO as Miguel Alvarez
RITA MORENO as Sister Peter Marie
TONY MUSANTE as Nino Schibetta
J.K. SIMMONS as Vernon Schillinger
LEE TERGESEN as Tobias Beecher
SEAN WHITESELL as Donald Groves
DEAN WINTERS as Ryan O'Reily
 
Guest Starring:
ADEWALE AKINNOYE-AGBAJE as Simon Adebisi
STEPHEN GEVEDON as Scott Ross
RICK FOX as Jackson Vahue
GEORGE MORFOGEN as Robert Rebadow
ROGER GUENVEUR SMITH as Huseni Mershah
LAUREN VELEZ as Dr. Gloria Nathan
J.D. WILLIAMS as Kenny Wangler
MURPHY GUYER as Officer Eddie Hunt
TOMAS MILIAN as Ricardo Alvarez
NESBITT BLAISDELL as Dr. Kochurn (D.D.S.)
CURTIS McCLARIN as Officer Lawrence Smith
KATHRYN MEISLE as Mrs. Rockwell
REGGIE MONTGOMERY as the Teacher
 
With:
GRANVILLE ADAMS as Zahir Arif
TIM BROWN as Officer Jason Armstrong
KEITH NELSON as Variety Performer
JOSE R. ROSARIO as Eduardo Alvarez
MUMS THE SCHEMER as Poet (Arnold Jackson)
PHILIP SCOZZARELLA as Officer Joseph Mineo
 
Notes:
This episode introduces:
#97V588 Jackson Vahue. Convicted August 17, 1997. Attempted Rape, Assault in the 1st degree. Sentence: 12 years, up for parole in eight years.
#97M688 Huseni Mershah (a.k.a. James Monroe Madison). Convicted August 11, 1997. Attempted murder, Assault in the first degree. Sentence: 20 Years, up for parole in three years.
This episode provides background information for:
#43A515 Ricardo Alvarez. Convicted March 3, 1943, Armed robbery. Sentence: 20 years. Convicted June 6, 1961, Murder in the first degree. Sentence: Life imprisonment, solitary confinement.