OZARK

[DiPros]

I thought the end of S3 was too predictable.  When Marty got on the plane you know he or Wendy would not be killed, yet it was in the back of my mind.  I wasn'tt expecting the shot right as they arrived, that was pretty cool.  I do love this show.

[Smokesdawg]

What a great show.  The turn with the confession letter being drawn up had me fooled for a minute but i also kinda expected the shot.  When it happened, it was still enjoyable/surprising.  

My wife and I really got hooked back in on Season 3 after what i thought was a sub par season 2.  Can't wait for season 4.  

[Outlaw]

On 5/8/2020 at 10:51 AM, dawkins4prez said:

 

 

Holy hells, I hadn't even gotten to the ho-hum framing on the shots.  Nothing brilliant happens in the shots, like ever.  And this is something you find in any run of the mill Netflix show by now.  I just looked at that video to see wtf they are talking about, all of that is pretty standard for today's TV.  And the blue filters?  That's so 8 years ago (not to mention a look that works much better for a techie/sci-fi series than one based in the Ozarks.)

My god dude, you are an insufferable hipster tw@twaffle when it comes to TV and movies. It’s Fing entertainment not your community college film class thesis. 

[dawkins4prez]

9 hours ago, Outlaw said:

My god dude, you are an insufferable hipster tw@twaffle when it comes to TV and movies. It’s Fing entertainment not your community college film class thesis. 

A TV show doesn't need to be Stanley Kubrick.  All I'm saying is that this TV show is definitely not Stanley Kubrick. But if you are going to compare this show to Breaking bad, something that the show is very clearly asking you to do, then you simply can't do that without discussing the framing and camerawork which was such huge part of what BB did.

[Gern Blanston]

3 hours ago, dawkins4prez said:

A TV show doesn't need to be Stanley Kubrick.  All I'm saying is that this TV show is definitely not Stanley Kubrick. But if you are going to compare this show to Breaking bad, something that the show is very clearly asking you to do, then you simply can't do that without discussing the framing and camerawork which was such huge part of what BB did.

To be fair, I am pretty sure Ozark didn't set out to be another version of Breaking Bad, beyond the basic plot device of "a suburban dad gets sucked into a criminal underworld, lets see what happens...", but its easy to understand that is where and why the comparisons are being made.  Each show has chosen different visual paths as part of their story telling and mood setting, which I'll give Ozark credit for avoiding even trying to mimic BB/Gilligan's style and embracing their own, definitely darker and muted mise en scene .

[Outlaw]

On 5/12/2020 at 10:49 AM, dawkins4prez said:

A TV show doesn't need to be Stanley Kubrick.  All I'm saying is that this TV show is definitely not Stanley Kubrick. But if you are going to compare this show to Breaking bad, something that the show is very clearly asking you to do, then you simply can't do that without discussing the framing and camerawork which was such huge part of what BB did.

Eh to each their own, I find most of Kubrick's films bleh.  And he ruined The Shining.

[Dave Moss]

On 5/7/2020 at 9:36 PM, dawkins4prez said:

This show f'ing sucks.  Into season 2 now and it just gets worse at every forced twist.  There is no joy in the dialogue, it's just a breakneck race to get from A to Z every episode.  Hardly any humor by joke or circumstance.  They just hope you won't notice how trite and rehashed every twist is if they throw enough of it against the wall every episode.  Supporting characters are only there to set up Marty and Wendy, everything they do is just utter batshite stupid.  The best character in the show, Ruth Langmore, is being criminally misused, basically making no sense since her call to action moment.  Now she wallows in a redemption arc that is cringeworthy.

 

But you know what is most disappointing of all?  Visually.  Breaking Bad made a pastiche out of the ugly barren southwestern browns and the searing cloudless skies, this show takes one of the most interesting geographical areas of the US; Mizzou and the titular Ozarks, only to give us never ending, uninspired,  blue filtered blah.  Oh and fire the DJ.

 

I'm stuck with it cuz wifey likes it so I will be back with more bishing.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 8:42 AM, dawkins4prez said:

Realism does not rank very high on my list of needs.  Originality and sharp dialogue do and this show has very little of it.  As if this show wasn't bad enough as a poor man's Breaking Bad, in season 2 it also wants to be a poor man's House of Cards.

 

On 5/8/2020 at 9:51 AM, dawkins4prez said:

 

 

Holy hells, I hadn't even gotten to the ho-hum framing on the shots.  Nothing brilliant happens in the shots, like ever.  And this is something you find in any run of the mill Netflix show by now.  I just looked at that video to see wtf they are talking about, all of that is pretty standard for today's TV.  And the blue filters?  That's so 8 years ago (not to mention a look that works much better for a techie/sci-fi series than one based in the Ozarks.)

 

On 5/11/2020 at 2:25 PM, DiPros said:

I thought the end of S3 was too predictable.  When Marty got on the plane you know he or Wendy would not be killed, yet it was in the back of my mind.  I wasn'tt expecting the shot right as they arrived, that was pretty cool.  I do love this show.

 

On 5/12/2020 at 9:49 AM, dawkins4prez said:

A TV show doesn't need to be Stanley Kubrick.  All I'm saying is that this TV show is definitely not Stanley Kubrick. But if you are going to compare this show to Breaking bad, something that the show is very clearly asking you to do, then you simply can't do that without discussing the framing and camerawork which was such huge part of what BB did.

 

   
 

I don’t necessarily disagree with what you’ve said, but BB is arguably one of the greatest TV shows ever.  So if Ozark comes up short in comparison...   so what??   It’s still a good show.

[mr_hunt]

finally finished season 3 last week...it was okay.  i really wasn't surprised by the ending since there really wasn't any other option at that point.  anyway, i might watch season 4 if/when there is one. decent show. 

[Alpha_TATEr]

17 hours ago, mr_hunt said:

finally finished season 3 last week...it was okay.  i really wasn't surprised by the ending since there really wasn't any other option at that point.  anyway, i might watch season 4 if/when there is one. decent show. 

it is a decent show. not the best out there, but certainly not worthy of dawk4prez's over the top contrarian review. but you know that was going to happen.

[mr_hunt]

11 minutes ago, Alpha_TATEr said:

it is a decent show. not the best out there, but certainly not worthy of dawk4prez's over the top contrarian review. but you know that was going to happen.

agreed.  i think i would've enjoyed it more if i hadn't seen so many comments about how shocking the season finale was...that kind of spoiled it for me. 

 

[JBENT87]

4 hours ago, mr_hunt said:

agreed.  i think i would've enjoyed it more if i hadn't seen so many comments about how shocking the season finale was...that kind of spoiled it for me. 

 

same, and think I'm repeating myself here but I was more engaged with the lead up to the finale than the finale itself. 

 

nothing really shocking about a semi main character biting it in a season finale, IMO. But the lead up to that with the Wendy being apart of the plan to off her own brother was anxiety-inducing / totally uncomfortable to watch, including after that and the effect it had on her and how she reacted was just brutal.

 

[dawkins4prez]

Good grief, I'm keeping tabs on this because my wife kept watching.  This show is unbelievably bad.  Every supporting character is just a total F up that Marty and Wendy manipulates and solves every problem for with a combination of dumb dialogue & cliche blackmail.  Oh and money.  I have no idea how this show goes from Marty and Wendy being broke whenever it fits the narrative to them handing out millions and percentages whenever it suits the narrative.

 

This is not Breaking Bad folks, this is House of Cards when it got real sucky.  Anyways, not watching regularly anymore so I won't bother ya'll anymore,  have fun.

[mr_hunt]

Just now, dawkins4prez said:

Good grief, I'm keeping tabs on this because my wife kept watching.  This show is unbelievably bad.  Every supporting character is just a total F up that Marty and Wendy manipulates and solves every problem for with a combination of dumb dialogue & cliche blackmail.  Oh and money.  I have no idea how this show goes from Marty and Wendy being broke whenever it fits the narrative to them handing out millions and percentages whenever it suits the narrative.

 

This is not Breaking Bad folks, this is House of Cards when it got real sucky.  Anyways, not watching regularly anymore so I won't bother ya'll anymore,  have fun.

you don't like wendy putting on the wendy face & talking all those rubes into handing over their businesses to her?    

[Mike030270]

3 hours ago, mr_hunt said:

you don't like wendy putting on the wendy face & talking all those rubes into handing over their businesses to her?    

I did not.

Spoiler

They tried to make her more important than Marty a bunch of times

 

[NOTW]

I finished season 3 last week.  I really liked seasons 1 and 2 although some of the points dawkins4prez made I can see where he's coming from.  I don't really think it's great directing or anything special visually.  And I was thinking this last season how this show would affect their tourism.  Some might want to see where the show is shot, but it makes it look like a terrible place to visit.  Grim, dark, gloomy, trashy, old run down buildings. 

I think the acting is really good and I like Marty's cold emotionless demeanor, his calculating actions, that he doesn't get baited into reactions and sticks to facts or non-answers really well. Julie Garner playing Ruth shines as well. 

Linney I'm bored with.  She's the same character in every movie and doesn't show much IMO.  I agree with previous comments about Wendy:  all of a sudden she's trying to be the boss and make moves apart from Marty.  I actually forgot why they're even mad at each other.  Season 1 dealt with him getting them into this mess and having to move to the Ozarks.  Now she's in just as deep so what is she mad at him for?  It seemed sudden to me that this season she's talking to the cartel guy directly and trying to have Marty killed.

The whole plot around acquiring the other casino boat and them not talking to each other yet planning against each other was so incredibly stupid.  They are supposedly living under constant threat from the cartel killing them, the KC mob killing them, Darlene killing them and the FBI catching them...yet they take these ridiculous risks to counter each other's efforts and increase their chances of failing and getting killed.  It makes zero sense.  Like hunt said above, a sit down for 10 minutes would solve most of these issues.  They live in the same house and in a very small town and they act like they never see each other...or don't have cell phones to text or call each other with updates.  I get their marriage is rocky, but business wise it's just so, so stupid given the risk of death for any slip ups.

Definitely too much Ben this season.  Here's a character out of nowhere who instantly becomes intimately involved in everything and is a crucial part.  His acting was fine but I don't get the hype for his performance, other than I couldn't stand his acting in Iron Fist and was impressed he was capable of more.  Marty and Wendy put up with him far too long and it was just silly, again given the massive risk and threats they supposedly live under.  And Ruth going rogue against them came out of nowhere.  It felt like they just wanted to shake things up and have twists.

I also agree on the need for some humor or something to break the tension.  It's constantly dull, slow and muted.  Show some life, some energy.  Ruth brings that but that can only go so far.  Every single character in this show is depressed, moody, gloomy and depressing.  They need a dose of fun mixed in.

[HazletonEagle]

Wendy making moves without Marty is a continuation of the cliffhanger from season 2. At the end of the last episode when he was excited they can finally get out, she clearly wanted more money and power. In season 3 they picked up right where that left off. She was hungry and he wanted out. Thats where their paths diverged. I liked the twist in the story. Bringing it back to a an obligatory BreakingBad comparison, youd never have expected in season 1 that Wenty, not Marty was going to become the Heisenberg. From season 1 to where they ended up thats a major twist that I found interesting to watch develop.

I also thought they did a good job at illustrating the communication issues in their marriage pretty much throughout the entire series so it doesnt come as a surprise that they cant have that 10 minute conversation that you allude to. But they even very clearly did that in season 3 when Wendy is sitting alone with a glass of wine at night as things are really tense and Marty arrives home just seeming tired of it all. They werent getting along, but he just wanted a normal human moment and asked her how her day was or something like that. And she gave him a really cold 1 line answer. And he just instantly gave up and threw his keys down on the table and walked away.  Theres been things like that all through the show, but just when youre thinking exactly what you said, and thinking it might happen, they really drive the point home about how disfunctional their marriage is with that scene. To have them have a normal conversation would have been incredibly unrealistic. 

My one complaint is that Ruth was always depicted as a child genius, and they suddenly made her really stupid and naive to go out with Ben and risk everything there, and expect Wendy and Marty to kill the mob guy for her... none of that fit her character at all. That whole storyline was annoying. And will continue to be now that she is with Darlene because of it all. 

[Agent23]

All you married doodes in here critiquing their lack of communication as if you and/or your spouse having cheated on one another in the past wasn't a complete byproduct of your failure at communicating. 

[JBENT87]

18 hours ago, Agent23 said:

All you married doodes in here critiquing their lack of communication as if you and/or your spouse having cheated on one another in the past wasn't a complete byproduct of your failure at communicating. 

yeah I know a couple who stayed together after the girl cheated and now she's constantly crying about how long he's taking to get engaged and how he's always out all the time and might be cheating.. he doesnt talk to the girls friends who knew about her cheating on him... just a lot of unhealthy untrustworthy crap that goes on with these people who decide to stay together and make it work after things like that, instead of just breaking up and moving on. 

[Agent23]

10 minutes ago, JBENT87 said:

yeah I know a couple who stayed together after the girl cheated and now she's constantly crying about how long he's taking to get engaged and how he's always out all the time and might be cheating.. he doesnt talk to the girls friends who knew about her cheating on him... just a lot of unhealthy untrustworthy crap that goes on with these people who decide to stay together and make it work after things like that, instead of just breaking up and moving on. 

While I'm not married, I find the lack of communication that has been critiqued on here as one of the most accurate things this show does to portray real world people. We're all regularly guilty of that with damn near everyone of significance in our lives. 

[UK_EaglesFan89]

We've just started watching this and are really enjoying it so far. Slow burner though. 

[hputenis]

So much hate for season 3 on this page.  You guys are all nuts.  Season 3 was awesome!  

[mr_hunt]

[NOTW]

On 6/2/2020 at 3:34 PM, HazletonEagle said:

Wendy making moves without Marty is a continuation of the cliffhanger from season 2. At the end of the last episode when he was excited they can finally get out, she clearly wanted more money and power. In season 3 they picked up right where that left off. She was hungry and he wanted out. Thats where their paths diverged. I liked the twist in the story. Bringing it back to a an obligatory BreakingBad comparison, youd never have expected in season 1 that Wenty, not Marty was going to become the Heisenberg. From season 1 to where they ended up thats a major twist that I found interesting to watch develop.

I also thought they did a good job at illustrating the communication issues in their marriage pretty much throughout the entire series so it doesnt come as a surprise that they cant have that 10 minute conversation that you allude to. But they even very clearly did that in season 3 when Wendy is sitting alone with a glass of wine at night as things are really tense and Marty arrives home just seeming tired of it all. They werent getting along, but he just wanted a normal human moment and asked her how her day was or something like that. And she gave him a really cold 1 line answer. And he just instantly gave up and threw his keys down on the table and walked away.  Theres been things like that all through the show, but just when youre thinking exactly what you said, and thinking it might happen, they really drive the point home about how disfunctional their marriage is with that scene. To have them have a normal conversation would have been incredibly unrealistic. 

My one complaint is that Ruth was always depicted as a child genius, and they suddenly made her really stupid and naive to go out with Ben and risk everything there, and expect Wendy and Marty to kill the mob guy for her... none of that fit her character at all. That whole storyline was annoying. And will continue to be now that she is with Darlene because of it all. 

I get what you're saying.  But then the cartel guy reiterates that Marty is in charge, and in the end Wendy is not "the Heisenberg."  She wanted to be, and she tried a power move to offer Marty money to leave town.  It didn't work because Marty is the genius behind the money laundering, not Wendy.  She's good with talking to politicians and some negotiation which is a nice complement to what Marty brings but she can't do all this without Marty.  So business wise it was dumb.  

I agree on the communication, lots of couples live in a house together, stay together for the kids or appearances and don't communicate.  I liked their therapy sessions, thought it was great that both were paying her off.  I liked that when the tables turned and Wendy was the one not talking to Marty (he usually doesn't say anything and walks away) that when he finally blew up and yelled and got it all out.  He laid it down that he's the brains here and the one in charge.  

My point was that despite their rocky marriage and not communicating, they are in business together and not just any ole business, they are supposedly afraid of the slightest misstep that will cause the Mexican cartel to murder them and their children.  So that big of a deal with buying/sabatoging the 2nd casino was NOT realistic.  If we're talking 2 regular people doing business and then going behind each other's backs for spite that's one thing, but not when you have the cartel and the mob who will kill you for your mistakes.  All Marty had to do was say he Wendy, if you buy a 2nd casino the FBI will freeze our accounts and be monitoring us 24/7 for months so we won't be able to launder money anyway, so your plan won't work.  Instead they did all that silly back and forth.  

[NOTW]

7 hours ago, Agent23 said:

While I'm not married, I find the lack of communication that has been critiqued on here as one of the most accurate things this show does to portray real world people. We're all regularly guilty of that with damn near everyone of significance in our lives. 

Lack of communication in a rocky marriage is expected and I like how they showed them work through that in therapy and ultimately Marty finally getting everything off his chest.

My point again was how they didn't communicate regarding business dealings with the threat of death to their entire family by the cartel or mob.  They spent 2 seasons setting up that every little thing is scrutinized.  The lawyer moves to Ozark to oversee and they are constantly threatened and someone looking over their shoulder.  The KC mob guy will just randomly show up at their office, Ruth gets attacked, etc.  So it made ZERO sense to risk their lives and their children's lives, and risk the FBI freezing their accounts and putting them on the probation or whatever that's called where they monitor the casino 24/7...just to be petty and not tell each other what they're doing.  

[NOTW]

Apparently, the show has not really generated much for the local economy.  People will stop through while on a road trip and take some pictures or have a drink, but they say there's no increase in people getting rooms and saying there for vacations.  

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/netflix-show-ozark-brings-notoriety-but-not-much-business-to-lake-of-the-ozarks-resort/63-494740035

Most of the show is shot in Georgia.  Since the show started, there are 2 bars that opened up from the show:  

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/05/travel/beach-lake-of-the-ozarks.html

Quote

Since the show began streaming in 2017, a Blue Cat Tavern and Grill has opened in the town of Roach, Mo., while Marty Byrde’s Bar & Grill opened in 2018 on the lake’s touristy Bagnell Dam Boulevard strip.

Locals also aren't thrilled the show depicts them as trashy rednecks.