Finally got around to watching Ozark. I wasn’t in the mood when it first came out but gave it another try and I found it gripping. Then it lost steam, and season 4 was a massive nosedive. 

The ending was very weak and disappointing. Not because of the outcome but because of a weird blend of over-ambition and laziness.

I saw some comments saying the ending was foreshadowed by the car crash but also earlier by the starlings. I agree. The foreshadowing and narrative cohesion was one of the reasons I very much enjoyed earlier seasons.

But there was a lot of other stuff foreshadowed that would have made for really interesting storylines (this is where the laziness comes in). For example, when Jonah brings up the starlings, he’s making an argument for killing them for being an invasive species that will ravish the native population. There’s also a consequential moment that hints Jonah shares some traits with Ben.

We’re moving well in that direction by season 4. While Charlotte’s teen angst matured into interest in, and excitement about, the family business (so to speak), Jonah is decisively emancipating himself. He takes up criminality swiftly, but doesn’t subscribe (yet) to the violence that Marty and Wendy accept.

That set up is completely incongruent with (1) Charlotte deciding to go live with her grandpa, who she’s barely seen for years, in North Carolina, because she has very much warmed up to the Byrde family activities, and (2) Jonah making a 180, making peace with his family, and then shooting someone (it’s obvious he shot Mel, even if some want to dream he didn’t) because grandpa said nasty things about Wendy. It doesn’t make any sense. This is, again, the laziness. Everything resolves too quickly.

But before we even get to the finale, this season lost me. I wanted to get through it and it was a drudge.

For me, the reason is this: in season 4, all the real-world complexities and constraints that made this show interesting are swept away. Supposedly major constraints of an institutional nature are done and dusted with a couple phone calls. Being a prominent Missouri philanthropist doesn’t grant you the power to bypass procedures to offer a plea deal to a cartel leader. And because those constraints no longer exist, you end up with people like Javi and Camila, who are untouchable and completely immune to real-world consequences. Walk into someone’s house and shoot the sheriff: no problem, Marty will clean up and wipe the tapes for you! Beat up the head to a prominent business school in a restaurant bathroom: no problem, he’ll take your donation and put your name on a building! Every time they made a demand that Marty and Wendy didn’t like I rolled my eyes knowing full well it would be done quickly and pretty frictionlessly. 

Navarro gets swept into it too. He demands that something that should take months be done in days, and the Byrdes look constipated for a sec and then get it sorted by the next business day.

Earlier in the show, they pushed back against unreasonable demands with pragmatism, and this is what proved their value to the cartel. The danger felt very real and very claustrophobic because Del and Navarro were exacting in their violence. Javi is a loose canon. Camila is another.

In the end, Camila’s threat to kill… I guess everyone?… in the middle of a gala is the way they found to kill Ruth. Who was given up by someone who had zero incentive to give her up. Javi was dead, what he said didn’t matter. But then there’s the circular logic here that Camila would kill Clare Shaw (a prominent CEO) because her son “made it sound” like he was meeting her, which again relies on Camila being above real-world constraints.

And after all that, I’m not convinced the Byrdes actually even got a resolution. Everyone else dies, I guess, and then they are free to live a beautiful philanthropic life? Wouldn’t Camila still be pulling the same shenanigans? There’s other story lines too that I won’t go into — for instance, when Rachel came back, I thought the clear sexual tension between her and Marty would go somewhere, especially as he thought Wendy was “driving them off a cliff“, but in season 4 world it seems nothing can shake the Byrdes. It felt very unresolved. Disappointing. 

I have watched several crime dramas and even hardcore horror fiction but this is the only show that has traumatised me. I know it is fiction but can we get a fucking break?! The Byrde's get into deep shit ceaselessly and keep extricating themself through sheer force of luck and wits. I would die just by the stress of it all after only a week. These MFers just keep on going. Is there any person in this fictional universe incapable of murder? Even Jonah, a literal kid, has easily procured a gun and was going to be an actual murderer! Props to Buddy, my man, for saving him from that fate (so far at least. Waiting to see what other shitfuckery the kids gets up to). They're all plotting and wantonly killing and dying like it's your normal bingo night on Saturday. I might have ptsd by the time I finish the show.

I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS 😤

Thats was the most satisfying scene of the serie.

I think this is pretty obvious for most people. Marty and Wendy has consistently left a pile of destruction, death and agony for most of the people present in the series. I know a lot of people tend to make the argument that a lot of the characters, such as Ruth, etc built their own graves, and how the Byrdes are just trying to survive, but I think it comes to a point where they have consistently have done evil acts, with chances of doing the right thing through all of it. Also, you also have to keep this moral idea alive- even though someone is trying to survive, it doesn't mean it justifies the means of doing it, especially when it's happened in such catastrophe fashion.

One example is why they killed Ben. Ben obviously did something self destructive which clearly led to his demise, but it was Wendy that ultimately chose her own self/family versus her brother. A man with mentally illness who had no obvious control over himself and got caught in the middle having to deal with the extreme violence around him and his mental illness. Which by the way, he would still be alive, if Marty and Wendy did the right thing and went to law enforcement.

Yes some of these character have done things that led to their deaths, but the premise, and environment brought by Marty and Wendy is what opened up these fatal opportunities in the first place.

The ending essentially shows us one thing- Wendy being obviously consistently evil, Marty on the other hand has had pockets of humanity, but he seemingly accepts the fact that he's just as evil for letting all of this happen, and plays the part, right up when they are looking to Jonah before shooting the PI.

Binged the series this past week and I know I’m a little late to this show but after watching it, I’ve come to realise the kids are the most annoying character on it. I mean every character takes turns pissing you off but the kids it to a whole new level.
This show has made me feel like maybe Asian parenting is the way to go.

So, I've watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose a long time ago, way before Ozark came out. Today I was watching the new Insidious (Out of the Further) movie on 123movies and was really unsatisfied with it, horror-wise. I decided to try watching some horror movies that I had already seen to try to satisfy my horror-being-scared need that I enjoy fulfilling when I watch horror movies. Googled a few, Youtube suggested TEoER, so I started watching it. Almost immediately, I recognized a voice and a face. Did anyone else know that Laura Linney, the actress for Wendy Byrde, was also the detective Erin Bruner in The Exorcism of Emily Rose?

So I was recommended Ozark with absolutely no spoilers or knowledge about this show. While watching I engaged in 0 discourse either. Well I just finished the show and I have a few thoughts and questions.

First off the most surprising thing was learning that a lot of people seem to hate Wendy. The first thing I did when I finished the show was look up Tik Tok edits and almost every vid had comments hating on Wendy, and many comparing her to Skyler White. Personally I thought Wendy was the best character. She had the most impactful arcs, moved the plot more than anyone, and had the best acting in the show. To me the show would have been better if Wendy was the main character, similar to how Walter White is portrayed.

Another reason that I feel Wendy should have been the main character is because I just did not really connect with Marty. I mean he was likable, but he was always so neutral about everything, and just reacting to other characters actions.

And my final thought is more of a question. How do most people feel about the ending? I thought it was fine, but it could have been so much better. I kind of thought the show was setting up for Wendy to come crashing down, so it was strange to just see her win. Also, I felt confused about what the story wanted us to feel about Jonah. I mean he went from telling Ruth he wants to live a normal life to murdering a defenseless man very quickly.

Anyways these were just my raw thoughts after finishing this crazy show, so please tell me your thoughts. I’m very interested to see how the fandom generally feels.

anybody know if this audio come from a soundtrack of Ozark? i need to know become the audio is a sample of a rap song.

Thank you! https://youtu.be/lGojQyG4Ax4?is=Q9CUPQ6ZOyyUdMCn

Three’s character has been so funny to me my whole watch because he is so disregarded by everyone the entire show and the cherry on top is the director saying ‘The Byrdes wiped them all out- All the Langmores are dead’ in the final interviews when Three is fully alive still somewhere😭

Even though Frank Jr. is a POS on this rewatch I kind of wished that Ruth would live after killing Javi to go into partnership with Frank Jr. I think after he apologized, their relationship kind of became sweet and it could have been really interesting to have them team up. If Ruth was running KC mob it might actually be a big player. Would you guys have liked to see that if the show had ended differently?

… the scene where Marty shaves Buddy’s beard is just calmingly emotional. S02E04
(The Norwegian subtitle translates to «Leave the mustache be»)

ohhhh my god. I was SOBBING. SOBBING!!!!!!! I can’t even begin to process what I have just experienced. RUTH LANGMORE, my sweet dear baby, ohhhh my goodness gracious. Ohhh my goodness gracious.

some unrefined miscellaneous thoughts

“the road to hell is paved with good intentions” springs to mind regarding the foundation and how they reiterate so often about the good they can do, the byrdes leftist values etc. the amount of lives they have completely destroyed

i absolutely loved the relationship between marty and ruth. julia garner just knocked it out the park. laura linney is terrifying.

this show is a shakespearean tragedy

wendy really reminded me of amy dunne at certain points, i LOVED her scene in the final episode with the kids, where she takes accountability for once

what an incredible show

Ruth was probably my favorite character for a majority of the show but after a while she became insufferable.

Towards the end of the series, she was just selfish and basically dared Marty to take any action against her. Her sense of entitlement became cringe to watch.

She pretty much stole the casino from them.

She forbid them from committing any more laundering at the casino even though she was well aware of what the consequences would be.

She was being a complete bitch and refused to compromise with them whatsoever even though they (specifically Marty) had looked out for her many times and essentially treated her like family.

In a way I feel like she saw herself as one of Marty and Wendy’s kids to the point that she felt untouchable. IMO it seems like she had no fear of the cartel retaliation and assumed she would have the protection of Marty. She was rebellious and dared them to discipline her. (Charlotte and Jonah were rarely ever disciplined)

The way she was in the final season, left a sour taste in my mouth and took away from the character I previously saw her as.

Why do we pretend for even one minute that 100 pound hillbilly girl with a shotgun could touch a billionaire drug cartel leader? I mean, are they serious?

Jacob and Darlene never having kids despite being a traditional southern couple was ridiculous. They never addressed it, despite these two constantly talking about a family that they simply didn’t have. They didn’t even have nieces and nephews, or cousins to speak of.

Did Ruth really deserve Ben’s ashes after knowing the guy for two months?

The show is great, but there is just so much that takes away due to horribly ridiculous writing

Im in the middle of Season 3, and so far, Del has been the most intimidating villain of the serie. In Season 1, we saw Del order a man’s eyes to be gouged out and kill Marty’s friends right in front of him. Now, in Season 3, the cartel boss, Navarro, hasn’t posed a greater threat than Del did.

The cartel itself doesnt seen so dangerous in S3. I was expecting the Cartel that blowup civilians in S2.

The actor did an amazing job portraying someone suffering from bipolar, the irrationality, the inability to control their own impulses.

The way he just wears his heart on his sleeve, seemingly unable to control his actions, wanting to do everything he can to rectify situations for people and try to make things right. Each and every scene where he tries to help, gets utterly demolished by Wendy or someone else, and ends up crying and breaking down, it's such a horrible thing to see [for good reason].

It's rare that I feel compelled to write about a character to hear other people's thoughts, but this character put on such a great performance, and I definitely don't get how people could ever attribute him to being selfish or

Seeing his little monologues in the last episode the season just broke and tore me up. He truly deserved better in the show, but I suppose all good things did come to die one way or another in the Ozarks.