Pulling off nails is excruciating. My daughter accidentally got her finger caught in a door when she was little and pulled one of her fingernails out. She cried for about an hour and was still upset for a long time afterwards. Yes it bled. Not a huge amount, but it needed bandaging. It's like having the top layers of your skin removed...it's a meaty bloody mess and super sensitive until it heals over. As far as limping goes....I noticed that too. It wouldn't necessarily affect his gait since it is just the top of his toes, but I imagine putting them in shoes would be agony and every step would rub them. I rather expected him to show discomfort of some kind upon walking. When I saw the pliers, I thought they were going to pull his fingers off at the first joint. The toenail pulling was worse. Gives me the heebee jeebies.
As a mother, the baby baptism was horrifying. I was shouting out loud, " No! No!" Babies are not typically immersed, for obvious reasons! You wouldn't even keep an adult under that long. The only rationale I can come up with is that the show is messing with our heads and somehow it was a "time slowed" scenario where it didn't last nearly as long as it seemed. The fake baby carry to the shore was not well done either.
Additional thoughts: I have not seen either Breaking Bad or Justified, so I cannot comment on similarities. To me, it reminded me more of Weeds crossed with the Sopranos. I probably would not have watched the show at all if it wasn't named Ozark...(it's not really my style) but I lived at the Lake of the Ozarks for 4 years. While the writers clearly have some knowledge (party cove was pretty spot on), they make it seem like it's all backwoods and run down mom and pop stores. Maybe that's what it was like 50 years ago, but not any more. Yes, there are rednecks and trailer parks. Yes there are fancy yachts sailed around by snobby tourists. There is also a year round community with multiple schools. I'm pretty sure they would have that organic pistachio ice cream at Hy-Vee. Heck, there's a Cold Stone Creamery at the outlet mall. There's lots of NICE resorts, restaurants, grocery stores, and million dollar homes. I mean, they really must've been on the WRONG side of the lake. I find it odd that two shows (this one, and Resurrection) are both set in Missouri, but the locale is horribly inaccurate because they filmed them both in GEORGIA. Nothing against Georgia...I lived there too, but for authenticity, it's just a different beast. I've had the odd experience of living in both of the places these shows were "set" and been disappointed at the results.
So to sum up, as far as suspension of disbelief...
Drugs--yes, there were drug issues
Huge heroin farm--unlikely
Disgruntled families holding a grudge that their town was flooded--possibly. The entire town of Linn Creek was flooded, but the power company rebuilt it on higher ground. If the residents and the descendants held onto their assets, they would have some very valuable lake front property.
Accidents on the Lake? Sadly, yes, but usually involves alcohol.
Churches? LOTS of them. Big ones, small ones, of every denomination. There are probably live services on boats, but there is no great need to build one on land...there are plenty already.
Tourists? YES. LOTS.
Dying businesses? Probably some, but lots of thriving businesses as well. Oh and there are 3 strip clubs.
People at the Lake do not have north Georgia accents.
