Ozark Is Still A Really Rough And Dark Study Of Survival

Hate and disgust

Marty (Jason Bateman, also the director of the whole series) together with Wendy (Laura Linney) are exemplary fighters who can not be broken by anything and every problem, on the contrary, makes them tougher and they are capable of finding an adequate answer to every problem quickly enough. Despite the fact that they have had a few close calls, their cunning has always helped them survive and protect their family.

Is it the same in season four? After 14-year-old Jonah (Skylar Gaertner) learns that his mother has "taken care of" Uncle Ben, it gets tense within the circle of loved ones. Wendy, who walks over the corpses, has changed as a character, probably most of all, but clearly for the worse. In the viewer, wants to screams at the sight of how insidious she is.

Her fatal actions are beginning to come back like a boomerang. Her son begins to hate her and feels repulsed by her as she has done something unforgivable and unjustifiable. When it comes to Marty, she loses his confidence due to dangerous and scary plans that will surprise even Charlotte, which is on her side most firmly of all. However, the broken relationship between mother and son is the at its most elaborate and trustworthy in the first parts.

Betrayal is an inside job

As one unnamed character points out at the beginning of the series, betrayal comes mostly from within and from the people you would least expect. Jonah's rebellion in anger against his mother - but gradually against the whole family - has increasingly dire consequences. However, it is his behaviour and motivation that the viewer understands the most and can therefore fully sympathise with him. Jonah becomes one of the most prominent characters in the series, he sets the pace and his story is captivating.

Ruth (played by the fantastic Julia Garner), who gradually lost her family and would like to finally get the hell out of the cursed Ozark, also went through an interesting development. While in the first seasons she was an explicitly annoying character and often behaved illogically, in the final season he matures and turns into probably the most likeable one. We can identify with her immediately. In addition, we are literally worried sick, wishin that nothing bad will happen to her and her loved ones, as she has endured too much.

Do not underestimate new characters

Marty is consistently coherent, systematic, cool headed, and still behaves pragmatically and rationally. He is the real head of the family. And while they may not like it all around, they realise that the solutions he comes up with are the best and most sensible. However, he too is starting to feel quite fed up and would like to get out of the crazy, violent carousel that is Ozark.

Catalysts of new problems and numerous complications are new characters in the latest series, especially the charismatic Javi (Alfonso Herrera), nephew of Omar Navarro. At first glance, he is frightening. You just know, that if you were in the Byrds' place, you wouldn't want to anger or upset him. He is cold and uncompromising and definitely should not be underestimated.

The same goes for the annoying private eye, who goes around questioning everyone about the missing Helen Pierce. His observation of our most important characters and innocent questions in the right places can be quite dangerous - for the characters in his finder and for him. The new characters bring the necessary fresh air.

Depression at its finest

What Ozar is the most successful in, is the maintenance of a really depressing atmosphere, which makes the viewer anxious. The unrest is felt in the fourth series from the first seconds and it is truly unbelievable that it only escalates and after a shocking and really dark conclusion, a boulder remains in the viewer's stomach along millions of unpleasant thoughts.

Despite the difficult atmosphere and the topic, our impressions are overall very positive.   Ozark is truly a perfect study of diverse characters in inhospitable conditions with a brilliant script and even more brilliant production. Compared to the previous third season, final season one is even more exciting, rougher and more authentic.