I'm a few episodes into season two. My take on some of the characters: I totally disagree WRT Darlene, her character is cold and ruthless but the actress, to me, plays it more frantic and scared and it creates a weird imbalance, at least to me. Are you scared or are you a heartless monster? Both may be fine, but it comes off as weird to me.

Ruth is awesome, she's grown as the show has gone on and you get a great sense of who she is as a person, it's a fantastic character played well by a good actress. Ditto Bateman's role. Linney/Wendy is too inconsistent, as someone else said, it's hard to believe her character but Linney is great per usual. I love Buddy, he's just so believable and real. Jonah and Charlotte just don't do it, I don't think they got the best actors for those roles but they're kinda just there, which is disappointing because you could do so much with the whole family dynamic of this laundering enterprise. Del was awesome, he dripped cartel power. Loving the new lawyer so far. Rachel, i liked her in the beginning but it's weird what they've done with her and now i'm fairly ambivalent, trying to figure her out. The FBI guy is just weird...between him and the heroin-trade-on-a-bible-boat storyline there's some weird stuff in this show but I'm hooked, it's generally very entertaining and unpredictable.

Just wait. Her fully character development comes out as you go through the episodes and it is quite rewarding.


As I watched the final episodes last night, I flipped on my opinion of Linney/Wendy. Much like Darlene, the character fully develops in Season 2. I struggled with her almost dual personality in Season 1. But, she comes through in Season 2.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

So explain the scene you are referring to. I finished Season 2 and don't remember a dinner conversation about a book. PM if you must :). Thanks.

I wasn't sure where S2 was going to go but it turned out great. Ruth and Buddy were fantastic.

Episode 8 (I'm pretty sure it is 8, might be 7). At the dinner table Charlotte is asked what she did today and she says "I stole a book." That episode and that scene.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Oh yeah. Thanks. Memory is not what it used to be

Wendy had a strong finish but she was still, up to episode 9, inconsistent, between histrionics with the threat to the lawyer to stone cold one episode later

Darlene on the other hand was just stone cold

Charlotte was no less annoying

Ruth knocked it out the park

Marty was coming apart like a cheap suit

But it was a strong finish. Better than goliath s2

I agree with everything but the highlighted part. As shown by my earlier comments in this thread, I REALLY did not like Wendy in Season 1. I thought the character was written poorly and I thought it was a poor casting choice. I flipped in Season 2. By Episode 3, I was changing my mind. By Episode 6, I had done a complete 180. I thought Wendy was written perfectly and Linny (sp?) was absolutely outstanding. When Episode 10 ended (the finale), I said, out loud, "HO-LY SHIT! WENDY!!"

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Because of this thread, I've been binge-watching Ozark and am half way through Season 2. Great writing, some really good characters, and very unpredictable. I never see what's coming.
Annoying parts - in opening scenes in Chicago when Marty is walking with his private detective in Millennium Park, he is walking in circles. And there would be no reason to be walking in the park unless he wanted to go to the lakefront. There is no purpose for him to be there. Then he drives in circles in downtown Chicago. When Wendy's lover is thrown out the window, they are in downtown Chicago and there is no traffic and no parked cars. Totally unrealistic.
I like how you can buy full-auto rifles in sporting goods stores in Missouri. Should have bought hand grenades and RPGs while they were at it. Heroin production is not practical and has extremely stiff penalties in the US. There's a reason you just don't hear about poppy farms busts in the news. I find it hard to believe Agent Petty would stay employed with the FBI with all his issues. And that he could spend weeks, if not months, hanging out in a motel, fly fishing, sleeping with his CIs, etc.
Aside from that, the other characters are amazing. I've liked and accepted Wendy's character right from the start. The kids are annoying, but remind me of my kids. Buddy and Rachel are good. Ruth is great. I've had the misfortune to know people like the uncles/brothers. I need to get through the rest of this series quickly so I can get back to a regular sleep schedule.

I've trolled you a bit about Wendy, but I must say that I had similar reaction. I was meh on Wendy in first season, no strong dislike but no like either. My reaction second season was about like yours.

---

________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

I thing that impressed me the most is I found her transformation believable within the context of the show. It wasn’t like the writers said, the character is unlike able so let’s rewrite her. It really seemed like a credible change. The political consultant role was perfect for that. It was like watching a politician become corrupt with power.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

I'm not sold but I can see it. Still felt she was flakey in last two episodes but season 3 holds promise.

Thought the funeral was rubbish. Both their kids annoy me

You definitely need to watch the bodyguard. Have you seen line of duty? Can you get it on Netflix?

Looks like Bodyguard will be on Netflix on Oct 24. Line of Duty is on Netflix. I will have to check it out.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

No one seems to be talking much about Jonah, understandably since his role is pretty small, but I feel like they are setting him up for a big role down the road.

Season 2 Spoiler (do not read if you haven't watched it all):










He was stashing weapons in season 1, and now in season 2, he's basically figured out how to launder money a different way using a fake ID, he could be instrumental if the family ever goes through with Plan B to drop off the face of the earth.

---

---

There are three kinds of people, those who can count, and those who can't.

by pure random coincidence I found myself switching between watching the Americans and Ozark this month, and when Ruth showed up on the Americans its really screwed with me. I knew hre as Ruth first and just have a hard time seeing her as her character on the Americans. She does a good job there, but the role she plays on Ozark is just so well done its hard to see her as a 15 Yo kid with daddy issues. Although now that I type this, I guess Ruth has some daddy issues going on as well!

BTW, Ruth is played by Julia Garner https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3400186/

The writer of LOD is the writer of the bodyguard. Excellent

You seen Luther?

Finally finished season 2.

Kept waiting for the reveal that the cartel lawyer is actually the cartel leader. Holding out for season 3.

Acting in the series is excellent. Took only one or two episodes to realize that George Michael Bluth was noting this series.

The director is lazy. What is up with all the dark scenes? Don’t even know who is in the scene until they speak.

Why give Darlene the baby? Just have her killed.

“We do not kill people”. Wendy Byrd

No spoiler alert here, but the show jumped the shark (for me) with the death in (I think) episode 7?

I’m out.

Resurrecting this old thread, about 8 episodes in and I really love this show. Glad they paid a few bucks for real actors too, it does make a difference when the scripts get a little weak. And as to the drowning scene, I just always figured it would come into play later on, so maybe? And do you remember her dives in off the pier, she is no swimmer to begin with, just a part I guess she is playing... (-;