Netflix’s hit drama series Ozark boasts no shortage of dangerous and cunning characters – it’s about money laundering for a Mexican drug cartel, after all. And though the leader of the Navarro Cartel should be the scariest person in the show, he’s not. Largely due to Laura Linney’s masterful portrayal, Wendy Byrde, the originally unsuspecting housewife of the money laundering genius Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), is by far the most formidable character in Ozark. Time and time again, it’s Wendy who comes up with the plan that saves the Byrde family from being next on the cartel’s hit list. It’s also Wendy who will go to great lengths to “ensure her family’s safety” (while advancing her own agenda). Wendy is highly intelligent, an expert manipulator, and very ambitious. The combination of these traits, along with her tendency towards rage, make Wendy the last person anyone should want to cross.
When we first start to get to know Wendy in Season 1, we learn that she was cheating on Marty and had plans to run away when things initially went south with Del (Esai Morales). So from the start, Wendy is painted as a controversial character. However, after making peace with having to move to the Ozarks and help with Marty’s money-laundering operations, Wendy starts to realize her knack for keeping up appearances and capitalizes on her strengths. Though Sam (Kevin L. Johnson) is not a hard person to persuade, Wendy manages to slide her way into his mother’s (Sharon Blackwood) real estate business, which eventually leads to Sam’s mother giving them the cash they need to launder the $8 million on time. When the cartel wants the Snells to stop their heroin operation, and they refuse, Wendy and Buddy (Harris Yulin) are the ones to burn down their poppy farm. As the Byrdes spend more time in the Ozarks, Wendy becomes increasingly bold in her actions.
Wendy’s powers of manipulation are perhaps her most intimidating quality, but are a marvel to watch, especially as they seem to gain effectiveness as the show goes on. In Season 1, Sam does her bidding, then in Season 2 it becomes Charles Wilkes (Darren Goldstein), and by Season 3 she has Omar Navarro’s ear (Felix Solis). Her ability to charm men into wanting to help her serves her and Marty’s agenda while increasing Wendy’s confidence in her own abilities. Among other people she manages to manipulate are Maya (Jessica Frances Dukes) when she wants to cancel her meeting with Navarro last minute, Pastor Mason Young (Michael Mosley) as he’s pointing a gun at her, and Clare Shaw (Katrina Lenk), the CEO of the pharmaceutical company that wants to buy Navarro’s heroin. These are just a handful of the characters in the show that Wendy uses, but the list could go on. Though Marty is also a capable manipulator, Wendy is willing to go further in order to control other people. Without Wendy’s persistence, it would have been much more difficult for the Byrdes to succeed in their pursuits, and they would likely have ended up dead far earlier in the process.
Sure, for a while Wendy’s actions are aimed at keeping her and her family alive. But once Season 3 rolls around, and Wendy develops somewhat of a friendship with Helen (Janet McTeer) and a trusting relationship with Navarro, her ambitions are raised, and “protecting her family” becomes more of a cover than the actual truth. When Wendy wants to open another casino (against Marty’s wishes), she shows how ruthless she can be when there’s competition. Despite the failing casino owners’ resistance to being acquired, Wendy “will not lose to that woman.” In other words, her competitive nature kicks in and her desire to get the new casino becomes about more than pleasing Navarro. Wendy is unflinching as she watches the rigged slot machines indicate that everyone in the casino has won money, and the owners realize that their livelihood has been destroyed. This is a turning point in Wendy’s behavior because we see how cunning she can be, and how when it comes to getting what she wants, she will stop at nothing.
Wendy’s interactions with Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery) are a good example of her unwavering tenacity. From the moment that the Snells are introduced to the show, it’s made very clear how unstable Darlene is, and that she is going to be a problem for the Byrdes. However, Wendy is unafraid of Darlene from the start and makes it a point to compete with her on multiple occasions, despite Darlene’s savage nature. When Buddy is burning down the Snell’s poppies, Wendy tricks Darlene with adoption papers for Mason’s baby. When Wendy wants the baby back, she antagonizes Darlene so that she will hit Wendy, and Wendy can take her to court. And when Darlene has a heart attack in front of Wendy, she waits a while before calling the ambulance, sitting and watching as if she is being entertained. Wendy’s ability to go up against a woman who is so violent and unpredictable demonstrates her faith in her own capabilities, and her determination to be the Alpha.
Wendy’s willingness to hurt others in order to remain on top seems to truly know no bounds, especially as the danger surrounding her and her family escalates. When Ruth’s dad Cade (Trevor Long) becomes an issue, Marty thinks that he is sending him away with money and a promise to never return. But we see Cade get murdered by the cartel, and eventually learn that Wendy ordered the hit without telling Marty. Despite Marty’s close relationship with Ruth (Julia Garner), and all she’s done for their family, Wendy had no qualms about having her father executed. And even worse than that, Wendy had her own brother (Tom Pelphrey) killed in order to save her family. Though it took a huge emotional toll on her, her ability to actually do it in the first place reflects the mental fortitude that she possesses, and how far her survival instincts will push her.
What it really all comes down to is Wendy’s fierce protection of her family, even if her vengeful spirit and competitive nature also play a role in her ambitions. As a mother, Wendy is always completely transparent with her children, even before consulting with Marty on certain subjects (like telling them about their money laundering). And even with her children, she often lets her anger get the better of her. When Charlotte (Sophia Hublitz) wants to be emancipated, Wendy is very obviously furious with her and tries to get information out of her lawyer. When Jonah begins working for Ruth, Wendy goes so far as to red flag his accounts in an attempt to get him arrested and teach him a lesson. Even with her children, the people she supposedly does it all for, Wendy can be ruthless and unforgiving.
Though Ozark has many powerful characters, Wendy is the most fearsome for the way she employs her cunning, manipulation, and even cruelty to achieve her goals. Though Marty also possesses certain qualities that are crucial to the Byrdes' operations, it’s Wendy who often has the intuition and foresight to make the right decisions, however difficult they may be. It is also Wendy who Navarro cares more about and trusts, and who ends up being the bigger disappointment to him in the end because he expected more from her. Of all the unthinkable events that take place throughout Ozark, it is often Wendy who had something to do with them. Whether she is blaming Ruth for Ben’s death, or going behind Marty’s back to instate Camila as the new head of the cartel, Wendy does what she wants to do, no matter the consequences. Somebody who is willing to take down others for their own gain or protection, and who is also always two steps ahead of everyone else, is certainly to be feared. Wendy Byrde is the real deal.