Started watching Ozark

Cory

Watched the first two episodes so far, feeling a bit meh on it.

The premise feels a bit farcical, is that something I just need to swallow and move on with it?  I've heard it was really good.

Him talking his way out of it after they rob $3M from his hotel room didn't help any.

Dee

I watched a few episodes a while back and I couldn’t get into it. It’s like it’s trying to be Breaking Bad but it can’t quite get there. 

Chinaski

people seem to really dig it unlike me. i watched S1 and didn't care much for it (predictable and silly imo). i tried giving S2 a chance and nope, i checked out after the first few eps. it just wasn't for me.

CretanBull

Looks like we're all in the same boat, I can't remember how many episodes I watched but I gave up on it part way through S1 and I've never returned to it.

Garthgou81

I tried twice and it did nothing for me. 

Cory

Gee, is there nobody who DID like it? Maybe I will give up on it after all.

blue_sleeve

Cory said:

Gee, is there nobody who DID like it? Maybe I will give up on it after all.

I dig Ozark! Every season gets better and the stakes get higher. It’s all subjective, so just keep on keepin’ on!

Teresa from Concord

I am a big fan. And the second season is even better than the first. I’d recommend continue watching. Would love to know your thoughts if you finish the first season. We can even get spoiler-y. 

Cory

Teresa from Concord said:

I am a big fan. And the second season is even better than the first. I’d recommend continue watching. Would love to know your thoughts if you finish the first season. We can even get spoiler-y. 

I'll likely continue through the first season, not at a super fast pace though.

asmallcat

I also gave up on it, but mostly because I don't really like shows where the protagonist is an objectively bad person, not because it was bad. My wife liked it and finished it though. 

Freddy

The problem with Ozark is that the show should of ended with a bullet in Jason Bateman's head in the very first episode. The idea that the cartel would spare him in that situation requires so much suspension of disbelief that the show now has to be viewed as pure fantasy instead of a realistic drama.

CretanBull

asmallcat said:

I also gave up on it, but mostly because I don't really like shows where the protagonist is an objectively bad person, not because it was bad. My wife liked it and finished it though. 

I struggle with this too - it was a barrier in me getting into Breaking Bad and The Sopranos.

Dummy

Freddy said:

The problem with Ozark is that the show should of ended with a bullet in Jason Bateman's head in the very first episode. The idea that the cartel would spare him in that situation requires so much suspension of disbelief that the show now has to be viewed as pure fantasy instead of a realistic drama.

I think it's certainly what would happen most times, but the mob guy wanted see if Bateman's character (Marty) could pull off the thing he clearly pulled out of his butt to live. You find out later a little bit more why he left Marty alive and the other ones dead, but ultimately they are not idiots, just psychopaths. They are still about making money and they know that Marty is a very valuable asset. I just don't think it's that much of a stretch for the mob guy to let him live to make the cartel more money, especially considering he knows Marty wasn't a part of the stealing and he wants to see if he can do the crazy thing he just proposed. Again, it makes more sense later on in the season, but I still think it makes sense without the later context. 

Giovanni

I think it's an okay show. I binged through it about a year ago and wasn't that impressed but thought it was entertaining. 

Freddy

Dummy said:

Freddy said:

The problem with Ozark is that the show should of ended with a bullet in Jason Bateman's head in the very first episode. The idea that the cartel would spare him in that situation requires so much suspension of disbelief that the show now has to be viewed as pure fantasy instead of a realistic drama.

I think it's certainly what would happen most times, but the mob guy wanted see if Bateman's character (Marty) could pull off the thing he clearly pulled out of his butt to live. You find out later a little bit more why he left Marty alive and the other ones dead, but ultimately they are not idiots, just psychopaths. They are still about making money and they know that Marty is a very valuable asset. I just don't think it's that much of a stretch for the mob guy to let him live to make the cartel more money, especially considering he knows Marty wasn't a part of the stealing and he wants to see if he can do the crazy thing he just proposed. Again, it makes more sense later on in the season, but I still think it makes sense without the later context. 

No way. There is no talking a cartel boss out of killing you once he has the gun to your head. Now maybe if they had killed everyone in front of him specifically as a message, I could see it. That wasn't what happened though. They killed everyone else and then spared him because of a flimsy story that any half competent arch criminal would see through. There is no "I want to see if he can pull this bullshit off that he's clearly selling me just to save his own ass" mentality in top level crime. If anything, its "wow, this guy will say anything to live; now we have to kill him even if he did nothing wrong."

Cory

Freddy said:

The problem with Ozark is that the show should of ended with a bullet in Jason Bateman's head in the very first episode. The idea that the cartel would spare him in that situation requires so much suspension of disbelief that the show now has to be viewed as pure fantasy instead of a realistic drama.

Thats been my problem with it.

Michelle

I couldn't get into it.  I love Jason Bateman, but this just didn't grab me.  And I really tried.  
Maybe part of it is that I've never been much of a Laura Linney fan, but that's only a small part I think.

Cory

I don't think I've seen Bateman in anythhing else.

Chinaski

Teen Wolf Too! haha really tho, Arrested Development! but he was an 80’s kid with his sister. shout out Justine Bateman  

Cory

Chinaski said:

Teen Wolf Too! haha really tho, Arrested Development! but he was an 80’s kid with his sister. shout out Justine Bateman  

Only seen the first Teen Wolf. Haven't seen Arrested Development. 

Dee

He’s Joe Everyman in a million comedy movies. 

Cory

Dee said:

He’s Joe Everyman in a million comedy movies. 

Looked him up on IMDb earlier,  nothing rang a bell. His name is familiar though.

Kela15

Ozark fan here. The show’s standout to me is Julia Garner. Ruth Langmore is a force of nature! But hey:

Hunkulese

I think Ozark is great and Bateman and Linney are very good, but it's still a crime that they got Emmy noms over Odenkirk and Seehorn. I actually thought Linney was great in season three but nowhere close to what Rhea Seehorn did. All Bateman does is keep a calm exterior while still making it obvious his mind is going a thousand miles a minute. He does it well, but it's all he does.

Cory

Kela15 said:

Ozark fan here. The show’s standout to me is Julia Garner. Ruth Langmore is a force of nature! But hey:

That's really good because she's probably the most interesting character to me so far.  I'm pretty sure she's going to become an ally, or at least "frienemy".

Waiting for her to meet Marty'd daughter.

Speaking of which, Marty's daughter is supposed to be 4 years younger than Ruth but looks 6-8 years older.

CretanBull

Cory said:

Chinaski said:

Teen Wolf Too! haha really tho, Arrested Development! but he was an 80’s kid with his sister. shout out Justine Bateman  

Only seen the first Teen Wolf. Haven't seen Arrested Development. 

You're missing out!  That's a great show

bizmarkiefader

Chinaski said:

Teen Wolf Too! haha really tho, Arrested Development! but he was an 80’s kid with his sister. shout out Justine Bateman  

Cory

Just finishing episode 5, felt like it was going ok.

Then Agent Petty (that's really his name?) seduces one of the two biggest redneck hillbillies in the cast?

How convenient for his investigation.