Gloria Nathan
Encyclopedia
Dr. Gloria Nathan is a fictional character
played by Lauren Vélez
, on the HBO drama Oz
.
, or state medical boards. She manages to come out calmly throughout any conflict.
and she often seeks her advice on many of the patients. She has a good working relationship with her fellow staff, but Emerald City Unit Manager Tim McManus
decides he wants more from her. She's open to the suggestion because her marriage is crumbling at home, and the two of them engage in a few dates. When Tim exhibits aggressive behavior, she backs off.
as having a cancerous tumor in his breast, and then lobbies for its removal, instead of just a lumpectomy. Warden Glynn
refuses and approves the lumpectomy for budget reasons. Ryan pulls through, but while recovering, he falls in love with the doctor, causing her much stress and confusion. She passes his inamorata off as a phase but soon realizes it has grown into a dangerous obsession. Her husband is murdered and she soon finds out it was Cyril
, Ryan's brother, who did the deed. Disgusted and filled with anger, she confronts Ryan.
victim offender counseling program which requires she and her in-laws to face Cyril
and Ryan
. Her dilemma is she has to work in Oz always knowing that Ryan gave the order to Cyril to commit the murder. During the session, her in-laws express their feelings. The session escalates when Cyril starts crying while apologizing for killing her husband. Gloria's anger ensues and Ryan responds by professing his "never ending" love for Gloria, something she doesn't understand. This adds to her torment. One evening on her way home, Gloria is attacked and raped. Although she returns to work quickly, she soon realizes that she needs more time to recover so she takes an indefinite leave from Oz.
Dr. Nathan returns to Oz after taking some time to recover from her attack. This time, the Wygert corporation decides to test an experimental drug on the inmates that would allow them to age faster. Although she's morally against it, she administers the drug to willing inmates--two of which are Cyril and Ryan O'Reily. To make matters worse, Ryan O'Reily constantly reminds her of how much he loves her. She confronts him about Keenan's death (the inmate who raped her, whom O'Reily killed in the gym)) and he admits to doing it. All this confuses her and she confesses to Sister Pete that she thinks she may actually be in love with Ryan. Sister Pete warns her that his love is not unconditional and that she should be very careful. Back to the experimental drug project, after Aryan inmate Fred Wick
, who was taking the drug dies, the project is halted. Dr. Nathan gets word from the prison authority that she will be investigated for her part in the program and her mishandling of the drugs causing the experiment to fail. For this, she could lose her job when all she was doing was following instructions.
arrives to the infirmary after being shanked by James Robson, she treats him for the wound only, it gets infected and his condition worsens. Dr. Nathan now feels responsible for this and she's conflicted again. After talking with McManus, she dedicates herself to getting Pancamo better.
Once Seamus O'Reily
ends up in the infirmary, Ryan plots to kill him, however, Dr. Nathan convinces him to forgive his father, as once his brother is gone, he'll be needed even more by his father's side. Dr. Nathan confronts Ryan O'Reily in the gym while he is walking the meditation maze during Cyril O'Reily's execution. After years of the back-and-forth feelings she and Ryan have had for each other, she finally embraces and kisses Ryan passionately, to which he responses in kind.
After a mysterious package shows up in the mailroom and kills all the Aryans (and two COs), she lets the new Warden, Martin Querns
know that the entire prison is now at risk, to which he orders an evacuation of the entire prison. Dr. Nathan is last seen boarding one of the buses that escorts everyone away from OZ.
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...
played by Lauren Vélez
Lauren Vélez
Lauren Vélez is an American actress of Puerto Rican descent and the twin sister of actress Loraine Vélez. Her most notable roles are as María LaGuerta on Dexter, Detective Nina Moreno on Fox's New York Undercover, and Dr...
, on the HBO drama 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...
.
Character overview
Dr. Gloria Nathan is the Chief Attending Physician of Oz. A good person, she deals with conflict all the time, whether it is from the inmates such as Ryan O'ReilyRyan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series Oz. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P904. Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance,...
, or state medical boards. She manages to come out calmly throughout any conflict.
Season 1
Dr. Nathan is Oz's chief physician who does her job with as much compassion and fairness as possible. She's close to Sister PeteSister Peter Marie
Sister Peter Marie Reimondo aka Sister Pete is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz played by Rita Moreno.right|thumb|Rita Moreno as Sister Peter Marie.-Creation:...
and she often seeks her advice on many of the patients. She has a good working relationship with her fellow staff, but Emerald City 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...
decides he wants more from her. She's open to the suggestion because her marriage is crumbling at home, and the two of them engage in a few dates. When Tim exhibits aggressive behavior, she backs off.
Season 2
Dr. Nathan diagnoses Ryan O'ReilyRyan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series Oz. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P904. Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance,...
as having a cancerous tumor in his breast, and then lobbies for its removal, instead of just a lumpectomy. Warden Glynn
Warden Leo Glynn
Leo Glynn is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz. He is the warden of the Oswald state correctional facility-Character overview:...
refuses and approves the lumpectomy for budget reasons. Ryan pulls through, but while recovering, he falls in love with the doctor, causing her much stress and confusion. She passes his inamorata off as a phase but soon realizes it has grown into a dangerous obsession. Her husband is murdered and she soon finds out it was Cyril
Cyril O'Reily
Cyril O'Reily is a fictional character, played by American actor Scott William Winters, on the HBO drama Oz. He is also mentioned in the companion book , p. 58.-Character overview:...
, Ryan's brother, who did the deed. Disgusted and filled with anger, she confronts Ryan.
Season 3
Appalled that the new hospital administrator eliminated Miguel's medication to cut costs, Dr. Nathan fights back by contacting the press. Even though the administrator fired her, the Governor appeals for her not to talk to the press in exchange for her job back and he promises to "handle" the administrator. She gets her job back and the administrator is forced out.Season 4
Dr. Nathan decides to participate in Sister Pete'sSister Peter Marie
Sister Peter Marie Reimondo aka Sister Pete is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz played by Rita Moreno.right|thumb|Rita Moreno as Sister Peter Marie.-Creation:...
victim offender counseling program which requires she and her in-laws to face Cyril
Cyril O'Reily
Cyril O'Reily is a fictional character, played by American actor Scott William Winters, on the HBO drama Oz. He is also mentioned in the companion book , p. 58.-Character overview:...
and Ryan
Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series Oz. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P904. Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance,...
. Her dilemma is she has to work in Oz always knowing that Ryan gave the order to Cyril to commit the murder. During the session, her in-laws express their feelings. The session escalates when Cyril starts crying while apologizing for killing her husband. Gloria's anger ensues and Ryan responds by professing his "never ending" love for Gloria, something she doesn't understand. This adds to her torment. One evening on her way home, Gloria is attacked and raped. Although she returns to work quickly, she soon realizes that she needs more time to recover so she takes an indefinite leave from Oz.
Dr. Nathan returns to Oz after taking some time to recover from her attack. This time, the Wygert corporation decides to test an experimental drug on the inmates that would allow them to age faster. Although she's morally against it, she administers the drug to willing inmates--two of which are Cyril and Ryan O'Reily. To make matters worse, Ryan O'Reily constantly reminds her of how much he loves her. She confronts him about Keenan's death (the inmate who raped her, whom O'Reily killed in the gym)) and he admits to doing it. All this confuses her and she confesses to Sister Pete that she thinks she may actually be in love with Ryan. Sister Pete warns her that his love is not unconditional and that she should be very careful. Back to the experimental drug project, after Aryan inmate Fred Wick
Fred Wick
Fred Wick is a character at HBO drama Oz played by Chazz Menendez. A background inmate, Wick has a few significant appearances.-Season 1:One of Emerald City's Aryans, Fred Wick assisted Aryan leader Vernon Schillinger at every humiliation against Tobias Beecher...
, who was taking the drug dies, the project is halted. Dr. Nathan gets word from the prison authority that she will be investigated for her part in the program and her mishandling of the drugs causing the experiment to fail. For this, she could lose her job when all she was doing was following instructions.
Season 5
Dr. Nathan has a flashback to her rape while examining Carlos Martinez in solitary. Martinez kept touching her in a sexually suggestive manner and she kept telling him to stop. When he didn't stop, she became enraged and started beating him. After this incident, she immediately went to Sister Pete to discuss how this happened. She can't understand why she would attack a patient so violently. Sister Pete understands Dr. Nathan's feelings and explains that Dr. Nathan's actions were a means to act out her anger. She further suggests Dr. Nathan contemplate exactly why she continues to work at Oz after all that's happened to her. Later, Dr. Nathan also begins to reveal more compassion for Cyril O'Reily's plight when he gets brought up on murder charges. When Chucky PancamoChucky Pancamo
Charles "Chucky The Enforcer" Pancamo is a fictional character, played by Chuck Zito, on the HBO series Oz.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P468. Convicted June 4, 1997 - Second degree murder. Sentence: 35 years, eligible for parole in 15....
arrives to the infirmary after being shanked by James Robson, she treats him for the wound only, it gets infected and his condition worsens. Dr. Nathan now feels responsible for this and she's conflicted again. After talking with McManus, she dedicates herself to getting Pancamo better.
Season 6
The deaths of Hispanic inmates Carlos Martinez and Enrique Morales make Dr. Nathan suspicious of who or what is causing the inmates to perish. When it turns out both men were suffocated, Warden Glynn recalls Morales telling him to investigate nurse Carol Grace's background. Upon investigation, it is found that other patients at previous hospitals died as a result of her. When confronted by police, Grace tries to run but is quickly caught. Grace insults Dr. Nathan with racial slurs as the police take her away. Dr. Nathan doesn't want to cover up the deaths of inmates as a result of poor care anymore, so she documents the information at Glynn's objection. She then feels guilty about this after his death. She later informs James Robson that he is HIV positive. Robson has her swear not to release the information to any personnel or inmates.Once Seamus O'Reily
Seamus O'Reily
Seamus O'Reily is a fictional character on the HBO prison drama, Oz, played by Kevin Conway.-Character overview:Prisoner #03P138. Convicted February 3, 2003 - Murder in the first degree. Sentence: 34 years, up for parole in 16....
ends up in the infirmary, Ryan plots to kill him, however, Dr. Nathan convinces him to forgive his father, as once his brother is gone, he'll be needed even more by his father's side. Dr. Nathan confronts Ryan O'Reily in the gym while he is walking the meditation maze during Cyril O'Reily's execution. After years of the back-and-forth feelings she and Ryan have had for each other, she finally embraces and kisses Ryan passionately, to which he responses in kind.
After a mysterious package shows up in the mailroom and kills all the Aryans (and two COs), she lets the new Warden, Martin Querns
Martin Querns
Warden Martin Querns is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz, played by Reg E. Cathey.-Character overview:He is an African American prison unit manager who has a vast experience of handling various prison units. He is hired by Warden Leo Glynn after he is asked to find a competent black unit...
know that the entire prison is now at risk, to which he orders an evacuation of the entire prison. Dr. Nathan is last seen boarding one of the buses that escorts everyone away from OZ.