I'm always amused by the (now relatively few) people who tune into HBO's brutal prison drama Oz and find themselves shocked and repulsed by the gritty, ugly world created by Tom Fontana ("Homicide: Life on the Street") and executive produced by filmmaker Barry Levinson - uh, it's prison, people. What were you expecting - the vaguely sanitized environs of a Shawshank Redemption? As various documentaries have attested over the years, life behind bars is a harsh, unforgiving place where death is always around the corner; the searing fiction created by Fontana and his merciless team of writers rings with an authenticity that's unnerving and thoroughly compelling.

I'll try to tread lightly when it comes to spoilers and Oz - much of the show's punch comes from not knowing what's next; when TV shows deal in characters who're wholly expendable - even the main players - it juices up the proceedings and adds a nerve-shredding dimension that keeps you riveted to the set. Riveted despite some of the most graphic and unrelenting material likely ever committed to TV in the last decade; sure, it sounds hyperbolic but on a network known for drawing no boundaries, Oz still manages to be one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult hour-long dramas I've ever viewed. This is rough, hard-hitting material and thankfully, Fontana assembled a powerhouse cast to give life to the inmates of the "Emerald City" experimental unit of the Oswald Penitentiary: Kirk Acevedo, Terry Kinney, Harold Perinneau, J.K. Simmons, Dean Winters - there are many, many more, including Ernie Hudson, whose quiet power as the warden who must hold it all together serves as the emotional core of the series.

In this, the penultimate season, the unit is rebuilding after the disastrous and hellish events that capped off the fourth season - a near-riot and massive fire that practically destroyed Oz resulted in the wounding of several principals as well as dramatic life changes for many that cross paths with the fierce inmates of "Emerald City." Over the course of these eight episodes, Fontana and company skillfully orchestrate conflicts and resolutions that smack of schoolyard politics, causes and their effects, effectively studying the primal rages of man and society in microcosm - more than anything else, Oz seems to be at its core a frank, intelligent dissection of what makes us tick when there's nothing left to lose.

The fifth season of Oz is (perhaps needlessly) spread across three discs, totaling eight hours. The season is housed in a serviceable box that opens up in an awkward gatefold. The episode info is on the exterior panels.

Disc One:
(Spoilers may follow for those who have yet to see the season - you've been warned!)
Visitation, dir. Alex Zakrzewski
The rebuilt Oz reopens with a ribbon cutting ceremony, complete with an appearance from Governor James Devlin (Zeljko Ivanek). A few inmates in solitary are temporarily transferred to Oz while repairs are being made. Revenge is planned against the Muslim faction.

Laws of Gravity, dir. Rob Morrow
Two inmates - Miguel Alvarez (Kirk Acevedo) and Chico Guerra (Otto Sanchez)- create a unique solution for settling a grudge while inmate Bob Rebadow (George Morfogen) gets some unpleasant news. A blackmail situation between Martin Montgomery (Peter Criss) and Ryan O'Reily (Dean Winters) leads to unsettling tensions, the governor's prison liaison arrives and Ryan's mother, Suzanne (Betty Buckley), begins teaching art classes at Oz.

Dream a Little Dream of Me, dir. Adam Bernstein
Jia Kenmin (Michael Delmare) returns to Oz, recovered from an attack as Peter Schiabetta's (Eddie Malavarca) gambit against the Aryans backfires with horrifying consequences. Rev. Cloutier (Luke Perry) confuses some inmates while Timmy Kirk (Sean Dugan) plots the Reverend's death and Jaz Hoyt (Evan Seinfeld) confesses to all of his past crimes.

Disc Two:
Next Stop: Valhalla, dir. J. Miller Tobin
During therapy, Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen) attacks Vern Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) after Schillinger denies ever raping him. Augustus Hill's (Harold Perrineau) grief over his dead mother and divorce send him spiraling into heavy drug use. When he realizes his new roommate is from a prominent family, Beecher must protect him from the vicious Aryans.

Wheel of Fortune, dir. Terry Kinney
Kareem Said (Eamonn Walker) confronts Omar White (Michael Wright) about dealing drugs. When White responds in a fashion deemed unsuitable by Said, Said roughs up White. Chris Keller (Chris Meloni) discovers the Feds have some seriously compelling evidence that ties him to a past crime.

Variety, dir. Roger Rees
The inmate variety show comes together with Agamemnon Busmalis (Tom Mardirosian)serving as emcee and White as the main attraction. James Robson's (R.E. Rodgers) mangled mouth forces him to the dentist, a secret fear of his. Sister Peter Marie Reimondo (Rita Moreno) begins an investigation into the attack on Adam Guenzel (Mike Doyle) but discovers some unwilling suspects.

Disc Three:
Good Intentions, dir. Adam Bernstein
Tim McManus (Terry Kinney) offers to search Oz's databases to help find a cure for Rebadow's ailing grandson - when the research turns up an inmate with a similar blood history, Rebadow meets with him only to be shot down. When rumors begin circulating about the eventual outcome of Robson's replacement gum surgery, Schillinger and the Aryans throw Robson out.

Impotence, dir. Alex Zakrzewski
The fifth season comes to a close with Schillinger initiating a new inmate by informing him he has to kill a black inmate to join the "Brotherhood." A meeting with Father Meehan (author Malachy McCourt) forces Ryan to dig deep into his unpleasant past while an attempted murder meant for one inmate tragically takes the life of another, innocent inmate instead.

The DVD

Presented in its original 1.33:1 ratio as broadcast, Oz appears every bit as grim and grainy as it does on HBO. The jagged, hand-held look won't thrill home theater enthusiasts but the rough-and-tumble visuals lend an air of reality to the show. Almost verite in quality, this documentary-infused style lacks gloss but charges the drama with loads of vitality.

Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 stereo are onboard here, as are English, French and Spanish subtitles. Oz boasts an atmospheric mix that envelopes you and puts you right there in the dank, unforgiving world of Emerald City. There's a slight punchiness every now and then, but the dialogue comes through loud and clear with no distortion and the harsh sound effects have a nice bite.

There's isn't much in the way of supplemental material included on the fifth season of Oz - series creator Fontana and Dean Winters (who plays Ryan O'Reily) contribute an engaging, informative commentary track to the final episode, "Impotence" and 23 minutes of deleted scenes (playable separately or all together) are included, as is a brief two minute season six preview that skews spoilerish, so you may want to avoid it if you've yet to see the final season.

Oz is brutal, intelligent drama that never lets up and forces viewers to go places that they'd most likely avoid if at all possible - gritty, edgy and totally absorbing, the machinations and myriad plot threads that serve as the framework for the world of Emerald City make season five a no-brainer purchase for fans. Casual fans or the curious would do well to rent their way towards season five - the cast of characters and their attendant situations, much like another equally involving HBO drama The Wire, are aided immeasurably by familiarity. Recommended.