With the freedom to include darker and explicit content, no restrictions regarding running time, and the ability to gauge the interest of A-list talent, Netflix was essentially the first streamer to shape entertainment and pop culture. Ozark became one of the biggest hits in Netflix history, which is rather shocking when looking at its competition. When compared to family-friendly shows like Stranger Things, fan-driven genre plays like One Piece, and opulent historical dramas like The Crown, Ozark was unflinchingly nasty, cynical, and pulpy to the extreme.
Ozark does more within the first half of its premiere than most shows do in their first few seasons. Jason Bateman is introduced as Marty Byrde, a mild-mannered accountant who secretly works for a Mexican drug cartel. After his partner is killed, forcing him to come up with a lot of cash in a short amount of time, Marty relocates to the Ozarks with his wife Wendy (Laura Linney) and their two children, who have no idea about his secret double life. Ozark expanded in its ambition with its sprawling ensemble cast, including Julia Garner in her breakout role as the fiery Ruth Langmore. However, the key to the show’s brilliance was its refusal to compromise. Ozark didn’t buck under conventions, instead offering a sincerely upsetting, darkly entertaining look at morally compromised characters making impossible decisions.
Netflix’s Crime Thriller ‘Ozark’ Moved at an Alarming Rate
Television in the 21st century has been defined by anti-heroes, such as Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in Breaking Bad, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in Mad Men, or Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) in The Sopranos. Ozark had a twist on the anti-hero premise because there’s no ambiguity about who Marty is. It’s confirmed within the first few moments that he has sacrificed any moral virtues for the sake of profits, and has completely lost any passion for Wendy. While Marty is seemingly irredeemable, the show doubles down by examining even worse decisions made by those that he has fallen in with. The Langmore clan might be slightly sympathetic because they are still reeling from the effects of the financial collapse, but they are by no means helpless. The connection between Ruth and Marty is the show’s best relationship because they are both outsiders who don’t really belong with their families; Ruth is smarter and more perceptive than her relatives, and Marty has an ability to manipulate, which has siloed him from his family. That they are such similar characters is what made their frequent feuds so charged.
Julia Garner Deserved Her Last ‘Ozark’ Emmy, Even When the Show Discounted Her
Garner’s Ruth Langmore isn’t a character that we’ll forget anytime soon.
Ozark is a masterpiece when it comes to casting, specifically because it reoriented everything Bateman has used to his advantage in his more comedic roles. By taking the commanding paternal backbone of his Arrested Development performance and flipping it to be a selfish, cruel criminal, Bateman was able to surprise with how intimidating he could truly be. While the show also served as a breakthrough for him as a director — as Bateman won an Emmy for his work on the second season — Ozark’s best performance was from Linney because of how drastically Wendy changed throughout the show. Even if it was clear from the beginning that Wendy was by no means a submissive, hapless wife, she uses her political experience to become a tyrant willing to subject her enemies to devastating consequences. Ozark often felt like a Shakespearean tragedy, and Linney was certainly the “Lady Macbeth” to Bateman’s doomed anti-hero.
‘Ozark’ Retained Its Shock Value From Start to Finish
Ozark was no stranger to graphic dismemberment, torture, and all forms of violence, but the series also knew how to land an emotional gut punch. The most powerful storyline in the series occurred in the third season with the character of Ben (Tom Pelphrey), Wendy’s brother who is bipolar. Ben is simultaneously a dangerous figure who threatens the stability of the Byrdes’ operation and also one of the most sincere and genuine characters in the show. His tragic arc forces Wendy to re-think her choices, and he forms a romantic connection with Ruth that takes everyone by surprise. Ozark was not a show that relied upon shock value because of its rich tapestry of characters, ensuring that each climactic standoff was backed up with successful development and foreshadowing.
Most modern television shows are judged by how well they stick the landing, and Ozark ended in the only way that it ever could have. It wasn’t the type of finale that angered fans in the way that Game of Thrones did or fulfilled expectations like Succession; its final moments confirmed a sneaking realization about the impossibility of change, and how the most powerful, wealthiest, and successful people in America have no other choice than to cheat if they truly want to get ahead. That Ozark both fulfills its audience’s desire to see the worst people punished and allows them to empathize with sadistic characters is impressive, especially since Ozark ran for four seasons without a significant decline in quality. Ozark is something that only a creative and brave team of storytellers could put together.