Tobias Beecher
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Tobias Beecher is a character, played by American actor Lee Tergesen, on the television show Oz.
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[edit] Season 1
Beecher, an alcoholic lawyer, killed a young girl while driving drunk. Sentenced to prison, Beecher quickly learned that he was out of his element after being roomed with monstrous inmate Simon Adebisi during his first week in the titular facility. It was suggested by inmate Vern Schillinger that he switch pods where Vern then took advantage of Beecher, raping him. Schillinger, the leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, then "branded" him by burning a swastika design into one of his buttocks. Beecher was regularly sexually humiliated by Schillinger and developed an addiction to heroin. Vern then had him get a "makeover" by one of Em City's drag queens to doll up his appearance. He went further to destroy Tobias making him beg to see his wife, making him eat pages of a law book, and tear up pictures of his family. After Schillinger made him wear a shirt that had a Confederate Flag on it as a means of nearly committing suicide, Toby snapped, attacking and humiliating Schillinger under the influence of PCP. He first smashed the plexiglass wall of Schillinger's pod, sending a broken shard flying into Schillinger's eye blinding him in one eye. Beecher almost jumped to his death immediately after, but was restrained by guards and thrown in the hole. After being released, he confronted Schillinger (who was now sporting an eyepatch) in the prison gym's basketball court. He incapacitated Schillinger by kicking him in the groin and assaulting him with a piece of gym equipment, then defecating upon him in front of many of Emerald City's fiercer inmates. This gained Tobias respect from inmates such as Ryan O'Reily, Miguel Alvarez, and even Simon Adebisi. This however earned him another trip to the hole, which did nothing to improve his sanity which was seen during the riot that erupted in Emerald City. When a riot erupted in Em City, Beecher sided with Ryan O'Reily in the chaos, as neither belonged to any strong gangs. Throughout the series, Beecher and O'Reily continued to practice a strange love-hate partnership/friendship.
[edit] Season 2
In the aftermath of the riot, Beecher and the other prisoners who'd been housed in Em City were sent to other sections of the prison. Beecher found himself sharing a cell with James Robson, an Aryan member who tried to make Beecher perform oral sex on him. The new, tougher, crazier Beecher wasn't having any of it and took Robson's penis in his mouth just long enough to bite part of it off and spit it out, sending Robson to the infirmary and Beecher to the hole once again. Upon his release from the hole, Beecher began taunting and threatening Schillinger as Vern's parole hearing was coming up and he didn't want to get into trouble. Beecher took advantage of this by continuing to provoke Schillinger and succeeded in unnerving him, prompting him to look for other people to kill Beecher for him. Unfortunately for Schillinger none of the other prisoners were willing to kill him, either because they hated Schillinger or did not want to go near Beecher because by this time Beecher had earned a reputation as a psychopath. Finally Schillinger seemed to find somebody willing to do the deed: guard Diane Wittlesey, whom he blackmailed with knowledge that she had shot a prisoner during the riot. Wittlesey reluctantly agreed to get rid of Beecher if Schillinger would keep quiet. Beecher disappeared and Schillinger subsequently met with Wittlesey to discuss their deal. During this meeting, however, Schillinger was under surveillance; Wittlesey had never intended to kill Beecher and had reported Schillinger's request to her superiors, who arranged to hide Beecher until they could get Schillinger on tape incriminating himself. Schillinger obliged them, and Beecher had the satisfaction of being present to see the look on his face when he realized what had happened. Afterwards, with Schillinger in the hole, Beecher bragged to his new cellmate Augustus Hill that even though he was crazy, his plan had worked perfectly. He'd been able to push Schillinger into doing something reckless and now, as a result, Schillinger would be charged with conspiracy to commit murder and had no chance at parole. Hill warned him that Schillinger would be out for revenge and now had less to lose than before, but at the moment Beecher was too happy to care.
To mix things up and not allow cellmates to get attached McManus moved Hill from the cell and brought in Chris Keller. Initially Beecher was uninterested in getting to know Keller. This changed after he saw Keller being bullied by some Aryans (a part of a plan that came to light later in the season), whom Beecher helped fight off simply because he hated the Aryans. Keller offered his friendship, but at the time, Beecher didn't want it. As time passed though, Beecher was surprised to find himself becoming attracted to Keller. This became more apparent when Beecher's wife Geniveve was found dead, having committed suicide putting Beecher in emotional distress. Unfortunately at the same time, Keller was secretly working with Schillinger, in order to help the latter get revenge. After using Beecher's attraction to Keller to put him through an emotional ringer and start him drinking again, the two cornered a partially drunk Beecher with the help of an Aryan guard Karl Metzger and broke his arms and legs.
[edit] Season 3
Keller discovered that he had genuinely fallen in love with Beecher, however, and was desperate to win Beecher's trust and love again after he recovered. Beecher then claimed he would only believe Keller's sincerity if he confessed to the beatdown and as Chris confessed, Tobias killed Metzger whom McManus suspected of favoring the Aryans. He still did not trust Keller though despite Keller's abandonment of Schillinger and the Aryans and his aid of Beecher and Ryan O'Reily in their joint effort to get revenge against Schillinger (who had raped Ryan's mentally retarded brother Cyril). Beecher would still not be ready to forgive Keller for a long time. This was most evident than when Beecher ambushed Keller shortly after his release from the infirmary, stabbing him. Although Keller never saw his attacker, Beecher told him that he'd been the one who attacked him some time later.
The conflict between Beecher and Schillinger continued throughout the run of the series. When Schillinger's son Andy was arrested and incarcerated in Oz, Beecher saw his chance to get even with Schillinger by befriending Andy and arranging to share a cell with him. While Beecher never did anything bad to Vern's son and in fact helped Andy cope with his withdrawal from drugs, he led Vern to believe that he was going to make Andy his prag in order to torture Vern psychologically. Vern was scared to death about what Beecher would do to his son, and in the end Andy renounced his father and the Aryan way of life after realizing (in part due to his interaction with Beecher) how screwed up it was. Vern felt that he had no alternative but to have Andy killed, a decision which he felt terrible about despite believing it was necessary. Beecher's co-conspirators in the plan (Keller and Ryan O’Reilly) were happy about the outcome, since they had tormented Vern and turned his son against him. Beecher wasn't as satisfied, despite having gotten revenge, and he felt guilty for his part in Andy's death. At this point, Beecher was cellmates with former Muslim leader Kareem Said who convinced Beecher to resolve his guilt asking for forgiveness from Keller and Schillinger. Beecher finally forgave Keller and this was most evident after he saved his life from Schillinger who was not convinced of Beecher's sincerity in asking for forgiveness. As the racial tension in Oz grew, Beecher and Said were the only men of different backgrounds who remained friends throughout the lockdown of Oz.
[edit] Season 4 Part I
Beecher tried to resolve his guilt with Schillinger further by having a PI at his father's law firm discover Vern's younger son Hank. This was at the suggestion of Father Mukada who thought Vern would automatically forgive Beecher for reuniting him with Hank. Vern however was skeptical of Beecher's motive and in retaliation for what happened with Andy, Vern had his other son, Hank, kidnap both of Beecher's children and kill one of them before ultimately releasing his daughter. Hank Schillinger severed the hand of Beecher's son before killing him and mailed it to Beecher in Oz, traumatizing Beecher immensely. Vern Schillinger also paid another prisoner to tell Beecher that Keller was responsible for the kidnapping, resulting in Beecher trying to murder Keller and a falling out between the two lovers. When Beecher learned the truth, he approached Chucky Pancamo in order to commission a mob hit on Hank Schillinger. Beecher had second thoughts about this shortly after, but when he went to Pancamo to cancel the hit he was informed that it was too late; Hank Schillinger was already dead. As this was happening, Beecher and Keller were separated and Tobias had sex with Nate Shemin and Mondo Browne both of whom Keller had killed in a plot to undermine the authority of Emerald City manager Martin Querns
[edit] Season 4 Part II
Over the course of his imprisonment, Beecher remained friends with Said and maintained a dysfunctional relationship with Chris Keller. In the relationship between him and Keller, the other inmates and staff members viewed Beecher as the "Girlfriend" of the two mainly because of his lack of a tough attitude and initial raping he received entering into Oz. While in prison, Beecher struggled with his addictions, his sexuality, and his culpability in the various crimes he had committed. When Vern Schillinger learned of Hank's death, he plotted revenge but up until the point where Chris Keller confessed to having hired the hitman to kill Vern's son. Vern and Tobias then were involved in victim-attacker interaction programs led by Sister Peter Marie who was trying to help Tobias fight his inner conflicts. With Keller in Massachusetts for confessing to Hank's murder, Beecher was up for parole and fell in love with his attractive parole attorney Katherine McClain. McClain did what she could for Tobias but Schillinger rallied the Aryans to ruin his parole chances in revenge for what happened to Vern three years earlier. Beecher was protected from Schillinger by Said and the Muslims but was denied parole as the board felt he still needed improvement. Schillinger and Robson then attempted to rape Beecher as a result of being in Oz for at least one more year but were stopped short by Said who attempted to murder the two Brotherhood members with a knife.
[edit] Season 5
Fearing for a war between the Aryans and Muslims, Sister Pete suggested Beecher mediate interaction sessions between himself, Vern, and Kareem. In the first interaction session, Tobias stated how he felt Vern's attempts to ruin his parole were semi-justified and that Kareem Said and Vern Schillinger were very alike despite their very opposite beliefs. As the interaction sessions continue, Chucky Pancamo informs Beecher that Agent Taylor has implicated him in the murdering of Hank Schillinger and that Vern will come at the Italians where Chucky agrees not to give Tobias up. Surely enough, the Italians and Aryans go to war but Chris Keller is released from Massachusetts custody as they no longer have reason to hold him for ordering the hit on Hank. Keller's return to Oz is not easy though as Agent Taylor now has evidence implicating Chris in one of the homosexual murders that is enough to send Keller to death row. In the meantime Tobias and Chris are separated as Warden Glynn wants Keller isolated from Gen Pop for his role in the homosexual murders. In the interaction sessions, Said and Schillinger agree that homosexuality is perverted but Kareem then points out Vern is a known rapist of his fellow inmates. As Vern denies any involvement in Beecher's rape, Tobias attacks him in the interaction session angry at his denial of sexual abuse. Afterwards two inmates Franklin Winthrop and Adam Guenzel arrive in Oz, with the latter being a former associate of Beecher. Winthrop is immediately raped by the Aryans and Tobias fearing for Guenzel's safety recruits the Muslims but then the Italians to protect Adam. When Robson attempts to rape Guenzel, Frank Urbano saves Beecher and Guenzel with the other Italians who try to kill off the Aryan inmates. Angered by a failed attempt, Schillinger forces Winthrop to tell Guenzel about Beecher's homosexual history which results in the two inmates turning from friend to foe. Vern then apologizes to Beecher in an interaction session and shortly afterwards offers Tobias a deal. Vern tells Tobias he can see Keller working in the mail room if he allows Guenzel to be transferred to Unit B away from Beecher where the Aryans can repeatedly rape him. Beecher initially refuses but then gives in after growing tired of Adams' homophobia and his desire to see Keller. Keller however is hospitalized by CO Claire Howell and Tobias then feels guilty seeing Adam the victim of a gang rape. To resolve his guilt, Said claims Beecher should no longer see Keller and help Adam any way he can. Tobias has Sister Pete talk to Guenzel and Schillinger then forces Adam to commit suicide out of fear that he may be reprimanded for raping Adam. Guilty over Adam's death, Tobias confesses to the authorities about Vern's involvement forcing Warden Glynn to sentence Schillinger to solitary for an undetermined length of time. Tobias then sees Keller released from the hospital and found guilty in the murder of Brice Tibbetts, where the two of them share an intimate kiss.
[edit] Season 6
Tobias is transferred to a safer Unit, Unit J as Tim McManus sees that he has become an Aryan target once again for testifying against Schillinger. Tobias' father Harrison in the meantime appeals Keller's death sentence until Franklin Winthrop kills him to earn membership in the Aryan Brotherhood. Fortunately, Beecher is paroled, and then after inheriting his father's law firm overturns Keller's death sentence. Beecher then gets sent back to prison after a lonely Keller arranged for him to get caught buying illegal drugs. Keller had told Beecher that his ex-wife was terribly ill and asked Beecher to pick up a drug for her that hadn't been approved by the F.D.A. and was thus illegal. After Beecher agreed to do so, Keller anonymously telephoned the police and told them where the deal would take place. Once in prison again, Beecher renewed his war with Schillinger and banished Keller from his life. Attempting to make Beecher forgive him, Keller engineered Schillinger's death; during Oz's production of Macbeth (in which both Beecher and Schillinger had been cast), he switched a prop knife for a real one, resulting in Schillinger's death when Beecher stabbed him. Once Beecher realized what had happened, he and Keller got into a heated argument, during which Keller realized that Beecher would never be able to love him again. The argument ended with Keller killing himself by throwing himself over a railing to make it look like Beecher killed him. The fall broke Keller's neck. At the end of the series, Beecher was in protective custody to shield him from the other Aryans (However, any fears of retaliation from the Aryans were averted when it was revealed that prior to his death, Keller had arranged for a box containing a toxic powder to be opened by the Aryans in the mail room, killing them all), and awaiting trial for Keller's death, although staff psychiatrist "Sister Pete" believed that he would be exonerated.
