A POLITE REVIEW: OZARK SEASON 3
The Byrdes are back like cooked crack. Hope yall had your tv brightness up since Ozark darker than Wednesday Addams. This was in my top 3 series that I was waiting for to return.
I haven’t done a show review in a minute but we gone keep this shit the same like I been doing it. I’ll tell you what I liked about the season first and then follow it up with what I didn’t like.
LIKES
I liked how The Byrde family have viewed their lives as normal now. They’re all criminals and they’ve adjusted on being okay with that’s how it’s going to be. Nothing really surprises them anymore. Marty is the only member of the family that is still holding onto hope. The kids have adjusted to being in a crime family. Wendy has said fuck it and pushed all her poker chips in the middle of the table and she wants to be the best mothafucking criminal in the Ozarks and even goes as far to try and find more business for the Navarro Cartel.
Marty and Wendy’s issues with trusting one another was annoying because as a viewer you’re looking at it like “Why aren’t you two communicating with your family lives on the line” but I liked that. I liked how they were willing to stab each other in the back in minor ways but never took it too far. I thought it was going to go further when Wendy was having dreams of killing Marty but it didn’t. Marty paying their therapist to be on his side was so insanely insecure. Wendy then followed suit. Wendy making deals behind Marty’s back then Marty going behind her back to sabotage those deals. Marty bugging Wendy’s phone was insane. It was a war of pettiness between them and the things that both of them are great at neither of them respected anymore and grew old to one another.
Seeing Helen’s vulnerability was something I LOVED about this season. The lady who portrays her always does a great job. Both her and Wendy were the best actors this season in my opinion but seeing Helen’s weaknesses and Helen being punished this season was something that was needed because the first 2 seasons it felt as if she was untouchable and she never feels the weight of the cartel at all because she seems to do everything right and by the book when it comes to the cartel. To see Wendy get closer to the Cartel boss than Helen was a sight to see. Helen been there for years and Wendy used her skills in talking and negotiating as a career politician to reach a certain aspect of trust that Helen couldn’t unlock made the difference. Helen’s weak spot was what the Byrde’s strong point is and that’s family. Although dysfunctional The Byrde’s stick together. Helen’s family is in shambles and it was the first time we seen her unravel in multiple scenes and it’s always because of her family. We saw Helen being tortured by the Cartel about her ex-husband. We saw that Helen did not have a healthy relationship with her children nor her husband. She was losing in the custody battle. We just saw Helen fall apart this season and it took the untouchable aura away from her. We saw that she’s just another person being used by the cartel she just has a better poker face than The Byrde’s did and embraced her role more.
I liked Wendy’s viciousness this season and I thought it was going to stay that route and we see a case of Wendy go full Walter White and just become as evil as her employer but we didn’t. We saw someone who just couldn’t stop digging a hole and completely collapse at the seasons end. She started out with Queenpin vibes and then she was completely beaten in the end. Marty was right about everything. Marty made the right moves but Wendy’s ambition would dig the hole deeper. Marty didn’t want another family member there, Wendy ignored Marty. Marty didn’t want the second casino, Wendy bought the casino and brought in the feds and slowed down the money laundering. Wendy needed someone to save her from herself and she refused and it cost her family even more. Remember the end of Godfather 2? Michael had to make a decision about Fredo who almost cost Michael his life and business on 2 different occasions. Wendy was Michael and Ben was Fredo and Wendy had to make a decision that saved her children.
The analogy of Marty wanting to win and win badly was great writing. The flashback of him in the hospital with his dying father and him complaining to his mother that the only reason another kid has a high score is because he has has more quarters which means the kid has more attempts at the high score than Marty does. Marty feels that how good you are should be on one quarter not multiple. Basically winner take all. Marty is in a winner take all game right now with the cartel. Doesn’t matter how much money you have you can still lose. It’s about who has the best strategy and executes that strategy. He didn’t care about the circumstances of why he was at the hospital he just wanted to win on the arcade. Marty has never changed. He has to find a way to win and he usually does. His family safety and him being out of the laundering game is the high score and he’s just playing to win. You saw that when Marty beat Helen n the end. Helen had more resources but Marty had the better strategy. End Omar’s stress which was the cartel war. The flashback shows us where Marty gets his emotionless demeanor from.
The pacing this season was way faster which I appreciated. We were off to the races on season 3 and it didn’t slow down at all.
Marty and Wendy have a LOT of enemies and the way this season setup the war for season 4 is important. Marty lost Ruth by not defending her against Frank Jr. Ruth now goes to Darlene Snell because Darlene did the smart thing and defended Ruth. Ruth knows the ins and outs of Marty’s operation and Darlene has the cops in her pocket. Darlene also has The Kansas City Mob who is now on Darlene’s payroll. The Byrde’s have The Cartel but they’re all being watched by the Feds. Helen has turned Jonah against Wendy. It’s going to be bad for Marty next season. That casino is going to be the first thing Darlene goes after since she has a small percentage in it.
DISLIKES
Here’s what I didn’t like.
Ben was the most pointless and forced character in this season. He was a plot device. No ties to the plot outside of the fact he’s Wendy’s brother and that’s it. No ties to what got the Byrde’s to Missouri. It was just a forced character that didn’t need to be there. THE SERIES DID NOT NEED BEN AT ALL. They’re in the middle of a cartel war, a redneck bitch who still wants revenge against them, Helen wanted to takeover their responsibilities and phase them out, The KC Mob, and the feds are all over the Casino. Ben wasn’t needed because there were already enough scenarios. We would’ve been just fine without the bi-polar brother. He was just placed here to start unnecessary shit and I felt that was lazy from a writing perspective. Oh of course this mentally ill person Is going to keep making shit worst. GEE DIDNT SEE THAT ONE COMING! Every time I saw Ben on my screen I would get fucking upset. LIKE WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?! Luckily he didn’t fuck up the show but he made it tough to watch.
Wyatt being in love with Darlene Snell is just dumb to me but it kinda makes you hate Darlene even more so I get it but regardless I’m good without that shit.
Federal Agent Maya Miller being pregnant was unnecessary. Whatever.
This season they showed the cartel boss Omar Navarro. A lot. A whole fucking lot. I thought that was bad and done too early. Part of what made Helen scary or Del and the other Cartel soldiers scary was the fact we couldn’t see the person who called the shots. We didn’t know if he was reckless or calm. He was an unknown entity that we knew not to fuck with. Instead we got him asking Wendy for advice about his personal life. Him calling Wendy over and over just took the mystery away from him. Even when he yelled at her it was too late. The damage was done. All they should’ve done at the most was have us hear his voice. When Marty got kidnapped they should’ve just had the camera on Marty and all you could hear was Omar Navarro’s voice but never see him. You can’t see his expression or gauge what he’s thinking and that is scarier and holds more weight than seeing him cake like 15 year old with Wendy Byrde. Next season would’ve been the PERFECT time to show Omar’s face because Darlene Snell is about to fuck The Byrde’s lives up and Omar’s about to be in another war he has no idea is coming.
Ben fucked this up from being perfect. Overall …
4 outta 5 fruit snacks.
Peace
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