Bob Rebadow
Encyclopedia
Robert 'Bob' Rebadow is a fictional character
from the television series Oz
, a drama series on HBO that portrays a maximum security prison and follows the lives of the inmates in the prison. He is portrayed by George Morfogen
.
He is the oldest inmate on the show and a member of "The Others", the group in Oz which generally stays away from trouble, unlike the other groups in Oz. If Rebadow does cause trouble, it is likely because he was following someone else. He is one of only four regular Oz inmates to survive the entire run of the show (not including Augustus Hill who is killed at the end of season 5 but comes back as the narrator for season 6). The other three are Miguel Alvarez, Ryan O'Reily and Tobias Beecher. He is also notably one of two prominently featured inmates to have been in Oz prior to the opening of Emerald City, and survive the entire run of the show, the other being Arnold "Poet" Jackson.
Rebadow was a young architect sometime in the mid-1960s. With a child on the way, he was planning a large-scale architectural project. Rebadow committed his crime at a business lunch where he was displaying his blueprints to his business partner who laughs and mocks his designs. Enraged, Rebadow stabs his partner in the neck with his salad fork, killing him. In spite of the abrupt nature of the crime, Rebadow was still convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to death in the electric chair. During Rebadow's execution, there was a power surge (attributed to the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965
); the execution was botched and Rebadow was admitted to the medical unit for the injuries he sustained during the botched electrocution. During his stay, the death penalty was abolished and his sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Following Rebadow's release back into general population, he began claiming that he now received regular visits from God. Although written off as insane, Rebadow now possesses a certain Mysticism
about everything going on in Oz, and in some instances even knows private details about prisoners' lives of which he had no prior knowledge.
In episode 2 of season 5, in a conversation with Miguel Alvarez, Rebadow makes references to his past, explaining the differences between his and newer generations, during which he alludes to growing up when "18 year olds went off to war" and being scared as "landing craft hit the beach," perhaps alluding to his own military service.
. Later Rebadow is attacked by young inmate Kenny Wangler
, a move that angers Unit Manager Tim McManus
. When a riot led by Muslim inmate Kareem Said
breaks out, Rebadow stays low avoiding the COs wrath in the recapturing of Em City.
in James Robson's cell as Alvah Case investigates the riot aftermath. When Em City is reopened, Bob and three other inmates form the group "The Others" as designated by Tim McManus. While in Em City, Rebadow becomes cell mates with Agamemnon Busmalis
and the two form a friendship, possibly because they are both much older than the typical Oz inmate. Busmalis is known for digging tunnels and begins to dig in their cell. Rebadow also receives news that his grandson Alex Jr. is dying from leukemia and his dying wish is to visit Disneyland. At the suggestion of Biker inmate Jaz Hoyt
almost every inmate group donates to send Alex Jr. to his destination- to the point that Rebadow's family can afford to send him. However, despite the enormous generosity of the inmates and staff, Reabadow admits to McManus that he is ashamed of where the money came from and requests that the donation to his grandson remain anonymous. Later two Aryans find out about the tunnel and take the cell from Rebadow and Busmalis courtesy of CO Karl Metzger
. Under Rebadow's orders, the tunnel collapses and kills the two escaping Aryans and Busmalis and Rebadow get off as McManus deems them as being threatened and non-violent, unable to maliciously cause harm to the bullying younger inmates.
and, under Morales's orders, murders Latino head Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez. Instead of feeling remorse as he expected, the murder makes Rebadow feel "alive". In exchange for the murder, Rebadow asks that Morales grant him the authority to commit another murder. Morales, confused by Rebadow's request, has no need for the offer but agrees to give Rebadow protection. That day during lunch, Rebadow has visions of machine-gunning the entire populace of Oz to death; later that night, Rebadow attempts to murder his cell mate Busmalis. In the aftermath of the attempted murder, a physical exam of Rebadow revealed a brain tumor affecting the region of the brain which controls aggression. Once removed, Rebadow returned to his old self.
, a guard recently back at work after a crippling injury, to buy a ticket for him. Brass does, but when the winning numbers come true he disappears, keeping the money for himself. Not giving up, Rebadow asks McManus to search the prison population for a donor and one is found, but he refuses to go through with the operation. At his wit's end, Rebadow tries to arrange for a faith healer to visit Alex, but his family won't allow it. After a brief power outage, Alex's life support fails and he dies. Rebadow bitterly comments that the power to the chair that was going to kill him finally came back on, except his grandson was sitting in it.
. The new librarian, Stella Coffo, believes that reading can change anyone's life for the better. Rebadow quickly begins to fall in love with her due to their age and passion for literature. With an optimistic look on life, he convinces Busmalis to get back together with Norma Clark. His optimism soon turns sour when he discovers that Stella has breast cancer and feels that he is being robbed of a second chance at happiness. At the end of Season Six, he is relieved that Stella's breast cancer operation was a success leaving the series open to possibility of a romance between them.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the television series Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
, a drama series on HBO that portrays a maximum security prison and follows the lives of the inmates in the prison. He is portrayed by George Morfogen
George Morfogen
George Morfogen is an American actor. He is known for playing Bob Rebadow in the HBO show Oz, and for his role as Stanley Bernstein in the original V miniseries....
.
Character overview
Prisoner 65R814. Convicted September 9, 1965 - Murder in the first degree. Sentence: Death. Commuted to life.He is the oldest inmate on the show and a member of "The Others", the group in Oz which generally stays away from trouble, unlike the other groups in Oz. If Rebadow does cause trouble, it is likely because he was following someone else. He is one of only four regular Oz inmates to survive the entire run of the show (not including Augustus Hill who is killed at the end of season 5 but comes back as the narrator for season 6). The other three are Miguel Alvarez, Ryan O'Reily and Tobias Beecher. He is also notably one of two prominently featured inmates to have been in Oz prior to the opening of Emerald City, and survive the entire run of the show, the other being Arnold "Poet" Jackson.
Rebadow was a young architect sometime in the mid-1960s. With a child on the way, he was planning a large-scale architectural project. Rebadow committed his crime at a business lunch where he was displaying his blueprints to his business partner who laughs and mocks his designs. Enraged, Rebadow stabs his partner in the neck with his salad fork, killing him. In spite of the abrupt nature of the crime, Rebadow was still convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to death in the electric chair. During Rebadow's execution, there was a power surge (attributed to the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965
Northeast Blackout of 1965
The Northeast blackout of 1965 was a significant disruption in the supply of electricity on November 9, 1965, affecting Ontario, Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey in the United States...
); the execution was botched and Rebadow was admitted to the medical unit for the injuries he sustained during the botched electrocution. During his stay, the death penalty was abolished and his sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Following Rebadow's release back into general population, he began claiming that he now received regular visits from God. Although written off as insane, Rebadow now possesses a certain Mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
about everything going on in Oz, and in some instances even knows private details about prisoners' lives of which he had no prior knowledge.
In episode 2 of season 5, in a conversation with Miguel Alvarez, Rebadow makes references to his past, explaining the differences between his and newer generations, during which he alludes to growing up when "18 year olds went off to war" and being scared as "landing craft hit the beach," perhaps alluding to his own military service.
Season 1
In season 1, Rebadow is one of the 60 inmates let into Emerald City, an experimental cell block in the Oswald Prison. Rebadow spends his time listening to what "God" has told him and seems to know all of the events occurring in Oz ambiguously proving his supposed theory on what God has told him. Rebadow knows so much that the COs threaten him over his knowledge about the frame-up of inmate Jefferson KeaneJefferson Keane
Jefferson Keane aka Tizi Ozuo is a fictional character in the HBO prison drama Oz played by American actor Leon Robinson.-Character overview:...
. Later Rebadow is attacked by young inmate Kenny Wangler
Kenny Wangler
Kenny "Bricks" Wangler is a fictional character in the HBO drama Oz, played by actor J.D. Williams.-Character overview:Prisoner #97W566. Convicted July 6, 1997 - murder in the first degree . Sentence: 20 years, eligible for parole in six.He was sent to prison for murdering a student he was...
, a move that angers Unit Manager Tim McManus
Tim McManus
Tim McManus is a fictional character on HBO's prison drama Oz, played by Terry Kinney.-Character overview:McManus, the idealistic manager of Emerald City, is unlike the rest of the staff members at Oz as he has never been a CO, has a college education, and generally believes in the inmates as...
. When a riot led by Muslim inmate Kareem Said
Kareem Said
Kareem Saïd is a character played by British actor Eamonn Walker on the American television show Oz.-Character overview:Prisoner #97S444. Convicted June 6, 1997 - Arson in the second degree. Sentence: 18 years, eligible for parole in five...
breaks out, Rebadow stays low avoiding the COs wrath in the recapturing of Em City.
Season 2
As the inmates are moved to Gen Pop, Rebadow rooms with Tobias BeecherTobias Beecher
Tobias Beecher is a main character on the television show Oz, played by Lee Tergesen. He is one of only eight regular characters to survive the entire run of the show...
in James Robson's cell as Alvah Case investigates the riot aftermath. When Em City is reopened, Bob and three other inmates form the group "The Others" as designated by Tim McManus. While in Em City, Rebadow becomes cell mates with Agamemnon Busmalis
Agamemnon Busmalis
Agamemnon "Aggie" Busmalis a.k.a. The Mole is a fictional character of the television series Oz, portrayed by Tom Mardirosian. He is also referenced in OZ: Behind These Walls: The Journal of Augustus Hill.-Character's backstory:...
and the two form a friendship, possibly because they are both much older than the typical Oz inmate. Busmalis is known for digging tunnels and begins to dig in their cell. Rebadow also receives news that his grandson Alex Jr. is dying from leukemia and his dying wish is to visit Disneyland. At the suggestion of Biker inmate Jaz Hoyt
Jaz Hoyt
Jaz Hoyt is a fictional character played by Evan Seinfeld on the television program Oz.-Character overview:Prisoner #98H432. Convicted August 12, 1998 - aggravated assault in the first degree. Sentence: Eight years, eligible for parole in four. Later, confessed to four counts of murder in the first...
almost every inmate group donates to send Alex Jr. to his destination- to the point that Rebadow's family can afford to send him. However, despite the enormous generosity of the inmates and staff, Reabadow admits to McManus that he is ashamed of where the money came from and requests that the donation to his grandson remain anonymous. Later two Aryans find out about the tunnel and take the cell from Rebadow and Busmalis courtesy of CO Karl Metzger
Karl Metzger
Karl Metzger was a fictional guard on the HBO dramatic series Oz, played by Bill Fagerbakke.-Character overview:Karl Metzger is a correctional officer assigned as supervisor of the Emerald City unit of Oswald Prison; A neo-Nazi, Metzger uses his power to intimidate prisoners and assist the Aryan...
. Under Rebadow's orders, the tunnel collapses and kills the two escaping Aryans and Busmalis and Rebadow get off as McManus deems them as being threatened and non-violent, unable to maliciously cause harm to the bullying younger inmates.
Season 3
Rebadow generally lies low in this season, watching while Vernon Schllinger taunts Busmalis on for awhile, making Busmalis eat the food Schlinger spits in. However, his health starts to catch up with him as he passes out in the cafeteria and wakes up to find out he has diabetes. Now, fearing his own mortality, he finally gets over his shame and requests a visit from his son and grandson, both of whom he had never seen before (and kept a lie with his mother that he was dead, rather than telling his family he was imprisoned all this time). As a sign of love and appreciation, Alex Jr. gives him the hat he wore at Adventure Country, the trip in which Rebadow raised the money to send him to.Season 4
In season 4 Rebadow reluctantly enters into an alliance with new Latino inmate Enrique MoralesEnrique Morales
Enrique Morales is a fictional character played by NYPD officer turned actor David Zayas on the HBO drama Oz.-Character overview:Prisoner #00M871. Convicted April 6, 2000 - Murder in the second degree. Sentence: 25 years, up for parole in 15....
and, under Morales's orders, murders Latino head Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez. Instead of feeling remorse as he expected, the murder makes Rebadow feel "alive". In exchange for the murder, Rebadow asks that Morales grant him the authority to commit another murder. Morales, confused by Rebadow's request, has no need for the offer but agrees to give Rebadow protection. That day during lunch, Rebadow has visions of machine-gunning the entire populace of Oz to death; later that night, Rebadow attempts to murder his cell mate Busmalis. In the aftermath of the attempted murder, a physical exam of Rebadow revealed a brain tumor affecting the region of the brain which controls aggression. Once removed, Rebadow returned to his old self.
Season 5
Alex Jr.'s condition gets worse, and his only hope is a bone marrow transplant. Due to a unique genetic makeup finding a suitable donor is very expensive, but Rebadow receives another communication from God telling him the winning numbers in an upcoming Mightyball lottery drawing. He asks Dave BrassDave Brass
Dave Brass is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz, played by Blake Robbins.-Character overview:Impressed with Brass' talent at basketball, Unit Manager Tim McManus recruits him to play in a pick-up game against inmate Jackson Vahue. After his achilles tendon is cut by Carlos Martinez, he...
, a guard recently back at work after a crippling injury, to buy a ticket for him. Brass does, but when the winning numbers come true he disappears, keeping the money for himself. Not giving up, Rebadow asks McManus to search the prison population for a donor and one is found, but he refuses to go through with the operation. At his wit's end, Rebadow tries to arrange for a faith healer to visit Alex, but his family won't allow it. After a brief power outage, Alex's life support fails and he dies. Rebadow bitterly comments that the power to the chair that was going to kill him finally came back on, except his grandson was sitting in it.
Season 6
Depressed about his grandson's death, and at the suggestion of Busmalis, Rebadow asks McManus to transfer his job from the dress shop to the library. McManus accepts and transfers Rebadow to the prison libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. The new librarian, Stella Coffo, believes that reading can change anyone's life for the better. Rebadow quickly begins to fall in love with her due to their age and passion for literature. With an optimistic look on life, he convinces Busmalis to get back together with Norma Clark. His optimism soon turns sour when he discovers that Stella has breast cancer and feels that he is being robbed of a second chance at happiness. At the end of Season Six, he is relieved that Stella's breast cancer operation was a success leaving the series open to possibility of a romance between them.