When it arrived on Netflix a couple of years ago, "Ozark" was a quirky, underdog type, powered by Jason Bateman in a very un-Jason Bateman-ish role. The memorable first season was propelled by Bateman's surprising range, supplemented by strong support work from Laura Linney and others.
As the show has evolved, the perspective of "Ozark" has put Linney at the center. Her character has become unlikeable, stretching the bounds of believability as she randomly provokes cartels, mobs, political powerbrokers, other cartels, and hillbilly gangs.
Essentially, "Ozark" now routinely borders on the ridiculous, with seemingly daily catastrophes, any one of which would have led to murder by the cartel. You keep expecting Bateman's character to be like, "It's Tuesday. Can we just have a Tuesday, for crissakes?"
At this point, I want to know more about the psyche and personal journeys of the kids, who have been indoctrinated into the family business and have now developed criminal minds by osmosis. The show is littered with intriguing characters who could reinvigorate the show and help with pacing, making the show a bit less frantic and disjointed.
The series has managed to spark strong feelings toward morally bankrupt individuals. It's time to cash in on some of that goodwill by expanding the show's point of view.
It's not too late to save "Ozark."
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