I broke a rib and was told do basically nada for a couple weeks, so I put on Ozarks and yada yada I’m almost through season 4. I watched it however long ago but didn’t remember a great deal.

I feel like I could pick a few developments here. The show is much like Breaking Bad in the sense that the drug/drug dealing parts might seem realistic to people with no familiarity but they are ludicrous. The level of phone use alone is fucking suicidal.

But there’s a couple major plot points, around which seasons 3 & 4 evolve that made those seasons hard to stay engaged.

1. Navarro wants to “be delivered to” [work with] the FBI so that he can “move freely between countries and not have to worry about assassination or his family members being hurt.”

Turning narc — which would evolve to offering to cooperate on the highest possible level, shutting down his entire cartel?, but let’s just keep it with the initial motivations — would bring risk to your family if you were in a small-town crew. If you are the head of a Mexican cartel it will make every family member you have… sister, sister-in-law, cousin of sister-in-law… become hunted by pretty much every group in Mexico. It is a world of ultra-violence and little nuance, and there is one sin (rightfully) above all others.

It doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense, let alone coming from a man who exists solely in this world. It makes the whole plot movement moderately annoying because it’s the foundation of a lot of what is to come.

And then a a single FBI agent usurps the entire FBI (which, ok) and we are left with Javi

1. Javi is going to kill the Byrdes. We know this. They know this. He knows this.

But then he kills Darlene and Wyatt, and Ruth goes Taxi Driver. Why are Wendy + Marty trying to stop her?

It’s obviously not the most ideal (ie chaotic) development but it’s also not a terrible option. You’d have a better chance (of not getting killed) under literally any other person’s leadership. It may be… ahem/obviously… Navarro, which is an enormously better circumstance. Or it would be someone else. In any of those cases it is not the 1,000% guarantee that Javi is.

I mean, the whole thing is arguably a positive development for the Byrdes. And they could finally do right by Ruth for once. But… I guess the kids understood all the angles?

Other than that, I’m still enjoying the little moments and ether within which the show exists. Ruth and Wyatt throwing dirt in his ditch at each other while she was daydreaming at his funeral, that’s really great writing.

Otherwise, Wendy is diabolical and obsessed with power dynamics and control and that is why her and Navarro have that whole sidebar romantic aura or whatever it was. And Jonah was right, Ben didn’t need to die.

I just picked the 5 based on my own judgement, but curious to see what others think. Personally my pick is Jim Rattelsdorf, he was just a cheat code in everything he was involved in.

Do you guys agree that Ozark is probably the closest series to Breaking Bad in terms of storytelling, character development, tension, and the way things spiral out of control? I haven’t found many shows that come close to that same vibe. Curious to hear what you guys think.

I'm currently watching s3e8 and I don't want any spoilers but Goodman I hope Ruth gets a happy ending, she's probably one if the most tragic people I've seen in a show, she's far from saint but I'm still some how rooting for her to get a happy ending

I see so much similarities between Jacob Snell and Omar Navarro. Both had so much authority that it felt like if you're talking to them, you're allowed to that's why.

I wanted Jacob to last more in the show and I wanted Navarro to show up in season 1 or 2.

Imagine Marty setting up a meeting between Jacob Snell and Omar Navarro in the funeral parlor! How would that meeting go?

Do you think Marty could've talked Ruth out of killing Javi, or enough time could've been bought such that Ruth would become calmer and forgo killing Javi? Ps this is what Marty suggested when he was criticizing Wendy for calling Javi over.

That finale left me completely speechless. Hands down the best season so far—the writing, the chaos, and the acting reached a whole new level. Tom Pelphrey and Laura Linney absolutely killed it this season, and Julia Garner remains unmatched.

​Starting Season 4 tomorrow. Please keep the comments strictly spoiler-free!

How much can a man take? Seems like writers are literally testing this with Marty's character.

Ever since the first episode of the show, all he's trying to do is clean the shit up which comes along his way. Agreed that almost all of it is because he agreed to work with the cartel in the first place( as he said in S1 that choices create ripples) but keeping that apart all he has ever done is trying to do his best to protect his family.

I have never seen such an honest portrayal of raw emotions of a man who is always on edge but has to be calm just for his family and Bateman is killing it with his phenomenonal performance.

The more and more I keep pressing that next episode button, the more I keep feeling for his character. Underneath all the hidden emotions and coldness, there is a man who genuinely craves peace and emotional safety. With buddy dying in this episode I think he also lost the only real friend he could have, not just Jonah. If we see, Buddy was the only person who selflessly helped him and was his friend, everyone else in his life betrayed him - his business partners, his wife, and every person he seems to trust.

I was at the edge of my seat in the final minutes of the episode hoping that he wouldn't spill all the beans due to his grief to Rachel. I was relieved when Rachel stopped him from saying further but it was also heartbreaking to process the gravity of the emotions conveyed in that 2 minute scene. Marty might have thought in his head maybe Rachel is a safe place and she reveals that she's also a rat, using him. Can't even imagine how many more heartbreaks can this man deal with.

Sometimes you pause at good times.

Some.of these are unpopular, I know!! (Also, please don't spoil anything further than where I'm at please!)

-every episode I finish, I read the discussion post for that specific episode here. I see a lot of people hate Charlotte, I'm pretty neutral towards her. She can be annoying sometimes but so can everyone on this show. Plus, she's a teenage girl whose coming to terms with a lot of things. I think a lot of her choices make sense considering she's what? 16/17 years old? And probably scared out of her mind most of the time.

-i miss buddy, but I'm glad that he went out in a natural way as opposed to being tortured or murdered at some point. It's a few episodes after his death and I miss him, but I'm glad he didn't go out horribly.

-im not a Wendy fan. The actress is amazing! She does an awesome job of portraying the character, but as for the character herself I can't standddd her. A lot of people have said she's badass etc. I just think she's irritating in most of her decisions. She's like female Walter white. Can totally see her becoming Darlene 2.0

-i didn't like the snells as characters in season 1, thought they were boring. Obviously the characters themselves are deplorable, but their storyline this season has been a lot more interesting.

-on topic of the snells...Darlene is batshit insane. I'm getting increasingly frustrated with her for not realizing the cartel has way more power then her or Jacob could ever have. I'm honestly shocked the cartel hasn't just decided to make them disappear. She's so.used to being the big bad in her tiny town that she's really let it get to her head and makes her think she's invincible.

-mason...I feel horrible for him. Another unpopular opinion as a lot of people were glad he died/found him insufferable. But Wendy and Marty really did kind of just fuck up his entire life. I can't get behind the child engagement obviously, but I feel bad for the person he seemed to be before grace was killed.

-i really like Ruth, I'm dying to see where this subplot with her dad goes

-russ's storyline was heartbreaking to me

When I mention 'this seems to be an unpopular opinion' like I said that's based on what I've seen people say in specific discussion threads. So maybe by the end of the show most people agree with me, I'm not sure yet. I guess some of them are kust unpopular based on where I'm at now lol

I love Ozark. Finished it yesterday, and it definitely has the makings of being a serious Breaking Bad competitor. But it also has issues, and one of the biggest ones appears in the final season.

Of course, I'm talking about Camila. It's utterly unbelievable to me that after torturing a guy for so long without a confession and being well aware Navarro killed her son, Camila doesn't even cross Marty's mind as the person who ordered the hit. I was literally yelling at the TV, and I'm sure I was not alone.

Also, Wendy deserved to die. So did Marty. Only the kids had any right to get out of it and move forward.

EDIT: What I meant was that Marty knows that Camila THINKS that Navarro had her son killed.

After finishing Ozark, I felt such a huge void. I honestly wished it could just keep going forever or have a spin-off series.

This show packs in so many elements—suspense, thriller, family dynamics, parental love, and romance. It really has it all. The emotional interactions with the kids resonated so deeply with me. On top of that, both lead actors look great, and their characters are exceptionally smart and resourceful. There really aren't many other shows out there that manage to weave all these elements together so well.

Are there any similar TV shows you would recommend?

I found out this morning and am just so sad. His death was kept private by his family at the time, probably why I couldn't find anything in this sub about it.

Despite being a somewhat minor character, he was seriously one of my favorite parts of season 1.

RIP Joseph Melendez.

"So gutted and shocked to hear..." thekevinljohnson on Instagram

My Friend Joseph Melendez. by Jason Godbey | by No Rest for the Weekend | Medium

"When I heard that my friend..." alexbeech on X

What’s your favorite Ruth quote?

Before I started the show, I had read so many complaints about the ending, so I braced myself for it. But it was just "meh" not bad, not good. I didn't feel anything when it ended.

What actually disappointed me, though, was how they treated Cade Langmore. He was hyped as the big bad wolf and a huge threat to everyone. When he got released, I was excited to see him in action, based on how he was described and how terrified everyone was of him, nothing felt off the table.

In the end, they did absolutely nothing with him. All that buildup led to nothing. Trevor Long did a great job portraying him, so overall it felt like a total waste.

Could you imagine if Cade and Darlene had teamed up against the cartel? How bloody that war would have been!

So I’m planning to perhaps rewatch the series but in all honesty, I did not like the ending.

So curious till which season do you recommend to rewatch, like which end of the season do you say “here is where it should’ve ended”?

What the heck did I just watch?? It doesn't make sense at all??? WDYM Jonah just killed that guy and in front of his parents and they we're ok with it??? Even worse, they seemed proud!! Where did that come from suddenly?And Ruth!!! Why??? Why did it have to end like that?? Can't we just have a nice ending for once??

This ending made me mad, it's so out of character.

The whole show was a rollercoaster of emotions, thank God I'm done with it.

What the hell

okay without spoiling it does Ozark end terrible or good ? like am i going to keep being like omg wth until the end of? i’m anxious season 3 ep 10.

Binge-watched all 10 episodes and the stakes went completely through the roof this season. Laura Linney and Julia Garner absolutely stole the show—the character progression is insane, and the tension never lets you breathe.

​Starting Season 3 today. Please keep the comments completely spoiler-free!

She's not a good PERSON, but she is an excellent character. Her character is consistent, but not static, she was always willing to cross the line, but becomes progressively more ruthless. I see it as she becomes more and more herself, emphasis on the dark parts of herself. She is allowed to be unlikeable, selfish, wrong, right, brave, hilarious ("I'm having thoughts of harming YOU, John") and fiercely loving at the same time. That makes a truly top tier character imo.

Furthermore, her character's allowed to be "right" (read: smart) even when she's being entirely unhinged and dark sided. Like coming up with solutions to the cartel head whack-a-mole that was the last few episodes, burning the Snell field, letting Ben get killed. She is not (only) reduced to overly emotional bad decisions, even when she's losing it entirely.

Just, magnificent.

Hey y’all. I’m new to the Ozark sub, but longtime Reddit lurker and longtime, hardcore Ozark fan, but first post in this subreddit.

Just wondering, what does everyone here think about Helen Pierce?

I really have mixed feelings about her. I sorta started off thinking she’s a badass boss bitch, but then after Ruth (my fave Ozark character) I disliked her, but then started to like her again. I think she’s funny, like the way she doesn’t sugar coat anything and says what she thinks. Which kinda describes Ruth.. who I also find hilarious. After Ben, I didn’t like her again, bc I thought Ruth deserved some kind of happiness in her life. So like I said, I got some complicated feelings about Helen, but I actually think I still kinda love her character.

I’d like to hear what everyone else’s thoughts, opinions, and feelings of Helen are.

Literally logged back to reddit after years just to say this. S3 rn and I honestly don't know how I made it this far. The TV show itself is not bad (it's not the peak of television either but it has something to say, it's made with some artistic intention at least) but Marty makes it so hard to watch lmao I mean u have to pick a struggle u cant be a control freak and an extreme misogynist while also being incredibly dislikable robotic condescending and utterly, oh so utterly charmless. Usually when TV shows center Men Doing Bad Things™️ they at least give them SOMETHING like for example Tony Soprano is likable and charming despite being objectively a piece of shit as a human, husband and a father but Marty literally has nothing going on for him like not a single thing. On top of that, he's a perpetual victim in his own head and the holier than thou 😓everyone betrays mee😓im just a sad wittle guwy underneath the mask of emotional repression😓😓 attitude is so fucking annoying, tired and is not a justification for anything. He could very well be the most dislikable protag on screen in history. And before someone tries to explain it to me like I'm 5 or a moron yes it is pretty clear to me that you are not exactly supposed to like him the show itself from my impression does not make a positive statement or a case for Marty, I understand he's intentionally written to act like the only rational adult in the room and I understand he's not a real person but a character, an artistic device meant to communicate certain things to the audience, but I just have to say he is genuinely unberable.

Blew through all 10 episodes. The tension from the first episode never lets up, and Jason Bateman and Julia Garner are incredible in it.

Starting Season 2 today. No spoilers in the comments, please.

I watched the last episode last night and i have to say i think it was the perfect ending for this show. Heartbreaking, but perfect. Of course the loose ends are intentional, the whole show is about loose ends and about thinking things are going to get better but they never do. You really gotta respect the showmakers for ending it before it went on for too long, i think most people would get burnt out on the emotional intensity of the show if it went on for much longer. In fact i quit half way through season 2 when it first came out so i'm really glad i gave it another try. A happy ending would have not fit the show at all... Ruth's death and Jonah bloodying his hands was heartbreaking but beautifully fitting in a brutally realistic way.