Ozark
Created by Bill Dubuque & Mark Williams
Starring
Jason Bateman
Laura Linney
Sofia Hublitz
Skylar Gaertner
Julia Garner
Jordana Spiro
Jason Butler Harner
Esai Morales
Peter Mullan
Lisa Emery
Charlie Tahan
Janet McTeer
Tom Pelphrey
Jessica Frances Dukes
Felix Solis
Damian Young
Alfonso Herrera
Adam Rothenberg
Composers Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans
Executive producers Jason Bateman, Chris Mundy, Bill Dubuque & Mark Williams
Cinematography Ben Kutchins & Armando Salas
Production companies MRC, Aggregate Films, Zero Gravity Management, Headhunter Films, Man, Woman & Child Productions
Distributor Netflix
A few years back, when the HBO vampire series True Blood was still one of the best shows on television, there would come a plot point, usually in the final five minutes of each episode, that we referred to as the “put down the puppy moment.” We had just gotten a new pup, a terrier who resembled an American football with legs, and he was curled up in my wife’s lap while we watched the show. The moment arrived, my wife jumped, and the pup went flying. Not hurt, fortunately, but since we weren’t in the business of destroying puppies, we subsequently would put him down on the floor carefully late in each episode.
It’s something of a moot point these days. Most shows are considerably more random about when they will make you jump, and at thirty pounds and with a grizzled muzzle, the pup is neither a lap dog nor particularly flight-worthy.
Ozark is a self-described crime series that delights in plot twists and sudden surprises. The final episode of season one had a good half dozen put down the puppy moments.
The series is best summed up as “How the hell do they get out of THIS one?” It’s a bit like Money Heist, only without some of the more aggressively soap-opera-ish moments. But the overall writing is just as solid, with credible plot twists and well-thought-through complications.
Martin Byrde (Bateman) finds himself in mortal peril after his partner is caught skimming from the Mexican crime syndicate they managed money-laundering for. As the partner is carefully placed in a toxic waste drum of acid, Martin begs for his life and frantically makes a bargain with Del (Esai Morales), who represents Martin’s, um, employer. Martin agrees to move his family to the Lake of the Ozarks with the goal of laundering $5 million for the syndicate by the end of summer. He moves there the next day, with a furious and confused family in tow. Once there, he quickly runs foul of the local drug kingpin, an affable and genteel psychopath named Jacob Snell (Peter Mullan). He is pursued by FBI agent Roy Petty ((Jason Butler Harner) who is every bit as unscrupulous and vicious as Del, or Snell, or the resident gang of low-life rednecks, the Langmores.
The acting is solid, with Bateman, Laura Linney (Wendy, Martin’s wife) and Julie Garner (Ruth Langmore) all turning in stellar performances. The only annoying distraction is Sofia Hublitz, an 18 year old actress in season 1 who is gamely trying to play the role of a rebellious 15 year old. Hopefully the age discrepancy fades over the following three years and she’ll look more plausible and have a meatier role as time goes on.
Ozark is engaging, it’s intelligent, and you’ll have fun watching it. Just remember to put down the puppy.