Ozark: Season Two: All Episodes
September 25, 2018 7:34 PM - Season 2 (Full Season) - Subscribe
With Del out, the crime syndicate sends their ruthless attorney Helen Pierce to town to shake things up just as The Byrdes are finally settling in. Marty and Wendy struggle to balance their family interests amid the escalating dangers presented by their partnerships with the power-hungry Snells, the cartel and their new deputy, Ruth Langmore, whose father Cade has been released from prison. The stakes are even higher than before and The Byrdes soon realize they have to go all in before they can get out.
but Ruth Langmore is where it's at
I'm only two or three episodes into the second season, but so much this. I'd happily jettison the boring whitebread Byrdes from the show entirely in exchange for more Ruth. The Snells are fun but I wish the writers had thought more about the line between "homage" and "uncreative copy" from Winters Bone.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:47 PM on September 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm only two or three episodes into the second season, but so much this. I'd happily jettison the boring whitebread Byrdes from the show entirely in exchange for more Ruth. The Snells are fun but I wish the writers had thought more about the line between "homage" and "uncreative copy" from Winters Bone.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:47 PM on September 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
The one thing I will say for the Byrdes is that not only haven't they crossed the line into being killers, they're still moral enough at heart to try and keep even terrible people from being killed or harmed as a consequence of their actions. I'm only halfway into this season, but it's still holding true and it's admirable.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:09 AM on September 26, 2018
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:09 AM on September 26, 2018
I enjoyed this season, but it wasn't quite as good as the first.
N-thing Ruth - I loved the actor and the character in the first season, and they really dived into the character here.
Wendy going all-in - totally expected and totally in character. ... and she's the one that ends up breaking bad.
Charlotte's bid for emancipation felt really frustrating to me, like, almost a source of artificial tension when there was enough already.
posted by porpoise at 9:40 AM on September 26, 2018
N-thing Ruth - I loved the actor and the character in the first season, and they really dived into the character here.
Wendy going all-in - totally expected and totally in character. ... and she's the one that ends up breaking bad.
Charlotte's bid for emancipation felt really frustrating to me, like, almost a source of artificial tension when there was enough already.
posted by porpoise at 9:40 AM on September 26, 2018
TIL that the actress playing Charlotte is Sofia from Season 1 of MasterChef Junior.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:05 AM on September 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:05 AM on September 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Since we're apparently all #TeamRuth, here's something else I learned this week... Having been born in the Mid-South, it's basically a hobby of mine to make fun of terrible fake Southern accents in film & television. Now, to be fair, the accents on the whole on Ozark are pretty good across the board. But Julia Garner's accent (she plays Ruth Langmore) is so good, so spot-on perfect both for the microregion and the exact place in the socioeconomic strata that the Langmores occupy that I just had to look up what part of Missouri or Arkansas or Southern Illinois or West Kentucky was from...
And ladies and gentlemen...
Julia Garner is a nice Jewish girl from the Bronx.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:23 AM on September 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
And ladies and gentlemen...
Julia Garner is a nice Jewish girl from the Bronx.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:23 AM on September 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
Just finished this season and HOLY SHIT, WENDY BYRDE IS THE MICHAEL CORLEONE HERE.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:55 PM on October 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:55 PM on October 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah, we didn't want to spoil that for you.
But yeah, I'm not sure what Wendy's motivations were from the beginning. I think that she's highly unhappy and instead of trying to escape the situation is now trying to take control.
Marty better realize that fast, or there's going to be more trouble than the emancipation attempts by a minor.
Any thoughts on Kid Jonah the Laundry Man?
posted by porpoise at 11:32 PM on October 1, 2018
But yeah, I'm not sure what Wendy's motivations were from the beginning. I think that she's highly unhappy and instead of trying to escape the situation is now trying to take control.
Marty better realize that fast, or there's going to be more trouble than the emancipation attempts by a minor.
Any thoughts on Kid Jonah the Laundry Man?
posted by porpoise at 11:32 PM on October 1, 2018
I'm still deciding what I think about Jonah. I tend to process my reactions based on tropes or how I might write things myself. I'm not sure I can think of an analogue for Jonah. Maybe Shane Botwin on Weeds? But that was more about becoming unbalanced from exposure to the depravity of crime, and I don't think Jonah is experiencing moral decay so much as adapting pragmatically to a truly f-ed up situation.
I felt dumb when I finally realized Wendy was the one breaking bad, because in retrospect the entire Snell storyline (How does a semi-decent person cope when their spouse is dangerous?) was foreshadowing that all along.
When the scene came where Ruth was standing over her father's body, I realized two things: that her character was consistently surprising enough that I legitimately had no idea what she was going to say; and that whatever she did say, Julia Garner would 100% sell it.
She's giving one of the very best performances on tv right now.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:34 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
I felt dumb when I finally realized Wendy was the one breaking bad, because in retrospect the entire Snell storyline (How does a semi-decent person cope when their spouse is dangerous?) was foreshadowing that all along.
When the scene came where Ruth was standing over her father's body, I realized two things: that her character was consistently surprising enough that I legitimately had no idea what she was going to say; and that whatever she did say, Julia Garner would 100% sell it.
She's giving one of the very best performances on tv right now.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:34 AM on October 2, 2018 [2 favorites]
Totally agree about Garner's performance as Ruth. Her character regression was hard to watch - that scene where drunk dad crawled into bed with her, brrrr - but what a great actor she is.
Some of the episode setups in the season felt way too forced - WE HAVE 48 HOURS TO DO X, WE HAVE 24 HOURS TO DO Y, I NEED MY BABY BACK BY TOMORROW MORNING, etc - but the acting, directing and cinematography are so great I kept going through the more clunkily written bits. There was less emphasis on the beauty and local flavor of the region this season, which was a little disappointing, too. But wow, the emotional payoffs. Jacob and Darlene's arc was incredible; his final line was a great ending.
posted by mediareport at 4:48 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Some of the episode setups in the season felt way too forced - WE HAVE 48 HOURS TO DO X, WE HAVE 24 HOURS TO DO Y, I NEED MY BABY BACK BY TOMORROW MORNING, etc - but the acting, directing and cinematography are so great I kept going through the more clunkily written bits. There was less emphasis on the beauty and local flavor of the region this season, which was a little disappointing, too. But wow, the emotional payoffs. Jacob and Darlene's arc was incredible; his final line was a great ending.
posted by mediareport at 4:48 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
I just finished season 2. I'm still on team Ruth, with a side for Mrs Snell. The Byrdes are like Piper Chapman in the first season of Orange is the New Black -- necessary to get the series made and provide a "relatable" set of characters, but they are surrounded by much more interesting characters who deserved more of a focus.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:43 PM on October 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 5:43 PM on October 7, 2018 [4 favorites]
Can't wait for Season 3, which will obviously focus on Three and how he should shut the fuck up.
posted by mullacc at 9:29 AM on October 29, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by mullacc at 9:29 AM on October 29, 2018 [5 favorites]
Hi this is me 3.5 years later just watching the show. Definitely enjoyed this season but while it's very good, it's not Great TV. The comparison to Breaking Bad just won't go away and this show suffers by it. mediareport's comment about the conflict feeling forced so often is a big part of my frustration.
But on to the good thing, and that is the cast of actors. Laura Linney is phenomenal as the center of the show. So are Julia Garner (Ruth), Lisa Emery (Darlene), and Sofia Hublitz (Charlotte). Skylar Gaertner (Jonah) carries a lot of weight too.
But really it's the combination of the writing and the acting together that works so well. Wendy's arc in this season was compelling. The combination of her being trapped in this awful circumstance of her husband's doing, the backstory of her competence as a political operator, and her rising to the demand and ultimately the hubris of her deciding what they really need to do is stay in the Ozarks and see this thing through... I was absolutely not expecting that from this season and it was fantastic. Particularly as mirrored in the Snells' relationship.
The odd man out in all this is Jason Bateman. I've got no complaint with him but the writing for Marty is surprisingly thin. There's so much attention paid to developing all the other characters that Marty sort of just gets lost. The big moment for his character with Mason was not paid off IMHO; he looks all shell shocked and mopey for half an episode and then it's just done. Weird. I think having him spend this whole season sort of slowly overwhelmed by events works, but only because it allows the rest of the characters' stories to revolve around the crisis he's created and not managing.
On to season 3!
posted by Nelson at 6:45 AM on January 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
But on to the good thing, and that is the cast of actors. Laura Linney is phenomenal as the center of the show. So are Julia Garner (Ruth), Lisa Emery (Darlene), and Sofia Hublitz (Charlotte). Skylar Gaertner (Jonah) carries a lot of weight too.
But really it's the combination of the writing and the acting together that works so well. Wendy's arc in this season was compelling. The combination of her being trapped in this awful circumstance of her husband's doing, the backstory of her competence as a political operator, and her rising to the demand and ultimately the hubris of her deciding what they really need to do is stay in the Ozarks and see this thing through... I was absolutely not expecting that from this season and it was fantastic. Particularly as mirrored in the Snells' relationship.
The odd man out in all this is Jason Bateman. I've got no complaint with him but the writing for Marty is surprisingly thin. There's so much attention paid to developing all the other characters that Marty sort of just gets lost. The big moment for his character with Mason was not paid off IMHO; he looks all shell shocked and mopey for half an episode and then it's just done. Weird. I think having him spend this whole season sort of slowly overwhelmed by events works, but only because it allows the rest of the characters' stories to revolve around the crisis he's created and not managing.
On to season 3!
posted by Nelson at 6:45 AM on January 14, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:35 PM on September 25, 2018 [9 favorites]