History YMMV / OZ

** [[ItsAllAboutMe Chris Keller]] is one of the few [[Characters/OzMain recurring]] villains in the show, and by far the most [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]]. A charming sociopath who killed an innocent store clerk during a botched robbery, Keller is wanted by the FBI for raping, torturing, and killing several gay men. [[{{Yandere}} Obsessed with earning the heart]] of Tobias Beecher--whom he previously double-crossed and tortured for entertainment, after his old friend Schillinger asked him to--Keller desires "unconditional love" in a partner, which means he only feels happy with himself when those who love him are made to suffer.[[note]]I.e., knowing that somebody loves him so much that they will stay with him no matter ''how'' badly he may have treated them.[[/note]] Taking advantage of the war against the new pro-Homeboy director of Emerald City, Keller disposes of Beecher's hookups out of sheer jealousy, including his own old friend. When Beecher receives his parole and saves him from the death sentence at a time when the two of them are on good terms instead of bad, Keller [[UngratefulBastard shows his gratitude]] by incriminating him of drug possession to get him sent back to Oz, simply because he misses Beecher and assumes they can go right back to being lovers without Beecher holding a grudge. Orchestrating an anthrax attack to wipe out the [[Characters/OzAryans Aryan Brotherhood]], the entire prison has to be evacuated because of his plan, and, upon being rejected one last time, Keller [[ThanatosGambit commits suicide to blame Beecher for his own death]], ensuring he faces the death penalty. While he started out as Beecher's PsychoSidekick and had many chances to reform, Keller proved to be the same dangerous predator that he described himself to be.

* MorePopularReplacement: Robson was Schillinger's ''third'' [[TheDragon Dragon]] after Scott Ross and Mark Miles, but is by far the most popular for being a KarmicButtMonkey with a surprisingly touching redemption arc.

* ArcFatigue: The storyline involving Cloutier's apparent psychic powers and magical disappearance in Season 5 is widely disliked for introducing apparent supernatural elements that didn't mesh well with the rest of the show, and mostly for being a disappointing end to a well-liked supporting character.

** Peter Schibetta is a [[SmugSnake smug]] {{Jerkass}}, but all the shit that happens to him (being raped by Adebisi,getting driven insane and locked in Psych Ward for three seasons, being gang-raped by the Aryans, developing PTSD as a result) makes it impossible not to feel sorry for him.

* JerksAreWorseThanVillain: [=McManus=] is admittedly a hypocritical jerk, but he never sinks to the lows of the rest of the main cast and even at his worst he remains merely a {{Jerkass}}. Yet he's widely considered TheScrappy and hated in a way even objectively worse characters like Adebisi or Schillinger aren't.

** "[[Recap/OzS1E4CapitalP Capital P]]": [[FauxAffablyEvil Richard L'Italien]] is a talkative DeathRow inmate who quickly reveals himself to be one of the worst characters in the show despite his limited screentime. A remorseless SerialKiller since he was a [[TeensAreMonsters teenager]], L'Italien suffocated 40 young women to death, bragging about having raped and murdered his therapist back in juvie before doing the same to her daughter, all because he claims to "love" women and she told him that he actually [[HeManWomanHater hated them]].

** [[ItsAllAboutMe Chris Keller]] is one of the few recurring villains in the show, and by far the most [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]]. A charming sociopath who killed an innocent store clerk during a botched robbery, Keller is wanted by the FBI for raping, torturing, and killing several gay men. [[{{Yandere}} Obsessed with earning the heart]] of Tobias Beecher--whom he previously double-crossed and tortured for entertainment, after his old friend Schillinger asked him to--Keller desires "unconditional love" in a partner, which means he only feels happy with himself when those who love him are made to suffer.[[note]]I.e., knowing that somebody loves him so much that they will stay with him no matter ''how'' badly he may have treated them.[[/note]] Taking advantage of the war against the new pro-Homeboy director of Emerald City, Keller disposes of Beecher's hookups out of sheer jealousy, including his own old friend. When Beecher receives his parole and saves him from the death sentence at a time when the two of them are on good terms instead of bad, Keller [[UngratefulBastard shows his gratitude]] by incriminating him of drug possession to get him sent back to Oz, simply because he misses Beecher and assumes they can go right back to being lovers without Beecher holding a grudge. Orchestrating an anthrax attack to wipe out the [[Characters/OzAryans Aryan Brotherhood]], the entire prison has to be evacuated because of his plan, and, upon being rejected one last time, Keller [[ThanatosGambit commits suicide to blame Beecher for his own death]], ensuring he faces the death penalty. While he started out as Beecher's PsychoSidekick and had many chances to reform, Keller proved to be the same dangerous predator that he described himself to be.

** [[GeniusBruiser Simon Adebisi]] who is utterly fearless, incredibly strong, and maintains a [[ScaryBlackMan dreadful presence]] throughout the show.
** Chris Keller, a [[TheCharmer charming]] ManipulativeBastard who sometimes teams up with O'Reily yet is also a [[spoiler: bisexual SerialKiller that preyed upon gay men while outside of prison.]]
** [[ProfessionalKiller Yuri Kosygin]], a completely terrifying and absolutely ruthless hitman for the Russian mafia who makes even Stanislofsky terrified. He also has [[ImpossiblyCoolWeapon a shank hidden in the temple pieces of his glasses.]]

** Lemuel Idzik is widely despised by the fandom, mainly for killing [[spoiler:Saïd]], a universally beloved fan-favorite.

** "[[Recap/OzS3E1TheTruthAndNothingBut The Truth and Nothing But...]]" [[Recap/OzS3E2NapoleonsBoneyParts through]] "[[Recap/OzS3E3Legs Legs]]": [[AxCrazy Malcolm "Snake" Coyle]], a member of the [[Characters/OzHomeboys Homeboys]], is a [[SmugSnake disgustingly smug]], hulking psychopath with a penchant for brutal sadism for the sake of it. Originally imprisoned for armed robbery, Coyle becomes a role model for the young, similarly depraved Homeboy Kenny Wangler in his attempt to take over the drug trade and delights in the fact that he casually murdered an Italian-American family one night for fun--[[WouldHurtAChild two children]] and grandmother included. Raping the mother after slitting her throat and gutting the crying baby in the crib while his friend [[SnuffFilm recorded everything on a videotape]], Coyle takes pride in how he got away with the deed and threatens anyone who would snitch on him with murder. Not feeling a hint of remorse even at the prospect of being executed, Coyle is loathed by everyone in prison, and the rest of the gangs take the extraordinary step in protecting Augustus Hill for testifying against him.

** [[ItsAllAboutMe Chris Keller]] is one of the few recurring villains in the show, and by far the most [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]]. A charming sociopath who killed an innocent store clerk during a botched robbery, Keller is wanted by the FBI for raping, torturing, and killing several gay men. [[{{Yandere}} Obsessed with earning the heart]] of Tobias Beecher--whom he previously double-crossed and tortured for entertainment, after his old friend Schillinger asked him to--Keller desires "unconditional love" in a partner, which means he only feels happy with himself when those who love him are made to suffer.[[note]]I.e., knowing that somebody loves him so much that they will stay with him no matter ''how'' badly he may have treated them.[[/note]] Taking advantage of the war against the new pro-Homeboy director of Emerald City, Keller disposes of Beecher's hookups out of sheer jealousy, including his own old friend. When Beecher receives his parole and saves him from the death sentence, Keller [[UngratefulBastard shows his gratitude]] by incriminating him of drug possession to get him sent back to Oz. Orchestrating an anthrax attack to wipe out the [[Characters/OzAryans Aryan Brotherhood]], the entire prison has to be evacuated because of his plan, and, upon being rejected one last time, Keller [[ThanatosGambit commits suicide to blame Beecher for his own death]], ensuring he faces the death penalty. While he started out as Beecher's PsychoSidekick and had many chances to reform, Keller proved to be the same dangerous predator that he described himself to be.

** [[ItsAllAboutMe Chris Keller]] is one of the few recurring villains in the show, and by far the most [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]]. A charming sociopath who killed an innocent store clerk during a botched robbery, Keller is wanted by the FBI for raping, torturing, and killing several gay men. [[{{Yandere}} Obsessed with earning the heart]] of Tobias Beecher--whom he tortured for entertainment--Keller desires "unconditional love" in a partner, which means he only feels happy with himself when those who love him are made to suffer. Taking advantage of the war against the new pro-Homeboy director of Emerald City, Keller disposes of Beecher's hookups out of sheer jealousy, including his own old friend. When Beecher receives his parole and saves him from the death sentence, Keller [[UngratefulBastard shows his gratitude]] by incriminating him of drug possession to get him sent back to Oz. Orchestrating an anthrax attack to wipe out the [[Characters/OzAryans Aryan Brotherhood]], the entire prison has to be evacuated because of his plan, and, upon being rejected one last time, Keller [[ThanatosGambit commits suicide to blame Beecher for his own death]], ensuring he faces the death penalty. While he started out as Beecher's PsychoSidekick and had many chances to reform, Keller proved to be the same dangerous predator that he described himself to be.

** Burr Redding. He is often hated due to [[ToxicFriendInfluence all of the issues he causes Hill]] [[spoiler:including his [[TakingTheBullet murder, receiving a stabbing reserved for him]]), being a lousy leader of the Homeboys and suffering little consequences for it. He is also liked and defended for genuinely trying to [[TheAtoner atone]] for both his own crimes and what he's done to Hill's life, especially after [[spoiler:his death.]]

** Also Ryan O'Reily. He is both disliked immensely and very popular due to how slick he is. Then you have thosupe who believe him to be even worse than ''Schillinger'' since the latter at least loves his sons [[spoiler: albeit not enough to deter the death of his younger one]] and his granddaughter while the former [[ItsAllAboutMe is all about himself]] with his {{Morality Pet}}s being ineffective and/or dead.

* GenreTurningPoint: Being HBO's first hour-long original drama series, Oz was one of the first TV shows to prove that television could compete with films in the storytelling department with season long arcs and dark storytelling that didn't treat its audience like simpletons. The show inspired countless other TV shows in that vein.