The first half of Ozark’s final season debuts soon in what will conclude the story of Jason Bateman’s Marty Byrde, the Chicago financial officer who secretly works for a dangerous Mexican drug cartel. Between manipulating the Ozark natives into joining his dangerous schemes, involving local crime families, and implicating his family within his crimes, Byrde is one of the most compelling and despicable characters on television.
Bateman’s performance was adored with critical and awards praise, and it was hailed as a breakthrough dramatic performance from the typical funnyman. Bateman was known primarily as a comedic actor, as after his breakthrough performance in Arrested Development, he led comedy films such as The Switch, Horrible Bosses, Office Christmas Party, and Bad Words. Although he hinted at a more serious side in films like Juno, State of Play, and The Kingdom, the smaller roles only gave him a short window to showcase his range.
However, Bateman’s terrifying turn as Byrde shouldn’t have come as a major shock to any film fans who got the chance to check out the 2015 psychological thriller The Gift. Joel Edgerton crafted an ambitious directorial debut where he stars as Gordo, a socially awkward former high school outcast who re-enters the lives of his adolescent classmates, including Simon (Bateman) and his wife Robyn Callem (Rebecca Hall). Like Byrde, Simon isn’t a character whose villainy is initially apparent from his unassuming presence, but, over the course of the film, Bateman crafts another despicable figure fronting as a “family man” that is revealed to have monstrous intentions.
Bateman was unique among the comic stars of the 21st Century because he relied less on a routine schtick than he did playing an everyman. He’s an average joe trying to survive his daily responsibilities in films like The Switch and Horrible Bosses, and this relatable quality helps to make his darker performances even more chilling. Like Byrde, Simon hides his secrets behind the persona of a wealthy, but unpretentious everyman whose facade begins to crack as his secrets are revealed. Simon’s blank-faced reactions to questions about his past allow him to dismiss his wife’s probing questions in the same way he might react to a comic beat in one of his comedy films.
It's clear from their first interaction that Simon is uncomfortable around Gordo, but it's not initially clear why he’s so unnerved. It’s again Bateman’s awkward casualness that makes it seem like he may simply just be surprised to see a figure from his childhood that he never had a particularly close personal connection with. Simon is seen as incredibly materialistic and proud of the technological advantages of his home, so perhaps he’s just living in the present. However, Robyn begins to suspect that there may be some sort of deeper connection when Simon refuses to give any specific details about his history with Gordo.
It's clear that something happened between Simon and Gordo, and Edgerton does a great job at gradually revealing their connection. Edgerton is awkward, going to elaborate lengths to give Simon and Robyn gifts, and so Bateman has even more leeway to act like Gordo who is causing the tension. As Robyn gradually learns that Simon bullied Gordo as a teenager, as first evidenced by a half-hearted apology, Bateman delivers the typical responses of an abuser: “Everybody knew,” and “It was all a joke.”
What’s even more terrifying about the performance is that Gordo’s return to Simon’s life is the first reminder he’s had since his youthful days about what exactly he did. The rare times Simon seems to be saying something sincere is when he makes note that he hasn't thought about Gordo since, and the fact that he’s able to suppress destroying a man’s life is scarier than if he had showed pride in it. It begs both Robyn and the audience to beg the question if this is the type of thing he can simply forget, then what other secrets does he hold?
Marty is often such a compelling antagonist on Ozark because he’s rarely forthcoming in intimate moments with his family, and Bateman previewed this ability with Simon. He gives Robyn just enough details about a “childhood prank” and “everybody had a name.” She’s forced to learn from another childhood classmate Greg (David Dedman) that Simon spread a rumor that Gordo’s father was abusing him, scaring him into a violent conflict where he was arrested for attempted murder. Robyn only gets Simon to confess, and he buckles under the pressure.
There’s an off-handed cruelty that’s apparent as Simon desperately tries to justify his actions under the plastic logic that Gordo’s trauma was nothing more than typical childhood hardships. “I was an asshole, okay?” he tells her. “My dad was an asshole to me, treated me like shit. But I took it. I sucked it up.” Simon avoids taking any full responsibility by claiming that the rumor was something that many were a part of. However, by this point, both Robyn and the audience are smart enough to know that Simon clearly had the power and influence to do much more damage.
What makes the character so nuanced is that ultimately Simon is forced into a situation where he should be sympathetic. Gordo clearly goes beyond the line of simply confronting his childhood bully, as he crafts a meticulous revenge plot that involves drugging and kidnapping Robyn (it’s implied he assaults her but not explicitly depicted). Simon watches disturbing video footage and breaks into horrified tears, yet it's infuriating to see him react to the horrible situation and finally confront his guilt. It’s Robyn who is the victim, not him.
Many traditionally comedic actors attempt to play against type in roles of more gravity by making dramatic physical transformations or playing evidently villainous characters. Bateman didn’t need to change much to subvert his personality in The Gift. Like his eventual turn as Marty, Simon is a monster hiding in plain sight, and Ozark should definitely check out this underrated thriller.