One of the best I've seen in TV for any character.

In Season 1, Cade's in prison and seen as a sinister patriarch. His family's so terrified of him that they barely will even speak his name, like he's some sort of arch devil they might accidentally summon, and what Cade did to get in prison isn't ever revealed (his patricide could no more be the reason he's in there than an armed robbery). You get the feeling that this guy's a monster and the whole town's afraid of him. I was worried--I mean, not literally, in the TV watching sense--about what might happen when he got out. This guy might be a hardcore criminal mastermind--his daughter's a budding one, after all, and his nephew may be no Albert Einsteeen but he's smart enough on his own. Cade might be a credible antagonist to Marty, a real threat to stealing his money and jeopardizing his family.

But we get this picture of Cade because we interact with him exclusively through his family, those whom he presumably has terrorized their whole lives, as a sociopathic, alcoholic and violent abuser. This is the real terror of America, the simple father who preys upon his own family and anyone unlucky enough to cross him. A guy who believes in the survival of the fittest when all he does is exploit those who can't or won't fight back--or who don't even know there's a fight going on at all.

In Season 2 he gets out of prison and we now see Cade from other perspectives. No longer is he the stuff of his family's nightmares. He's just a two-bit thug and petty criminal. No sooner does he get out of prison than he starts chopping boats, a connection so obvious that the sheriff outright confronts him over it, mocks him even. He robs the strip club and basically everyone knows it was him. He has no plan to steal Marty's money except to badger his daughter about it and abuse her when she can't pull it off. Ozark's not one of those shows where a change in seasons is literally a change in seasons (at least not yet; I'm only on S3), so the time between Cade getting out of prison and being investigated by the authorities is hardly any time at all. The guy now just seems like a career criminal drifter, in and out of prison for various assault or weapons charges. I know that the show's lore (and the official backstory given to the actor) was that he was in prison for patricide, but I prefer thinking of the patricide as one of those Langmore family secrets, just like what happened to Russ and Boyd. Instead he was in for another violent act, which might be something like manslaughter, about which the parole board didn't really mind acquiescing on.

No one's scared of Cade outside of his family, which winds up being Petit's downfall (though he himself doesn't appear to give an eff about anyone else at all, truly acts like someone without anything to live for). Once Cade finally gets involved with dangerous people who can fight back and regard him like a rabid, cornered animal, he's quickly outsmarted with a ruse--that's a good word, RUSE--and summarily executed in the middle of the road. Survival of the fittest indeed. The only code he seemed to live by--what he tells Ruth, we don't rat and we don't run--he had violated by trying to rat out Marty (but as usual he has nothing of use) and run away.

I just absolutely love this portrayal, how he goes from damn near mythical monster to run of the mill thug, all because we see him for what he is and not under the cloud of fear he's smothered his family with their whole damn lives.

Very disappointing as a matter of fact, especially considering that this show isn't returning. 

They left so many open-ended points, for starters... 

But worst of all? Ruth can never catch a fucking break, can she?! I was so pissed that they killed her at the very last minute... She deserved so much justice and at the  end she was just tossed aside like a ragdoll to the trash. She truly was the Jesse Pinkman of this show... But at least Jesse got SOME justice for himself by the end and through the movie spin-off of Breaking Bad. 

Then, the PI returns to snatch the cookie jar and Jonah randomly decides he wants to stand up for the family? Lol... Such a shit way to end a good show with great characters. 

I know, I'm like 2 years late and I'm probably also reacting as many others did, but man... I felt like this was a waste of effort. 

What's going on with them/ what went with them? This is my probably 20th rewatch of Ozark and.

That boy agent Petty is constantly off his rocker, did Petty manipulate Liddel like he did other informants?

I just watched the episode where they show bens death in season 4, and holy crap I cried the whole time. I always thought this show did a really good job or portraying Ben's mental illness. As someone who has struggled with depression a lot in the last few years I thought it was strikingly accurate and his whole storyline made me really emotional. They didn't try to sugarcoat it, they showed just how bad he was doing (off his meds mainly) and it really touched me idk

I just watched the episode where they show bens death in season 4, and holy crap I cried the whole time. I always thought this show did a really good job or portraying Ben's mental illness. As someone who has struggled with depression a lot in the last few years I thought it was strikingly accurate and his whole storyline made me really emotional. They didn't try to sugarcoat it, they showed just how bad he was doing (off his meds mainly) and it really touched me idk

Which character death hit you the hardest?

Ozark begins with Marty wanting to buy his family's life back. Now Throughout the series, one of the prominent thematic argument that runs beneath all the cartel and drug bullshit is the kids want to leave the mad house they're in behind and every time Wendy and Marty somehow manage to convince them to stay because they're "family".

Now what is the obvious pay off I see in this arc that takes them at the end of the line? What should be the pay off after Wendy and Marty, for the last time, manage to keep their kids with them and they're happily driving home?

A frivolous accident where everyone comes out the other end unscathed? Well that doesn't feel right does it? There's a cost.

Rather than the climax being the death of Ruth, it should've been Marty and Wendy, after setting everything up with the FBI and cartel, losing the one thing keeping them together. Their kids. Charlotte and Jonah's life should've been the cost they pay at the climax after all they've done.

I know It'd have been dark, but it'd also have been a much more meaningful and honest culmination of the series. Where would Marty and Wendy go after that? After winning everything and yet losing it all? Winning and losing is another recurring theme in the show.

IMO, this would've been a much more satisfying conclusion to the thematic argument the show began with, "People make choices and choices have consequences". A bold statement that makes you ponder about what's important to you in life. A poetic cessation of a family.

But nah, they come out unscathed at the end of it all, with kids totally being on board with killing a PI to save their parents... And they lived happily ever after? So there are no consequences for the choices they made? Or are they saying the consequence is that their kids are ruined?

To me, that just doesn't feel that the story is at the end of the line.

P.S. I know the writers did more thinking than me watching the last episode and ranting on a subreddit. I know they put everything they can into crafting a satisfying narrative. But do you really think the writers did a good job? I'm interested to hear what people have to say.

there will be no mention of the plot, or anything like that in this post. just my opinion on the finale/ozark as a whole. but still proceed with caution to the comments.

i just wanted to say i didnt like it lol. it was kind of disappointing. breaking bad, for example, had a great finale. and i was hoping with so many mirrors between the series, ozark would follow suit. maybe im just over critical. but me and my bf both didnt like it. it has good moments tho, dont get me wrong. and im not saying dont bother watching it if you made it this far in the show.

thats all. if anyone wants to chime in, feel free. would love to hear what you guys think about it, agree or disagree. happy streaming.

BTW-- overall i did like ozark. it was easy to get invested in and a relatively quick watch. we finished it in a few weeks or so. i liked the characters and character development for the MOST part and overall i could see myself watching it again with no complaints. it just sucks when a show ends and you dont like the ending 🤷‍♂️

4/5 stars

So I’m rewatching the series for about the fifth time. The third season has got to be the penultimate chapter of the Byrde saga, and the way I felt upon first watch carries over every time I dive back in.

I know most people absolutely cannot stand Wendy, but gah damn, Laura Linney can freaking act. When they’re on their little road trip and she’s trying to figure out what to do about Ben, I am in awe every time.

The southern drawl she conjures up, and the love, empathy, and despair she exudes even when she’s tired of his shit and she knows she must act— just so heart wrenching and believable.

I’m a lifelong fan of Laura Linney. It’s a terrible shame she didn’t win any awards for her time on the show, especially this episode.

Anyway, that’s it. Just wanted to share my admiration for such an amazing actress. Yes, she was unlikable at times, but she carried so much weight throughout the entire journey, and in my opinion, deserves way more credit than just being dubbed the “bitch wolf”.

When her dad collected her kids and the kids chose the granddad and she was breaking down badly. She begged. I never thought I would ever feel so much satisfaction seeing her that way.

All these people hating Skylar from Breaking Bad but never have I seethed into a character like Wendy.

She was so manipulative, and often usurps Marty's plans and even go as far as hacking into Jonah's system to get him arrested.

All the shit she is going through is her own doing and she deserved all of it. Lol

Edit: It's also laughable to note that Schafer made her choose between removal of Navarro from the SDN list or reinstating Mel in the force and she chose Mel but in the end the kids still chose willingly the grandpa. Lol

Guys is it just me or does the agent Petty and the private investigator from season 4 lookalike??

If Mel broke into the Byrde's home and stole the ashes, the evidence wouldn't have been admissible in court, right? He was out of his jurisdiction (he was Chicago PD) and he B&E to get it. So, regardless, all the evidence would have been thrown out and the Byrde's would have gotten off.

Or am I missing something here?

Was anyone anyone else thinking that Mel, the PI, actually had police backup hiding in the shadows during his monologue? I imagine that the gunshot at the end is actually one of Agent Miller’s feds taking out Jonah and the Byrd’s finally get justice served. Idk maybe I’m just riding hard on the copium lmao

There are so many things left unsaid like who owns the Missouri Bell. I think it was super sad and left the end of the show unsettling to see Ruth die without finishing her project with Wyatt. And then Jonah killing the Pl in the end?? Weird. I love the show but the ending was beyond disappointing to me. I got attached to Ruth and rouge Jonah and Wyatt I was so sad to see how those chapters closed so abruptly with no real closure for the viewer. At least in my view. Any thoughts?

On season 4 ep2 Ruth let's the guy from Chicago try the dope and he says he needs to see the farm because he always sees what his producers grow firsthand. I can almost guarantee he's never did herion from the US other then Darlenes. Where tf was he going to Mexican farms or Afghanistan? The show has good drama but a lot of the street details are overlooked

My knowledge of money laundering is extremely elementary so pardon me if this is an pbvious question. When Marty is told to launder the 8 million, he is taken aback by the order and claims the money is already clean, so there's no reason to clean it. But under my interpretation of how money laundering works, that money was absolutely not clean from Del's perspective. To Del, those suitcases full of money are indistinguishable from hypothetical suitcases full of money that he might find on the side of the road, which, as Marty explains to us a few times, is not clean money.

The episode plays it off as if it were only a test of Marty's ability to launder money, but am I correct in thinking that the money is clean to Marty but not to Del?

Bye Darlene. You filthy cxnt.

Remember when Jonah laundered money and messed up? Marty was telling him to close this and that account and they had a screen with a bunch of stuff on it and were able to do it in seconds? Is it like that IRL?

I’m on the Ben scenes now. They insist on making Wendy the most hateful character of all time. She asks him what’s wrong with you? Why are you doing this? Etc. Hello, you know exactly why, cause he’s not taking his medication, he can’t help it. Not just Wendy but everyone else is like shocked of what Ben does and say basically the same to big Wendy does, but they know it’s because he’s not on his meds. The entire thing could have been avoided if they just gave him his meds.

I loved the show sooo much! Essentially this whole programme was about family - what you’d do or dont for them and how far you’d go to win their love. My favourite character was Ruth… my least favourite was Whacky Wendy (although amazing actress - they all were amazing!).

I did have an issue with the way some characters were just killed off especially when it seemed like they were just gonna be chilling for the rest of their lives. Examples like Agent Petty, Ruth’s Dad, Wyatt and the priest from season 1! I guess it really encompasses the “rich stay rich and the poor stay poor (or die!)” and that’s what makes it very sad to watch most of the time.

And mannn after Ben’s story ended, I was very riled up and wanted Wendy to either be killed or jailed for life! Let’s just say that storyline cut me up, as I’m sure it did for all of you. Actually come to think of it, although Navarro was a bad BAD man… his death really upset me too! Maybe it’s cuz I got attached to the main origins villain that I thought “he’s worked so hard to in his villain arch, all for it to be taken away from him” … hard work is hard work at the end of the day and these random middle class Americans took that away from him!

For me, I knew Ruth was going to die because she had a scene on the final episode where she wakes up and walks out of her trailer to find her uncles playing guitar and her dad cooking on the barbecue. He says “about time you’d join us….” Which I interpreted to foreshadow her joining them in heaven or purgatory like he was saying “finallly!” Because the langmore curse is real!

I am disappointed in the Byrd children because they were like heavily influenced by their parents - but hey I guess they were only in their mid to late teens and it was trying to show you how amazingly manipulative and emotionally fucked their parents’ were. I mean I never got influenced when my parents’ would get take out every weekend but hey ho, these kids were just trying to get with the winning side.

Now the ending people have interpreted where Jonah seems like he’s stepped over to the dark side finally and shoots the cop, ruins it - a weak ending if you ask me. A bit lazy to make him suddenly switch and be mummy’s boy and save them from this cop who’s just trying to do his job! Again why put mel’s character in if he’s just going to get killed off? Seems like the writers kept doing this and it was getting overused by the last season! I like someone’s take on it being a dream after the Byrds get into a car crash. I like to think Ruth, Rachel, Mel and Agent Miller (and other people I might have forgotten) just moved on with their lives and found peace.

I’d give it a 8/10!

Who is to blame for Ben's death? I would say Ruth's, I agree with Wendy's argument that she (Wendy) tried everything to keep Ben alive. Ben was also basically a fucking kid the last three episodes he was alive. He kept saying i'M sOrrY.

I think she was a fenomenal character, the Byrde's should've definitely kept her as an ally. She was not at all aggressive, she was quite diplomatic and she was very smart as well. If it were me, she would've been my number 1 Ally, the way Wendy partners up with her to get the 2nd casino was awesome.

​

This is probably my fault because my attention was mostly divided all of season four.

Help me understand: Why were the statuses of Omar & Javi (while he was alive) Navarro with the FBI so crucial to Wendy & Marty’s Non Profit Foundation, and how did that same foundation rely/depend on Shaw Medical and The Senator that Wendy had to win over? The corrupt voting machine guy? It’s such a specific question that I doubt I’ll get the answer just through a google search..

Wendy gets so much hate but despite her Machiavellian approach to things (or even thanks to it) she’s a great character and at the end of the day she does start a foundation which would go on to help who knows how many people. She sets her family up for success, and was right about everything she said all along. She was extremely power hungry yes, but she had the intelligence to pull it off. My opinion but I know lots of people disagree. Explain in the comments!