7 Reasons Why Oz Was The Most Groundbreaking TV Show Ever
6. Bringing LGBTQ+ Themes To The Forefront
Beecher and Keller. Keller and Beecher.
One a law abiding man guilty of a terrible mistake. The other a charismatic career crook with a penchant for serial killing.
These two really knew how to throw down in every sense of the phrase. The chemistry between the two was intense with a love/hate relationship comprised of laundry room kisses, broken arms, back stabbings (of the literal variety), gang wars, drug deals, wrestling. It was a wild ride to say the least. The storyline was a hit with audiences and remained a prominent fixture of the show to the very end with actors Lee Tergesen and Christopher Meloni receiving high praise for their chemistry.
Oz’s frank, serious and often thrilling approach to their relationship came at a time when serious representation was sorely lacking. In turn, it inspired a long overdue respect and inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes, characters and relationships in shows to come such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Six Feet Under, The Wire, True Blood and Orange is the New Black.