Ozark- Netflix

[HoffaJimmy 316]

3 hours ago, Hozz said:

 

Finally, I don't get all the Ben hate.  That actor is going to win every award a TV show supporting actor can win.

 

1 hour ago, Juicy said:

Yeah, I know people rave about the portrayal of the Joker, but to me the scene where he was in the cab talking to the driver was one of the most uncomfortable yet perfect scenes of someone just completely out of it. 

 

100% on Ben although I think we need to separate the two- 1. Performance of the actor 2. The part and how it affected the plot of the season

1. An absolutely amazing performance 

2. Annoying character that you could tell was going to screw shit up the moment he showed up on screen and that the writers allowed him to make mistake after mistake when other characters were killed 5 seconds after looking at someone the wrong way.  

[Baboontyme 2815]

I had only heard about this show and gotten recs for it from people irl and they were glowing so it's kind of surprising to me to see surly and Ebert, which I usually find pretty on point, largely bitching about it. I just finished S3 tonight, and I have to say...I think I mostly agree? with Surly and Ebert. A few minor gripes. 

Started off with a bang (pun intended) for me. Loved the way the first couple of episodes got things going. Then fell off of a major cliff. 

I LIKE Marty. I HATE Wendy. This is not a misogony/Skylar thing. Marty pisses me off in the way he doesn't give enough attention to shit that clearly deserves more attention. He's clearly smart enough to read the tea leaves if he wants to. So yes, lazy writing. 

I also really liked Ben. It was kind of a transparent attempt at a plot device, I will grant that, but I thought he was very interesting, the acting was awesome and I really felt awful for him in the end. But yes, it was not great writing, shifting from A to Z to G to X with Ben. I am hard pressed to believe that the writers intended for it to be that way because of his bi-polar disease. 

Agree with what turkey said about the "end of the cartel war" and the FBI. Even still, have a really hard time seeing Navarro choosing sides with the Byrdes over Helen. I suspected that was coming looking at how much time was remaining in the episode and knowing there needed to be a quick resolution. Just not well thought out. 

I will watch S4. Not a great show but a good thing you can watch and not get too invested in. I have young-ish kids so I can only sneak in an hour, maybe 90 min a night of a show. Complete binge is out of the question. I just rewatched The Wire in its entirety before this, and comparatively there were very few episodes where I just absolutely had to see what happened in the next one immediately right after, waking up/work in the AM be damned. The only one I think was where Marty got kidnapped. 

TL;DR solid B. Maybe B-. Wire A. Sopranos A. BB A. Saul A. Sons of Anarchy C+. 

Anyone who watched The Killing can't tell me with any degree of honesty that this is a terrible show. 

[BevoSwag 272]

I thought it was a great series.  But then I like The Americans too and it was highly criticized.  Both are unrealistic.  That's why I watch Netflix and not the news.

Edited July 1, 2020 by BevoSwag

[henrygandorf 29194]

13 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Anyone who watched The Killing can't tell me with any degree of honesty that this is a terrible show. 

i think you mean, "the beating" because that's what we call it around here.

[wild_turkey 3171]

I think Wendy's character is annoying but I also think Laura Linney was miscast for that role. She comes across as winy, desperate, and meek. Maybe it's because I've watched Love Actually too many times and I just think of her as shy and timid, but I can't buy her as the soccer mom who breaks bad and becomes a powerful woman who controls politicians, orders hits on people, and negotiates with cartel bosses.

I'm not sure who they should've cast. I keep thinking someone like Keri Russell or Carrie Coon because I've seen them both pull off this type of role, but I don't mean either of those actresses specifically. Just someone who appears a little more tough.

[henrygandorf 29194]

i think the hope was that linney could play against type and end up a good casting decision.  agreed though, i don't think it really works.

 

[Tommy Shelby 188]

On 6/30/2020 at 11:10 AM, Hozz said:

I think its a great show.  That said I can't dispute a lot of the criticisms over the past 4 pages of this thread.  I guess they just bother me a lot less.

I wanted to re-watch S1/2 before watching S3 and had put it off, but I watched all 30 over the past month or so including about the last 15 in just two days.    I thought S3 was the weakest of the three seasons but I still enjoyed it to the point where I could not help myself from starting the next episode.

For some specific criticism, I think they tried to do way too much in the 10 episodes they had to work with.  Highlighting this was the last episode which felt ridiculously rushed.  Like Marty got some stills to an FBI agent that resulted in US interdiction in Mexico against the rival cartel in a matter of hours?  The worst written plot, to me, was by far the Darlene-Ruth-KC Mob triangle.  Nonsensical.  The show runners could have crowdsourced a more sensible plot from Reddit.  I found that one GoT S8 levels of bad.  Navarro's character didn't work for me at all.  What was the point of rendering Marty and torturing him for a week?  lol because he had spyware on his wife's phone?  And how can you drop him back down a hole after he fixes your flagged offshore account in seconds?  He's clearly worth keeping around just for that.  

Finally, I don't get all the Ben hate.  That actor is going to win every award a TV show supporting actor can win.

As someone rooting for the Byrd's emotionally I hated Ben because he messed up the dynamic. As a character he was great. He fit the bipolar mold perfectly, the flight of ideas, the manic and depressive states, hell I had my notes from class open trying to figure out where they could've gone wrong. He and the writers nailed everything. 

[Steamboat1874 4075]

On 6/26/2020 at 3:30 PM, wild_turkey said:

I didn't like season 2 and was content not watching season 3. Then COVID hit and I exhausted most of the other good shows on my list and some coworkers said Ozark season 3 was better than season 2, so I reluctantly gave it a shot.

This show is still terrible for all of the same reasons:

I hate most of the characters. There isn't really a protagonist or an underdog for me to root for. Maybe Ruth is supposed to be the Jesse Pinkman character here? I really don't care if they all die, starting with Wendy.

The writing is horribly inconsistent:

-In season 2 Charlotte was fighting for emancipation and now she is magically back in the family business without much of an explanation.

-Wendy made a big fuss about getting a 2nd casino and hotel at the expense of getting an FBI investigation brought upon them, only to never mention that 2nd casino in the last 5 episodes of the season.

-Wendy made a push to win Zeke back from Darlene, only to suddenly drop it when court didn't go their way.

-Marty says he's gonna flip and FBI agent, then he just kinda strings her along and does basically nothing of value.

There's always a new big problem every 1-2 episodes, then instead of actually resolving it or incorporating it into the overall plot, they just cast it aside and move onto a new problem.

Aside from the inconsistent writing, the large scale plot requires too much suspension of disbelief. You can't convince me that the head of a Mexican drug cartel would want a partial share of a Missouri riverboat casino for relatively small scale money laundering operation, and that he would then spend his time chatting on the phone with Wendy of all people. And that somehow Marty and Wendy Byrde can end a cartel war remotely by providing a single FBI agent with some dirt on a single hit and then the U.S. military sweeps in and eliminates Navarro's rivals, all in one episode and all off screen. Yeah because the U.S. military has a long history of quickly and efficiently ending drug wars. That's the biggest plot issue currently, but the writers wanted to raise the stakes and this is where it took them. 

I don't even need to complain about Ben. As bad as he was, he would be tolerable if the above 3 complaints were 50% better. If this show was a shitty BBQ joint, Ben would be the bad potato salad. Hardly worth mentioning when the brisket and sausage are poorly cooked.

I'm out for season 4. Or maybe I'll write a similar rant in a year if we are still living in a pandemic and I still need ways to waste my abundant spare time.

Jesus man....just relax.

If every movie or TV series had to be realistic there would be a lot more boring ass shit out there.

[Prepuce of Doom 21097]

On 7/1/2020 at 10:48 AM, BevoSwag said:

I thought it was a great series.  But then I like The Americans too and it was highly criticized.  Both are unrealistic.  That's why I watch Netflix and not the news.

We didn't watch the last season or two when they aired so maybe I missed the outcry, but who didn't like The Americans? 

[BevoSwag 272]

1 hour ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

We didn't watch the last season or two when they aired so maybe I missed the outcry, but who didn't like The Americans? 

Not scientific opinion/proof.  I just recall seeing negative social media posts regarding the Americans which I thought was great.  

[henrygandorf 29194]

the americans was great and i thought it finished strong. 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

The hate for Ben is remarkable because YOU’RE SUPPOSE TO HATE HIM.  

Ive never seen a character capture the bi-polar mental illness as well as Ben.  You’re natural instinct is to hate him because he does insane dumb shit that makes you hate him.  Most people can’t comprehend it’s something beyond him just being an asshole.  

[Guest Lobo]

I didn't really hate him, it's just that the show didn't need yet another redundant plot device where the Byrde family gets into yet another fucking jam only to save themselves once again (be it with the cartel, the local redneck assholes, the law, or even with one another).  Ben would have been interesting had they settled into their casino groove and things were going well with Helen, the FBI, Cartel, et. al.  But things were chaos, he was just yet another piece of chaotic shit.  It sorta, kinda lent another dimension to Linney's character.  And those latter episodes were her best work on the series.  But otherwise, it was an unnecessary departure.  

I'm in the minority here, but an incredibly compelling arc next season is Byrdes in the middle with KC Mob/Ozark Legacy Families versus Cartel on U.S. Soil.  It'll take some suspension of belief because it'll take place largely in the U.S.  But I think that would be a fascinating narrative.  They've been tacitly at war with one another for decades but they rarely square off against each other for obvious reasons.  But what if it came to pass here, in the Ozarks, with the Byrdes and FBI smack dab in the middle of it all.  How in the world does the FBI pick sides, because they'll have to? 

[mr. sunshine 2830]

Quote

On 7/1/2020 at 1:23 PM, wild_turkey said:

I keep thinking someone like Keri Russell or Carrie Coon because I've seen them both pull off this type of role

 

I can see both of them pulling off rolls that require dat ass

[henrygandorf 29194]

1 hour ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

The hate for Ben is remarkable because YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HATE HIM.  

Ive never seen a character capture the bi-polar mental illness as well as Ben.  You’re your natural instinct is to hate him because he does insane dumb shit that makes you hate him.  Most people can’t comprehend it’s something beyond him just being an asshole.  

i think most people confuse the "i hate this character" with "i hate that the writers decided to add this character to the storyline".

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Yeah, that’s true. 

[nolongerU2horn 767]

There is no fucking chance that the Byrde’s, knowing his mental health issues, would have him stick around while they’re in business with the cartel and could be killed at the smallest of trespasses

[Tommy Shelby 188]

11 hours ago, nolongerU2horn said:

There is no fucking chance that the Byrde’s, knowing his mental health issues, would have him stick around while they’re in business with the cartel and could be killed at the smallest of trespasses

Yeah, this is true. That whole thing about him not being able to survive in a mental institution was dumb. There are plenty of places to stash him away with the money they have. 

[htown85 159]

It’s hard to get mad at logic and reasoning when the entire plot lacks those things 

['stache 21825]

On 7/9/2020 at 9:07 PM, nolongerU2horn said:

There is no fucking chance that the Byrde’s, knowing his mental health issues, would have him stick around while they’re in business with the cartel and could be killed at the smallest of trespasses

This is why his character bother's me. If Wendy wants to be a badass cartel person, she can't have him around that long knowing he'll get not only himself but probably her and her family killed. She tries to be so badass and rational but takes that long to have him offed. And of course we never saw the body, so my guess is he's still alive to continue the fuckery.

[hornbri 1400]

10 hours ago, 'stache said:

This is why his character bother's me. If Wendy wants to be a badass cartel person, she can't have him around that long knowing he'll get not only himself but probably her and her family killed. She tries to be so badass and rational but takes that long to have him offed. And of course we never saw the body, so my guess is he's still alive to continue the fuckery.

I really hope he doesn’t come back. That’s all was thinking when they didn’t show the kill or body. 

[Steamboat1874 4075]

Did they not burn his body in the funeral home?

[WithoutAClue 15397]

they burned "A" body but they never showed who was in the bag.

[Guest Lobo]

What's the point of burning a dead body that's not the person in question?  IF a body is cremated correctly, and I'd like to think the Byrdes are keeping up appearances by running a proper funeral home, you can't identify a body later by DNA.  So why burn somebody else's body?  All that does is arouse suspicion because presumably they either had to go find an already dead body (never a good look should someone happen upon your bizarre treasure hunt), kill someone, or bribe a medical examiner or medical school staffer to let you take a refrigerated dead body away (and that's a huge risk because they could talk later on).  Why go through all that trouble to burn something that can't be identified later on unless it's another body that just so happened to be needing getting rid of at the exact moment as her brother's corpse?  

Also, why take the risk of somebody from the cartel sitting on the funeral home to verify it's his body?  Guy could barge in at any time and demand for them to open the bag before starting the fire.  We know Nelson walks into the diner.  We know Nelson doesn't really have any problem killing people.  And we know he's fiercely brand loyal to his cartel, so they're gonna ask if everything has been cleared up, he's not going to lie.  They may not care that the brother blabbed to the Lawyer's daughter because she's gone.  But the cartel do know he likes to talk, knows a lot, and is now presumably out there feeling scorned and vengeful if he's still alive.  

The long game of taking the risk of getting another body, not having Nelson or somebody else show up to the funeral home upon return for cremation, having the brother pop back up somewhere/somehow, and also having to reply if asked about the body in the urn, "Uh, we burned it so well....you can't get the DNA anymore."  That's a really stupid game for the Byrdes to play with the cartel even for this show.  
 

Meh, forget it Lobo...it's Ozark.  

[RomaVicta 29949]

I like the show. Sorry.

[Trey3216 15350]

On 5/1/2020 at 2:35 PM, 'stache said:

Meh, I've invested three seasons into this show so I'll watch the 4th when it comes out. It's just not all that great to me any more. The brother was a beating. Great acting, but fitting within the story was annoying. Literally everything he did seemed intentional to get his sister and her family killed. I get it, mental illness, but come on, I almost wanted him to get whacked after a while. And if Wendy really is all in on this shit, she would have taken care of it right off the bat (off him or stick him in a facility). A Mice and Men scenario would have also been better, more believable, and more dramatic. And the general suspension of belief is just getting harder and harder. As soon as his fuckery reached the lawyer, he would have been whacked, like within an hour. This cartel is weak as shit. No wonder he's in a war with other cartels. 

Edit: I also wanted to add how annoying it is that they didn't show him dying or who they cremated. It's so obvious he's either still alive, or the writers wanted that option since the story is just getting made up from episode to episode.

Yep, if she had pulled a "look at the flowers, Lizzie" on Ben, it would have been more believable about how 'ruthless' she is.  

[mycox 582]

Season 4 will be the end of the show. You guys will have to find a new show to bicker about.

[4th&Five 41571]

 

[RPM 26327]

Wow, I thought it was cancelled. Definitely in to see how it wraps.

[jdhorn92 1552]

On 5/20/2020 at 8:13 AM, Native Horn said:

I have this argument constantly with a co-worker.  I recommend a show to her (no pics) and tell her that it is a fictional show, and to try and enjoy it.  Inevitably, her response after watching will be "I mean I guess it was ok, but there is no way that any sane person would think a Baby Ruth in a swimming pool was dookie."  But she also thinks the Earth is 6,000 years old, so there's that...

Wait, how old do you think it is?

[Guest Lobo]

As old as the Navarro Family says it is.  And if they don't like the number, Marty Byrde will fix it for them.  

[Native Horn 3504]

46 minutes ago, jdhorn92 said:

Wait, how old do you think it is?

bout tree fiddy

['stache 21825]

I just hope they kill the old bitch.

[henrygandorf 29194]

netflix shows like this drive me nuts, where we'll wait 22 months for new episodes (was still ~1 year pre covid) and then binge it all in a weekend, which means i forget everything a week later.  i have no idea what happened last season.

that said, i consulted on one of their craps scenes this season, so i'm excited about that.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13515]

7 minutes ago, henrygandorf said:

netflix shows like this drive me nuts, where we'll wait 22 months for new episodes (was still ~1 year pre covid) and then binge it all in a weekend, which means i forget everything a week later.  i have no idea what happened last season.

that said, i consulted on one of their craps scenes this season, so i'm excited about that.

I've had to rebinge shows when the next season starts since I don't recall how it left off. IMHO, you can't just rewatch the last episode to recall the full season.

[mchookem 16342]

yeah, I'll have to rewatch S5 of Better Call Saul before S6 comes out!

[henrygandorf 29194]

i watched s2 of succession again. totally worth it. 

[Dutchrudder 11148]

[Prepuce of Doom 21097]

2 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

netflix shows like this drive me nuts, where we'll wait 22 months for new episodes (was still ~1 year pre covid) and then binge it all in a weekend, which means i forget everything a week later.  i have no idea what happened last season.

that said, i consulted on one of their craps scenes this season, so i'm excited about that.

I don't disagree with your general point, but is that really a concern with this particular show though? 

I agree that there's a lot going on, but a five minute "previously on..." recap at the start will get us up to speed to adequately begin drinking from the firehose again, and overlooking all the plot inconsistencies and bewilderments thanks to the three-card monte pace of things. 

This show is a lot like eating Nerds - sure, a lot of the plot lines may be different colors, but they all taste more or less the same. 

Edited October 20, 2021 by Prepuce of Doom

[henrygandorf 29194]

1 hour ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

I don't disagree with your general point, but is that really a concern with this particular show though? 

I agree that there's a lot going on, but a five minute "previously on..." recap at the start will get us up to speed to adequately begin drinking from the firehose again, and overlooking all the plot inconsistencies and bewilderments thanks to the three-card monte pace of things. 

This show is a lot like eating Nerds - sure, a lot of the plot lines may be different colors, but they all taste more or less the same. 

oh, 100%.  i don't even need/want the 5 min recap.  just the netflix mentality where you wait a long time then watch the whole season in 48 hours. 

short term memory -> dump.

[MissingInAction 25130]

Did they get rid of the stupid blue depression filter?

[troph 24893]

On 10/19/2021 at 7:36 PM, 4th&Five said:

 

Yes!!!

[Steamboat1874 4075]

15 hours ago, Dutchrudder said:

Best line ever.......

[Jerry Callo 8709]

I usually watch the final episode or two of the previous season before starting a new season when they are spaced so far apart.  I'll probably re-watch most of the previous season of Better Call Saul just because.

[henrygandorf 29194]

9 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

I usually watch the final episode or two of the previous season before starting a new season when they are spaced so far apart.  I'll probably re-watch most of the previous season of Better Call Saul just because.

there will be more time between s5 and s6 of better call saul than there was between breaking bad and better call saul.

[pch 1259]

On 10/20/2021 at 4:56 PM, Dutchrudder said:

Still laughing at this quote everytime I see a handicapped parking spot.

 

['stache 21825]

On 10/21/2021 at 8:21 AM, Steamboat1874 said:

Best line ever.......

This and "shitass" from Reservation Dogs are great lines that have entered my daily speech.

[veritas aequitas 443]

 

Only a couple of weeks until last season starts. 

[UT_OB1 2224]

It has been so long since S3 that don’t really remember what is going on.  

[Not a cat 5660]

1 hour ago, UT_OB1 said:

It has been so long since S3 that don’t really remember what is going on.  

Marty almost got arrested by the feds or whacked by the mob or Mexican cartel but fortunately at the last second some miracle happens and they live to launder another day.  But in doing so, the seeds of the next catastrophe are planted.