Netflix recently announced that its award-winning series Ozark will return for a supersized fourth and final season on January 21st of next year. It’s been a real roller coaster for the Byrde family and their cohorts, and if you’ve never seen the show, now is the time to start as there’s some catching up to do (and you’ll want to avoid the spoilers below.) However, if you’re caught up and looking for something to scratch that Missouri itch until the show comes back, why not turn to Ozark itself and re-watch a few of the episodes that highlight just how good this show is?
Here’s a compilation to help you get started, offering some moments that are so iconic, we wouldn’t blame you if you end up binging the entire series for a second time.
“Sugarwood” (Season 1, Episode 1)
Season one of Ozark was released in 2017, so it’s been a minute since we’ve seen what sent the Byrde family down this wild path in the first place. We learn that Marty (Jason Bateman) and his business partner have been laundering drug money and that Wendy (Laura Linney) has been having an affair, so things are already off to a rocky start. The business partner is killed, Wendy’s lover is thrown off a balcony and a few other people meet a gruesome end as well. The cartel proves they’re not to be messed with the Byrde family decides to fly the coop and head for the Ozarks to launder money – and ideally stay alive.
“Blue Cat” (Season 1, Episode 2)
With Chicago in their rearview mirror, the second episode of the series establishes the world that Marty and crew will be living in. The Ozarks are a popular Midwest vacation spot, ripe for money laundering options and filled with a unique blend of characters that we’ll meet, the highlight of which is foul-mouthed firecracker Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner). Along with her brother Wyatt, we quickly learn that not everyone is simply here to enjoy the scenery – there’s a dark and unsettling nature to the Langmore family. We also see that the Byrde children, Charlotte and Jonah, are capable of getting into plenty of trouble on their own when they disregard instructions to stay in their hotel room. The whole family is in jeopardy.
“Ruling Days” (Season 1, Episode 5)
With things heating up in the laundering business, Marty asks Ruth to run the strip club during the July 4th weekend. This is when we see that despite coming from a trailer in the woods and speaking in a way that would make even that cast of a Quentin Tarantino movie cringe, she’s got a good head for business and knows how to get things done. She starts by hiring new staff for the club and manages to turn a profit. Being a small blonde woman in the seedy strip club setting could be intimidating for some, but it’s clear that Ruth can hold her own while being useful to Marty.
“Game Day” (Season 2, Episode 5)
Ozark gives its characters iconic moments, and Buddy (Harris Yulin), the lovable-yet-stubborn owner of the house that the Byrde family live in, became a fan favorite as soon as we met him and he informed Marty that he would be staying in the house. While he may be ailing, Buddy still has enough fortitude and fire left in him to set the Snell’s poppy farm ablaze and watch it burn to the ground. This guy knows how to send a message, and it’s easy to root him on as he fights for the family that let him stay in the house. The episode also features what is arguably the most memorable performance we see from Ruth as she is waterboarded and breaks down afterward. It shows us that she’s strong enough to power through it, but she’s still vulnerable and therefore relatable.
“Wartime”
Season three starts off with some touching family moments – Charlotte (Sofia Lublitz) gifting Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) with a drone, which reminds us that even with their parents often at war with the cartel (and one another) these siblings still rely on each other. On a trip to Chicago, Wendy revisits their old family home, looking back on what they once had before taking it upon herself to vandalize it just a little. She appears to be saddened by what’s been lost, and at the same time resigned to this new life she finds herself in. It’s a touching scene with no dialogue, yet it says a lot. The episode also features Ruth, now managing the Missouri Belle Casino, throwing a Kansas City mob member overboard, which provides some much-needed levity while still reminding us she’s a live wire.
“Kevin Cronin Was Here” (Season 3, Episode 3)
Wendy was often talked about by viewers in season 3 for her ability to take charge and stand up against her husband. She comes alive in a whole new way as she dreams of killing Marty, then goes behind his back and closes a casino he was going to use to launder money. She also goes after Darlene (Lisa Emery), goading her until she hits Wendy – which was all a part of the plan. Wendy is able to get a custody hearing for the baby that Darlene has been taking care of. The strengths and cunning abilities of the Byrde family matriarch are on full display here, and it’s an impressive showing of how Marty’s decision to launder cash has trickled down and poisoned the rest of his family.
“All In” (Season 3, Episode 10)
Marty has decided that enough is enough, and he wants out of the money laundering business and to end the cartel war. Having reached their breaking point, the Byrdes travel to Mexico with Helen, the cartel’s representative, to put an end to this madness once and for all. Finally, they’ll be able to get back to a sense of normalcy – except we know this isn’t the series finale and something bad is always around the corner. (To say more would be a major spoiler for any newcomers.) Will they find a way to escape this madness and be on the run, or are they going to have to commit to the thing they want least and go even deeper into the world of drug running?
We’ll have to wait until January of 2022 to find out.